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Interesting ITB Mastering article using UAD-1 plugins

billybk1

Shareholder
I've been reading this month's August issue, of the UAWebzine and there is an interesting article about ITB mastering with UAD-1 plugins. What is so interesting, is not so much the use of the UAD-1 plugins (which as an avid UAD-1 user I am always interested in, of course ;) ), but the actual approach to the mastering process.

The article is about the rather unorthodox technique that Marcus Wuest (recording, mixing and mastering engineer from Mannheim, Germany) uses to master a stereo track, by copying the stereo track to (3) separate tracks and applying different processing to two of them and mixing them in, underneath the main unprocessed track. All three tracks are then routed to the master bus. Sorta like, parallel stem mastering. He ends up exclusively using (7) UAD-1 plugins, in total. Interesting that he uses the often overlooked 1176SE (in \"All-Button mode\", no doubt), on one of the two processed tracks and a Cambridge EQ/Fairchild 670 combo, on the other. He then mixes all three tracks thrugh a Pultec EQ, Precision Mastering Multi-Band, Mastering EQ & Mastering Limiter plugin chain, on the master bus.He works in Logic 7, but it is something that could easily be replicated, in most any audio multi-tracking host, as well.

Pretty interesting stuff and the final audio mix does sound fantastic, at least good enough to debut @ number 2, on one of Germany's most popular radio stations. I like that earthy, organic unplugged vibe with the vocals upfront. I am certainly gonna give it a try. Make sure to read through the article first, as it clues you in to what is going on in the video, as it pans from plugin to plugin. You can find the article and the tutorial video here, just press the Plug-In Power button, to the left of the webpage:

http://www.uaudio.com/webzine/2006/august/index3.html



Notice the (3) copies, of the final stereo mix, at the upper left, in the picture above:


Anyway, I thought this particular DAW inspired mastering process would be of interest.
 
weird that's almost exactly how i do it too

except instead of a cambridge i use the pultec pro. actually i change the plugins according to the situation. but i do the same copied track thing that he's doing. i use that with tracks in mixing a lot too (i.e. bass drum clean, bass drum compression, bass drum slap, all mixed into a bass drum submaster)
 
Holy cow, I tried these presets on a rough mix, and with no tweaking it sounded awesome. Usually the presets I try for UAD plugs from the pros sound like cheesy ass. This is great.
 
I did it with stereo tracks.
 
ozzborn said:
do you guys try this technique with 3 stero tracks or 3 mono tracks (1 stero left and right and 1 mono in the middle)
thanx in advance
all stereo tracks, although maybe half the time i use lat/vert on the fairchild

are you guys worried about phasing.
i wouldnt say "worried." aware is more like it. i use DP, it has latency compensation so phasing isnt really an issue
 

xist2005

Active Member
I'd leave anyway the mastering job to a real mastering engineer in a good dedicated studio. I would not like to risk right at the end of a hard work.
 
I'd leave anyway the mastering job to a real mastering engineer in a good dedicated studio. I would not like to risk right at the end of a hard work.
sounds like a mastering engineer! :lol: Seriously, the techniques this cat used on the video should make folks realize it's more than just limiting the hell out of something.
 

xist2005

Active Member
Ah ah, no, I'd like to be one of them, I'm mostly a musician even if I like to improve my mixing abilities.
But I have brought some of my works in important mastering houses in the past and I respect that job.
 
Just watched the video. To me it sounds way better without being squashed by all those plugins... but I guess that's how the labels want it.
 

LFranco

Venerated Member
Hi, mastering engineer here (I work exclusively on rap material though and had read the article when I got my email from UA that the new webzine was up).

I did find it rather odd and unorthodox, but hey, it works, and that's the key. Personally, I thought the song was a bit saturated (but what isn't on the radio these days?)

I use a hybrid set up of analog and digital tools, and I prefer the UAD stuff over any others for my plugins. About \"leaving it to the pros\", I agree - not because of the room, the gear or the magic that many people still feel mastering engineers have over everyone else, but simply because having a fresh and new perspective for your music is always the best thing.

That said, hey, we're in the digital age, you can always make a backup file of your mixdowns to send to any mastering engineer you want in case your master doesn't work for you! Articles like this one demostrate that there's more ways to get it done than one, the point is to be creative.
 
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