Plugins for Mastering

BarryB wrote on 9/11/2002, 1:27 PM

I have the following plugins and plan to use them during mastering as a Plug-in chain. Anybody have any advice on the order in which I should work with these plugs as a mastering chain? Also what might be some good crossover points to start with on the EQ and Multiband Compressor?

Ultrafunk-EQ, Reverb, Multiband Compression
AIPL-Warmtone
RGC-High Freq. Stimulator
PSP-Stereo Pack for stereo enhancement
SoFo-Wavehammer

Thanks.

Comments

Former user wrote on 9/11/2002, 3:41 PM

Well...first off...I hope you are not going to use them all in the chain...you have too much going on here...try to strive for simplicity to start. Your tracks will thank you in the end.

Again - I think of mastering as "transparent" sweetening. Almost in the sense that you know the song has been slightly tweaked but you really don't know where - it just sounds right. A well mastered track should not stray too far from what the original mix sounded like (as long as your tracking is top notch)...if it does, you are not mastering anymore. Mastering should also make a well mixed track feel "right" in amongst the other pieces it will sit with.

As far as "order" suggestions go...I just use a real good parametric EQ (Waves Lin EQ comes to mind) and a multiband compressor and that's about it. (definitely no reverb on the final chain) Mind you - I want my tracks clean and as true to the original mix as possible. Rule o thumb - the more you add to the chain, the farther you get away from the real song.

Hope this helps...

Cuzin B