Preparing Mixes For Mastering

Don't put a digital limiter/maximiser on the master fader. Gentle compression is alright but remember, we can always add more compression, we can't take it away.

Make sure the mix is peaking no higher than -1dBFS and no lower than -6dBFS.

Aim to get the vocal level right. If your time and budget allows, bounce down 3 mixes of each song. A master mix, no lead vocal mix and a lead vocals only (and whatever reverb/fx is on them). The idea is that if the instrumental mix is combined with the vocal only mix you should end up with a mix identical to the master. This gives us more options with the vocal level in mastering.

Print the mix at the same sample rate as your multitrack session. Never use ProTools to do a sample rate conversion on any mix you are bringing to mastering. Ideally mix at 24bit. Please note we cannot accept 32bit floating cubase files.

Make sure the important elements such as vocal, kick and snare are prominent. Make sure there is enough panning to make the mix wide. Test your mix in mono to make sure there is no severe phase cancellation. Compare your mix to commercial CDs but don't try to make your mix as loud as them (as they will have been mastered already). In general, the kick, snare, vocal and bass should be clearly defined in the centre of the stereo image, and other instruments should be panned out left and right to different positions.

Coding Your Recordings

ISRC (International Standard Recording Code):

The ISRC is an international identification system for CDs and music DVDs. The 12-character alphanumeric code functions as a digital "fingerprint" for each track. Each ISRC is a unique and permanent identifier for a specific recording, to help identify recordings for royalty payments. It is assigned per track, not per CD. The ISRC is tied to the track, not the carrier of the track and is embedded in the metadata of your CD during the mastering phase.

ISRC codes are not provided by Studios 301 and are not used for online CD identification (i.e. media information will not be displayed on your computer unless the CD is registered with an online Music CD Database).

Make sure you let your CD manufacturer know these codes are in your master. If your CD manufacturer doesn’t know about ISRCs, find one that does.

In Australia ISRC codes can be obtained by visiting www.aria.com.au . Select ‘Industry’ from the menu, then ‘ISRC’ where there are links to a handbook and a link to apply for ISRC codes.

CD Text:

“CD Text” is information about the release that can be encoded as a separate file on an audio CD. It stores information like the album and song titles. When playing back an audio CD containing CD Text information on a CD Text-enabled player (usually an LCD screen), the listener will be able to read this information on the display panel. CD Text info can be entered onto a CD master quite easily using the “table of contents” in the appropriate CD subchannel. Like the ISRC, this happens during the mastering phase of your recording.

Studios 301 do not necessarily provide CD Text as standard. CD Text can only be viewed on CD Text enabled CD or DVD players and is not used for online CD identification (i.e. media information will not be displayed on your computer unless the CD is registered with an online Music CD Database).

CDDB (CD Data Base):

CDDB is a database for software applications to look up CD information over the Internet. You’ve probably noticed it when ever you’ve imported a CD into your computer’s music library. Most of what you see is the work of one company, Gracenote, which has been entering the identity of every CD track for many years now.

It was designed around the task of identifying entire CDs, not merely single tracks. The identification process involves creating a “discid,” a sort of “fingerprint” of a CD created by performing calculations on the track duration information stored in the table-of-contents of the CD.

There are alternatives to Gracenotes’s proprietary CDDB. Gracenote will eventually pick up on your CD, but it’s best to send the information in yourself. To submit to Gracenote’s database go to: http://gracenote.com and read the FAQs under “Company Info.”

Keep good records of all this information to ensure accurate and comprehensive monitoring of your music’s uses in the digital age.

Mastering For Vinyl

The 301 Mastering Engineers are very experienced at mastering for vinyl release as well as CD. There are many processes that need to be handled differently for the analogue vinyl domain including top end, bottom end, out of phase program and levels. There are some instances where the audio mastered for CD release will be suitable for vinyl however, a seperate mastering session would be advisable.