finalizer

[apodos]

I am a home recordist with Cakewalk. I'm contemplating a purchase of a finalizer; I've been recording for quite a while but I've never used a finalizer.

My questions are as follows:
1-Will a finalizer make a significant improvement in sound quality to my recordings with a bit of trial and error, or is it not worth the money for a technical novice like myself? In other words, can I plug one of these things in, push a few buttons and make my songs sound professional if I spend a thousand bucks?

2-How would a finalizer be hooked up to my DAW? I have Cakewalk, with an Echo Mia Midi card; the Echo mia midi has a stereo in/stereo out, spdif in/out and midi in/out. I burn to CD on an internal PC program?

 

[apodos]

same

Let me say that I just went and read a similar thread to this one and I've found part of the answer to my question(finalizers vs. software, engineers vs. hobbyists) so no need to go there again.

Still, on a practical note, how would my hookup work with a finalizer to my Cakewalk/Echo midi setup? What would I hook where with a TC finalizer express? Excuse my technical ignorance.........

 

[Massive Master]

I'll not mention my general thoughts on the Finalizer...

However, you need a way to get out and back in to a card.

As much as it pains me to say it, the MIA isn't going to do it. It combines its virtual outputs and the S/PDIF, so you're outta luck.

I've tried the standard "loop" route with the MIA - It doesn't like it at all. Even if you monitor the other outputs.

What you're going to need is an interface with physical mutiple ins and outs. A Delta 1010 or Layla for example.

You can go out whatever you want into whatever you want. Set Cubase to play the master buss out of outputs 1&2 and go to the unit. From the unit, record onto a new track using inputs 1&2 or whatever - Point is, you need your ins & outs to not be related to each other. Make sure that you're only listening to what's coming back - Not what's going out.

My way around it is to use two DAW systems and a VERY complex monitoring matrix. However, It gives me a backup if I need it, and a "mixdown deck" machine when I don't.

John Scrip - www.massivemastering.com

 

[mikeh]

To qualify - I don't own a Finalizer, but I've used one a few times (not enough to really learn all I need).

In my humble opinion, a Finalizer is yet another piece of costly gear that many people buy hoping it's a magic bullet. It's not!! Certainly there are many processing options it can offer, but the more processing, the more chance for error.

I have heard good tracking ruined by incorrect use or various processing (hell - I've ruined a few mixes myself).

To me, a good master requires great ears (better than I have) and great monitors (better than I have) and a good room (better than I have) and good gear (better than I have - including access to a Finalizer). All those things combined make for a "professional sounding master"

I've thrown plenty of cash hoping for the magic bullet - and have never found it. After many years (and many dollars) I have finally decided (learned?) to let a mastering engineer do my masters. I then only have to focus on tracking and mixing to the best of my ability.

 

[Sonic Misfit]

I have one of the Finalizers (96K) that I picked up for two reasons. One is that it is a really good noise gate and secondly it does have a good multi-band compressor. I rarely use any of the other functions.

If I had not gotten such a good deal on it, I probably would never buy one. As far as it goes, it is just another processor, it is not a magic box that will automatically make your mixes sound great.