Even before you begin your mixing sessions, there are some things you should keep in mind if you are planning to hire me to master your record:

• I can accept the following formats:
  • analog tape (1/2" and 1/4", all speeds)
  • digital files (all formats, sample rates and bit depths) via data CD/DVD, hard/flash drive or web delivery
  • audio CD
  • DAT tape
  • cassette
  • vinyl record (when master tapes are no longer available)
• If possible, book your mastering session well in advance of your ideal release date, factoring in your pressing plant's lead time, as well. Nothing will improve the quality of your record nearly so much as not needing to rush through steps on the way to completing the project.
• Avoid applying any dynamics processing to the stereo mixdown designed solely to boost mix level. Artifacts are sometimes introduced from such processing that can make the mastering process more difficult. Unless you feel that removing that processing from the stereo buss will negatively impact the aesthetic of a given mix, remove it and let the mastering engineer get the level where it should be during the mastering process. Of course, not all dynamics processing is used to achieve additional level: using compression on mixes to achieve a particular feel or sound is a different matter altogether, and I definitely would like to receive the mixes that you think work best.
• Listen to the mix master very carefully before finishing the mixing session to ensure there are no problems with the master (sequencing issues, clicks, pops, bad edits, dropouts, etc.).
• When mixing to tape, be sure to have your engineer include alignment tones on the reel, ideally printed at the head of the reel. 30 seconds of 1khz, 10khz, and 100hz is an ideal minimum set of alignment tones.
• If you are shipping your master to me, have your engineer back up the studio master before sending me the original copy and be sure to insure your package in case it is lost.
• When mixing on a DAW (digital audio workstation), I generally recommend bouncing mixes at the same sample rate and bit depth as the mix project, without using dither. For example, a project tracked and mixed at 44.1Khz/24-bit should be bounced to a stereo 44.1Khz/24-bit file.
• When the mixes for a project are at better-than-CD quality, avoid burning the files to an audio disc for delivery, as this will incur potentially damaging re-sampling and/or bit truncation. Internet-based delivery or data CD/DVD delivery is preferred for high-resolution files.