General Information and helpful tips

• When the mastering engineer receives your master, the only knowledge he will have of your project is the information you provide. Any information you supply is useful in obtaining the best possible product.
• Always give a phone number, or email address where you can be reached during normal business hours. The engineer may start work on your project and need to communicate with you. If you cannot be reached, your project may be delayed until contact is made.
• If requested, test CDs and cassettes will be sent for your approval before production of your order. Do not delay in your approval. Quick approval is necessary to ensure your shipping date.
• If a problem arises between what you sent to QCA for manufacturing and what you receive as a test CD or cassette, remember this is the purpose of a "test." Feel free to call us with any concerns you have. We will correct and/or adjust for your full approval before manufacturing.
• The amount of space between songs is important. You may furnish the master with the space between songs already set. On the other hand you may need the mastering engineer to set the spacing between songs for you. Song spacing of three to five seconds is standard, but you may choose as little or as much space as you wish.
• CD track start and stop points are of the utmost importance. If there are two songs without silence between them the engineer needs to know if you want a CD track number inserted. In this case you need to give some information as to where the song's start point should be.

DIGITAL Files - WAV, AIFF, SDII, formats are acceptable on CD or DVD media.

DIGITAL MASTERS - DAT, CD-R, and Sony 1610/1630 formats are acceptable (Sony PCM-F1 format tapes are not acceptable, please have a DAT copy made).

ANALOG MASTERS - Quarter track, half track or full track format at 7.5, 15 or 30 i.p.s. on 1.0 or 1.5 mil tape stored tails out on 7" through 14" reels. Use paper leader tape between selections and sides, 1/4" and 1/2" mastering available. Alignment tones are recommended to insure best mastering results. We suggest 10 kHz, 1000 Hz, 100 Hz and noise reduction alignment tone.

Analog tapes recorded after 1970 may develop a problem with shedding and gumming causing severe problems when played back. This is a tape industry problem and includes all major tape brands. QCA mastering can restore your analog masters and furnish you with a digital backup CD or DVD.

Master tapes should be edited and ready for mastering. The tape box should be properly labeled including tape speed, format, alignment tones, type of noise reduction (if any) along with titles in proper sequence and times of selections. Also indicate total time.

MASTERING - Be sure to include along with the master any special instructions. Be certain to note any changes in level between selections and indicate clearly any equalization adjustments that are necessary. If no instructions are included with the tape, our mastering engineer will do whatever he thinks necessary to make the best sounding compact disc, cassette or record possible. Should you wish to be present during the mastering session, an appointment is required. Mastering sessions are $100.00 an hour and are billed in quarter-hour segments.