File Delivery Requirements

Let’s get your tracks ready for mixing and mastering! By following these requirements, you can help make the whole process smoother and faster by saving both you and me from wasting time going back and forth because files are missing or misaligned, have the wrong format, etc. Meeting these requirements also help create a better final product. Please review every bullet point. Thank you!

GENERAL

  • All files (MIDI and audio) should be left-aligned (starting/exported at the same point).

    • You can verify this by dragging all the files (including MIDI files) into an empty project of your DAW after exporting and hit play. Everything should be in the right place without you having to move any files.

  • All audio files should be in 44.1kHz, 24-bit WAV format at minimum. Higher resolution files (e.g. 96kHz) are accepted.

  • If you have MIDI files for drums and bass guitar, please provide them, even if you ended up recording these instruments.

  • You must provide tempo information. The easiest way is to embed it in a MIDI file. If your DAW can’t do that, please provide a plain text document with tempo information and tempo changes (e.g. “Bar 1: 120. Bar 53: 96”).

  • No tracks should be clipping.

  • Please verify that tracks that are supposed to be stereo (e.g. ambient FX, strings) are still stereo after exporting.

  • Please label your files clearly and organize them into folders (e.g. Vox, Guitars, Bass etc).

  • All files must be finalized. Do NOT re-record files or make changes to the song after I have already started mixing. Doing so will incur extra fees and result in delays.

  • Processed stems (often used for backing tracks) must be requested upfront. I don’t keep all the projects indefinitely.

  • Please include a demo of your song(s). It’s for my reference; no need to mix it yourself.

  • Consider including a list of songs for me for stylistic reference. For example, if you would like your song to have a similar sound to a specific song or artist, please list it. Try not to include just any songs whose mixes you enjoy, though, but songs that are stylistically similar to your music. If no such list is included and we didn’t have a discussion on stylistic choices, I assume you are giving me free rein to create a sound that I believe is the best for your music. A piece of advice from me as an audio engineer to you as the artist: Trends come and go. Don’t chase them. Let me (or us) craft a sound that will stand the test of time for your music. Best case scenario, be the trendsetter.

  • Consider including a “production notes” document, if you have specific effects or stylistic choices you would like me to incorporate in the mix. This process is sometimes done through revisions, so don’t worry if you don’t have a solid idea for effects yet. Some examples:

    • “Lofi effect on main vocal at bar XX”

    • “We want the drums to sound intimate and up close”

    • “The track should be faded out, starting at bar XX”

  • You must credit James Zhan correctly (e.g. “mixing engineer” and “mastering engineer” if I did both) and include the link “www.jameszproductions.com” wherever possible, such as when you upload the song(s) for online distribution (via CD Baby, DistroKid etc), when you upload a video containing the song(s) (e.g. a streaming video or a music video on YouTube), when you share a snippet of the song(s) on social media, and so on.

VOCALS

  • Tune your clean vocals.

  • Separate clean vocals, harsh vocals (e.g. screams, growls), and FX vocals (e.g. whispers, speaking) into their own respective folders.

GUITARS & BASS

  • Please provide DI signals for all the guitars and bass tracks, if possible. The tones you dialled in might not work well in the mix because guitar and bass tones can sound drastically different depending on how the rest of the mix sounds. Even if you are really attached to the tones you created, it’s always much easier for me to have the DI signals.

  • If you are sending me both re-amped files and DI signals, please label the re-amp files and their matching DI signals clearly, and put them in two separate folders, so there’s no confusion on my end on what is what.

  • Please label clearly (e.g. cleans, overdriven, lead, rhythm, FX etc).

  • Record with fresh strings, even if you want a dull bass tone. If there are multiple songs, use a fresh batch of strings per song.

  • When recording rhythm guitars, which are to be panned hard left and right, always listen to the takes with them panned to make sure the left take and the right take are in sync. This is extremely important—rhythm guitars that are in sync create a much tighter, wider and punchier mix than those that are not. Even if you are aiming for a more “natural” sound, you still want to make sure the rhythm guitars are in sync, because out of sync rhythm guitars will just sound sloppy in the mix.

DRUMS

  • MIDI drums (100% sampled drums) are accepted and even especially recommended for metal in the -core subgenres, for a polished sound.

  • If you are recording real drums, do so with a professional in well-treated studio. High quality drum recordings that can create a modern rock/metal mix can be very expensive, as it requires a good room, good tuning, good mics, good mic placements, good pre-amps, good drum heads, and impeccable studio-level performance. This is why I always prefer working with well-programmed drum MIDI over moderately recorded drums—the former just yields way better results than the latter.

  • If you are providing real drums, please make sure they are edited to the grid.

  • If you are providing drum MIDI, please:

    • include a MIDI map of the kit in either txt format or a screenshot;

    • include a stereo render (WAV or MP3) of the sampled drums soloed;

    • let me know which drum library you used.