Avid Pro Audio Community

Avid Pro Audio Community

How to Join & Post  •  Community Terms of Use  •  Help Us Help You

Knowledge Base Search  •  Community Search  •  Learn & Support


Avid Home Page

Go Back   Avid Pro Audio Community > Pro Tools Software > Tips & Tricks

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #11  
Old 05-23-2006, 05:16 PM
boothorama boothorama is offline
Member
 
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 13
Default Re: MASTERING?

a real mastering engineer!!!
just a thought but expieience says that you should use a non bias set of ears
but the plugs in pt are ok if ya need it channel strip works as well as the ox ford eq but that will eat your computers processing power maybe use a two track software such as bias peak very user friendly and it has a lot of bang for the buck
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 05-25-2006, 04:09 AM
handtohandstudio handtohandstudio is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 16
Default Re: MASTERING?

How is Maxim compared to the L2?
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 05-25-2006, 04:52 AM
thin ice thin ice is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Berkshire
Posts: 976
Default Re: MASTERING?

Maxim works just fine for me for roughs as I'm sending to mastering for final product. The iLok asset can be picked up on ebay for next to nothing. However, I would try the Sony Oxford Limiter if your looking to buy someting for mastering. The L2 is quite good, but you have the whole WUP cost thing to factor in. Also I don't think you can get it as an iLok asset unless you buy a whole bundle.
__________________
Mac Mini M1 16 GB
OS 12.7.4
PT 2024.3
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 05-25-2006, 11:05 AM
johnlaraway johnlaraway is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Altadena, Ca, USA
Posts: 27
Default Re: MASTERING?

My impression when I tested them: They sound the same and do the same thing. (L2 vs. MAXIM). I have them both.

I had an early version of T-Racks, and quit using it imediately when I aquired MAXIM. T-Racks may have improved since then.

Have you tried the new waves L3 Multimaximizer? I was sceptical because it is so complicated, but my personal opinion is it's fabulous. The eq that is intigrated in the L3 sounds much better to me than any eq plugged in line before the limiter, including the L3 set flat.
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 05-25-2006, 08:05 PM
Hive Guy Hive Guy is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Toronto, ON, Canada
Posts: 76
Default Re: MASTERING?

Quote:
My impression when I tested them: They sound the same and do the same thing. (L2 vs. MAXIM). I have them both.

I had an early version of T-Racks, and quit using it imediately when I aquired MAXIM. T-Racks may have improved since then.

I find that Maxim and T-Rack are both very grainy. Maxim is much more audible than the L2.

I use saturation more than limiting to achieve loudness. If I'm using plugs only, after a combination of 2 or three compressors (usually McDsp CompBank, because I like the "bite" option, which preserves transients), I'll use Pheonix (often Luster, around 50%), Sony Inflator (3-4 db of gain with "clip 0db" enabled), followed by an L2 on auto release (1-2 db, no dither), followed by another L2 (with long release, program dependant; with dither, never more than 1db).

If you try to hit an L2 for the 6 or 8 db that you can achieve through these other means, your mix will sound like turd (of course, unfortunately, achieving "competitive loudness" sounds like turd too, but done right, it sounds less turd-y).
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Old 05-25-2006, 09:15 PM
proxy proxy is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 406
Default Re: MASTERING?

*IF* you must do your own mastering, I couldn't agree more with Hive Guy's post about progressive compression, particularly the variety he's talking about.

That said, a skilled mastering engineer in a properly constructed room with some nice tools is amazing. Trusted objectivity in a room that is specifically designed for that kind of critical listening is a powerful combination. Add some top notch outboard used in choice stages (as described above for software), and you'd be amazed.

In an age where a lot of the commercial records we listen to are being arranged/performed/mixed by the same person (depending on genre of course), the mixes are still almost always mastered by someone else. That should tell you something.

It's a kick is all I'm saying. I don't think you'll regret it.

- proxy
__________________
G4 dual 1ghz QS (1.5gig RAM) / OSX v10.3.9 / HD4 / AD8K / PT v6.9
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 05-27-2006, 10:13 PM
cave cave is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 18
Default Re: MASTERING?

Hello all

Another nice trick related to several stages of clipping or progressive compression is varying the attack and release time of each stage. Eventually getting fast and faster each time. It sometimes helps to have a good wide-band compressor with a really slow attack and release so you get into the compression really easily. It helps to smooth out the over all dynamic range of the entire song while not changing the color of the mix much (because the long attack and release is more like just riding the fader). I find it it best to use the various "brick wall" limiters (L1 etc.) for the last 2 or 3db of gain reduction. It is really too bad that we have to kill all the dynamics to make masters commercially competitive.

Cave
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 05-29-2006, 07:56 AM
jmallen jmallen is offline
Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: baltimore
Posts: 66
Default Re: MASTERING?

Hey there.....IVe got all the plug ins a studio would need......but for u....your asking to master the whole album? right.....GET CD ARCHITECT......ITS IN SONY SOUNDFORGE 8....YOU CAN LOAD ALL YOUR SONGS AND GET THEM EVEN WITH EACH OTHER, MANIPULATE THE TIME IN BETWEEN EACH SONG, MAKE A TRACK START WHERE U WANT IT TO IN THE SONG...AND LOTS MORE.....

NOW.....LIKE STATED ABOVE SOMEWHERE ....ITS BETTER TO SEND IT TO A MASTERING HOUSE but that costs money.....

Also SONY OXFORD INFLATOR is a good one to punch up/maximize your tracks before you bounce them down and put the final wav file in CD architect....hope that helps
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 06-02-2006, 05:07 PM
jackp jackp is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Wittensville Ky
Posts: 282
Default Re: MASTERING?

What about OZone 3 for mastering
Thanks Jack P
__________________
Mac Pro 8 core Protools 10 HD 4 Accel PCI with Magma, C/24 with 2 192 I/O
Isochrone clock
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 06-03-2006, 07:44 AM
johnlaraway johnlaraway is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Altadena, Ca, USA
Posts: 27
Default Re: MASTERING?

"It is really too bad that we have to kill all the dynamics to make masters commercially competitive."

The Rock group Korn uses extreme dynamics, and they have also been extremely successful. The "Beatles 1" CD appears to retain the original dynamics, and some of the cuts are not even banged up to the top. Music succeeds because the audience likes it.

Of course it can't whither in the background when played on the radio. Two or three DB of brick wall limiting makes most digital mixes sound better in my opinion. Particularly on cheap playback equipment which is what most people are using. If there are no overs on the original mix, this removes very little information.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Learning how to mastering and mastering help nst7 003, Mbox 2, Digi 002, original Mbox, Digi 001 (Win) 7 08-12-2010 03:40 AM
Pro Mastering or Mastering your own mixes? c.evans Pro Tools TDM Systems (Mac) 10 12-26-2003 07:47 PM
who uses the renaissance compressor in mastering?...and some other mastering stuff... djc8902 003, Mbox 2, Digi 002, original Mbox, Digi 001 (Mac) 14 01-16-2003 11:14 AM
Mastering singles for radio with new Waves Mastering suite. Peter Duemmler Pro Tools TDM Systems (Mac) 14 06-21-2002 05:14 PM
Mastering singles for radio with new Waves Mastering suite. Dimension Zero Tips & Tricks 0 06-15-2002 12:32 AM


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 12:41 AM.


Powered by: vBulletin, Copyright ©2000 - 2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Limited. Forum Hosted By: URLJet.com