Mastering, what are you using?

bodhi71 · Post by **bodhi71** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 1:35 am

I've been using T racks for about a year now. Haven't had much luck, maybe it's my tin ears from working in loud environments, maybe because whenever I get enough scratch together for monitors I buy something "FUN", or maybe I have not educated myself well enough in this area.
So how about it, what's you're secret weapon of choice?

solacerodgers · Post by **solacerodgers** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 1:42 am

Magix samplitude + UAD 1 card + waves mastering bundle + RND design bundle ( for metering ) out of a benchmark d/a and always burned with a plextor cd burner with plextools to monitor the burn.

funky shit · Post by **funky shit** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 1:48 am

my ears.

Tarekith · Post by **Tarekith** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 1:58 am

Practice, acoustic treatment, Voxengo Elephant 3, and umm... a lot more practice.

man ovaboardz · Post by **man ovaboardz** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 2:19 am

just copped some gik acoustics and psp vintage warmer...ozone 4 is next...thats 4 personal mastering though...otherwise, i'm payin' an ME...

leedsquietman · Post by **leedsquietman** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 2:32 am

Decent monitors and headphones, treated room, 20 years + of audio engineering experience with college courses, immersing myself in mastering techniques and gaining knowledge from the best pros in the business.

And beyond that, any number of tools, my software favourites are Sony Soundforge 9 and CD Architect for audio editing/fades/stays analysis/red book compliant CD burning and various plugins such as Sonalksis (Essentials mkII bundle), PSP (Master Comp and Neon EQ), RND Audio (Inspector XL, Uniquelizer EQ) and the ubiquitous Voxengo Elephant 3 as recommended by Tarekith and others, among various choices.

At this, I will bow out, as I tend to get carried away on Mastering threads and we've had about 3 trillion of those in recent months, but anyone who's interested can see this quick tutorial vid I made on mastering with software plugins with an objective to raise the volume and get the sound a bit crisper and punchier - what it does not show is the hours of monitoring and tweaking but it does show some of the stats analysis, plugins and has a before and after song comparison

http://www.distinguishedrecordings.com/mastering.wmv

solacerodgers · Post by **solacerodgers** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 3:39 am

leedsquietman wrote:Decent monitors and headphones, treated room, 20 years + of audio engineering experience with college courses, immersing myself in mastering techniques and gaining knowledge from the best pros in the business.

And beyond that, any number of tools, my software favourites are Sony Soundforge 9 and CD Architect for audio editing/fades/stays analysis/red book compliant CD burning and various plugins such as Sonalksis (Essentials mkII bundle), PSP (Master Comp and Neon EQ), RND Audio (Inspector XL, Uniquelizer EQ) and the ubiquitous Voxengo Elephant 3 as recommended by Tarekith and others, among various choices.

At this, I will bow out, as I tend to get carried away on Mastering threads and we've had about 3 trillion of those in recent months, but anyone who's interested can see this quick tutorial vid I made on mastering with software plugins with an objective to raise the volume and get the sound a bit crisper and punchier - what it does not show is the hours of monitoring and tweaking but it does show some of the stats analysis, plugins and has a before and after song comparison

http://www.distinguishedrecordings.com/mastering.wmv

I will have to drag you back in now lol ........ do use you a transient shaper in your mastering chain yet?

leedsquietman · Post by **leedsquietman** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 4:28 am

I have used the Waves trans-X at work on the PTHD TDM system, but at home I only currently have the digitalfishphones Dominion free plugin, which is actually really great for free (the guy who wrote it now works for Magix and writes plugins for Samplitude/Sequoia). I have heard Virsyn's Transient Designer and SPL Transient Shaper and was impressed by both. In the video clip I did not include this.

aisling · Post by **aisling** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 6:24 am

After many delusional attempts of self mastering, I use a professional who has no emotional investment in the musical production process, but has an integrity investment in his craft.
Although I have gotten pretty good at mastering how to self serve......

logic_user99 · Post by **logic_user99** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 9:07 am

I use Live's compressor on the master output. That's it! I work my mix with automation and EQ until it's 100% fixed. Following that, I'll put a very light compressor at the end, just to bring the kicks & bass out a bit.

UKRuss · Post by **UKRuss** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 9:56 am

EQ8, BBE Sonic Maxmiser, PSP Vintage Warmer and a LOT of ABing against other records and listneing to it on ipods, home system, car, monitors, phones and just using me ears.

Never going to set the mastering world alight but not heard many complaints recently either. Ergo, it'll do well enough.

SubFunk · Post by **SubFunk** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 11:12 am

funky shit wrote:my ears.

in a nutshell, and if we talk real mastering someone elses ears. not because mine are bad, but one of the points about mastering is to let your material travel through a different pair of ears.

i do make mastering, but i never master my own material. that would be one of the points missed.

and practise, experience, practise, experience, practise, experience, practise, experience, practise, experience,

ethios4 · Post by **ethios4** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 4:20 pm

I try to focus on getting the mix as near to perfect as I can, then slap a mastering limiter (usually Elephant) on. I figure if I want real mastering I'll be a lot better off if I know how to get the mix right, and then pay a professional to do it.

SubFunk · Post by **SubFunk** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 4:40 pm

ethios4 wrote:I try to focus on getting the mix as near to perfect as I can, then slap a mastering limiter (usually Elephant) on. I figure if I want real mastering I'll be a lot better off if I know how to get the mix right, and then pay a professional to do it.

That's the way to go!

solacerodgers · Post by **solacerodgers** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 4:40 pm

Since we are on the topic and I keep seeing the word let me ask you what do you think is a professional mastering engineer? I dont consider myself a professional by any means but I have spent a year working at a mastering house in atlanta and went to college before that to get my degree in music techonolgy ( basically engineering but it cant be called that ) and have worked for 3 studios and now run my own small in home studio but even with those 9 years of music training I dont consider myself a professional because I do not do it every day and I do not have the access to the equipment that I think a good mastering house should. So in short what makes a professional, what is the minimun requirements you would trust someone with to master your music as well?

Mastering, what are you using?

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