# Mastering software



## Smikes77 (Dec 5, 2015)

hi everyone

I'm looking for some mastering software. I need it for orchestral, and pop/rock where heavier use of compression/limiters would be needed.

So far, izotope has caught my eye as well as t-racks. 

Which would you recommend?


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## d.healey (Dec 5, 2015)

Ozone


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## bryla (Dec 5, 2015)

Never got the hang of T-racks nor the sound of it. However love Ozone 7.

It must be said though: You can use whatever tools you have in your DAW to master already


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## Smikes77 (Dec 5, 2015)

Why is ozone better than T-racks?


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## ricoderks (Dec 5, 2015)

Smikes77 said:


> Why is ozone better than T-racks?



Ozone offers a lot of presets where you can learn a lot from. But i'm sure IK multimedia has loads of presets included too. 
However: Ozone 7 offers a bunch of vintage stuff like the eq, limiter, compressor and tape saturation. Besides that i personally really like the interface and learning curve for ozone. Can't speak for T-rackS though. Ozone was the first mastering tool I bought and sticked with it. So cant tell you why it would be better than T-rackS, but I do like ozone very much.


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## Smikes77 (Dec 5, 2015)

It seems to be getting clearer the more I read and ask.

I have limited budget at the moment from being too lusty for libraries and tools at the moment, so:

Is it worth getting the basic package, or:
Saving up for a bit longer and getting the advanced package?


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## rayinstirling (Dec 5, 2015)

Any DAW is good for mastering. It's ears that make the difference.


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## KEnK (Dec 5, 2015)

Smikes77 said:


> Why is ozone better than T-racks?


I haven't updated to Ozone 7 yet, because I no longer use it much.
That said, Ozone is a great tool for learning "mastering" because of the nature of the interface.
There are many graphic representations of what's happening w/ the audio that you're not going to get
w/ plugs or programs that more closely mimic real hardware.
That is a pretty big deal when you're just starting to wrap your head around mastering.
A case in point is the T-racks multi band compressor vs Ozone's.
Visually, Ozone's is much easier to grasp, even if the T-racks is doing the same thing-
But in fact, Ozone's mb compressor does more-
It's a compressor, expander and limiter all at the same time.
You'd most often need 3 separate plugs to do all that.
But multi band compression can really make a mess of a decent mix-
So "more" is not necessarily "more"-
You'll have to be really careful w/ that one. 

Ozone is a great tool for learning mastering- 
and it's pro quality too, not just a set of training wheels.
I learned a lot from it.

k


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## Smikes77 (Dec 5, 2015)

rayinstirling said:


> Any DAW is good for mastering. It's ears that make the difference.



So do you use your DAW?


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## germancomponist (Dec 5, 2015)

For example, the plugs what come with Cubase do not look so sexy as many others, but they are very good. I think the same is with many other plugs in other DAWS.


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## Smikes77 (Dec 5, 2015)

germancomponist said:


> For example, the plugs what come with Cubase do not look so sexy as many others, but they are very good. I think the same is with many other plugs in other DAWS.



I understand. But people aren't buying ozone/t-racks etc for their looks either.


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## rayinstirling (Dec 5, 2015)

Gunther, I'll have to find a pic of me when I had permed hair

Smikes77, I own Cubase and I own Ozone but I use WaveLab. This is just a choice of layout but if I were to work on a track with any of them it would still be a case of listening, and using the same amount of eq, compression and limiting as a basis for tweaking to my taste on my monitoring system.


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## Smikes77 (Dec 5, 2015)

rayinstirling said:


> Gunther, I'll have to find a pic of me when I had permed hair
> 
> Smikes77, I own Cubase and I own Ozone but I use WaveLab. This is just a choice of layout but if I were to work on a track with any of them it would still be a case of listening, and using the same amount of eq, compression and limiting as a basis for tweaking to my taste on my monitoring system.



So you use wavelab but dip in and out of ozone and cubase depending on your needs?


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## Nick Batzdorf (Dec 5, 2015)

To me the biggest difference over the stock mastering plug-ins is the limiter. Waves L2 is great, for example, because it can bring up the level 3 or 4dB (depending on the music) transparently and without any intervention. I like Ozone too, and there are probably others. The Logic plug-ins are great overall, but the limiter isn't quite the same in my opinion.

Also, there are multiband limiters like the L3, although when push came to shove I haven't used one for mastering an actual mix. I may use that to reduce some emphatic table-thumping on an interview I recorded recently, but that's not mastering, it's clean-up.

