Mastering with T-Racks

[crimp]

Does anyone else here use T-Racks for mastering and if so, can you give me some pointers on using it. Maybe some settings you've had good luck with or some no-no's that don't work.
Thanks
Greg

 

[Blue Bear Sound]

First off... read up on mastering HERE....

Then read some of his articles at his site...

Then if you need to, come back and ask the question again!

 

[malcolm123]

First off... read up on mastering HERE....

Then read some of his articles at his site...

Then if you need to, come back and ask the question again!

Yep,
Mastering is a whole nother beast Crimp,,, read up on it some. It really takes years and a bunch of other factors to get it right,,,, read a lil .

 

[fenix]

If you absolutely have to use tracks for mastering which i don't recommend, here is a really nice pointer that is not discussed in the users manual:

1. turn your sat knob all the way down
2. leave your output at the default.
3. turn your input knob one notch down. I think it's -.2 or something.
4. turn the overload all the way up on the limiter.

you now have a brickwall limiter. You can turn the limiter as high as you want and you will not have any overs.

also, be sure to let those tubes warm up a good 1/2 hour before you do any mastering.

 

[crimp]

First off... read up on mastering HERE....

Then read some of his articles at his site...

Then if you need to, come back and ask the question again!

Look dude, I'm not asking for anyone to tell me how to become a mastering engineer in 3 days, I've got a new toy and I'm learning how to use it. I learn best by doing, and I like to tinker. I'm only asking for some pointers. Besides, I've already read most of what you linked to anyway..... and I don't remember reading anything about T-Racks in any of that!

Thanks fenix, I'll try that.

Greg

 

[Blue Bear Sound]

Look dude, I'm not asking for anyone to tell me how to become a mastering engineer in 3 days, I've got a new toy and I'm learning how to use it. I learn best by doing, and I like to tinker.

Well, "dude".......

The links I gave you were to educate you on what's involved in the mastering process....

You might want to actually LEARN SOMETHING about the process you're trying to do, before you actually attempt to do it.

The other option is not learn anything about mastering at all and simply use the "Grammy Award" preset - I'm sure it's just as good...........

 

[malcolm123]

Look dude, I'm not asking for anyone to tell me how to become a mastering engineer in 3 days, I've got a new toy and I'm learning how to use it. I learn best by doing, and I like to tinker. I'm only asking for some pointers. Besides, I've already read most of what you linked to anyway..... and I don't remember reading anything about T-Racks in any of that!

Thanks fenix, I'll try that.

Greg

LOL

Crimp,, I saw in another post where you metioned that you had Waves,,, try those first. Mess with the C4 and the L1,, leave the L1 last and dither very last.

Malcom

 

[crimp]

Well, "dude".......

The links I gave you were to educate you on what's involved in the mastering process....

You might want to actually LEARN SOMETHING about the process you're trying to do, before you actually attempt to do it.

The other option is not learn anything about mastering at all and simply use the "Grammy Award" preset - I'm sure it's just as good...........

Hey, everyone needs an education... and I see by your comments that you think I need one... does anyone make a "goody-two-shoes" filter for this bbs, maybe the Waves noise reduction might work good? Chill out a little, your face might freeze like that!
Greg

 

[Blue Bear Sound]

Hey, everyone needs an education... and I see by your comments that you think I need one...

And I can tell from your comments that you DO need a lesson on mastering - which is why I posted the links for you in the first place, so what's your problem????????

Maybe... just maybe.... there might be one or two people around here who know more about it than you, and you can learn something from them.......!

 

[crimp]

Hey, stop rolling your eyes at me! I never said I knew more than anyone here, you just assumed I was thinking that. And you know what happens when you assume. In fact I'm probably the low man on the totem pole! But in my original post I only asked for some pointers on T-Racks. See I need an education there too, hence my post! The links are good, and like I said I've already read most of them. Sorry I came on your HOME recording bbs and asked a stupid HOME recording question. BTW - are all PRO mastering engineers as snotty as you? BTW again - good articles on your web site!

Greg

 

[crimp]

Maybe... just maybe.... there might be one or two people around here who know more about it than you, and you can learn something from them.......!

And that's exactly why asked the SPECIFIC question about T_RACKS. Thanks for your help!

