A mix can only be as good as the files it starts from. When stems arrive misaligned, mislabelled or already squashed by a limiter, the first hour of a session goes on housekeeping instead of music. A few minutes of preparation on your side fixes that, and it matters even more when you're sending your tracks remotely and can't sit next to the engineer to explain.
Here's what to do before you hit export.
1. Export every track from the same start point
Bounce each track as its own audio file, and start every file at the very beginning of the song, bar one, even if the part only comes in at the second chorus. The silence at the start is what keeps everything in time.
When every file starts at the same point, your engineer drops them into a session and they line up instantly. When they don't, someone has to nudge forty files into place by ear, and small timing errors creep in.
Tip: most DAWs have a one-click option for this. In Logic Pro it's File → Export → All Tracks as Audio Files. In Ableton Live, Export Audio/Video with Rendered Track set to All Individual Tracks.
2. Keep your sample rate, export at 24-bit
Export at the same sample rate the session was recorded at, usually 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz, as 24-bit WAV files. Don't convert to MP3, and don't upsample to a higher rate "for quality". Conversion only adds a step that can go wrong.
If you're not sure what your session runs at, check your project settings and write it in your notes.
3. Switch off processing on the master bus
Any limiter, compressor, EQ or "mastering" preset on your master bus should be switched off before export. Mixing into a limiter feels loud and finished, but it leaves your engineer no headroom and bakes in decisions that are hard to undo.
Processing on individual tracks is different. If a distortion on the bass or a delay on the vocal is part of the sound, keep it, and also send a dry version if you can. Then say which one you prefer.
4. Leave headroom
Nothing should clip. As a rough guide, the loudest moments on each stem should peak somewhere around −6 dBFS, not hit 0. If a track is clipping, turn its fader down before export rather than adding a limiter.
5. Name everything clearly
Audio 14 and Audio 14.2 tell your engineer nothing. Use plain names that describe the source:
- Kick In, Kick Out, Snare Top, Snare Bottom, OH L, OH R
- Bass DI, Bass Amp
- Gtr Rhythm L, Gtr Rhythm R, Gtr Lead
- Lead Vox, Vox Double, BV High, BV Low
Number them in the order you'd like to see them (01 Kick In, 02 Kick Out…) and the session is readable at a glance.
6. Consolidate, comp and clean up
Choose your final takes before export. If you recorded eight vocal takes, comp the best parts into one track, and send the alternates in a separate folder only if you want them considered. Delete muted regions, unused tracks and experiments you've decided against.
7. Send a rough mix and one reference
Two files help more than any written brief:
- Your rough mix. It shows the balance you already like, and the parts you consider the heart of the song.
- One reference track. A released song whose sound you love and want to get close to. One is better than five: it gives a clear direction.
8. Write short notes
A few lines are enough:
- Tempo and key
- Sample rate and bit depth
- Anything that must stay exactly as it is
- Anything that bothers you in the rough mix
- Your deadline
9. Package it and send it
Put the stems, rough mix, reference and notes in one folder named Artist – Song – Stems, zip it if you like, and share it with a Dropbox or WeTransfer link.
At Ashlar Audio that's exactly how remote mixing works: you send an enquiry, we reply with a quote, and you share your files by link. No accounts, and nothing to upload on our website. If you'd rather hear every decision as it's made, book a session and sit in with us at the desk in Anna Nagar.
A quick checklist
- Every stem starts at bar one
- 24-bit WAV, at the session's sample rate
- Master bus processing off
- Nothing clipping
- Clear names, in order
- Final takes comped, junk deleted
- Rough mix and one reference included
- Short notes with tempo, key and deadline
Want to learn to mix your own tracks? Module 05 of the Core Audio Programme covers mixing and mastering, from the first fader move to a master ready for streaming.