Mastering Equipment

B

BLP

New member
Is there any affordable analog equipment to insist in the Mastering stage.


I was wondering because after I get every song in order needed and very close in volume in my DAW is there any analog equipment I can run the whole project through and tweak just alittle more to give it that final polish?
 
Short answer: Nope.

As others have said here, mastering is an active process, not a piece of gear or software. Whatever your favorite tools are for tweaking your tracking or mixing will work OK for tweaking your master also. You just gotta work it.

G.
 
SouthSIDE Glen said:
Short answer: Nope.

As others have said here, mastering is an active process, not a piece of gear or software. Whatever your favorite tools are for tweaking your tracking or mixing will work OK for tweaking your master also. You just gotta work it.

G.
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I know it's a active process. Sorry I think I asked the question wrong.

Is their affordable home recording analog equipment usable to process songs recorded in a DAW that can insist in the process of mastering?
 
I don't know how else to answer the question. No, there is no such thing. You need to do whatever you need to do to a song, and there is no such thing as one piece of gear that you can run all your songs through to generically polish them like they were cars being run through a car wash.

It's as simple and as hard as doing whatever you feel each song needs done to it. What tools you use to do that depends upon two things only; what you feel the song needs and what you like to use as a response to that.

G.
 
BLP said:
Is their affordable home recording analog equipment usable to process songs recorded in a DAW that can insist in the process of mastering?
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Affordable. Not really,.. but there analog out board eq's and compressors that you can purchase to assist in the mastering process.

A couple options on the least expensive side are API 5500, API 2500, Bax eq, TF p38, TF pro p9, SSl style comps like the Alan Smart C1 and C2..etc.

You want to have decent da-ad conversion if you're going outboard and before considering this stuff make sure the monitors and room are in order. 2 cents.
 
Waltz Mastering said:
Affordable. Not really,.. but there analog out board eq's and compressors that you can purchase to assist in the mastering process.

A couple options on the least expensive side are API 5500, API 2500, Bax eq, TF p38, TF pro p9, SSl style comps like the Alan Smart C1 and C2..etc.

You want to have decent da-ad conversion if you're going outboard and before considering this stuff make sure the monitors and room are in order. 2 cents.
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Thank You

I was just assuming there is analog equipment that can be used with a daw set up to assist in mastering and or mixing

thanks for input I appreciate it

Would an Analog EQ be better then plugin enough to purchase over a plugin?
 
SouthSIDE Glen said:
What would you do with it?

G.
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The Behringer Ultra-Curve Pro Mastering Processor is ideal for mastering and PA purposes. It offers 4 concurrently selectable EQ modules: 31-band graphic, 10-band parametric, Feedback Destroyer, and 3 dynamic EQs per channel. Other highlights are the 61-band RTA that can run simultaneously with the EQ section, high-quality 24-bit/96kHz A/D/A converters, and 2 high-performance 32/40-bit floating-point SHARC digital signal processors which yield ultimate sonic resolution and 113dB dynamic range. Multifunction level meters, 64 user memories, RTA mic/line input with phantom power, word clock input, and MIDI connections. Balanced inputs, servo-balanced outputs with gold-plated XLR connectors, stereo aux output, and AES/EBU and S/PDIF I/Os (XLR and optical).

that is description

I'm hoping I can EQ my vocal before it hits my DAW program, maybe eq some midi keyboard sounds before it hits DAW and also use it to to EQ full songs?

and whatever else I can use it for I would learn to know
 
It's a digital EQ with a digital real-time analyzer display and a few other doo dads built in. The fact that it's in an external box does not make it analog; it's a set of digital plug-ins in an external box.

G.
 
BLP said:
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Behring...Pro-Mastering-Processor-102305943-i1125218.gc

Would this be good use with my DAW?


Is it built to be hooked up to my audio interface?
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I would hold off and resist the temptation to go outboard until you get some projects and experience under you're belt. Once your ready, I feel compression would be the first thing to go for as the in the box solutions just don't measure up yet to what a fine outboard compressor can do... Even then compression is a little overrated and should be used in very small amounts.
 
Yeah and I think the OP is confusing Mixing with Mastering as often as that happens around here.

All EQ, compression, etc. should be done in the tracking and mixing stages.

Will that help? IDK, just remember anytime you use analog equipment to change the sound it is not reversable.
 
Mastering is confusing to alot of people because there have been so many definitions over the years.

Mastering started out as simply transferring tape to vinyl,

Then in the 1970's engineer's started subtly tweaking EQ's to get the transfers to sound better, along with compression to fit more music on an LP

In the 1990's the loudness wars began(Thanks to SONY) and engineers started to not only EQ and Compress the music, but limited it as well to push the music as loud as it will go. NOw mastering engineers have tons of equipment to run music through to do this.

I would definatley go with the original definition, Make your mix sound as good as you possibly can and transfer it to CD.
 
Mastering is the creation of the production master. The definition has never changed.

What happens along the way may have changed somewhat (okay, "somewhat drastically") but the intent and the core of the process has stayed the same.



I'd argue that the demands on the mastering engineer have changed rather drastically also... Back when I started doing this, the point was to change the audio as little as possible. S'not like that anymore...






Heh... He said "snot..."
 
Waltz Mastering said:
I would hold off and resist the temptation to go outboard until you get some projects and experience under you're belt. Once your ready, I feel compression would be the first thing to go for as the in the box solutions just don't measure up yet to what a fine outboard compressor can do... Even then compression is a little overrated and should be used in very small amounts.
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Do you know of any good compressors for vocals under $500
 
Hardware? In that price range, you're better off sticking with software.

*If* your converters are really up to the task, FMR's RNC would be near the top of a very short list. But still, I can all but guarantee that it isn't going to change your life or anything...
 
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