IMPORTANT eMastering FAQs
Question:What is mastering?
Answer:Mastering is the final step in making a record before it is sent to a manufacturer. In mastering, many small adjustments are made to the overall sound of your record via equalization, compression, limiting, and stereo width. In addition, the mastering engineer trims the beginnings and endings of tracks, creates fades, and adjusts spaces between tracks (this process is called sequencing). The last step in mastering is the creation of the production master, which is then sent to the manufacturer or online distributor for replication. Essentially, mastering is the final gentle push (or kick in the butt) your record needs to sound as great in the real world as it does in the studio.It is important that your record stands out from the competition, and our engineers know exactly how to accomplish this goal with over 20 years of experience while keeping your musical vision intact.
Question:What types of files does Soundmirror accept?
Answer:We accept every standard sound file and continuously work on adding more as technology advances. We have created a list of formats below, but if you don't see your file format, please give us a call.Uncompressed Audio Formats: Broadcast Wave Files (.bwf), Audio Interchange Files (.aiff), Sound Designer II Files (.SDII), Raw PCM Files (.raw/.pcm), AU/Sun Files (.au), Direct Stream Digital (.DSD) Compressed Lossless Formats: Apple Lossless Files (.m4a - ALAC), Free Lossless Audio Codec Files (.flac), OGG Files (.ogg), Lossless Windows Media Audio (.wma - lossless), Monkey's Audio File (.ape), Meridian Lossless Packing Files (.PPCM), WavPack Files (.wv), Direct Stream Transfer (.DST) Lossy Compressed Audio Formats: MPEG 1 Layer III (.mp3), Advanced Audio Coding Files (.aac), Windows Media Audio (.wma), Real Audio (.ra/.ram), Vorbis Files (.ogg), ATRAC/Mini Disc (.aa3)
Question:What file format is best for mastering?
Answer:We prefer any uncompressed format (.wav, .aiff, .pcm, .sdII) so that we have the highest quality files to work from. These files should be in their original sample/bit rate and we'll make the conversions for you. If you have a different file format or are unsure of what format you have, please feel free to contact us and we'd be glad to help you.
Question:How will my master be delivered to me?
Answer:When your master is finished we will email you a link to download your project. The master will be delivered as a DDP disc image along with a simple piece of software that will allow you to listen to the audio as a reference to check for quality and burn to a CDR. We can also deliver physical masters if you need them. We offer two types: an Analyzed CDR Master with overnight delivery in the US for $50; an Analyzed and Auditioned CDR Master with overnight delivery in the US for $150. |