mikedocy
Hey Bill, how's it going?

Life is good - how about you?
 

mikedocy
You are 100% correct about the concept of mastering.

And sometimes I might jump too quickly, but I fear there is an entire generation that thinks the word means something other than what it used to mean. What we really need is an agreed upon term for the process that sits somewhere between the mix and mastering - it's not something that was really available way back when, but it certainly is today.
 

mikedocyThe OP did say that he wanted to learn how to master. <snip>
Don't you think that it is great that someone wants to take on a new learning experience?

Absolutely a good thing - and  it appears I must have been distracted, because in re-reading my previous post I never completed my thought. In my defense it was time to get the kids ready to play in the snow...

Anyway, to complete my thought...

many (most) of my generation learned to track, mix, and even master from someone who learned from someone who learned from... you get the idea. Of course there was a generation that had to figure it out for themselves - and build the gear too. And each subsequent generation took what the previous generation learned and built on it.

Not to say you can't learn to track, and even mix, by trial and error. Not the most efficient approach maybe, but there are benefits to doing it yourself.

I do not think the same is true for mastering. In fact I'll go so far as to suggest that the loudness wars - whcih were started by folks who certainly knew better - have been exacerbated by folks who taught themselves to master. No one was there to teach them the finer points. And the finer points are getting lost in the ruckus.

The best way to learn mastering is to sit at the elbow of a bona-fide mastering engineer. The gear is there, the monitoring environment is there, and most important, the ears are there.

It probably isn't nearly as bad (?) as it was when I was a teen-ager. I ran for food and coffee, I swept floors and cleaned bathrooms, and I soldered a LOT of patch panels. I also put up - and moved - a LOT of microphones. I learned a ton. I also sat next to the engineers while they mixed - that was invaluable, and I think, to this day, that there was no better way to learn.
 

mikedocyThat said, the OP's original question was about acquiring equipment for mastering since he has none except that which came with Sonar.
What equipment do you think he needs in addition to the vst that came with Sonar?

 
I'm about to get banned, but I think Sonar is not the right tool for mastering - at least not mastering as I know it. And I did leave this part off the original post because I do not mean disrespect to the bakers or anyone that is using Sonar as a mastering platform, but here goes...

Get Wavelab or Sound Forge - you don't need all the bells and whistles that Sonar provides, you need a good stereo (or multi-channel, NOT multi-track) editor, and you need a really flexible effects rack. Wavelab and Sound Forge take different approaches to managing effects, so you might want to try the trial versions to see which one better suits your needs.

Then you will need a handful of plugins - I really like UAD, Plugin-Alliance, Waves, and Voxengo, but there are a lot of great plug-in developers. And don't overlook Izotope, their Ozone suite is fantastic, and the latest version even includes an audio editor, although I'm not sure if it is in the same league as Wavelab and Sound Forge, I have not tried it yet.

You need a really good graphic equalizer, if it allows you to vary the number of bands even better.
- I'd go with Zynaptiq Unfilter, the name is misleading. I just picked up Elysia MusEQ and I really like it.

You need a really good parametric equalizer.
- dang, so many good choices, but I'd probably go with the Cambridge EQ from UAD or the Izotope EQ.

You need either a dynamic equalizer or a multi-band compressor
- UAD Precision or Izotope Multiband, I prefer the former, largely because  I already own it. I recently picked up Brainworx DynEQ, and I really like it a lot too, but it is DEEP, probably not the best way to learn this trick.
 
You need a really flexible dynamics processor - it should allow you to compress or expand, and probably gate (although really now, the mix engineer should  have taken care of any issues that would benefit from gating<G>!).
- Waves C4 probably, but I haven't tried them all. I keep thinking there has to be something better.

You need a limiter - it must be able to look ahead, and it must be able to set not just a threshold but also an absolute ceiling. Extra points if it can predict intersample overs, but for now you probably don't need that.

You need a good analyzer - Nugen has great tools, Voxengo SPAN is awesome (and free), and Waves has PAZ as part of almost all  their bundles.

You need a secret weapon - no, I'm not kidding. I use the Maag EQ to add that last bit of polish to a mix, and I am certain it would  be just as useful for mastering. You may find a different tool that  sets you apart.

For ALL of these tools it will be really helpful if you can work with the sum and difference (mid and side) as well as left and right. Most of my mix tools provide an M/S matrix, and for those that don't there are M/S matrices that I can plop in where required.

Finally, you need to avoid delays, reverbs, and other effects. There are mastering engineers that apply effects to a mix, and some of them do a masterful (intentional) job of it. But really, you don't want to do that if you are just learning, and most of them will tell you that what they are really doing at that point is fixing the mix, not mastering.

