Mixing Material - Delivery Guide

The stages of Music Production for an album record are: Composition, Recording, Mixing and Mastering. If you want to know more detailed, I attach the document called "tpromu 01" (available in spanish only), where the content is between pages 32 to 61.

In order to perform a mix, it must be stated that the previous processes must be handled in the most thorough and detailed way possible.

I will mention a few points:

1.- Editing

*The work must have its corresponding fade-in, fade-out and crossfade in all audio events.

*Voices must be in tune.

*Synchronise all audio events.

*Eliminate all kind of noise, using fade-in, fade-out, crossfade or filters.

2.- Midi

*You should always send the audio events in wav format. If you are not satisfied with the sound achieved with software, you should consult separately. And each case is particular, because there is a big difference between a Concert Piano sound and a Hammond Rock sound.

*About the drums, you should always deliver the Multitrack without effects and in wav. You should take into consideration that the ghost notes and accents of the percussions have to be edited to perfection, because the more hours of Midi work, the more real the instrument sounds. The choice of cymbals and heads must be consistent in their brand, model, tuning and also the types of cymbals, so it is recommended to use multiple softwares to find the desired timbre. If you are not familiar with this subject consult a professional drummer or music producer.

*Tempo Track must be delivered in Midi. The tempo track is essential, especially when there are tempo changes, and even more so when there is automation of "Ritardando" "Accelerando".

3.- Electric Guitars, Electric Bass and Synthesizers

*Record everything with a good quality direct box. Ideally the direct box should have an audio transformer inside. Recommended: Radial EngineeringPro48, Warm Audio WA-DI-A, or something very low budget could be Radial SB-1.

Direct boxes without audio transformers are mostly geared for live amplification, because high fidelity is not a priority, and the signal coming out of a low-cost direct box colours the signal. If you want to know more information I leave a file called "DI Basics - Radial Engineering.pdf".

4.- Reamp

For this process, a detailed conversation must be held with the client, using clear references of amps and pedals, or music they like as a sound reference. For this, Guitars and Basses must be recorded with a direct box.

5.- Wav delivery

*Create a folder for each group of instruments.

*All files must be delivered in the same format and audio resolution. For example: 44.1KHz/24bits or 48KHz/24bits.

*All tracks that are originally mono, must be exported in mono. In general almost everything is recorded in mono. There are only exceptions when there are stereo tracks such as Effects, decoded conversion of Mono-Stereo microphone settings, Software such as VSTi.

*Write the name of each track in a way that its role is immediately understandable. If you have time to number the tracks, it makes the job much simpler for everyone. Example: 01 Bass-Drum-In-Shure91.wav, 02 Snare-Up-Shure57.wav, 03 Snare-Bottom-Shure57-PhaseInverted.wav

*It is recommended to assemble all audio events in a new project and verify that everything is consolidated and synchronised.

*Add a pre-mix to understand the relevance of elements for consideration in the mix.

Any elements that are not delivered in the manner just explained will incur an additional charge over and above the value of the mix.