mastering FAQ — MODEST HEIGHTS MASTERING

What are your rates?

My rates remain competitive. Variances can occur due for example how many songs, and/or how many tasks ie additional masters for vinyl, or DDP. Please check in with me for a discussion and a quote before you start. email: info@modestheights.com

How is mastering different than mixing?

Mixing is the process of blending all of the elements of a mix (instruments, vocals, effects) together to create a pleasing “mix”. Once one or several pleasing mixes have been created, a mastering engineer will usually blend subtle adjustments to the track(s) such as EQ, level, compression and stereo field emphasis. Great results can be achieved through the attentive ear of a mastering engineer, by focussing on the overall mix through a fresh objective lens and comparing against other tracks from the full recording, and/or other existing tracks from within the same genre.

Should I use maximization or limiting on my mix bus?

As a rule of thumb the answer is do not use maximization on the mix bus. Some limiting can be tolerated but best scenario is usually none at all. If you have been referencing your mix with maximization for clients etc. it would be handy for me to also have that copy for reference. As maximization is very often employed during mastering, it usually doesn’t help to have another maximizer in the chain, especially when it’s already committed and unchangeable. If you are committed to keeping maximization in your mix it may a good idea to discuss your plans with your mastering engineer.

What do I need to provide to the mastering engineer?

your mixed tracks in the highest resolution possible
project title
artist name
song titles
song list in order
any special instructions (re fades or any other specifics)
any special requests for embedding or metadata
ISRC codes

Is there an ideal level to deliver a mix for mastering?

My most preferred range of audio to work with is when peaks are around -5 dBFS and RMS/LUFS somewhere around -20 dBFS (this can vary).
it is best to avoid peaks of +0 dbFS or greater

What is dithering?

Dithering is the final process in mastering if the bit depth needs to be reduced (ie from 24bit to 16bit). Bit depth is subtle but important, as digital sound has more detail the more bits there are. Mixing and mastering are usually performed using at least 32 bits floating point. Dithering is meant to be done once at the very end of a mastering process and is usually dithered to 24Bit or 16Bit. 16Bit audio is only necessary for CD replication though some digital distributors such as CDBaby still require it. Do not apply dither to your mixes. Your mastering engineer will always prefer a higher bit rate to a lower one.

What is sample rate?

Sample rate is a measure of the amount of samples per second used in digital audio. Current audio playback standards employ a sample rate of 44,100 samples per second (44.1 Khz) based on the CD standard, and 48 kHz for motion picture standard. There is a high frequency physical law (Nyquist Theorem) which states that the highest frequency of any given digital audio is limited to half of the sample rate. For example, music played at 48 Khz sample rate can only include frequencies of up to 24 Khz. Though the defacto standard for Audio (at this writing) is still 44.1kHz there is becoming very little need, as any web based audio player will play 48kHz anyways. There, I said it.

What are the current loudness requirements for streaming?

As of this writing, most streaming services have convened on -14 LUFS, except for iTunes which employs -16 LUFS for playback. If your LUFS are higher (ie -10 LUFS), the streaming service will automatically play your track less loud to compensate.

What is dBFS?

dBFS (decibels full scale) is an amplitude measure for digital audio waveforms, measured in negative, with 0 dBFS being the digital ceiling. Anything above +0 dBFS is considered a peak. Digital peaks often sound terrible and should be avoided as a rule. That said, rules can be broken and intersample (soft) clipping can be employed within a track or even a mix (or 'gulp' a master). If you are unsure, use your ears and/or consult a professional as you are entering high risk territory in terms of damaging your audio permanently.

What is LUFS?

“Loudness Units Full Scale”. A unit that became popular in around 2010 to effectively measure average loudness in digital based on momentary, short term and overall start-to-finish loudness levels.

What is RMS?

Root Means Square, which in audio refers to the average signal level

What is ISRC and do I need it?

ISRC is the International Standard Recording Code for uniquely identifying sound records. It is wildly antiquated and should be improved to include information regarding the personnel on each recording. It consists of a 12 number code that denotes record label, country, year and unique track ID, More info here: https://connectmusic.ca/isrc/isrc-application-form/frequently-asked-questions.aspx . If you intend to sell or broadcast your music large scale via CD then ISRC is currently the best option to help coordinate the remuneration.

What is embedding and metadata?

Audio files can have tiny bits of information embedded in the files. A popular protocol is called a meta tag, which is more readily found in MP3’s. Ideally we will have mandatory meta tagging in the future which will contain all of the credits per song, including personnel and studio. We are waiting on the powers that be to supply standard codecs. Differences in countries standards have made it very hard to roll this out.

What is CD text?

CD text is an interactive text system that allows for info such as Artist name, Song title and Album title to be input on a CD. The info does not translate to online audio files (see metadata)

What is stem mastering?

Stem mastering is a process of mastering where more than one stereo track is blended within the master. It could be considered a hybrid between mixing and mastering in that a master could be created entirely from all the two track stems of a mix blended together. This type of mastering can be very useful when desiring greater control of the tracks within a master. For example the mixer would like further input on balancing the tracks, or when something stands out in a certain track to be addressed (ie sibilance). In this case the issue can be adjusted on it’s own without bearing any significance on other parts of the mix (as it would within a two track master).

Stem mastering can also be used within a surround mix such as dolby Atmos.

Do you do restorations?

YES. talk to me about what you want done. I have restored many things to much better condition including dictaphone tape, surveillance audio, faulty mics, vinyl, multitrack reel to reel tape, 4 tracks, VHS audio, dolby NR etc. Also can remove pops, clicks, peaks, dropouts, machine noise, fans, hums, background street noise etc. It’s fun!