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  #11  
Old 05-16-2016, 05:38 PM
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nigelpry nigelpry is offline
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Default Re: Mastering in PT or using external software?

I'm using Wavelab and am happy wih it, no loss of audio quality perceived by me as compared to say mastering a single track inside Pro Tools.

I have always found its menu structure a little unintuitive, you have to go hunting for basic things that should be more obvious.

I guess its German logic at work, but a lot of the problem for me is that I spend a disproportionally small amount of time using it, just at the end of an album recording plus mixing project. So by the next time I come to use it I'm forgeting what I previousky knew, as opposed to Pro Tools, Logic and Cubase, which each get at least a full day's workout once per week, if not more.

I have to say that the layout of Wavelab 9 is a big improvement for me. It now seems a bit more logically laid out. I have everything except plugins and metering in one window maximised on one screen, and have a second window with all my metering views, plus seperate plugin windows. Everything seems to be just where I want it now.

The biggest crash fest for me in recent times has been using McDSP plugins and trying to render new files with my chosen plugin chain. The problem is that McDSP plugins VST versions simply do not support rendering. This is now confirmed and acknowledged by McDSP. Workaround is to use Blue Cat's MB-7 Mixer to host McDSP plugins AU version inside Wavelab. Result = no crashing.

It may be that one or more of your third party plugins has similar issues if you are getting a lot of crashes,
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Mac Pro 2009 with 2010 firmware, 12-Core 3.46ghz, 64gb RAM & working Thunderbolt, OS 10.14.6 and Windows 10
iMac 2012 27", 3.4ghz i7, 32gb RAM OS 10.14.6
Digi 003 Console for control surface only, Focusrite OctopreLE and MOTU Traveler for extra analog-ADAT conversion, UAD Apollo Quad Silver with Thunderbolt card, Apollo x4 and pci-e Octo, Adam A77X monitors.
Pro Tools 2022.4, Media Composer 8.9, Sibelius 8.7, Cubase Pro 11, Wavelab Pro 11, Logic Pro X 10.5.1, Mainstage 3.
Various apps, soft synths, FX plugins.
Plenty of hardware synths, rack gear, microphones etc.
And then there's the studio ;-)
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  #12  
Old 05-18-2016, 05:16 PM
BSR6P-Bob BSR6P-Bob is offline
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Default Re: Mastering in PT or using external software?

Quote:
Originally Posted by nigelpry View Post
I'm using Wavelab and am happy wih it, no loss of audio quality perceived by me as compared to say mastering a single track inside Pro Tools.

I have always found its menu structure a little unintuitive, you have to go hunting for basic things that should be more obvious.

I guess its German logic at work, but a lot of the problem for me is that I spend a disproportionally small amount of time using it, just at the end of an album recording plus mixing project. So by the next time I come to use it I'm forgeting what I previousky knew, as opposed to Pro Tools, Logic and Cubase, which each get at least a full day's workout once per week, if not more.

I have to say that the layout of Wavelab 9 is a big improvement for me. It now seems a bit more logically laid out. I have everything except plugins and metering in one window maximised on one screen, and have a second window with all my metering views, plus seperate plugin windows. Everything seems to be just where I want it now.

The biggest crash fest for me in recent times has been using McDSP plugins and trying to render new files with my chosen plugin chain. The problem is that McDSP plugins VST versions simply do not support rendering. This is now confirmed and acknowledged by McDSP. Workaround is to use Blue Cat's MB-7 Mixer to host McDSP plugins AU version inside Wavelab. Result = no crashing.

It may be that one or more of your third party plugins has similar issues if you are getting a lot of crashes,
Ditto. Running Wavelab Pro 9 and loving it on the Mac.
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  #13  
Old 06-05-2016, 02:51 AM
james21789 james21789 is offline
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Default Re: Mastering in PT or using external software?

Hi Nigelpry,

From your signature specs it appears you are running OSX 10.8.5 (Mountain Lion). I too have this running on my Mac Pro 4,1 which runs PT 11. I do not wish to upgrade the OS because it seems Mountain Lion is the most stable with Pro Tools based off of what I've read and my experience has been unsullied so far. I'm interested in running WaveLab on the same machine. How are you running WL9 on OSX 10.8.5?

Best,

James
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  #14  
Old 06-05-2016, 06:28 AM
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JFreak JFreak is offline
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Default Re: Mastering in PT or using external software?

Mastering isn't a software/hardware thing. It is going to another room (not the one where the stuff has been mixed) and consulting another pair of fresh ears that haven't heard of the material until the mastering session takes place. If the second opinion is "I wouldn't change a thing" that would be perfect.
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  #15  
Old 06-05-2016, 11:31 AM
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nigelpry nigelpry is offline
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Default Re: Mastering in PT or using external software?

Quote:
Originally Posted by james21789 View Post
Hi Nigelpry,

From your signature specs it appears you are running OSX 10.8.5 (Mountain Lion). I too have this running on my Mac Pro 4,1 which runs PT 11. I do not wish to upgrade the OS because it seems Mountain Lion is the most stable with Pro Tools based off of what I've read and my experience has been unsullied so far. I'm interested in running WaveLab on the same machine. How are you running WL9 on OSX 10.8.5?

Best,

James
Unfortunately, as I guess you know, Wavelab 9 will not install in 10.8.5.

My 2009 Mac Pro has various boot partitions, including 10.6.8 Snow Leopard and 10.10.5 Yosemite, as well as Windows XP Pro SP3 and Windows 7 SP1.

