CD Mastering -PMCD Production By Doctor Mix

CD MASTERING SERVICES

The last step necessary to get an album (or EP) printed on CD is to create a Production Master Compact Disc (PMCD). This is also the last chance to control the music before it’s presented to the public in the form of a physical CD support. By this time all of the tracks have already been enhanced with the mastering process, and now they are ready to be organized on the disc in the correct order, and with the correct pauses in between. The audio data is encoded to a standard protocol called Red Book. Creating a CD master typically involves:

Fine tuning all the tracks for consistency in volume levels, frequency balance and loudness;
Dithering (adjusting the Sample and Bit rate to the required 44.1khz/16bit);
Tailing, fading in and out and spacing the tracks;
Assigning ISRC codes, Barcode (EAN/UPC), Catalogue Number;
Adding CD-Text information;
Printing a CD summary (known as PQ list);
Checking the data for errors;
Creating a DDP file, to be sent to the CD duplication or replication factory;
Producing a physical PMCD if required.

ALBUM MASTERING

In order to assemble a selection of tracks into a finished album, several adjustments are required. It’s a process that requires not only great technical expertise, but also great taste in music. The way tracks are spaced, what sonic texture is imparted to each track, how loud a track sounds compared to the previous one, these are all crucial elements in getting an album to sound consistent.

Here at Doctor Mix we pride ourselves in taking the best possible care of the artist’s work. We listen closely to all the songs one by one and try to understand what the music is about and what message it is trying to convey. Then we make a decision on what gear (analogue or virtual) is the best one to portray the sonic picture of that message. Finally we make all the necessary adjustments to enhance the specific qualities of the album.

CD MASTERING ONLINE

Here at Doctor Mix we have two decades of experience delivering high quality CD masters to the top leading companies in the music industry. The advent of the internet has allowed us to extend our reach to independent artists worldwide. We acquire material and deliver finished albums via online file transfer.

Find out what dramatic difference our CD mastering service can make to your music: call our team Doctor Mix today on +44 (0) 844 8000 889.

WHY CHOOSE DOCTOR MIX TO PRODUCE YOUR CD MASTER?

certified software and equipment

years of experience

tailored service to suit your project

low fees