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Mastering FAQs
This page answers most frequently asked questions about our music mastering process. |
| 1. |
| What is Music Mastering? |
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Mastering is the process of optimizing all individual frequency levels to meet Industry Standards. |
| 2. |
| What is Industry Standard? |
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At present the Industry Standard sound quality is based on the specifications of the Red Book Convention, which is a sampling rate of 44.1 Khz and a word resolution of 16 bits. |
| 3. |
Pre Mastered Compact Disc.
The pre-master CD was originally developed jointly by Sonic Solutions and Sony. The PMCD has the advantage of being easily played on an ordinary CD player before glass mastering. |
| 4. |
| What's the Advantage of Mastering to PMCD? |
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By using a CD-R format for storage (Compact Disc Recordable), is a better medium and more reliable than 1610 & 1630 pre-mastered tape (DDP), or any 4mm/8mm tape format.
The reason is due to magneto-optical technology which has no tape head friction.
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| 5. |
| How do I get started? |
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First,
make sure that you have listened to your mix several times and that
you are happy with its present state.
Not even the best mastering tools in the world will turn a bad mix
into a great one. So, if the sound of the mix doesn't stand already
on its own, that's a telltale sign that your music won't benefit
very much from the mastering process.
Now, that doesn't mean that we can't make any mix sound better.
We will always guarantee you that.
Next, check levels:
Make sure your signal has NO DISTORTION & Make sure
your output levels are not LOUD!
The stereo
signal on the far right peaks at above 0 db and clips the meter. That's
not ideal for professional mastering, especially if it's not the peak
but the average sum levels (of the L + R channels). We don't recommend
you submit mixes like that.
Next,
check format:
Resolutions
accepted: 32, 24 bit and 16 bit (Which is definitely OK).
Sampling rates accepted: 192, 96, 88, 48 and 44.1 kHz (CD quality)
File Types: we prefer WAV but accept AIFF and SDII formats.
Be
aware that the higher the resolution and sampling rate, the longer
the upload time (Between 8 to 30 minutes each song depending
on your connection speed).
MP3
is a lossy and compressed file and thus, not ideal for mastering.
If you want to supply us with MP3 files anyway, that's fine, but
please make sure that they are coded at least 192 Kbit/sec (stereo)
and at 44.1 kHz.
FYI,
there are several free programs to convert CD to WAV: e.g. Switch
for Windows, see www.nch.com.au/switch
or SoX Wrap for Apple/Macintosh, see www.waveformsoftware.com/SoX_Wrap/soxwrap.htm
If you can't use our online service and prefer to send by mail,
we also accept audio CD, CD24 audio, DAT, DAT-24 formats.
Tapes: 2 Trk 1/2", 2 Trk 1/4", 4 Trk 1/4" (30, 15,
7.5. 3.75 i.p.s.). Extra charges apply, call for a quote.
Finally, cassettes can be also enhanced through mastering, but should
only be used if there is no other recourse (You lost the master).
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| 6. |
| Why are your prices lower than other online services? |
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Actually,
we are not that cheap if you consider what we charge customers for
mastering with technical
assistance.
Basically, we reward those companies and individuals that send good
mixes for processing. That's our philosophy!
We also get to do this at our earliest convenience, so that's the
other reason for the lower price. Mastering online works for both,
the facility and the artists.
Related
Item: Prices
and Rates
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| 7. |
| What
does M.D.P. mean? |
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Maximum
Delivery Potential, a term created by Edward Vinatea, not listed on
audio engineering books.
"It's the art of aligning audio frequencies to a specific dynamic
shape and harmonic balance, in order to obtain a maximum delivery
potential". |
| 8. |
| What are your mastering fees? |
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Please, go to Price/Rates
on our site and select your choice for delivery or click
here |
| 9. |
| What is your turnaround? |
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If you uploaded 1
mix, it takes 3 business days for full process.
2 to 5 mixes will usually take 3 to 4 business days.
6 to 14 mixes usually takes 5 business days.
15 and more, usually takes 5 to 7 business days. |
| 10. |
| What do you mean by good frequency alignment? |
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We mean that a mix
has a well balanced frequency and harmonic spectrum within the 3 major
densities (Bass, mid-range & the high end). Their transients are not
overshooting, allowing for higher overall output levels without compromising
dynamic range. |
| 11. |
| Does equipment make a difference? |
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Yes!
It does make a difference working with professional tools. However, if the engineer doing the mastering is not experienced, We guarantee that you will not get a quality mastering job. |
| 12. |
Everyone, especially indie artists and producers. They require mastering work the most since their mixes come from recording situations where budget is always an issue and major compromises in sound production quality had to be made.
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| 13. |
| What's Your Mastering Equipment List? |
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All audio is digitized on ProTools
HD or 24 Mix TDM System
with DSP by:
Focusrite,
Lexicon,
TC Works and
Waves mastering tools.
Superb A/D converters by:
Apogee,
SONY
DMX -R100 A/D/DA
Other Conversions by:
MasterLink
ML9600,
Tascam DA-45HR 24 bit,
Panasonic 20 bit,
Marantz CDR610 MKII,
Sony DAT machines,
Playwrite CD recorders.
Your music is handled with care.
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