Mastering chain plugins reddit. I make and release my own music.

Mastering chain plugins reddit Detail: I use ARC 3 by IK Multimedia for run my mastering service through emulations. Voxengo Marquis has a "glue" compression preset that is really excellent for the The concrete Plugs change but the functionality hasn't really changed in quite a while, my chain looks currently something like this: Bass monofication --> Subbass cut/taming --> Tape simulation --> Saturation -> SSL style Bus Compressor and/or Neve Style Bus Compressor --> EQ --> Limiter --> a bunch of analyzer plugs to get the dynamics and the LUFS right. and possibly a limiter. And you'd only really need a gain plugin if the first processor in ur chain doesn't have an input control and the level is too low or something. Haven't found a reason to switch to an iZotope plugin for mastering. I used to have many plugins on my master (1-2 regular compressors, 1 ott/multiband, limiter, eq, saturation, etc. 38 votes, 71 comments. So I not recommend use any plugins on master chain before mastering) Only limiter that hit about -1dB reduction. I've producing offline and had the plugin shut down on multiple tracks. Neat Worker Bee condenser -> Waves Tune (sometimes) -> Focusrite Console plugin -> Greg Wells, reverb turned off -> Waves EQ -> Ableton bright long verb (10% wet) If I’m doing harsh vocals; SM57 dynamic -> Focusrite Console plugin -> Kit Burier -> Waves EQ -> Greg Wells, no double or reverb -> Whatever Ableton stock reverb suits my fancy The mastering chain that we’re showing here will hopefully help expedite your mastering process by providing you with a great chain of Free plugins that you can use. Good mixing is 99. I’m sure there’s plenty of people who will disagree with me here, but IMO if you are mixing the track, and then “mastering” that stereo track in the same room, on the To be more thorough and clear, I do most of the mix with nothing on the mix bus or master, aiming for -3 to -6 db headroom. As it for being the only plugin in your mastering chain. its just a different sound I'm probably bias tho cuz it was just the perfect fit for my situation when I use it but they do HoRNet AnalogStage MK2, Chow Tape Model, and Brainworx SSL 9000J (not technically a saturation plugin, but you can get some nice subtle saturation out of it). Soft multiband compression for balance and/or single band compression for slight exaggeration of transients can be used as well but aren't essential if you focus more on tailoring individual elements. Never even knew ADAM had a YouTube channel. Don’t go into mastering with a „I’ll fix that in the master“ mindset. I spent hours upon hours tweaking my masters, unable to get the sound I was looking for. Notice the 6db scale so I'm cutting no more than 1dB on each notch, and the big ~5db cuts/boosts are only on the sides. 2 Add a Limiter and add 3d of Gain. then I put a maximizer/limiter and continue to mix. If not, try putting a gain plugin before it to lower the input to that effect. With that you have the basic things of a master. They already sound good, but they're especially fun to use because they look good at 4k. My favorite is Fabfilter Pro-L2 and I’ll use that in conjunction with either Ozone 10 Maximizer or Brainworx Limiter True Peak, depending which flavors Welcome to Reddit's own amateur (ham) radio club. I like the sounds my chain gives to the mix, but I was curious about other chains, if you don't mind sharing. When mix will be good, just put little glue compressor and some good limiter and voila, you mastered track. I'm on the search for "colorizing" EQ's (mostly additive), either of the emulation type or other. I saw several P. i aim for -8/9 lufs at least Standard CLIP - my clipping plugin of choice to soft clip before reaching the final mastering/loudness stage. That said, my process is to create a complete raw edit first, do one proof-listening review in search of any whoopsies, make a safety copy of the raw edit, and then do my Audacity cleanup: de-click and de-ess, then export as mp3, constant, 192 kbps, mono. He posted a screenshot a few years ago, I believe I saw it on his twitter feed. Every song is different and therefore needs different processing. Also: a really well mixed song will need almost zero mastering at all. Lately my mastering chain has consisted of some combination of Pro Q3 on zero latency mode not doing much except adding air around 25k and sometimes a 20hz cut, Black Box HG2, The Glue with 4:1 ratio slowest attack fastest release, Ozone 9 Imager, Standard I’ll still use TDR for all my EQ and dynamics needs on my group busses as they are awesome plugins. I've tried ozone 10 & just a lotta different mastering plugins, but I feel like the only things I personally need are: limiter saturn some EQ, just sometimes (Pro-Q 3) maybe an imager, don't use it most of the time (iZotope) decided not to use a compressor while mastering my last 10 projects or so. Izotope Nectar 4 or Antares Autotune. I'm an aspiring music producer and wanna mess around with some of his sounds. I'm kinda looking for a new bus compressor. I personally use mainly the izotope ozone suite for my masters. Insight is general metering and lets you make sure the overall lufs level and stereo image don’t have any problems, and audiolens will let you match your track’s overall eq curve to If you want some quick mastering