OT: Mastering chain

I wonder what you guys are using in your mastering chain.

I am currently experimenting with UAD Neve 88RS and UAD Precision Maximizer and getting great results.

Look forward to see what is everybody using.

kind regards

joni

There are lots of different opinions on this, and you will hear many suggestions ranging from the excessive extreme to the absolute minimalist. Me, I have tried many methods and plugs over the years, but now tend to just use Voxengo Elephant in the mastering buss, and change the sound of the mix by changing the levels/processing of the individual tracks only.

In the past, I have used:
Ozone
Waves Masters Bundle
Har-Bal
Many other individual plug-ins

To me, given my limited listening situation and sonic input quality to begin with, it seems that the less I mess with the master mix in terms of compression, EQ, etc. the better it sounds - as long as the mix itself is well-balanced (much harder to do than it sounds).

You can put almost anything on the master bus, as long as it suits your song. I usually put a linear phase EQ and a Multi band conmpressor (LP). Sometimes i use the linear phase EQ with just the waves L1, L2, or L3. Sometimes i use the waves multiband Limiter instead of the multiband compressor. Sometimes i dont need to use a linear EQ and just put a multiband limiter or multiband compressor.. Sometimes i just throw on izotope and sometimes i use ther izotope with a multiband limiter.

I never know what im going to be putting on the master bus until i try a few different things or if i can hear something that needs to be adressed, ill use the right tool to fix it
Cj

There are so many options, for me it's case by case. right now I'm using the Waves SSL 4000 series stuff. But to be honest I've grown really fond of the VC64.

I tend to go light on the master bus as far as compression and EQ go - and then if I'm going to give people MP3s I slam it with some leveler in Wavelab - these are for iPOD mixes - not critical listening mixes.

-b

It just depends on the song. If I'm doing a mix that someone else did and is a mess I might have to do more then I would with my stuff. I used to do a lot more in mastering but since I got Sonar I'm finding ways to get the mix right the first time so there is little to do in mastering. In most cases I can get by with almost any compressor plugin on the main bus effects bin. I try not to use too much anyway so doing "light" compression is an easy job for most plugins.

Whatever works really. I truly am starting to not be interested in mastering because most of the people doing it have really great sounding electronics (which I don't have ) at a reasonable price. Plus it goes to an environment designed to average the sound for use on many speakers. I can do all this at home but another environment to hear things is so much better at the end of the day.

I usually use the 88RS on the master buss of my mix but not later in mastering. I also might run the final mix out to external preamps and the occasional external compressor with very little compression (Just for the sound)

For mastering the Precision EQ followed by the Cambridge EQ for its wonderful sharp angle cut ability at 30Hz and 17kHz. The Cambridge adds a little harsh upper range to the sound so this is not always desirable. For clarity and if the mix has decent volume (depends on the music too) I go to the Precision Limiter next.

Optionally, and most of the time, any of the following will be next after EQ: External Neve 5043 compressor, Neve 33609 plugin, Fairchild plugin in the neutral mode setting documented at the UAD site (warms things and puts a nice level on a track with minimum compression artifacts).

Precision Limiter is last or the extenal Neve 5043 in limit mode (high ratio).

I like a little "glue" so I have something on the master bus - very subtle though... I like to use compression to just give a little bit of a "tape" feel - and almost never use EQ on a master/main mix bus. Ultimately I'd want someone else to master my tracks so I'd like to leave them with enough dynamic range and frequency depth to work with.

ORIGINAL: Dave King

There are so many options, for me it's case by case. right now I'm using the Waves SSL 4000 series stuff. But to be honest I've grown really fond of the VC64.

I tend to go light on the master bus as far as compression and EQ go - and then if I'm going to give people MP3s I slam it with some leveler in Wavelab - these are for iPOD mixes - not critical listening mixes.

Do you guys mix with these plugs enabled on the Master bus (a la Charles Dye) or use them after your mix is basically complete?