Preparation Guide
Preparing Your Files
A few things to prepare so the mix goes smoothly. If anything is unclear, just ask.
Folder & File Names
Name your folder and files in Latin letters, including the song title, the BPM and your X handle. This avoids garbled characters and keeps files easy to identify.
Example
BPM : 120
ID : @shidaiA9
What to Include in the Zip
Audio
- Individual tracks
Watch out for near-identical file names. Numbering them at the start helps. - A demo mix
A rough bounce is fine. I only use it to get a sense of the feel you are after, so there is no need to polish it. - MIDI or programmed melody data
For songs with live vocals, this is sometimes needed as a reference for pitch correction. Having it ready speeds things up. - MIDI tempo track
Only needed if the tempo changes during the song.
Text
- Two or three reference songs (titles are enough, no links needed)
- For live vocals, the key and any modulations
Please be precise, e.g. "C major from bar 33". - Which plan you would like
- Any automation you want reproduced — notes or screenshots are fine
- Anything else you want me to know
Export Settings
Levels
Please export every track so that peaks sit around -6 to -9 dB.
Start Point
Leave 8 to 12 bars of silence before the first note.
End of the Song
Let cymbals, guitar sustain and similar tails ring out fully, and end the export after the sound has stopped. A fade-out is fine if you prefer.
Track Names
Name each track with what it is and its pan position (L1–100 / R1–100 / C). If you are happy to leave panning to me, you can skip the pan part.
Some parts are hard to label, but the more specific the name, the better.
Effects
Some effects are best bypassed before export, others can stay. Heavy distortion, and filters or volume written as automation, can all stay as they are.
Leave these on
- Amp simulators
- Reverb and delay used as part of the sound design
- Volume and effects controlled by automation
Please bypass these
- EQ, compression and the like
- Reverb and delay used for ambience or room sound
If there is a specific reverb or delay you want kept, export it as a separate send track.
Other Notes
- If you want to swap out a track after hearing the finished master, that is fine — just ask.
- Unmastered and off-vocal versions are included. Other formats on request.
- If a track needs to be split for mixing reasons, I may ask you to re-export it. If that raises the track count and the price, I will tell you beforehand.
Not sure how to prepare?
I can usually work with files that do not follow this exactly, so just ask.
Discord : shidaia9