Izotope Ozone vs T-Racks 3

[cmcg37]

I have used T-Racks for years. I was using it when it was only a stand alone application. When the plug-ins came out, I was giddy with power.

I love T-Racks. It is my go to when putting on the polish. I don't think T-Racks adds that much character to the sound. They market the product as "analog" sounding. I hate to sound like a snob but only analog sounds analog. T-Racks sounds like T-racks.

I have started using Ozone only recently. Ozone can give you that over maximized cooked/distorted sound really quickly. It is not my thing but a lot of my clients ask for that sound. Ozone puts a nice shiny crisp coat on your mix. T-Racks is great at picking up where the mix is a little weak.

This has been discussed to death in other parts of this forum but here it goes. . .

My go to device for mastering is my ears. A bad mix will turn into a bad master regardless of what software or box you run it through.
I mix through a set of JBL LSR monitors. I have also done some treatment to my room. Regardless of your environment, the JBL and the room mode correction feature can really help out. I don't know your current situation but I am on a laptop most of the time. I have mixed in headphones for years. I mix in a set of Sennheiser HD280pros. I am on my fourth set of these cans but I know what they sound like and what they do to the mix. The way that I learned to mix on headphones was to listen to all sorts of program material. I would listen to audio that I knew really well on various play back systems and compare that to the HD280s. Your first mixes on headphones are going to sound HORRIBLE but practice pays off.

Spend money on your monitoring environment be it speakers or headphones. When you get a good feel for mixing and actually hearing what you are mixing, the mastering phase is almost done for you in the actual mix.

If you are going to buy software and ignore the above information, just buy the least expensive one. You will be a few bucks ahead to getting the tools you need for a solid mix.

Good Luck and keep mixing.

[Tarekith]

I'd say Ozone if you're set on doing it yourself. However, just use the limiter and the dither, ignore everything else. IF you need more than that, go back and work on your mixdown.

[mike_o]

I'd say Ozone if you're set on doing it yourself. However, just use the limiter and the dither, ignore everything else. IF you need more than that, go back and work on your mixdown.

note taken.

[leedsquietman]

Ozone's EQ and mastering reverb are definately average to say the least...great monitoring visuals though !!

[leedsquietman]

Also, a lot of analog simulations do sound very close to the real thing IMHO. Certainly close enough to fool 90% of the people 90% of the time. And definately add something to a sterile sounding mix if used appropriately.

Examples - UAD plugins (EMT Plate 140, Cambridge EQ, Pultech EQ, Neve 1073 and 33609, 1176, precison limiter, LA2A etc all decent emulations and the Roland RE201 Space Echo is awesome), Waves SSL and API plugins, Sonalksis Essentials mkII (designed by ex Neve employees), Liquid Mix, Sonnox (es. Cambridge EQ) and some of the McDSP plugins on Protools.

I grew up on analog, editing tape with razor blades and racks of expensive analog and digital gear recorded onto Studer A80s and Otari multitracks and the like, so I am also a lover of original analog outboard gear, but the modern plugin emulations are good and getting better.

[ashtonron]

I am not really doing Mastering so to speak, just helping some mates out to get things sounding a bit better.

I started off using Ozone.. using the presets as a guide and as a way of learning..
I then moved on to using pretty much only the limiter + dither in ozone, sometimes the stereo imaging... and now I use Sonalksis eq/ Elosis Air eq and Elephant 3 .. sometimes I use voxengo varisaturator as well, but only in small amounts

this process has taken me a few years though..

Ozone is a good starting point and a great way of learning.. (I haven't upgraded to version 4 though)

[dick nixon]

Ozone is pretty cool. If you don't crank everything, it can make your stuff sound better.

What you should do depends what you're after. I have no illusions that millions of people are going to want to buy my stuff, so I'm happy to do what little mastering-type work I can do on my own and save the money I would have spent on a mastering engineer to buy cool stuff.

Plus, I like to tinker, so I actually enjoy the mastering process. I don't care if I don't do a million-dollar job. It's fun, and it sounds good to me, so good enough.