+ How would you best describe Mastering?

Mastering is the final stage in the recording process, after you have recorded and mixed your record.
Mastering engineers only have control over the stereo mix, so they are listening to the way the track works as a whole piece rather than concerning themselves so much with the individual balance.

+ Is mastering really essential or can artists get away without it?

99% of tracks need mastering in some way, from the basic levelling of the tracks to extreme eq and compression and anything inbetween! All major releases are mastered so if a track isn't mastered, it will likely not have the presence of sound to compete on the radio or on an mp3 player against other tracks.

+ What does mastering add to a recording?

Balance, dynamics and most importantly space and clarity.
It's a very strong possiblilty that you cannot achieve these things just from recording and mixing, as the engineers involved in these processes are much more geared towards listening to the individual tracks rather than the whole mix from the perspective of a mastering engineer.
You could argue that music only needs to be mastered because everything else before it has been, but it's not as simple as that - an experienced mastering engineer can make a great result out of a mix. And obviously the better the mix, the easier the mastering engineer's job so the effect of mastering varies depending on the quality of the mix.

+ Due to the fact that most recording are now over compressed to the point that any subtleties are lost, with most labels just wanting everything loud, does an unsigned artist have to do the same in order for there recordings to fall in line with most current releases?

Most records that are well made come into the mastering process uncompressed, as a good engineer will know that it's not their task to compress the hell out of the final mix.

The good mastering engineer can get the track to be loud enough to compete, without the need to compress the dynamics out of the track. You find that if a home studio engineer has compressed the track badly at mix stage then the feel has already been lost, and the track will never be as loud as a professonally balanced record.

It is the EQ that makes the difference to the percieved loudness and not the crushing effect of compression and limiting these are used to add dynamics.

+ What advice would you have for an artists going though the mastering process?

Do not compress your mix, as that is a decision for the mastering engineer. They should have the knowledge to choose the exact amount of level, compression and eq to add to your track. They will have spent years using the same equipment, same speakers in the same room, day in day out...that is what you are paying for, so get your mix sounding as good as you can without trying to do the mastering engineer's job for them. Then you can leave with a finished record and never have to tweak it again.

+ How do I place an order for mastering?

Click on the 'Order Mastering' tab at the top right of the screen. Select the amount of tracks you would like to order, checkout then upload your files.

+ Can I attend the Mastering Session?

Yes, all Mastering sessions can be attended but need to be booked in advance. All attended bookings are charged on an hourly basis, please call us for further details.

+ Can I post my tracks?

Yes, if you would prefer to send your tracks on a CDR, please send them to 'Streaky Mastering, PO Box 3847, Windsor, SL4 4UW. Please make sure you include your receipt, so we are able to match the tracks with the order details.

+ How long does the process take?

Your tracks will be returned mastered within 5 working days from order.

+ Can I speak to the engineer before my tracks are mastered?

Yes, you can call the engineer any time on +44 (0) 845 257 7420, they will be please to answer any questions you have.

+ What audio formats are acceptable?

We much prefer the following file formats:

* AIFF (.aif)
* Wave (.wav)
* Broadcast Wave (.bwf)
* Sound Designer II (.sd2) files.

We would strongly advise against mp3/mp4/aac or any other data compression system: however good you may think these sound, they do compromise the quality of your music. It may be a lot slower to transfer a .wav file but it is much better quality.

If for any reason the only version you have is mp3, do not convert that back to AIFF or WAV to upload, we probably have better algorithms for conversion and can produce the optimum conversion for you.

All mixes should be final ‘consolidated’ files, not a multitrack Logic or ProTools Session and all should be interleaved (not separate left and right files). Any of these files can be either uploaded to our server or shipped to us on write once discs (CDRs / DVDRs) or as CD Audio discs or DAT Tapes. We are not prepared to accept hard drives or 1/2” or 1/4” analogue masters for the iMaster service, however we will accept digital masters on DAT.

Please note: when saving your files, please make sure they are saved with a file extension, i.e. track.wav

+ Will uploading my tracks effect the audio quality?

No, It will not effect the file in any way. All the file file transfers are immutable i.e. they will not change the a single byte of data.

+ What sampling frequency and bit depth should I supply the files at?

In one sense, the higher the rate the better however bear in mind that there is four times more processing involved to produce a master at 96 kHz than at 48 kHz, so make sure your system is not going to be overstressed and compromised to produce a higher sampling rate master. It is far better to produce a good 44.1 kHz 24 bit master, than a poor 96 kHz master. Wherever possible please try and supply 24 bit recordings, rather than 16 bit.

+ How large can my files be?

We don't have a limit on the amount of files or the size of files you uload to us.

+ How long will it take my files to upload?

It’s all dependent on your internet connection:

Uploading to us:

Generally, an ADSL or cable broadband connection has a maximum upload speed of 30k a second so you should expect to get about 100MB to us in an hour.

Downloading your mastered tracks:

Broadband connections are usually much faster downloading than uploading. If you know the speed of your connection you can use this guide:

512K connection – 200MB downloaded per hour
1 Meg connection – 400MB downloaded per hour
2 Meg connection – 800MB downloaded per hour

+ How do I extract and audio CD track to a file so I can upload it?

If you only have your tracks as an audio CD and want to upload them to us for mastering you will have to extract them to a WAV or AIF file.

Make sure the CD is free of dirt and greasy smudges before extracting.

Mac:

1. Insert the audio CD you wish to extract from into your CD-Rom drive. Double-click the mounted CD icon to display the contents.

2. Drag the track(s) to your desktop.

3. Once copied to your desktop rename the file(s) and add a .aif extension.

4. Double-click the file(s) to listen to them. If they sound OK with no jumps or breaks then upload them to us. If there are jumps clean the CD and try extracting it again.

PC:

If you already have Nero installed you can use the “Save Tracks” feature found in the “Extras” menu.

There are many free CD audio extraction utilities available at www.download.com. One such free utility is called Audio Grabber.

Extract your tracks to a .wav file.

+ How will I know when my track is ready for downloading?

We will send you an email with a private link for you to download the tracks from our server.

+ Can my files be delivered on CD rather than downloading?

Yes, if you require a CD or any other parts. Please contact us and will take all you details

+ Will I be Charge VAT on my purchase?

Yes VAT is added to your transaction at the end of the checkout, If you are from the EU please provide us with a valid VAT number and we will deduct the VAT.

+ How do i pay for Mastering?

We use Paypal for our payment system, this means that we accept all forms of credit and debit card and of course Paypal payments. And you have the highest amount of security in the web.

+ How much does Mastering cost?

It is £65 ex VAT per track, we can offer discounts on large numbers of tracks so please call us to discuss.

+ What is your Cancellation / Refund Policy?

Streaky Mastering will always try to make sure you are 100% happy with the results you get from our mastering. If you are still not happy please contact us and we will arrange a full refund.
If you wish to cancel your order please get in contact at info@streakymastering.com within 24hours and we will be happy to cancel your order.

+ How secure is my music with Streaky Mastering?

After you have uploaded your music it is taken offline and stored on our internal servers for mastering. Keeping your music hacker free.

+ How do you protect my privacy?

We do not keep any of your personal details on file, our payments are handled by paypal so you can be sure of the security they have in place.

+ How do I contact support?

If you have any questions or difficulties in using Streaky Mastering please contact : support@streakymastering.com or call +44 (0) 845 257 7426