Technical Recommendations

1. Booking Recommendations

To ensure smooth scheduling and preparation, we recommend booking your recording sessions at least two days in advance and providing complete information about your project during the time of booking.

2. Mixing & Mastering Guidelines
The below mentioned standards apply to the individual stems or groups of audio tracks that are submitted for mixing & mastering independently.

Accepted File Formats

• Preferred formats: Uncompressed PCM WAV or AIFF files in stereo, mono, 5.1 and 7.1.

• Compressed or lossy formats (such as MP3, AAC, AC3 etc.) are not recommended for mix & master workflows.
  
  

Sample Rate & Bit Depth

• Minimum accepted standard sample rate / bit depth: 48 kHz / 24-bit.

• Higher sample rates are supported and preferred for advanced mastering projects.
  
  

Volume Levels

• Individual tracks should not exceed -3 dBFS peak level.

• If any file peaks above -3 dBFS, please apply equivalent gain reduction to all tracks in the session before exporting.

• Note: This adjustment must be applied to each track individually, not through the master fader. Proper headroom ensures clean and distortion-free mixing.
  
  

Effect Tracks (Reverb, Delay, etc.)

• If specific reverbs, delays, or other effects are intended for the mix, please include both:

  • The wet (with effects) version, and

  • A dry (without effects) version of each track.

• This allows greater flexibility during the mixing and mastering stages.
  
  

Cross-Check Before Submission

Before delivering your multitrack session, ensure every exported audio file is:

• Properly audible.

• Correctly label each tracks according to the instrument or source.

• Free from unintentional cross-layering of other tracks.
  We recommend listening to each exported file individually to confirm accuracy.
  
  

Reference Mix File

Always include a reference preview mix of your song to help the engineer understand your creative balance and vision.

3. Film Dubbing & Post-Production Dub-Copy Specifications

Frame Sizes

• Recommended: HD 720p or Full HD 1080p.

• For 2K or higher resolutions, please provide a down-converted copy for faster dub-edit workflows.
  
  

Aspect Ratio

• 16:9 with square pixels is recommended.

• Letter-boxing with black mattes are also preferred.
  
  

Display Data Burn-Ins

Please include the following data displayed on your dub-copy file:

• Project or film title

• Reel numbers (if applicable)

• Frame rate (FPS)

• SMPTE timecode, visible throughout the timeline
  
  

Preferred Codecs

• Intra-frame codecs such as:

  • Apple ProRes (LT / 422)

  • Avid DNxHD (36 / 100)

These formats ensure faster and more stable dubbing workflows on our systems and hence preferred.

Color Space

• Recommended: Rec.709 or P3.

• Files with wide gamuts, log formats, or raw camera outputs that are not properly converted may cause issues.

  • Such files must be previewed and approved by our engineers before the session date to ensure compatibility.
    
    

Dub Copy Length

• Maximum recommended duration per file: 30 minutes.

• Projects longer than 30 minutes should be split into multiple reels, with proper reel numbers labeled.

• Include a 1-second censor beep tone and 2 seconds of silence before each reel start to maintain accurate sync during post-processing.
  
  

Pilot Tracks

Ensure pilot or guide tracks contain clear, in-sync dialogue recorded on set. Proper sync is essential for accurate dubbing.

Submission Timeline

Please submit dub-copy at least two days before the scheduled dubbing session.
Early submission allows us to cross-check technical specifications and resolve any potential issues in advance.

4. Additional Assistance

We’re always happy to assist our clients to follow these above recommendations. For guidance, clarification, or personalized support, please feel free to contact RJ Sound Studio before your session.