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Making aGreat MasterEssential information for musicians,engineers, and producers.

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Compiled and published by Disc Makers 2000 All Rights Reserved

Making aGreat MasterEssential information for musicians, engineers, and producers.

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C o n t e n t s

Chapter 1 - Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Chapter 2 - Digital Audio Wo r k s t a t i o n s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 0

Chapter 3 - DAT Master Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 2

Chapter 4 - Analog Tape Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 8

Chapter 5 - Handling Your Master . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 2

Chapter 6 - CD M a s t e r i n g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 4

Chapter 7 - Cassette Ta p eM a s t e r i n g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 6

Chapter 8 - Vi n y lD i s kM a s t e r i n g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 8

Chapter 9 - When Problems Occur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 1

Chapter 10 - Premastering/Mastering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 4

I n t r o d u c t i o nAt Disc Makers scores of masters come through our doors for audiomanufacturing every month. Because of our volume and our experi-ence handling virtually every format available, we have acquired awealth of information on the best methods for preparing master tapesas well as the pitfalls to avoid. This guide, the result of our experi-ence, is intended to clarify and simplify your transition from the artis-tic stage of your recording to the nuts-and-bolts manufacturing stage.Whether you choose Disc Makers for album manufacturing or not,using this booklet as a guide will give you the means to produce aquality product with confidence and satisfaction. Good luck with your project!

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t1-800-468-9353 www.discmakers.com

Making a Great Master:Essential information for musicians, engineers, and producers.

P r e f a c e 3

The process of transforming your musical ideas into a finished product that youcan share with others involves a series of steps leading from the original record-ing sessions through to the delivery of your packaged CDs, cassettes, or vinylrecords. Because the choices you make at each step affect the quality of your finalproduct, familiarizing yourself with this process will help ensure the best possi-ble results for your project. There are many possible variations, but in general theprocess runs as follows:

Recording involves capturing instrumental and vocal sounds (using microphonesor direct inputs), and storing them either on digital or analog tape or on a DigitalAudio Workstation (DAW). Some recordings are made direct to stereo, but thevast majority are recorded multi-track, meaning that the sounds of the diff e r-ent instruments are recorded and stored individually.

Mixing is the art of blending individually recorded sounds through a console or on a DAW, controlling the level and pan (stereo speaker placement) of eachsound to create a final mix of your musical selection (song). Mixes may eitherbe recorded to tape or stored on the hard drive of a DAW.

Master assembly means editing a collection of individual song mixes into a completemaster that flows from start to finish in the desired order and with the desiredamount of space between selections. A final master may be assembled by trans-ferring between two digital recorders (such as DAT machines), or by physical-ly editing mixes on analog tape. The ease and control allowed by digital wave-form editing, however, means that digital recordings are frequently assembledon a DAW, with the material then transferred in assembled form to a digitalmaster tape or to a recordable CD (CD-R).

Premastering/mastering is the link between the production process and the manu-f a c t u r i n g facility where copies will be made. Overall program level is set, aswell as song-to-song or relative levels. EQ and/or compression may also beused to make the material sound as good as possible when it is played in the listening environment (i.e. home or car) of the customers who buy the endproduct. Once optimized, the resulting program is transferred to an appropriateProduction Master for the plant that will make the actual copies: a CD-R or PCM-1630 tape for the CD plant;

THE AUDIO RECORDING AND MANUFACTURING PROCESS

P r e f a c e

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a CD-R or DAT for the cassette duplicator; or a master lacquer for the vinyl record pressing plant.

Manufacturing is when the actual copies are made and packaged for distributionand sale: For CDs, the master tape is transferred to a glass master from which moldsare made for replication, a multi-step process involving injection molding. For cassettes, the production master is transferred into a digital bin, a stor-age device that converts the program from digital to analog at high speed andsends it to slave machines that record on cassette tape, which is then bulk-loaded into cassette shells. For vinyl records, the master lacquer is used to make molds which are usedto press the records.

In the following chapters we will cover some of the factors that influence qualityduring these various steps, and help you learn how to get the most out of the audiorecording and manufacturing process.

F o r m a t s 5

There was a time when everything was simple: Tape was tape and disk was vinyl. Today tapes are reel-to-reel, cassette, analog, digital, DAT, U-matic, and DASH.A disk could be a 7" single, 12" single or 12" L P, or it might be a hard drive ina Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). A disc, meanwhile (as it is called in theage of optical media) might mean CD, CD-5 single, CD-ROM, CD-V, CD-I,Mini-Disc, MO or DVD. Sound confusing? It can be, but the range of availableoptions can certainly work to your advantage. Use this guide to help you makethe best choices for your needs.

Analog recording has been the traditional method of storing signals on variousmedia since Edison developed the cylinder phonograph. The signal is continuousand variable (analog) just like natural sound. The stored signal correlates directlyto the source captured by the microphone.

The two most common analog storage media are magnetic, usually tape, andmechanical, usually disks such as vinyl records. While analog systems can createhigh-quality master recordings, the various media have some inherent flaws thatcan introduce variations in the recorded signal, thus altering the original to somedegree. By contrast, digital chops up the signal into small pieces, assigns each avalue, and stores the values numerically, and thus is immune to minor anomaliesof the storage medium.

TAPE SPEEDThere are six standard analog tape speeds: 1 5/1 6 inches per second (ips): the slowest speed, used almost exclusively for

broadcast station logging purposes. 17/8 ips: the standard speed for audio cassettes. 33/4 ips: a home use reel-to-reel speed for voice or other non-critical recording.

Also used occasionally for running masters in high speed tape duplication (64:1 or 80:1).

71/2 ips: used professionally for running masters in high speed tape duplication(32:1) or in non-critical professional recording.

15 ips: the most-used professional speed. 30 ips: universally accepted as the highest quality analog commonly available.

A very popular speed three to four decades ago that fell into disuse, although ithas made a comeback in recent years.

A N A L O G

F o r m a t s

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GENERATION LOSSEach time an analog copy is made, the quality is degraded by a certainamountsome degree of distortion and noise (electronic circuit noise and tapehiss) are added to the program. By the time a consumer hears a top-quality, mass-produced program, it is at best a fifth-generation copy. Even starting with the verybest program source, the final market product quality has deteriorated.

DROPOUTS AND TAPE HISSMagnetic tape suffers from several maladies. One of these, dropouts, are areas oftape which simply cannot be magnetized and therefore cannot hold the signal. A sthe tape is played back, the dropout does not reproduce the signal. For a very briefinstant (usually), there is no sound. Every tape suffers from dropouts, althoughthey may be too brief to be detectable by the human ear.

For any given dropout, a wider track width and/or a faster tape speed will reducethe audible effect. Thus, a stereo master running at 30 ips on 1/2" tape will provideexcellent protection against dropouts. At the other end of the spectrum, a cassetterunning at 17/8 ips is far more vulnerable to dropouts in normal use, although itstill can give surprisingly good results. More on that in Chapter 7.

Higher speeds also improve many other qualities of a recorded signal. Wi t h o u tgetting into the technical aspects, extended high frequency response, signal-to-noise ratio, and phase shift problems are all improved with increased tape speedand, to some degree, track width.

Another of analog tapes inherent maladies is tape hiss. This background noisebasic to all analog tape recording is also, in varying degrees, a function of tapespeed and track width. Tape noise is also accumulated from generation to gener-ation, so care must be used to minimized the number of tape generations usedfrom tracking to production master.

