FAQ
Here are some Frequently Asked Questions that clients usually ask:
Who is this service for?
Why do my songs need this service?
How much does it cost? What are the rates?
Does it matter what genre my music is in?
Does it matter which program I’ve used to make my music?
Do you prefer mix-downs or stems?
What is the usual process? What can I expect?
What are the likely time-lines for turnaround?
What if I change my mind?
How many revisions do I get?
What payment methods do you accept?
Why use your service? What’s your experience?
What tools do you use?
Who else has used your service?
MMD Mastering is a small scale audio production service that is aimed a range of potential clients. There are many people out there these days producing music and sound using accessible software and affordable technology. Programs like Reaper, FL Studio, Cubase, Sonar, Max/MSP, Renoise, Reason, Garage Band, and so on all allow people to realise their compositional dreams like never before, and this is a good thing! But when people go to put their work out thereon the web or on radio they can find that their work pales in comparison, sonically, to their favourite commercial artists. This is where MMD Mastering can help. With my clients we’ve taken their music to a level ready for playback on the world stage: in many cases ready for airing on that big club system, or having clear translation for radio and web playback.
So in short, this service is for people making music on their own terms. This can range from the typical bedroom artist, to bands, to artists on small and medium sized independent record labels: all looking for a flexible and affordable alternative to over paying Big Name Studios to give you a service you don’t need and can’t afford. When you’re starting out you just can’t afford to be ripped off. You’re doing music for the love of it, and I feel very same way: I’m doing this for the love of it. Let’s bring the magic out!
* Why do my songs need this service?
Ever wondered why your songs are not as loud and clear as your favourite commercial artist’s songs are? Ever wondered why when you put your songs on other speakers like a big stereo or a good car sound system that the sound is all muddy, boomy, cold, thin or just plain harsh? If you’ve ever wondered these things then this service is certainly for you. Whether you’re trying to take some demos to the ‘next level’, or needing to uphold a commercial standard sound, or just would love to have your favourite composition polished professionally – I can be that ’second set of ears’ that can elevates your music sonically to another dimension. Think of it like a patient getting a second opinion from another doctor: a second set of ears can hear your sound much more objectively. You may have been slaving away for days and days not sure why your song ‘doesn’t happen’, when I can take one listen and go “Yep: this, this, this and this needs to happen”.
If you’re not sure if this service is for you then ask us for free! We can talk about the ins and outs of a potential project with no commitment from you to buy.
* How much does it cost? What are the rates?
This service is a value-based system: there are no per-hour rates. Each client has their own needs, time-lines and specifics for each project. The pricing aims to reflect the needs and budget of independent artists.
Current pricing, in Australian Dollars (AUD):
- One song (average length of around 4 minutes) – $50
- Negotiated discounts available for large amounts of songs or long program material.
This is a service that aims to be an affordable alternative to big-name-studio services. I’m not interested in charging you like some engineers do for $500 an hour for an end result you may not be happy with. Talk to me, let me know what you’d like done and we’ll come to an arrangement that suits your goals. This is a competitive deal and gives you a chance to get results to walk away with and boast about.
* Does it matter what genre my music is in?
Not at all! In my experience so far I’ve mastered and mixed a wide variety of genres and the application of getting a cohesive sound that translates beautifully is common to all styles. I’m an eclectic music fan who is absolutely obsessed with sonics and how each genre communicates its sonic signature. Different styles require different points of emphasis while at the same time requiring that everything comes through with a presentation that’s appropriate to the intentions of the music. Some projects need punch, some need delicacy – we work it out with you: all the way you’re calling the creative shots. We make it happen for you.
…And at any point you don’t feel something is represented enough in your sound then it’s easy enough to let me know and editing will change in that direction! Think of it as an ongoing collaborative project where I do the technical work and you dictate the overall goal.
I do have to say that I’ve a personal interest in the challenge of surpassing the shortcommings of digital production in order to get magical audio bliss. I’m a big fan of using analog reel-to-reel tape production to turn angular digital ridgid sound into warm organic vibration. Think of it as pure-science crossed with some magnetic voodoo.
* Does it matter which program I’ve used to make my music?
It doesn’t matter whether you’re using freebie-this or easy-that, or it doesn’t matter if you’ve used some package that costs an arm and a leg – all that’s needed from you is a wav or aiff mixdown of your song -or- stems. Here are some tips for getting a better result:
- Render the project (either a whole mixdown or stems) in at least 24bit or 32bit-float, no dithering.
- If you are mixing your project you will get better results if you have as high sample rate as your equipment can handle – then render the file at that rate. 44.1khz is fine, but higher is better.
- If at all possible please make sure that there is no clipping in your sounds.
- It’s best not to normalize your sounds, just send them as is.
