Re: Mastering - suite versus individual plugins
 

Check out HOFA!

Re: Mastering - suite versus individual plugins
 

I loved Sony's CD Architect and used it when I had a Windows system. It's a shame they never developed it beyond 5.2 IIRC. I have several HOFA plugins and agree they are really good. Seeing as how you're using it - how is the third party plugin hosting in the Pro version of the program?

Re: Mastering - suite versus individual plugins
 

I have and still use Izotope's RX 8 repair Which I will use on acoustic guitar tracks , for clicks, sting buzz, or loud finger squeak... It seems like it's pretty good, and can be set be pretty transparent and to only effect specific sounds ..
However I have never tired there Mastering stuff..

In general , I am in the simpler the better > Less is more,,,, camp.

Since I have a great outboard analog Mastering Compressor . The only specific mastering plugins I use are two Massey plugins.. And I use them very sparingly and quite modestly ....
I have for a number of years used the Massey L2007 look ahead brick wall limiter
And lately I been using the Golden Master often now without the L2007 in the chain

Massey is Mac only And they have free no time limit demo downloads that are the full plugins but they do not have bypass and will not save settings with the session....

Re: Mastering - suite versus individual plugins
 

I master in ProTools and use HOFA only for assembly for CD or DDP. Intuitive & crash-proof software & yes it does host plugs. You can demo it for free.

Re: Mastering - suite versus individual plugins
 

You can also work in the standalone version of Ozone, in which you can load third-party VSTs.

Re: Mastering - suite versus individual plugins
 

I know that but what I want when I'm mastering is to have a full cd's worth of music lined up ready to master in the order of play. I know Ozone can load 3rd party vst's but I can't find out if each track can have it's own set of plugins and ozone settings.

Re: Mastering - suite versus individual plugins
 

FWIW, Jack, I use the IKM T-Racks 5 Max suite when I master. Now, in full disclosure, mastering is NOT my forte and I'm not really set up for it in my studio the way it should be. However, what I have noticed since I started using the T-Racks is that I get a much cleaner and better finished sound than when I tried to do the same thing using a recipe of other plugins. Maybe its because the suite variety just works together better being designed by the same folks. Also, using the suite I use fewer plugins to get the job done, a point Janne made earlier.



But as I said, I'm not a mastering engineer, so maybe I'm not hearing things correctly, but the suite seems to work much better for me. But bear in mind, I don't do this full time for a living.

Re: Mastering - suite versus individual plugins
 

Everyone who makes the final touch is a mastering engineer. The point though is ME has fresh set of ears compared to the guy who has tweaked the song for weeks, and the room is different too. If you do it all by yourself, that takes time...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Re: Mastering - suite versus individual plugins
 

Glad that you like and master in TRacks Suite - I never would. I've tried and the sound was never as clean as I would like. Been using IK's stuff on and off through the years and while some of their plugins are ok they just don't ring my bell. Doing mid/side with IK stuff isn't all that easy - certainly not like Fabfilter Pro Q3 or in Ozone.


Don't know if you use their plugins on their own in PT but have you noticed none of their compressors have external sidechain?


As I said above glad they work out for you and am not knocking you for using them. It's just that having been exposed to some really great plugins like from Fabfilter, iZotope and Plugin Alliance I can't go back to just using TRacks. TRacks were some of the first third party plugins I purchased when I had my Windows system so I've got a long hidtory with them.

Re: Mastering - suite versus individual plugins
 

I have the IK full bundle. One of the IK plugs I actually like & use (sometimes for mastering too) is the Opto Compressor (the red one). That's a good one!