Digital recording is achieved by transforming audio signals into the language ofcomputers. Electrical impulses are translated into signals that are either on or off(in binary terms, 1 or 0), nothing in between. The major advantage of digitalsound recording is that there is no perceivable generation loss and no tape hiss. Itis possible, in theory, to make a 100th generation copy that is sonically indistin-guishable from the original master.

As mentioned previously, analog signals are represented by a continuous, unin-terrupted waveform. Digital technology takes the analog signal and cuts it up intomany little slices, taking a sample of the analog signal at every cut. The moreoften a sample is taken, the closer the digital curve reflects the analog wave sig-

D I G I TA L

F o r m a t s 7

nal, and thus the more the digital signal will sound like the analog original. A C Dplays back at a standard sampling rate of 44.1 kHz (kiloHertz), which means thata sample of the analog signal is taken 44,100 times per second.

Digital recording comes in a variety of formats, including tapes, stand-alone hard-disk recorders, and computer-hosted audio workstations such as Digidesigns ProTools. At the consumer level, the most familiar format by far is the Compact Disc(CD). For professional multi-track recording, DAWs and digital in-shell tape for-mats such as A D AT and Ta s c a m s DA-88 are frequently used, while open-reeldigital formats such as DASH are generally found only at very high-end facilities.For professional stereo master tapes, DATs are a very popular format, CD-Rs arealso widely used for certain applications, and Sony PCM-1610/1630 tapes areoften used for CD mastering.

D A TD AT, or Digital Audio Tape, was originally intended as a consumer format, but ithas become the format of choice for mixdown and/or safety copies in manyrecording and project studios. Advantages of DAT include minimal or no gener-ation loss, perfect frequency response and level reproduction, enhanced signal-to-noise ratio, no tape transport-induced phase error, cost effectiveness, ease of han-dling, minimal storage space requirement, and universal acceptance by masteringand manufacturing facilities. Because physical editing of DAT tape is impossible,individual DAT mixes are often transferred digitally to a DAW for editing anda s s e m b l y, then re-transferred to DAT or CD-R to be sent out for mastering ormanufacturing. Most of the masters received at Disc Makers are DATs .

C D - RThe recordable CD, or CD-R, in our experience, is the single most reliable digi-tal format available today. CD-Rs may be made on standalone CD-R decks, or onD AWs equipped with CD-R drives and CD-Audio recording software such asD i g i d e s i g n s MasterList CD. Disc Makers Proof Positive Reference CD is aCD-R that clients use for tests when ordering CDs.

SONY PCM-1610/1630Used since the introduction of the CD as a mastering medium from which glassmasters are cut, this format uses an encoder to store digital audio information invideo form on the 3/4" video cassettes and videotape recorders of the profession-al U-Matic video standard. Although CD-Rs such as the Disc Makers ProofP o s i t i v e Reference CD are now frequently used for CD glass master preparation,the U-matic/1630 combination remains a common mastering standard in manymanufacturing facilities.

IOMEGA JAZJaz Drives are magnetic hard-disks in removable cartridges (either 1 or 2 GBcapacity) that are capable of storing an entire CDs worth of digital audio.

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C o m p u t e r-hosted Jaz drives are a common addition to DAWs (Macintosh orWindows), where they are frequently used to back up large amounts of audio data.They may also be used by a DAW-based studio as a format for storing and trans-porting digital audio, but only if the receiving facility is able to read files in theformat used by the originating facilitys DAW.

MO (MAGNETO-OPTICAL)Magneto-optical media combines the random access and convenience of opticalmedia with the rewrite-ability of magnetic media, allowing it to be recorded overmultiple times like tape. While it provides digital quality comparable to a CD andis able to hold vast amounts of data, its major drawback is its relatively high cost.Magneto-optical drive and disks come in a number of formats and sizes and havenot yet standardized for audio applications.

D A S HInitially introduced in two-track and 24-track configurations, DASH is the onlysurviving open-reel digital tape recording format. The Sony DASH 3324 24-trackmachine and 3348 48-track recorder are found today only in some high-end pro-fessional recording facilities.

ADAT/DTRS (TASCAM DA-88)These 8-track modular digital multi-track (MDM) formats are used primarilyfor multi-track recording. One of their advantages is that the machines can besynced together, allowing a musician to have 16, 32, or more tracks quite eco-n o m i c a l l y. The machines employ video technology (ADATs use Super V H Stapes, and DTRS machines use 8mm tapes) and have many of the same advan-tages as DAT. The DA-88 format is also commonly used to deliver 5.1 channelsurround sound mixes for DVD.

M I N I - D I S CS o n y s Mini-Disc is a consumer digital audio format. Its main advantages arerewrite-ability and portability. But because the format uses data compression toget all the music on its small disc, the material that plays back from a Mini-Discis not identical to the material fed to it during recording. For that reason, even though Disc Makers can accept a Mini-Disc as a master, we do not recom-mend it.

The development of technology is blurring distinctions between analog and digi-tal in cost as well as quality. In some cases, analog can produce the highest qual-ity detectable by the human ear; but it suffers from generation losses and tape hiss.Other times digital recording offer clear sonic and even economic advantagesover analog.

D I G I TAL VS. ANALOG

F o r m a t s 9

While an analog recording captures the entire sound wave, it also adds all the idio-syncrasies of the medium (e.g. tape hiss, phase errors, distortion, wow and flutter,dropouts, etc.). So when digital arrived on the scene it was hailed for its perfect-ly clean representation of sound. However, some listeners are less than fully sat-isfied with the current CD sampling rate and word length (44.1 kHz, 16 bit)because it is actually an incomplete representation of the original sound wave. Anumber of audio equipment manufacturers have addressed this concern byincreasing the resolution of their professional systems (i.e. making the represen-tation of the sound wave more complete), introducing products such as Pro To o l s24 that support 24 bit resolution. Some systems also support higher sample rates,up to 88.2 or 96 kHz, though the complex sample rate conversion required to gofrom 96 kHz to 44.1 kHz for CD release can introduce its own sonic artifacts.

How does all this affect you? If you decide to use an analog master, make sureyou do all you can to eliminate the aforementioned analog problems. If youdecide to use a digital master, record at the highest word length and sample rateyou can (without doing a lot of sample rate conversions if you are releasing on CD).

So how do you choose? First you have to set your priorities. What is important toyou? Do you need the highest quality, and do you have the financial resources toindulge this need? If the answer to both questions is yes, then you want the for-mat that affords that quality. There are several top quality formats. If you wish tostay in the analog realm, you will choose 30 ips, 1/2" two-track (or 15 ips withDolby SR encoding), and all the multi-tracking will be at professional widths and30 ips as well. If you choose to enter the digital domain, your choices widen. Yo uwill probably want to go with DAT or CD-R for your final 2-track master, mixeddown from either a digital multi-track or a DAW.

What if you dont have money to burn? Many affordable studios are now basedaround DAWs, or use A D AT or Ta s c a m s DA-88 digital multi-track formats.D ATs offer these studios a cost-effective way to mix down to 2-track withoutadding an extra analog generation, and CD-Rs are often available as well.Whichever way you go, we recommend working in studios that offer profession-al quality. Many smaller studios do excellent work at relatively inexpensive rates.

