A FAQ for all your mastering , CD mastering, mixing and CD replication questions

Recommended Audio Formats

If you do not read nothing else, PLEASE READ THIS…

- DO NOT, do any compression or limiting to the final mix.
- Keep your master level at -3 to -6 db. This will ensure the loudest, clearest sounding CD possible.
Best Results
- Data files are better than an audio CD…Use the “export” or “bounce to disk” function in your DAW program. Save it to a folder on your computer and then transfer it to a CD-R or DVD as “Data” , not audio.
- 16 or 24 bit .wav files (CD-R or CD-RW)
- 16 or 24 bit .aiff files (CD-R or CD-RW)
- Use 24 bit if you recorded in 24 bit.
- Almost any digital based workstation will export to the above formats. (Pro-Tools, Sonar, Cakewalk, Cubase, Logic, Samplitude, etc.)
Good Results
-Standard Audio CD (The type you burn on your computer)
-DAT (Digital Audio Tape)
Worst Results
-Should only use if no other formats available!
-Cassette Tape
-Mini Disc
-MP-3 File
-WMA File
Some more recommendations below:
Give us a mix that is close to -3 db to -6db. This gives us the most head room to master and assures a clean, clip free mastering.
“all in one” Mastering boxes, such as the Alesis Masterlink or TC Finalizer, should be avoided . These  will cloud the sound and will leave us with less room to master.
Mastering software is also not recommended. This will only reduce the quality of your final mastered CD.

What’s the difference between mixing and mastering?

1) Mixing is the final process conducted in a recording studio wherein the recording engineer consolidates all individual multi-tracks of a given song or other audio program and converts that into a stereo audio file which is typically then burned onto cd.

2) Mastering is a final stage process in the music production process wherein a mastering engineer takes your final mix from the recording studio and enhances the overall sound of that mix by bringing various elements of your mix into balance, sharper focus, and increases the perceived loudness of the mix by utilizing special eq, compression and other tools. Think of the mastering process as the tool that will bring sparkle and shine to an already good mix. The end result being making a good mix become a GREAT mix!

Why should my CD only be 74 minutes in length?

“Red Book” standard is 74 minutes. CD replicators do not guarantee any CDs over 74 minutes, and its possible they will not play on all CD players. Contact your CD replicator before proceeding with the mastering process if your CD is over 74 minutes.

What format should I use to send the files to you?  What level should they be at?

AIFF or WAV format is ideal, but if all you have is MP3 format, I can work with that too.  If you’re sending in MP3 format, you can disregard the info below.  If you’re sending WAV format, read on!

Anything better than 16bit/44.100kHz works great.  Keep in mind that the larger the file, the longer the upload/download time.  So, you may not want to get carried away here.  16bit/44.100kHz is more than sufficient for just about anyone out there.

Level: Just about anything louder than -15dB is the “Redbook Standard” (within reason of course!).  Most people find that -8dB is about the right level.  If you choose something other than -8dB, that is completely fine…But, if you have no clue what it should be at, stick with -8dB and I’m sure you’ll like the outcome.

What is the difference between 16 and 24 Bit Masters?   What do I sacrifice going 16?

44.1k/16 bit rate is the Redbook standard that is adhered to and used worldwide. For music applications, 44.1k/16 bit rate is audio format used in professional CD manufacturing. To deliver a better quality sound, some of the newer high end CD players are offering playback at 24 bits . However for the public at large, the Redbook standard will remain in widespread use.

Can you master my (hip hop/latin/boy band/electronica/country/rock/etc.) CD? Do you have any experience with this type of music?

I seem to get this question a lot.  Yes, I can master your CD.  I have worked on many, many projects from all sorts of different backgrounds and styles.  Even if you are convinced that you’ve created a whole new style of music that the world has never heard before, I can assure you that I can handle the task and have probably worked on similar albums before.

What is audio mastering?

We thought it would be better for wikipedia to explain it better here

A Recent Interview With Rajiv Agarwal

1. Can you tell us something about yourself?

My name is Rajiv Agarwal and I head the creative team of professionals at Audioshapers.

I have been into audio and music production for 12 years now. I have released 2 albums and have worked on countless mixes, recordings and audio projects with clients from all over the world. I am also an audio restoration consultant for 2 institutes, Digitech sounds Pvt.Ltd and Waveimage works.

2. So do you mix and master all your audio yourself?

Well most of the time! I think every musician/producer wants to fashion the overall feel of the mix in a certain way, which is only possible if you work every time with a great engineer or do it yourself. But it takes years of ear training and understanding the audio processing tools to get a good sounding track.

3. We keep hearing the words “mixing” and “mastering”. Are they the same or is there a difference between them?

Good question! Most of the people use these words interchangeably, which is totally wrong. Each is a separate and distinct process. Mixing always precedes mastering.

When we “mix”, all the elements of the song like the drums, bass, keyboards, guitar, are treated separately. Each element is leveled, equed and processed, making it sit at the right levels in the whole mix. Once the song is mixed, we cannot play around with the individual tracks anymore, it is one “mixed down” track with all elements combined.

No matter how meticulously we mix, the final mixdown track always has a huge room for improvement.

This is where mastering comes in and takes the mix to a whole new level. The mixed track is analyzed on world class equipment by trained sound engineers. Besides sorting out the problems like, low bass, sharp highs, low levels, stereo imaging etc, the engineer also adds refinement and dynamic control to the final track.

Without mastering, the mix generally sounds amateurish and dull.

4. So no point just mixing a song?

Unless you own a ridiculously accurate studio and work with an engineer who is trained in mastering (not mixing), I am afraid the tracks have to be mastered. Even the top singers and bands get the tracks mastered, even though they record in the best of the studios!

5. Since the introduction of plugins, many people use them and say the audio is mastered, is that proper mastering?

The outboard gear and hardware is very essential for mastering. The software plugins cannot emulate the warmth and saturation which comes from using the real thing. Also, if you are using plugins, I can bet you are mastering on a basic pair of monitors (speakers), in a studio/room, which is not calibrated properly to handle mastering. The end results will never be that good. If it sounds good, then your ears are not yet trained to notice the difference.

6. What kind of services does your company provide?

Anything which has the word audio in it! We specialize in Jingles,Radio spots, Podcast, audio cleaning and noise reduction, background scores for flash and corporate presentations, mixing and editing audio. It is an audio freelancing company and has clients form all over the globe. And since we have our own studio, we do it at half the cost!

Visit my website for further details:audioshapers.com. Or if you have any questions or comments drop me a mail at: [email protected]

Still have a question? Go to the Contact page and send me a message!

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