[nst7]

Bouncing to disk is not necessary since you have the Dbox.

Once you have your stereo mixdown on that audio track (that records your sum input), you can export it by finding it in the regions list over on the right side of the edit window (make sure that part of the window is visible). You select the track, right click (or control click) and that will bring up some choices.

Choose "export regions as files". It will bring up a box where you select the destination, such as your desktop, another hard drive, or wherever.

Be sure you don't change the bit rate or sample rate when you do this. You don't want any dithering or changing of anything because the mastering engineer will do that after he works his magic. For example if you recorded at 24 bit 96k, then leave it that way.

If you're physically mailing or giving him a disc, then you would take this exported file and burn it as data on to a cd (not as an audio cd). The Mastering guy will then import it into his DAW, do his stuff, and then dither, convert sample rate, and burn a red book compatible cd master for you.

If you are sending the file over the internet to him somehow then the same thing applies.

All of this would be the same if you did your own mastering. You would still want to export it at the same settings you recorded it at, then create a new session in Protools at that same bit depth/sample rate. You would then do your processing or whatever, and then finally do your dithering, etc. The same procedure would apply if you imported it into a program designed for mastering such as Wavelab, Bias Peak, etc.


One other thing to note:

When you're first doing your mixdown to this stereo track, sometimes people will have an insert such as a certain bus compressor that adds character, etc. Note that any inserts won't be recorded to the file. If you want that to be recorded, you would route the sum track into an aux (where you would put the insert), which is then routed into an audio track that records it.