CHOOSING A FORMAT

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A significant percentage of recordings are now recorded and mixed digitally intheir entirety, without ever hitting tape, on a Digital Audio Workstation. A D i g i t a lAudio Workstation, or DAW, is an integrated computer-hosted production envi-ronment for recording, mixing, editing and even mastering audio. DAWs usuallyrepresent a cost-effective way of producing a high-quality recording, and canwork as stand-alone tapeless configurations, or in conjunction with tape-baseddigital multitrack transports like A D AT or DA-88.

A D AW is made up of a personal computer with an audio input/output interfacesuch as a Digidesign AudioMedia III card, a hard-disk for storing audio data, anda recording/mixing/editing software package such as Pro Tools. Like most areasinvolving computers in recent years, DAWs have become both far more power-ful and far more aff o r d a b l e .

With a high-quality interface and analog-to-digital converters, DAWs can recorddigital audio with the same fidelity as the best stand-alone digital recorders. Buta DAW is more than just a recorder; once your tracks are recorded, DAWs off e ra single working environment for all your subsequent production tasks:

enhance individual tracks with reverb, EQ, compression and other eff e c t s , or DSP processes using either built-in or third-party software tools;

edit tracks with great precision and control while looking at a display of theactual waveform on screen, cutting and pasting individual pieces of music to

create the exact arrangement you want;

mix the tracks into a final stereo version using a virtual on-screen mixer that insome cases allows automation of nearly every level and effects process;

premaster your mixes, optimizing the final overall program level of a group of songs, adjusting the song-to-song or relative levels, and enhancing thesound of the mixes with EQ, compression and/or other built-in or 3rd-party pro-c e s s i n g ;

create a playlist of the mixed masters that you want on your album release,including fade-ins, fade-outs and the duration of the spreads (silence betweentunes); and

Digital Audio Wo r k s t a t i o n s

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Digital Audio Wo r k s t a t i o n s 1 1

record that playlist to DAT, or to CD-R using a program such as DigidesignsMasterList CD.

The ease and control with which DAWs can perform these steps makes them par-ticularly well suited for preparing a master that conforms with the guidelines laidout in the following chapter on DAT master preparation.

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To the recording engineer, DAT will reveal faults and problems in the studio thatwere undetectable using analog. If your goal is a killer CD, there are certain stepsthat must be taken in preparing your master.

First, your mix should come out of and go back into total silence. To do this,record for at least 15 seconds at the beginning and end of the audio program, withlevels set at minimum. Check each track for clicks, bumps, thumps, and otherstrange sounds that somehow sneak into almost every recording. Make sure yourm i x e rs output is as clean and quiet as possible by listening to each track open allthe way on headphones. Is there a hum or hash that could be reduced or removedwith proper grounding or a cleaner power supply? Experiment to find the optimaloutput level for your mixer and ride your mix there. You will be amazed at theimprovements in overall quality that these techniques will yield.

If you have experience mixing to analog tape, you know how to take advantageof two well-known tape effects. Bass levels are increased on playback and apleasant type of distortion eases in when the tape is driven into saturation. T h i saddition of even-numbered harmonics and bass boost is especially noticeable ondrums, bass, and vocals, and is featured on many great rock and pop recordings.For better or worse, DAT does none of this. Mix the bass in exactly the way youwant it to play back. If you need analog warmth and crunch, youll have to add itwith tube equalizers and pre-amps or compressors.

DYNAMIC RANGEThe dynamic range (the difference between the quietest and loudest sounds on thetape) of a DAT is in excess of 90 dB, compared with the 30 or 40 dB dynamicrange of an analog cassette. So, make sure the dynamic range of your mix is notgreater than that of your planned release format.

Care must be taken to keep each cut in a project at the same general dB level onthe DAT. A delicate musical moment in your mix recorded at -60 dB on the DATwill play back with almost no background noise on DAT. But when analog cas-settes are manufactured from DAT, the loudest level on the DAT will control themaximum duplicated level of the cassette. Now upon cassette playback, your -60dB material will be submerged in the ever-present noise floor of the cassette. T h i scan be avoided by keeping the dynamic range within the bounds of what the ana-log cassette can handle.

D AT Master Preparation

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D AT Master Preparation 1 3

E D I T I N GIf you need to re-sequence a group of individual tracks (selections that have com-plete silence between them), you can transfer from one DAT machine (playback)to another (record). If need be, you can add fade-ins and fade-outs by going intothe analog domain (playback DAT line out to record DAT line in); if done care-fully with good equipment and cables, this step does not usually cause significantdegradation to the program material. Depending on the level controls available onthe DAT machines, however, you may need to use a console between them forfades, which may add some to the noise level.

Another approach is to edit on a DAW, especially when a project calls for precisecontrol over the lengths of the silences between tunes, for crossfades or segues,or for making edits within the program (a radio version, for instance). In this casematerial on DAT is transferred to the DAW, edited, and then transferred back toD AT. Using a DAW can provide powerful editing capabilities and options notavailable with other methods.

W H AT TO PROVIDE ON A DAT MASTERBefore you submit a DAT or any other master tape to a duplicating house such asDisc Makers, take time to sit down and listen to the final master you plan to sub-mit. Listen from beginning to end. Hear for yourself what is on the master andmake sure you know what to expect when your test comes back. If, at this point,there is anything you want to change, go back to the studio and fix it.

Understand that whatever is on your master tape will be on your finished product.Use a high quality blank DAT. Otherwise, you risk not just degraded quality, buttotal loss of program. Remember, digital is all or nothing. A cheap DAT is morelikely to mistrack and be unusable, so spend a little extra for a well-known brandsuch as BASF or Sony.

Make sure that all songs are in the proper order with the correct spacing betweenthem. Decide now whether you are satisfied with the way the master sounds, tak-ing into account the acoustics of the room in which you are listening. Any postproduction required at the mastering and manufacturing stage will add to the costof your project and the time required to complete it. Post production is the processof adjusting, sequencing, equalizing, and compressing your program, and elimi-nating unwanted sounds or noises. The SoundLab at Disc Makers offers pro-fessional post production that includes all of the above. See Chapter 10 for morei n f o r m a t i o n .

THE BASICSSet levels to PEAK at 0 (zero) dB on the machine recording the DAT. Then set sequence and space between the selections exactly as you want them to

D AT RECORDING TIPS

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come back. For cassette releases, it is good practice to make the A side a little longer than

the B side so that any blank tape will be found at the end of side B and not A . For CD releases, since there are no A and B sides, the standard two-to four-

second spacing is generally placed between what would have been the lastselection on side A and the first selection on side B.

If you want both CDs and cassettes, sequence the songs for CD-straight through with no extra break between sides.

Sequentially numbered start IDs, one per song, precisely at the start of each selec-tion, enable easy access to the information on the DAT. This will be automatic inthe standard process of recording on DAT, but any deviation from straight pro-gramming (i.e.: long, slow fade-ins, segues, crossfades, live background noise, orthe need for a OneDisc) calls for setting new start IDs manually. Auto ID tip: Ta k ethe deck out of auto ID mode during the song to avoid false ID placement at abreak or quiet section. Flip back to auto as the song is ending.