If you are a Renoise user, I can work on your XRNS file at the mix level (and get even better results than just working on a mixdown, see below). Similarly I can work on project files from Reaper. If you use a different program and you want me to work on the mix I can work off the stems of all the channels or groups. See below:
* Do you prefer mix-downs or stems?
The majority of my work is on mixdowns (a mixdown is all your sounds mixed down into one stereo file), but sometimes if I can work on stems (stems are individual elements or channels of the song) then I can get a much better result. Mixing on individual sounds allows me to get very precise shaping on each element, and makes the mastering process much cleaner ensuring a cleaner mix which we can easily take in any direction you like. On the other hand, sometimes when we’re working on mixdowns they can have some serious problems (such as strong clipping or has unsalvageable EQ issues) and I might give you some quick guidance on how you can quickly re-prepare your mix for mastering work.This is something we can negotiate with you per the needs of your project.
* What is the usual process? What can I expect?
Once you have used the contact form to initiate the process I will discuss with you the details via email. Depending on your deadline (if you have one) I’ll let you know a rough time line of the process. Once I have a ‘first pass’ done on the material I’ll email you with a mp3 to listen to an discuss. I do as many revision passes necessary to make sure you’re happy with the end result.
Payment is accepted after the project is completed. My paypal account is: shop [at] m [dot] thequietrevolution [dot] net
* What are the likely time-lines for turnaround?
Presently, MMD Mastering is a part time business for me. Regardless of project deadlines I work consistently on material to get it back to you as quickly as resources allow. If a project requires urgency to meet a looming deadline I try to make that work a priority: if this is the case for you let me know early on. The bigger the project, the more time it will take. Usually, if time allows, I like to have a ‘day after check’ on mastered material to check with fresh ears and avoid monitor fatigue. Throughout the process I keep communications open with you to let you know how it’s going. The good news for you is that you’re not paying for a ‘by the clock’ service; instead you’re getting a result you’re happy with that’s been done as it needs to be done. That way, I can give your work the tending loving care it deserves – no rushing, no shortcuts.
Changing your mind is a good thing! Often as the end result emerges you will see your work in a new light and may cause the project the require an altered approach. This is fine. At every stage we openly discuss what’s happened and what could be better. The work doesn’t stop until you’re happy with it.
* How many revisions do I get?
You get as many mastered revisions as you need to reach the goal of getting the sound right. For some clients they’ve been happy with just one pass on the material, others have required a few revisions of the process to nail the perfect result. Whatever it reasonably takes, every project is unique.
* What payment methods do you accept?
MMD Mastering currently accepts Paypal as a form of payment. My Paypal account is: shop [at] m [dot] thequietrevolution [dot] net – replace the ‘at’ and ‘dots’ with @ and .
In time I’ll be able to set up some alternative methods of payment. If you have any issues with this please contact me.
* Why use your service? What’s your experience?
Some dot points from my CV:
- Extensive radio production experience with 2Bob community radio, dating back to 1991, with specialisation in advertisement and promotional material as well as studio maintenance.
- Audio Engineer at the University of New England from 2005-2010, with experience recording and mastering 1000s of lectures for educational use.
- Extensive experience since 1996 in composing, recording mixing and mastering my own music largely using digital means.
- A large range of experiences both artistically and professionally mixing and mastering other people’s material, some of which is featured here.
I’ll be writing more about my technical experiences in the blog from time to time. I have an obsession and love for sound and great music, and if I’m not mixing audio for work I’m doing it for fun!
It’s an ongoing project of mine to get a range of improved equipment and software to put my skills to best use in getting a fantastic sound. I’m endlessly improving everything, so you can be assured that you’re getting my service at the top of my game. Currently I have a range of equipment and ‘testing processes’ to make sure I get a sound that ‘translates’. Some pieces of note are:
HARDWARE:
- Yamaha HS80M monitors – my main speakers, carefully placed in a large acoustically treated room.
- A pair of smaller custom designed nearfield monitors – run on a Class A amp for A-B checking.
- A pair of JVC SK-700II hi-fi speakers (large) – in a separate room for A-B acoustic translation checking.
- Various other consumer speakers – for final translation checking.
- 4 Core CPU PC computer running Win XPsp3.
- M-Audio Delta 10/10 soundcard and E-MU Tracker Pre soundcard.
- Tascam BR-20T Reel to Reel 1/4″ master tape deck, calibrated for AMPEX 456 Grandmaster tape – final generation Tascam pro level deck. Exceptionally good from avoiding digital downsampling/dithering issues in the final mastering process and adding that magic ‘tape sound’.
SOFTWARE:
- Renoise 2 – 32bit DAW for PC with standard VST plugin support.
- Reaper 3 – 32bit DAW for PC for stem and m/s processing.
- Adobe Audition – for digital downsampling/dithering and file conversion.
- A range of professional grade plugins.
* Who else has used your service?
You can see some examples here.
If these do not answer any questions you have please do not hesitate to get in contact with me here.