Schallplatten Schneid Technik GmbH, Frankfurt am Main

Important! Before delivering the master, please listen to it and check it thoroughly!
Errors that are present on the master and noise arising from the master can be transferred to disk during cutting. We shall accept no liability for this!
 
Important! We shall accept no liability for damage to or loss of the masters made available to us!
 
Important! Please attach a label to the master with the following clearly legible information:
Ordering party; catalog, order or matrix number; and titles for all selections, with their individual playing times and position on the disk (A1, B1, B2, etc.) This information must correspond to that on the order form.
If you have used our online order form, you can simply attach a printout of the order confirmation to the master.
 
Important! Please follow our recommendations concerning the audio characteristics of the master.

1. Audio CD (CD-DA)

Conforming to the Red Book standard.
Masters burned on a blank CD with a capacity of more than 700 MB cannot be accepted!
The order of selections and the pauses between selections should be the same as desired for the phonograph disk.
Please provide labelling for each selection (track index).
Please note that some CD recorders and programs for burning CDs record selections without pauses between them only if specifically commanded to do so.
We ask that requests for changes or special features be noted on the order form, such as requests for particularly long pauses or no pauses between selections.
CD text is helpful, but under no circumstances should it be the sole source of important information.

2. Data CD / Data DVD

Masters burned on a blank CD with a capacity of more than 700 MB cannot be accepted!
The file types .wav and .aif can be used.
A sampling rate of up to 192 kHz can be used, with up to 24 bit/32 bit floating point resolution.
Within these limits we strongly recommend maintaining the sampling rate and resolution selected for the production or mastering when creating the master!
If your audio material is in the format 44.1 kHz/16 bit, we request that you supply the master as an audio CD.
We can also process DDP (Disc Description Protocol) 2.0 file sets.
Extensive data compression (such as MP3, for example) is not recommended, and changes in the sound character arising from this shall be the responsibility of the customer.
The file names must permit a clear correlation with the order of selections on the disk and must correspond to the information provided on the order form.
Please ensure that the program you use to burn the CD copies the complete file names, particularly including the file extensions (.wav or .aif). Under certain circumstances, there are restrictions regarding the length of file names.
On the order form, please specify the length of the pause between selections, or whether the selections are to follow one another with no pauses.

3. Digital Audio Tape (DAT)

Only 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz with 16 bit.
Please include at least one minute of blank tape at the beginning.
The order of selections and the pauses between selections must be the same as desired for the phonograph disk.
Please provide labelling for each selection (start ID).
Please specify the exact individual playing times of the selections on an accompanying sheet or on the order form.

4. Audio tape

¼ inch / 6.3 mm, or ½ inch / 12,7 mm, recorded as mono full track, or stereo with two half tracks.
Preconditions for ¼ inch: Tape speeds 7 1/2''/s, 15''/s, 30''/s (19 / 38 / 76cm/s); 
NAB or CCIR/DIN/IEC1 equalization at 7 1/2''/s and 15''/s (19 and 38cm/s), 
and IEC2 (17.5µs) at 30''/s (76cm/s). 
For a half speed cut we can only use tapes that have been recorded at 15''/s or 30''/s (38 or 76cm/s).
Preconditions for ½ inch: Tape speed 15''/s or 30''/s (38 cm/s or 76cm/s); 
NAB or CCIR/DIN/IEC1 equalization at 15''/s (38cm/s), 
and IEC2 (17.5µs) at 30''/s (76cm/s). 
For a half speed cut we can only use tapes that have been recorded at 30''/s (76cm/s).
Possible noise suppression systems are Dolby A, Dolby SR and Telcom. NO noise reduction if a half speed cut from audio tape is desired!
Please provide us with a digital copy of the master. This digital copy doesn't need to be of a particular quality. A simple MP3 suffices for that. We use the digital copy to have a quick overview of the dynamic course of the recording (where are the loudest, where are the most quiet parts), and to spot parts in advance which might provide difficulties at the cut or at the play back of the resulting vinyl.
The audio material to be transferred to disk should be preceded by the following (the same in both channels/mono):
A sine tone of 1 kHz, with a level that reflects the 0dB reading at your level meter; 
A sine tone of 10 kHz at 20 dB below that level (this is particularly necessary for adjusting the magnetic head gap),
And a sine tone of 40 Hz or 50 Hz at 20 dB below the 1kHz level as well. 
Additional sine tones with other frequencies are welcome; if these are provided, please document the level in relation to the 1kHz tone, and frequency.
In addition – if applicable – please include the specific test tone, e.g. “Dolby tone”, for the noise suppression used. This is very important!
The order of the selections and the pauses between selections must be the same as desired for the phonograph disk.
Please make sure to specify the following on the tape box or on an accompanying sheet:
Ordering party, catalog, order or matrix number, equalization, tape speed, noise suppression, test tones (frequency and level, in relation to the maximum level), all selections and their playing times, and the position of the selections on the disk (A1, A2, B1, etc.)

5. MiniDisc

This is a medium with stored data-reduced audio files. Impairment of sound quality shall be the responsibility of the customer. Additional data reduction associated with longplay mode must be avoided.
The order of the selections and the pauses between selections should be the same as desired for the phonograph disk.
Please provide labelling for each selection (track index).
On the order form, please note desired changes, e.g. in the order of the selections.

Uploading

We do not maintain a server where you can upload your files. Please provide the audio files on a server of your choice, and enter a link, if necessary with access authorization data, in the field provided on the order form.
Important! We shall regard the downloaded files as complete and shall assume that they have been checked by the ordering party.
The file types .wav and .aif can be used.
A sampling rate of up to 192 kHz can be used, with up to 24 bit/32 bit floating point resolution.
Within these limits we strongly recommend maintaining the sampling rate and resolution selected for the production or mastering when creating the master.
We can also process DDP (Disc Description Protocol) 2.0 file sets.
If possible, please create a separate file for each selection; the complete master can then be provided in a directory and/or a package such as a ZIP file.
Extensive data compression, as found in MP3, is not appropriate, and changes in the sound character arising from this shall be the responsibility of the customer.
The file names must permit a clear correlation with the order of selections on the disk and must correspond to the information provided on the order form.
In addition, on the order form please specify the length of the pauses between selections, or state that the selections are to follow one another without pauses.
We save each downloaded master on a data storage medium.