Pro Tools 10 Mastering

[Tweakhead]

Originally Posted by Jason Friel PT10

Im using Pro Tools 10 at the minute in my home recording studio. I find my tracks very quiet when I bounce them to an MP3 file. How can I master the tracks easily in PT10?

While everyone has gone off on a mastering rant because of your use of the word "master" - I suspect that all you really want to do is make your mix louder.

Here are a couple of tools which do just that:
http://www.masseyplugins.com/#plugins/l2007
The free version can do most stuff except recall your settings, but you can write them down or take a screenshot.

http://www.waves.com/content.aspx?id=211

[albee1952]

I agree(and already mentioned the Massey, and, oddly enough, I use Waves L2 on every project that does not go to real mastering(damn those low budget projects). I just recently bought the Slate mastering plugin and find it very impressive(which is nice as I am trying to wean myself off of Waves). My only complaint about FG-X is, it uses a lot of horsepower(adding a single instance on the master caused the CPU(rtas) meter to go from around 24% to 57% on the first session I used it on

[TOM@METRO]

For a fast and affective solution, try the McDSP ML4000. It's not bad on resource either.

[YYR123]

Originally Posted by albee1952

I just recently bought the Slate mastering plugin and find it very impressive My only complaint about FG-X is, it uses a lot of horsepower(adding a single instance on the master

Same thing for VCC (lots of native power required) - and I was looking into that fgx b/c of the sale also

[CME]

Originally Posted by YYR123

Same thing for VCC (lots of native power required) - and I was looking into that fgx b/c of the sale also

Check the oversampling setting. I use VCC on every channel, and with my old C2D MacBook Pro I can easily use it on 20 or so tracks. But I have to keep oversampling off. I really don't think it uses a lot of power that way. FG-X and VTM are a bit of a different story. That's what my i7-930 based rig if for. When I want to use VTM on every channel and FG-X on the master and really anything else I can imagine.

[YYR123]

Originally Posted by CME

Check the oversampling setting. I use VCC on every channel, and with my old C2D MacBook Pro I can easily use it on 20 or so tracks. But I have to keep oversampling off. I really don't think it uses a lot of power that way. FG-X and VTM are a bit of a different story. That's what my i7-930 based rig if for. When I want to use VTM on every channel and FG-X on the master and really anything else I can imagine.

Will do

[graveleye]

Originally Posted by albee1952

My only complaint about FG-X is, it uses a lot of horsepower(adding a single instance on the master caused the CPU(rtas) meter to go from around 24% to 57% on the first session I used it on

You're just putting it on the master fader of your mix?

It may just be an illogical, unnecessary extra step, but I always bounce my mix to a 24 bit stereo track with nothing on the master fader, then bring it up in another session and do my "mastering" there. To me it keeps things clean, and avoids the temptation to just stick the brickwall limiter on during the mix. (I know folks that do this actually....)

[albee1952]

Originally Posted by graveleye

You're just putting it on the master fader of your mix?

It may just be an illogical, unnecessary extra step, but I always bounce my mix to a 24 bit stereo track with nothing on the master fader, then bring it up in another session and do my "mastering" there. To me it keeps things clean, and avoids the temptation to just stick the brickwall limiter on during the mix. (I know folks that do this actually....)

Actually, I was experimenting with some "quick&dirty" mixes. I also(98% of the time anyway) bounce with nothing and do mastering in Wavelab Sometimes a client needs a quick ruff, and although they always say"don't worry about it", the actually DO seem to worry about it(so even my quick mp3's get pumped up a bit)

[Ben Jenssen]

Originally Posted by graveleye

You're just putting it on the master fader of your mix?
It may just be an illogical, unnecessary extra step, but I always bounce my mix to a 24 bit stereo track with nothing on the master fader, then bring it up in another session and do my "mastering" there. To me it keeps things clean, and avoids the temptation to just stick the brickwall limiter on during the mix. (I know folks that do this actually....)

There's no right way or wrong way regarding this.
Why not mix with the brickwall on, if it's going to be brickwalled later anyway?

[dave911]

I always check the mix with a limiter on because it often brings up the reverbs and I can't fix that later.