Saving song as data file for mastering

[rpb123]

When I planned to take my music to be mastered, the engineer recommended that I save the songs as data files instead of .wav files to obtain a higher resolution. I'm assuming he meant Pro tools project files. But what if the engineer does not possess the same plugins that I used on my tracks?

[albee1952]

I think what the ME wanted was a data DISK, not an audio disk(like you would play in the car on the way to the mastering house). Do your final bounce to disk at the same sample rate/bit depth as the session, and with no plugins on the master track. Burn that to a CD_R as data, or upload the wave file to the ME. If you have some "magic" plugins on the master that you love, send a second bounced file WITH those plugins and offer it as a "guide" so the ME knows what you are looking for

[rpb123]

I just have some basic plugins... but would I really send a dry track to be mastered? Wouldn't he want something that had already been mixed (reverb plugin added? vocal track compressed?)

[Craig F]

Dave is talking about the Master Fader plugins like Compression, Limiting, and EQ
Some people over do those limiting what the Mastering Engineer can do

[dr_daw]

Originally Posted by rpb123

I just have some basic plugins... but would I really send a dry track to be mastered? Wouldn't he want something that had already been mixed (reverb plugin added? vocal track compressed?)

Sounds like A) you have a great deal to learn (which is fine) and B) you need to talk to your mastering engineer. If they can't clearly explain what you need to provide, chances are they aren't an actual "mastering engineer".

There is nothing wrong with not knowing, but trying to provide something that you have no idea about is only going to open a whole can of worms. Ask your engineer.

[nst7]

Here is most likely what the engineer means:

Most likely you recorded your music at 24 bit, and perhaps at a sample rate higher than 44khz.

With a CD, it has to be 16 bit, 44khz.

If you make your own CD, you would normally dither from 24 bit to 16 bit, and sample convert from higher sample rates to 44khz, if needed.

If you send an audio CD, that is in fact what you would have to do.


However, the mastering engineer will be doing that for you, with presumably much better equipment, after he has done his mastering thing. So you don't want to send him an already dithered and sample converted audio CD.

You want to send him your final two track stereo mixdown in the same Bits and sample rate as you recorded with.

So for example, if you did your multitrack session at 24 bit, 96k, or 24 bit 48k, and so on, you will do your mixdown at the same settings.

You would then take that mixdown, and copy it onto a CD-R or DVD-R as data, just like you would copy over photos or documents, etc.

You would then send that to him. He will take it from there and do what is needed to make a master CD.