Frequently Asked Questions

It means you can place your order on our website, get an order number and upload your files before paying anything. We will then prep your graphics, send you proofs and start production upon your approval. Then we will send you an invoice via email with a simple payment button that you can pay using VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover or PayPal.

We do require payment in full before we ship anything. For vinyl order we require a 50% deposit before we create your lacquer.

We have a shipping calculator in the cart. You can add a product to your cart, risk free! Just select the style of packaging you are interested in, choose the quantity, style and finish (if applicable) and hit the "Add to Cart" button. This will take you to the cart section of the website. At the bottom of the cart you'll find the shipping calculator. This will show you all the shipping options that will be available for your postal code later on in the check out process.

This way you can determine the shipping options that best fit your budget and timeline before moving forward with ordering. And you can easily remove an item from your cart, change the quantity and calculate a shipping quote again for the new quantity or style of packaging!

When manufacturing CDs, DVDs, vinyl, and print work, it is normal for us to make more than the quantity ordered to account for quality control issues. Most companies charge you for the extras. We don’t. We just give them to you for free.

If we end up with an under-run, meaning due to quality control too many units have to be discarded and you end up with less that you ordered, we will refund you the per unit cost.

Once you have placed an order and we have received all of your elements (audio, graphics...etc) pre-production starts. You will receive PDF proofs via email within 1-3 business days.

Once you approve the proofs day zero of production time starts, which depends on what you have ordered

These production times are estimates and subject to change. If you are ordering vinyl, turn times often fluctuate. Call us at (503) 610-2929 for current estimated vinyl production times.

Shipping times depends on shipping method and destination.

In order to place a re-order, simply place a new order on our website for the same type of packaging as you ordered before. When specifying the options for your project you will be asked "Is this a re-order?" Select "Yes", or "Yes, with changes" if you need to make any modifications. If you remember your old order number, put that in as well in the field below.

You will receive an order confirmation, just as if it was a new order. Don't panic; You don't have to upload your files again, we  keep everything archived. However, if you wish to make small changes to certain aspects of your project, then you can upload the files that are changed and send us an email to production@atomicdisc.com to specify any details about the change.

4/0 and 4/4 are common printing terminology terms and basically means single or double sided printing. 4/0 refers to printing 4 colors on one side of the paper and 0 colors on the other side of the paper. 4/4 means 4 colors printed on both sides of the paper. The four colors in process color printing are CMYK, (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key - which is black.)

There are two main color modes. CMYK and RGB. The basic rule of thumb; CMYK is used for printing, RGB is for looking at things on a screen.

CMYK stands for cyan, magenta, yellow and k (which is black). CMYK is also what is often referred to as four-color or process color.

It is important that you work in the CMYK color mode. What generally happens if you work in RGB, is that your printed graphics come out looking a little duller and less saturated than what you see on the screen.

Detailed and illustrated instructions can be found on our "How to create CD graphics in Photoshop" page.

Detailed and illustrated instructions can be found on our "How to create CD graphics in Illustrator" page.

For duplication we use the highest rated CD-Rs with a white flood, to get the best possible print quality. With duplication orders we cannot let the silver base show through.

For replication (500+ qty) we normally flood the discs with white for optimal image quality, but if you prefer a silver knock out, please let us know when you place your order.

You can upload your files to us digitally after you place your order. Your files should be .wav, .aif, .aiff or DDP at 44.1kHz and 16 bit.

Any other file types, sample rates or bit depths will be converted without notification.

MP3s are not recommended, but we will accept them. You’ll also need to fill out the CD track form to ensure that your CDs will have the correct track order, codes...etc.

You can also send us your duplication ready audio CD. We will duplicate exactly what you give us, so make sure you're satisfied with what you send. If you are interested in using our professional mastering services to get the best possible sound quality for your master, we'd be happy to help you.

No, we will not do anything to your audio to alter the volume or compression levels, unless you order mastering from us.

Mastering is the process of preparing your audio content for duplication or digital download. It is often overlooked and misunderstood... and no, it’s not a secretive process that requires a blessing from the Pope! It’s the last stage, the icing on the cake and the final word on how your project will sound. Proper mastering can give your content a cohesive feel and “gloss” that is a signature of higher quality commercial releases. Mastering includes the following but may not be necessary for all content:

• Adjusting volumes from track to track for an even sounding master
• Achieve maximum loudness (if so desired)
• Change song / track order
• Apply dynamic range compression and or limiting to control and “glue” the tracks together
• Apply tonal adjustment and equalization for correction and to get your audio to “shine”
• Clean up unwanted noise, clicks and pops using noise reduction and fading techniques
• Adjusting stereo width using phase techniques to make your audio sound wider
• Basic editing and rearrangement. For example; shorten a song for a radio edit

CD-Text refers to the information that can be embedded (burned) onto your CD master such as song titles and artist name. CD-Text can ONLY be displayed on stand alone CD players or car CD players that are capable of displaying CD-Text. It WILL NOT show up on computers. Many older car and home players can’t decode and display CD-Text... so, it’s not guaranteed that your CD-Text information will be seen. It’s a good idea to have us add your CD-Text information anyway, just in case. Make sure to always fill out a CD Track List Form when ordering CDs and we’ll do the rest.

