* Audio source files
There's a lot to digest here. This FAQ topic is divided into two separate sections. Section A pertains to audio source files created here in my studio. Section B pertains to audio source files which are brought in from the outside (such as files originally recorded at another studio, at home, or downloaded from the internet).
A. Source files created here.
* The most common question related to source files is "Can I get the source files for my recording project to take with me". Yes! And you should do that out of principle no matter where you go. Some artists like to keep the original tracks, or source files, in the event they should ever want to go to another studio for additional recording or editing. Many musicians record parts here (drum tracks for example) and then take the files home to add the finishing touches. Whatever the reason, they belong to you so don't be afraid to ask for them.
* The files that I create here are in standard WAV format and unless you tell me differently, they will be exported at the same bit depth and sampling rate as originally recorded (currently 24 bit at either 44.1 or 48 kHz). I will provide both the Sonar project files and files exported out of Sonar for use in other applications. Files which have been exported out of Sonar all start at time zero so you can simply import the WAV files into another recording application, making sure all the audio clips line up at time zero, and go from there. The files can be either stereo or mono depending on how they were originally recorded. Each file is named or identified based on the instrument or track name (kick drum, snare, rhythm guitar, bass guitar, lead vocals, etc.). If I know you are going to want the files ahead of the session, I will create some track notes and contact information in the form of a readme file that I will include with the data files. This way, the receiving engineer will at least have a reference point to start from. If you're going to use Sonar to continue working, then it's simpler to use the original Sonar project files.
* WAV files can be rather large. For example, a four minute mono kick drum track/WAV file recorded at 24 bits will end up being approximately 40MB in size. Multiply that by the number of tracks and the number of songs and it adds up quickly. As a result, I prefer to archive source files on DVD-R discs. I use Taiyo Yuden brand DVD's and a Plextor burner which are generally regarded as the best in the industry. Currently, I am using Roxio Easy Media Creator to create the data discs. If the amount of data to be backed up exceeds the storage capacity of a single disc, then Roxio will automatically calculate the total number of discs needed to accommodate the amount of data involved and copy the data across the total number of discs required. The reason I mention this is because of the way Roxio handles this method of backup. Roxio creates a special retrieval utility that is put on to the first disc of the series. In order to retrieve any or all of the files, you need to insert disc one first, start up the retrieval utility and then manually select the folders or files you want to copy. If the folders or files you want aren't located on Disc 1, the utility will prompt you to insert the correct disc number and away you go. It's pretty straightforward and easy to use.
* Another backup option is you bring in a USB hard drive and we can copy all the data over to that drive which you can then take with you. Ultimately, it makes data retrieval a little easier.
* It takes time to create data DVD's so normal studio rates would apply. How long it takes depends on the the number of tracks involved. It could take anywhere from a half hour to an hour to create the transportable WAV files. It takes about 10 minutes to burn a full DVD and then check it for errors. This is billable time.
* I keep the source files for all the projects that I record here archived on DVD-R discs. If a client wishes to return for additional recording, all I have to do is load the source files and away we go. If you lose your copy, just call and I can make additional copies for you. Again, this is billable time.
* Unless otherwise specified you are getting are the raw, dry, unprocessed audio files. Generally speaking, when I record a band or an artist here, signals from each microphone or instrument ends up going directly to the computer hard drive. I generally don't record with outboard effects or any other external processing except maybe a bit of compression. The artist might choose to record a track with whatever effects pedals or equipment he or she decides to bring into the studio. Tracks recorded with effects at the source will obviously still have those effects on the track. These files don't include all the mixing, panning, EQ settings or effects that make up a final stereo mix. If you intend to take the source files to another studio for additional recording or editing, you will have to recreate all those settings from scratch (which is usually the whole point of doing that in the first place). It's not uncommon for an artist to do the tracking in one place, mixing in another and mastering in yet another location. Happens all the time in the big leagues.
* The question of who actually owns the source files can be an issue sometimes. It has been an issue here once or twice already. I've seen cases where bands break up and the issue of who has the legal right of ownership of the source files comes into question. Ownership of the source files is important because whoever owns the source files has the right to go back and change or edit those files and ultimately make money from future releases of the songs. Sometimes I get caught in the middle. Band members will call me and want me to provide them with the source files. I have no real way of knowing who actually owns or has access rights to source files. My default position is that the owner is the person who paid me for the session - even if that person was not an actual band member. If you believe this will ever become an issue, I suggest you discuss it within the band and decide this before you come here to record your songs. I will not be held accountable for any legal issues arising out of handing over source files to the wrong person. If someone other than the person who paid me wants the source files, I will attempt to make contact with the person who paid me and confirm ownership before I hand over any source files.
