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Mastering software

Posted: 12/08/2004 - 12:16
by rambones
What do you use, and why ?


I can do pretty much with Renoise, but maybe there are some corners to gain with more dedicated programs.

Price around 50 pounds, possible ?

Re: Mastering software

Posted: 12/08/2004 - 13:17
by DHS
rambones wrote:Price around 50 pounds, possible ?
Sorry, no.

The less expensive mastering (or, better, pre-mastering) software i know is produced by Voxengo Software (http://www.voxengo.com).

As said, it's not expensive, the gui is mosty uninviting. Despite this, it's very high-quality software, in form of VST plugins.

Anyway, if you need serious premastering software, be prepare sto spend something (at least) around 800 euros.

cheers.

Posted: 13/08/2004 - 12:26
by rambones
Huh. This high figure surprises me.

hmmm...

Compressor Finalizer EXPR.* Den mest benytte master 6485,-
Finalizer 96K* Studie-standard mastering 12485,-

648 pounds
1248 pounds

There's gotta be some software that is just as good, and software is usually cheaper.

What do you use Chris ???
(hope he reads this!)

Posted: 13/08/2004 - 13:48
by Chris Abbott
> What do you use Chris ???
Which Chris? Chris Huelsbeck? :)

If you mean me, for some CDs where money was tight, we used Magneto and Ultramaximiser (remember, this was pre-2000). On BIT 2 we used a TC Finaliser 96k, which was nice. BIT 3 and BIT 1 were professionally mastered.

Chris

Posted: 13/08/2004 - 14:17
by rambones
Yeah, I am in fact most satisfied with BIT 3 and Karma 64.

When you write professionally mastered, what do you mean ?
Outside job ?


Anyhow, I'm trying to sell my old synths now, and get a Norlead X2 and some mastering stuff.

TC Finalizer seems good..

Posted: 13/08/2004 - 14:28
by Chris Abbott
> Outside job ?
Yeah. BIT 2 was in-house, but BIT 3 was mastered by a real professional who had also worked with Gary Numan at some point (amongst many others). Karma64 was Magneto and Ultramaximiser plugins, plus a bit of Freefilter (but not much).

Chris

Posted: 13/08/2004 - 17:45
by DHS
Instead of TC Finalizer get a TC Powercore with MasterX5 plugin.
Same algorythm but much more flexible hardware.

Posted: 14/08/2004 - 11:24
by oj oscillation
i`ve discovered a very good finalizer in cubase sx 2.2.
the multidynamic plugin from steinberg is a 4 band compressor and sounds really good. so if u have sx try this. it should be enough for mastering.

Posted: 14/08/2004 - 11:39
by GeckoYamori
I just use Fruity Loops. It's a very flexible program, if you know what you're doing it's just fine for mastering. Sometimes I use external stuff, mostly the freeware plugin Classic Limiter.

Posted: 10/09/2004 - 12:55
by putzi
I second DHS´ opinion. The Master X3/X5-plugin is something you cannot live
without if you give it a try :wink:

Posted: 10/09/2004 - 14:53
by DHS
Got a Powercore you too ? ;)

Posted: 10/09/2004 - 18:04
by putzi
Honestly: when I heard you got one, I thought it cannot be wrong to get one myself. And that was absolutely right! :D

Posted: 25/09/2004 - 9:10
by putzi
I may add now that the UAD-1 is also a nice thingy to improve the mixage,
but it is not a "click MasterX5 and you´re done"-device. Instead you have to adjust the single tracks of your production with all the toys from the package, which is more pro-sounding from the overall feeling.

Posted: 26/09/2004 - 0:03
by DHS
I don't agree at all.
The plugins coming with the UAD-1 are much better than everything else in native vst (with the excepion of the Dreamreverb, that despite being an optional [149$] plugin, it sucks big time), but not better than the Powercore ones.

The 1176SE is a shrinked version of the 1176LN. The 1176LN that sounds *identical* to the PowercoreCL.

The RealVerb Pro is a good reverb, but the ClassicVerb is much better imho (faster, better sounding).

The Teletronix 2a-la is something i miss from the UAD-1, but nothing i'd buy the card for.

The CS1 has nothing you can't do with the 24/7 and/or the Voicestrip.

The Nigel is an Amp/Distorsion plugin, it may or not may be good, only a guitarist could say that. Don't really know if better than Tubifex, what i know is that Tubifex sounds great.

The optional Pultec Pro and Cambridge EQ are a good (the first) and an awesome (the second) eqs. But kjaerhusaudio native GoldenEQ sounds better of Pultec, and for the second, well, Sony Oxford EQ has nothing to learn ;-)

The fact that the MasterX5 is considered a "fire and forget" tool may be true, in fact, it can be used that way. But there's much more under the surface if you don't stop to the presets.
Using a 5 bands compressor/expander/limiter and understanding what you're doing isn't a banal task. In fact, while a preset may be a good "all around" way to survive, for me is only a starting point. Becaus, if it sounds good with "beef it up", it will surely sound much better with some tweaks to fit the audio material you're premastering.

BTW: there isn't a single multiband compressor/expander for the "most powerful dsp card out there". On the other side, since TC left the native vsti development, about monthly a new PC Plugin come out ;)

ciao.