Here’s a checklist that can be used regardless of weather you will be attending the mastering session, sending files in or using our e-mastering service:
  1. Please use interleaved files for stereo, and 6 discrete files for 5.1. Be sure to label channels appropriately (L, R, C, LFE, Ls, Rs).
  2. If delivering tape, please include tones and mark the box with the levels used. Also make note of any Noise Reduction (e.g. Dolby SR, dbx, etc) used.
  3. Try to get the very best sound you can in the mix without using compression or limiting on the master bus. If you want to use compression on specific tracks for effect, that’s ok, just don’t add it to the entire mix for level.
  4. Leave a few dB from 0dBFS as a cushion when printing your final mix, and don’t normalize the files before sending them.
  5. Please allow ample time before and after the song start/end (including before/after fades).
  6. Please don’t sample rate convert or change bitrate. I.e. if you’ve worked in 24bit 48kHz during the project, print the mixes at the same resolution, without any conversion.
  7. If you know the order you would like the tracks to be in, please let us know in advance. It can help us work more efficiently.
  8. ISRCs and UPC/EAN info that you would like included on the disc need to be provided to us before we create the master.
  9. For any issues you know in advance will need addressing, please let us know so that we can make sure they are taken care of to your satisfaction.
  10. Please let us know what you would like us to deliver - for CD it will usually be a DDP or RedBook CD Audio master, for DVD/blu-ray it will normally be discrete files (possibly synced to picture), for LP it might be something different. For internet/web it will probably be high resolution files and/or MP3’s.

For sound to picture, please observe the following additional requirements:
  1. Please include a low resolution QuickTime movie at 25.00 FPS, 720x480. The video should have window burn TC which matches video frame rate. Timecode should be active at the first frame of video. For 16x9 letterboxed video, place timecode window in the black bar below the active picture area. For 4x3 video, place the window where it will be least obtrusive, usually in the center bottom of picture. Place a “two-pop” sync pop exactly two seconds before the first frame of the picture.
  2. Audio Files should be in BWF, Wav, Aiff or SDII format with sample rates between 44.1 and 96 kHz. Most common for video is 48 kHz or a multiple (i.e. 96k), and can be either 16 or 24 bit. Audio tracks should start at the same frame that the video starts, either at the sync pop or at one hour (1:00:00:00). Alternatively the audio can start at the same frame the video pre-roll starts. In this case please include a two pop to line up with the video.
  3. The Timecode rate should match the video frame rate (25 FPS) and should be non-drop for PAL/European productions. If yo’ure preparing material for release in other markets, include separate files at the appropriate rate and mark clearly the rate used (i.e. 29.97 drop/non-drop). Note that audio and video rates must match exactly!