Audio Mastering
When it comes to audio mastering, using an experienced mastering engineer is critical in taking your music project to the next level. AudioIntegrity offers affordable audio mastering services at a competitive price. We know that you only get one chance to make a lasting impression and choosing the right mastering company is critical. When selecting to work with a mastering company make sure you listen to audio samples provided and take them up on any free sample mastering offers. Hear what they can do. This is why AudioIntegrity has been offering a free 1-song test mastering for over 2 decades. We want you to be informed and make the right choice with your music. Not all audio mastering companies are equal, so do your homework.
OUR PROCESS…
Delivery of Mixes
First part of the process is to get your final stereo mixes or stems. We’ll create a private Dropbox folder and send you a link to your upload page. On that page is a Browse button, browse to your file(s), select them and then hit the upload button. Once the file(s) is uploaded we’ll schedule the time. Our typical turnaround time for samples is 1-2 days and full projects usually 3-4 days. If you have an urgent deadline or timeline don’t hesitate to mention this. Many times we have flexibility to move things around as needed.
Online Mastering
Next step is to prepare for the audio mastering process. Prior to beginning please don’t hesitate to offer any insight to your mixes, wishes or comparable references or anything you think might be helpful. We’re all ears! In addition we request that you provide your files with headroom to work with (at least -3dB below zero max peak). It’s okay to have some mix buss processing going, if that’s part of your sound, just watch your levels and tailor the final output back to be at least –3dB below zero (max peak).
So, at this point the mastering process begins. First pass is a critical listening pass where I take notes about levels, frequency response, instrumentation, tempo and anything else that may stand out during this initial playback. From there the real fun begins. This is when I start running everything through the mastering chain. Each song is its own animal so there is no one-setting fits all approach. I achieve a baseline sound with the first song and then adjust according to what I hear and what sounds best. Then once the mastering is done it’s time to bounce test .wav files for listening and approval.
Deliver Listening Files for Approval in .WAV Format
Now that the initial mastering is done it’s time for you to hear the results. We typically deliver test files as 24bit/44.1KHz .wav files. You listen on your familiar devices and provide any necessary feedback. We’ll do unlimited revisions to make sure it’s perfect for you. Once we’ve approved all final versions we’ll provide the final masters.
Final Master Delivery as .WAV File and/or PMCD Master or DDP File Set
For delivery we can provide either final .wav files and/or two pmcd masters to be used for CD duplication or replication. We can also upload a DDP File Set to your chosen manufacturer. These days more and more clients are doing digital releases and one-off “on demand” cd’s (Amazon etc). Here’s what we deliver for digital assets. 16Bit/44.1KHz .WAV Files at -.5dB below zero *Optimal for format encoding 24Bit/44.1-96KHz .WAV Files at -1dB below zero (Mastered for iTunes guidelines) *We output at your native resolution (44.1KHz, 48KHz, 96KHz) If you plan to duplicate or replicate CD’s then please request the PMCD’s. We’ll create 2 PMCD masters with PQ code printouts. One as a master and the second as a safety copy.