FAQ: Audio Mastering - General
- What type of equipment do you use for Audio Mastering?
- What's the difference between the "Standard" and "Signature Service?"
- What's the difference between the "Levels Only" and the "Audio Mastering?"
- What's included in a mastering package? What do I get back from ICON?
- I have some questions about mastering. Can I get in touch with someone over at ICON?
- How should I supply my songs?
- Do you accept cassettes or DATs?
- What if I am unhappy with my mastering result?
- What is a normal turntime for Audio Mastering at ICON?
- What is the payment policy for Audio Mastering at ICON?
- Does ICON have experience mastering my specific music genre?
- Do you have the ability to encode the band, album, and track information so it recognizable when a listener puts the CD in a computer?
- I need my track order switched around or a track taken off. Can you do this and does it cost extra?
What type of equipment do you use for Audio Mastering?
ICON's digital mastering suite employs the latest versions of Steinberg WaveLabe and cuBase software, running on a state of the art studio PC. We use Alesis near field monitors powered by a Yamaha amplifier for sound editing, as well as a Sony receiver powering a pair Sony home stereo speakers as a real-world audio reference.
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What's the difference between the "Standard" and "Signature Service?"
The "Standard" option is an affordable alternative to traditional "Track by Track" mastering. Our engineer examines your entire recording and determines a series of universal settings, which are then applied to the entire recording. This is, of course, less time consuming than examining and mastering each track. This is a useful option for those on a small budget whose tracks were all recorded together.
Our "Signature Service" solutions are more involved. Our engineer examines and masters each track individually. This allows for more detailed and nuanced work among the tracks. The engineer strives to get the most from each track, while also creating a cohesive sound from the first track to the last. This option is a good idea for those whose tracks were recorded at different studios or times, and those who require top-shelf mastering.
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What's the difference between the "Levels Only" and the "Audio Mastering?"
"Levels Only" is a basic mastering solution to prepare your audio to sound uniform across a wide range of playback devices and settings. Using compression and limiting to normalize the volume of the recording, ICON is able to give you the loudest possible finished product, without compromising audio dynamics.
The "Audio Mastering" includes all the services in the levels package, plus our engineer designs custom EQ audio filters for your recording to achieve the best possible sound. If you're looking to "brighten" up the sound of your recording, make it sound more "aggressive," or "powerful," or "give it more bottom"... an "Audio Mastering" solution offers the best way to achieve your goal.
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What's included in a mastering package? What do I get back from ICON?
ICON begins the process by reading in your source master at 1x speed. We then perform a triple error check, to ensure there were no errors while reading the source master. Next, tracks are sequenced and appropriate times are set in between tracks. After that we begin the chosen mastering services. Once complete, we create 3 real-time masters checked by the computer for any errors.
We keep 1 master on file at ICON, and send you the remaining 2 masters.
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I have some questions about mastering. Can I get in touch with someone over at ICON?
You can give us a call at 1-866-400-ICON if you have any questions. You can reach our engineer, Brett Clarin, by e-mailing brett@builtbyicon.com.
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How should I supply my songs?
An audio CD, or a CD-Rom with .WAV files are best. Audio supplied any other way may incur extra charges.
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Do you accept cassettes or DATs?
We can accept cassettes and DATs, however there is an additional setup fee.
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What if I am unhappy with my mastering result?
It's rare that a customer requires any changes to the master once it is complete. However, if you receive your audio master back, and you are unhappy with the result, we can revise and resend the master. Original files are kept on site for 2 weeks following completion of your master.
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What is a normal turntime for Audio Mastering at ICON?
Audio Mastering jobs generally require 7 working days to complete. Due to the creative nature of the process, these turntimes may fluctuate. If you require a quicker turntime, give us a call and we'll see what we can do.
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What is the payment policy for Audio Mastering at ICON?
Audio Mastering jobs must be paid in full at the beginning of the job.
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Does ICON have experience mastering my specific music genre?
ICON's audio mastering studio has completed work on close to a thousand different albums. We've worked on everything from Hip Hop to Heavy Metal, from Country to Electronica, from Punk and Hardcore to Acoustic Pop, and everything in between.
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Do you have the ability to encode the band, album, and track information so it recognizable when a listener puts the CD in a computer?
Yes, we sure can, when filling out your order form, make sure to fill that section out, and indicate that you'd like us to do so.
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I need my track order switched around or a track taken off. Can you do this and does it cost extra?
We can do this, no problem. There is no additional cost. Just let us know.
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