a qestion about preparing a mix for mastering

[Hi_Flyer]

I'm using n-Track to mix and record right now. Granted, its not top of the line software, but its been easy to learn, its cheap, and its worked reasonably well...

Anyway, my question is this: In order to save processing power, n-Track lets print tracks, or freeze tracks with plug-in effect added, and it renders new tracks at either 24 or 16-bit, whichever bit-depth the user selects. Now, say I have a project that has a bunch of rendered or frozen tracks, and I have the individual frozen tracks running through a group channel with a plug-in or two, then maybe another plug-in or two across the stereo buss... When I am all done completely happy with my mix, would it be a good idea to unfreeze all of the frozen tracks to render the final mixdown?

My thinking is that since the rendered files are being processed further, it would be better to have the extra resolution, right? Or am I completely off-base here?

 

[sixways]

I wouldn't unfreeze them for mastering. I can see it for more mixing, but a mastering engineer isn't going to change your track effects, he/she will be working with a 2 track mixdown.

6

 

[Ford Van]

I would go ahead and unfreeze them.

With freezing, you are rendering the track, then rendering them again at mix time. Yes, you have lost some resolution possibility.

Freeze if you have to, but when you go to render the mix, unfreeze and render that way. I believe it will turn out better.