If you choose to include tones on your DAT, do NOT record them at 0 level. Tr y-12 dB, which seems to have become the standard. Remember, 0 on a digitalmeter is not at all the same as 0 VU on an analog meter. Also, do not number thestart ID for the tones. Calibration tones are not required on DAT masters submit-ted to Disc Makers.

Set the sampling rate on the DAT recorder to 44.1kHz. Professional DAT d e c k shave the ability to sample not only at 44.1 kHz, but also at 48 kHz. Many con-sumer decks have only 48 kHz, which is fine for analog cassette production, butnot CDs. Although a DAT master can be digitally converted from 48 kHz to 44.1kHz, even if you have access to a very high quality sampling rate converter, it ispreferable to record your original master at 44.1kHz. You can do a sample rateconversion using the analog outputs and inputs of two DAT machines, but thismeans your music would go through two extra conversions. The program will notactually be re-recorded on analog tape, but it will go through the D/A (digital toanalog) and A/D (analog to digital) converters as its recorded. This introduces avery slight alteration of signal, usually a minor consideration, which is out-weighed by the advantages of DAT use. It involves no extra cost.

Even when a good digital sampling rate converter is available, some producersmay still prefer to do an analog conversion (as described above) rather than a dig-ital conversion. They believe this creates a warmer, less brittle master than thedigital conversion process and are willing to deal with the tiny drawbacks of theanalog conversion process.

DIGITAL TIME LOGYour master tape must have a complete and accurate time log. This means that

1 5D AT Master Preparation

running times should be accurately recorded for everything on the tape, includingtones, false starts, and any other sounds, wanted or not. If you are supplying aD AT m a s t e r, there should be one start ID for each selection and it should be posi-tioned precisely at the beginning of each song. These steps enable the recordingengineer to be certain of your intention if questions arise during the masteringprocess. The log sheet should look something like the chart below.

SUMMARY Please listen to your master before submitting it to make certain it includes thef o l l o w i n g :

Pre-roll: 10-15 seconds recorded with inputs set at minimum. Start IDs, sequentially numbered, placed at the very start of each selection, one

ID per song. Sampling rate of 44.1 kHz: optional for cassette duplication recommended

for CD. Complete, accurate running time log, including any wanted or unwanted out-

takes, false starts, noises, etc. Digital meters set to peak at 0, maximum. Program-ready songs in the correct order, needing no equalization, compres-

sion, or level adjustments. Post-roll: 10-15 seconds recorded with inputs set at minimum.

Please make any necessary notes at the bottom of the time log. For example, sup-pose your engineer forgot to edit out the count-off on one of your songs. Wi t h o u tyour telling us, we have no idea whether it was left on the tape intentionally. Or,suppose there is an ad-lib, which doesnt seem to belong to the preceding trackany more or less than the track following it. Without your instructions, we can not

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know where to place the start- and end-of-the-track marks (or whether you evenwant the ad-lib). Situations like these present our engineers with problems, andcan delay your job until we can contact you. It can also end up costing you money.

If you do not fill out the time log or write detailed notes, we have no choice butto assume that your tape is to be transferred exactly as is. For instance, if we find20 seconds between the last two tracks, we will leave that 20-second spacingalone (plenty of artists request we leave a 20-second gap for a mystery orbonus track). Call 1-800-468-9353 (or visit www. d i s c m a k e r s . c o m / m u s i c / r e g i s-ter/) for a free catalog with master time log.

We cannot emphasize enough how crucial it is to get what you want in the studiobefore you get to the mastering stage. In mastering, the engineer has the wholemix on two tracks, so correcting one problem will affect the whole recording. Ifyou point out to your engineer that something is not quite right, and s/he tells youit can be taken care of in mastering, fly, do not run, to another studio.

Remember: Listen closely to your master tape. Make sure it is what you want andwhat you paid for before you leave the studio. Once you get to mastering for massduplication, your problem can be cured only with a compromise, and an expen-sive one at that.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT DAT MASTERS

Q : If my DAT player has copy protection, will it affect my CDs?

A : No. The duplicating process at Disc Makers does not involve copy protection.You are not recording from a protected, commercially available digital source.

Q : I have a cassette master. Should I make a DAT copy to send to Disc Makers?A : D e f i n i t e l y. It simplifies the mastering process. However, due to the qualitylimitations inherent in cassettes, we recommend you stay away entirely from thatas a master tape format.

Q : My engineer just gave me this DAT. I dont know whats on it besides theorder and length of the songs. Should I send it in anyway?

A : If at all possible, listen to it first. We strongly discourage sending in a masterif you do not know exactly whats on it. Most problems in mastering are easilyavoided by spending a little time in the studio listening to the entire tape one last time.

Q : At what level should I record my program on my DAT p l a y e r ?

A : Set dB levels to peak at between -6 and 0 dB (depending on the engineers

D AT Master Preparation 1 7

preference). Disc Makers will adjust your overall program level to the optimumwhen mastering.

Q : If I put start IDs on the songs, it shouldnt matter if they are out of order, right?or: I programmed skip IDs for songs I dont want on the CD.

A : Any post production editing done by Disc Makers, including resequencing,adds to the cost of the project as well as the turnaround time. Remember, its nota CDit takes more time to shuttle from place to place on a DAT, and we mayhave to re-record your entire tape on an intermaster before doing the mastering.

Q : Do I need a start ID for the pre-roll and tones?

A : We recommend it. Do not number the ID.

Q : Should I prepare the DAT for the CD or for the cassette format if Im makingboth CDs and cassettes?

A : For the CD. Set your sampling frequency at 44.1 kHz for the CD andsequence the DAT. We will usually be able to do the cassette mastering from thesame tape.

Q : Do you want two masters if Im making both CDs and cassettes?

A : Not necessarily, although it is recommended if there is a significant diff e r e n c ein the program between the two formats (i.e. sequence change, an equalizationadjustment, an extreme difference in dynamic range, or a bonus cut anywhere butat the end). Also, if you are supplying a 1630 or PMCD master for CD, it is bet-ter for the cassette mastering engineer if a DAT is provided as well. (It is notrequired, but it may speed up your order. )

Q : One song is a little louder than the others. Can you make sure that one getslowered a little bit? or: Everythings fine. It just needs a little compression.

A : If you know how much you want it changed, the adjustment is relatively sim-ple. If you dont know, we charge for the service because it involves the time tolisten, make a judgment, and edit. Any mastering studio will charge you for thetime required for editing and equalization. The SoundLab at Disc Makers can pro-vide this post production aff o r d a b l y.

Q : Should I have a safety DAT m a d e ?

A : D e f i n i t e l y. A D AT can go bad at any time, or get damaged or lost in shipping,and consequently you would lose the only copy of your master.

t Making A Great Master1 8

This section refers primarily to analog masters. However, many points apply tothe handling of digital masters as well.

L E A D E R I N GIt is necessary to leader analog tape. Leader is simply a length of paper or plastictape spliced onto the very beginning and very end of each selection. Leaders elim-inate the possibility of print-through, and make it easy to find selections.

S P L I C I N GAll splices should be tight and professional. If any portion of the splicing tape ishanging over the edge of the tape, it may get caught in the tape guides of certainmachines, causing unwanted variations in tape speed. Make sure that no portionof the splice is visible when looking at it from the oxide, or dull, side of the tape.The life of a splice is approximately 10 years, so be prepared for re-splicing whenreproducing from older analog tapes.

