Q: Do you offer a free demo?

A:Yes. With the mastering service you can send us all your songs and you will only pay when you are happy.

File requirements:

• Stereo WAV or AIFF file.
• No limiter / compression o mixdown. I need at least 3dB headroom to work with.
• 44.1/48/88.2/96/192 Khz with a resolution of 16/24/32 bits.
• Name your file with your artist's and song's names.
• I can not work with mp3, mp4, aac, m4a, or wma files.

With other Audio services I will, whenever possible, send a short preview of my work on your track.

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Q: Can I send a CD by post?

A: Yes

If you are having problems with uploads then send your CD, together with your contact details, to this address:

Q Audio Studio
1 Park Lane
Wilberfoss
York
YO41 5PW
United Kingdom

You will receive an email once it has arrived at the studio.

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Q: What are PQ, ISRC, UPC and EAN codes?

A: The PQ codes, put simply, are the proper encoding of the track information in red book form which are written into the CD's index e.g. the beginning and end of track markers, CD text, gaps between songs etc.

The ISRC codes (International Standard Recording Code) contains infor for each track like record company information, year of release etc, a kind of digital finger print for each track. Many CD replication plants won't work with Masters if the IRSC codes are missing. To learn more about ISRC codes, go to: http://www.ifpi.org/isrc/

The EAN number identifies articles in a unique way, tied in with a bard code. The type of bar code that is read by scanners you see in shops.

The UPC (Universal Product Code) code is actually an EAN code starting by 0 (zero). The UPC is a global system while the EAN is primarily used in Europe.

The EAN is composed of either 8 or 13 numbers and is also represented by a bar code. UPC / EAN codes are required to sell a physical CDs at a major stores. They are not need for a personal CD.

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Q: How do I best prepare my songs for your mastering service?

A: Please send the final stereo mixdown of the song you want mastered. Please turn off all kinds of dithering and noise shaping and do not apply effects to the mixdown. All sound processing on the mixdown channel has to be turned off (No compressors, loudness maximizers, stereo imagers etc).

Before uploading your tracks please ensure the mixdown has no clipping inadvertentently created while recording.

I recommend that you leave at least around 3 db headroom. This means the peaks of the signal should never exceed the -3db mark.

For mastering I need WAV (PC) or AIFF (Mac) files in resolutions of at least 16 bits / 44,1 kHz or better. 24 bit resolution is preferred.

To give me an idea of your desired sound you can also include a sample or even a reference track of another artist or a previously released track of your own, so I can get an impression of your personal preferences in terms of musical feeling.

Please do NOT upload any kind of compressed files like MP3, Real of OGG. These are lossy audio formats and can’t be used as source files for audio mastering.

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Q: How will the final mastered track be returned?

Unless otherwise requested I will return WAV files via my FTP service, formatted to Red Book Standard e.g. 16 bits / 44,1 kHz.

For albums I can also send master CDs by courier.

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