SUBMITTING AUDIO FOR MASTERING
The general rule is to send uncompressed WAV files at the highest bit depth possible (32-bit or 24-bit). 16-bit WAV files are not ideal (due to dither and truncation). MP3 files are generally the worst files to submit (since they have been heavily compressed). However, we can usually work with MP3's if that's all you have.
Format - Send 24bit (or 32bit) WAV files
Clipping - Send mixes that are not peaking above 0dBFS
Loudness - Send mixes that have not been maximized
Don't worry about giving me a ton of headroom (I can control that on my end). Just make sure that your file is not hitting at or above 0dBFS (which can cause digital clipping). The easiest way to do this is just turn down the master fader before rendering the file so the peaks are less than 0dBFS. Any meter in your DAW can be used to check this.
Send balanced mixes. Don't worry about loudness. If the mixes you send are already super loud (e.g. -8 LUFS or less), chances are they've already been cooked and processed using digital peak-limiters and/or clippers. This will usually hinder my ability to properly enhance your music (since the source audio has already been damaged to a certain extent). If you want to send a 'loud mix' for me to use as a reference, that's fine.
Sample Rate - Send at whatever 'sample rate' you recorded at.
Send files at whatever sample rate they were originally recorded/mixed at. No need to upsample. Upsampling your audio to a higher sample rate (e.g. going from 44.1kHz up to 96kHz) will not make your tracks sound any better, and in some cases can introduce problems.
File Transfer Platforms
For sending large files, I recommend https://wetransfer.com/ (since upload is easy and you get confirmation when the files have been sent and downloaded). I've had some issues with people sending files using Dropbox and Google, but feel free to use whatever platform you prefer.
REVISIONS
In most cases, any necessary revisions are minor and can be handled in the digital domain (post analog printing). For this reason, there is generally no charge for revisions of completed masters that have been provided to clients for listening purposes. However, if we end up doing an excessive number of revisions there will likely be a nominal fee applied.
Revisions - No Charge (unless excessive)
Revisions (based on New/Revised Mixes) - Nominal Fee
AudioKemestry Mastering is a "hybrid" analog/digital mastering studio. For this reason, I generally charge a nominal fee of $30/song when the revisions are based on new or revised mixes submitted by the client (after listening masters have already been provided). This is to account for the additional time/work required for analog recall, quality control (if needed), and real time analog processing for each song being revised.
Refund Policy
There are no refunds due to the nature of the services rendered. However, customer satisfaction is our top priority and we will work diligently until you are happy with the end result.
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