The second process on my list is the choice of using a linear phase EQ or a standard one, especially for boosts. Standard ones can add something nice, linear phase ones are much more transparent on pianos and strings.

And then you get to compressors, whether they're for mastering or individual tracks. They all have a sound, although if you know what you're doing there are some that have a variety of characters (optical, etc.). It's easier just to be lazy and pick one that does what you want right away.


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## Jimmy Hellfire (Dec 5, 2015)

Smikes77 said:


> I understand. But people aren't buying ozone/t-racks etc for their looks either.



Actually they do. There's this interesting effect of nice GUIs magically making music sound much better, it's a very widespread phenomenon ...

Joking aside: it's often the additional functionality, not so much some wondrous improvement in terms of sound. 3rd party plug-ins often have specialized capabilities that stock plug-ins don't offer. The cubase compressor works perfectly fine, but if you do a lot of mid-side compression, perhaps you're gonna buy the FabFilter compressor because it can do that kind of stuff. Ozone comes with a whole bunch of advanced stuff, but the question is always if the user actually needs all of it, and even knows what it does and how to use it. Not everyone needs to own the most advanced and expensive products.

I, for example - completely contrary to what Nick Batzdorf said - find limiters one of the most overrated, or at least over-thought things ever. There's so many ways and so many stages in the DAW where one can gain tons of volume in clean and unobtrusive ways. I use the limiter to prevent clipping, and only to bring things a bit closer just a little bit. Any decent plug-in could do. I use the maximizer that comes with Cubase. I often don't hear all the magic and all the voodoo about the "musical characteristics" of limiting in this or that way and I just don't bother. Sometimes I hear the differences that people are after, but don't care about them and don't feel they really add to the music either way. It's just the way I hear things.

I also mostly work with the built-in EQ. It does exactly what it's supposed to. 3rd party stuff I mostly use for vibe and coloration - stuff that the clean workhorse stock plug-ins aren't designed to provide. A lot of the more advanced 3rd party software would be wasted on me.

I'm also hesitant to call that little polishing on the mixdown that we tend to do in our project studios (and bedrooms) "mastering". Mastering to me is a quite scientific precision task that's done in a mastering studio under appropriate conditions, adequate monitoring etc.


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## germancomponist (Dec 5, 2015)

rayinstirling said:


> Gunther, I'll have to find a pic of me when I had permed hair


No permed hair here, Ray! It is my natural look.


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## rayinstirling (Dec 5, 2015)

Smikes77 said:


> So you use wavelab but dip in and out of ozone and cubase depending on your needs?


I'm struggling to understand from your questions just exactly what you're after.
In any of the apps I have I usually have DMG Equilibrium for linear phase eq and my limiter would be PSP Xenon. Other effects would depend entirely on whether I thought they would improve the sound. If not, less is more. My days of adding everything but the kitchen skin are gone.
The more effects plugins I've bought over these last few years, the less I find myself using. 
The basic art? of mastering isn't about the plugins, it's about knowing how not to abuse them.


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## KEnK (Dec 5, 2015)

Nick Batzdorf said:


> there are multiband limiters like the L3, although when push came to shove I haven't used one for mastering an actual mix. I may use that to reduce some emphatic table-thumping on an interview I recorded recently, but that's not mastering, it's clean-up.


I have a friend who buys everything and I just did a remix for him where I tried the Brainworx XL V2.
What a strange beast that is!
Multi band limiter w/ mid/side capability and distortion!
Crazy and hard to figure out but I got a good result.
I love the bx stuff, Bx digital finds a place on all my mixes, but that was also hard to figure out at first.
Reminds me of "Borg technology" for some reason. (maybe cuz the interface is "black and bizarre")
But I've become a mid/side addict when it comes to home mastering.
Can't imagine mixing w/o it now.
As to clean up-
That same remix required iZotope RX- a brilliant tool!
Ever try that one?
Perfect for removing table knocking and chair squeaks from your otherwise perfect takes.

k


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## Smikes77 (Dec 6, 2015)

rayinstirling said:


> I'm struggling to understand from your questions just exactly what you're after.
> In any of the apps I have I usually have DMG Equilibrium for linear phase eq and my limiter would be PSP Xenon. Other effects would depend entirely on whether I thought they would improve the sound. If not, less is more. My days of adding everything but the kitchen skin are gone.
> The more effects plugins I've bought over these last few years, the less I find myself using.
> The basic art? of mastering isn't about the plugins, it's about knowing how not to abuse them.