B. Source files created elsewhere.
Clients often bring in audio files for mixing/mastering or additional recording and editing. Sometimes these files were recorded at other studios or perhaps at home. Sometimes the files were downloaded off the internet. Here are some general comments and observations to consider if you are bringing audio files from other locations.
* I work exclusively with WAV files which were recorded and saved in the following formats: 16 or 24 bit, 44.1kHz or 48kHz. I do not guarantee I can work with audio files stored in any other format, bit depth or sampling rate. The files can be either stereo or mono. If you are bringing in audio material for mastering which has been saved to a normal audio CD (a CD which you can play in any normal audio CD player), then that audio has already been converted to16 bit/ 44.1kHz which is the industry standard for CD audio.
* If you have the option of choosing a specific bit depth or sampling rate at the time of the recording, choose 24 bit/48kHz for the source files. 24 bit is better than 16 bit and 48kHz (kilohertz) is better than 44.1kHz (bigger numbers are better than smaller numbers). Some studios might provide sampling rates as high as 192kHz but I do not support that. The studio would have to convert the files down to 44.1 or 48k ahead of time in order for me to use them here.
* MP3 is also an acceptable format for audio files but be aware that the sound quality of an MP3 is not as good as the original WAV file or CD audio from which it was created (generally speaking). MP3 is a data compression technique which reduces the size of a standard WAV file so the audio file can be easily shared or downloaded over the internet. The MP3 compression technique causes a certain amount of degradation to the sound quality of the original audio source. The amount of degradation depends on the compression settings selected at the time the MP3 is created. The less compression you use, the bigger the file and the better it sounds (generally speaking). Often times it's difficult to tell the difference between a well-produced MP3 file and the original WAV file. An untrained ear probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference. For the sake of quality control, WAV files are preferred but MP3's will do as an alternative. Quite a few of my clients bring in MP3 files with sound effects and such to be used in their multi-track arrangements. Often times these things are buried in the background and you can't tell the difference. Sometimes the lo-fi quality of an MP3 is exactly what the client wants. MP3 files are small enough to be transported using some sort of USB flash drive (the kind you can hang on a keychain). Simple is good.
* Please make sure that the engineer or person who creates the data discs provides some meaningful descriptive text which accompanies the project. I prefer it when the data files are given meaningful names like "kickdrum.wav" or "snare.wav", etc. Too often I receive files ambiguously labeled "track1.wav", "track2.wav", etc. which means that I must now sort through each file and try to make heads or tails out of the mess before I can do any meaningful work with the files. Any sort of readme text file with helpful information is welcome. Contact information for the original recording engineer is even more welcome in case of questions.
* Because WAV files are so large, it is customary to save these files to DVD-R data discs or perhaps even a portable USB hard drive. DVD-R discs hold substantially more data than a standard CD-R disc. Choose DVD-R for your storage medium if you have a choice. The brand is not important but make sure the engineer uses some form of data verification when creating the data discs. This will insure that the data on the discs is 100% retrievable. Make sure the burn session is "closed" or "finalized" properly. Finalizing is a term used during the burn routine to prevent any further data from being written to the disc. With any CD-R or DVD-R disc, you can stop and add data at a later date and continue to add data until the disc is completely full. Once the disc is full, you must finalize or close the project. This prevents any further data from being written to the disc and allows the disc to be read in any DVD/CD drive other than the drive it was originally recorded in.
* HEADS UP! Make sure, before you come here, that the data is actually retrievable from whatever it is you have. Too many times people have brought discs in which were unreadable for whatever reason and now the session is ruined. If it's a hard drive, make sure the drive actually works (drives are easily damaged if you don't care for them properly). As a safety measure, I would put the DVD or CD(s) into a computer drive and actually copy all the data (temporarily) to your internal hard drive to make sure the data is retrievable. Don't do this on the computer used to create the discs. Use another PC somewhere else. If you don't do this, there is a risk that I might not be able to retrieve the data (there's always a risk but at least you've minimized the risk ahead of time).
* Retrieving audio files from a portastudio is always a fun exercise. The word "portastudio" refers to these tabletop multi-track recording machines that have a built-in hard drive, mixer, effects processor, etc. It's basically a studio-in-a-box that you can pick up and carry around. It seems no two machines handle audo retrieval the same way (even from the same manufacturer). In some cases, you need a special software utility program running on the receiving computer to retrieve the files from the source machine. It's up to you to make sure you have whatever it is you need to retrieve the files correctly. I have USB cables here so that's generally not a problem but I might not have the correct software needed. Anything other than USB (such as Firewire) is a risk too. I have internet access here so we can go searching for whatever software it is you might need but there's no guarantee about that either (plus, that's billable time). Don't wait until you get here and hope for the best. Do your homework ahead of time and make sure you have the tools needed to get the job done. If you're not sure, contact the manufacturer of the portastudio and find out what you need. I'm not an expert on every portastudio ever made. Don't cop an attitude with me if I don't understand exactly what buttons to push to get the audio out of your machine. It's your machine. You figure it out before you get here.
