About
Black View Studio® – 16 years on the road to professional mastering
Hi, my name is Damian Szkatulski. I make music as Black View《BV》 and I run Black View Studio – a boutique mastering studio created to prepare tracks for release (release-ready). Professionally, I’ve been working in the industry since 2014.
This story didn’t start with a studio. It started with 16 years of consistent work, gear changes, changes in mindset, and one goal: to build a place where mastering is predictable, repeatable, and sounds professional on every playback system.
Our story
I started with DJing. Quickly, I felt that if I wanted to move up, I had to produce music.
When I was 18, I got my first serious gear (bought by my mom on credit, which I paid back myself). It taught me the value of money and that growth costs.
After two years, I sold everything and bought another production setup. From that moment, music and sound became the main direction.
Since 2014, I co-created the DJ/producer project Szkatulski & Kosmalski. We released music on labels including Tenampa Recordings (Mexico), Bouq (Berlin), Natura Viva (Italy), Voltage Records (Greece), Downpour Recordings (Canada). The material was played by established artists. It was a period of intense learning and practice.
The next stage was FESS – a producer/DJ duo created together with Maciek Kosmalski. It was a continuation of previous years’ experience, but in a more defined formula and artistic direction. As FESS, we released the album “TRIP” (2019) – an important point in development and production quality that strongly shaped my approach to “release-ready” sound.
At some point, I understood that to reach the next level I needed not only experience, but also professional conditions: monitoring, acoustics, and a proper mastering chain. That’s how the road to Black View Studio began.
TIMELINE (intro)
16 years of changes – from the first setup to 《BV》Studio
Below we show the real process of change. These are not “pretty shots”. These are the stages that built today’s quality.
Stage 1: The beginning (DJ and first production)
First approach to sound. Learning how to listen and the basics of working with music.
Stage 2: First serious investments and a lesson in consistency
Gear bought on credit and paid back independently. A conscious approach to growth and to the value of work.
Stage 3: Gear change and skill development
A home studio for music production – the beginnings of Black View《BV》, plus a workstation upgrade – development of gear and monitoring.
Next stage: gear change and bigger sound ambitions.
After 3 years, a new setup. Goal: better control of sound and more possibilities.
Stage 4: Releases and real contact with the market (2014+)
Szkatulski & Kosmalski – releases and growth as a producer.
Stage 5: Vinyl and a higher standard
Vinyl release – Bouq Berlin, a development stage in the Szkatulski & Kosmalski project.
Caption: Vinyl on the compilation – Bouq. Friends & Family, Vol. 9 – EP
When your music lives outside, sound details start to decide how it’s received.
A period of releasing on labels, working on sound, and club reality.
In the same direction, the FESS project developed (Damian Szkatulski + Maciek Kosmalski) – a DJ/production duo from Poland.
A key point was the album “TRIP” (2019) – the stage where production standard and sound control became crucial.
Stage 6: Decision to build a professional studio
Plan and design of the mastering studio – preparation and project of Black View《BV》.
I understood that without acoustics and reference monitoring, I couldn’t go further. That’s how planning Black View Studio® started.
Stage 7: Acoustics and design
Acoustic design of the mastering studio – the foundation of monitoring.
Consultations, guidelines, and the final acoustic design. The foundation of quality is monitoring, not luck.
Stage 8: Built by my own hands (3 years of work)
Acoustics and monitoring: the base for mastering that’s predictable and repeatable.
Built by my own hands.
The budget forced me to do the work myself. This was the hardest stage and the biggest lesson in consistency.
Hundreds of hours of work and details.
Stage 9: Opening: 《BV》Studio (2021)
Opening Black View Studio 2021 – a professional mastering room.
Caption: BV Studio and the first full working standard.
✅ Start of a professional mastering studio and the beginning of working in a consistent standard.
Stage 10: Apple Digital Masters (2022)
Black View Studio certification since 2022.
Order: https://blackviewstudio.com/products/apple-digital-mastering
Apple Digital Masters and the file preparation standard. It’s a standard for preparing material for distribution and controlling exports. For the client, it means consistent sound on the platform side, also after conversion.
"Hello Damian,
You are now listed as Black View - Mastering Studio《BV》with the email info@blackviewstudio.com.
Best,
The Apple Digital Masters Team"
Stage 11: A stable process and online work
Mastering room and mastering chain – Black View Studio, current setup.
Caption: Current setup, chain, and workflow for online work.
A stable process, reference monitoring, and a mastering chain that deliver a predictable result.
How we work
The goal is simple: the track should be ready for release and work across different playback systems.
A consistent workflow:
▪️✅ we check the material and the goal (streaming, club, label, premiere)
▪️we make decisions on reference monitoring
▪️we deliver the service: Stereo Mastering, Stem Mastering, or Mix & Mastering
▪️we control levels, standards, and export
▪️if needed, we do revisions within the process
Link to the technical back-end: https://blackviewstudio.com/pages/tor-masteringowy
Why boutique
A boutique model means focus on quality.
▪️fewer projects at the same time
▪️clear communication and responsibility
▪️a consistent process and consistent decisions
We don’t work in mass volume. Every track has a clearly defined goal and standard.
Trust and process
We build trust through process and a working standard. The client receives clear instructions and a brief. Thanks to that, the whole process is easy to follow and the result is repeatable.
Invitation to work together
If you want to release your music and you need professional sound, you’re welcome to work with me.
Most often we deliver:
Stereo Mastering (finished mix)
▪️Stem Mastering (more control over elements)
▪️Mix & Mastering (full service)
➡️ Contact: https://blackviewstudio.com/pages/contact