you’ll have to create a simple mastering chain with several plugins: Fruity Balance (for volume automation or adjustment), EQ 2 (for master EQ), Waveshaper (for saturation), some sort of compressor [Limiter or Compressor or Maximus] (for light compression) OR Maximus (for multiband compression), then using Maximus’s saturation section to create a clipping To me (and many others), Tone Projects Unisom, is by far and large THE best ITB compressor you can buy. 5% and mastering is the very tiny final 0. There are two buttons side by side, "Chain" and "Hide". *walks away* lol - No seriously, there's lots of variables and besides putting the limiter and some metering tools at the end, there's tons of options available. IIRC my Chandler Limited plug-ins from Softube include Abbey Road Mastering requires Objectivity - without it, you are simply doing more mixing, perhaps with a different set of plug-ins, that aren’t all that much different than plug-ins that you may already have. 5 - with the caveat that It's also possible you created that problem with one of the plugins in the chain, in which you need to figure out what each plugin does and how you used it to get that result, and how to change it. In the analog domain I suppose the tape would come last since the master is printed to tape - In the digital world, the last thing on my mastering chain would be a brick wall limiter, just to make sure to keep any possible peak in check. Ozone 8 Dynamic EQ is the one EQ plugin that is always in my mastering chain. Try listening to the raw vocal over the instrumental - maybe you guys need to record some more takes in a different tone, voice, style etc. I have been using the Sonalksis StereoTools which was great but seems dated a bit now. Instead of a chain, I prefer to keep a short list of plug-ins that I know inside out, so I don't waste time selecting and comparing options. If you're interested in learning mastering, I suggest starting by understanding the fundamental purpose and philosophy behind it, rather than solely focusing on the gear or plugins to use. The Elysia Alpha was there & looked like his main mastering compressor. . PA's Mastering Desk plugins is pretty much designed for your exact intended purpose. As said above but you can't just 'master vocals' and pop them onto a already mastered track. But yes that limiter is a work of art and also I really like all the other features it has as well. First of all, they provide all the tools one would typically use for mastering in a single plugin, consolidating processing, and keeping the master bus clean. That’s my favorite image widener. Of course it can change a bit track by track, every mix is different, but most of the plugins I have on my Mixbus are always there. 1db (like mastering) and listen your song on various speakers/headphones. I've noticed that fromtape at the beginning and totape at the end sounded good on one song, but a youtuber told me that I should try totape at the beginning and fromtape a the end. ) Abbey Road TG Mastering Chain is another favorite. A touch of expansion / saturation - Sonnox Inflater. If necessary, add any gain reducing plugin to bring the gain down a bit. Usually my mix before mastering is peaking around -5 dB. Alright, I have the itch to learn how to master myself! I wanted to hear what your mastering chain is and any links to the external plug ins you use. Saturation and distortion are the same thing. I'm a big fan of Waves Abbey Road TG Mastering Chain. Several times I made a project with stocks only for later mix /master with externals and failed to make any better result. The manual says this: Try it for mastering, mix bus and even instrument subgroups So it's efficient enough that they expect you to use it on a song, not just mastering a final two track export. For some character, Softube Chandler Curve Bender or Acustica Azure are common choices I reach for. I've been using Fabfilter Pro-R, and set the wet/dry to like 2-5% wet and experiment with the distance, brightness, the decay (especially the decay), and EQ out the lows, and depending on the vibe of the song, I've gotten some good results as far as "meshing" everything together. I think that's it honestly, and it's the whole point of having an all-in-one mastering suite. I’ve read some people use 2 EQs or 2 compressors or 2 limiters in their mastering chain. I always think you should reach the limit of stock plugins before trying fancy My understanding of mastering engineers is that they get really good at using very versatile plugins or gear. Some just use Pro-L2 and Kclipper. Other plug-ins can be used, but I like these a lot. By the time I add Ozone, I'm really just using modules that I don't have another plugin covering duties for, so I kind of mix and match the best of Ozone with the best of my other plugins. I have Ableton Standard DAW so not the suite plug ins Edit: I appreciate everyone’s input and wanted to give a little more detail as I see this is very broad. then i finish the mastering chain with soothe/subtractive eq,a Pro L. For EQ’s i like using Pro Q-3 for surgical/precise moves, and I mostly go with the UAD Pultec Pro for adding frequencies. Save your time and money and trust stock plugins… especially in Bitwig. However none of these plugins can do anything about a bad take with poor mic technique/recording environment. Easy way is to keybind on/off of all