Applying Mastering EQ

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Rusty K

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Well I just read odiwgal's thread as I came here with a matering question about using mastering EQ wisely. I come here so often all pumped up only to experience massive depressurization.

I want to produce the best on any given day that I can in my home. I crave the independence of it and the accessability of it as a player songwriter. If it's really good I'll get it to the pro's. But just about everything I've already produced,not much, is a hell of a lot better sounding than previous attempts in the days of tape and anolog in the garage.

So if anyone still has any energy to help me with an answer to my question....

Are there any rules of thumb that I can employ in
applying Mastering EQ?

Please do...

I love/hate this place ha ha!

RK
 
bvaleria,

Thanks, I'm in the process of reading the article. Pretty general common sense stuff so far but I haven't finished yet.

Question....I've been demoing Sonic Timeworks and T-Racks. Which is better in your opinion? I'm leaning toward T-Racks as it seems to be much more subtle. I couldn't make the mix sound like a radio mix with T-Racks for the life of me, a good thing acording to the article you directed me to.

T-Racks was so subtle that I will need to read the manual thoroughly to figure out just what it can do.

RK
 
Hi Rusty,

That article does contain common sense stuff, but you'd be surprised at how many people don't have any!! ;)

I'm the wrong person to ask regarding Mastering s/w - I'm a hardware guy. But Ed (sonusman) may know.........

Bruce
 
hi,

T-racks is good i guess, at least you can save a f**ked up mix with... i know cuz our last demo was transported to the computer with a very low quality aound card and sounded screwed up. The guy who recorded/mixed/mastered saved it with T-racks... well, he messed it up first so he'd better save it!

greetz guhlenn

ps. check the sound at http://www.nonofus.com
it's in dutch (soon in english) but just go to the audio section it'll be simple.
(recorded on dat -> then to comp then T-racks...)
Believe me i know it doesn't sound to good, but it's a hundred times better then before the T-racks.
 
I couldn't bring your page up guhlen. I don't know whether that was a recomendation of T-Racks or not. What about Sonic Timeworks Mastering EQ and Compression? Anyone? Timeworks Mastering is DirectX. Just what makes them mastering tools instead or just regular processing plugins?

I'm just looking for insights on how to tweak/master with these tools.

RK
 
sonictimeworks article

Hey Rusty K!

Have a look at this:
http://www.prorec.com/prorec/articles.nsf/files/EE31D5A70D88AA86862567CB004FFEF9
might be helpful in order to understand what these timeworks-things are really all about. I regularly use the Mastering EQ and think that it is really really useful for making more or less subtle changes on the overall sound of a mix. It gives you everything you want ( well, quite ;) ), if you know how to recognize and deal with frequencies. If not, you're doomed, 'cause the graphic display isn't that good. Everything else in the article above.
Search the prorec.com-site - you might find several other very helpful articles (esp. Point to Point I and II). I once also used a demo of the mastering compressor and it is something like the Loudness Maximizer, also sounds very good, but I don't have the money to afford it right now.
 
Well, i guess it was a recommendation , just don't expect miracles. got it myself...

ps don't know why site was down, tried t myself and didn't get in. works fine now though.

greetz guhlenn
 
nessbass,

Very helpfull article...thanks so much. Since these are DirectX plugs do you use your mastering EQ on individual tracts as well?

RK

[Edited by Rusty K on 01-18-2001 at 09:30]
 
guhlenn,

Listened to "Does It Make Sense". Very good production. I especially liked the bass sound at the beginning and end since I'm also a bass player. So that was all mastered with T-Racks....? Sounds pretty good.

RK
 
Thanks.

But i don't share your opinion. i think it sounds like crap when compared to the original dat tape. all the life was sucked out of it when transported to comp. then T-racks sorta saved the day. Well, if you liked it guess it's worth the money (it's not to expensive...)


Greetz guhlenn;)
 
Well I never heard the original dat so I have nothing to compare it to except my own mixes which I've been having trouble with. Especially bass! If you get time tell me how you laid down the track. I usually go direct in from my active bass. The last time I tried turning my active down a bit and using a tube pre and it seemed to help a bit but still not as biting punchy and clean as I'd like it. I play R&B professionally so I use a different sound than you, not so much string sound.

Take care,

RK
 
hi,

off course i can tell you. it's just the bass into a DI. but the bassguitar sounded really thin (that's the string sound) a decent bass should give you a fatter sound. he EQ it just a little, nothing much really.
guess this doesn't really help. sorry.

Greetz guhlenn:)
 
Are there just bassplayers around?

hi Rusty!

No, I don't use the Mastering EQ on individual tracks - at least not very often - because I don't know a case, in which you might want to have 6 bands of parametric and 2 shelving EQs on one individual track! I have tested it, though - and it worked quite well.
I'd also like to say something about the bass sound. I have recently tried a really cool trick: I recorded my bass (Ibanez ATK) through the DI-Output of my Trace Elliot amp on one track and miked the strings with a AKG 3000 condenser mic and recorded it on another track. This is really great, if you want to put a little bit of live feeling back into the sound. Just use it as a spice without compression on the mic track! But the real thing is this: compress the mic signal quite a lot, add 60 Hz and 500 Hz and cut the highs a bit. To this configuration, add a little bit of the DI signal, and you think you're playing an upright bass! I know, it sounds crappy when soloed, but it can give you a really good and outstanding sound in the mix.
Oh, sorry. Didn't read that you don't like string noise. Well, but try it anyway. I use to do alternative rock (whatever that means) and it really brings the bass up in your face!
Apart from that, compression in general can be a good friend to rely on when recording bass.

David
 
IMHO I don't care for T Rax. I have it and Timeworks and the Waves stuff and T Rax can't hold a candle to either one of them. You can mangle a mix fast with it.
 
ness,

I'll try your trick. No by string sound I guess I meant more high-end. An acoustic bass sound would be great for me generally. A fat "muted" clean punchy sound is usually what I try to play with live and I prefer it also in my tracks.

I don't yet have a condenser mic, dynamic sennheiser 421. Where do you place the mic on the strings?

Track Rat,

Well I have "Timeworks" also but I'm relatively new to PC and actually twisting knobs myself so if I find a preset that works I go with it.

Rigtht now I'm putting together a CD of live performances of my band and the two "gentle master" pre's in T-Racks are just what the doctor ordered for our R&B sound.

Also the graphic illustration in T-Racks is helping me understand the "shelving" aspect of mastering, something I didn't have a clue about.

Thanks,
RK
 
mic placement

Rusty:
I put it where the neck joins the body. But experiment with it - it was the first time I did it, so I can't give you a recipe.
 
As far as EQ settings try scooping out a dB or two around 315 Hz with the Q set around 2 to 2.5 octaves wide. It can take some of the mud-range out and tighten up the over all sound.
 
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