If you’re interested in using AudibleOddities for your next project and would like to talk, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re always happy to discuss your project over the phone or email.

Please refer to the specifications, recommendations, and guidelines below for a fairly straightforward overview of what we will want from you.

Formats & File Types:

Please supply your files in their native resolution. Don’t up or downsample them and keep them at the bit rate you were working with in your DAW. We accept any combination of bit and sample rates, and virtually any file type, though Wave and AIFF are the most common. In the off-chance you’ve lost the original file to one of your recordings, we can master a compressed format like Mp3 or AAC.

Headroom:

Please submit your files with a minimum of 3dB of peak headroom. As powerful as modern DAW’s are, we will not be able to do much to a song that has been squashed using limiter plug-ins. There’s a really good chance we can get it just as loud as you while retaining more punch and transient clarity. Remove or bypass any plug-ins that exist on the main output channel that you are using solely for level. That’s not to say you should remove everything on the master channel, just the final limiter. If there are plug-ins on the master channel, such as compressors or EQ’s that you feel contribute to the songs character and feel, by all means leave those there. But it’s important that you leave some headroom, not only to allow us room to work, but also to give us control over the amount of dynamics, punch, and transient response. And as a reference for us, you can export the version with the limiting so we have an idea of the overall mix you were shooting for.

See what happens when you brickwall limit your songs: http://youtu.be/3Gmex_4hreQ

Track Notes:

It’s helpful if you can point out anything specific about the songs you’d like addressed that you couldn’t accomplish in the mixing stage. Include these in the track-notes field located on the project form.

Cross Fades:

If your project includes cross-fading between songs, send songs that have already been cross-faded and then cut into separate tracks. We can maintain their seamless transitions during mastering. Or, provide us with as specific times as possible regarding the overlaps between songs.

Fades In & Out:

Please include fade-out times if you have a specific requirement, otherwise we will use our own discretion when truncating and adding fades to the beginnings and ends of files. If you’ve already done the fades and/or trimmed the files, let us know and we’ll preserve them.

Stems:

Stem mastering can be a great way for us to correct problems or make changes without affecting other components of the mix in a negative way. Essentially, we’re still just mastering it as we would a stereo file, but because everything is separated into groups, we have a greater degree of control over how we make changes. The main problem we run into is that this process can be mistaken for handling some or all aspects of mixing the song, which we don’t do. So you want to get everything exactly as you think it should sound before you print stems.

When supplying stem mixes, make sure they are synchronized, beginning at the same timestamp. Each stem represents a submix of song components. For example:

Stem 1: Percussive elements.
Stem 2: Bass Instruments.
Stem 3: Guitars, Lead Synths, etc.
Stem 4: Vocals, Chorus.
Stem 5: Hi-Hats, Cymbals, or any intricate detailed samples sitting up in the top of the frequency spectrum.

References:

You can also provide us with a song/s by another artist that represents the sound you’re after. This can be a great way to help us both get a finished product that sounds the way you want. Please provide any example songs in as high of resolution as possible. Or, just let us know what it is, and we’ll grab it from iTunes.

ISRCodes:

ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) is the international identification system for sound recordings and music video recordings. Each ISRC is a unique and permanent identifier for a specific recording, independent of the format on which it appears (CD, audio file, etc) or the rights holders involved. ISRC’s are widely used in digital commerce by download sites and collecting societies. An ISRC can also be permanently encoded into a product as its digital fingerprint. Encoded ISRC provide the means to automatically identify recordings for royalty payments. You can get your codes by applying here: https://usisrc.org

CD Text vs. id3 and Metadata:

CD Text is different than what you see when you load a CD into iTunes and the information automatically loads. CD Text is stored in the CD’s TOC (table of contents) for the purpose of displaying album information in compatible CD players. The information that shows up in iTunes is pulled from online databases, like  CDDB or Gracenote. We handle CD Text here in mastering but this online information can be submitted by anyone using iTunes or any equivalent program supporting submissions to online databases. We recommend you take the CD that you get back from replication, insert in into the CD drive in your computer, and then using iTunes, tag the album exactly the way you want it to appear for others. Then choose “Submit CD Track Names” from the advanced menu. This ensures you are the first to submit the info to the online database so the information will appear for everyone just the way you wanted it.

Method Of Delivery:

Upload your files using the Upload Page. If you choose to mail data CD’s, DVD’s, or DAT’s, make sure they are securely packaged to avoid being broken. Contact us for our shipping address.