I prefer 24-bit .wav or AIFF files at a sample rate of 44.1 KHz, but I also support 16-bit and 32-bit files at all sample rates, audio CD-Rs, and DAT. Mp3 files are not suitable for mastering.

1. Set the master fader so that the mix peaks around -3 dB.
2. Do not use any processors on the master mix bus.
3. Record or bounce down your mixes at the same sample rate you mixed at, preferably as a 24-bit .wav or AIFF file.
4. Do not process the resulting file.

If you have access to an audio editor, such as Sound Forge, Cool Edit Pro, or WaveLab, please check each track to make sure that it never reaches 0 dB. If it does, your mixdown is clipped, which means it was mixed down at too high a volume. Please lower the master fader and record or bounce down your mix again.

Please render your files as 24-bit, even if you recorded at 16-bit. Mastering a 24-bit source yields a much better result than a 16-bit source possibly can. Modern DAWs operate at 32-bits internally, which means a 16-bit file is missing half of the data generated by the software. If there is absolutely no way to provide 24-bit files, your 16-bit source needs to be properly dithered. If you need help, just let me know and I'll walk you through each step.

Do not EQ, compress, limit, or normalize your mixes. Just to be clear, this only refers to the 2-track stereo mixdown. Feel free to EQ and compress individual tracks to taste, but once you mix those tracks together into a single stereo file, please don't touch it.

Note any fades you would like, and exactly when you want them to start and end relative to the beginning of the track (for example, "start fade out at 3:52 - end track at 4:07"). If you do the fade yourself, the sound of the track will change through the course of the fade as my compressors and limiters respond to the change in volume. That's why fades are ideally done after all other processing.

In order to understand your artistic vision, it would help me to hear a commercial CD with the overall sound and loudness you are looking for. I can make your release as loud as anything out there, at the cost of dynamic range. Dynamics are a necessary part of music, and without them, the ears tire quickly. The choice is up to you, but for what it's worth, I like to err on the side of more dynamic range.

click here to upload your files, or e-mail me for the mailing address