Preparing Your FILES for Mixing
Hey there! My name’s Paul.
Mixing and mastering are an art, and my approach is to follow your idea and vision.
I never force my opinion on my clients, so please feel free to share any comments and ask for revisions – I never get tired or frustrated with that.
As a studio engineer, my mission is to preserve your track’s original vibe and creative vision,
so please keep all effects such as reverbs, delays, modulations, saturations, and even master bus automation or plugins like ‘Endless Smile’ active.
To ensure the best sound quality and a smooth workflow, follow next guidelines carefully.
Revisions on my side are free and unlimited. However, if you need to replace files after submission, there is a $10 charge per file.
Let’s make your tracks shiny 🙏
Step-by-Step Export Guide:
1. Turn off all technical plugins on the master channel.
Keep all creative effects, such as ‘Endless Smile’ or low-cut automation, on the master bus, as well as all effects on groups and individual tracks.
Disable only technical processing such as compression, EQs, limiters, or clippers on master bus.
2. Check output peak level.
Make sure the highest peak level on the master bus stays close to -6 dBFS when playing all the stems together, with no plugins on the master.
Avoid extreme low levels, as they can introduce noise and reduce the effectiveness of mixing.
If the level is too high, lower it to prevent clipping. If it’s too low, increase it to maintain a strong signal.
3. Name your STEMs clearly.
Use this format for STEMs naming:
1 Kick.wav
2 Bass Main.wav,
3 Bass Sub.wav,
4 Snare Low.wav
…etc
Avoid using ALL CAPITALS or adding any extra information.
File naming is very important for me. Thanks!
4. Audio settings:
File Type – wav
Sample Rate – Original
Bit Depth – 24-bit
Dithering – None
Normalize – Off
5. Export individual tracks.
For Ableton users:
· Select all individual tracks (don’t select groups or return channels).
· Open the Export Audio window and apply the following settings:
– Choose ‘Selected Tracks Only‘ to prevent exporting groups or return tracks separately.
– Enable ‘Include Return and Main Effects‘ to apply Groups and Main bus effects.
For FL Studio users:
– Assign each sound from the Channel Rack or Playlist to a separate Mixer track.
– Name each Mixer track properly for easy identification.
– Open the export window, go to File, select Export, and choose WAV file.
– Enable ‘Split Mixer Tracks’ to export each track as an individual STEM.
– Set Mode to ‘Full Song’ unless exporting a selection.
– Enable ‘Master Effects’ if you have creative effects on the master bus.
For Logic Pro users:
· Logic Pro doesn’t allow exporting stems with master effects.
· To work around this limitation, group all your stems into a new subgroup.
· Copy any creative effects from the master bus to this subgroup.
· Then, select your tracks, go to File > Export, and choose ‘Selected Tracks as Audio Files’.
– Disable ‘Bypass Effects Plug-ins’.
– Enable ‘Include Volume and Pan Automation’.
· Alternatively, export stems individually by soloing each track and bouncing them one by one.
6. Check your STEMs in a new project.
Open new project and import your STEMs.
Ensure no missing or empty channels.
Avoid duplicate or group tracks.
Make sure all files start from zero and are the same length.
Confirm that all automations and effects are correctly rendered.
7. Export your home master.
Don’t worry about the sound quality – it’s just to help me understand your vision and track balance.
8. Provide reference tracks.
Not to copy the sound, but to gain a deeper understanding of your artistic choices.
List your reference tracks in a .txt file using the format: Artist – Track Name.
Please avoid including any links or audio files.
9. Package and send.
Place all files in a folder.
Name it as: Artist Name – Track or EP Name.
Make sure that there are no unnecessary files in the folder, such as audio analysis files, project files, etc.
Archive as a .ZIP file.
Upload your tracks here: DropBox Link
Please ensure all steps are followed, as improperly prepared files may be rejected.
Looking forward to making your track sound its best.
Thanks,
Paul.