Everything you need to know before sending your project — formats, preparation, processing workflow, timelines and deliverables. No unnecessary jargon.
A good source file is 50% of the final result. Here's how to prepare your session to get the most out of the analog chain — whatever your software.
Format and resolutionWAV or AIFF, 24-bit minimum, at your session's sample rate — no prior conversion needed. 32-bit float is accepted. Avoid MP3 for sources intended for mixing.
Headroom for mastering
If sending a stereo mix for mastering, leave 3 to 6 dB of headroom — peaks should not exceed −3 to −6 dBFS. Do not limit the master bus before sending. Loudness processing is our job.
File naming
For stem mixing, label each file clearly — Kick, Snare, Bass, Guitars_L, Guitars_R, Synths, Vox_Lead, Vox_BG… Time saved on routing is more time for artistic processing.
Identical start point
All stems must start at the same timeline position (bar 1, beat 1 or 00:00:00:00). This ensures everything aligns automatically when the session opens.
Accepted softwarePro Tools, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Reaper, Cubase, Nuendo — your DAW doesn't matter. Just export individual audio files (Bounce Tracks, Export Stems or Export Audio Mixdown depending on your software).
Franck's advice
If your stereo mix sounds good on your monitors but lacks definition or width compared to your references, it's often a frequency balance or stereo image issue — not a level issue. Don't try to fix that with limiting before sending — you'd be crushing exactly the dynamic that mastering needs to sculpt.
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First contact
Send & brief
A clear brief saves one revision round. The more context you give about your artistic intent, the more the processing will match your vision — not a generic standard.
File transferWeTransfer, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive — all accepted. For large projects (tape archives, 24+ track multi-tracks), contact us first to agree on a transfer method.
Describe your artistic intent
Which artist sounds close to what you're after? What's the dominant emotion of the track? Is there an instrument you definitely don't want masked? These details guide processing choices far more effectively than technical terms.
Final destinationStreaming (Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer), vinyl, CD, broadcast, sync? The target determines loudness standards, peak tolerance, and sibilance treatment. A vinyl master and a streaming master are not the same thing.
Reference tracks
Attach one or two commercial tracks whose sound you like. They don't need to be in the same genre — a hip-hop bass can perfectly inspire the treatment of a jazz cello.
Response within 24h
Franck acknowledges every project within 24 working hours. If your brief raises technical or artistic questions, he contacts you before starting — never after. No surprises at delivery.
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The analog chain
The processing
Every project begins with a critical listen on reference monitoring — before any processing. The signal then travels through a calibrated hardware chain, then returns to digital via high-precision converters.
Critical listening comes first
Before touching a single control, Franck listens to the entire project on the Klein & Hummel O 300 and Genelec monitors. This first listen defines the processing plan — it's done in full focus, nothing else running.
Hardware processing
Processing is done on a dedicated analog chain. Audio signals pass through physical hardware — not software emulations. This organic coloration is what makes the difference on a final master.
One revision round included
One correction round is included in every standard service. Your feedback is taken as-is — if you ask for "more warmth in the low-mids", you won't need to translate into technical terms. Franck makes the connection.
Artistic direction first
Technical standards (LUFS, True Peak) are constraints, not goals. The first objective is that the track sounds right — emotionally and against your references. The metrics follow.
Delivery is via secure download link. You receive the final files and a concise technical report detailing the processing applied and the metrics achieved.
Streaming master
WAV 24bit
44.1 kHz · −14 LUFS integrated · True Peak −1 dBTP. Compatible with Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, TIDAL, YouTube.
High-resolution master
WAV 24bit
96 kHz · reference digital archive. For re-releases, sync licensing, archiving.
Vinyl master
On request
Treated sibilants, mono low-end, LUFS adapted for pressing. Validated for lathe cutting.
Coming from outside Paris or from abroad? The studio has an adjoining loft with bedroom and equipped kitchen. A two-day session lets you attend the processing in real time, exchange ideas on the spot, and leave with your masters in hand. Contact us to organise a residency →
Ready to start?
Submit your project or request a quote — response within 24 hours. From €59 per track.
