Audacity for mastering?

allegro1650

New member
Is this a fool's errand, or is Audacity (v 1.2.6 and later) a good enough program for cleaning up tracks, EQ'ing, limiting, leveling, etc. before sending to a pro mastering house?

Yes, it works in 48K/24-bit. Yes, it works with lossless formats (.wav, .lame, etc.). Perhaps most importantly, I know it inside and out.

I'm sure there are purpose-built (purpose-code-written?) programs, but I'm on a budget... that is to say, flat stone cold broke! :(

I need to get off the ground with a solo project, and I'm 'dancing with the girl I brung' so to speak. I've been using it for restoring cassette demos and vinyl transfers to mp3.

Your thoughts, ladies and gents?
 
I've never heard of any "real" mastering engineers using it, but Audacity will work just fine for the things listed in your first sentence.

My thoughts are - why are you anticipating that you will need to be cleaning up and EQing your finished mixes, of the solo project you haven't started yet, at the mastering stage? Are you like... planning on recording messy tracks and mixing them poorly? Your post is kind of all over the place - do you know what mastering is?
 
Let me clarify:

I was referring more to pre-mastering, rather than the actual mastering process itself.
No, I don't anticipate recording "messy" tracks; I just like to line up my ducks in a row. Yes, I'm well aware of the mastering process; I want to make sure I've done all I can at home before I spend the (admittedly limited) cash on a professional master. "Measure twice, cut once", that sort of thing.

My planning involves anticipating the end result, and working out solutions for potential hazards or problems.

If my post is a little scrambled, that's because I'm still organizing the methods and the thought processes. I've downloaded the eval version of Reaper, and I've still got a lot to learn.
 
"Mastering is a PROCESS, not a tool."

If you understand the process, you can do it in nearly any audio editor.

This, this right here, but yeah before I give someone a mix I generally either use Cubase or Audacity to top and tail it, if i'm working on multiple tracks I use cubase gives me more control over segues etc. but if I'm just doing a quick burn of a single track audacity and a few little tips and tricks, but I'm no mastering engineer, maybe someday :D
 
This, this right here, but yeah before I give someone a mix I generally either use Cubase or Audacity to top and tail it, if i'm working on multiple tracks I use cubase gives me more control over segues etc. but if I'm just doing a quick burn of a single track audacity and a few little tips and tricks, but I'm no mastering engineer, maybe someday :D

+1 to that.
Basically, the only FX that I would endorse within audacity are volume adjust and fade in/out. If you're planning on doing anything with EQ or any effects that you might need to tweak as you work, go with something non-destructive.
 
I am using the Izotope Ozone 5 advanced plugin within Audacity and it`s great. But for Audacity as a standalone I don`t think its any way good enough.
 
This thread is so all over the place. Half the people are talking about mastering, the other half are talking about mixing. Some are talking about both in different posts.

It's pretty simple: Mix your song as well as you can, getting as close to the final product as humanly possible, then master it or get it mastered. Or, more accurately, Mix ALL the songs that will be part of a collection, and get them mastered together. It's not more complicated than that.
 
This thread is so all over the place. Half the people are talking about mastering, the other half are talking about mixing. Some are talking about both in different posts.

It's pretty simple: Mix your song as well as you can, getting as close to the final product as humanly possible, then master it or get it mastered. Or, more accurately, Mix ALL the songs that will be part of a collection, and get them mastered together. It's not more complicated than that.

It seems that that people aren't even clear that recording should come before mixing. This comment is serious.
 
allegro1650 said:
I've downloaded the eval version of Reaper, and I've still got a lot to learn.

Yes, you do, as Reaper has A LOT to offer. But your 'eval' version of Reaper is actually fully functional (unless they've changed their business model since 3.x)
 
Audacity is good enough for mastering, if there is a plugin that you need you can go to VST Planet they have free ones and most if not all work with Audacity and they are All Free
 
Hi Allegro
I'm not totally sure about Audacity but all computer programs will have a master process somewhere.
One of the drum machine progs I use has the process listed as rendering. i.e. making it usable in another form like MP3 or OGG.
You have to mix your tracks and then "Master" them down to stereo that is all you are doing.
Sure you need to get your mix right but at least you can play the mastered track and hear what it sounds like.
Go for it you can alway do it again that's the whole point of being in charge of the process yourself.
If you send it off to be mastered it will cost you, but you will get a professionally done job which you would expect.
Be bold make a few mistakes, everyone does it's part of the game.
ciao
 
One of the drum machine progs I use has the process listed as rendering. i.e. making it usable in another form like MP3 or OGG.
I'm pretty sure you don't know what "mastering" means.
You have to mix your tracks and then "Master" them down to stereo that is all you are doing.
OK, now I know you have no idea whater mastering is. You mix your tracks down to stero, and then you master the stereo track.

I realize you're only trying to help, but your inforation is just wrong.
 
I tripped over one of the white sticks. It seems there's a conga line in search of occular enhancement.

Dear relatively new people.
Have a look in the top right hand corner of the panel in which folk have written. Note the year they joined, the number of posts made and the reputation score.
These things, in & of themselves, are no guarantee BUT do suggest whether someone is tooting the rectal trumpet or otherwise.

There have been, are & will be "newbies" who have years of experience in home & other recording but a general trend this is NOT the case.

Before you accept someone's advice look them up, listen to their wares and consider your verdict.
 
Back
Top