Mixing & Mastering Experience

How To Prep Your Vocal Stems Before Exporting:

1. Label and name your tracks appropriately to avoid delays and additional fees.
2. Disable all effects and plugins (auto tune, EQ, compression, reverb, delay, etc.)
3. Disable panning
4. Export in place as WAV or AIFF files in mono

How To Prep Your Instrumental Stems Before Exporting:

1. Label and name your tracks appropriately to avoid delays and additional fees.
2. Enable and keep all effects/plugins as they are 
3. Enable panning (if applicable)
4. Export in place as WAV or AIFF files in stereo

How to export stems in Pro Tools:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k11NWFdfGT8

How to export stems in Logic Pro X:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBntKiU-HFQ

How to export stems in Reason:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOzONCh785o

How to export stems in Ableton LIVE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTrmcUE9-Qc

How to export stems in Studio One:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt6l6NhaS90

How to export stems in FL Studio:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAq1WSpc1hg

How to export stems in Garage Band:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXX3HINnt8w

How to export stems in Reaper:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naJfJxThl18

The mixing process is the start of post production for music. The basics of the mixing includes balancing volumes, frequencies (EQ), dynamics (compression), and spatial placement (reverb/delay) of the individual tracks that make up a record.

The mastering process is the final step in the post production process for records. It polishes the final mix in its entirety in order for the record to sound sonically comparable to other records in the professional market. The basics of the mastering process includes making the entire record sound louder without adding distortion, making the record translate the same on different speakers/headphones, and enhancing the mixed record all together as a whole, not through the individual tracks, 

Here is an article that explains the differences in more depth: 

https://www.izotope.com/en/learn/what-is-the-difference-between-mixing-and-mastering.html

Pricing for a customized mixing experience is based on the complexity of the mixing process. Factors that increase the pricing includes but is not limited to:

• Number of tracks
• Time needed for track clean up/editing
• Time needed for track sorting
• Number of different vocal performers in the song
• Time needed to design custom vocal production effects that match your music (as needed)
• Mixing your instrumental stem files or blending the vocals into a single instrumental file
• Arrangement work (as needed)
• Creating transitions, filter sweeps, stutters, etc. (as needed)
• Time estimated to complete the mixing process
• Time estimated to create final deliverable files

Full details about the customized mixing process for your music will be broken down in an invoice once you submit your files.

Custom bulk rates are no longer available for projects. Because Danielle The Engineer offers competitive rates for customized mixing work, you will receive the most favorable pricing available for your audio needs which will be detailed in your invoice.

In the event you would like to swap out a recording after your song has been mixed, a small fee will requested in order to do so. The fee will depend on the extra time needed to adjust and rearrange the mix because of the swap.

Because of the in depth contributions made to every song worked on, it is imperative that Danielle The Engineer be accurately credited for her work. Preset mixing settings are not used during the mixing process. Custom vocal effects, arrangement work, composition work, transitions/filter sweeps, beat drops, stutters, vocal harmonies, and other in depth vocal production are contributed as needed to give a professional, unique sound to each and every song worked on. Asking for a percentage of the master recording helps keep mixing costs reasonable.

Static or noise in a recording file is not always noticeable before the mixing process begins. This issue sometimes occurs (mostly with home/amateur recordings) because of unknown grounding issues in your home, noisy cables, recording at a low gain level without projecting your voice, etc. The mixing process boosts the volume of all elements in the recording, including the noise floor (background noise that is embedded in your audio file). The static or noise that is embedded into the recording can be reduced in the mixing process thanks to special plugins, but just like distortion, it can never be completely removed once it is recorded into the audio. 

You can lower your noise floor in the future by:

• Checking for grounding issues in your setup
• Reducing the number of electronics plugged into the same circuit as your recording equipment
• Using high quality cables
• Boosting the gain on your preamp and projecting your voice more (just don't boost it too much and cause distortion!)

For an additional fee, you may opt in to be invited for a live mixing session to expedite the revision process. You must send over your revision notes prior to the live mixing session. You will be sent a private link that will allow you to hear the changes made to your mix in real time. A secondary device with internet access and headphones/monitors will be required in order to hear the mix and communicate with Danielle The Engineer over the phone at the same time.