Old 03-18-2018, 01:47 PM   #1
jmgweb01
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Default Recording, Mixing & Mastering Formats

Was reading Rob Stewart's (JustMastering.com) article about Mastering For iTunes, and he has a concise recommendation for recording, mixing, and mastering for widespread digital distribution which I quote below. He recommends recording at 24/44.1, mixing to a 24/96 file, then making two masters - one at 24/44.1 and the other at 16/44.1. He then recommends submitting the 24-bit WAV master to an MFiT aggregator for submission to iTunes only, and submitting the 16-bit WAV version as a separate release for other distribution companies. I was wondering if anybody here was doing this? Reason being CDBaby, DistroKid, TuneCore, etc. don't require it, and I'm not sure you're going to get that much better result with a 24/44.1 MFiT than a 16/44.1 which is sort the defacto standard for WAV submission to this distro companies. Appreciate any comments...
Rob Stewart Quoted Here:
"With or without Mastered for iTunes in mind, if you are planning for a release with wide-spread digital distribution, I recommend the following practices during the recording, mixing and mastering stages:
• Record the music in 24-bit 44.1kHz sample rate, or higher, using conservative levels (RMS level of -24dBFS is ideal, peaks should be no higher than -6dBFS)
• Mix to a 24-bit 96kHz sample rate file, using a mixing platform that allows you to set your mix project to 32 or 64-bit floating point 96kHz or higher sample rate, keeping levels throughout the chain to a conservative level (RMS level of -24dBFS is also ideal, here)
• Focus on tonality, drama and expression when mixing (craft a compelling listening experience that draws your listener in!)
• Master to a 24-bit 44.1kHz sample rate WAV file (or higher), using a mastering platform that can handle 32 or 64-bit floating point 96kHz or higher internal architecture (see note, below)
• Master to a 16-bit 44.1kHz WAV file, specially optimized for that bit depth and sample rate
• Check both masters for any clipping, and make any necessary adjustments
• Convert both masters to iTunes plus format, and check for clipping again, then go back and make any necessary adjustments
• Submit the 24-bit WAV master to an MFiT aggregator to submit to iTunes only, and submit the 16-bit WAV version as a separate release for other distribution companies (discard the temporary AAC copies you made in the steps above)

Note (also from Rob Stewart): Since Apple converts all files to 32-bit float, 44.1kHz sample rate during the Mastered for iTunes conversion, you could consider handling the down conversion step by creating your MFiT master in 24-bit 44.1kHz WAV format (be sure to use a mastering grade sample rate converter if you are downsampling from greater-than-44.1kHz rates, though). If you plan to also distribute on other platforms that allow higher sample rate files, I recommend creating an alternate version (e.g. 96kHz) for that purpose as well."
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Old 03-18-2018, 02:14 PM   #2
sickamorz
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Before you follow something found on the internet, do some research to determine if the person is even qualified in the area they are giving advice. They could be like US news casters saying a lot of words but saying NOTHING.
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Old 03-18-2018, 07:59 PM   #3
MRMJP
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I've never liked or not liked a song because of the sample rate it was recorded at. Just record and at the sample rate that makes sense for your situation, studio, CPU capabilities etc.

If there is an issue with a recording, the sample rate would be pretty pretty far down the list of problems. Unless it was accidentally recorded below 44.1k which I've seen happen.

Just save the mix at the same sample rate as the mixing session, and be aware that even if you record at 24-bit, the DAW mixer is likely working at 32-bit floating or 64-bit floating point so save the final mix as that bit-depth to avoid truncation. I would not recommend changing the sample rate with just any DAW sample rate conversion. That can likely do more damage than good. Most DAWs have mediocre sample rate conversion.

Mastering is a different story though. I use a mastering grade SRC (Weiss Saracon) to upsample to 32-bit floating point/96k before I do any processing The upsampling obviously doesn't make anything sound better but the subsequent processing via digital and analog tools almost always sounds better at sample rates above 48k. Files that come in as 88.2k or higher remain their native sample rate. Anything 48k or lower gets upsampled to 96k

After all my digital processing is done at 96k, I make the 16-bit/44.1k version for client approval (usually via DDP w/HOFA DDP Player Maker app, and then I can easily go back and make the 24-bit/96k masters and other formats once approved.

All digital master formats should ideally have enough headroom to survive the myriad of lossy encoders they will eventually face.

Even if you're not doing a Mastered For iTunes release, it's a good idea to make sure your master WAVs (and DDP) have enough peak headroom to survive any lossy encoders they will face further down the line.
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