Procedure for stem creation
First, record / bounce your final stereo mix as you would normally. This should be a 24 or 16 bit stereo file at the same sampling rate as your session. If there are any “mastering plugins” on the master output you can leave these on as this will give us a reference point as to how the mix was sounding at your end.
Create a folder on your hard drive and label it with the name of the song. Name the file ‘your song name.wav’ and put it into the folder.
At this stage please remove all master bus processing that has been added purely for level.
Anything that has been added at the end of the mix solely with the intention of making it louder can be removed however any compression that has been written into or mixed into and is integral to the sound of the mix can and should be left on. Likewise, any EQ or stereo enhancement plugins that are essential to the sound and vibe of the mix should be left on. Those that were “thrown on” at the end to make it wider and brighter can be removed.
Then without changing any levels, plug-ins, automation or anything else create your stems as per the below instructions and add them into the folder with the bounce of your full mix: