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- B. B. King
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
PRO TOOLS TRAINING
Steve Kallenbach
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Among Steve's many life goals, owning an incredible home studio to record his own music was at the top. Drums, percussion, digital piano, guitar, vocals, etc., he wanted the ability to record it all. Prior to our meeting, Steve started his path to achieving this goal by purchasing some quality recording gear and software. He discovered that setting up the gear wasn't too difficult, but operating the software was a different story. It's no secret that Pro Tools, his DAW (digital audio workstation) of choice is a complicated software. So this is where I came in. After spending months studying to become a Pro Tools certified operator, I was well-equipped to work with Steve to get him up and running.
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Over our weekly two-hour meetings, Steve and I explored Pro Tools in its entirety. From basic navigation to recording his first song, we walked through all the steps needed to achieve his goals properly. If you explore the project highlights on either my mixing or mastering pages, you'll see that Steve and I have partnered on multiple projects over the years. Combining our varied musical talents with my engineering skills has resulted in some incredible project outcomes that we are both extremely proud of. Although his lesson plan has successfully concluded and he has the ability to work on his own terms, we have established a long list of exciting projects to keep us busy for years to come.
Well beyond anything I could have imagined. His pricing is more than fair, and he is super responsive. He is not only fantastic at what he does... he is delightful to work with.
SPEAKER & MICROPHONE REPAIR
Nikki Songie
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Nikki reached out to me after experiencing multiple sound problems at her church. Two of their four main speakers were broken, microphones were constantly feeding back, and the entire setup was a mess. Since no one at the church had any sound experience, they were truly unaware of how to tackle this issue.
My studio was only a few miles away from the church, so it wasn't an issue making the short trip to check everything out. After a brief inspection of the speakers, I found that the high-frequency drivers were blown out. Not a big issue. We were able to swap out the blown drivers and bring the speakers back to life. The other problem was dealing with the microphone feedback. After a brief look at their audio console, I quickly discovered that the settings for every mic channel was a mess. Definitely the cause of the feedback. I essentially had to reset the entire board and start from scratch. After a quick sound check with the band and church leaders, they were back in action. The final order of business was to reroute all the audio cables, add labels to each cable, and organize the entire setup. Since completing this project, Nikki's church has been able to perform flawlessly.
Professional, prompt, knowledgeable, awesome personality, great value for money well spent. I recommended Sterling Skye. We are very satisfied.
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HOW DO I KNOW IF I NEED EDITING? WHAT'S INCLUDED?Editing is an extremely important process performed prior to beginning a mix. It's the cleanup phase. Editing tasks include: Vocal Tuning Breath Reduction/Removal Vocal Alignment Alignment of vocal doubles, harmonies, and backgrounds Plosive or Sibilance Control Click/Pop Removal Drum Replacement Drum Sample Layering Drum Phase Alignment Guitar/Bass Digital Reamping Instrument Alignment Background Noise Removal Still need help determining what your song needs? Fill out the form on my contact page and receive a free consultation and song review.
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HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO COMPLETE MY MIX?It typically takes just 1 or 2 days to complete a mix. Projects with a high track count or projects that require extensive editing take up to 3 days to complete. This doesn't mean you'll receive your music within a day or two, but it's possible. The exact project turnaround time varies based on current availability.
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WHAT FILES WILL I RECEIVE AFTER APPROVING THE MIX?The Premium Mixing Package delivery includes: (1) Stereo uncompressed WAV file: 24-bit, 48 kHz (if applicable) (1) Stereo uncompressed WAV file: 16-bit, 44.1 kHz TV/Performance Mix (mix minus lead vocal) Instrumental Mix Acapella Mix Mixed stems are available for an additional fee. The Standard Mixing Package delivery includes: (1) Stereo uncompressed WAV file: 16-bit, 44.1 kHz (1) Stereo 192kbps MP3 file Mixed stems, instrumentals, and other mix versions are available for an additional fee.
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HOW DO I EXPORT INDIVIDUAL TRACKS FROM MY DAW?Most DAWs come equipped with track export functions. A quick YouTube search would be the most beneficial here. I created step-by-step guides a few years ago to export all tracks as individual audio files. These guides haven't been updated recently, so I can't guarantee that they still hold up after the latest software updates. Click on your DAW below to view or download a PDF to guide you through the exporting process. PRO TOOLS | LOGIC PRO X | GARAGEBAND | ABLETON LIVE | STUDIO ONE | REAPER | FL STUDIO
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WHAT FILES SHOULD I SEND FOR MIXING?Audio Files Individual WAV or AIFF files for each track See the question HOW DO I EXPORT INDIVIDUAL TRACKS FROM MY DAW? Stereo bounce of your rough mix Song Details Please include as many of the below details as possible: Artist/Band Name Song Name Album Name Album Artwork Lyrics Genre BPM/Tempo Time Signature Key Signature Copyright and Licensing Info Reference Tracks 1 to 3 tracks of a similar genre Could be any released song from another artist/band that you like the sound of Could be a previous release of yours that you'd like to match the sound of Could be a song that inspired you to create this current song Could be a particular sound you like in a song e.g. "Can you make my kick drum sound like this one?" You can send a link to the song(s) if you can't send the song itself
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HOW SHOULD I SEND YOU MY FILES?I use Google Drive and Dropbox for file management. Upload your project to the service you're familiar with and send me the shareable link via email. If you're using a free Google Drive or Dropbox account and don't have the space to upload your project, you can use a transfer service such as WeTransfer, or I can send a link to a private folder on one of my accounts for you to upload your project.
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CAN I SEND YOU MY SESSION?Pro Tools users can send a copy of your session for mixing. Make sure all audio files are included before sending (perform a "save copy in" with copy audio files checked).
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DO YOU OFFER FREE REVISIONS?Yes. Depending upon the service, I offer either a limit of (2) revisions or unlimited revisions. I always strive to be flexible and encourage creativity when possible. However, working without limitations and deadlines can lead to a never-ending cycle of "let's try this" or "maybe it would sound better if..."
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HOW DO I REQUEST A REVISION?All revision requests need to be sent via email. Please include detailed information such as the timestamp of where the issue(s) occurs when possible. Below is a list of common requests that would be covered with the included revisions and a few requests that would not be covered. These lists are not all-encompassing nor exclusive. I have the final decision about whether or not a requested revision will be performed without additional fees. ​ Revision requests covered:​​ Removal of noise problems. Volume adjustments of an individual track/sound or group of tracks (e.g., can you make the drums louder?) Basic creative decisions such as muting an instrument in a particular section of a song. Adjustments or additions of time-based effects like reverb and delay. ​ Revision request that would not be covered: Adding tracks or audio clips not included in the original project submission. Major changes in the arrangement of a song not previously discussed. After receiving your written approval for a review file, the process to finalize your project will begin. Any revisions requested after will incur a fee. The fee will be determined based on the extent of the requested revision.
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HOW LONG WILL MY FINALIZED FILES BE AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD?You'll have (14) days to download your finalized files. After this period, I may remove your files from my servers if needed. You may request to have your finalized files reuploaded at any time during your backup retention period.
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HOW LONG DO YOU KEEP A BACKUP OF MY PROJECT?I agree to maintain a backup of all working sessions and media files associated with your project for a minimum of (1) year or (5) years for clients who book my premium mixing service. Read more about Backups on the Terms and Conditions page.