Why delivery matters
At €290 per track, you want the engineer working on balance, space and dynamics. Every minute spent hunting for a missing part or realigning shifted audio comes out of that time. Femke Bakker, our mixing and mastering engineer, can hear the difference between a tidy session and a messy one in the final result.
This checklist works for any software: Logic, Ableton, Pro Tools, Cubase, Reaper or FL Studio. We do not ask for a project file, just separate audio files that open anywhere.
Format and settings
| Item | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| File type | WAV or AIFF, never MP3 or AAC |
| Bit depth | 24-bit or 32-bit float |
| Sample rate | The same as your recording session, usually 44.1 or 48 kHz |
| Mono or stereo | Mono sources as mono, stereo sources as stereo |
| Start point | Every file starts at exactly the same moment |
Do not change the sample rate after the fact. Converting costs quality and can introduce timing differences between tracks.
Export everything from the same zero point
This is the most common mistake. Export every track from the very start of the project, even if the instrument only comes in after a minute. Some files will open with silence, but everything lines up the moment it is imported. A file that begins where the sound begins has to be placed by hand.
Also note the tempo in BPM and any tempo changes in a text file alongside the tracks.
Effects: print them or not?
As a rule, send tracks dry: no reverb, delay, compression or EQ from your mix bus. Effects that are genuinely part of the sound, such as an amp simulation, a synth patch or deliberate distortion on a vocal, should stay on.
Unsure about an effect? Send both versions, dry and wet, and say so clearly in the file name. That way we can choose and your creative decision is not lost.
Naming and folder structure
Clear names save questions. Use a fixed order, for example track number, instrument and any detail:
- 01_Kick_In.wav
- 02_Kick_Out.wav
- 05_Snare_Top.wav
- 12_Bass_DI.wav
- 20_LeadVox.wav
- 21_LeadVox_Double.wav
Put each song's tracks in its own folder with the title and tempo in the folder name. Comp vocals into one continuous track beforehand, or tell us that comping is part of the job.
Rough mix and references
Include a rough mix from your own session, however unfinished. It shows how you hear the song: which parts lead and where the chorus should open up. Add two or three reference tracks by artists whose sound you like, with a short note on why.
A few sentences about mood often beat technical terms. 'Dry and close, like a living-room gig' tells an engineer more than 'more 3 kHz'.
Sending and checking
Zip each folder and send it through a file transfer service. Before you share the link, open the download once on another computer or phone: is everything there and does it all play? We confirm within 2 working days that the files are in order.
A mix is delivered around 7 days after we receive complete tracks. After that you have 2 revision rounds. Bundle your notes per round in one message, with timecodes.
Common mistakes at a glance
- Tracks with different lengths or start points, so nothing lines up any more
- A limiter or mastering plug-in left on the mix bus during export
- Clipping in the recording itself: red on the meter cannot be undone later
- Missing parts, such as a muted tambourine that is audible in the rough mix
- File names like Audio 1_03.wav that say nothing about the content
Run through this list before you send the link. If something went wrong in the recording itself, you can re-record a part in our booth via vocal and instrument recording.
After the mix
Once you are happy, mastering comes next. How loud the final result should be is covered in loudness in mastering. Everything about our mixing service, including the EP price of €1,150, is on the mixing page. We handle your files as described in our privacy policy.
Questions about your session? Get in touch or email [email protected].
