Master Mix Down. Computer or external 2 track mastering unit.

[ramonetl]

Hi all, just curious what most of you are doing for mastering down. are you just bouncing it all down to the computer? I have a QU-32 I mix to and was thinking of going to 2 track device from there for the final master. I see the TASCAM DA-3000 seems to be well regarded and I know there are other options out there. What are you guys doing and anyone have an opinion on this unit? Thanks. Peter

[EGS]

Most DAW users bounce to disk (or record to track). Personally, I haven't used a separate dedicated mix down machine for years. Why bother, really.

[albee1952]

Indeed^^^^ I also keep it all in the box. The only reason I own a DAT machine is so I can play old board tapes from 20 years ago! And burning a CD seems to be slowly going the way of the dinosaur. I'm still working on a spindle of 100 that I bought over a year ago

[groundcontrol]

A 2 machine/system setup is probably a somewhat more common occurence in a mastering situation.

Idem in post where multiple systems used to be the norm due to high track count and solid video requirements. Not so much nowadays of hdx and pt12 new dubbing workflow mode.

Edit: if you're summing OTB and want to capture at a higher/different sampling rate is a scenario where a dual system is a practical approach.
(Which is a big part of why it's used in mastering.)

[waltz mastering]

Originally Posted by ramonetl

Hi all, just curious what most of you are doing for mastering down. are you just bouncing it all down to the computer? I have a QU-32 I mix to and was thinking of going to 2 track device from there for the final master. I see the TASCAM DA-3000 seems to be well regarded and I know there are other options out there. What are you guys doing and anyone have an opinion on this unit? Thanks. Peter

It seems the Qu-32 is a mixing console.. Are you mixing through it, or mastering through it? 99.7% of people mix back to a DAW. A very small percent use DSD or Analog reel to reel to mix down to even though both are great options. A full service mastering facility would be able to master from the DSD or tape formats, but they are nowhere near as popular as mixing back to a DAW. gl

[JFreak]

You print what you monitor, period. If you monitor your DA-controller, you bounce. If you monitor some analog gear, you record to that media. No other way to know what you print.

[ramonetl]

Originally Posted by waltz mastering

It seems the Qu-32 is a mixing console.. Are you mixing through it, or mastering through it? 99.7% of people mix back to a DAW. A very small percent use DSD or Analog reel to reel to mix down to even though both are great options. A full service mastering facility would be able to master from the DSD or tape formats, but they are nowhere near as popular as mixing back to a DAW. gl

Yes I think now that i have it to evaluate I see little benefit in this. Instead I am sending it back and I picked up a Mojave MA-200 Demo mic from Sweetwater. Better use of my cash I think. Thanks for the input. Im digging deeper into the routing of the QU and while I had previously always bounced to disk, after a late night and a bottle of wine I got the idea in my head of a separate unit and honestly maybe I wouldnt have even considered it without that "enhancement". :)

[simon.a.billington]

However, if your wanting a little analogue magic for you master's there's so much choice out there.

From pseudo tape machines like the Abbey Road J37 or Slate VTM, to harmonic enhancers like Aphex, Vitamin or SPL Vitalizer, to channel strips, etc...

To be honest the quality of the emulations could even better the analogue components in your studio, possibly. So certainly worth some consideration if that is what you are trying to achieve.