Was just wondering what mastering plugins people use…I am currently trying to decide between T-RackS 3 and Izotope’s Ozone mastering suites. Also looking at TC Electronics Character plugin which looks great.
If anyone has any of these I would be keen to hear what you think about them.
i’ll probably get slated for this but i prefer the sound of T-racks compared to Izotopes but then i also think i can get a much tighter sound using logics stock plug-ins. never use the TC Electronics Character Plug-in so couldn’t comment on that.
Sonalksis plug-ins sound very nice imo.
if you really care about the sound being good once mastered i wouldn’t bother buying new plug-ins, i would just send the track off to the pro’s to do it
One word for you… WAVES!!!
That is the best mastering software IMHO. Otherwise, I would choose Ozone over T-Racks all day long.
I would really stay away from Sonalksis for mastering. All I use from them is the TBK 1, 2, and 3, and their EQ which sounds great. Their compressors and other stuff give a distorted edge that I dont want in mastering software. I didn’t believe it till someone showed me.
Sonalksis Sound much better than waves howard and i can really push the sonalksis stuff with out the slightest distortion.
there is a digital analog switch on the back of most of some of those plug-ins that will stop distortion if set correctly
These are probably the most used software in mastering http://www.uaudio.com/products/bundles/precision.html
Thanks guys. I would rather do myself rather than sending to a pro mainly because I enjoy the doing the process myself and because it is unlikely any of my tracks will ever get released! 
Ozone currently looks my favourite but I was thinking of also buying the T-Racks3 fairchild 670 emulator to complement it.
The waves stuff looks good but looks to be a bit expensive compared to the others…UAD look the dogs overall but I have an imac and so cannot use an accelerator card.
Yeah I agree with Howie about the waves!!!
Pref though you really want to be doing as little mastering as possible, really just concentrate on raising the volume a little with your limiter, rounding things off with a compressor and knocking off anything below 30hz with a high pass filter.
You may also want to mono the low frequencies.
Apart from that, things like your levels, EQ, widening of stereo space, etc really should be done within your track.
I’ve lost count how many producers i’ve heard or read say that you should really leave the mastering for the professionals.
Yeah, I wouldnt master anything. Listen to what Josh Gabriel said in the interview. Leave that to the people that do it for a living.
Sorry Jon… Waves over Sonalksis all day. I have never heard of anyone using Sonalksis for mastering from anything I’ve read. I dunno.
Yep i gotta agree with howie+roben, waves by a mile ,
simply stunning tools 
ok i knew that i was gonna get slated for it but i guess it’s just a personal thing really, How many of you guys own the WAVES bundles??? i sold my waves bundle last year mainly because to me they were no better than the logic stock eq’s and compressors. to me the only reason for going for waves is the share amount plug-ins you get for your money.
for me sonalksis sound nicer but waves you get more plug-ins
[quote]howiegroove (11/17/2009)[hr]Yeah, I wouldnt master anything. Listen to what Josh Gabriel said in the interview. Leave that to the people that do it for a living.
Sorry Jon… Waves over Sonalksis all day. I have never heard of anyone using Sonalksis for mastering from anything I’ve read. I dunno.[/quote]
you don’t need to say sorry bro lol it’s an opinion every ones aloud one
this was posted on another forum, its about Peq and makes for an interesting read
http://www.rhythminmind.net/presetblog/2009/03/digital-eq-fact-myth/
very good read but i know for a fact that this is wrong!, yeah you can probably get close ,but to say that all parametric eq 's are the same is like saying a meal from your local chippy is the same as going to a michelin star restaraunt not true ! 
i have waves bundle (mercury)
[quote]egg2 (11/18/2009)[hr]very good read but i know for a factthat this is wrong!, yeah you can probably get close ,but to say that all parametric eq 's are the same is like saying a meal from your local chippy is the same as going to a michelin star restaraunt not true !
i have waves bundle (mercury)[/quote]
i didn’t say that i totally agree with this guy i was simply adding another point of view to the discussion. i also probably do think that the same results can be gained by most plug-ins but one will take considerably more work than the other to achieve the same result.
yeah, i hung out with my boy in DC and he made a great point. he said this…
FREAK WHAT U GOT!
You can make pro music with just about anything out there. You just gotta know how to use it. Howie-OUT!
[quote]jon_fisher (11/18/2009)[hr][quote]egg2 (11/18/2009)[hr]very good read but i know for a factthat this is wrong!, yeah you can probably get close ,but to say that all parametric eq 's are the same is like saying a meal from your local chippy is the same as going to a michelin star restaraunt not true !
i have waves bundle (mercury)[/quote]
i didn’t say that i totally agree with this guy i was simply adding another point of view to the discussion. i also probably do think that the same results can be gained by most plug-ins but one will take considerably more work than the other to achieve the same result.[/quote]
hey jon, i didnt say you do, im just saying that his statement is wrong !
for example ableton’s eq can do what waves REQ can do,
I dont think it can the only other product that comes close( imo )to waves is oxford plugs
Plus r comp to me is the best compressor for pretty much anything i want with arc ,electro and warmth options its just a great compressor all round ,just my opinion though |
As long as your happy with what you use thats what counts!
[quote]egg2 (11/18/2009)[hr][quote]jon_fisher (11/18/2009)[hr][quote]egg2 (11/18/2009)[hr]very good read but i know for a factthat this is wrong!, yeah you can probably get close ,but to say that all parametric eq 's are the same is like saying a meal from your local chippy is the same as going to a michelin star restaraunt not true !
i have waves bundle (mercury)[/quote]
i didn’t say that i totally agree with this guy i was simply adding another point of view to the discussion. i also probably do think that the same results can be gained by most plug-ins but one will take considerably more work than the other to achieve the same result.[/quote]
hey jon, i didnt say you do, im just saying that his statement is wrong !
for example ableton’seqcan do what waves REQ can do,
I dont think it can the only other product that comes close( imo )to waves is oxford plugs
Plus r comp to me is the best compressor for pretty much anything i want with arc ,electro and warmth options its just a great compressor all round ,just my opinion though |
As long as your happy with what you use thats what counts! :)[/quote]
thats fair play bro i’m never usually right about this kinda thing lol thats why i said i would get slated for it and i’m sure there are a lot of guys that are reading this thinking wtf is this guy saying lol but i guess its down to personal taste.
i’m sure as you’ve paid nearly $9000 for some plug-ins you have a lot of faith in them
£5000 actually, split three ways for our studio in london !
and worth every penny!
also you do have a lot of good info jon, i just disagree with what this guy is saying not you dude!