FAQ

Analog hardware offers a distinct sonic character that comes from the natural nonlinearities of real circuits — subtle harmonic distortion, saturation, and transformer or tube coloration. This gives mixes and masters a sense of warmth, depth, assertiveness, character and cohesion that many engineers describe as more “alive” or “3D” than purely digital processing.

Please send us a 24-bit WAV premaster of your track with -6 dB to -3 dB of headroom on the master output channel. If the combined level of your tracks exceeds -3 dB, please rebalance the individual tracks in your project so that the master output reaches the required levels. Do not use the master fader to achieve these levels.

Remove all plugins from the master channel, such as compressors, clippers, and limiters. If any master processing is an essential part of the sound or creative character of your track, you can leave it on.

Check that you aren’t unintentionally clipping anywhere in your mix.

When exporting/bouncing your stems, make sure dithering and normalisation are turned off.

Critically listen to your premaster beforehand to make sure it’s ready for mastering.

We also offer a free mix evaluation before the mastering stage to identify any potential mix issues.

If possible, please send us a reference track. This helps us understand the overall direction, balance, and sonic character you’re aiming for.

Please send your premaster and reference track to contact@dp-audioproduction.com via WeTransfer, SwissTransfer, or Dropbox.

If you have any questions about preparing your files, feel free to contact us before sending them.

Stereo Mastering works with your final stereo mix and focuses on refining the track as a whole. We enhance the overall tonal balance, dynamics, depth, impact, stereo imaging, and loudness while preserving the character and intention of your production. It’s the ideal choice when your mix is already well balanced and ready for the final stage.

Stem Mastering takes the process a step further by working with separate groups from your mix — such as drums, bass, synths, vocals, and effects. This gives us greater control over the individual elements and their relationship with one another, allowing for more precise adjustments that may not be possible from a single stereo file — for example, tightening the balance between kick and bass or giving the drums more impact without affecting the rest of the track.

In short, Stereo Mastering refines the finished mix, while Stem Mastering gives us greater control and flexibility over the individual elements. Both approaches are designed to deliver a powerful, balanced, and release-ready master that translates across a wide range of listening environments.

Please send us up to 9 (grouped) 24-bit WAV stems, such as Kick, Bass, Drums, Synths, Keys, Vocals, and FX.

Remove all plugins from the master channel, such as compressors, clippers, and limiters. If any master processing is an essential part of the sound or creative character of your track, please leave it on.

We generally prefer to work with wet stems (with all processing and automation on your stems turned on). However, we can work with dry stems as well. If you have any concerns about your processing, you can additionally send us dry stems. This way, we’ll have maximum flexibility when choosing what to use for the final mix.

Don’t forget to include your AUX/SEND tracks.

Also, make sure none of your stems are clipping.

When exporting/bouncing your stems, make sure dithering and normalisation are turned off.

If possible, please send us a reference track. This helps us understand the overall direction, balance, and sonic character you’re aiming for.

Please send your premaster and reference track to contact@dp-audioproduction.com via WeTransfer, SwissTransfer, or Dropbox.

If you have any questions about preparing your files, feel free to contact us before sending them.

Please send us all of your individual 24-bit WAV stems, including Kick, Bass, Drums, Synths, Keys, Vocals, FX, and any other elements used in your production.

Remove all plugins from the master channel, such as compressors, clippers, and limiters. If any master processing is an essential part of the sound or creative character of your track, please leave it on.

Please export/bounce your final stereo mix as well. This allows us to reference your original mix while working on the new mix.

We generally prefer to work with wet stems, with all processing and automation on your stems enabled. However, we can work with dry stems as well. If you have any concerns about your processing, you can also send us dry stems. This gives us maximum flexibility when deciding what to use for the final mix.

Don’t forget to include your AUX/SEND tracks.

Also, make sure none of your stems are clipping.

When exporting/bouncing your stems, make sure dithering and normalisation are turned off.

If possible, please send us a reference track. This helps us understand the overall direction, balance, and sonic character you’re aiming for.

Please send your stems, stereo mix, and reference track to contact@dp-audioproduction.com via WeTransfer, SwissTransfer, or Dropbox.

If you have any questions about preparing your files, feel free to contact us before sending them.

Revisions are free of charge and our aim is 100% customer satisfaction! There is no limit on revisions.

We accept Paypal and bank transfers (we have a local bank account in Austria/EU).