Mastering plugins....?

[seventhirtyfour]

Heard some people talking about mastering plug-ins to throw on the master channel e.g. Ozone and the Vengeance Suite. I was hoping I could get some people's thoughts on these and how worth it you feel they are/how much of a difference you feel they actually make/how much of what these plugs do you can actually do by throwing together your own mastering chain in Ableton. I don't know if it's particularly important, but I produce electronic music. ANY and all thoughts are appreciated. Thanks so much in advance.

[pencilrocket]

His article may help
http://tarekith.com/assets/mastering.html

[Opz]

I use the Elysia Alpha Compressor and UAD-2 eq's and limiter.
I personally don't like all-in-one plugins like Ozone.

[stoersignal]

i like the sonalksis mastering plugins a lot. and as ops wrote i don`t like all-in-one solutions too.
also try waves

[Serra]

most important thing is becoming familiar with your system. Regarding mastering I do think there is an advantage using premium plugins over stock ones. However, once you choose some, don't go crazy getting more and more, and just spend a lot of times learning the trade with thoses.

http://youtu.be/MZu0v5ppZyk

[Linear Phase]

I use the Elysia Alpha Compressor and UAD-2 eq's and limiter.
I personally don't like all-in-one plugins like Ozone.

+ 1

My thoughts..



I also do not like, "all in one, one size fits all," mastering vsti. I think that there is a great deal of confusion of what mastering really is.

To me, "real mastering," takes place in a Mastering Studio, with a Mastering Engineer. These studios are very different from regular studios, and these engineers have an in depth knowledge of how to master albums, and with an ear to match!

I have a pet name, for what is done in home and project studios, and is often called mastering. My pet name is, "home grown, or home brewed mastering." The main differences here are not so much the tools used, but the process that is getting done. Its usually the producer, many of whom have very different skill levels, and knowledge about what they are doing.. going through the motions of compress, eq, and limit, and more often than not it is some fool slapping a limiter on a shit mix, and preparing to upload to soundlcoud...

I like to think I get pretty good results with my, "home-brew masters," and I don't use an, "all in one," ozone, or vengeance, or slate, or etc...

However, at this time, I'd prefer not to share the specific plugins I have been using to achieve my, "home-brews."


Cheers

[Opz]

I use the Elysia Alpha Compressor and UAD-2 eq's and limiter.
I personally don't like all-in-one plugins like Ozone.

+ 1

My thoughts..



I also do not like, "all in one, one size fits all," mastering vsti. I think that there is a great deal of confusion of what mastering really is.

To me, "real mastering," takes place in a Mastering Studio, with a Mastering Engineer. These studios are very different from regular studios, and these engineers have an in depth knowledge of how to master albums, and with an ear to match!

I have a pet name, for what is done in home and project studios, and is often called mastering. My pet name is, "home grown, or home brewed mastering." The main differences here are not so much the tools used, but the process that is getting done. Its usually the producer, many of whom have very different skill levels, and knowledge about what they are doing.. going through the motions of compress, eq, and limit, and more often than not it is some fool slapping a limiter on a shit mix, and preparing to upload to soundlcoud...

I like to think I get pretty good results with my, "home-brew masters," and I don't use an, "all in one," ozone, or vengeance, or slate, or etc...

However, at this time, I'd prefer not to share the specific plugins I have been using to achieve my, "home-brews."


Cheers

Big +1

[freshdrumma]

Eq: Brainworx digital v2 for cutting, vinyl compatibility and treating mono and stereo separate
UAD massive passive and pultec for tone and adding frequency

Compression : if you ever need some, cytomic the glue is a great one, or uad precision multiband for tone and multiband compression

Limiter : sonnox limiter is my first choice, transparent or pumpy is up to you

and: uad ampex tape, fantastic for tone, getting more level and taming the bass and hi
sonnox inflator for ludness and tone correction

don't like ozone but they used that as a limiter at the exchange, can't be bad
don't like tracks, maybe it's me but it muffles all my things
hate waves L1,2,3, to harsh!

[3dot...]

if it's my stuff..
I try to fix everything in the mix (not on the master)..
I usually use 'flat-blaster2' from Reaktor on the master and it's enough..
if it isn't..(sometimes you need to fix problems in the mix and don't have it available)
I remove fb2 and use waves plugins/Ableton devices/var. other vsts...as needed
whatever works .. there isn't 1 way..

in any case..
mastering work is usually very subtle.. and you should use tools that are more 'transparent'..than actual fx
(the use of slight linear-phase eqing is one example..)
precision and 'non-intrusiveness' is key..
although sometimes major coloring is the order of the day..

about compressors (maximizers/limiters)..
there are companies which dedicate a lot of time/resources to 'maximize' the full range of your headroom...
with sophiscticated yet transparent audio compression technologies
they usually patent their technologies..
today this sort of compression is used most abusively.. depending on your genre of course...
check the peak/rms levels of tracks you would like as a reference..

another thing to consider.. is that in mastering ..
knowledge and ear-training are the most important... plugins are just tools..
one could master their stuff with only live devices/free or cheap vsts and the quality will still be very good if he knows what he's doing..
don't believe the hype..
that said. checking your masters on various speakers and listening environments is more important than this or that plugin..imo of course..

[sporkles]

+1 for fixing it in the mix.

Especially since you casually refer to mastering as "throwing a plugin on the master channel". I take it you want to give your tracks more punch and "loudness"? Your most valuable tool is an equaliser: put one on every track you've got, and use it to CUT frequencies if you find that a sound on another track is not coming through in the mix. Add a compressor after the EQ if needed. When your mix is balanced and the various tracks don't collide too much (if you've got a synth lead, for example, with a bit of low end to it, which kind of drowns you bassline, you need to sacrifice the clashing frequencies on the synth lead as long as the two are playing simultaneously), the final steps/mastering will be so much easier.

A tip if you're looking for a particular "sound", i.e. if there's a professionally released track you can compare your work in progress with, you can drag it into your set on a new audio track. Make sure that your individual tracks are turned down quite significantly, so that you've got plenty of headroom (during mixing, you should aim at a master peak at -3db, tops). Then, turn down your reference track so that they sound similarly loud. Now you can start working out what needs to be reduced in gain, what needs EQing, what needs compression. (A nice trick is to deactivate the reference track and map its solo button to a key on your keyboard, so that you can easily flip between it and your mix.)

Your very last step should be "slapping a plugin on the master" - there are some usable ones among Live's effect racks ("Neutral Mastering" is nice enough). You can then start adding subtle low end boosts, limiting, etc. on your master, so that your final mix sounds good.

[JayNiko]

I like Voxengo Elephant
http://www.voxengo.com/product/elephant/

[dazzer]

Love Ozone, no idea why people would call it 'one size fits all' 'cos it's not - you use what components of it you want (if you want) in the order that you want. It's components are, individually, excellent quality and if you stump up the cash for Advanced you actually get the individual plugs as well.

[seventhirtyfour]

Thanks so much for all the replies. Too helpful. Really trying to work on the production part of my music right now, so it is great to know what people have found useful WITHIN Ableton and as 3rd party (i.e. Ableton's EQ 8 and Limiter vs. others)...that's what I was trying to get a flavor for. Again, thank you tons.

[patrick.olson86]

I try to get as good in the mix and then I use my handy-dandy Volume Maximizer limiter from BBE Sound. Came in a 3 pack with the sonic maximizer and harmonic maximizer. All three plugins are pretty sweet.

[mholloway]

Sonnox Limiter is still unrivalled, and I've tried everything else. It's amazing and certainly the most essential piece of (soft) gear I own for post-production.