mastering software

  • Thread starter Thread starter dirtyp
  • Start date Start date

whats best for mastering?

  • wavelab

    Votes: 62 66.0%

  • soundsoap 2

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • peak le 5

    Votes: 2 2.1%

  • soundforge 8

    Votes: 30 31.9%
  • Total voters
    94
dirtyp

dirtyp

New member
im considering buying one of these for help with mastering.
wich one would be best?
wavelab essential
soundsoap 2
peak le 5
soundforge 8 with cd architect 5 and noise reduction 2

there all close in price range, since I dont know alot about mastering I dont know what features to look for.
 
All the software in the world isn't going to help if you don't know much about mastering. Sorry
 
None of the above....
I don't go by brand names and any software I use is from different companies for different things.
Number 1 priority is EQ and always will be.

Look at something like PSP NEON for linear phase EQ. www.pspaudioware.com

Compression is a toughie but the ones in IZOTOPE OZONE are particulary nice, if not transparent.
www.izotope.com

dB AUDIOWARE has a nice de-esser that works well in mastering applications.
www.db-audioware.com
 
The DAW is only one piece of the puzzle. More important than any of the above is what monitors will you be using?

As far as the software listed, any one of those could work, though I believe Soundsoap is for restoration only.
 
RDMSstudio said:
None of the above....
I don't go by brand names and any software I use is from different companies for different things.
Number 1 priority is EQ and always will be.

Look at something like PSP NEON for linear phase EQ. www.pspaudioware.com

Compression is a toughie but the ones in IZOTOPE OZONE are particulary nice, if not transparent.
www.izotope.com

dB AUDIOWARE has a nice de-esser that works well in mastering applications.
www.db-audioware.com
Click to expand...

Izotope Ozone is a good program, I use it... but for EQ'ing & Compression, I usually send it out to my hardware, that seems like the better way. But anyway, if I was you, I would get several programs, I use Wavelab, Sound Forge, hardware, T-Racks, and izotope/ozone. They each hold one thing better then the other...
 
Soundforge is easy to use, but as they said, all the software in the world won't help you. What program are you using to record? assuming you're using a DAW.
It may already have the functions you need, unless you're looking for presets...no matter what all these people say to make fun of me, sometimes with a particular band you can have an "equation" of sorts. You know what sound they have and what you almost always need to do to make that sound sound the way you want it to (compression ratios, eqs, etc). I have a punk band I'm working with and I have a thing I almost always do the same way for vocals - deess almost always in the 12.5-16kHz, and crunch the shit out of it. Then for "mastering," I realized I was happy with a soundforge preset. I just use wavehammer and use the preset "limit at 6dB and maximize." I could just do it with a compressor, or I could just click a couple buttons and bring up the preset. All I'm saying is that yes you do need to have an ear and know what you want to do, and just having the software won't help you do that, however, if you do have the software and screw around with it, you may find a preset or something that works for you, so you don't necessarily have to know what's going on. What ever sounds good will work for you, if you can get the results with your current software, just use that, spending $500 on some software may help you or it may not, but in the end it's all up to you.

I think I just made and "argument" on about 4 different topics...in short, any of them will work, but just having them won't polish your work, or maybe you'll get lucky.
 
Yeah, everybody here is giving good answers. I can only comment on the Sony and Steinberg stuff, as I have not used Soundsoap or Peak.

I personaly regularly use the Soundforge/Architect bundle and am very happy with it. The sound quality and flexibility of Sound Forge are very good and Architect has all the options you need and has worked flawlessly for me for many years now.

However, I also have used Wavelab and have the lite version of it on my machine as well, and it is also a very popular and very nice piece of software that does everything you need it to do.

I personally wouldn't rate either one as better than the other, it comes down more to look and feel and comfort than anything else. The only real reasons I stick with the Sony stuff instead of the Steinberg stuff are because I "grew up" on Sound Forge ever since version 2, and I am just used to it and therefor fat and comfortable with it, and because while I feel the way that Wavelab displays their waveforms at lower resolutions as solid objects looks "k3wl", I find the constant voltage line of Sound Forge more intuitive. But again that could just be because that's what I'm used to. If I grew up on the other side of the trakcs I'd probably be saying just the opposite.

Bottom line, you won't go wrong either way.

