Export stems and session files cleanly

When you need stems

Mixing at Prozoneova works from stems or native session files. Our rate €185 applies per song up to roughly forty tracks in practice. Attended mixing is €92 per hour when you listen in our control room.

Stems are separate audio files per instrument or group from the same start point (bar 1, sample 0). They let an engineer set balance and space without your DAW project. See mixing for the full workflow.

Technical baseline

Export uncompressed WAV or AIFF, 24-bit, sample rate matching the session (44.1 or 48 kHz). Do not mix rates within one song. Leave headroom: peaks around −6 dBFS to −3 dBFS on drum buses avoid clipping and give the mixer room for compression.

Bypass limiters, maximizers and heavy bus compression on the export path — those belong in the mix stage. A rough mix bounce as reference is welcome; it does not replace stems.

Naming and folders

• One folder per song: Artist_TrackTitle_YYYYMMDD
• Files: TrackTitle_Instrument.wav
• One mono file per mono source; stereo only where recorded stereo
• No spaces; use underscore or hyphen
• Include BPM, key and time signature in README.txt

Consistent names prevent confusion when our team or an external mixer opens your package.

Grouping versus printing everything

Common groups: drum submixes (kick, snare, overheads, room), mono bass, stereo chords, lead vocal doubles and ad-libs separate. Guitar amp plus DI as two files adds flexibility. Synths per patch or on a stem bus — pick one approach per project and stick to it.

Too many micro-stems inflate file count; too few groups make edits hard. When unsure, export what your rough mix used, plus a dry vocal if tuning might change later.

If you recorded at Prozoneova on Transformatorweg, ask the engineer for an export note listing track order — that saves back-and-forth when you contact us for mix dates.

Effects and tuning on stems

For vocals: export with session tuning applied, plus a dry backup if uncertain. Reverb and delay from sends export best as separate wet/dry stems so the mixer can rebuild space.

Sidechained bass to kick: export processed bass or deliver kick and bass dry with a clear note. Do not hide clipping behind limiters — a retake beats an unusable stem.

Print DAW automation to audio before export so the mixer does not need your plugin licences. MIDI stems only after an explicit hybrid workflow agreement.

Delivery and storage

Use reliable delivery: password-protected cloud link or SSD courier for large sets. Spot-check every file in a second DAW before telling the studio everything is ready.

We archive materials for 18 months. Request export right after recording if you leave with drives, so nothing lives only on one laptop.

Label drives with your name and phone — couriers in Amsterdam often swap bags between creative addresses around Westerpark.

Revisions and expectations

Mix projects at Prozoneova include 3 revision rounds with concrete feedback (time stamps, not vague “make it warmer”). Attended hours bill separately; offline mix at €185 suits full handoff.

Incomplete stems push the first round into technical fixes instead of creative moves. Invest in export quality before you contact us for a start date.

Pre-upload checklist

Next step is often mastering — read streaming loudness targets for what to expect from a master.