CALIBRATION TONESAll analog tapes should have the following calibration tones at either the head orthe end of the tape: A 1 kHz tone at 0 dB operating level, a 10 kHz tone, and a100 Hz (not kHz) tone, also at 0 dB, in that order (If the tape is Dolby encoded,either with Dolby A or Dolby SR, it must also have the appropriate Dolby tone,or there is no way to decode it properly). The reason? The tones will verify thatthe equipment is functioning properly. They also offer a means of compensatingfor a machine that is slightly out of spec.

All of these tones should be recorded just before the session begins, on the samemachine on which the recording will be made, and the machine should bewarmed up for at least 1/2 h r. Warming up the machine keeps it stable throughoutthe recording session. If the tones are put on at a later time or by another machine,they will not function as an accurate reference and can do more harm than good.

O r d i n a r i l y, the tones are printed on the tape with a signal generator (a.k.a. oscil-l a t o r, tone generator, audio generator). If you have no signal generator, CDs withtest and calibration tones are currently available through mail order companieslike Music Books Plus (1-800-265-8481). Buy one and use it. You can also usethese test CDs to calibrate your studio equipment, just be sure to use the sine wave mode.

Analog Tape Preparation

4

Analog Tape Preparation 1 9

Here is the correct procedure to use whether you are using a signal generator or acalibration CD:

Switch any noise reduction system out, whether or not you will be encoding the tape. Feed a 1 kHz tone into the console. Adjust the console for 0 VU out ofboth channels to your two-channel recorder. Then adjust the recorder for 0 V Urecord level. Record this tone for about 15 seconds.

Then switch the signal generator to 10 kHz. Adjust the console for 0 VU out asyou did before, butand this is importantdo not adjust the recorder. Recordabout 15 seconds of this tone also, regardless of what the VU meter on therecorder indicates.

Next set the signal generator to 100 Hz and again adjust the console for 0 V U(but not the recorder) and record 15 seconds of this tone.

If you intend to encode your tape with Dolby A or Dolby SR, record about 15seconds of the appropriate Dolby tone at this point.

You now have a meaningful set of calibration tones and you can begin mixing.

If the tones do not come out right, leave them as they were recorded. That way ifthe recording machine is misaligned in any way, our playback machine at DiscMakers can be adjusted to match. This is one of the few times two wrongs domake a right. Be sure to indicate the tape machines operating record level on thetape log and the tape box (see FAQs in this chapter).

NOISE REDUCTIONWhether or not to use noise reduction depends on the type of music you arerecording, the machinery used to reproduce it, and individual taste. Professionalstudios typically use Dolby A, Dolby SR, or dbx noise reduction for analogrecording. At Disc Makers, your tapes will be decoded before a cassette runningmaster is made. For cassettes, Dolby B can be encoded onto the running master.Dolby S is another type of noise reduction that may occasionally be used. T h ecassette duplication process at Disc Makers includes the use of Dolby HX-Pro,which enhances results with no decoding necessary. Any deck can play and ben-efit from a tape duplicated with Dolby HX-Pro.

TAKE SHEET/TAPE LOGIf your master tape is analog, be sure it has a take sheet (like the time log dis-cussed under DAT recording in the previous chapter) indicating everything on thetape (including tones), and what order it is in (see example on page 15). This isimportant because some things are not as obvious to the engineer as they are to you.

Leave space at the beginning and end of each tape. Dont start the recording twoinches from the front of the tape. It takes several feet of tape just to thread a pro-

t Making A Great Master2 0

fessional deck. T h a t s a bar or two of music on some songs. If your recording endsat the last foot of tape, the deck will shut down before the end of the song. Wi t h o u tenough of a pad the tape cannot be started at the beginning and will not play tothe end. You also run the risk of destroying your valuable master by damaging thetape at the beginning or end of the program. Avoid extra charges and delays byproviding ample leadering.

ANALOG MASTER TAPE FOR VINYL DISKSingles should have head and tail leaders of at least five seconds. Albums shouldhave head and tail leaders of at least ten seconds per side, and each selection onthe album should be separated with about two to four seconds of leader.

The master tape should be supplied tails out, slow wound, in a proper box. A l lnecessary information, such as times, titles, any noise reduction that was used andany instructions or special problems you may want the mastering engineer to con-s i d e r, should be included with the tape. (See the master time log in Disc MakersWholesale Catalog. For a free copy call 1-800-468-9353).

In vinyl mastering, program time is a major consideration, as will be discussed inChapter 8. For now, suffice it to say that 7" singles should be kept under 4 min-utes per side, and LPs should be kept under 25 minutes per side.

ANALOG MASTER TAPE FOR CASSETTEMost of what applies to vinyl disk mastering also applies to analog cassette mas-tering, with the exception that length does not present the same problems as itdoes in disk mastering. You can always add a couple of feet of tape to the cassette.Just remember that cassettes will have a higher noise floor than the master tape.If the master tape is too loud, the level will be brought down to whatever level canbe put on the cassette tape or vinyl disk. By the same token, if the level is low, itwill be raised to an appropriate disk level.

The master tape should be recorded at the proper level. If the tape is too hot youwill risk distortion and saturated high frequencies. If the tape is too low, you willencounter noise. You want to record as hot as possible (to overcome the noisefloor) and still leave yourself a reasonable buffer of headroom to handle transientpeaks so distortion does not occur on your master. A good rule of thumb is to keepthe meters pointing to mid-scale as much as possible.

ANALOG MASTER TAPE FOR CDAgain, much of the above information also applies to CD. Refer also to the sec-tions of this booklet regarding DAT and CD mastering for additional information.The main difference is that there is no Side A and Side B distinction (see Chapter3 under basics). The total program length (actual playing time, including spacesbetween pieces) should never exceed 77 minutes, 10 seconds.

Analog Tape Preparation 2 1

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT ANALOG MASTERS

Q : At what level should I record my program on my analog tape deck?A : As long as you know the level and tell us what it is, we can deal with yourm a s t e r. It is helpful if the recording level is noted on the master tape box (i.e., 180nW/m, 250 nW/m), and whether the engineer recorded a certain number of dBabove or below this operating level (i.e. +3/180 nW/m).

Q : What should I do if my songs are on different tapes?A : If at all possible, consolidate your sources before you submit your project toDisc Makers. Any post production editing done by Disc Makers adds to the costof the project and the time required to complete it.

Q : Can I put my tones on after my recording is complete?A : Tones should be recorded just before the session begins or immediately after-wards, on the same machine on which the recording is made, without any changesin its calibration. The tape machine should be warmed up and calibrated beforethe recording session begins.

Q : What if I dont have a tone generator?A : We recommend you include tones on your master, especially if you are plan-ning to make an analog recording. Most studios should have a generator, but if yours does not, you can buy a CD with tones that can get the job done. They can be purchased through mail-order houses like Music Books Plus ( 1 - 8 0 0 - 2 6 5 - 8 4 8 1 ) .

t Making A Great Master2 2

A master tape is the result of months of hard work, many dollars spent, and rep-resents an irreplaceable artistic expression that cannot be described in monetaryterms. Certainly the care of this tape deserves as much consideration as was giventhe creation of the entire project.

