12-00768 - Q and As.pdf

Questions and Answers

Compact Disc Mastering and Duplication Services

PR # BCYA1323-12-00768

How will the unmastered WAV files be delivered? Download or on physical media (CD, DVD, flash, etc.) through the mail?

The method in use the past few years has been for the Task Manager to upload via Dropbox.com four long wav files for each CD to be authored monthly (2), three of which of about 18:35 duration, and consisting of 18 one-minute cuts 2 seconds apart. Vendor will turn those segments into the CD tracks. The last wav file in the monthly CD project upload is somewhat shorter in RT, and on 31-day months contains 20 cuts, six of which run :30.

Regarding the 4 day turnaround, is the time taken for shipping the audition copy to the Task Manager and the time for that person to review the CD included in the 4 days? Or do the 4 days start after the audition copy is approved for a final master?

As we can never pull ourselves back from "the brink" regarding our mail-outs, the 4 day turnaround is from receipt of our mixes for authoring to the duplication process. The audition copy is reviewed and approved on the same day received (sometimes after work hours).

What information is needed on the CD wallet/sleeve?

1. Complete track listing of all 68-74 tracks? If so, can you provide a sample track name that I can use to estimate printing space considerations?

2. CD title? If so can you provide a sample disc title?

3. Do you have graphics or logos that will be used on the wallet?

This is a typical label, applied to either existing, remaining wallet stock (Profile America), and plain white paper sleeve for the Spanish product (the label will be in Spanish, of course, as shown):

Profile America Topics for May 2012

1 (32) May 1 First Skyscraper 2 (33) May 2 Batman 3 (34) [63, 64*] May 3 Asian Americans 4 (35) May 4 Kentucky Derby 5 (36) May 5 Cinco de Mayo

6 (37) [65*] May 6 Nurses Week 7 (38) [66, 67*] May 7 Older Americans Month 8 (39) May 8 National Teacher Day 9 (40) May 9 Receptionists

10 (41) May 10 Lilac Festival 11 (42) May 11 Martha Graham . 12 (43) May 12 Odometer 13 (44) May 13 Mother’s Day 14 (45) [68] May 14 WAAC Anniversary 15 (46) May 15 First Flight Attendant 16 (47) May 16 First Academy Awards 17 (48) May 17 Major Supreme Court Decision 18 (49) [69*] May 18 Bicycles 19 (50) [70] May 19 Fingerprints 20 (51) May 20 Safe Boating

21 (52) May 21 Glenn Curtiss 22 (53) May 22 National Maritime Day 23 (54) May 23 First Life Insurance Company 24 (55) [71, 72*] May 24 First Veterinary School 25 (56) [73*] May 25 Grilling Out 26 (57) May 26 Peggy Lee 27 (58) May 27 Sam Snead’s 100th 28 (59) May 28 Memorial Day 29 (60) May 29 Best Selling Song 30 (61) [74] May 30 First Auto Accident 31 (62) May 31 America’s Worst Flood

Cuts 1 - 31 male voice w/music bed 32 - 62 w/alternate music bed 63 - 74 generic May spots