I asked which mastering software people would recommend, and I put foward the 2 I was thinking of. You suggested using just the DAW, so I asked you if that`s what you use.


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## rayinstirling (Dec 6, 2015)

Smikes77 said:


> I asked which mastering software people would recommend, and I put foward the 2 I was thinking of. You suggested using just the DAW, so I asked you if that`s what you use.


Okay, it's your money to spend on whatever you choose. Have fun.
If it were me, I'd probably be taking my lead from Ken K. By all the posting he does it seems he knows everything about anything or a least presents his view as such often by association. He's your man! One of these days we might just hear some examples of his extensive musical talent.

Yeh yeh.............wrong side of the bed again this morning


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## Baron Greuner (Dec 6, 2015)

germancomponist said:


> No permid hair here, Ray! It is my natural look.



Permid hair! I want permid hair too. Larry wants permed hair! But that's never going to happen!

Gunther, you didn't play football for Germany in the 1970s by any chance did you?


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## Smikes77 (Dec 6, 2015)

rayinstirling said:


> Okay, it's your money to spend on whatever you choose. Have fun.
> If it were me, I'd probably be taking my lead from Ken K. By all the posting he does it seems he knows everything about anything or a least presents his view as such often by association. He's your man! One of these days we might just hear some examples of his extensive musical talent.
> 
> Yeh yeh.............wrong side of the bed again this morning



Kranky pants


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## Vin (Dec 6, 2015)

You basically have 2 options:

1.) All-in-one solution like Ozone or T-Racks

2.) Separate plugins (Compressor, EQ, Limiter, maybe tape emulation etc.)

I prefer the option #2, it's more flexible. If you want one click solution, then Ozone (or T-Racks), although I've never liked presets in Ozone (never tried T-Racks) and their upgrade policy isn't great for me.

If you choose the second option, there are a lot of quality contenders, from free to $200 and up. Great balance between top quality and still not breaking the bank would be something like this combination:

Compressor: _TDR Kotelnikov_ - http://www.tokyodawn.net/tdr-kotelnikov/ - *Free*, there's also paid version, only €40, though. Sounds like a $2k hardware compressor.

EQ: _FabFilter Pro-Q 2_ - http://www.fabfilter.com/shop/pro-q-2-equalizer-plug-in *€149*

Limiter: _Toneboosters Barricade_ - http://www.toneboosters.com/tb-barricade/ *€19.95*

Tape emulation: _Toneboosters ReelBus_ - http://www.toneboosters.com/tb-reelbus/ *€19.95
*
Stereo enhancer/control: _A1StereoControl _- http://www.alexhilton.net/A1AUDIO/index.php/a1stereocontrol *Free
*
So, for less than €200 you can have top quality ITB DIY mastering, if you know what you're doing.


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## bryla (Dec 6, 2015)

What I guess we mean by 'use your DAW' is: start with mastering with your DAW's stock plug-ins.

When I upgraded to Ozone 7 Advanced I started mastering in the standalone application instead of in my DAW. This makes me focus more on mastering separately from mix and composition which are two processes already intertwined in my work.

The advantage to the standalone app is that you can use third party plug-ins as well.


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## Smikes77 (Dec 6, 2015)

I know what is meant by "use your DAW".

Vin has given me something else to think about with some excellent advice. I would always master in standalone too for the same reasons as you bryla.


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## 1982m (Dec 6, 2015)

Sounds like you're new to mastering.
It's simply not buying mastering plugins. You'll get varying opinions on the subject so here's mine.

Have one or several of your songs or material professionally mastered.
For a nominal fee or sometimes free an ME will critique your mix first. Then you can tweak it & remix based on their suggestions.
Ask them what needs to be improved e.g. balance, eq, dynamics, headroom etc..
Chances are if you're not happy with your source mix in the first place you'll probably not like the mastered version either.

When you get the masters back try to duplicate the results. A small investment but helpful in the long run imo since mastering can't be mastered overnight.

Good luck (p.s. good advice starting with your daws stock plugins. Start with simple eq & brickwall first, then as you learn add the other flavors like compression, saturation, m/s, tape..Also check out DMG's Equilibrium for a great mastering eq, slightly better filters than FabFilters.
Also I also prefer eq'ing using min phase instead of Linear phase when mastering for less smearing in the low end.
Always it depends on the material & what results you're going for.)


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## Smikes77 (Dec 6, 2015)

I`m not new to mastering. Thanks for the DMG recommendation, I`ll check it out.


