Ableton Forum

So i decided im going to do my own mastering since i cant afford sending all my tracks to a mastering engineer.

Im downloading both demos and of course will try, but since im not no expert or have no experince on mastering id like to know your opinions on both softwares, wich do u think would be a better option?

none of the 2
i still suggest sending your tracks to a mastering engineer
there are good deals over the internet
unless you have dozens of tracks the result worth the $$

but if you really really have to pick up one of these 2 i would go for ozone

id agree with going with ozone as i just got bought it last week and find it easy to work with and very good results

Another vote for Ozone. I'm a fan. The key is to not overdo it with compression and other effects. You can get great results with a little research and experimentation. Good luck.

Neither.

Waves Musicians Bundle. Eq just cut below 30 and above 16, followed by R-Comp and L3. (secret home mastering sauce )

Tod

waves also do great plugins as stated above defo worth checking out too if ozone doesnt float your boat but it is great as a all in one plugin!

Greetz,

I would have said Ozone BUT since I've started using it I've got lost in one track that means a lot to me.

It's a great tool but can take you on a journey that means re-mixing and even choosing different sounds etc.

I think the best way to master your music is - "GET SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT".

I know it's hard to let go of your music but a set of fresh ears will probably make all the difference.

Z.

I know its better to have a mastering engineer do the job, i actually would prefer that but i cannot afford sending all my tracks...when i get some tracks released its the label resposability not mine.

Try Tarekith.. he does stuff I think.. I eventually will try his services which are reasonably priced.. I just have to finish the songs..

T-racks interface is extremely stupid. It can sound pretty good, but it's ugly as sin and forces you to do with the whole "analog emulation" crap, etc etc. Ozone -- i really dig the multiband compressor, i've gotten great sounding results with it. but I just can't into the limiter, it never gets things as loud or punchy as I want them, so I have to go elsewhere for that.

personally I really don't like the idea of a mastering suite, because if you get really into this stuff, you will inevitably end up liking what some parts do for you, but wanting other plugins for other parts. like i'd never use ozone's stereo expansion or EQ or limiter or reverb...but like the multiband comp and also use the harmonic excitation. but ideally you'd build your prefered mastering chain out of various plugins, after trying and tweaking with each, getting to know them well, and eventually having a kickass pieced-together mastering chain that you know works for you, rather than a "bundle" that might or might not work totally for your needs.

I really like the Sonnox Oxford plugins, particularly the EQ and Limiter (my fav limiter by far), but they (like many individual mastering plugs) are too expensive. I've also really liked the PSP Vintage Warmer. More affordably, people really like the Voxengo Elephant, which I keep meaning to look further into. Used with ozone's multiband comp, sonalksis stereo tools, and a good EQ, that's a pretty nice chain forming....

but if you go the ozone-only route, just make sure you really LIKE and WANT each part of that program, rather than just assuming ahead of time, "this is how i'll do my mastering"....

-M

i got better results out of t-racks because of the analog emulation crap.

simply a testament to the face i should not be mastering anything

T-racks and Ozone are both OK for what they are but I prefer individual mastering plugins

The Sonalksis Essentials MkII bundle http://www.sonalksis.com/index.php?section_id=2 especially the EQ is amazing, the compressor is also super analogish.

PSP Mastercomp is the best mastering compressor I've used http://www.pspaudioware.com/

Voxengo Elephant 3 is the best mastering limiter http://www.voxengo.com/product/elephant/


I'm not a huge fan of Waves, their dongle and upgrade policies suck, and they are IMHO very overpriced. I also like the UAD plugins, although they are also very expensive and SOnnox also good but also i-loked and expensive.

i use OZONE 3 and i love it.
but, i don't ever use their PRESETS. i like to go in and tweak my own settings.

also, if someone comes over, i'll show them real quick how to go into OZONE, and i have them mess around with a song for me and see what they come up with. it becomes quite interesting when watching someone else try to attempt mastering the sound of my songs! they think it's the greatest thing since TETRIS.

that's right.

Bob Ludwig, Doug Sax, Vlado Meller, Ted Jensen and all the top mastering engineers use Ozone. Don'tcha know ....

except they DO use the presets. It's a closely guarded secret ... screw the lavry converters and Weiss outboard gear and 2k algorithmix plugins, drop the money on Ozone and you'll have instant mastering engineer gratification ....

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.