Mastering with Pro Tools Plugins???

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by larsongs

I sent Auralex a Floor Plan of my Room. With all dimensions. They made a Plan with recommendations as to how to treat my Room & what I needed. I bought the Acoustic Panels, Diffusors, Bass Traps etc. from them & installed them per their Plan. The Room is a pretty darn good Mixing environment.

Thanks,

Larsongs

Still won't give you a flat room response; like I said - it can't be done.

Originally Posted by larsongs

I agree. I didn't do it.

The Graphic Eq adjustments I'm referring to were made by a Pro Sound Engr. from a reputable Sound Co. using a Spectrum Analyzer.

Larsongs

You were sold a bill of worthless goods and wasted your money. There's no way to 'flatten' a room response by using an eq between the audio interface and the monitor speakers.

Originally Posted by larsongs

My Mixing Room isn't designed for live Recording. Primarily Mixing & hopefully Mastering too.

Are you suggesting I need a different Sound environment for Mastering? If so, would you elaborate?

Thanks,

Larsongs

You definitely need a different environment for mastering. You've already been give the things you need to do to get a good mastering environment. People get paid a lot of money to do the job you're asking about - take advantage of them.

[JFreak]

Yes I really think you should master in a different room where you mixed. No matter whether you're self-mastering or hiring someone else, you need second opinion.

[larsongs]

Originally Posted by musicman691

Still won't give you a flat room response; like I said - it can't be done.

You were sold a bill of worthless goods and wasted your money. There's no way to 'flatten' a room response by using an eq between the audio interface and the monitor speakers.

You definitely need a different environment for mastering. You've already been give the things you need to do to get a good mastering environment. People get paid a lot of money to do the job you're asking about - take advantage of them.

So what you're saying is Co's like Sweetwater, Hodas etc. are just selling Fire Water when it comes to Tuning the Room Gear & Techniques?

Also, Just go pay people a lot of money to do it for you? Sounds like you're saying, basically, it's a waste of time to learn Mastering?

I usually use 3 different types of Monitors/Speakers to Mix. My Mixes translate pretty darn good on all types of listening environments.

What would be different about a Mastering Room other than Gear & another set of ears. By the way I do bring in other Engrs to Mix so I do add a fresh set of ears to the Mix.

In So Cal Bernie Grundman is a highly regarded Mastering Facility. Many Hit Records & Albums. I know several Artists who Master their stuff there. They keep going back because there is significantly noticeable improved Sound on their Masters that separate them from the run of the Mill Records.

I do appreciate positive feedback.

Larsongs

[JFreak]

Different room = different Room Mode. Google it up if it's a nee concept

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by larsongs

So what you're saying is Co's like Sweetwater, Hodas etc. are just selling Fire Water when it comes to Tuning the Room Gear & Techniques?

Also, Just go pay people a lot of money to do it for you? Sounds like you're saying, basically, it's a waste of time to learn Mastering?

I usually use 3 different types of Monitors/Speakers to Mix. My Mixes translate pretty darn good on all types of listening environments.

What would be different about a Mastering Room other than Gear & another set of ears. By the way I do bring in other Engrs to Mix so I do add a fresh set of ears to the Mix.

In So Cal Bernie Grundman is a highly regarded Mastering Facility. Many Hit Records & Albums. I know several Artists who Master their stuff there. They keep going back because there is significantly noticeable improved Sound on their Masters that separate them from the run of the Mill Records.

I do appreciate positive feedback.

Larsongs

You are completely misunderstanding what I wrote. I never said that what Sweetwater (never heard of Hodas) sells is snake oil. If you go back and actually READ this sentence 'You were sold a bill of worthless goods and wasted your money. There's no way to 'flatten' a room response by using an eq between the audio interface and the monitor speakers.' I was talking about the 'service' you hired to flatten your room by using an eq between the audio interface and speakers. Tuning a room by using an eq that way is NOT tuning a room - just a set of speakers. That would only work for one set of speakers and even then you've got all the phase issues mentioned earlier because of the eq. The only way to minimize phase issues due to eq is to use a linear eq and I don't think such an animal exists for a 31 channel graphic eq.

Never said it was a waste of time and money to learn mastering. What's been said is you really don't want to master your own material because of too much familiarity with the material. Like I wrote earlier it's like the squeak in a car - you never hear it anymore but those that ride in your car do. There may be issues in your material that you're not hearing because you've become immune to them.

[Ben Jenssen]

Originally Posted by larsongs

I usually use 3 different types of Monitors/Speakers to Mix. My Mixes translate pretty darn good on all types of listening environments.

Still you you need an explanaition of the very basics of routing in PT?

Originally Posted by larsongs

I've followed the video creating a Mastering Template & setting up the Tracks but the routing procedure is never discussed. I've tried routing several ways without success to route to each set of Tracks so they all play. I'm not doing something right?

Originally Posted by Ben Jenssen

It's very simple.
He has several tracks chained in a row by bussing the signal from one to the other. This is done in the in/out section of the tracks. Track 1 outputs to, say, Bus 1-2. Track 2 recieves input from Bus 1-2 and outputs to Bus 3-4. Track 3 input is set to Bus 3-4 and so on.

Originally Posted by larsongs

Re; I figured out the Bus Routing issue on the YouTube example the Tips you recommended. Much appreciated.

This leads me to believe that you have very little experience working with PT.
And the other things you write about room having flat frequency response etc, indicates a very limited studio experience in general.

I'm not trying to be mean here, but you sound like you want "mastering yourself" to make your mixes sound better, and that's what everybody here have been trying to convince you is a bad approach. You should improve your mixing skills if you are not happy with your mixes.

Originally Posted by larsongs

I usually use 3 different types of Monitors/Speakers to Mix.

I guess they each have their own settings on the graphic EQ then?

[SpinningDisk]

I agree with albee. Send it out. As everyone has stated. Ears man. Is this something you really want to do? Do you plan on making money with it? I would auggest hanging out with a mastering engineer when you can. I thought Mastering was taking completed mix songs and arranging them musically and feel while equing etc.?
albee turned me onto Wavelab. Should check it out.

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by SpinningDisk

I agree with albee. Send it out. As everyone has stated. Ears man. Is this something you really want to do? Do you plan on making money with it? I would auggest hanging out with a mastering engineer when you can. I thought Mastering was taking completed mix songs and arranging them musically and feel while equing etc.?
albee turned me onto Wavelab. Should check it out.

Another good program if you have the third party mastering-grade plugins you want to use is DSP Quattro which is Mac only. Inexpensive. WAY better than Sony Sound Forge Mac and it does CD burning as well.

[Courtlaw]

Originally Posted by musicman691

The actual tools are a small matter. You really need to have excellent ears. A very good reason for NOT mastering your own work is you are too familiar with the piece of music. You will be missing things that a stranger will hear - it's like that squeak in a car you no longer hear but anyone riding in it hears it. If you need to do a lot of tweaking in mastering then you have a lousy mix and need to go back an remix.

Or like a bad scent in someone's house - the residents don't smell it but you do once you walk through the door.

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by Courtlaw

Or like a bad scent in someone's house - the residents don't smell it but you do once you walk through the door.

Yup.