cheapest freebie "Mastering" for the PC

ruebarb

ruebarb

New member
Hey guys, been awhile...

Now all we pros know you can't master from home...and you need a mastering house. However, I'm doing literally a gig demo (a 5 song demo just for getting gigs) for a band next week....

Problem is, my Masterlink died. I have a decent soundcard and burner on my PC (Sound Blaster Live Value) - but I have no audio software except for a hokey version of Goldwave shareware.

I'd like to find some BASIC simple mastering software, either on a shareware or free basis. My mixer has a master L/R that I'll use a Massenberg EQ on, so that's gonna sound great, but I need something that can take record these two track WAV. files and compress/maximize/tweak them a bit and not screw them over....

and the problemo is this...a vacation has crippled my budget...if it ain't trial download or freeware, I'm hosed....damn... - Of course, if I like it and it's cheap (like N-tracks) - then I'll buy it....

suggestions?

RB
 
I've been messing around with the Steinberg Wavelab demo. What I do is use Wavelab to do the "mastering" work, but since you can't save the files in the demo, I use Goldwave to record what I'm doing in Wavelab. So far it has worked quite well. I really love the multiband compressor in Wavelab. I gotta get a real copy (but @ $500 or so it is currently out of my financial reach).

Hope this helps.
Darryl.....
 
If you feel like doing a bit of work, I would use the demo version of Ozone (www.izotope.com). It cuts out at certain intervals, but if you make two files and edit the bits from one into the cut-out bits of the other, you can have the whole shebang. You have to fiddle with it a bit, but it works.
 
yeah, don't steal, but even if you do have enough brains to not admit it here. who knows maybe one of us works for the FBI in our real job! maybe i do! maybe you're busted!

PT free works ok, it's buggy. just search for demos of anything that has a master fader function. then just eq the master fader throw some compression or limiting on it, and turn the volume up as high as it will go without distorting. it's the poor unexperienced man's 'mastering'. (ps-i don't personally do that so don't flame me, it's just a budget, experience, and needs based assesment).
 
Hey... I use Kazaa to check out stuff I might want all the time...

Everything I actually use I bought after field testing it UNCRIPPLED. Nothing worse than using a demo version of something that only works half a$$ed....

I agree with the "don't steal" concept, but if the big dogs want us little guys to buy their $300.00-$1000.00 software suites, then they better find SOME way to allow us to try it out unrestricted for a DECENT ammount of time.

- Tanlith -
 
Martin should let me (a little guy!) try out a D-45 for a couple of weeks to see if I like it. If I then start to make money with it (my tunes hit #1 on TRL) then I'll pay for it :)

<rant>
Crack Dudes (not the drug): N-Track is less than $100!!!! There are plenty of free (or inexpensive) plug-ins available. Support the developers who write this stuff. It's not easy to write/test/support SW.
</rant>
 
I use Audacity too. It comes with a decent sw reverb plugin and you can hunt for whatever else you need. There's even links to free plugins on the website.
 
>> Martin should let me (a little guy!) try out a D-45 for a couple of weeks to see if I like it. If I then start to make money with it (my tunes hit #1 on TRL) then I'll pay for it <<

The local guitar boutique let my father take home a Goodall for a week. Wise move on their part as he didn't want to bring it back and thus bought it. Then, he bought another one months later on. Granted he's a very dedicated customer but "in home" trials are a very good sales tactic.
 
I still use my Goldwave for trimming and fadeouts cause Its real quik. There is a lot you can do with it. I have Wavelab now but Goldwave was a life saver when I was broke.
Myx
 
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