Help with Mastering (Mbox/Pro Tools/Home studio style)

[388]

I have an Mbox2/Pro-Tools home setup. I want to know what kind of mastering software you recommend.

I am not totally clueless when it comes to recording, pretty good with mic placement and getting good sounds all that, but I'm just not really happy with the overall final mix.

Once everything is recorded, I do all the mixing in the box. When it comes time to Bounce the song I just create a stereo master track, use a pro-tools EQ plug-in and the Massey L2007 plug-in and select "bounce to disk". That's what I end up putting on CD. It doesn't sound bad it just that the recordings don't sound very "exciting". I know I'm not being very clear, hopefully someone will understand what I mean and can give me some tips.

[GooberNumber9]

I'm sure I won't be the last person to tell you this, but you probably can't make a mix sound more exciting in mastering. Keep working on your mixes and recording techniques. Try to make your mix sound mastered without doing any mastering.

That being said, I recently got Izotope Ozone and I'm very happy with the mastering I can do with that. It has very nice conversion quality if nothing else. I use it with Wave Editor http://www.audiofile-engineering.com/waveeditor/ and I am "mastering" much faster and more easily. Doesn't sound a huge amount better, but I chalk that up to the fact that sound quality is more about what I'm doing than what tools I'm using.

[vvv]

"Exciting" is a pretty vague term here, but it makes me think that you could address EQ for clarity, especially of things like lead instruments, cymbals, vocals, etc.

Also, I think it's Joel Hamilton who speaks of "movement" in a mix; I like to have panning tambos, slightly offset stereo tracks (for occasional phaseing), changing vocal effects (dry to wet, etc.) and lots of dynamics both in arrangement and levels.

It's maybe less a question of mastering, more a question of arrangement and mixing?

Hope that helps.

[MASSIVE Mastering]

You should be spectacularly satisfied with your mix before you even start thinking about how to second-guess yourself.

[;ivlunsdystf]

Rule No. 1: Don't self-master. Hire it out.

Rule No. 2: If you must self-master, don't admit it here.

I hereby violate both rules by saying that out of sheer economic necessity (plus there is my plucky diy spirit) I self-master for my weeny little projects and I admit that it is difficult and tedious at times. I will 2nd the recommendation for Izotope Ozone. PSP Vintagewarmer is nice, too, but more risky - applied in haste, it will do atrocious things to the bass.

Now ignore all but the first two lines of this post! (Wink, wink)

[mikehattem]

I "master" all my songs myself and it took a long time before I started getting decent results. I have used Ozone, TRacks, and assorted plugins. Ozone is a cool program but it is very easy to overdo it, especially if you're just beginning. I have found that I get decent results with SSL4000 Comp, L2, sometimes very lightly used Vintage Warmer, and an EQ (usually V-Series but sometimes a linear phase).

When I first started doing it, it was very tempting to use all kinds of stuff (multiband comps, exciters, etc...) but I've found that, especially in a non-professional environment, less is most definitely more. Of course, multiband comps and things like that can be great tools for mastering engineers in very specific situations, for someone in our position (doing it at home) I would recommend a simple chain like EQ, Comp, Limiter. Once in a while I might throw in a tape/tube plug like VW but not always. It's far easier to damage your mix than improve it by doing it yourself at home but by being very moderate you can achieve decent results.

So as not to be flamed by the professional mastering engineers on the board, I must put in the standard disclaimer: You should never master your own projects.

[MASSIVE Mastering]

So as not to be flamed by the professional mastering engineers on the board, I must put in the standard disclaimer: You should never master your own projects.

That's very kind and wise, but this was even better and wiser:

less is most definitely more