G.
 
im using aa 2.1,
but I have several different ones im used to that one the most.
acid 6, ableton 4,
I have soundforge 8 but not with any addons.
I havent tried it with my recording pc becuse I need to download microsoft network frame version 1.1/
I have the time to fool with it till I get somewhere.
nuendo 3 is pretty much the same as all the others right?
then why the cazy price tag?
 
dirtyp said:
im using aa 2.1,
but I have several different ones im used to that one the most.
acid 6, ableton 4,
I have soundforge 8 but not with any addons.
I havent tried it with my recording pc becuse I need to download microsoft network frame version 1.1/
I have the time to fool with it till I get somewhere.
nuendo 3 is pretty much the same as all the others right?
then why the cazy price tag?
Click to expand...
Nuendo is designed more for audio post-production work on pro video projects with extra features used and needed mostly by broadcast media editors.

G.
 
I'll add my 'voice' to Izotope's Ozone!

AWESOME program. MUST have! :D
 
Well technically speaking here, CD Architect, Wavelab and Peak are "mastering programs" as they are able to create the production master.

These other things (Ozone, T-Racks, etc.) are not mastering programs (although they like to call themselves that). They're plugins and processors.

Mastering isn't about processing - It's about creating the production master. The processing is secondary.
 
Massive Master said:
Well technically speaking here, CD Architect, Wavelab and Peak are "mastering programs" as they are able to create the production master.

These other things (Ozone, T-Racks, etc.) are not mastering programs (although they like to call themselves that). They're plugins and processors.

Mastering isn't about processing - It's about creating the production master. The processing is secondary.
Click to expand...

Using this def, then, I use CD Architect! :D
 
Massive Master said:
Well technically speaking here, CD Architect, Wavelab and Peak are "mastering programs" as they are able to create the production master.

These other things (Ozone, T-Racks, etc.) are not mastering programs (although they like to call themselves that). They're plugins and processors.

Mastering isn't about processing - It's about creating the production master. The processing is secondary.
Click to expand...

True, but if we're speaking really technically mastering is about creating the pre-production master.

Ouch, my head hurts again. :)
 
When the question is "what is best for mastering?" then the poll misses:

Sonic Solutions SonicStudio (Mac)
SADiE (PC)

Dont it?
 
didnt know about them. I dont use a mac so im not expierenced with there programs.
This was helpful in selecting wich one to use.
I could have put ozone in there too, but thats more off a plugin anyways
 
Universal Audio has several excellent tools for mastering such as:

Precision EQ

Precision Limiter

Precision Multband

Cambridge EQ

Used them all with excellent results.
 
If you want to put together a kickass but affordable software-based mastering setup, try this (in no particular order):

- Wavelab
- UAD-1 card with Pultec Pro, Fairchild, Precision Limiter and optional Precision Mastering EQ.
- Voxengo Gliss EQ or some other well-designed EQ like PSP or URS.
- PSP Master Compressor or something like it.
- The best room construction, monitors and amp you can afford. There are many listed on this site if you search for "monitors" or "control room". I've got the M-Audio BX8s for this digital setup and they work fine for me.

Also, try everything else you can. Pirate it, borrow it, demo it, whatever -- and buy it if you end up using it. People's feelings about this sort of thing seem to be all over the place but I figure it's in my best interest to use as many different tools as possible. You never know when you're going to want some weird sound you got out of a shareware plug.

When it comes down to it, mastering is a skill that can't be learned without a lot of time actually doing it; in my experience anyway. I got started by seeking out absolutely anything to work on, no matter what the source and very quickly picked up the basics. I'm about 5 years into it now and I've found that every 6 months I feel like I've graduated to a new level of understanding of audio. It's been the most rewarding job of my life and my first career. If you want to email me about some of this stuff, I'd be glad to help you out if I can.

Ryan -- info@littlekingstudio.com
 
and the more important question is:


"what is a good mastering speaker/amplifier combination?"

and

"How to you treat a room for mastering properly?"


Of course if you had to ask your initial question in the first place you don't know how to master so even if you get a good suggestion you won't be able to master anything anyhow. Damn truth is painful!
 
I am most certainly not a mastering engineer. I try to read as much as possible and learn as much as I can. I bought the Voxengo mastering suite, the Marquis multiband compressor, and the Harmonie EQ. All I try to do is get the tune to sound good on my NS10s. Much is trial and error... ( no jokes about mostly error!) I have a friend who is a mastering engineer and he seems to think that I'm at least on the right track. Of course I understand tht real Mastering Engineers have really cool expensive toys... not to mention the cool train hats, train whistles, and lava lamps ;)
 
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