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Software Mastering vs Outboard - What's your choice?

I've always let mastering engineers do their funky professional thing to my mixes and have in the past been sceptical about software mastering. However as software has now improved dramatically (eg 1073!) are we truly at a stage where we can replace traditional mastering rooms and if so what are the opinions on the \"best\" mastering software package available.

I have the Pultec Pro and Fairchild but am also wary of the latter's loss of low end so would be concerned about using it to master.

What say you?!
 

Archmart

Active Member
Hey Hey!

If you're talking Mastering, then you should be talking the Precision Mastering Series, which is quite nice.

Archmart
 
In a word,

NO.

Even if the software WERE as good as hi end analog gear installed in decent mastering houses, its a safe bet that the acoustics in your room wont be as good, and unless you have an extreme split personality disorder, you wont have a fresh pair of ears on the job either ;)
 

Archmart

Active Member
Hey Hey!

Yeh... streetbeats is right. No substitute for a fresh pair of serious ears in a great room.

That said, however, if SquadronLeader is trying to actually build such a room, I'd say that we ARE actually getting to a point where one could consider \"mastering in the box\" as an option... and it's an interesting point/question. I've seen UA's plugs listed on the webpages of some Mastering Facilities.

And if he's just looking to give a little extra pollish to projects that can't afford full mastering, I'd encourage giving it a shot. If nothing else, trying your hand at a little mastering is quite educational in a general sense. You learn things that it's hard to learn any other way.

That said, I was simply pointing him toward UA's Precision Series which is intended for mastering as opposed to the Neve, Fairchild, Pultec, etc. Not that thes other plugs don't have their place, but if we're specifically talking mastering, you gotta look at those.

Archmart
 
Whatever happened to the TC Finalizer, that was a seemingly popular product once that nobody seems to talk of anymore. I know it's a pice of hardware but it was \"affordable\". Is it just that there are now better products around - indeed how would the UAD Precision Mastering series compare to the TC Finalizer in your opinions?
 

Giles117 DP

Active Member
Same hear, I prefer Human mastering in the form of a MAstering Engineer. And My ME uses all SOftware and does a great job..

SaDie is the system He Masters on.
 

flemming

Member
Finalizers sucks donkey's bollocks. No serious mastering engineer I've ever met has ever used one.

As for the Neve plug, real Neve's aren't for mastering so I guess an emulator isn't either. I'm not a mastering engineer myself and I haven't seriously tried the UA mastering plugs, but my bet is that most pro mastering engineers will prefer hardware. Manley's are quite popular here, as are older digital devices like Penny&Giles limiters etc.

Also, mastering (as indeed tracking and mixing) isn't REALLY about the gear. It's about the ears and the brains. You can set up a manley massive passive and a slam, both in the mastering editions, and if you've got no clue what you're doing it still sounds like shit. And on the other hand you can use something like Waves Renaissance EQs and L2s and get great results if you indeed DO know what you're doing (I've seen both). Go figure ... :)
 

NEWRIGEL

Active Member
I'm a singer/songwriter and I feel if you have the $$... go with an ME.
I don't think there's too many hot mastering engineers that do great vocals (everyone has their gifts) so to work with a seasone ME to add that \"elemental\" contribution is surely the way to go. But hey... \"RULES WERE MADE TO BE BROKEN\" and these are definately trying times in the audio industry.
 

demonsp

Active Member
We will never be able to replace mastering houses/good engineers.
We are at a stage when we can use Plugs (software) for mastering though and I recommend the mastering series, definitely.
My choice.

=)
 

gekko

Member
Apparently, I seem to have \"good ears\", and I have had the experience of mastering about 7 LPs for a few House music labels before they went to the record press.

In my opinion, if you know what you are looking for, have a decent room set up, and are willing to \"check your work\" against recordings in the same genre, then go for it with the mastering series plugs. They are incredibly clean, warm, and very not-computer-y.

I have heard trash coming back from enough mastering engineers assorted with various presses that I decided to learn to master, at least for other people's work. Not had a compliant yet!

PS: I use
PEQ -> PEQ -> PMB (with 50-90% wet signal) -> PLimiter -> Powr Type 3 dither

Have fun and be honest with yourself!

-jd
 
I think that wherever you use (analog or digital stuff) the really important thing in mastering are ME ears and a very good room. Between this two things, you can use a very different kind of stuff. I'm not a ME but sometimes I have to do this job (usually when I have to present a rough mix to the client and I need a very good presentation of my work in very short time) and I think that the third most important thing in the mastering stuff is the mix. When I have a clean and clear mix I simply put some compression, some EQ and voila !!! I use the Precission mastering tools from UA.
When I need a final mastering I go to a real ME and he usually uses analog stuff only.
 
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