Evaluation of Your Project Before CD Mastering

Preparation - Evaluation

Should I get a pre-mastering evaluation?

We get questions from all over the world about how to get the best possible mix before mastering.

If you've already read all the advice and tips, John, or one of our expert engineers, can give further help by doing an evaluation for you that can save you money on your mastering bill.

We have nothing to "lose" if your project takes less time to complete as a result of any adjustments you make because of an evaluation.

Our concern is that you get the best possible product.

Send a CLEAN audio CD (not data files) and some quick notes about your concerns. Be sure there are no scratches or smudges on your CD. Make your reference CDR at the slowest speed your burner will burn at.

PLEASE include typed contact information and your email address. We will email you our response. Always keep your files and mixes that you presently have.

If you decide to make mixing revisions (based on our suggestions) always make new tapes/files/mixes. If you have any concerns about the new versions, send or bring in the old ones and the new ones at mastering time, and express your goals - the right mix will be chosen based on your preferences.

We are not married our suggestions, so if you prefer to stick with what you have, we promise we won't take it personally!

Our suggestions are just that - suggestions.

The fee is $100.00 for an evaluation, and it will give you detailed info, not just a suggestion or two.

We prefer payment by check for the evaluation, not a credit card.

Our most common recommendation now, is to submit Separations. This new format has profoundly expanded how we master, and significantly improved how every project sounds when using this format.

Evaluations are a great learning tool, and may only be offered for a limited time, simply because Separation Mastering has solved almost every mix issue - and that was the original intention of doing evaluations. Separations are not for everyone, but in every case so far, it's been superb.

Here's a response from a client who received an evaluation from John:

"The best thing I did was ask John to do an evaluation of my mixes and send me comments before I had him master the project. WOW! I learned tons. My new mixes blew away the originals - more clarity, depth, articulation.

This made more of a difference than the actual mastering did! More importantly, I wasn't just following his directions, I was learning. Learned a lot about EQ. The difference in the bass articulation was very significant.

OK - then the mastering. The mastered version really put the final sheen on the project. The cliché about removing the veil from the front of your speakers - it's true. Any muddiness is gone, it is brighter, but not harsher, clearer, louder (but NOT squashed) and smoother sounding.

I knew I didn't have the skills to do this, and I'm glad we had him do it. It added about $1 to the cost of each CD (we're printing 1000), but it was worth it. I spoke with John on the phone a few times and we emailed back and forth most of the time.

He's a very easy guy to work with - very accommodating, friendly, and intuitive. He's even happy to have you come to his studio during the mastering session.

I can't recommend him enough. He's pro all the way, and seems to enjoy doing independent work quite a bit.
-Larry from Shaker Heights, Ohio

'Nuff said!

Other clients emailed us:

"Using Separations was a great experience - it made my songs come to life."
- Brad Rosenblum, OC, California

"With Separations, my music suddenly put on a lively,
punchy professional overcoat."
- Dr. Olu Femi, Atlanta, GA

Q) We are thinking of having you master our project, but we also have another mastering facility that wants to do our project... -Joe from Amarillo, Texas

It's always good to be a smart shopper.

[The other studio] has offered to do the entire CD package of 10 songs, 1 intro and 1 interlude for one all-inclusive package price.

The concern I have is that with a new client, we never know what to expect. We charge by the hour, and based on our experience, we estimate that it can take 6 to 9 hours for 12 songs. Most of the time 12 songs will take 6 to 8 hours - but it can go 9 or more hours depending on many factors. Our package prices are here.

What's important is what's appropriate for your budget and your sonic goals. We do very well at meeting our clients goals in most cases. When there are sonic issues that can be corrected or enhanced with extra studio time, we'll ask the client if they want the work done or left as-is.

Some mastering studios will quote a fixed rate, but are you sure they won't rush through something that comes up at the end of the project? What might they not tell you because they don't want to spend 2 more (free) hours enhancing something that they would gladly tackle for an hourly client?

We don't ever want our clients to feel stressed about money! However, if we think that your project will benefit with some extra work, we'd rather ask you about it than blow it off because it's the end of a "package" deal.

[The other studio] also agreed to allow us to send them a quick file to check our mix

That's not a bad offer. For John's nominal $80 evaluation fee, he'll send you a detailed email with comments on every song on the CD, not just one. What happens if the one song you send needs a little something, but four other songs need a lot of something else?

One of the ways that mastering really becomes magic is when the whole album is taken into account. How does the last song feel next to the first? How does the middle song sound compared to the 2nd to the last, or first? Sometimes the last song on the album can have an impact on the whole CD. A consultation on only one song can be excellent if you are absolutely positive that all of your mixes are very very consistent. We find that clients often don't realized how different their mixes really are until they hear it over a superb mastering system.

...and a one song master for free, just so we can sample their work-

We're willing to do a sample of our work for you. We'll master the whole song, but send you about 1/2 or 2/3'rds of it on a CDR. But remember, if a sonic quality contained in the last song of the album makes the others lean in a slightly different direction, a single song may only be a general example, not the final end product. You'll want to keep in mind that your sample may sound good with lots of level, but when the whole album comes together, other mixes might sound better less "slammed."

They claim to be the best.

There are many mastering houses with excellent people and great gear. We've had clients who prefer our work over several famous studios that charge over twice our rate.

Can you match that offer?

We're happy to meet your needs. However, if something unexpected needs correction, you may want us to go the "extra mile." We're committed to excellent communication in order to support your preferences. If you need a price guarantee because your budget is fixed in stone - simply let us know.

Some examples of unexpected issues can include:

De-clicking is needed or digital drop-outs need to be fixed (DAWs are notorious for this)
Endings that need to have more sustain added (too-quick fades are somewhat common)
Some artists want huge loud levels and the arrangements/mixes are not too cluttered
Some clients hear their CDR master in a "new light" and end up wanting some last minute creative changes in sequence, spread between songs, EQ /level changes, etc. which require making a second master CDR.
Special edits, musical ideas, de-thumping, strategic cross-fades, backwards effects or reverb ideas, pre-fades, etc.

For more information
and session booking, contact us
or call now at 714-894-4000

We appreciate your vote of confidence and we look forward to being a part of your production team.

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