Sonik Wheel Productions

Recording and Mixing Tips for Best Results in Mastering:

• Try to get the sound you ultimately want while recording.

• Less is more. Whatever it is, see how it sounds with less of it.

• Avoid unintended distortion when recording, such as from too much level hitting a microphone.

• Practice safe levels during recording and mixing. Stay well away from 0 dBFS on a standard peak meter. (Or below the red on an LED meter.) (dBFS means "decibels full scale". 0 dBFS is the maximum possible level, and a level which should be avoided.)

• Always record and mix at the highest resolution possible. Record at 24-bit (or higher) if you have the option (versus 16-bit). 

• Allow plenty of time for mastering.  Its not something that should be rcrammed into one long session, because ears get fatigued. Its best to take frequent breaks from the music.

• It is very important to allow enough headroom in your mixes for the mastering engineer's work.  A minimum of 3 to 6 dBs of available headroom is critical to effective mastering.

Peak levels should not exceed -3dBFS and the average mix levels should be around -10 to -18 dBFS or lower (average sum of the left and right channels).

Please don't mix super loud and then simply lower the overall volume of the mix for mastering. That kind of misses the point.  Send mixes for mastering without changing levels.

A *hot* digital mix can cause an equalizer, sample rate converter, or other processor to overload later on. Proper headroom makes equalization and other processing in mastering possible without an extra stage of attenuation (lowering and then raising the level). Distortion accumulates with every calculation. 

• If you want to maximize levels for 16-bit, please be sure to prevent clipping. Keep the signal well below 0 dBFS (or out of the red) at all times. It's far better to leave a few dB of headroom than to risk distortion. You should save -3 dBFS of headroom for mastering.

• Avoid using too much compression (hyper-compression), or squashing your music until it lacks dynamic range and becomes fatiguing to hear. Start mixing without compression, instead using fader moves (or automation). For example, increase the gain on vocals for whispered passages and reduce it for louder passages. Compression has its place, particularly when problems cannot be handled with fader moves alone. Compression should not be a substitute for good recording and mixing techniques.

• Avoid processing the overall stereo mix (e.g., compression, limiting, EQ, normalization) prior to mastering.  This applies to any and all effects and processors on the mix bus, unless removing it would seriously alter the intent of the mix. If you're in doubt about processing on your overall mix, do two versions, one with and one without. Try to process individual tracks rather than the overall mix. For example, balance EQ so that one track isn't too bright while another is too dull. Send the unprocessed (overall) mix for mastering.

• Analog tape simulation, if used, is often best reserved for mastering. Using such a device in the mixing chain can present problems later on. If in doubt, do two versions, one with and one without.  (Plus, most analog tape simulation doesn't sound as good as the Cranesong HEDD 192.)

• De-ess vocals on mixdown rather than later in mastering.

• It's better for the vocal to be mixed too loud rather than too soft. Its common in mastering to try to bring the vocal up. If you're in doubt, send two mixes, one with the vocal up, about 1/2 dB. 

• Avoid mixing cymbals and other high frequency sounds too loud. Cymbals and similar instruments are generally easy to hear even if mixed low.  Also, avoid mixing kick and snare drums too loud.

• Roll off low frequencies in tracks that don't need low frequency energy. This way subsonic signals won't work their way into your mix or master.

• Do not normalize your mixes prior to mastering, as this may result in additional processing that can degrade the sound.

• DITHER, YES OR NO? Sometimes yes, sometimes no to dithering at mixdown and prior to mastering. The general rule is you should dither whenever moving to a lower bit resolution. If you recorded your project at 24-bit, for example, render your mix to that same resolution without dither. If you processed mixes at 32-bit float (such as with Cubase, Pro Tools LE, and other audio programs) during mixing, use 24-bit dither with no noise shaping to mixdown to 24-bit. Or better yet, 32-bit float. There may be exceptions. Please e-mail us if you have any questions.

• Do not trim all the "air" at the beginnings of songs. A clean sample of this, or other recording of quiet room tone, will help us (and you) with noise removal.