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## Guy Rowland (Dec 6, 2015)

Vin said:


> You basically have 2 options:
> 
> 1.) All-in-one solution like Ozone or T-Racks
> 
> 2.) Separate plugins (Compressor, EQ, Limiter, maybe tape emulation etc.)



I'm currently embracing option 3 - using Ozone as a host (at which it excels) and using 3rd party plugins within it.


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## germancomponist (Dec 6, 2015)

Baron Greuner said:


> Gunther, you didn't play football for Germany in the 1970s by any chance did you?


Never ever!
As a child, when my friends were playing Football, I had a headphone on my ears and played the drums.


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## tack (Dec 6, 2015)

I picked up the Fabfilter mastering bundle some time ago, and I haven't yet felt like I've been missing anything. (I since bought their de-esser so if I were to do it over, I would pick up the mixing bundle instead.) Very good on CPU, very flexible, and, yes, it needs to be said, there is something nice about the sexy GUI. The visualizations are often quite enlightening.


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## dimtsak (Dec 6, 2015)

I use mostly what Vin said, except the Fabfilter eq. Plus the multiband compressor from Reaper.
I also used Ozone 5 in the past, wich was great.

Ozone has a 10 days trial, i d say give it a try.
And then try to master with the plugins you own.
You should be able to decide what is more comfortable for you.

And i vote for Toneboosters, they are great and affordable.


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## Smikes77 (Dec 6, 2015)

Wow, all this is awesome advice. Thanks guys.



Guy Rowland said:


> I'm currently embracing option 3 - using Ozone as a host (at which it excels) and using 3rd party plugins within it.



I like your style. Think I might go with this. 

Everyone seems to use Ozone and no-one uses T-racks...


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## Nick Batzdorf (Dec 6, 2015)

KEnK said:


> As to clean up-
> That same remix required iZotope RX- a brilliant tool!
> Ever try that one?
> Perfect for removing table knocking and chair squeaks from your otherwise perfect takes.
> ...



Not yet, but that's a good idea. Thanks.


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## Astronaut FX (Dec 6, 2015)

Toontrack's EZMix offers some mastering presets. If you're looking for out of the box simplicity on the cheap, that may be something to consider.


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## Jan_S (Dec 15, 2015)

Great suggestions here, thank you! What I am currently looking for is a free multiband stereo imager (like the one in ozone). I really like how these plugins can open up a track at mastering stage.


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## chrysshawk (Dec 15, 2015)

What I like about TRacks is the ability to experiment with various devices (ie. emulators) in the chain and see which one gives the sound you like the most. Historically, that's been my main issue with Ozone; the lack of coloring according to my preferences. If I were to go for a transparent solution, FabFilter would probably be my go-to.

My 2c on this though would be that TRacks gives more options in how you want to color your master, whereas Ozone probably is better for an integrated and transparent approach. Don't have Ozone 7 yet though, where I see they have added some interesting features to address just this.


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## babylonwaves (Dec 15, 2015)

i'm using ozone because a mastering engineer I work with a lot uses it as well. he sends me the settings with the master once done and I can keep on fine tuning the song while having ozone with his settings in the master channel. that makes a big change for me. of course this would work with t-racks as well, it might be more difficult with individual plug-ins though.


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## jononotbono (Dec 15, 2015)

tack said:


> I picked up the Fabfilter mastering bundle some time ago, and I haven't yet felt like I've been missing anything. (I since bought their de-esser so if I were to do it over, I would pick up the mixing bundle instead.) Very good on CPU, very flexible, and, yes, it needs to be said, there is something nice about the sexy GUI. The visualizations are often quite enlightening.




The Fabfilter stuff looks amazing. The Pro Q 2 is definitely my next plugin to buy. I may even get the Mixing Bundle depending on Money.


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## dimtsak (Dec 15, 2015)

Jan_S said:


> Great suggestions here, thank you! What I am currently looking for is a free multiband stereo imager (like the one in ozone). I really like how these plugins can open up a track at mastering stage.



This is what i use and i find it to be really good for my needs.

http://www.alexhilton.net/A1AUDIO/index.php/a1stereocontrol


EDIT - Sorry, i didn't see that you wrote multiband


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## gsilbers (Dec 15, 2015)

Smikes77 said:


> hi everyone
> 
> I'm looking for some mastering software. I need it for orchestral, and pop/rock where heavier use of compression/limiters would be needed.
> 
> ...



