Tutorial :: Preparing for Vinyl
This tutorial aims to give you some idea of points to consider when preparing your tracks for pressing to vinyl.This page is aimed at DJs and persons producing their own tracks & mixes. If you don't have the means to process as recommended --- DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT as the mastering plant will be able to take care of most matters at their end. Here are some important points -
Blend (mono-ize) the bass frequencies. Do not pan bass left or right.
Do not include loud level out-of-phase signals in your master (the copy you send to the pressing plant).
Do not over compress, over EQ or over process your program (track / tracks). Make your mixes sound satisfying to you.
Normalize levels to 0db so all tracks have same peak volume.
For premium sound quality, place your loudest brightest most important music on the outer tracks and quieter material on the inner tracks of the vinyl.
Ensure you include a TYPED tracklisting, giving track placements (Track 01 - A Side, Track 02 - A Side, Track 03 - B Side etc.) Also ensure you provide clearly spelt track names and any antwork (at the industry standard 300dpi resolution).
Remember, any delays or mistakes here can be costly (imagine 5,000 vinyls all spelt wrong!)
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of some of the most common questions we get asked by producers / musicians.
Why is it so important for mixes to be mostly in phase and the bass being in mono?
Phase is more or less irrelevant to CD but when mastering to vinyl it?s very important.
If the mix is in phase (mono), the cutter stylus will move from left to right. If the mix is out of phase (stereo) it causes the stylus to move up and down. Too much up and down movement (out-of-phase) will produce a groove that's too shallow or interrupted.
This will cause the playback needle to jump, the bottom end (bass range) is very critical. If the bass is in stereo, the cutter stylus will leave the surface of the record ? the plate will be unusable - costing you time and possibly money.
How do I know if my mix is too much out of phase?
Most software has a built in phase meter, it should be in the positive range.
Try listening to your tracks in mono, ideally there shouldn?t be a big difference when listening to your tracks in stereo vs mono, if there is ? especially at the bottom end ? you have a problem.
If you switch between stereo and mono, kick/bass should stay in the center. If certain instruments or parts seem to dissappear or "jump out" at you when you swap phase over, there is also a problem.
Try adjusting phase settings (where available on instruments), volume settings (alot of phase problems can be eradicated or reduced by adjusting volume settings).
Is there anything I should take particular care of when preparing an album or LP?
Put the most agressive or important tracks first ? every record sounds best at the beginning (outer grooves). The quieter tracks should be at the end of the record.
Please Note ? a 12" will always sound better than a smaller plate due to the higher groove speed at the outer grooves. Try listening to any 12" record and compare the beginning of the plate with the end, there will be much more hi-end at the beginning.
For loud dance music with lot of bass and loud hi-hats we always recommend using a 12" plate.