What you see when you put a CD in your computer and open up iTunes is not actually embedded in the CD itself. iTunes reads from on online database called Gracenote. You can submit your CD's information to the Gracenote database straight from your own iTunes program. It differs slightly for the various versions of iTunes.

Here is the procedure for iTunes 12 laid out in a few simple steps:

1. Open up iTunes on your computer and insert your CD.
2. A message will pop up asking if you want to import the CD - click NO.
3. Now click the button in the top right corner that says "CD Info". Fill out all the relevant information and click "OK".
4. Select the first track on your CD, right click / control click and select "Song Info". A form will pop up where you can enter all the information relevant to that first track. When you're done, click the right arrow in the bottom left corner to go to the next track. When you're all done, click "OK" in the bottom right hand corner.
5. When you're all done and have double and triple checked all your spelling... click on the gear icon in the top right hand corner of your iTunes. Select "Submit CD Track Names..." and click "OK". That's it. It will take a few days for Gracenote to process your submission.

• 12” VINYL MAXIMUM TIME: 23 minutes per side 33 1/3 rpm
• Best quality - up to 18 minutes per side
• OK quality - 18-21 minutes per side
• Less quality - 21-23 minutes per side

If your album is under 15 min per side we recommend manufacturing at 45 rpm for maximum sound quality.

Black vinyl sounds slightly better than colored vinyl. They are a little harder and less susceptible to noise.

Uncompressed audio formats are preferred (WAV, AIFF, AIF) 16bit or 24bit.

Our price already includes prepping your audio, lacquer cutting and stampers. This does not include a proper mastering session specifically for vinyl which many projects may benefit from. Vinyl records differ from CDs greatly with their reduced frequency response and and susceptibility playback issues because of too much bass and high end (treble). Please read our mixing recommendations below.

• Keep your bass frequencies centered (Kick, bass, vocal sibilance)
• High frequencies such as Hi Hats, cymbals and vocal sibilance should be controlled and not too bright.
• Vocal should be properly de-essed.

After we receive all of your elements (audio files, artwork) 7-11 weeks approximately for the Atomic Groove Package. Vinyl turn around times are always changing. Your due date will be calculated based on current supply and demand. In general our turn times are some of the fastest in the industry. Try to get us all of your elements at once to expedite your order.

We work closely with several vinyl pressing plants in order to ensure quality and the fastest turn times possible. The majority of our vinyl is made in Europe.

There is much debate over the sound quality between vinyl records and compact discs.

On a technical level, compact discs offer many advantages over vinyl records. Compact discs yield better frequency response and a higher dynamic range resulting in a more accurate representation of what was recorded and mixed in the studio. Vinyl records can have noticeable pops, crackles and a lower signal to noise ratio. Vinyl records also have a more limited frequency response, most notably in the low end (bass), depending on the length of the material which determines the width of the “cut” or groove.

This all being said, people still love the sound and experience of vinyl records. They are tactile in your hands, have “a sound”, and offer the listener with a much better artwork experience with the oversize front and back cover and insert for extra photos, credits and lyrics.

• Digital format
• Higher dynamic range
• Better frequency response
• Consistent playback quality
• More accurate representation of studio intentions

• Analog format
• Lower dynamic range
• Lower frequency response
• Crackles, pops and more noise can be apparent
• Playback quality is reflective of the turntable and stylus quality
• Has “vibe factor” - a more pleasing sound to many

When placing an order you will receive an email with a link to the upload page where you can upload your video and graphics files.

Please keep in mind that video files can be quite large and depending on your internet speed it might take quite a while to upload. If you experience interruptions in your connection, the file upload might fail.

You can also send us a physical DVD master to:
Atomic Disc
1288 Liberty St. NE
Salem, OR 97301

Preferred video file types: Audio_TS/Video_TS directories (from an authored Video DVD), ISO, or DVD Data files.

We don't recommend .avi, Quicktime (.MOV), .MPEG or .mp4. These file types will play on a computer, but will not play in a DVD player.

If you send us a video file that is not authored properly for DVD we can convert the video file and create an auto-play DVD for you at an additional charge. If you want us to author your DVDs with menus, chapters, sub-titles, etc, this is an additional charge. Please email us at production@atomicdisc.com for a custom quote.

DVD-5 (single layer): 4.7Gb
DVD-9 (dual layer): 8.5Gb

Video content can be compressed in a number of ways so how many minutes of video you can fit varies. A general rule of thumb is that it takes about two gigabytes to store one hour of video.

Yes, if you have created that and properly authored your content into Audio_TS/Video_TS directories. We will duplicate or replicate your content as you provide it to us, unless you need us to do the authoring for you.

Authoring is necessary to ensure that your DVD will play on DVD players. Authoring can result in a simple auto-play video or be more complex with menus, chapters, sub-titles, etc. If you would like us to do the authoring for you, please email us at production@atomicdisc.com for a custom quote.