• Make different versions of your mixes, such as vocal up, instrumental, and a-cappella versions.

• Send files for mastering at their original bit rate and sample rate. (24-bit or 32-bit are best.)

• Do not use MP3s for mastering. Although we are able to master MP3s in 320 kb/s, we recommend against using MP3s for mastering because much, or most, of the audio data has been lost and cannot be restored.

Send Mixes by Mail:

Sometimes re-mixing is called for to improve the sound. For example, we may suggest that you re-mix a song if the kick drum or snare is too loud, the bass is too low, or the vocal is too low in an otherwise great mix. 

Another option is mastering from stems (a.k.a. sub-mixes or separations), which can often sound better than mastering from a two-track mix. This works best with 3 to 6 stereo stems. For example, separating the vocal or bass into a stereo stem can often improve mastering results.

For an additional $20 per song, we will master from 3 to 6 stereo stems. In mastering this way we usually mix and master at the same time. Please send us an e-mail for more information on how to master from stems.

Typical turnaround time for paid mastering is 2 to 4 weeks. Typical turnaround time for free test masters is about 3 to 6 weeks.

Rush Orders:

Let us know if you're in a hurry and have an urgent deadline to meet. We'll fit you in as soon as possible, at no extra charge.

Our Money-Back Guarantee:

If you are not completely satisfied with our work, 100% of your payment will be refunded.

• High definition equalization for frequency balance

• Level (loudness) maximization without adding harmful distortion 

• Edit spreads (the time between songs), fades (both fade-ins and fade-outs), and basic additions/subtractions

• Add effects, such as (very) small amounts of reverb, delay, or tape compression modeling as appropriate and needed

• Spatial processing to enhance the stereo field while maintaining mono compatibility

• Clean up of minor noise and imperfections

• Sequencing of songs

• Encoding of International Standard Recording Codes (ISRC)

• Red book standard production master CDR and backup master CDR

• Given 24-bit mixes, a 24-bit CDR or DVD master for archiving and future duplication

• Quality control check of all CDRs for errors

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Instructions for FTP File Transfers (FileZilla or Fetch)

FTP is the most common way for people to send, receive, and manage large files on the Internet. You can use this as a faster alternative to the drop box above. FTP means "file transfer protocol."  You can send your mixed stereo files to Sonik Wheel for mastering using an FTP client application, and receive mastered reference files for your evaluation the same way. You will probably need a fast Internet connection to use FTP, such as cable or DSL.

There are dozens of FTP applications for both Mac and Windows.  Many FTP applications are shareware and require a minimal fee to purchase. Some are free or provide a free trial period.  On the Mac, many people use either Fetch or Transmit (about $30).  For Windows, CuteFTP (about $40) is popular and offers a free trail period.  You can download a free FTP client here (Filezilla). You may find these and other FTP clients at CNET downloads.  Search for FTP.  CuteFTP works well for us.

If you have a pending project at Sonik Wheel and would like to upload your files using FTP, please contact us at  631-791-4001 or e-mail us at sonikwheel@sonikwheel.com.  We will give you our FTP server address, a username, and a password.  (Access to our FTP server is restricted due to the proprietary nature of material submitted by our clients.)

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Instructions for iDisk File Transfers

iDisk is a service that comes with .Mac.  iDisk is a virtual hard drive that you access with an Internet connection.  You'll need a .Mac account to use iDisk.  Once you have a .Mac account, you simply go to the Go menu of the Finder and choose iDisk > My iDisk.  Your iDisk will mount on your desktop just like a hard drive.  You can access your iDisk from the Internet by going to www.mac.com.

For Sonik Wheel to access your mixed stereo files, you must copy them into your iDisk's Public folder and give Sonik Wheel your .Mac login name.  We do not need your password. Later, we can copy mastered files into the Public folder, which you can then access.

For Windows users, Apple has created the Windows iDisk Utility, which works in a similar way.  You'll need to download this utility from www.mac.com, or go to Google and type in "Windows iDisk Utility."

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