SAFETY COPYIt is absolutely critical that a safety copy be made of your master before you shipor deliver it anywhere. Tapes can easily be damaged or lost during shipping andhandling. A safety copy is a small price to pay to preserve your irreplaceable per-formances. If you are working on a DAW with Pro Tools, you may also protectyour work by backing up your entire session for each song on a removeable medi-um such as a Jaz or MO cartridge.

Keep the safety in a safe place and send the master to be mastered. This may seemobvious, but often a producer will keep his master tape and send a copy or safetyto be mastered. Unfortunately, sometimes the second machine is out of alignmentand the safety does not match the original exactly. After spending money ande ffort to create the best product you know how, why start the manufacturingprocess off at a disadvantage with a second generation tape?

WINDING TAPEAfter use and before being placed in its box, every tape should be slow-woundand left tails out. That is, it should be played through from beginning to end atplay or shuttle speed, not fast forward or rewind. (This is especially important foranalog tapes.)

This ensures the tape is wound under constant and proper tension, allowing it topack smoothly, which protects the tape edges and minimized tape stretching. T h etails-out position forces you to rewind the tape before playing, which reducesprint-through. It also frees up any mechanical problems such as sticky splices.Also, after the duplication facilitys mastering department has processed your tapefor cassette, CD, or LP, it will already be in its slow-wound, tails-out state, andready for storage.

TRANSPORTING TAPECaring for masters during transportation is as important as caring for them in yourtape library. There are many physical and environmental factors you should con-sider when shipping a master tape.

Handling Your Master

5

Keep tapes away from magnetic fields: motors, magnets, cables carrying heavycurrent, vacuum cleaners, etc. If you are traveling by plane, hand-carry the tape.D o n t leave it in your baggage and let it run through the x-ray machine and dontwalk through the metal detector with it. Hand it to the security person for inspec-tion. When shipping tapes, clearly mark them with a message such as:

MAGNETIC MEDIA. KEEP AWAY FROM ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS!

When shipping you master via UPS, Federal Express or some other courier, dou-ble box the tape(s). Place the tape box inside another larger box with plenty ofinsulating or shock absorbing material between the two containers. If you cantuse double containers, use a plastic library shipping case designed for the medi-um you are shipping. Use a reputable shipper and insure the tape for the reason-able replacement value of the recordings it contains.

STORING TAPEAnalog or digital tapes should be clearly marked and boxed whenever they arenot on or in a tape deck.

When storing tapes, the conditions are simple to remember. If youre comfort-able, so is the tape: 65 to 75 degrees (Fahrenheit) and 40 to 60% relative humid-i t y. (Professional media storage facilities often use even lower temperature andhumidity for long-term storage: 45 degrees at 25% humidity, for instance.)Make any necessary climatic adjustments where the tape is stored, or move itelsewhere to ensure its safety.

Store tapes in a clean, dry environment with stable temperature and humidityin the ranges indicated above.

Store tapes in acid free cardboard or plastic library boxes. Tape boxes and tapes should stand on end so that the wound tape is supported by the hub of the tape reel.

Keep master tapes away from smoke and dust as much as humanly possible. H a i r, dust and smoke particles are major contributors to dropouts in the digital world.

Precautions for storing CD-Rs are often marked on the packaging of blank CD-Rmedia. CD-Rs should never be left in direct sunlight or for long periods of timein hot, humid locations.

Handling Your Master 2 3

t Making A Great Master2 4

With the growing popularity of DAWs, many clients today prepare CD masterson their own workstations, using a CD-R drive and a professional software pack-age such as MasterList CD. At Disc Makers, we also give you the option of hav-ing your master professionally prepared by our own experienced staff. Our mas-tering process for compact disc utilizes the best available media and methods forminimizing generation losses. Digital masters are loaded into our Sonic Solutionsdigital editing and pre-mastering environment entirely in the digital domain withno generation loss. Analog masters are immediately converted into digital filesand loaded into the system without any interim tape copies. We load the data intoa computer, add the digital subcoding (commonly known as P and Q codes), dothe frame-accurate time log, and record this data directly onto two CD-Rs, DiscM a k e r s P r o o f - P o s i t i v e Reference CDs.

We send one of these identical discs to you for approval and keep the second copy.Once you approve your reference CD, we will proceed with glass mastering fromour copy. If you are submitting either a DAT or analog master, refer to other sec-tions of this book for additional information on preparing your master. A p r o f e s-sionally prepared PreMaster CD (PMCD) master is also acceptable for CD repli-cation. Contact Disc Makers or your mastering facility for details.

If you decide to submit a U-matic master to Disc Makers, you need to be awareof a few new formatting procedures. First, the U-matic tape will be in the SonyPCM 1630 format. Second, a new tape must either be pre-striped or striped dur-ing recording with continuous SMPTE time code (an industry-standard analogsignal) on channel 2. The PQ burst should go on channel 1 and should begin at00:00:15:00 (HH:MM:SS:FF). Record time code in non-drop frame mode at 30frames per second. Record audio at the 44.1 kHz sampling rate.

The tape must include a minimum of two minutes of digital black pre-roll and oneminute of digital black post-roll. Digital black is essentially tape recorded with noinput signal or 0 level. It is like leader tape in the analog media, except that itmust be programmed in. Pre-roll is simply a section of tape that precedes the pro-gram. It provides a place to insert digital information during the transfer to com-pact disc, gives the video deck a chance to get up to speed and stabilize, and givesthe operator time to check that all is functioning smoothly. Reminder: Any digi-tal master tape must have a running time log. In the case of U-matic masters, the

U - M ATIC MASTER

CD Mastering

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CD Mastering 2 5

log must be frame-accurate; that is, times are noted to the nearest frame (1/30 ofa second, since there are 30 frames per second).

Before we glass-master your CD, you will receive a Disc Makers Proof PositiveReference CD. This disc will sound and perform like your mass-produced fin-ished CD in every way, including programmed and shuffle plays. What makes theProof Positive Reference CD distinct from a normal one-off CD, or a store-bought CD for that matter, is that only the Proof Positive is a true PMCD that canbe used to generate the glass master needed for mass replication. In addition toplaying in your CD player just like any other CD, the Proof Positive disc containsP and Q codes which must be present before a glass master is made. Currently,most CD manufacturing facilities can cut the CD glass master directly from aProof Positive CD. If you approve your reference copy and then change yourmind later it will result in extra charges.

When you need just a few CDs, as opposed to hundreds or thousands, the DiscMakers OneDisc is the most economical choice. OneDiscs are pre-recorded CD-Rs that you can buy in quantities as small as one. This process does not replacethe Proof Positive Reference CD, which is carefully and precisely prepared toserve as a CD premaster (see above). But it will provide you with an aff o r d a b l eCD for any other purpose you may need, with no loss of sonic quality.

MASTER TAPE PREPARATION FOR ONEDISCMake sure that your DAT plays exactly the way you want your OneDisc to playand that your start IDs are placed precisely where you want them. The recordersthat make the OneDiscs from your DAT will read the start IDs and use them toplace the track indices. Note: the OneDisc will copy your music as well as yourstart IDs exactly from your DAT. The DAT deck, in auto ID mode, actually placesthe start ID the moment it senses a signal (the beginning of your song), which istoo late to serve as a proper index point. The CD index must be set just before thesong begins. If your DAT deck added the IDs automatically, the indices on yourOneDisc will start late. Ask your audio engineer to place start IDs manually.

