FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. What is mixing and mastering?
Mixing is the process of putting together your recorded instruments/tracks, so they create a cohesive picture and no instrument conflicts with or overlaps another. I believe that every instrument has a purpose and, if recorded, should be heard clearly and precisely.
Mastering is the process of finalizing and enhancing the overall mix, making it sound clear, loud (if necessary), and acceptable by modern standards. And, if you are mastering an album, it involves setting the same volume levels for all of the songs - so one song is not louder than the other; making fade-ins/outs and adding silence between the songs.
The difference between mixing and mastering is that in mixing I'm working with every instrument separately, while in mastering I'm working only with the full song (which means: if the mix is bad from the start, it can't be magically turned into a professional sounding song - 90% of the sound is done in the mixing stage).
2. What genres of music do you work with?
Most of the time I happen to work with various kinds of metal (metalcore, black metal, hardcore, death metal …), rock music, shoegaze / dream pop, neoclassical, post-rock and various styles of ambient. But don't hesitate to send your stems if you have a different genre - the preview of full mixing and mastering is free of charge and you have nothing to lose.
3. What type of mastering can you do?
I do digital mastering only. The mastered tracks will be ready for CD and streaming platforms. I also do mastering for vinyl.
4. What will I receive?
After the work is finished, you will receive WAV-file(s) back. These files won't need any further editing from your side and can be burned straight onto an audio CD or uploaded to Bandcamp, for example. Stems of the mixed song can be obtained for an additional fee of 5 USD per song. I do not share DAW project files or settings.
5. Why the low price? What's the catch?
The reason behind this is simple. Music has been my passion and hobby for many years. I have a good time writing and editing it, and I'm setting a low price range just because I can afford it. At the moment I have enough free time to work on music. I'm a musician myself and I know how hard it is to write music, and what it takes to mix and master it later. This is a process I learned all by myself over many years.
Of course, as the demand grows, I will eventually raise the prices - so be quick :)
If you are still unsure, I also make a free preview of mixing/mastering work, so don't hesitate to send me your stems.
6. Why should I work with you?
I have 15+ years of experience as a musician, 10+ years of experience working with other bands/projects and 100+ albums mixed/mastered.
I've been working with music since 2010. Since that time I've been composing music of my own (in very different genres like atmospheric black metal, post-rock, shoegaze, ambient, neoclassical, metalcore and many more). I always recorded, mixed and mastered it by myself. So by now, I have enough experience to not only know how to mix it technically, but also "feel" the sound.
I offer this experience to help you and make your music shine.
7. Do you accept suggestions from the artist?
Of course. I will be working with you until you are 100% satisfied with the mix. If you need to change a guitar tone, or kick/snare sample for example, I will consider all suggestions. That said, revisions are unlimited, but only meaningful and reasonable changes. Please don't overuse this.
8. How exactly does the working process go?
1) Send me your WAV-file (for mastering) or WAV-files of every instrument (for mixing/mastering).
2) I will do a preview of around half (but not longer than 1 min) of the song fully mixed/mastered in mp3 format (free of charge). I can do only one preview.
3) If you like what you hear, we discuss the amount of work and what exactly needs to be done.
4) After the payment is completed, you can send your files and I'll begin to do my magic. Please note that I work only on what has already been paid for (or I will work on it anyway, but completed files won't be sent to you until payment).
The process will take about 1-2 weeks for a full album, and a few days for one track. Mastering only - two times faster.
9. Payment options?
As of September 2024, I accept payments through Hipolink (card payment). PayPal is not available in my country at the moment. If it changes in the future, this section will be updated.
10. Do you do composing/arrangements?
No. I do only mixing/mastering. I don't do arrangements, composing or any kind of ghost-writing. But I can add various effects on instruments like phaser/chorus or make EQ sweep automations and other minor things of your choice.
11. Do you use any AI-assisted tools/plugins?
I do not use any AI-assisted tools or plugins during mixing or mastering work.
Interested? Contact me through the e-mail address below.