* One more thing about portastudios. I have noticed, in the past, odd problems regarding the files that come off of some portastudios. Even though the files might be retrievable, it has been my experience that a WAV file from a portastudio isn't necessarily the same thing as a WAV file generated on a standard desktop PC. To be honest, I've never actually been able to figure out why this is. I suspect it might have something to do with the way the audio data is stored on the internal hard drive inside the portastudio. I suspect the source audio is being compressed or encoded with some sort of proprietary compression technique to save disc space. It's just a guess. The problem usually reveals itself when I try to apply effects processing on the resulting files. There will usually be some unpleasant sounding digital artifacts that no amount of tweaking will remove. It's just a warning. There are no guarantees about portastudios.
* Make sure the multi-track WAV files you bring all start at what I call "time zero". When I say "time zero" what I mean is that each file has a common starting point. What this generally means is that the engineer has exported each track of audio to a new file. These new files each contain a certain amount of dead space or quiet time at the front so that when you import the files into the recording program, all the positions of all the audio bits will line up properly. Usually, in order to export tracks of audio for transporting to another studio, you have to be careful and make certain adjustments in the software to export the tracks correctly. I would not take this for granted. I would spot check the files after you create them by trying to re-import them back into the recording program and actually see with your own eyes (and ears) that the data has been exported correctly. A good, quick way of verifying this is to look at the size of the exported files (using Windows Explorer). If the files all are the same size, that's a good indicator that the files were exported correctly. If the files are all different sizes, that's a good indicator they were not exported correctly and will not line up properly when imported into another system.
* There's another caveat when exporting files from various software programs. Without trying to get too technical here, be careful about the volume level of the exported audio. Some programs use special "pan laws" which change the overall volume of the exported tracks (if you're not careful). Also make sure you're exporting the raw audio and not exporting audio with pan or eq or effects. This gets tricky and it's hard to explain. As mentioned before, I would re-import the audio back into the program and confirm that the exported files match the source files in terms of volume levels. If you don't do this, there is a risk that the exported audio might be damaged due to overloads (exceeding digital zero decibels).
* If the original audio was recorded as a mono file, make sure the exported file is also mono. If it was recorded in stereo, then the exported file should also be stereo. There is no point in exporting everything as individual stereo files. It just makes the entire project more difficult to transport because the files are twice as large as need be. When I see nothing but stereo files, that's a good indicator that the engineer wasn't paying attention when he created the transportable files (and there will usually be other problems as well).
* If the original files were recorded at 24 bit then they should stay as 24 bit. Don't dither the files down to 16 bit.
The bottom line here is that you can't be too careful about the integrity of the source files. Don't trust anyone but yourself. If you don't trust yourself to confirm the validity or integrity of your source files, seek out someone else to help verify things before you go running off half-cocked. It's frustrating and disappointing to schedule studio time and potentially have to drive for hours only to find out what you are bringing is useless. If you're coming from another studio, make sure they don't delete the original files before you've had a chance to confirm everything is OK.
If you're interested, here is a link to an ad hoc set of guidelines developed by the Producers & Engineers Wing of the Grammy organization (Recording Academy) which goes into a lot of extra detail about all this. Worth reading if you work in this business.
http://www.grammy.com/PDFs/Recording_Academy/Producers_And_Engineers/DAWGuidelines-Full_v1.pdf
In closing, I would like to add one last tidbit of information. More of an observation if you will. I have lost count how many clients have brought damaged or unusable data files to me. When I ask them to go back to the original studio to have the engineer make a new set of master discs, or fix whatever needs fixin', I am told that the relationship went sour and they are no longer able to retrieve their source files. I'm not here to pass judgment on why relationships go sour. I've seen cases where recording engineers don't like to let go of projects they worked on. They get upset. It's their baby. People in this industry. I don't know sometimes. The egos. But I've also seen cases where the artist/client is the source of the problem. The engineer just doesn't want them back in his studio. The reason I mention it is that you can't be too careful about this. That's why it's important to make sure that what you leave with the first time is perfect. You might not get a second chance to go back again. In fact, I would make sure you create a safety backup just in case the original gets lost or damaged. It can be a time-consuming process to do that but we have a saying: data doesn't really exist unless it exists in two places.