Sending Track To Be Mastered?

[judas_beast]

Basically I've been asked to send a track to be mastered by someone fairly well known for a new label. It's going to be available on iTunes and what not, so I'm pretty keen.

The problem is that I've now been asked to send each individual ''track'' that makes up the whole piece of music, i.e kick, hihat, snare, each synth part, as thats what ''the man'' wants.

Is this normal? Surely an un-mastered Wav is fine? I don't want someone playing about with the levels of my music. Don't wanna sound like an ungrateful cunt but is this normal?

[Siege]

Thats deffinatley not normal....sounds to me like he wants to mix the whole thing down again....wtf??

[judas_beast]

Innit. The levels of each relevant ''instrument'' as EXACTLY how I want them. I'm not gonna name any names but the bloke doing the mastering is someone who clearly knows what he's doing, the owner of the label, the person who I speak to, is the one who told me this is whats required. I hope its a case of crossed wires.

[ORIS]

Sounds a bit odd mate. I've never heard of a mastering engineer asking for each separate track. Normally they only need a un mastered .wav.

Although I might be wrong.

[judas_beast]

That's what I thought. I could well be the label owner not quite getting the right end of the stick.

[ORIS]

That's what I thought. I could well be the label owner not quite getting the right end of the stick.

Did you ask him why he wanted each separate track??

[Siege]

All thats needed is the unmastered wav...if hes asking for all your parts,he must want to adjust certain parts etc...which relate to the mix not being right.
Ive never heard of any mastering engineer asking of this though...if theres problems with the mix,he should be telling you about it and getting you to make any adjustments............very strange.

[judas_beast]

Well if he doesn't like the mix of the track he'd be better off not putting it out! I don't make my music sound like it does for a laugh, I make it sound like it does because thats how I want it to sound!

I'm sure it's just crossed wires though.

@Oris: because apparently thats how the bloke who is doing the mastering wants all the tunes for this release. Because its ''hard'' to master a single Wav.

I'm a bit spun out really, obviously I want my music to be on iTunes, and I'd like to hear it mastered by a well respected, very successful Techno producer. But I don't really want a piece of MY music being messed about with.

[Siege]

Whos the proffesional mastering engineer? i cant get my head round the comment of him finding it hard to master a single file?????

[judas_beast]

I'd rather not say. I'll pm you.

[ORIS]

I'd rather not say. I'll pm you.

Ashamed of your new bum buddy is it?

[judas_beast]

Don't be a twat Oris. I just dont want to give the bloke a bad name if it's crossed wires.

[ORIS]

Don't be a twat Oris.

Me? A twat? Me? Really? I might be forced to agree tbh.

[judas_beast]

Yes. You. Constantly!

Birthday tomorrow? What you doing? Apart from Rape Time.

[ORIS]

Drinking!

[rhythmtech]

sounds like he's after mix stems which is pretty normal for some mastering engineers. bascially he'll want wavs of groups, ie all drums, all synths etc. usually works out at about 5/6 files.

[judas_beast]

I can see that being a bit more normal.

[herman]

Mastering from stems isn't out of the ordinary but it's usually if there is problem in the mix that can't be fixed from the mastering end (from the finished wav) or by the original mix engineer.

[Jay Pace]

+1

Stem mastering isn't unusual, and it gives the mastering engineer more to play with if something needs fixing. You might like all your levels as they are, but its easier to rebalance a mix using the individual parts than correct it with EQ setting for the whole mix.

Just provide your mixdown as a reference for what you want the mix to sound like. All good mate, no need to be concerned!

[BDC]

shit, the way I mish mash my levels...I, personally, could use all the help I can get...haha...


Congrats on what sounds like a big release for ya!