I mix with Pro Tools HD in-the-box and through analog consoles, but It doesn’t matter what music program you use for writing and recording your productions. Simply prepare the audio to be universal, useful on its own and not dependent on its session file. Next is how.

* All tracks need to be continuous individual files. Meaning: no edits in the audio. Each track needs to be one single file, or stereo file if that is the format your music program uses. Examples being GarageBand and Ableton Live among others work solely in stereo tracks. Before you buss record or disc record the file (also called: – bounce to disk – render – join – make continuous ) you’ll need to prepare the multi-tracks.

* All tracks you prepare need to have your mix plugins removed. I need your RAW un-proccessed audio tracks as they were recorded unless you have tracks with specific sound design elements from plugins or external manipulation. Simply record those elements onto discrete audio tracks. Separation is good. Remove EQ, compressors, reverbs and delays from “all” your tracks. If your program renders tracks through the stereo buss like GarageBand, then remove all stereo mix buss processing before you make the audio tracks for mixing. And just as a reminder while you’re recording, record your tracking with little to no compression. Keep your dynamics for me. If you have some cool vintage or vibey analog compressors, just tap it a half a db at peak.

* Stylized FX – Remember, if you have sound-design effects that rely on live plugins, render those as a separate sound file. You don’t want me recreating an effects move you’ve created, you want me mixing. Put it to its own track and all is good.

* All tracks need to begin at the same start-time or same time-stamp. Even if you have a sound event on one track at the very end of your song, the bounce or render needs to begin at the same very beginning of your song, before your intro, exactly at the same start-point as all the other tracks. The end of the files can all be different. When the sound ends for the song, the audio file can end there.

* Don’t slam the audio inputs when recording/rendering/bouncing to disk. Slamming digital inputs will have no benefit sound wise and will cause problems for me so keep the levels within 80% of digital zero (the top) I rather have too low a signal than too hot.

* Sample rate, Sample Frequency, File Type – I can handle whatever rates you are using. WAV or AIFF are preferred. Don’t change or up-sample before your render, just give me the same rate and freq you’ve been using in your project.

How to deliver your mix audio files with FTP

How to use the online mix system

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