Frequently Asked Questions

What is mastering? Why do we need it?
Mastering is the last creative step and the first technical step in the process of relaying your music to your fans, regardless of release format. While many think mastering is about processing (equalization, compression, limiting, etc.), mastering is truly about an experienced, unbiased listener in a great room with great monitors listening to your music. If changes are needed to improve the way your music will impact people, whether it be for the sake of translation (good sound across a variety of playback systems) or overall cohesiveness, then processing is engaged. But the real benefit is the experience the mastering engineer brings to the table. Look for mastering engineer with the experience to know what pitfalls can keep your record from being what you want it to be and also knows what can be done to maximize the potential of your music.

How can I make the mastering session go smoother?
Spend the necessary time in preparation. Make sure that all the mixes are clearly labeled and you have determined the sequence and spacing ideas ahead of time. Also, include any notes about special edits or crossfades, or if versions need to be chosen. Be as precise and concise as possible. The time you spend ahead of time will insure a smoother mastering sessions and save you money, as well.

Which format is best for me to send my mixes?
We used to say analog tape, but as digital converters have improved, we have revised the recommendation - simply send the highest resolution master you can.

How should I prepare my mixes?
For analog masters on ½” and ¼” tape, please specify the playback speed and whether or not Noise Reduction was used (if so, what type). At a minimum, we need the following tones: 1kHz, 10kHz, 100Hz but prefer the following tones if possible - 1kHz, 10kHz, 15kHz, 100Hz and 50Hz. Please insure that all songs have leader tape between them and times notated. Sequencing the mixes is not necessary but can save money. Digital masters at bit depths up to 32 bit and sampling rates as high as 192kHz are also accepted. For all audio discs, we prefer CDRoms for digital data as they are easy to make safeties of and allow greater error correction than audio CDRs.

At what recording level should I print my analog mix?
Whatever sounds best. Analog tape can act like a high frequency compressor that gets more aggressive the harder you hit it, but printing at reasonable levels can yield a very clean master.

At what recording level should I print my digital mix?
Digital yields such a low noise floor that now we don’t really have to worry about it anymore – if you print mixes on your 24 bit recorder at -48dBfs, you’ll still have a higher signal to noise ratio than is possible on analog tape. There’s no need to ‘get close to zero’, give your mixes room to breathe and you’ll be amazed how much better they sound when mastered.

Should I add compression to my mixes?
Some mastering engineers will tell you not to compress your mixes, giving various reasons such as the quality of your compressors or your monitoring environment not being up to par, but I disagree. Mix compression can radically change the instrumental balances within the music; if left to the mastering engineer your mix will often come back sounding very different from what you sent. I recommend judicious use of compression, checking the results in various listening environments with varying levels (if needed) until you are sure it is beneficial. If you still feel uncertain, print versions with and without compression, and remember, the mastering engineer is there to 'polish', not 'repaint' your mixes …

Should I use a Finalizer, L1, L2, T-Racks, etc. before I send my master to you?
Please do not! Limiting should always be reserved for the last process in mastering. Some confusion is added from old devices such as Fairchild and Universal Audio limiters. These boxes are indeed limiters (compression ratios available above about 10:1) but not like their digital counterparts! Modern digital limiters make further processing sound rather nasty. We have the proper tools to get your mixes loud; this is not something you should be worrying about while mixing. The rule of thumb is this – anything you do for loudness should be avoided in mixing, if it’s done for sonic reasons, go for it. Also, if you find that you have to apply limiters to avoid ‘overs’ while mixing, pull the faders back instead …

What do I get back from mastering?
We strive to insure you are happy with your project before we cut master parts, so we prefer sending reference discs for you to listen to and approve. That being said, more and more clients wish to simply download the reference files and approve the master from there. If you wish to download the reference files instead of recieving a reference disc, that's fine - we have two dedicated servers to allow for this. If tweaks are needed, we will address any issues you have and send new reference discs. After your approval, the production master(s) will be cut and delivered where you wish.

What is a ‘reference disc’? How is it different from the ‘production master’?
All reference discs are cut on site, one disc at a time. A reference disc is the disc we cut at the end of the mastering session for you to listen to wherever you wish. We encourage you to listen to you reference discs in a variety of locations you are familiar with – in your car, at home, in your studio, on your computer, etc. Unless changes are made, this disc sounds exactly like what your manufactured discs will sound like. The production master is cut similarly to the reference disc, but undergoes several layers of quality control checks to insure it is a direct clone of the approved reference disc, all of the necessary sub-code data is included and correct (see the next two FAQ entries for more information), and that it has the lowest error rates possible.

What are ISRC codes?
The ISRC is a unique alpha-numeric code that functions as a digital "fingerprint" for your music. The ISRC remains allocated to a recording regardless of changes in ownership and is an extremely powerful tool for royalty collection, administration, and anti-piracy safeguards.

In order to encode your disc with ISRC codes, you must first fill out the registrant application. The RIAA will then assign you a registrant code - we can help you from there.

Why don't the track names come up on my computer when I put in my reference disc?
The first thing you need to do it to visit Gracenote.com - this is where you will upload the information about your disc. Over time, the information will propagate to everyone's computer as their media player software (iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc) connects to the CDDB and updates.

What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept credit cards (Visa/MC, American Express, Discover) PayPal, checks (personal or cashier), money orders, and bags of cash.

Further questions?