O N E D I S C

PROOF POSITIVE REFERENCE CD

t Making A Great Master2 6

To d a y s technology and advances in tape manufacturing allow the professionallyrecorded cassette to offer excellent quality. Although cassette tapes run at a verylow speed and have very narrow track widths, professionally duplicated cassetteso ffer remarkably high fidelity. As with any other analog format, however, the cas-s e t t e s major drawbacks are tape hiss and generation loss. Therefore, it is best tostart with the cleanest, quietest master tape recording possible.

For the ultimate in high speed analog cassette duplication, Disc Makers offers thedigital quality of Digalog. This process eliminates the analog master used in tra-ditional bin loop duplication, and the generation loss that comes with it. Your tapeis loaded into the Digalog duplication system (essentially a bank of solid statememory), which plays back the program at high speed and transfers the signal tothe slaves that record the cassette tape, thus saving a generation and the noise, dis-tortion and phasing problems associated with the bin loop process.

If you supply a DAT or a CD-R, your digital program remains digital through allthe transfers until the very last instant when it is converted to an analog signal andrecorded onto the cassette tape. In essence, your digital master is transferred dig-itally to the analog cassette in one generation. Digalog is the highest qualitycommercial cassette possible today. In order to get the full benefit of Digalogduplication, Disc Makers recommends using Dolby B for some types of music,such as acoustic or classical recordings.

DOLBY HX PROThe most difficult challenges in cassette duplication are the noise and distortionthat come from being copied onto a slow tape speed with the narrow track widthof the cassette format. State of the art duplicators like Disc Makers are able tominimize these problems with technology such as Dolby HX-Pro, a process usedat the duplication stage to extend the dynamic range of the cassette and improvesits frequency response. Dolby HX-Pro results in a better sounding cassette, and,best of all, you dont need a special tape deck to decode it during playback, as youwould with a Dolby B encoded tape.

TEST CASSETTESDisc Makers will send you a test cassette before beginning production. This cas-sette is a pre-production cassette run off the same master tape and is thus an exact

D I G A L O G

Cassette Tape Mastering

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Cassette Tape Mastering 2 7

version of your final product. If you have any questions or misgivings about thesound of the test, this is the time to make them known. Once you approve the testcassette, you are going to have to live with the results!

The tape medium, in its own way, is unforgiving like the vinyl disk recordingmedium. But properly recorded and carefully duplicated cassettes can give out-standing results. As with every other process, you have to start with a top-qualityprofessional product before you can expect good results.

t Making A Great Master2 8

Almost every facet of disk mastering (the conventional process in which the finalproduct is the good old vinyl phonograph record) imposes more severe limits onproducers and engineers than any other medium.

While the tape medium is very tolerant of operator error such as excessive levels,the disk medium is unforgiving. Unlike tape (an electromagnetic medium), diskmastering is an electro-mechanical process subject to many limitations relating tof r e q u e n c y, level, program length, available disk space, and their resulting grooveg e o m e t r y.

The mechanical disk or phonograph record is locked into a specific pair of for-mats: the 7" or the 12" vinyl disk, and the 45 or 331/3 RPM (revolutions perminute) speed. In any combination of these formats, the only way to get morelevel or volume on a disk is to reduce the program length.

With respect to time, the disk is absolutely limited in the amount of space avail-able for the program material. As the program gets longer on disk, the level mustbe reduced. The practical limit is about 25 minutes per side for a 12" LP. As theprogram length exceeds this limit, the trackability of the record is drasticallyreduced, the level must be severely lowered and the noise level will rise. Toaccommodate the longer program material, the record grooves must be made veryshallow and close together. The more this is done the more difficult it is for anyphonograph stylus to track or stay in the groove. Soon, the less expensive playerswill begin to skip, an intolerable problem.

On occasion, we are asked to cut a 12" record at 45 RPM. This is not recom-mended as it may result in less-than-desirable results because of the design para-meters. People still do it, often with good results, but we cannot guarantee it.

S I B I L A N C ESibilance sounds similar to too much high frequency content, but this problem hasa different cause entirely. It occurs when a vocalist make an overly pronouncedess sound while speaking or singing. Sometimes it can be rectified with a de-e s s e r, which is a specific kind of limiter, but this is only a Band-Aid. It is betterto prevent the problem in the first place by choosing a suitable microphone and/orvocal processing during the recording process. Some microphones exacerbate thesibilant frequencies on vocalists, and some speaking or singing voices tend to benaturally sibilant. Sibilance is a complex phenomenon, and simply reducing thelevel a bit may not take care of it.

Vinyl Disk Mastering

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Vinyl Disk Mastering 2 9

Here are some suggestions for controlling sibilance: Try using a pop screen on themicrophone. Have the vocalist stand further away and slightly off axis from themicrophone. As a last resort, if there is any question about the sibilant sounds, runthe vocals through a de-esser. It is better to treat just the vocal track than to havethe mastering engineer treat the entire program.

TAPE VS. DISK LEVELSIt is a misconception that the master tape level is directly related to the vinyl disklevel. Some people believe that if the tape is recorded louder, the record will bel o u d e r. This is not so. There is no relationship between tape and disk levels. Wehave known of producers who demanded that the studio recording engineer bendthe meters on his tape deck in an attempt to get more level on disk. In fact, if thetape is too loud, the level will be brought down by the mastering engineer to what-ever level can successfully be printed on the disk. By the same token, if the levelis too low, it will be raised to an appropriate disk level.

The tape should be recorded at the proper level. If the tape is too hot you riskdistortion and saturated high frequencies. If the tape level is too low you willencounter noise. The tape level should be as hot as possible (to overcome thenoise floor) while still leaving a reasonable buffer of headroom to handle transientpeaks, so distortion can be avoided on both the master and the disk.

OTHER PROBLEMSIf the high frequency content of the program is too hot, then the record will soundsmeary and distorted, a condition called tracing error. This is because the play-back stylus of the turntable cannot trace out the very high frequencies with greataccuracy if they are too loud. The solution is to keep high frequency content underc o n t r o l .

Many people seem to be overly fond of bass. This preference has a pricethelower frequencies use up a lot of disk space. If there is a lot of low frequency con-tent, either the overall level must be lowered or the bass must be rolled off ,depending on program length.

Sometimes we hear of producers who are startled upon listening to a record press-ing with their name on it, claiming they did not recognize what they heard. Poorlyrecorded master tapes, or those with problems like sibilance, require the engineerto alter the signal, with results ranging from slight to drastic. This can happen withtapes from the best studios. So how do producers protect themselves from sur-prises in the pressing? With a reference dub.

REFERENCE DUBSBefore your records are pressed, Disc Makers will send you a reference dub oracetate. This is an exact replica of your master lacquer, made of the same materi-als. Because the material from which the reference dub is made is very soft, you

t Making A Great Master3 0

can only play it five to ten times before the sound begins to seriously degrade.H o w e v e r, this should be enough to give you a good idea of how your record willsound. Once you approve your reference dub we will cut the lacquers immedi-ately and begin pressing records a few days after that.

It occasionally happens that a customer will be pleased with the dub but disap-pointed with the sound of the records. If this event, the mastering engineer will compare the reference dub to the vinyl pressing to determine where the prob-lem occurred.

When Problems Occur 3 1

U n f o r t u n a t e l y, problems do occasionally arise during the manufacturing process.They can occur both during the test stage, and on the final product. What do youdo when your test or finished product does not match your supplied master?

