Mastering Information

:: Mastering rates (eff. 3/1/2012)

Mastering, Single Song: Mastering, Multiple Songs: Mastering, Alternate Mixes: Alternate mixes of songs already mastered, for example: Radio mixes, Show mixes, ect.	$30 $20 each $10 each
Mastering, Full CD (80min max): This is a flat rate to master a full CD. Alternate mixes mastered at an additional charge.	$300
Additional CD-R Copies: Premium Taiyo Yuden CD-R in jewell case.	$3
Digital Editing Services: Non-mastering related services, including: digital editing, file conversion, batch processing, ect.	$60/hr

:: Why Master Your CD?

Mastering is the last artistic step in the recording process, and the first step in the replication of your CD, and it is an extremely important process if you plan to have your song played on the radio. Mastering is like proofreading your work in another room which is specifically designed to be extremely accurate, revealing any problems with your mix. At Tone Freq Mastering, we use some of the best gear available in both the analog and digital domain to make your mixes sound the best that they can be.

Mastering is different than mixing in that the overall balance and tone of the mix is adjusted, not the individual tracks within the mix. After mastering you can expect to hear anything from a subtle difference, to a dramatic change in the sound of your mix. In addition, CD-text and ISRC codes can be added to your CD, the sequence of your songs can be adjusted and your entire CD is reviewed to make sure it is perfect before it’s sent to the replication plant.

You’ve undoubtedly spent countless hours recording and mixing your music, why not take the final step and have it professionally mastered so that it will sound the best that it can be?

• Raise the overall level
• Even out song levels and EQ individual songs for cohesion
• Correct minor mix deficiencies with equalization
• Enhance flow by changing the space between tracks
• Eliminate noises between tracks
• Make your music sound great on any sound system
• Add IRSC codes (required for digital distribution)
• Add CD-Text information
• Upload your CD track names to the CDDB, your song titles will appear in iTunes and other media players.

Though Tone Freq Mastering will keep your data on file for a period of one year from the completion of the mastering session, it is HIGHLY recommended that you backup your music to a hard drive, thumb drive or some other form of archival media. While our system is as safe and secure as a computer can be, it is a computer, and hard drives do fail. Therefore, Steven Glaze, Tone Freq Mastering cannot be held responsible for your files.So, if our drive fails, a tornado rips apart our building or if Aliens abduct our computer, we’ll do everything we can to retrieve it, but really, you should have backed up your files in the first place.

:: Our Required Music Format

When submitting your music to Tone Freq Mastering there are a few things to keep in mind so that we are working with the best quality sound possible from your source material. First, the mixes that you submit should never be in MP3 format, unless you have absolutely nothing else to send. MP3’s are a Lossy format, and simply do not sound as good as other file formats. We prefer that you send us Stereo Interleaved WAV or AIFF files in the bit and sample rate that your session was originally recorded in. For example, if your session was recorded at 24bit 48K, send us 24bit 48K files, it is best to allow us to convert the files to the CD standard 16bit 44.1K

Also, be sure that your mix peaks at -4db below digital 0 or lower. We need the headroom to properly master your song. Also, be sure to remove any compressors, limiters, EQ’s or any other type of processing from the master bus to help us get the most out of your mixes.

If you are unsure about any of our requirements please ask your engineer to review this page, or feel free to contact Steven Glaze. Thanks!