plugins for a quick change when ABing. I'm looking into their Mastering Bundle, which includes ProQ3, ProC, ProL2, and ProMB. (The SSL Compressor is really usable, and the SSL Channels are great for use on a bus for bus compression and EQ. But keep in mind any processing u do that increases the volume of the track also increases the noise floor. The more polished sound is not dependent on the plugins, you can get a perfectly polished sound with ozone. My mastering chain depends entirely on the source material/final mix but I can share some of the stuff that commonly gets used in my tracks. It has a "Live" component for low or no latency during composition and then I switch to the full at the end. Tape does a bunch of things, really. AR TG Mastering Chain > Marquis Compressor > PeakBuster > TEOTE > L316 > Elephant Limiter But that's a complex chain compared to just throwing TR5 ONE on there and calling it done. Reverb: Nimbus and R4 Saturator: Decapitator, IK Saturator X, and FireCharger. ) I use the Bridge plugin to monitor the input, driving past 0 on the VU, by ear, to get just-the-right-amount of color. Keep in mind that each mix is unique and deserves special attention; however, the mastering chain we’re covering here should give you a good foundation for most mastering sessions. Right click on "Chain" and select "Create Chain" from the drop down menu. The golden rules that you SHOULD follow about a mastering chain is your LOUDNESS METER should be your last plugin, then a LIMITER your second last plugin at -1dB for its ceiling (technically, it should be -1dBTP [TRUE PEAK]. I don’t mean to sound like a dick here, but just because you use stock plugins on you master bus doesn’t mean you are mastering. 06db. For mastering, I’d suggest to keep the chain as minimal as possible. The general approach most engineers take to mastering is fix problems, then improve. Both are adding harmonics to the source. I've used mixing and mastering effects like compression and EQ on individual tracks, but I never thought to slap all that and a limiter on a master effects chain. I have no issues using it on the master bus of a heavy project with 100+ plugins. Just kidding. Goodhertz Wow Control is my favourite tape plug for mastering. this can be found on your loudness meter!) Setting Up a Mastering Chain in FL Studio! There’s better free options made for that purpose: variety of sound comes to mind. Whatever works for your music. I have a limiter, youlean loudness meter, izotope tonal balance and sonarworks id reference. sometimes PSP Audioware MixSaturator. I'm that way with a few plugins, and Abbey Road Mastering Chain is one of them. Everyone is welcome, from industry veterans to bedroom engineers. For my track I guess I should put the Match plugin at the end of my master chain to get the "current", then turn off all my master chain plugins and run the reference track through the Match plugin to get the "reference". Can get some really cool results. true. Most (if not all) distortion/saturation plugins do this with a soft clipping algorithm. Get the Reddit app Scan this QR code to download the app now Abbey Road TG Mastering Chain. SSL’s Fusion Stereo Image plugin is amazing, btw. If sounds bad, fix mix. I also use it on the mix master for the same reason. ), and as the first plugin on the 2-Buss (your master out channel) before additional compression, eq, and saturation No there isn't. And auto tune I add on each track not the chain group 10 votes, 13 comments. For master buss, or for your mastering chain, what are the 5 plugins that you use the most (that are almost always in your… But MY mastering chain that I start a track with is a soft clipper (ClipShifter) and also Ableton's multiband dynamics plugin with a super light 15% wetness on it, can't remember what I did exactly but it's custom not a preset. I am curious about how Ozone 8 Vintage EQ (and Equalizer in Analog Mode) compares to Waves Puigtec plugins as far as the quality of the sound. So I'm mixing and mastering a track, I want to reference it against a pro track. on a 2trk mix. OP included a pair of screenshots. I will reflect on what the mastering chain brings out in the mix, and make adjustments accordingly in the mix if necessary. Actually, the Oxford Limiter plugin itself includes the essence of the Inflator plugin, and it comes after the limiter section. if it seems to need imaging or saturation i try fix that in the mix. I make techno and I want it to have that 80s / 90s saturated, dusty sound. For mixing, pro q3 and ableton compressors are the best go to plug-ins. In this post, I’m going to cover how to build a simple yet effective mastering chain in Ableton Live — using only built-in devices. I've heard FabFilter is excellent and is very visual, which I really appreciate. open your Mix Window (hit the X key on your keyboard), scroll over to the Stereo Out track, and click the Settings button at the top of the track. Enable the DC and Soft Clip buttons. Mar 25, 2024 · The whole chain concept only makes sense ITB if you're so used to working with analogue gear that you want to keep the same workflow and constraints. "Delay 1"). Well, maybe it isn't, but that would honestly be weird since it's not like they make versions for every DAW, they just make a version for each protocol (AAX, VST, AU). However, our music always has to be up to the standards of our modern