If your test doesnt sound right, dont panic. During the test stage there is still timeto correct any problems you hear. Play the test on several different pieces ofequipment. Ask your friends for their unbiased opinionswithout coachingthem. You may well find that what sounds like a disaster to you is really quiteacceptable to everyone else. Dont forget, you lived with this project for a longtime. It is your baby. Above all, try to keep things in perspectiveit is impossi-ble for you to hear your own work with total objectivity and clarity.

If there is a clear defect or you believe there is a real problem, call the manufac-turer and explain the situation. Be calm and explain the problem as clearly andobjectively as possible. Any reputable firm will appreciate the opportunity to cor-rect a true problem. Many problems are fairly easy to fix. Simply re-doing themaster or the reference test may correct the problem.

Should you be unfortunate enough to wind up with a whole shipment of defectivecassettes, CDs, or records you will have to do some detective work together withyour rep at the manufacturing plant to figure out what went wrong. First step:Does the finished product match the test? If it doesnt match the test you approvedwithin commercial standards, the plant should re-do your product. Remember,though, facilities will manufacture product to match the test you approved. If theglitch on your finished CDs was on the reference disc you approved, you may beout of luck. Therefore, we cant stress enough that you listen carefully to each testyou receive before approving it! It may sound obvious, but listen to the whole testwithout interruptions. Otherwise minor glitches or dropouts could go unnoticedand youll have to live with the consequences.

A-B TESTWhen a problem occurs on a test or finished product, there is only one valid lis-tening test to accurately compare one source against another. It is called the A - Btest. Very simply, you first listen to the master and then instantly switch to the ref-erence or final product that you want to appraise. You must be playing both for-mats simultaneously, on different players, using the same amp and speakers (orheadphones). It is absolutely essential that both playback machines, be they anycombination of DAT players, CD players, cassette decks, or turntables, be per-

When Problems Occur

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t Making A Great Master3 2

fectly calibrated and aligned for the A-B test to be valid. This means that not onlymust their frequency response be flat to professional standards but their outputlevels must match each other. While there is little problem with the frequencyresponse of DAT or CD players, the output levels can be quite different. And ad i fference of as little as one half dB (1/2 dB), which is almost inaudible to mostpeople, will skew the results in favor of the louder source. A-B tests can be quited i fficult to set up for people inexperienced with their use, so ask an engineer toassist you.

COMMON PROBLEMSMy re f e rence CD doesnt sound as hot as other CDs I own.When Disc Makers masters for CD, we search for the hottest spot on the DATmaster and maximize that to 0 dB (the maximum allowable level on a CD). T h i speak determines your overall level. Without sound processing (such as EQ, com-pression, or limiting) your levels cannot be raised any more. The SoundLab atDisc Makers offers affordable sound processing including equalization, limiting,and compression which may help.

R e m e m b e r, most of the CDs you own were probably recorded with top budgets,in top studios, with top engineers and producers. If your DAT has a very widedynamic range, the apparent recording level may be low, even though the actuallevel still peaks at 0 dB. Only through compression or limiting can your apparentlevel be raised. Disc Makers engineers generally do not recommend a lot of com-pression during the mastering stage. Some studios choose to start compressingtracks as early as in the multi-track stage, to give the finished recording that nice,fat sound.

T h e re is a digital glitch or dropout on my re f e rence CD.At times the incompatibilities between the recording DAT deck (in the studio) andthe playback DAT deck (at the mastering facility) cause a digital scratching sounddue to DAT tracking problems during playback. This glitch is usually correctableby redoing the digital conversion and reference CD, but occasionally a new DATis needed. A silence, or mute, in the middle of a program can be caused by thesame thing, and would require a new DAT.

My test cassette is distort e d .Disc Makers mastering engineers generally try to master tapes at a relatively hotlevel. At times the levels at which our cassettes are recorded are a smidgen toohigh for some cassette players to handle, causing distortion during the hottestmoments. Duplicating at a slightly lower level generally remedies this problem.

One song sounds hotter (or quieter) than the others.Disc Makers mastering engineers set the overall recording levels when master-ing. They do not match levels on every song unless it is specifically requested

When Problems Occur 3 3

(there is an extra charge for this service, done by The SoundLab at DiscMakers). If the recording levels are not consistent on your master, they wont beconsistent on your reference either. Please be sure fill out the master tape ques-tionnaire on the back of the Disc Makers order form if you need any editing orsound processing done.

T h e re is too much tape hiss on my test cassette.Tape hiss can be a result of low duplicating levels. Every cassette has a fixed noisef l o o r, and when the tape is recorded too low the hiss becomes more apparent.Raising the duplication level may solve the problem. Another solution is tochange to type of tape (from normal to chrome).

The nature of some programs seems to make tape hiss more apparent. This is truewith classical or acoustic recordings, or with recordings that have very soft instru-mental parts. If your recording falls into one of the above categories, we recom-mend you duplicate your tapes with Dolby B noise reduction (and/or theDigalog process).

My test cassette does not sound like the copy of the tape I got from the studio.Disc Makers masters your cassettes flat, straight from your master. We do not addEQ, compression, or do any other sound processing unless asked. Our goal dur-ing mastering is to make the finished cassette sound as much as possible like themaster tape. Sometimes tapes recorded off the master in a recording studio aredone on an uncalibrated deck, or with a different type of tape than the test cas-sette. Therefore, these cassettes do not match the master tape exactly and can cre-ate a false impression when comparing them to a Disc Makers test cassette. Pleasedo not compare a test cassette to another cassette duplicated elsewhere. If you arenot satisfied with the sound of your test, ask your studio to perform an A-B testusing your original master.

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Many people dont understand the premastering/mastering process and see it asan unnecessary expense. Having committed months of devoted work to a project,it is often difficult to understand how a total stranger could improve the final prod-uct. After all, if your mix didnt sound right, you wouldnt have left the studio.

As explained in the Preface, this step occurs after your recording is mixed, andbefore CD and cassette manufacturing are done. It is both the last creative processin the making of an album and the first step in the manufacturing process. Everym a j o r-label release is mastered to prepare it for radio play and retail sale. The rea-son? A good mastering engineer puts the whole album in perspective, subtlyenhancing and balancing the connection between songs and the focus of the pro-ject as a whole.

In the studio you record one song at a time, resulting in songs that all peak at dif-ferent levels (volume) and have different EQs, etc. A mastering engineer attemptsto unify the album with skillful use of EQ, gain and compression to give it a con-sistent sound from track to track, and to make sure that it will sound the way youwant it to on ordinary stereo systems. This mastering process also allows the engi-neer to raise the overall level so your album is as hot as a major-label release.

Mastering can also be helpful for fixing problems such as pops, out-of-phasetracks, and overall noise reduction, but the main advantage is that an unbiasedsound professional has the opportunity to evaluate your master tape and deter-mine whether you are getting the most out of your production.

The SoundLab at Disc Makers previews masters at no charge to determinewhat benefits can be achieved, and offers affordable packages that include signalprocessing, equalization, limiting, and compression to raise your master to optimal commercial industry standards. If you would like to know more aboutmastering and post production at The SoundLab at Disc Makers, contact us at 1-800-468-9353 or at www. d i s c m a k e r s . c o m .

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