*:30 version

Temas para Al Día mayo 2012

1 (32) mayo 1 Primer rascacielos 2 (33) mayo 2 Batman 3 (34) [63, 64*] mayo 3 Asiáticos-americanos 4 (35) mayo 4 Kentucky Derby 5 (36) mayo 5 Cinco de mayo 6 (37) [65*] mayo 6 Semana de las enfermeras 7 (38) [66, 67*] mayo 7 Mes de las personas mayores 8 (39) mayo 8 Día nacional del maestro 9 (40) mayo 9 Recepcionistas 10 (41) mayo 10 Festival de lilas 11 (42) mayo 11 Martha Graham 12 (43) mayo 12 Odómetro 13 (44) mayo 13 Día de las madres 14 (45) [68] mayo 14 Aniversario de las WAACs 15 (46) mayo 15 Primer asistente de vuelo 16 (47) mayo 16 Primeros premios de la Academia 17 (48) mayo 17 Trascendental decisión del Tribunal Supremo 18 (49) [69*] mayo 18 Bicicletas 19 (50) [70] mayo 19 Huellas digitales 20 (51) mayo 20 Seguridad en los botes 21 (52) mayo 21 Glenn Curtiss 22 (53) mayo 22 Día Marítimo nacional 23 (54) mayo 23 Primera compañía de pólizas de seguro 24 (55) [71, 72*] mayo 24 Primera escuela de veterinaria 25 (56) [73*] mayo 25 Parrilladas en exteriores 26 (57) mayo 26 Peggy Lee 27 (58) mayo 27 100 años de Sam Snead 28 (59) mayo 28 Día del Veterano 29 (60) mayo 29 La canción más vendida 30 (61) [74] mayo 30 Primer accidente de auto 31 (62) mayo 31 Peor inundación en EE. UU.

cortes 1 - 31 voz feminina con música cortes 32 - 62 voz feminina con música alternative cortes 63 - 74 episodios genéricos para mayo *versión de :30

Is there a specific type of wallet that you have in mind? There are many options to choose from and I am capable of producing any of them, but for planning purposes it would help me know what you'd like to use.

There is no specific type of wallet.

Are the wallets to be printed or will I be printing stickers to go on generic/unprinted wallets?

Taking four and five together, as this is a disposable product, plain paper sleeves are in the public interest, cost-wise. Especially since every so often The Boardroom wants to tinker with slogans and logos, thus making printing wallets with economy of scale rather a fruitless pursuit.

Is the mastering process intended to be simply sequencing and assembly of the customer-provided audio files onto a Compact Disc master for replication without regard to evaluation of those files, or is some subjective evaluation and adjustment of the audio expected to ensure consistency of their levels, dynamics, and spectral context?

Yes, the mixing is done by the client on ProTools, creating WAV files for FTP and the vendor's CD authoring

Will the total of all the files to be put on a CD ever exceed 74 mins? Will we ever need to produce two CDs instead of one?

In over 15 years of production, this has never happened, so odds strongly indicate it will not happen. If two CDs are needed, the Census Bureau would accommodate this increased level of effort with a contract amendment to pay an extra cost.

Part 6 states: Production support tasks as needed, such as special editions, extra duplications, packaging (wallet and sleeve) designing and printing. How should these special items be included as a total fixed price? Or will those be billed and created separately?

As with the question of the CD length, this is a mere possibility , and included in the Statement of Work in the event it becomes a necessity.

How long is each broadcast wav file?

Wav file compilations (around 18 cuts per file) are sent to vendor for authoring CDs containing 70 (leap-year Februarys) to 74 tracks per month. No track exceeds one minute, and the regular monthly issues (as opposed to Black History special editions) contain 6 30-second tracks as well. Breaking that down for a 30-day month, that would be 66 one-minute tracks, plus the shorter group of 6-72 tracks.

What is the general playback devices used for listen to these broadcast such as: PCs, portable CD players, motor vehicle CD players, home theatre system?

The primary target recipients of the duplicated CDs are broadcast radio stations. We have a smattering of private individual subscribers, and some school teachers, but actual radio broadcasting of the cuts is the raison d’etre.

Are all shipping addresses within the Continental United States?

The vendor will ship only to the Task Manager at the Census Bureau, making the overnight shipment a package or parcel, not separate envelopes. The Task Manager handles mailing out the individual discs.

Are shipping recipients required to receive the broadcast by a specific number of days?

Recipients must receive their individual mailings before the first of every month.

Regarding the CD master that is sent for review and authorization; how is that normally sent from the mastering facility to the Task Manager? Overnight US mail or electronically as a DDP or some other image file via FTP?

The CD master is not sent; it's to be an audition copy by overnight delivery service that is addressed to the Task Manager.