Mastering & forensics

Our mastering and forensics lab has all the latest software and “black boxes” to make your project a work of art. Whether it is re-mastering or a new project, we have the technology and expertise to “repair” and finalize most any type of material.

Special rates are available for projects recorded at our facilities.

Submitting your master to SoundsAtlanta

The key to a good master is to submit the “Pre-Master” CD in a format that gives the engineer maximum flexibility to work on your sound.

An audio-playable CD should be provided at 44.1KHz, 16 bit sample rate. This ids the standard. Alternately, a CD can be provided at 48KHz, 24 bit sample rate.

All material should be in the correct order you would like on the final master CD.

Provide about five seconds before the first track, and after the last track, with the same in between. In cases where tracks mix together, provide a typed list of transition time points. This is the time from the start of the first track where the next track starts. With some mixes, it is not always easy to tell, and will prevent mistakes.

Do not use excessive limiting, and make sure the level is about 4 to 6 DB below “0". This preserves transients, and gives us the ability to work with the material better. Don’t worry! There is no hiss in digital (unless it was added by a sample or piece of equipment). The result will be fine, and plenty loud.

Include your name, contact number with area code, artist name and project title.

For extended coding such as text and ISRC codes, please submit a typed list with the track titles and associated ISRCs along with your CD.

We do not accept MP3 files to master unless it is the only available format.

What is text encoding?

When a radio station, satellite service or CD player is equipped with text display, the information encoded on the CD is displayed. This usually includes the title of the song and the artist. If the source is NOT set up to transmit this information, it will not be displayed.

What is an ISRC?

The International Standard Recording Code (ISRC), defined by ISO 3901, is an international standard code for uniquely identifying sound recordings and music video recordings.

ISRC registrant codes are allocated by national ISRC agencies to both corporations and individuals. The usual practice is to do this free of charge, but national agencies may make a reasonable charge to cover their costs.

Format of an ISRC

ISRCs are always 12 characters long, in the form "CC-XXX-YY-NNNNN" (The hyphens are not part of the ISRC code itself, but codes are often presented that way in print to make them easier to read.) The four parts are as follows:
  • "CC" is the appropriate for the registrant two-character /wiki/ISO_3166-1_alpha-2
  • country code.
  • "XXX" is a three character alphanumeric registrant code, uniquely identifying the organisation which registered the code. Typically, the appropriate regulating body in each country will issue a three letter code to each record
  • "YY" is the last two digits of the year of registration (NB not necessarily the date the recording was made)
  • "NNNNN" is a unique 5-digit number identifying the particular sound recording.
For example, GBEMI0300013.

The Red Book CD digital audio standard enables the encoding of ISRCs onto CDs.

To get your codes, go to this site: http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_resources/isrc.html

How long does it take to finish a master?

This varies. Sometimes a few hours, and sometimes a day or more. It all depends on how much work must be done on the material.

Click here to download these mastering instructions as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file. (Click here to download a free reader for PDF files.)

For more information, please call at (000) 000-0000.

Services

  • Mastering
  • Editing
  • Archiving
  • Cleanup & Restoration
  • Forensics
  • Format Transfers
  • Dolby ProLogic II & DTS Encoding

Transfers

Virtually every format is available for transfer to CD or other media:

Tape: Elcassette, standard cassette, 8-Track, 1/4-track, Half-track, 2-track & Full-track.

Disks: Vinyl 12-inch, 16-inch, 78's, 45's, Metal radio disks, and many odd formats.

Wire Recordings of all types, Edison Disks, and cylinders.

Forensics

The science of forensic audio is a very specialized field. All forensic projects are strictly confidential. Once materials are delivered to the client, all files are destroyed unless otherwise requested. We can vault materials for up to six months for a nominal fee.

In some instances, the client may be required to supply the original recording device for transfers, including cell phones and digital recorders due to the large variety of items currently on the market.

Discretion is assured in all forensic work.