What Do I Do With These Files?

[pfo]

First off, I'm not a mastering engineer.

My sister recently got a job with a very very indie record label in North Carolina. Their usual mastering guy is booked, and they've got a project they need to get out, so my sister suggested they send the files to me. I warned them that I'm not an ME, but they said it's just a small pressing, and they really just need the levels brought up, etc, so I agreed to do it.

So they sent me the files tonight....160kbps mp3s. I know it's a limited pressing, but still....they must have wavs or aiffs or something else, right?

Anyway, I went ahead and brought them into Pro Tools to have a listen. The music is pretty good...super indie and raw, but it sounds pretty nice. Except for all the clipping (screenshot attached).

Any advice on what to do here? If it was really raw punk or something with loud guitars, I might not be so concerned, but it's actually very organic, pretty much all acoustic instruments. I was about to email to ask if they've got wavs, and mention the clipping, but I figured I'd pose the question here first. I seriously doubt there's any chance of them reprinting the mixes at lower levels, but I feel like I should at least warn them about the distortion ahead of time.

Assuming these are the files I have to work with....any advice? That first song really is as bad as it looks.

[Dave Rose]

Hard to say without hearing, but Id leave that first song well alone (send back as it was given.) even if it is a small pressing, do your best to get hold of wavs, processing those mp3s any more is going to make them sound aweful. Are they all going on one record?

[pfo]

Originally Posted by gearslag

Hard to say without hearing, but Id leave that first song well alone (send back as it was given.) even if it is a small pressing, do your best to get hold of wavs, processing those mp3s any more is going to make them sound aweful. Are they all going on one record?

That was my thinking too. Doesn't matter how many copies are being pressed, there's no reason not to use the wavs. Although I suppose it's possible they actually bounced the tracks out of their DAW as mp3s right from the getgo. Who knows?

As far as I'm aware, it's all going on one record. The quieter songs are quieter, but they also don't have drums, which accounts for some of the drastic level differences.

That first song is just a mess. Crazy compression every time the kick hits, distortion on everything, including the vocals. And I have a feeling it's one of the most important ones on the record. It's the first track, it's the most catchy, and it's one of the few tracks that actually has a bass guitar on it.

I'll try to get wavs, and man it would be so great if I could get them to reprint even just that first song without the limiter. But I don't know how likely that is.

[Waltz Mastering]

Originally Posted by gearslag

do your best to get hold of wavs

+1 - Do your best to locate the original mixdowns

[pfo]

Originally Posted by Waltz Mastering

+1 - Do your best to locate the original mixdowns

Thanks guys.

Well, they've said they can send me the wavs (or rather "wavs ripped from the cd"...let's hope that by "ripped" she doesn't mean "imported into iTunes as AACs"...).

However, she sent them to me today, but when I unrarred them, they were just .cda files. I guess she must have simply dragged the songs out of a player or off the cd something and not actually gotten the files they're meant to be referencing.

Trying again, and hoping for the best.

Of course, barring some kind of miracle (maybe it was an attempt to raise the level done by someone at the label after the mastering guy bailed and before they had me on board?), these will still be the same distorted, over limited files, but at least they'll be wavs if that's any consolation.

[wado1942]

I was about to email to ask if they've got wavs, and mention the clipping, but I figured I'd pose the question here first.

That's certainly what I'd do.

Ripped CDs? Where are the mixes? I'd really try to get the earliest generation mix possible. If CDs are the EARLIEST, you have your work cut out for you but it's better than AACs or whatever. Any way, I'd just ask them to send the CDs themselves. Always work with the earliest generation possible. You have more control over the quality of the rip if you do it yourself.

[pfo]

Originally Posted by wado1942

That's certainly what I'd do.

Ripped CDs? Where are the mixes? I'd really try to get the earliest generation mix possible. If CDs are the EARLIEST, you have your work cut out for you but it's better than AACs or whatever. Any way, I'd just ask them to send the CDs themselves. Always work with the earliest generation possible. You have more control over the quality of the rip if you do it yourself.

I'm going on faith that the wavs on the CD are direct copies of the earliest generation mixdowns. It was described to me as a "bedroom recording," so my money's on the original session having been done at 16-bit 44.1 anyway.

She offered to send me the CD, which may ultimately be the way to go, but with them being in a hurry, sending the files would be best, assuming it's done right.

[wado1942]

But if it's done wrong, and so far your track record with these guys favors that direction, you'll waste more time.

Also, I wouldn't make too many assumptions about the source of those mixes. They could have been done on an open-reel 16-track mixed through a 4-buss console to 1/4" stereo. They also could have been all recorded as MP3s that were mixed to MP3, then burned to CD. I try not to be surprised anymore at what I get.

[pfo]

Originally Posted by wado1942

But if it's done wrong, and so far your track record with these guys favors that direction, you'll waste more time.

Also, I wouldn't make too many assumptions about the source of those mixes. They could have been done on an open-reel 16-track mixed through a 4-buss console to 1/4" stereo. They also could have been all recorded as MP3s that were mixed to MP3, then burned to CD. I try not to be surprised anymore at what I get.

Both good points. As an aside, my very hip sister-in-law makes great recordings using GarageBand and the mic built into the bezel of her iBook.

When I first asked for the wavs, the girl at the label responded with a cryptic email that simply asked for my address, and then said "will do," so I assumed she was going to mail the CD. She then followed that with the email saying she would send the files ripped from the CD.

I've mentioned the CD as an alternative, but also given her some guidelines for copying the files from the cd (don't import them to iTunes, the files will be large, send them one at a time if necessary, etc). I don't want to be too explicit, because I don't want to treat her like a kid. She may well know exactly what she's doing but was in a hurry and made a mistake. But either way, if she follows the guidelines I put forth, there shouldn't be any problems.

All this leads me to wonder what in the world they've been sending to other mastering guys! If these files are any indication of their "normal," there's no way I'm the first person who's mentioned something.