I use Wavelab 8.5 in OSX 10.8.5 but Wavelab 9 (and Logic Pro X 10.2 which is similarly restrictive) in 10.10.5. For everything else in normal use, I'm currently sticking with 10.8.5. I haven't yet had a compelling need to update to run 10.10.5 by default.

I'm quite happy to reboot the computer into 10.10.5 when I'm going to be using Wavelab 9, but of course I'd have been happier if it could have run in 10.8.5.

Curiously, Cubase 8.5 also says it needs OSX 10.9 or above, but installs and seems to run fine in 10.8.5. I may try copying Wavelab 9 over from 10.10.5 to 10.8.5 along with all the associated bits and pieces, to see if it will actually run, but I havent made the effort to try that yet, just assuming that Steinberg prevents a normal installation from taking place in 10.8.5 for a very good reason.

I guess Cubase 9, when released, will be similarly restricted, and if so. That will probably be the tipping point that moves me into using 10.10.5 as my default OS. Especially as other products are gradually being specified as for 10.9 and above .... EG for me, the latest UAD plugins versions, and similarly the latest Native ainstruments plugins.

The trouble is, I much prefer the changes introduced in Wavelab 9, it seems a less cluttered and thus more intuitive interface. it runs quite happily with the main window on one screen, while my choice of metering and plugins play nicely on a second screen.

FYI, the Snow Leopard and the Windows partitions are there to run specific pieces of software that I use from time to time, notably Cubase VST5 in WinXP Pro (which lets me access my old Cubase Atari files) and Cubase SX3 in Snow Leopard, which lets me access Cubase VST5 files. The current Cubase 8.5 can still import Cubase SX3 files. This enables me to import my extensive library of Cubase Atari files into the current Cubase format via the two intermediate stages.
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Mac Pro 2009 with 2010 firmware, 12-Core 3.46ghz, 64gb RAM & working Thunderbolt, OS 10.14.6 and Windows 10
iMac 2012 27", 3.4ghz i7, 32gb RAM OS 10.14.6
Digi 003 Console for control surface only, Focusrite OctopreLE and MOTU Traveler for extra analog-ADAT conversion, UAD Apollo Quad Silver with Thunderbolt card, Apollo x4 and pci-e Octo, Adam A77X monitors.
Pro Tools 2022.4, Media Composer 8.9, Sibelius 8.7, Cubase Pro 11, Wavelab Pro 11, Logic Pro X 10.5.1, Mainstage 3.
Various apps, soft synths, FX plugins.
Plenty of hardware synths, rack gear, microphones etc.
And then there's the studio ;-)
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  #16  
Old 06-09-2016, 03:05 AM
fransmo fransmo is offline
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Default Re: Mastering in PT or using external software?

About running Wavelab in 10.8.5. Iīve had Wavelab 8 for some time with a lot of frustration because it crashes repeatedly, and every time you close it it canīt save properly, so you tend to be left with unsaved work disappearing.

This means I desperately looked forward to WL 9 and got it installed on my macbookpro with El capitan and are still working on discovering it bit by bit. Unfortunately WL9 wonīt install on my older 10.8.5 imac (which work as stationary workstation in my studio).

As far as the WL 8 goes I find it generally tends to qualitywise loose a bit of the subtilities and clarity of the ProTools files. It definitely is very versatile, but to a price of tending to be very cluttered on the screen and a bit "over-programmed" if you ask me. But then again it is almost the only one in the league (I donīt understand why there is no competition - there should be a milliondollar project for inventive programmers in the DAW field here), and then again, again, WL 8 is past time now since we are in the age of WL9, so one wouldnīt expect any corrections to version 8 from Steinberg at this time, I am afraid.
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  #17  
Old 06-11-2016, 04:52 AM
Wolfgang Eller Wolfgang Eller is offline
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Default Re: Mastering in PT or using external software?

Quote:
Originally Posted by nigelpry View Post
I'm using Wavelab...
I guess its German logic at work...
No, itīs pure french logic.
And itīs a shame that Philippe donīt want to implement the benefits of Apple into the windows ported WL.
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  #18  
Old 06-12-2016, 03:45 PM
Barry Johns Barry Johns is offline
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Default Re: Mastering in PT or using external software?

Quote:
Originally Posted by JFreak View Post
Mastering isn't a software/hardware thing. It is going to another room (not the one where the stuff has been mixed) and consulting another pair of fresh ears that haven't heard of the material until the mastering session takes place. If the second opinion is "I wouldn't change a thing" that would be perfect.
I completely agree with you and always do it this way. That being said, there are a huge number of DAW users out there that need to do it by themselves, due to financial issues, lack of relationships with other enthusiast, etc. For those folks, what's the harm.

Even when I was at the beginning stages of my recording obsession, I always felt the desire to hand my recordings off to others that I trusted just to experience what they heard in the mix and how they felt the right approach to mastering.

I reckoned doing this for both mixing and mastering. Today, it's easy to do it from across the world. If you're. It worried about rights infringement, like many home enthusiast, why not send a session to a friend and see what mix they come up with or how they master?

Collaboration is a great thing in music. Obvious if someone is doing serious work meant for distribution what I just said is a no no.
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  #19  
Old 12-03-2018, 11:40 AM
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panamajack panamajack is offline
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Default Re: Mastering in PT or using external software?

About to make the leap to DSP-Quattro...
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  #20  
Old 12-03-2018, 11:54 AM
musicman691 musicman691 is offline
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Default Re: Mastering in PT or using external software?

Quote:
Originally Posted by panamajack View Post
About to make the leap to DSP-Quattro...
The new version 5 is pretty decent but still missing things like batch processing. And it was written to take advantage of what Apple did in High Sierra (although it's running just fine in Sierra 10.12.6).
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