I suggest t-racks t3 meter. it has a loudness type of metering which helps you get in the ballpark of commercial loudness for different genres. it is not the regular k-meter or lkfs/luf, yet it helps a lot when you are mixing classical and then jumping to rock.

in terms of compression , I suggest waves L3 for maximizing levels which is very good.
slate digital fx-g I think is also very good.

also, its suggestions since its a mater of taste. even I change a lot my mastering plugins.
sometimes I change the mix after mastering. which is why I add an l3 to my master buss and leave it on bypass, only to hear it once in a while for mix reference. for classica/film score then its a mild glue compression or nothing.
it varies, but the metering helps and having a good listening room that is calibrated with good monitors also helps.


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## tack (Dec 15, 2015)

jononotbono said:


> The Fabfilter stuff looks amazing. The Pro Q 2 is definitely my next plugin to buy. I may even get the Mixing Bundle depending on Money.


Good timing! I just woke up to an email from Fabfilter announcing a holiday sale.


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## Lassi Tani (Dec 15, 2015)

jononotbono said:


> The Fabfilter stuff looks amazing. The Pro Q 2 is definitely my next plugin to buy. I may even get the Mixing Bundle depending on Money.



I'm using Fabfilter's plugs a lot! Intuitive to use. Pro Q 2 is super. And their tutorials in Youtube are good to watch.


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## tack (Dec 15, 2015)

sekkosiki said:


> And their tutorials in Youtube are good to watch.


Yes, they're best in class. Well, really we have Dan Worrall to thank. Any tutorial he does subconsciously compels me to open my wallet.


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## tack (Dec 15, 2015)

tack said:


> Good timing! I just woke up to an email from Fabfilter announcing a holiday sale.


BTW @jononotbono (or anyone else here) if you do end up wanting to pick up your first Fabfilter plugin, PM me your email address and I'll send you a 10% discount referral.


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## TatsuArekku (Dec 20, 2015)

Sorry to hijack this thread, but it was so recent I didn't want to start a new one.

I've enjoyed FabFilter in the past but have never really given other mastering plugins a chance. Can anyone offer opinions on McDSP or Softube plugins? Waves? How do these stack up to FabFilter in terms of sound and usability? (I'm with @tack—a great interface is also nice.)


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## Spip (Dec 20, 2015)

TatsuArekku said:


> Sorry to hijack this thread, but it was so recent I didn't want to start a new one.
> 
> I've enjoyed FabFilter in the past but have never really given other mastering plugins a chance. Can anyone offer opinions on McDSP or Softube plugins? Waves? How do these stack up to FabFilter in terms of sound and usability? (I'm with @tack—a great interface is also nice.)



I don't think it's possible to reply to this for you. Just try their demos. I did this for myself at the time and chose the Fabfilter's ones (but I already had the Sonnox bundle)...


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## KEnK (Dec 20, 2015)

TatsuArekku said:


> Can anyone offer opinions on McDSP or Softube plugins? Waves? How do these stack up to FabFilter in terms of sound and usability?


No experience w/ McDSP,
Softube sounds great, but I'm not fond of some of their U.I.s
This could be my monitor being on the small side.
Lotsa people seem to think Waves plugs are dated-
I love them and use them all the time.
I'm into "character" though, and that is what I use Waves, Softube or PSP for.

Fabfilter is excellent, unquestionably, as to eq though,
I have moved over DMG as my go-to non-character eq of choice
I do love the Fabfilter metering for the Compressor and Limiter-
That is brilliant!
But as I said, sometimes I reach for character instead.

You can't go wrong w/ any of the products being talked about in this thread.

k


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## tack (Dec 20, 2015)

KEnK said:


> I'm into "character" though, and that is what I use Waves, Softube or PSP for.


I've always wondered what the benefit would be in using a transparent compressor with additional with EQ and saturation in the FX chain to provide "character" versus using compressors that colorize the sound. It always struck me as more controllable to have things like saturation be done in specialized plugins that give more flexibility than something as a byproduct of nontransparent compression.


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## KEnK (Dec 20, 2015)

tack said:


> I've always wondered what the benefit would be in using a transparent compressor with additional with EQ and saturation in the FX chain to provide "character" versus using compressors that colorize the sound. It always struck me as more controllable to have things like saturation be done in specialized plugins that give more flexibility than something as a byproduct of nontransparent compression.


