Final Mix before Master?

I don't know of any professional mastering engineer who would ask for a final mix to be at 0dB...That would leave no room for any serious compensation that might be needed...Have you researched mixing and mastering techniques? Have you read any relevant materials on the subject?

How much mastering has this "person you know" done before?

On the face of it, the answer is "very little"

You need AT LEAST 6db, indeed a good ME might insist on a lot more before agreeing to take on the project.

From what I gather, he's asking you for peak levels at -6dB...That would be acceptable for mastering a project...

I would go somewhere else as your friend does not know what he is doing.

Now if the system was mixed using the k-system then that would be a different story.

frank. once you get into 24 bits you dont care about a 6db overhead.. the mastering engineer is going to use additive and subtractive effects to do his job. during this if the audio is going to clip then the track is ruined. -6db is an AT LEAST volume. it can be lower for sure. I mix all my tracks at -12. once you get into pro gear and monitoring solutions, there is no need to go higher.worrying about bits and dynamic range are a thing of the past (if you record the music properly)

discmakers also has some great info that will steer you in the right direction on mix levels and all that you need to know before mastering.

I shouldn't have sold my copy of Bob Kaz "Mastering the science.."
The room and the speakers do not have anything to do with the problem.. we are just talking about a 24bit-file..
the mastering engeneer said.. "increase by 6dB to fill up the empty headroom with bits!" Wouldn't you say that that is a true statement ?
ok.. the amount of bits will always be 24 or 32..lol.. but the amount of zeros will be reduced if you increase the level to 0dB.
It will sonically probably not matter at all if I have "ONE" peak going to +0.1dBFS@24bit, if you worry about it.. use a limiter.. that limiter will take care of those one or two peaks ! he'll do nothing else.. just a brickwall limiting! threshold -0.1dB.
Independent from the audiointerface, quality of converters whatnot.. it's still just a 24-bit file ! so why would you want to have 6 or even 12dB of headroom when you could fill that headroom with "important" information (bits)? And why would it make a difference (in a 24-bit environment) if the ME needs to reduce the volume instead of increasing it ?

quote from the mastering engeneer:

as the very loudest peak in the song hits about 6db below zero

it seems that he is talking about ONE PEAK that hits -6dB !!!! do you think a brickwall limiter will do any harm to that ONE PEAK if you raise the whole track to 0dB ? The limiter will not affect the other - lower - peaks.. only maybe by it's coloration (if at all)

yepp, my fault english is not my native language..
seems either that the mastering engeneer wants to raise the level by 6dB or he wants his client to raise the master fader by 6dB because at the moment the max level peaks at -6dB.. now there's a discussion of having no headroom when either one of them raises the peak-meters to 0dB (or close to 0dB).. cause of some reason which I didn't understand yet, you have no possibilities to compress a signal that already reached 0dB.. em.. ok.. I certainly don't know everything.. and as I said earlier, I have my 1st CD mastered at the end of the month and I would have needed some input on this as well..
moving on..
thanks and sorry for wasting your time.. didn't mean to be offensive in any way..

it's me, the troll again..
you are very welcome to discuss this "problem" on another thread I've just created..
please take the time to read the thread, try to understand what I am saying (which is sometimes very difficult), and then give me your opinion.
thank you!
frank
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http://forum.cakewalk.com...84&mpage=1#1938537