In Short
a. use a Gain Plugin,
b. invert one channel,
c. make it mono.
Result: clicks are better to hear.

You may use
Gain from Logic Pro,
4U Meter Fader MS-Pan from hofa,
PHA-979 from Voxengo (use mono mix, not force mono),
and others…

What and Where:
On fresh tracks, check for clicks;
After massive effects, check for unwanted clicks;
On a rough mix, check for clicks and imbalances;
Before rendering, check a stem or a bus;
When mastering, check input files.

Why?
Clicks in recorded material are mostly from clipping due to too high recording levels. Two best practices to avoid this: use a 32bit-interface, level correctly.
Inappropriate handling of 32bit-files. Use a 32bit cabable editor when importing such files. Not all DAWs can handle them properly.
Popping a sensitive membrane with an explosive burst of air is beyond the capabilities of most microfones. Use a good pop screen (not simply stockings, but double layer very fine weave).
Static discharge. Always be grounded.
Any modeling plugin has some nonlinear behavior. If pushed too hard, clicks might be the result of the modeling process. Know what you are doing (aka know your plugins, know your DAW).
Cuts not made when waveform crosses zero, no fade around cut area.

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Bus mastering. Making the best from a (stereo) bus.
Stem mastering. Having some more (stereo) stems to go even deeper.

The classic way to master a track is from its stereo sum. Making subtle adjustments to width, tonality, distortion, and dynamics will make a master
more competitive, matching, assertive, or loud.

Using stems opens up another level of opportunities for the masting engineer to apply his magic. Being able to target mastering techniques to individual stems.

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Make a stem of one tonal entity.
Lead vocals, background vocals, drumset, percussion, FX, guitars, keyboards, pads etc. all make good stems.
Every stem is made of parts belonging together, that are not to be mixed or mastered separate.
Stems consist of tonally similar parts, that are already balanced together as one.

Parallel compression.
If you used it, you might want to make a separate stem.
E.g. „guit“ and „guit_pc“.

Reverb.
You might want to make separate stems for reverb.
E.g. „voclead“ and „voclead_rev“.

If your stems are named systematically, there is no additional charge to handle them.
The chance to make balancing easier and more efficient is even higher with stems so well prepared.

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Different DAWs use different terminology.
Bouncing stems might be called bouncing, exporting, saving, rendering, stems, tracks, groups.
On some DAW you have to bounce one subgroup after the other, other DAWs allow to select multiple subgroups and bounce them in one go.

Regardless of what your tracks are, the bounced stems should have32 bit depth floating point.
Remember: adding up tracks or even using a plugin makes intermediate 32 bit floating point signals.
If you reduce them to less bits, a quality degradation occurs. This is no good.
Don’t reduce bit depth on intermediate signals or bounces if at all possible. Use 32 bit float.
If other mixing mastering services do not tell you so, they either do not know or do not have the tools to work with 32 bit float files.

Use a lossless file format: WAV, AIFF. Do not use MP3 as production files.

Turn off all normalizing options. Do not limit. Do not fade.
Do not dither when using 32 bit float.

Bounce full length tracks. Do not cut off leading or trailing parts when bouncing.
Leave enough trailing for decaying reverb.
But make sure all stems are time aligned at the beginning.

These are the settings to use:
AIFF 32 bit (float) LPCM or PCM
WAV 32 bit (float) AutoWAV/RF

Keep markers and regions, that are useful for mixing and mastering or that you refer to.
Remove if not useful.

Make meaningful names.
„kwdhgi45z98jsdkas_v319.hhh“ is not a meaningful name.
„miller_mysong_voclead.wav“ is a meaningful name.

Make time aligned tracks or stems.
Include all FX.
Do not normalize when bouncing.

Use a lossless file format (e.g. WAV) and full bit depth.
Send your rough mix.
Send up to 3 reference tracks.

Put all audio files in a folder „audio“.
Put additional files in a folder „info“.
Put both folders in a project folder.
Pack project folder as archive (e.g. ZIP).

Name all files and folders like this:
„artist_project_title“
No spaces, punctuation, special characters.
All names are work names.
Publication naming may differ.

Send project archive file via WeTransfer to
leon@lmsr.online

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