 

[tvaillan]

Dude. ... and i'm not rolling my eyes.

You have to know that the word 'mastering' is a no-no around here unless you can prove that you've done it for like 10 years or so.

I got pretty much the same attitude when I posted similar questiions under various aliases around here earlier on last year. I did get a TON of help however .

All attitude aside dude, I found T-racks somewhere once and read that it was a 'mastering' tool. Well ... the tool won't turn you into a mastering engineer but can help you acheive some things. You do have ears right? (Joke)

I personally don't use it. But this is what you want to acheive in any 'master'. Around here, I beleive they prefer the word 'pre-master'

Use the limitter to ensure that you're music doesn't spike above
-0.3dB. TRacks can do this.

Fool around with the EQ if you MUST as per many of the EQ guides floating around this place. TRacks can do this.

Use the compressor to make your mix louder without squashing the mix into a 3 db range! lol. Just make it louder without butchering it. TRacks can do this.

Forget about the 'tube' thing in TRacks .. also don't fool to much with the stereo enhancing stuff, it get old REALLY quick. .. but you can add a little. Tracks can do this.

Depending on the tune, you may want to add some reverb over the whole mix .. not too much, don't make it mushy .. TRacks can do this.

Finally , make the mp3. Tracks can do this.

So!! Dude. T-racks can certainly help you acheive a good quality pre-master (or whatever the hell they call it. lol.) .. however most people choose different , more flexible tools for the job,. such as Steinberg Wavelabs and the Waves family of 64bit plugins etc, Pro Tools .. whatever.

Keep in mind BTW that the TRacks question has been posed before and some people spend their lives on this BBS .. it doesn't mean they don't know what they're talking about .. they just forget that different people show up all the time .. and people tend to ask the same questions.

You may spare yourself some attitude by searching through the article archives.

Anybody want a hug.

due dude dude.

 

[crimp]

Then if you need to, come back and ask the question again!

In other words, I have to be educated before I can ask a question?

 

[tvaillan]

nah .. you have to behave really humbly and hope the bear doesn't eat you. Seriously.

Look in the article archives .. see if the questions been asked before. If it hasen't been answered adequately, refer to the article.

This is the only forumn that has attitude ... perhaps some people need to get away from the engineering thing and get into some real playing instead. You know .. vent the frustration.

Don't throw around the word 'mastering' in this forumn. We're all home recording guys after all, we really shouldn't be 'mastering ' anything .. although we can get DAMN close, hence the 'pre-master'.

Dude, if people give you attitude, they sometimes give also give you a hint or two. Learn from this. Don't make the same mistakes they do when helping others.

Help others.

Breathe.

ooooooommmmmm.

Isn't it unfortunate that the little smiley face icons don't have one with a midle finger?

 

[Track Rat]

Stick around Crimp, it gets better.

 

[crimp]

Ah... someone WITHOUT an almighty attitude! What a relief!!! So this whole thing started because I used the dreaded 9 letter word "Mastering"? SORRY!

Thanks for your comments - I will use these to get started. I have a few Waves plug ins - Compressor, Limiter etc. I'll try these too. Hey, everyone had to start somewhere, right!

Thanks 'dude'!
Greg

 

[Boray]

I will be a nice boy and keep my mouth shut!

 

[tvaillan]

.. and FINALLY .. out of the cloud of negative energy, a new light has been born.

May the force be with you. Help others with your new found wisdom .. and try not to get eaten by the bear.

 

[crimp]

Ha! - And I'll stay away from the "M" word too! So it seems like the bear should have educated me on the secret dialect of the boards first!

Thanks!

Greg

 

[tvaillan]

here's another tip.

This is my last tip for you if you want to avoid any attitude.

It's totally off topic.

This applies to all the forumns.

Everybody on this board pays for ALL of the software they use. Wether they forked out 200$ for TRacks or 1000$ for the waves plugins. (Yeah they're like 1000$ ...i know when I bought mine, I almost dind't make rent that year! lol) People that talk about aquiring software through different means get eaten ALIVE on the board from EVERYONE, not just the bear.

But that's an altogether different topic. You've been warned.

recap:

#1 no M word. You aspire to make a good 'pre-master'. You are not 'mastering' anything.

#2 Be mindful of your words when scouting for popular software.