Suggestions for inexpensive mastering?

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pathdoc

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Do you guys have a trusted mastering facility that will not break the bank?
Also, are there any special instructions before I send songs off for mastering?
Obviously the mixes should be solid but how about reverb and other effects? Is it best to leave the recording relatively dry and let the mastering house add it in?
Thanks
 
in my experience, it's best to FINISH your mix. get it to sound perfect without adding any bus compression or eq. let the mastering engineer sweeten your finished mix. i don't know what your budget is but west west side mastering (alan douches) is fairly inexpensive considering all the prestigious work he's done.
 
pathdoc said:
Do you guys have a trusted mastering facility that will not break the bank?
Also, are there any special instructions before I send songs off for mastering?
Obviously the mixes should be solid but how about reverb and other effects? Is it best to leave the recording relatively dry and let the mastering house add it in?
Thanks
Click to expand...

Your mix should be complete including reverb effects, and in some cases even overall compression (e.g. bus compression) if it's not extreme. Most MEs will ask that you send your mixes as 24 bit stereo interleaved files at the same sample rate as the original tracks.

Some other tips:

  • Don't trim heads or tails too closely
  • Don't normalize or be concerned with the mixes peaking at the maximum level (somewhere around -10 to -6 is fine)
  • Correct frequency and level imbalances at the track level (e.g. one track is too bright/dull compared to others or level jumps up and down)
  • Give notes to the ME on the format of the mixes, what you want corrected, song order, etc.
  • If it's a non-attended session, send along one or two references so that the ME gets a better feel of your tastes and goals for the project
 
Hey Tom,
Thanks for the info.
I've emailed you directly via your website.
I need a 4 song project mastered in about a week or two.
 
this place does great mastering. Really great if you are doing a full cd even. Not too expensive and they've got a nice client list of people they've recorded and mastered from major labels etc..

http://visionsounds.com/
 
"Most MEs will ask that you send your mixes as 24 bit stereo interleaved files at the same sample rate as the original tracks."

Thanks for the info. The band decided on a place here in Dallas called Crystalclear that has a mastering suite and also does artwork and CD replication.
I called and they told me to submit each song at 24 bit with same sample rate as original file. I appreciate the info.
 
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