Question 1

What is mastering?

Accepted Answer

Mastering is the final step in audio post-production that prepares a completed mix for commercial distribution and consistent playback across all sound systems, it includes loudness optimization, tonal control, quality control and cohesion through the use of analog and digital processing.Opinions are divided but the main school of thought is that audio mastering as a distinct discipline was invented in the late 1940s, following the introduction of magnetic tape and vinyl records. The introduction of the tape machine in 1948 allowed music to be captured and consequently edited before being processed and transferred to a final format.There are many different ways to master a record and many different schools of thought on how best to get to the finalization but the main aim is to make your music sound as good, as clear and as loud as it possibly can be. At Wrecksonic we believe in combining the best of old and new school approaches, there are many tools to use and each project deserves its own special consideration. We love old gear and the sound it imparts on music but at the same time we appreciate the modernity and fluidity of digital plug ins....AI we're not so keen on.

Question 2

How best should I submit my music for mastering?

Accepted Answer

Submitting your music correctly is very important in order to achieve the best result, by adhering to the following points we can make the very most of your material and provide the best result.Spend some time considering your mixdown, muddy frequencies and harsh highs will take up valuable space in the track. The better the mixdown, the better the master.Remove any limiters, compressors or clippers from the master buss. It might sound good as you're mixing but its also easy to overdo, once its squashed you can't unsquash.Ensure your mix is hitting around -6dBFS, we work best with a decent amount of headroom.Export in high resolution using lossless formats like WAV or AIFF rather than compressed files like MP3. Match the sample rate of your original recording session (such as 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz) without unnecessary upsampling. Export at 24-bit or 32-bit float for the best possible dynamic range.Leave a couple of seconds of clean silence or room tone at the very beginning and end of the audio file.Title tracks clearly with artist name, track name and remixer if applicable.Send tracks securely zipped with a platform such as WeTransfer or Dropbox.References and vibe check are appreciated but keep it short and succinct, too much information will eventually complicate things in the end.

Question 3

What is a stem master and how do I prepare my files properly?

Accepted Answer

Stem mastering is where instead of working from just a stereo master bus file we take a group of individual bus stems and address some principle balancing and treatment prior to producing the final master stereo file.This ensures that we are helping to squeeze the maximum amount of headroom out of the mix ahead of the mastering process. When you are striving for that all important dynamic loudness, headroom (or 'peak to loudness ratio') can really make or break the quality that can be achieved.If you are submitting stems for a stem master, please follow the principle advice for submission but bounce multiple parts rather than just one stereo file.We accept a maximum of 8 individual stems and these would typically look something like the below:KickDrum bus (excluding kick)BassLeadsSynthsVocalsEffects (unless specifically included on individual bus stems)Any other instruments

Question 4

How long does the process take and what is involved?

Accepted Answer

Depending on demand, we'll aim to have your masters ready within two weeks, this can be sped up by submitting your material in good time.In order to keep things timely and professional, we work on the premise of one amendment upon initial feedback. Each job is considered on a case by case basis but this is the hard and fast rule.

Question 5

What is your pricing?

Accepted Answer

Base RateSingle Track£804 Track EP£2004 Track Stem Mastering£400Vinyl MasterAdditional £10 per trackDiscounted rates and special deals on pricing are available via our affiliate program.To find out more get in touch here.

Question 6

How many mastering engineers does it take to change a lightbulb?

Accepted Answer

Two: One to fix the lightbulb and another to argue for three hours that the old bulb had more ‘analog warmth’.

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