themasteringstudio.com

We can accept and work with almost any type of file or format.

However, we recommend submitting Wave ( .wav ) or AIFF (.aif ) files.

Do not convert your mixes to MP3.

If you are using a "rendering" function such as "bounce to disk" or "render"

you should bounce or render at whatever settings you originally used

when opening the DAW session. These settings can be viewed in the "setup"

menu under "Session Setup" in ProTools.

There is no gain in quality for rendering at higher bit depth and sample rate settings...

 "you can't get something for nothing!" Let us do any down-sampling or bit reduction.

• If you are bouncing to disk in ProTools® use the settings of your original session Do not convert to MP3

• Do not perform any conversions after you render (or while!)

• Do not apply dither

• We do not recommend bit depths less than 24 bit

• We do not recommend sample rates less than 44.1 KHz

• We recommend setting up your original ProTools or DAW sessions at 24Bit (or Higher) at 44.KHz or 88.2KHz

We recommend getting your mixes to sound the way you want before mastering ( 
with some important exceptions mentioned below ). Mix as if you are not going to 
master. Multi-band compression and limiting, which are often used during the 
mastering process, have the aural effect of bringing up lower level mix elements. 
Sometimes engineers will try to "pre-compensate" for this effect by keeping some 
mix elements intentionally lower. We recommend against "pre-compensation". We 
have found that well balanced mixes translate better through the mastering process.

Exception 1: Don't Perform Fades
Let your mastering house fade your mixes to your specifications. Mastering gear 
performs a much higher resolution fade than the typical DAW. This is one area 
where a DAW does not shine.

Exception 2: Don't Apply Master Effects or Processing to a Mix
This means, don't apply a limiter, EQ, compressor, processor or effect to a "master 
fader" ( in ProTools® ) before you bounce to disk. Or don't run your finished mix 
through an eq, "Finalizer®", compressor or limiter before sending it off to be 
mastered.

Exception 3: Aim for -6 dB as your hottest level
Don't slam the meters on your tracks or mixes to hit zero. ( and obviously don't slam 
levels over zero! ) With 24 bit recording resolution, it is much worse to go over zero 
than not hit the top of scale. We recommend you imagine hitting the top of the 
meters when they are 3 to 6 dB down from 0 dB.

While ProTools® and similar DAWs are great for tracking and mixing, they are not
designed for mastering.

Mastering gear typically processes audio at 32 bit resolution or higher. This leaves
the mathematical rounding errors, that occur with any digital processing, outside the
audible bit depth. This means that mastering gear can perform processing that
maintains your mix's bit depth with inaudible consequences.
About half of the Compact Disc mastering process has to do with preparing a
"master" that is compliant with the Redbook CD specification or DDP ( Disc
Description Protocol ) protocol. Protools® has no implementation for these
requirements.
It is a good idea to have someone besides the mix engineer master a track. They
can approach the track without bias. It is best to have an experienced mastering
engineer be that person. Mastering is quite different than mixing and requires
experience and a different mindset.

Track By Track Processing
Each track or song will be processed individually. Depending on your objectives, we
may apply combinations of multi-band compression, multi-band limiting, multi-band
widening, multi-band excitement, equalization, high-pass filtering, parallel
compression, noise reduction, tape or tube saturation, error detection and
correction, DC offset removal, and loudness maximization.

Album Assembly
We will assemble your album with the track order you specify. You can specify tracks
that cross fade into each other. You can specify the pause length between tracks.
You can specify a "hidden track" before the CD starts, after the CD ends, or both.

Album Leveling
We will use our critical listening environment and digital tools to make sure each
track on your album is perceived as loud as the next. You may also specify specific
tracks appear louder or softer than others.

CD Text
We can encode CD text and IRSC codes onto your CD. With CD text encoded, your
text will be displayed on CD players that support CD text. Typically CD text would
include album title, artist name, and track name.

Dithering
The last step in the CD pre-mastering or "mastering" processing is called dithering.
Dithering is an elegant solution for reducing the bit depth of audio files while
preserving resolution. Most likely, your audio files will need to be dithered to be
compatible with the compact disc specification. Depending on your objectives you
can choose from industry standard algorithms including Apogee UV22, Apogee
UV22 HR, Waves, and IZotope MBIT +.

Redbook CD
We will include 2 "Redbook" CDs of your completed album.
This type of CD is what you bring to a CD replicator or duplicator for mass
duplication.

Quality Control
We use digital processes to detect glitches, clips, and clicks in source and
subsequent processed files. Usually these short duration artifacts can be fully
repaired. We use a digital process to check the Redbook CDs generated are
identical to the master audio file generated in the steps above.

Security
We protect your work. We will not play your tracks for anyone else. We transfer your
files to password protected hard drives. We destroy original CDs and file sources.

In short, mastering is preparing your audio to be fully compatible with whatever
medium your audio will be distributed on. Professional Audio Group provides audio
pre-mastering for Compact Disc. Technically what we do is pre-mastering, but it has
become common to interchange pre-mastering and mastering to mean the same
thing. Therefore, everywhere else on this site we will refer to ourselves as a
mastering service and say we provide mastering or mastering services, even though
it is really pre-mastering. True "mastering" is what gets done at a CD replication
plant. They take the information the pre-mastering service provides on Redbook CD
or DDP file ( Disc Description Protocol ) and create a glass master. The glass
master is then used to replicate hundreds or thousands of CDs. Their type of
mastering is more of a transfer procedure and does not alter audio information or
CD data submitted from a "pre-mastering house" ( like us ) in any way.

The Mastering Process

We take each audio track you provide and apply ultra high quality digital processing
to make your audio compatible with the widest range of playback situations. For
more information about the actual steps involved please see "What do you actually
do?" in this FAQ below. An experienced mastering engineer is able to strike a
balance and create a master that will sound great on a boom box, in the car, in a
club, on the radio, on TV, or on an audiophile stereo. Though there are no empirical
compatibility standards in place, a reputable mastering house can make your mixes
"compatible" with the rest of the playback world.

The technical compatibility a mastering house provides makes your audio compliant
with the medium on which it will be distributed. Most of our clients are looking to get
their mixes assembled onto a CD. While it is possible to create an audio CD in
ITunes® or with CD burning software, the type of CD that gets created is very
different than a commercial release and very different from what a duplicator or
replicator needs. A mastering house is able to create a CD ( or file ) that utilizes the
entire CD specification and is ready for mass replication ( with no extra charges from
the replicator ).