EQ and mastering software

[ernstinen]

Oh, speaking of the soundman at that gig:This was a BIG showcase in L.A., and I hired the club's soundman to mix a dress rehearsal in a hall we rented. Paid the guy $150 to do it.A few days later, I called him up to make sure he was working that night and to run over some final cues for him. His wife answered the phone, and told me ---- HE DIED! --- I thought it was a joke, but it wasn't.So I stopped payment on his check.Just kidding! His poor widow needed the money more than I did. --- Sometimes you just gotta wonder why things work out like they do.Ern

[silvercord]

Ern..a funny man you are...but def. seemingly a good onei send you cheers for helping this man's wife out...im happy to know there's one more person in this worl thinkingof others more than him/herself!peace

[dryan]

Yesss. Very funny. I read the 'stop payment...' yesterday and I am still laughing. dr

[andreh]

Quote:And why hadn't I heard of Digi EQ3 yet?? I'm going to go find that, as I'd like something to at least allow me to tweak things a bit once they are in the final mix process. Yes, just one or two for me to use to get started would be just perfect. I'm not a gear geek yet, but I feel it lurking there inside somewhere... Raags-The EQ3 plugins should be in your plugins list by default if you have PT 6.9 or above, or you can get it here if you're on ver. 6.7 or 6.8:http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?nav ... 562There's no stereo version available, but you can use a multi-mono instantiation for stereo tracks.Ern's recommendation of the Waves Mastering plugins in a good one; they're "phase linear" (which basically means they're VERY clean-sounding) but to achieve this they only work at certain frequencies - usually spaced within ~50Hz of one another IIRC. This is probably why Ern goes for the EQ3 for more surgical EQ requirements, since it can target very specific frequencies. The Waves Q series is even better for super-surgical tasks.I also recommend the Massenberg EQ for mastering, since it's very transparent and accurate. It achieves this through very high-resolution math rather than a phase-linear approach:http://store.digidesign.com/us/index.cf ... egoryid=33 (this is the RTAS version; there's an HD version available as well).André

[mazz]

For mastering my own music I usually try to get a killer mix and then just do gentle EQ on the master. For compression I may or may not be aggressive depending on the music (from none at all to mega squash).I really like the Pultec Pro eq in the UAD-1 card. For broad bandwidth, small gain boosts or cuts, it sounds really musical and "analog" (to my old analog-style ears anyway, Andre )I also use Peak on the Mac and their Oxford-style EQs are pretty cool as well. Their 4 band parametric sounds good too.I've used T-Racks but not lately. For more surgical things (which I do rarely) I'll use whatever I can get my hands on that will do the job I need. I'm also of the school "if it sounds good, it is good". Whatever tools you have, learn to use them to their fullest. You'll be able to do 90% of what you need to and the rest is just icing and preference anyway. With experience, you learn the sound of things and then you can pick them like picking a flute or a violin for a certain part, it becomes part of the aural palette that you choose from.Mazz

[dryan]

I don't use ProTools. (The crowd sneers and jeers). If I needed more compatibility with other studios, or tracked more audio then I'd move over to ProTools. I just haven't found it able to do anything that I need to do that my DAW can't do. I use U-he Filterscape mainly during the production, Elemental Audio EQ's (now it's RND) during production and in mixing on the stems, and my DAW's LP64 EQ for the master mix. I have tried many VST EQs and these are still what I go to. I remember using and liking Ozone 3 but I just didn't 'go to' the plug-in very much. I stick with my DAW's plugs and WAVES S1, C1, and L1 almost every time.dr

[stick]

Raags, Yes. EQ 3 in PT is quite solid. I use it a lot (I've got a bunch to choose from too). If I want a little tighter control I go to McDSP Filterback. I also use Filterbank and Sonnox EQ if I'm doing mastering. The EQ in Logic 8 is very good too. When I'm in Logic, I generally just stick with the stock plugs, and don't usually wish I had access to my TDM plugs. But, that said, I'm no EQ snob, often times, whatever's close will work just fine. If you're really doing some radical EQ or filtering, the different plugs might sound slightly different, and if you're really boosting a ton, sometimes the sound of the high end can be different depending on the plug. But, if you're just getting into it, you aren't going to hear the difference between EQ plugs. Start with the stock stuff (Logic EQ and Digidesign's EQ 3). If for some reason you find it isn't doing the job for you, the start demoing other plugs and see if you can find one that does what you think you're missing. Chances are it has more to do with the sound you're trying to EQ than a "sound" the EQ is imparting beyond the boosts or cuts.

[stick]

Oh, and as far as mastering... I do work in PT for that, but that's a matter of comfort as much as anything. I could do exactly what I'm doing in Logic with no problems. I use Sonnox Limiter for my last loudness-booster and dither.

[ragani]

Quote:...But in 6.4, I've used a T-Racks EQ which is pretty good... Thanks, Ern. Yeah, I'm still using 6.4, so that's helpful.Quote:The EQ3 plugins should be in your plugins list by default if you have PT 6.9 or above, or you can get it here if you're on ver. 6.7 or 6.8...Well no wonder... I still have 6.4. Time for some upgrades, I know. I need to upgrade my computer too. Thanks for so much information and suggestions, André. Gave me plenty to chew on.Quote:For mastering my own music I usually try to get a killer mix and then just do gentle EQ on the master. For compression I may or may not be aggressive depending on the music (from none at all to mega squash)...Thanks for all the tips, Mazz. I would agree that after the 90% is complete, the remaining 10% is taste. At this point, I just need to get that 90% completed! But what does "Oxford-style" mean??Stick, thanks for notes-- I was hoping you might reply about the mastering too, as I know you use both PT and Logic in your studio. (If I lived closer, I'd offer to be your slave for a month and learn tons from you!) Good news about the stock plugs with Logic too—wish my PT 6.4 had them. I’m compiling my “list” for my next studio upgrades, and I’m going to go check out the Sonnox stuff. Looks like I’ve got a bit of uphill pedaling ahead of me…Thanks, you all-- I've taken good notes, and now I've got some homework to do!Raags

[ernstinen]

Quote:Ern's recommendation of the Waves Mastering plugins in a good one; they're "phase linear" (which basically means they're VERY clean-sounding) but to achieve this they only work at certain frequencies - usually spaced within ~50Hz of one another IIRC. This is probably why Ern goes for the EQ3 for more surgical EQ requirements, since it can target very specific frequencies. The Waves Q series is even better for super-surgical tasks.I just mastered an "unplugged" show today that my band recorded awhile ago. It sounds like it was recorded on a cassette deck (some tape hiss) using 2 PZMs. It was VERY hard to EQ, mostly because the PA sounded kinda "horny," with a very obnoxious upper midrange on the vocals. To make it even harder, there were 3 acoustic guitars, upright bass, harmonica, saxophone, piccolo, keyboards and drums to contend with.I started out with the Waves Phase Linear EQ, and really enjoyed working with it. It was real "hands-on" mastering, moving the frequencies around alot with the mouse as it was playing back. After experimenting awhile, I also added a Digi 1-band to do a severe cut around 3k. With a little compression, it sounded pretty darn good!The Waves EQ is quite a bit more sophisticated than the T-Racks, so I may be a convert ----Ern