Hi Tack-

Certainly you can get a nice colorized sound the way you describe.
For me though, I've gotten used to the way these vintage emulations
of say an LA-2A, 1176, SSL, Fairchild 670 etc, affect the sound.
So although I'm still experimenting and learning,
I'm reaching for a specific thing when I choose one or the other.
It has to do w/ the individual attack & release curves,
and also the type of saturation they might bring.

They all affect the transients and the shape of the tone differently-
this can alter things like presence, glue and even the sense of position
regarding the front/rear field-
Check this excellent Mixing w/ Mike Tut about using compressors to define "space".
Although here, he's demonstrating this technique w/ a transparent compressor,
you can see that using a "slow" LA-2A would yield different results than a "faster" 1176.


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## TatsuArekku (Dec 21, 2015)

These replies are excellent. Thank you all very much. I'll try a few demos of plugins just in case, but I think I'll likely stick with FF since it's what I know and it's worked well thus far.


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## Vastman (Dec 21, 2015)

Over the past year I've continued adding to my collection as the final result became more important to me. Along with a bunch of other stuff, among the big 3 now have:


nearly all T-racks modules up to the stealth limiter, which is amazing
All Fab's except for their distortion thingy
iZotopes music production bundle which includes ozone7 adv.
I find i mostly use FF for their lovely gui and transparent sound... And can be used on many tracks as cpu hit is small. Still prefer ik's Stealth at the end.

Ozone is great for quick presets and it can integrate other plugs like ff. Also great for mixing down multiple songs, like wav to mp3 and balancing levels amongst the set. If you want quick preset mixes...look no further.

FF bundle sales are rare...usually at xmas...maybe 1ce/yr like the 30% now ongoing.

iZotope has them more often and the loyalty upgrade to the MPB for under 200 bucks is ongoing, if u have 2 qualifying products or can get some one to gift um... That's how i got mine and i regifted the unused trash2/alloy2 licences to another.

IK has incredible 5 for 1 group buys periodically...it's where i got my last 15 of their mastering/mixing plugs about 4 months ago.

That's pretty much the lay of the land for the big 3...

Many plugs have a character of their own. Some, like FF' DS Desser...have no competition... Their DS simply kicks everyone else's butt. I think that also goes for their proQ2 and proC2 gui's, although that's me..

Bottom line is which plug do you relate to so you can use it effectively. That's a personal matter... Each brain is different. Ozone is instant gratification with presets...and not cheesy at all.

All have trials... I'd start with FF first before sale dies... And they have progressive loyalty discounts as you buy more. Or maybe in tandum with ozone n the same project...

Both iZo and ik also have sales going...

Ultimately they're ALL good...it's YOU that has to wield them and who will determine how good your mix/master sounds.

Enjoy the challenge!

BTW, this subject is discussed often at the cakewalk forums...bitflipper breaks them down with incredible insight and his compositions are among the best mixes in the business. If i find his last few posts I'll supply a link... He's amazing and bottom line... A "mixed" bag of tricks is best. Sleepy time now


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## mirrodin (Dec 22, 2015)

Multiband is a very powerful tool, and If you can grasp how to use eq and compression, you can faux-multiband process your mixes by setting up parallel busses to feed to your 2-bus. Basically all you want/need is an EQ before each compressor and is treating JUST a specific band.

You don't even need to search for a "free" multiband compressor/limiter. Multiband is much more complex and if Compression is to be treated like a rubber band - you can only stretch it so much before it breaks, then Multiband is doubly so.

The tools like iZotope's Ozone, Waves L3multi &L316, Vitamin (multiband harmonics), Linear Phase Multiband, FabFilter Pro-MB, Universal Audio Precision Multiband, and the numerous others already mentioned previously etc.. all offer some pretty powerful and coordinated tools that make handling crossovers and dynamics controls much easier to get good results. They're just as easy to abuse if you don't know what you're doing with it.

If you can built a 4 bus parallel template you can make your own custom multiband processing stage before your 2-bus and you can use your favorite compressors that you may have experience with working on low-frequency content, or get a certain sonic character out of. Experiment with different processor chains on each band and you might find some happy results. As with any compressor/limiter there's a sweet spot you'll have to find, and doing so for multiband is 3-4 fold (depending on how many bands you want to create).

there is an entirely different approach to mixing into a mastering stage (whether you're doing it yourself or sending off to an ME) and that involves a similar 4-group setup but not in multiband fashion. Look up Michael Brauer's multi-compression philosophy, also called Brauerizing. Pretty intriguing (and I've been experimenting with my own pseudo ITB version of this, and thinking about how I might apply this to some surround mixing).


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