best mastering software/plugins

what do you guys recommend for mastering multiple tracks?

T-RACKS 24 is about the best final mastering suite there is.

The waves bundle is really good, has a lot of useful tools. Lowband/Multiband EQs that allow you to split your bass and highs, and also a very nice compressor/limiter that also has high quality dithering built in, which is good for the final mix.

In terms of other software the Izotope plugin ozone is very good for the final mix. It has things like harmonic excitation and reverb, though of course I don't really know if it's reverb is much better than other software reverbs.

Either way the final point is that it doesn't matter what software or plugins you use to master, but that you use them properly. A lot of people complain about Ableton Live's audio engine being inferior to Cubase, or that one software plugin sounds 100x better than another at cutting EQs, but in reality the most important thing is how it's done. A lot of exploration and work on one setup will go a long way for getting a nice final master.

Waves - mainly c4 and the linear eqs/comps and ultra maximazier on the last insert

Izotope - Ozone (except for the loudness function), and occasionally turn off the multband compressor if I am using the waves c4.

Those two are all I ever use/need on my current low income budget. If I had money I wouldn't even bother trying to master stuff myself and would send it to a well trained pro as they are much better than I would ever want to be :) I got m y waves and izotope plugins off ebay used so they are all fully registered and functioning. I have a friend that torrented theirs and has a lot of probs with crashes and a few corruptions so that's something to keep in mind.

Really all you need is a good multi band compressor action,. a tad bit of eq with a good eq, and a good hard limiter to keep ya from going over 0db.

T-racks is good too, not something I use personally so can't comment on how useful it can be aside from toying with it on a couple tracks.

OH and as lame as it is i will say "your ears".

Mixdown your track burn to cd listen to it on multiple sound systems, car, living room, i pod, portable cd player, use good headphones, ear buds, etc. Whenever your mix sounds pretty good on all of em, you win :)

Waves and T-Racks :turned:

  Brandi_B said:

OH and as lame as it is i will say "your ears".

 

Mixdown your track burn to cd listen to it on multiple sound systems, car, living room, i pod, portable cd player, use good headphones, ear buds, etc. Whenever your mix sounds pretty good on all of em, you win :)

Room treatment is another thing that's loads more important than any hard/software. Which is why when at all possible , it is best to get someone else to do that shit!

McDSP makes some good, but expensive, plugins, as does Wavearts. In my experience, Izotopes' Ozone is the the best for the money.

waves mastering bundle.

i use ozone 2. i mainly use the EQ, reverb, sometimes the limiter, and sometimes the spacial effects. the more i learn to use it the happier i am

I've been using the TC MasterX for years, it may be a bit outdated but it sounds and works great for me.

Kjaerhus Audio