Mastering Program

[left hand]

I need help. I have a $500 budget and I would like to begin to learn how to master the music that I have been recording. I want to buy a mastering program that will work with my system:

Pro Tools version 6.4 on a mac g4

I have heard about t-racks or t-racks 24 I don't know which one is compatable. Anyway, maybe someone can help me with this. I would like a program that has some factory settings that I can use to begin the learning process of mastering music.
Thanks

[Leopold]

Peak? That's what I use. Some software has integrated mastering set ups like, Digital Performer has some sort of preset template for mastering. Does Protools have this feature?

eddie

[MASSIVE Mastering]

I would like a program that has some factory settings that I can use to begin the learning process of mastering music.
Thanks

That would be the absolute worst possible way to learn.

[musikman316]

Like John said, using some "default" levels in some mastering program isn't going to get you anywhere in learning how to master a record. For starters I would pick up Bob Katz Mastering Audio and read that book from cover to cover. He goes over all sorts of information that is not only helpful to mastering but in the total recording process.

On another note, I've always wondered how in the world a company could do a preset for a mastering program (or any program or plug-in for that matter), I mean, do they take an average of 20 mastered rock records settings and say that on average for a rock CD it is "compressed at this ratio and has a high pass at this frequency and is eq'd like this"? It just doesn't make sense, every record is totally different, so yes, stay away from preset anything in a program.

Josh

[WillMorgan]

Mackie's Tracktion is inexpensive tracking / sequencing software that suits my mostly guitar, vocal, sampler, eventually midi needs very well, and it has a "final mix" mastering plug bundled in.

I plead guilty to using a template on the following single song demo... i tweaked settings just a little bit on "Country" and two shakes of a cows tail later i slapped my knee and said "yee haw" when i heard the results.


Before
http://www.mlhp.net/Songs/Abeline/AbelineOld.mp3
After
http://www.mlhp.net/Songs/Abeline/Abeline.mp3

Learning satisfaction versus frustration is a moving target... I think trying out the various templates was a good way for me to start. Now I'm a believer in what mastering does for my own stuff i can start years of learning how to master well.. so long as i don't cling to the presets.

I'll go check out that book now, thanks for the reference!

[jmligt]

I also use the "final mix" plugin on the Mackie Tracktion program to mixed results. I think it's a good introduction to multi-band compression and applying different EQ to the entire mix. Also, the price was right, I got it back when mackie was giving this stuff away. I would never fool myself into thinking this was a replacement for good mastering rooms/equipment/engineers, but it did fit my bedroom/budget and made my mixes sound a little better. I'd have to be pretty satisfied with my recording setup before I went and spent $500 on mastering software though......

All that being said I think it's a bit pretentious to post something like "That's the worst possible way to learn." without offering any solutions/alternatives. I didn't think that kind of snobbery had a place here.

[MASSIVE Mastering]

Snobbery?!? That isn't snobbery, that's common sense, my friend.

If someone wants to learn how to be a guitar technician, you don't hand him a guitar that plays by itself and never goes out of tune. The "8 x 8 = 64" preset only works if the answer you're looking for is 64.

The point is to know what you're looking for - To know what your tools do. You listen, you mentally visualize what the sound is asking for, then you do it. If you happen to know of a preset that will get you very close quickly so you can then tweak it, that's fine. But presets are otherwise basically worthless unless you don't know what you're looking for. And if that's the case, they still aren't going to teach you anything except how to use presets.

He wants to learn mastering - The first (and most important) step is mastering listening skills. There is no preset that teaches someone how to listen.

[John Jeffers]

John, with respect, I think the "snobbery" comment was more based on the fact that you didn't offer much to answer the original poster's question. Simply saying "that's a bad idea" without offering an alternative is what I believe led to jmligt's comment.

I think most of us understand that what you do is quite complex and requires years of training and experience, not to mention high-end gear and finely tuned rooms. But one has to start somewhere. What's your recommendation? How did you get into your line of work?

[MASSIVE Mastering]

Long story... If you've got some time to kill: http://www.studioreviews.com/mastering-interview.htm

And I certainly don't mean to seem (Evasive? Vague?) on some answers. I'm just a big proponent of making people think - "Why does he come down so hard on presets? Is there a better way? I need to find out!"

The best lessons - the ones that stick with you and change your life, are the ones that you figure out for yourself with a little "gentle persuasion" in the right direction. The hunger for knowledge is the most satisfying part of the meal.

I'll never be Mr. Miyagi or Yoda, but I sure like the way they taught.

[jmligt]

John, with respect, I think the "snobbery" comment was more based on the fact that you didn't offer much to answer the original poster's question. Simply saying "that's a bad idea" without offering an alternative is what I believe led to jmligt's comment.

I think most of us understand that what you do is quite complex and requires years of training and experience, not to mention high-end gear and finely tuned rooms. But one has to start somewhere. What's your recommendation? How did you get into your line of work?

Exactly what I meant. No disrespect implied, I just thought the post was a little out-of-line.

I think the factory presets can teach you something if you use them right. If you're going in with no real knowledge of what compression, EQ, etc. does then the presets might give you some insight into whats going on. Let's say you take a mix and start cycling through said presets. You're going to hear differences and maybe even hear something that you like. Then you can look at where everything is set and use that as a basis to start tweaking on your own. It's a little quicker than starting with a blank slate and blindly tweaking knobs hoping to hit something good.

It's like that EQ article that ran in the TapeOp mag a while back. There's no way one EQ setting would work for every snare drum you run into, but if you've never touched an EQ knob it's nice to have some sort of template to start out with.

[MikeCzech]

I posted this under the similar thread in Computer World, but figured this one is getting more attention, so here ya go:

I personally don't like T-Racks. I've used it for giving things that digital tube sound - if that makes sense, it certainly has it's place.

I use iZotope Ozone 3. It's $200 from most pro audio dealers or $250 from the web. You can download a fully functional trial version from their website.

http://www.izotope.com/products/audio/ozone/

Check it out..

[ryanlikestorock]

I'll come right out and say it -- I developed early skills as a mastering engineer by playing around with T-Racks. I've only been mastering for 4 years now and it really started to get "serious" when I pirated a copy of T-Racks to figure out how compressors are supposed to sound. I never used the presets and I can't stand the sound of the program now... but, there was a time when I learned something from it. Now I master audio at one of the best facilities in the country for a few major labels and the biggest indie bands/labels around. Shit happens.

To learn mastering, spend a LOT of time listening. Listen to mixes. Listen to every parameter of every compressor/limiter, EQ, etc. Know what they do and how they affect a mix. T-Racks is a great little program to play with to learn what these things do. You won't get "pro" results, but at least the effects work similarly to the pro gear.

Learn to hear the difference between affecting 1db vs 2db. Unless the difference you hear is HUGE, you're probably not listening on the level you'll need to. Trust me-- 2db is a lot, always.

Like anything, just get passionate about it. There are countless sites about audio and it's all worth knowing. Read everything you can and work your ass off to learn as much as you can. Good luck!

[RodC]

With your budget I 2nd the izotope ozone.

EVEN if you don't get it, download their free guide to mastering with ozone. There are some good things in there for anyone wanting to master.

http://www.izotope.com/products/audio/ozone/guides.html

[blacklisted]

For starters I would pick up Bob Katz Mastering Audio and read that book from cover to cover. He goes over all sorts of information that is not only helpful to mastering but in the total recording process.

i just bought this book today and it is worth every penny of the $42 dollars i spent on it, and ive only read one chapter!

[MichaelAlan]

For $500 you could just have your record mastered.