That's the software - you also need a couple of books. Read Bob Katz's book on mastering from cover to cover, twice. And as much as I bellyache about Izotope marketing, read their pdf about mastering. Except for the blatant sales pitch is is a really good primer.

Now aren't you glad you asked???

73s,

Bill
KB3KJF

A big +1 for "Mastering Audio" by Bob Katz - and for reading it twice. It'll cost less than any plugin, but do more for your results than any software purchase.

wst3
 
Now aren't you glad you asked???

 
Actually - yes!  A lot of great information here...
 

wst3
many (most) of my generation learned to track, mix, and even master from someone who learned from someone who learned from... you get the idea. Of course there was a generation that had to figure it out for themselves - and build the gear too. And each subsequent generation took what the previous generation learned and built on it.

Not to say you can't learn to track, and even mix, by trial and error. Not the most efficient approach maybe, but there are benefits to doing it yourself.

I do not think the same is true for mastering. In fact I'll go so far as to suggest that the loudness wars - whcih were started by folks who certainly knew better - have been exacerbated by folks who taught themselves to master. No one was there to teach them the finer points. And the finer points are getting lost in the ruckus.

The best way to learn mastering is to sit at the elbow of a bona-fide mastering engineer. The gear is there, the monitoring environment is there, and most important, the ears are there.

It probably isn't nearly as bad (?) as it was when I was a teen-ager. I ran for food and coffee, I swept floors and cleaned bathrooms, and I soldered a LOT of patch panels. I also put up - and moved - a LOT of microphones. I learned a ton. I also sat next to the engineers while they mixed - that was invaluable, and I think, to this day, that there was no better way to learn.

I'm 37 - not a teen-ager - with two young kids and career that pays the bills...  Sounds like you had some great opportunities, but I just don't have the option of doing it that way...  Trust me - I wish I did!  I spend a lot of time thinking - "I know there's probably a simple solution to this problem" or "I know I'm missing something, but I don't even know what to look for"...  
 
Ultimately the biggest reason I'm interested in this is that it makes me a better listener...
 

bitflipper
A big +1 for "Mastering Audio" by Bob Katz - and for reading it twice. It'll cost less than any plugin, but do more for your results than any software purchase.

I looked at that book a while back - however, many of the reviews on Amazon said it was elitist and snobby... 
 
I'll take another look...
 
   
 
 

it is elitist and snobby, in fact Bob is a wee bit elitist and snobby, but that's ok in this case. He is on a mission to make the world sound  better, and he takes it quite seriously. Sometimes I think he wanders off the deep end (I happen to participate in a list server populated by some REALLY SMART FELLOWS, and Bob asks some amazing questions there. Sometimes he seems to be headed down a dead-end, other times he opens my ears!)

Anyway, the book is awesome, it does assume that you have the same passion for honest audio as he, and even if you don't strive to build a listening room Bob would enjoy you will learn a lot.

As for the rest - I'm 56, so I grew up at a time when one could work for free in a studio - or touring sound company for that matter. It was cool. I made enough playing in a band that I could afford to work for free, and really, it wasn't for free, I learned a ton!

The downside of growing up when I did was that most parents did their level best to dissuade their kids from a career in the music business. Really, when  I see my contemporaries encourage their kids to be musicians I am a bit envious. On the other hand, I would not  be where  I am right now had I not gone to college, and worked in a variety of jobs, including microwave engineering, embedded software development, and even IT consulting. These days I have a wife, three young kids, two dogs, a cat, and yes, a mortgage - so I work as an audio engineer in the AV industry. Not what I set out to do, but I get to work with some great people, and at least I get to "do audio"...

My point to all that  is that it is never too late - I can't guarantee you can find a studio that will let you run for coffee and take-out food in return for hanging out and learning, but you might. I think it is well worth at least looking around.

And of course the internet can be a resource - maybe not quite the same as placing microphones for a seasoned engineer, but you can learn a lot from experienced professionals if you find a good forum or two (they are out there!)

You are on the right track, asking the right questions... keep on keepin on!

wst3
it is elitist and snobby, in fact Bob is a wee bit elitist and snobby, but that's ok in this case. He is on a mission to make the world sound  better, and he takes it quite seriously. Sometimes I think he wanders off the deep end (I happen to participate in a list server populated by some REALLY SMART FELLOWS, and Bob asks some amazing questions there. Sometimes he seems to be headed down a dead-end, other times he opens my ears!)

Anyway, the book is awesome, it does assume that you have the same passion for honest audio as he, and even if you don't strive to build a listening room Bob would enjoy you will learn a lot.

As for the rest - I'm 56, so I grew up at a time when one could work for free in a studio - or touring sound company for that matter. It was cool. I made enough playing in a band that I could afford to work for free, and really, it wasn't for free, I learned a ton!

