T-racks stuff works pretty well at the level you're talking about, and I wouldn't try to get too fancy with it. I use it all the time when making working mixs (for myself and clients) and when doing demos and such that aren't going to be mastered if I don't do it.
The trick is to NOT use it when you are mixing. Get the best mixs you can without any effects on the master channel then import all your mixs into a new session.
Then you can listen to them all together A/B'd against each other and see what songs need what processing to make the whole thing sound cohesive. THAT's when you use the T-racks stuff to make changes- when you can compare all the songs at once and make decisions that make sense. I typically find out which song sounds the best or is the sonic benchmark for the rest of the project and use that as a refernece for tweaking the others.
Sometimes I'll also import a reference track off a CD that the client wants the CD to sound like. It always hurts a little to A/B against the CD track, but its a good way to keep from getting too heady about your mastering job. Remember that you have to work with what you have and do with it what you can. In general, think light EQ tweaks, light compression, as little limiting as you can get away with and use a light touch on the multi-band. If you find yourself trying to get this or that louder, take it back to the mix, eh? You can ruin a good mix pretty fast if you aren't careful.
Anyway, T-Racks isn't fantastic, but the "real" stuff, as far as plugins go, would be
the Waves L3, and
the Linear Phase EQ's and Multiband compressor, etc. They are pretty pricey and your client probably can't pay you enough to afford buying them. T-racks is a good place to start and if you find yourself needing more/getting paid for it more, look into the Waves stuff.
Take care,
Chris
