The only thing that I find concerning is Ableton's CPU inefficiencies. I've been playing around heavily with Logic over the past 2 months and when I compare the 2 DAWs side by side Logic uses only a fraction of the resources that Ableton does. Will you have enough CPU left over for some complex mastering software, even after freezing tracks? If so then great, go for it.andrew_ wrote:So I'm trying to get rid of my pirated software, which includes the copy of Wavelab I've been using to master my tracks.
So now as I'm considering either buying it or another host app, I'm beginning to wonder if there's any need. If I use the exact same plugins on the master channel in Ableton, it shouldn't make a difference right?
As far as the job you'll do, it's absolutely true that nothing beats a professional to master your stuff. But that costs money and many artists don't always have a stack that they can sink on the cost of mastering. If that holds true for you then there are a few things you can do to create an adequate mix. A couple of tricks would be to stand in the corner of your room to gauge exactly how bass-heavy you've gone. Another is to listen to your mix on any and every sound source you can muster before committing to it. Another would be to get a good pair of flat-response headphones so you can cut the wierd and counter-intuitive acoustics of your space out of the mix. And mix at low volume to avoid ear fatigue and to make sure that your highs cut through bass at low levels. No, there's no substitute for a professional but then again, look at all of the lo-fi artists that get clamored over on Pitchfork -- if those artists get fans by having recordings that sound like they were recorded straight to a cheap cassette, then surely a final mixdown that's had a lot of time and effort could suffice.
Ableton is not a sufficient application to master audio. 
