FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
We’ve got the answers to all your questions – and some you’d never think to ask.
If you have a question of your own that we haven’t answered here, feel free to contact us.
How much head room should I leave in my mixes?
Generally, -3 to -6dB is plenty.
Should I have any EQ or compression on my Master Buss?
Yes AND No. Anything that you have on your mix that you feel is improving the sound – please leave it. If you’re not sure, or you’re just using it to bring up your levels, go ahead and take them off before you mix down. I DON’T NEED A MIX TO BE LOUD. It makes it much harder to control dynamics if they’ve already been squeezed too far.
What format, bit depth, and sample rate do you prefer?
.wav or .aif files only please. MP3’s are a swiss cheese version of your “real” song – they don’t have enough detail to be worth mastering. Leave the bit depth and sample rate the same as your mix session. No need to convert or dither. I can accept files up to 32bit and 192K.
What is your turnaround time?
Less than 6 songs is usually less than 3 days. One or two songs can often come back to you the same day.
How will I get my songs back?
Digital Downloads will be sent to your email inbox from Transferlargefiles.com. They will be Redbook Standard WAV or AIFF files, and MP3(upon request) format for each song. Physical CD Masters can also be ordered and shipped directly to your doorstep or to the CD Replicator of your choice for a small fee. DDP file sets can oftentimes be uploaded to certain CD plants in lieu of a physical master, free of charge.
What if I don't like it?
If we didn’t get the sound you were going for on the first pass, we can work closely with you on one or two revisions free. Any changes after that will be $15 per song. Your happiness is our goal and we pride ourselves in having very happy clients.
How do I pay/When do I get my songs?
We accept Paypal® or Major Credit Cards through SQUARE®. Once your songs are ready to be referenced (by you) an invoice will be sent to your email with an itemized breakdown of the charges. Once the payment has cleared, then we will send the files to your email as soon as possible, usually within 12hours.
Why don't the track names show up in iTunes?
Your CD has been embedded with CD-Text which will display track, artist, album, etc. titles on compatible CD players. Itunes and other software based music players do not recognize this information. They instead use online databases for finding information on a particular CD. Itunes happens to use the Gracenote® CDDB. Instructions on how to submit album info to the database can be found here. If you are planning on selling your music in the iTunes store, the disc information will be automatically entered into the database.
How do you want to be credited on my CD art?
Please use the following information when referencing on your CD liner notes:
Album mastered by Joe Goodwin at Bellwether Mastering
or
Mastering: Joe Goodwin at Bellwether Mastering