Whats your favorite Mastering Plugin?

[SubFunk]

yeah, i guess it looks like I was being a dick but it's honest advice.


That said, I only get my stuff mastered when the label pays for it, otherwise its the TA ghetto mastering job FTW

i don't think you are a dick, things are the way they are.

this is still THE TOPIC which most people simply don't get.

[forge]

Nothing from Waves (especially L2) *unless you like your mixes coloured/distorted that way*

Never experienced that problem.

Must have been pilot error.

me not either, but i think [actually know] that it is hardly ever the plug, but rather the abuse opposed to the gentle use of it. if you turn everything to 11 like most people do, at least in that stage to get to high volumes, then don't wonder that it sounds shit.

I agree with these comments


I find more times than I can believe when I look at people's sets the faders are in the orange or red

that's the trap with high digital headroom - you can get away with turning things right up, but what happens then is the plugins - like L2 - get driven way too hard

[eyeknow]

digital headroom............what an oxymoron.........

So true what was said about orange and red......BAD BAD choices in the digital realm 99% of the time.

And, I have to admit, I don't have the "answer" even though I'm pretty darn good with levels.......

That reminds me......sometimes, I miss tape......

[dru]

What about for the hobbyist? Is PSP good enough or are there better ones? (UB preferably).

[eyeknow]

well, I have to "plug" (hahaha, love that pun) the the wave arts stuff. They have come a long ways.

Some others I'd consider, though probably more expensive, anything "sonnox" (oxford, used to be sony, but that's dongle/ilok and more expensive...) and if you are going that far in price........might I recommend the URS stuff......very very clean, very easy to use and nice low latency........

I can't get into waves (please, if you like them, understand I'm not panning them......just pointing this out......) I can't deal with the wep or the fact that you need an "ilok" driver to drive the "separate" ilok............ugggg.......gives me a headache.....great plugs.......but there is only so much I can take with dongles, drivers...etc........

[SubFunk]

of course there are high quality plugs outhere that will enhance your tracks sonically a lot, if used right.

URS, WAVES, UAD-1, POWERCORE... to name but a few.

it's more about just not to abuse them. simply use your ears. while applying / tweaking. and try to make things sound right during the mixdown first of all!!!

then you can subtle enhance. and stand away from making it all ridicuolous loud, just for the sake of it.

and you will earn satisfactory results.

[knotkranky]

Exactly. All the mentioned 2 buss plugs are good, but there only as good as your mix.

Live with the mixes for a week or two before any loudness bs.

[Sales Dude McBoob]

Whats your favorite Mastering Plugin?

I don't have one!

Actually, the Squeez5 plug in Peak Pro XT 5 sounds amazing, but the software that it runs in is terrible!

When we (studiomate and I) got our first DAW, a friend hooked us up with a bunch of *gasp!* cracked software. We had lots of Waves, etc. Back then I used the L2 and lots of other goodies, and I liked them very much.

But, since that old PC died and we went Mac, I haven't had any Waves stuff. It's too expensive for my budget, I'm now morally opposed to using cracks, I work in the MI industry but I don't want NFRs of Waves stuff. Face it, their product line is too confusing. Bundle this- WUP that- Native-blah blah. I've heard people's nightmare tales of using Waves NFRs or demos and then having weird issues with their systems afterward. Authroization issues, DAWs hanging up because they are looking for Waves plugs that arn't there anymore, etc. I don't want problems. I want tools.

Alas, I need a good mastering host DAW before I can zero in on plugs. Peak let me down.

But I do love the "audio challenge" of mastering & I like this thread.

I've used iZotope Ozone, but I wasn't all that impressed. But again, my skill set is pretty green.

Next time I record and mix an album, I'm going to give myself A LOT more headroom. Mixing too close to the red gives the mastering person no play space. I learned my lesson. It's going to be hard to hold back in the future.

:: i wish i could slam my daw like i slam my reel-to-reel ::

[PurpleHaze]

Mix
listen
mix some more
listen
keep mixing
listen
listen
more mixing
listen over there
listen yonder
don't listen for a day
tweak
tweak
get a bite
listen
tweak
should sound like a record at this point
then gently
Waves C4 > Waves L2

True true, seems like a real plan i guess it will work, seems logical enough

[SubFunk]

Mix
listen
mix some more
listen
keep mixing
listen
listen
more mixing
listen over there
listen yonder
don't listen for a day
tweak
tweak
get a bite
listen
tweak
should sound like a record at this point
then gently
Waves C4 > Waves L2

True true, seems like a real plan i guess it will work, seems logical enough

the word is LISTEN. the ears should be your only meter.

that said if you really intend to give your project ever to a real mastering facility, then leave some HEADROOM to work with!

just make your mixdown as good sounding as possible, concentrate on nothing than that and forget the 'volume' alltogether... then if the track is really worth it, give it to some experienced hands and ears... it will pay off.

Sales Dude McBoob wrote:

Next time I record and mix an album, I' ... he future.

hold back, it's well worth it.

[PurpleHaze]

i found a new way man, when in the mixing process make sure all you sounds are crisp and fit together then you would not have to add any EQ you will just need to pan and adjust the volume.

[SubFunk]

i found a new way man, when in the mixing process make sure all you sounds are crisp and fit together then you would not have to add any EQ you will just need to pan and adjust the volume.

you are not far off, a well crafted / mixed track hardly needs any aftermath... still there is always the little icing on the cake to be managed by people who know there trade.

[and the 'trade' is no mysterious thing, just a well trained and learned profession which involves a very long dedication... that's all]

i just have great respect for those well trained ears / skills, cause i heard many times what difference it can make.

[knotkranky]

Next time I record and mix an album, I'm going to give myself A LOT more headroom. Mixing too close to the red gives the mastering person no play space. I learned my lesson.

Spot on, great tip. My mixes are -2db at peak before any mastering plugs. Even less if I go to a pro.

[SubFunk]

Next time I record and mix an album, I'm going to give myself A LOT more headroom. Mixing too close to the red gives the mastering person no play space. I learned my lesson.

Spot on, great tip. My mixes are -2db at peak before any mastering plugs. Even less if I go to a pro.

any mastering house is happy with -2db to -6db.

[knotkranky]

Spot on, great tip. My mixes are -2db at peak before any mastering plugs. Even less if I go to a pro.

any mastering house is happy with -2db to -6db.

Yup. And as you've mentioned before, it's all ears. Most music makers approach their own mastering as some kind of mathematical thing. Then their ears go dead.