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Mix Submission Guidelines

One of the key elements of the mastering process is to gather all the source mixes and combine them into one complete, cohesive album. In order to make this process go smoothly and to save time and money during a mastering session, it is imperative that the source mixes are clearly labeled and well organized. With unattended sessions this becomes even more important as someone is not present to answer questions.

We can work with almost any format you choose to bring us, however the most common formats are digital .wav or .aiff files or 2 track analog tapes. We accept digital files on CD-Rs, DVDs, Masterlink discs, PC and Mac hard drives, electronic delivery (i.e. FTP, DigiDelivery), etc. Here are some tips to make submitting and labeling your mixes to us helpful and time saving:

  • Please clearly label ALL discs, tapes, hard drives, etc. with the following information:

1.  Artist name (with correct spelling!)

2.  Client name

3.  Record Label (if applicable)

4.  Project name/album title (if there is one)

5.  Date

6.  COMPLETE track titles (not abbreviated) of all songs on source media

7.  Mix version names (i.e. master, vocal up, vocal down, etc.)

8.  Producer name

9.  Mix engineer/assistant(s) name and contact number

  • ALWAYS note song sequence at the time of delivering sources. Either include a sheet with the sequence or a text file with the sequence on the source media. Please keep in mind that when you deliver a CD-R or a hard drive, files do not stay in a user defined sequence, but rather get sorted alphabetically, by date, etc.

  • When delivering files electronically through FTP or DigiDelivery, please send an email or a text file with all the appropriate information you would normally include on labels for physical media.

  • When sending files through FTP or DigiDelivery, please also use a program such as WinZip or Stuffit (both are free programs that can be easily downloaded) to combine all individual files into one zipped/stuffed file. However, only use it to combine multiple files and NEVER use it to compress the data. Doing this creates less potential for file corruption or incomplete downloads. Stuffing Mac files can also make them more compatible when going through PC servers.

DIGITAL SOURCES

  •  When submitting digital files please always include the following details on the label of the source media:
  • Sample rate
  • Bit depth
  • File format (.wav, .aiff, etc.) (Note: We can accept either, however we prefer .wav files. If it makes no difference to the mix engineer, please print to .wavs when possible.)
  • Stereo interleaved or multiple mono (Note: While we can accept either, we prefer stereo interleaved files. However, feel free to deliver whatever format is best for you. If you choose to deliver multiple mono files, the files MUST be labeled with .L and .R in the files names and the files must be identical in length/size.)
  • Mac or PC format (for hard drives)

  • When submitting discs and hard drives, if possible, label the above info on the J card or the box of the drive in order to save time by having to mount the media in order to see what's on it.

  • If one or more files differ in sample rate and/or bit depth from the majority of the files, please make a note of this and label accordingly.  

  • When labeling your audio files, please make sure file names are clear and specify song title and mix version. If you must abbreviate for space sake, please make sure you include notes explaining all abbreviations. Whenever possible, however, please avoid cryptic abbreviations.
  •  Helpful hints! - Please make file names as short as possible without becoming confusing. The most desirable file name is simply the song title and mix version (if applicable). Avoid any information not relevant for mastering, such as extraneous numbers (i.e. _01, _02, etc.).

  •  ALWAYS note which mix version is the version approved for mastering! If you color code you mixes on a Mac hard drive to show which mixes are for mastering, please provide an explanation as to what the colors indicate. This can avoid confusion later or wrong assumptions that color coded mixes are for mastering.

ANALOG SOURCES

  •  When submitting analog tapes please always include the following details on the box:
  •   Tape speed (30 IPS, 15 IPS, etc.)
  •   Noise reduction used (if any) (i.e. Dolby SR, Dolby A)
  •   Record level (+3, +6, etc.)
  •   Reel # (if part of a set of reels)
  •   Tones included on the tape

  • When printing mixes to tape, always provide at least 30 seconds of the following tones at 0 VU on at least one reel of a set of reels for a project: 1K, 10K, 100 Hz. This allows us to properly calibrate our tape Machine.

  • ALWAYS provide plenty of leader at head of tape and between each song.
  •  Helpful hints! - Some assistants even label on the physical reel itself by drawing on the reel and writing the song name to point out where each mix begins. Some assistants also write the song title and mix version on the outside of leader itself before the mix.

By following these guidelines and taking the time and attention to properly and clearly label sources, much time (and money) can be saved by avoiding file conversions, deciphering poor labels, calling producers/engineers with questions, etc. This allows the time spent in mastering to be about what's really important - the music!