The downside of growing up when I did was that most parents did their level best to dissuade their kids from a career in the music business. Really, when  I see my contemporaries encourage their kids to be musicians I am a bit envious. On the other hand, I would not  be where  I am right now had I not gone to college, and worked in a variety of jobs, including microwave engineering, embedded software development, and even IT consulting. These days I have a wife, three young kids, two dogs, a cat, and yes, a mortgage - so I work as an audio engineer in the AV industry. Not what I set out to do, but I get to work with some great people, and at least I get to "do audio"...

My point to all that  is that it is never too late - I can't guarantee you can find a studio that will let you run for coffee and take-out food in return for hanging out and learning, but you might. I think it is well worth at least looking around.

And of course the internet can be a resource - maybe not quite the same as placing microphones for a seasoned engineer, but you can learn a lot from experienced professionals if you find a good forum or two (they are out there!)

You are on the right track, asking the right questions... keep on keepin on!

Awesome.  I just bought the book.  Thanks!

I'm not finding this book snobby at all!  It's everything I ever wanted to know!  (well - about mastering that is...)

very glad to hear that... I have the first edition and should probably 'upgrade'<G>...

I have ozone 7 and use it a lot. If you're going to buy it, consider the music production bundle. It's $599 and Ozone 7 advanced is $499. For the extra $100 you get alloy, nectar, trash, insight, and a few other goodies. 
 
Having said that.. For final mastering I still run everything through har-bal. It's not a plug in, you have to export your wav, then bring that into har-bal and then export (although they are working on a plug). It doesn't get much love and had some bad press due to the claims that you can master totally visually, but..
 
I don't have anything else that will do what it does. You can make a song sound good on virtually any speaker in a matter of minutes and you can master the volume to perfection in minutes. You can import your favorite tunes as a reference. It's really a great tool and totally different than anything else I've seen.
 
gabo
 
AND, the claims that you can master totally visually is actually pretty true, at least for tonal balance and volume you can come very close. As I get older and my hearing declines, this is worth a lot to me. For $125 it's a bargain.

gbowling
I have ozone 7 and use it a lot. If you're going to buy it, consider the music production bundle. It's $599 and Ozone 7 advanced is $499. For the extra $100 you get alloy, nectar, trash, insight, and a few other goodies. 
 
Having said that.. For final mastering I still run everything through har-bal. It's not a plug in, you have to export your wav, then bring that into har-bal and then export (although they are working on a plug). It doesn't get much love and had some bad press due to the claims that you can master totally visually, but..
 
I don't have anything else that will do what it does. You can make a song sound good on virtually any speaker in a matter of minutes and you can master the volume to perfection in minutes. You can import your favorite tunes as a reference. It's really a great tool and totally different than anything else I've seen.
 
gabo
 
AND, the claims that you can master totally visually is actually pretty true, at least for tonal balance and volume you can come very close. As I get older and my hearing declines, this is worth a lot to me. For $125 it's a bargain.

Thanks - I actually posted about Har-Bal right before this thread.  I'm still really interested in it.  The visual thing is very enticing to me because I don't have a proper monitoring space and probably won't for at least a few years - I do a lot of mixing/'mastering' with headphones.  
 
I tried the demo of Ozone and it didn't jump out to me.  I'll have to take another listen at some point, but for now, I'd rather piece together chains with different plug-ins and try to recognize the different colors that plug-ins offer.  
 
Har-Bal seems like it might be a great learning tool.  Some of the reviews said that people felt like they didn't need it after using it for a year - because they had tuned their ears to recognize problems because Har-Bal would let them know.  Unless some crazy sale comes up - this is my next purchase!   

Yes, har-bal will help you train your ears. But it's still always hard to make the low end sound good on big/medium/small speakers. If you have a good reference track you can bring into har-bal, it's a no brainer and can be done without even listening to it! Bring in your favorite grammy award winning song as a reference and match it up with your tune, bingo.. Takes all of about 5 minutes to do that once you learn har-bal.
 
What I like to do is get the tune sounding as good as I can inside sonar, using individual track FX/EQ and other tools. iZotope's insight along with the meter bridge is good for this. You can see which tracks are causing problems and tweak those. 
 
Then I usually put Ozone 7 on the master bus and tweak that. I don't generally try to get the loudness correct in sonar, I'm more concerned with balance and EQ and not so much about compression. 
 
Once I'm done, I export what could be called a master to wav format. Then I bring that into har-bal, fix the loudness and make some EQ tweaks. 
 
I'll have to say that I've NEVER pulled anything into har-bal that I didn't improve. I've even gone back to old songs that were mastered in mastering studios and improved them.
 
 
It's one of the greatest tools I've found and totally underrated. It's not flashy, doesn't have a lot of things to tweak. It's simple and works.
 
gabo