6.10 Exercises 279 be effectively used to reduce the noise between quiet passages that if note-muted would contribute to the overall noise level of the mix. Once the mix is ready, it is time to bounce it to disk, meaning to mix down digitally the multitrack session to a stereo (or surround) file. The mix-down that will be created reflects exactly the mix you are hearing from your sequencer, so make sure to check carefully that the mix is exactly how you want it before creating the bounce. Each sequencer handles the bounce-to-disk operation in very similar ways. Common parameters that can be set during the bounce procedure include the file format of the bounce, the output channels used, resolution, sample rate, and the option to automatically reimport the bounce in the current project. The audio file formats in widest use for bounced mixes include AIFF, WAV, SD2, and BWF. Other formats that, though less popular, are part of the options offered by most sequencers are Wave 64, MP3, QuickTime, Ogg Vorbis, Windows Media Audio format, and Windows Media Audio Pro format. The premastering session is designed to increase the overall quality of the bounced file before sending it to the final mastering session. In general, a premastering session is conducted by the composer/producer right after the mix stage to prepare the final mixes for professional mastering or for small-scale distribution. A mastering session is usually done by a professional mastering engineer just before going to the mass pro- duction stage, and it involves a series of steps, tools, and techniques that are specifically targeted to a cer- tain audio material. I always advise producers and composers to premaster their projects, mainly because the sound and quality of their projects will improve greatly even with a few small premastering touches. A premastering session can be conducted inside the main sequence. (In this case it is preferable to