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Compact Disc
Mastering
Overview
How to Prepare
Mastering Formats
Radio Processing
Internet
Mastering
Services and Info
Audio
Restoration
Overview
Noise Removal
Analog Tape
Disk Recordings
Audio
Preservation
Services and Info
Formats We Can Play
Equipment List
Forensic
Audio
Services and Info
About Us
Updated Info
Extras
Examples
La. Rec. Studios Dir.
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- Your name, address and telephone number
- Where you want your master shipped and your source materials returned
- How you will make payment
- Artist and title of your CD
- Your ISRC nos. Learn more.
- Playlist (your final sequence with correct selection titles)
- Location of your source material by selection
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Attendance
Now that we are outside of New Orleans, it is no longer convenient to schedule attended sessions. Instead, we recommend you be available by telephone during the time scheduled for mastering. We can set up a video conference with you anywhere in the world (via video iChat using an AIM account).
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ISRC Numbers
You should obtain an ISRC Registrant Code so that we can install ISRC numbers in your project. If you don't already have your own ISRC
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Send Us Your Files
Send us your files via FTP (it's free). Learn more. We prefer to deliver your finished master to you via FedEx in CDR format (fully documented) or if you are outside the US, in DDP format via the Internet.
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Cost
If your running time is less than 60 minutes, and there are no significant restoration efforts involved, we can usually quote a special price.
We require a small deposit for mastering; we accept PayPal (subject to positive identification and confirmed address).
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Various Tips
Give Us Your Final, Completed Mix at the Highest Resolution Possible. Do not apply gain changes, excessive buss compression, or eq, especially after your final mix. Every time you change a digital file you compromise the soundstage to some degree. We prefer to accept files at the same sample rate that you generated your first, completed stereo mix. Always give us your 24 bit sound files. Learn more.
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Avoid Overloads. It's very difficult to correct clipping, and the chances are your metering won't detect every clip. Be conservative, and don't get too close to clipping levels. The damage can be permanent. Learn more.
About Loudness. Everybody wants their CD to be as loud as possible, but it's not just a matter of increasing raw level. Human hearing is most sensitive in the range of the human voice. If you only want your material to sound loud, consider including a lot of mid range melody instruments, such as horns and vocals. There's a reason why the mid range frequencies are called "presence".
Actually it gets much more complicated than this. We are sensitive not only to frequencies and levels, but also to changes in frequencies and levels. For an instrument to sound "loud", it must also have some dynamics, or periods of relative quiet. This is especially true of percussion and bass instruments. The excessive use of compression or limiting on a stereo mix can greatly restrict your options during mastering. Learn more.
Make stereo imaging work. Each instrument should be in its own place, and on a CD it often helps to place instruments with similar spectral characteristics across from each other to take advantage of our ability to discriminate spatially. This can be especially true when more than one instrument is carrying the vocals, the melody or the rhythm. Experiment, because there are no hard and fast rules. And, be sure to push your Mono button frequently to detect phasing problems. Learn more.
Reduce the use of reverb. Reverb can be stunningly effective on instrument solos and a cappella vocals, but mastering will often increase the details in a mix, and thus increase reverb. For this reason, be conservative when adding reverb and other special effects. Learn more.
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Final Approval of the Master
Final approval of the master CD is your responsibility; you will receive at least one copy CD made directly from the master so you can listen carefully to the copy CD in order to approve the master CD. It is far more economical for you to have final responsibility for approval; it also lets you examine the performances in the context of the final product. In the case of DDP files, we can provide an MP3 of the CD's audio.
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Data Backup
Although we guarantee the ability to replace lost or stolen masters only for a period of 90 days, we do not re-use backup media, so we probably can replace masters for longer periods of time. We have replaced masters which were nearly ten years old.
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Please contact us for more information.
MasterDigital Corp.
Tel: 1.504.236.6368
How to Prepare
Your Material for Mastering
Note: This information is intended mainly for self-produced material. Certain aspects of the following may not apply to your project. Please contact us for more information about your specific project.
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