What to Bring to Mastering Facility?

[Alanfc]

I have some questions on any given Pro Mastering facility's potential work on my own finished product.

As I have been learning and practicing with EQ and Compressors and all that on my work at home on the PC (Cakewalk HS XL), I have been trying to educate myself on the Mastering process. I have seen on a few different discussion boards that there is a sometimes heated debate about whether a person can do the job at home, or must take it to a pro facility to get "radio ready" product. Those issues of quality are a whole other discussion whose technical details I couldn't comprehend yet.

So, let's assume for this discussion that I WILL be taking my stuff in to a pro mastering engineer I have recorded at 16 bit/44.1 k.

Can anyone help me answer these things?:

1) how much effects processing should I labor on if I am eventually going to a mastering facility? It seems more logical/economical to do as much processing myself as I can ahead of time.

2) BUT, Are all my effects (simple Cakewalk stock effects) going to translate?

3) If indeed my own processing work is compatible with the Mastering place's stuff, in what form would I bring my work ?

Thanks

 

[Son of Mixerman]

Mix it until you think its the best mix you can do. Then call the ME your going to use and chat. He will tell you what to bring with you. He/She might ask for a remix, but will often tell you where the problems lie in your mix. SOmetimes they like to see alternate mixes where the bass is more forward or something like that, but its best to consult the ME.

SoMm