Getting Your Self-Mixed Record Ready for Mastering

You recorded it, you mixed it, and now it needs mastering. The prep is not complicated: print clean stereo files straight from the mix session, leave headroom, keep the final limiter off the mix bus, and label everything so nothing gets guessed. Here is what Enormous Door asks for, and why each point matters.

What files should I send for mastering?

Stereo-interleaved WAV or AIFF files, exported directly from the mix session, one file per song. No MP3s, iTunes imports, WMA files, YouTube rips or any other lossy file as the source. Lossy encoding throws away information, and mastering can't put it back.

MP3s still have a place: as convenience copies for the band to pass around. They are never a mastering or manufacturing source.

What sample rate and bit depth should I export at?

Export at the native sample rate and bit depth of your session. Don't upsample, don't downsample, don't convert the bit depth, and don't add dither unless it's requested. If the session ran at 44.1 kHz, the mix files are 44.1 kHz.

Converting before mastering adds a processing step and gains nothing. Whatever each release format needs is handled at the mastering stage, where every format gets its own master.

How much headroom should I leave in my mix?

Enough that nothing clips. A practical target is peaks around -6 dBFS. That is a peak level, not a loudness target: it's the space mastering works in.

Don't normalize the files. Normalizing pushes the peaks back up toward full scale and erases the headroom you just left. If your mix sounds quieter than the records you love, that's expected. Level gets set in mastering.

Should I take the limiter off my mix bus?

Usually, yes. Bounce the mix without a limiter, clipper or maximizer on the mix bus. A limiter printed into the file decides the final level and the shape of every transient before mastering starts, and it can't be undone. This is about that last level stage, not the bus compression or saturation that is part of your mix's sound.

The exception: if the limiter or clipper is part of the approved sound, because the band signed off on how the record hits with it on, print both versions, one with it and one without, and say which one was approved.

Can I send a loud reference?

Yes. If you've been checking a loud version of your mix, or there's a record you want to land near, send it along clearly labeled "reference only". It shows where you're aiming without anyone mistaking it for the source.

How should I name and label the files?

Name every file like this: "Artist Name – 01 – Song Title.wav", and include the track order. Song numbers in the file names keep the sequence clear from the first listen.

If the release is going to vinyl, include the side A/B splits, the RPM and any timing concerns. Check your side lengths against the vinyl times chart first: a 12" at 33⅓ RPM is optimal at 16–20 minutes per side, with a 25-minute maximum. If you have ISRC codes, a UPC or CD-Text, send them too.

The full spec sheet lives in the mix prep section of the Technical FAQ.

Does each release format need its own master?

Yes. Each medium needs specific treatment and formatting, so a release on several formats gets a separate master for each:

• Vinyl: a Side A WAV file and a Side B WAV file, prepared with attention to side length, level, high-frequency and low-end energy, sequencing and pressing-plant requirements. Because they're side files, a vinyl master is never suitable as a streaming master.
• Streaming: individual WAV files from the approved master, formatted correctly for the intended platform.
• CD: a DDP image with PQ info, plus ISRC, UPC and CD-Text if provided.
• Bandcamp/download: high-quality WAV suitable for sale and platform conversion.
• Cassette: cassette-specific masters when the release needs them.

A Single-Format Master covers one confirmed format. The Full Release Package covers all the masters for every format you confirm. Prices are fixed by running time on the pricing page.

What happens once my mix is ready?

Start your project on the Start Your Project form: what you're releasing, what service you need, what formats are involved. You don't need every detail finalized before you submit.

Jack Control reviews the request and replies personally with the right path, a price range, notes on file readiness, the schedule and next steps. If the files need another pass before mastering, that's where you'll hear it. Expected turnaround is usually 2–5 days, depending on client responsiveness and approval.

If you'd rather hand the mix off too, Enormous Door routes mixing through a curated network of heavy-music mixing engineers, using the same form.

Mixed it yourself and ready to master? Start your project.