What is the difference between mixing and mastering?
Mixing is the assembly. We start from your recorded tracks and make them hold together: level balance, EQ, compression, ambiance and modulation effects, placement in the stereo image. By the end of a mix the song should feel finished to you, with nothing left to add musically.
Mastering is the final touch. We work on the finished stereo mix to give it its final coherence, weight and loudness level, without betraying what the song is doing. It is also what gives an album its consistency from track to track.
Digital or analogue?
Both. Every project runs through a hybrid chain: industry-standard digital tools for precision, analogue hardware for tone and glue. Signal leaves the computer, passes through hardware and where it suits the material a pass on professional tape, then comes back. That detour is what adds weight and depth.
Why should I have my music mastered?
Because it decides how the track translates to the listeners’ playback systems: whether it holds its shape everywhere it gets played. Streaming, a club system, a car stereo, headphones, a phone speaker. Mastering also brings loudness in line with platform standards (Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal) without flattening the dynamics.
How does a project run?
You send your files, we work, we send a version back to listen to. You come back with notes, we adjust, and we go round again until it is right. Everything moves through a dedicated cloud platform that keeps the mix versions and the full revision history: no zip files sent by email.
Masters are checked across several playback systems before sign-off.
How do revisions work?
Revisions are changes or edits to the mix or master we delivered, based on your original order. We allow free revisions within the scope of that order, so long as the song, arrangement and stems stay essentially the same. We keep refining levels, balance and effect adjustments until it is right, at no extra cost. Any addition of supplementary material, or major arrangement changes is quoted separately.
What will I receive?
The mixed and/or mastered track(s), delivered through the cloud platform. The full working session itself is not supplied.
- We will deliver high quality MP3 and WAV files at the bitrate and sample rate you want.
- Group stems and instrumental mix can be delivered at extra cost.
- For masters, relevant metadata and artwork (if provided) will be included.
Do you supply a physical master or reference disc?
We don’t supply physical masters, but album mastering submissions will receive .wav and .aiff files and a DDPi file (which is today’s standard for CD Replication online) through digital download.
How long does it take?
Mixing generally takes 1 - 5 business days for single songs and 14 - 18 business days for full albums, and does not include stem preparation time. Completion of the mix depends on how many revisions are needed after your review of the first mix.
Mastering generally takes 1 - 3 days for single songs and 7 - 10 business days for full albums.
The turnaround really depends on the current workload, so the best move is to ask before booking a project in.
What is an ISRC code and how do I get one?
An ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) uniquely identifies a recording. Not the composition, but that specific recorded version. A track, its radio edit and its remix each carry their own code. It is needed for distribution and royalty tracking, but it is not required to work with the studio.
In France the appointed agency is the SCPP. Studio Le Seuil is affiliated with them and can obtain your ISRC codes and fill in the associated metadata. We offer this service free of charge.
Where are you based?
Petit-Bourg, Guadeloupe (France). Atlantic Time Zone, UTC−04:00. Work happens both on site and remotely, nut most projects run entirely through the cloud.