Mastering Plug-In

I found this for loudness.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/FGX-e/

I tend to use Ozone now , but I am not that keen on the limiter in Ozone (well I should say that is a bit historical - Ozone 5 is better I feel) so I use PSP Xeon or Barricade.
Nigel

Thanks to both for the replies!

Bapu, You are saying you use Slate for CHP?  Thanks.
 
Bajan, Interesting comments.  Ozone 5 looks good on paper because of all the features, but I have never used it.

konradh


Bapu, You are saying you use Slate for CHB?  Thanks. 

Yup for the last two songs* I mix and mastered for us in The CHB.


*Countdown To Insanity & I'll Take My Chances

If you are not going to go and have your track done by a professional mastering engineer, with a real mastering studio then; Sonar has everything you need for mastering. 

Linear Phase Multi-band dynamics + Linear Phase EQ + Transparent Look Ahead Brickwall Limiter = Home Brew Master

The real trick is learning how to properly use a multi-band dynamic plugin.  And understanding how much gain you can get away with.  If you go to a professional mastering engineer, with a bad mix..  You get a bad master.  Same deal when you go to your VST Plugin Folder looking for your Mastering FX Chain.

I'd love to use the Concrete Limiter..  but.. bills, bills, bills..  Its on my wishlist.  Here is the limiter I've been using for years and years and years http://www.stillwellaudio.com/?page_id=16

Actually, the Multi-Band Dynamics Plugin inside of Sonar...  and the LP EQ...  That is serious value added stuff.  Its easy to ignore cause its, "value added," but that doesn't mean they are poor quality.  Actually, they are really good... 



That said...  If you have $599 buy the Sonalksis Mastering Suite...  http://www.sonalksis.com/mastering.htm


If you have $1198 by you and me the Sonalksis Mastering Suite.... http://www.sonalksis.com/mastering.htm

TRacks3 Singles here, usually 3 of them in Series:

Linear Phase EQ > Classic Compressor > Brickwall Limiter

Sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on the song

Can't help but suggest Voxengo.. very transparent and hi end.  I have Ozone 5, The Sonalksis Mastering stuff and Waves 9.  Guess it comes down to the end users ear, but less has been more for me.  Ozone can really add alot of color if you don't back off of some of the processing.  Sonalksis EQs are sweet if you know how to use them.
Take a look at Voxengo Elephant  ; )

I use Sonar's Vintage Channel 64 in the master bus.  It has a pre-set MASTER MIX. 

I turn VC64 on when I feel like I am absolutely done and confident I like my mix.  Hit the preset and listen.  My last customer was female voice against backing tracks, Adele-Type of stuff and vintage country. 

To catch the stray transients, I follow up with BOOST 11 limiter.  My own preset that I made is BOOST - 1.3 dB and OUTPUT - -1.0 dB.

One on song to add a little sheen, I used HF exciter with the BUSS POLISH preset and dialed in the SPREAD and the MIX.  This was between VC64 and Boost11

The VC64 with Master Mix preset does a good job heating up the mix.  I could probably live without Boost11 BUT the boost11 catches those few stray transients and tightens up the finished product without color since I'm just barely boosting and only slightly cutting.

I think there is nothnig better than the Fab filter plugins when it comes to software used for mastering. The Fab Pro L, Pro C and Pro Q are nothing but awesome!

CJ

CJaysMusic


I think there is nothnig better than the Fab filter plugins when it comes to software used for mastering. The Fab Pro L, Pro C and Pro Q are nothing but awesome!

CJ

+1.
I started with ProL and soon bought the other two.  Superb tools and nice on the eye too.
I also have Ozone5 but felt a bit lost in it until I bought the Groove 3 video tutorials package which came out a couple of weeks ago.  They were an eye-opener so I'm going to get back seriously into it.

+1 for fab filter. I don't know what they did with their release algorithm, but you will have a hard time
hearing that thing working. It's the most transparent software limiter I know of right now. Get the
30 day trial and see for yourself. I would be expecting them to start a summer sale about now too.

My Current Chain is all UAD, I LOVEs them!

Tape to simulate Mixdown deck
EQ to Trim some High and low at least
Mulltiband Compressor to tame in smaller areas at very low ratios (1.5 to 2.5 max)
Maximizer, not always, sometimes it helps
Tape to simulate Mastering deck
Limiter, when mastering the limiter should not take more than a couple DB

 
or

http://i28.photobucket.co...xxx/MasteringChain.jpg

Presets are good for one thing - starting points.

Then you tweak them to fit the individual needs of the song you're working on, which is what CJ is saying.

I remember learning from Rhoey Izhaki's Mixing Audio book how to set up a compressor from scratch, and what order works best for adjusting each control.

Up until then, I just used to turn knobs, not at random, but without a proper procedure. Since then, compression & I have been getting to know each other reasonably well, though I don't consider myself an expert by a long margin.

I think its more intuitive to learn what each knob and setting does and then start with everything zeroed out.

Why you ask?
Because, if you start with a preset, then your signal is already being effected in a way that might not be good for that track or song. with everyhting at ZERO, you hear the natural sound of the track or song and hten you can adjust each setting for ther best results..

CJ