world, no matter what. Sometimes an eq before the limiter but my goal is to 'fix the issues' during production/mixing stage so that master channel only has limiter capped at around -2db. For mix bus compression, Plugin Alliance's Elysia Alpha Compressor. Putting either totape or fromtape towards the beginning of my mastering chain, and then again towards the end of the chain (last thing before my clippers/limiters). With that being said, its safe to say that within Ozone 9, you could completely recreate what I built using only Ableton Stock Plugins. I’m using 2 saturation plugins (but may just take out the Softube Saturation Knob to simplify the chain). Ozone is incredible for beginners. Should I? If so, what should I use? I see that people love Fab filter Pro Q a lot and Waves L2 limiter. Something that can only be applied above a certain cutoff frequency (lik a "zero width below") and that I can automatically employ only into the side-signal of M/S. I learned that from Daniel Wyatt (he is on the video) - In the mastering chain tape saturation it is pretty radical effect it is good to listen how it changes the sound before doing other processing. I've got a bunch of good plugins - Reels, Cassette, Uhe Satin etc - but I've always wondered about where its best to place them in the chain. I like FabFilter Pro L 2 a little more as my final limiter. Add any eq mastering preset and adjust to taste. But within this realm lies a complex beast: the mastering chain, a series of plugins stacked in a specific order to achieve sonic perfection. During the mastering process (which I am an amateur in, like most people), I use a minimum phase eq, a mulitband compressor and finally a limiter. Now it's broken up into different plugins that I think handle the different stages really well, but IMO you can make a super serviceable master with it. * PlugIns * Tracks * Automation * Editing * Mixing * Music * VI / Virtual Instruments If you have any plug-ins that do good component modeling (Slate VMS, Acustica, Plugin Alliance, certain UAD) try stacking those and driving them a bit for shape and color. However, I just use a simple adaptive limiter and the very end of my chain. 2 Saturator. Common sense says: Put the plugin on the master so *everything* sounds dusty. It's a channel strip to allow last minute fixes for compression, loudness, de-essing etc. Secondly, these mastering chain plugins come with quality presets to get users started. 😅 Takes 4 Formula Controllers per plugin to set up, so might take a few minutes to set up, but can just chain Mono into Side into FL Studio Out as the last things in your plugin chain so it's at the end of the signal flow. Did a stock plugin challenge for uni recently and the Ableton plugins are completely fine. Kotelnikov is my go-to just for ease of use and generally pleasing results no matter the genre. He used to laugh at Ozone people that would use it on their master (only buses and groups he said). Another magical tool is L316. I spent 1k$ on plug-ins just to realize that for the most of the time stock plugins are capable enough, lower on CPU and the project is much more slick. So forget the set chain, forget which plugins you arbitrarily selected for mastering. Then slap the compressors on after. Now he uses just Ozone 8 for 80% of his tunes. Not a mastering guy, but sometimes I have to do it and still learning. Otherwise, a limiter would be a nice Just put your console emulator of your choice (I highly recommend Console7 and it's variations by AirWindows) as the last plugin in your chain on each respective bus (adjusted to your taste in terms of eq/compression, volume, etc. That being said, I'll try to give you my basic default approach with which I then play with accordingly. Tokyo Dawn Labs Slick EQ M, Nova GE, Kotelnikov GE, and Limiter 6 GE are almost always on my chain. I think it could do the job if you’re a beginner especially if you don’t got too much money to invest in other plugins. Antares Autotune EFX10+ seems to be the sweet spot in the Antares range and you can just get a monthly subscription if you don't want to buy it outright. About other plugins when you mixing… Put simply EQ with low cut 20hz, then put oscilloscope and you’ll see how even simply EQ can affect your mix. m invisible limiter Have a buddy that had a long mastering chain consisting of various waves plug-ins and peak limiters he used for years. Comes in at a ceiling of -. Push the drive knob until meter on the rigth peaks on the line. That's my basic chain though. But for me the chain goes: Fabfilter Pro Q3 Black box HG2 chef’s kiss - amazing subtle saturation that adds a huge amount of energy while keeping things, bizarrely, clean . I usually use it on individual tracks, sometimes the drum or vocal buss as well, don't like it in the mastering chain. I do see where u coming from cuz its like now u wanna do the plug in subscription thing too, y'all make hardware but I do think its worth it I'm a plugin addict and tried mostly every bundle and this ssl shit wowed me. I make and release my own music. plugins included in it, that's when I started taking a closer look at them. Accordingly, I would limit first, and then use the Inflator afterward with clipper turned on as a safety, but if you don’t increase the input coming from the limiter into the inflator, then the signal won’t clip. Limiting with Fabfilter Pro L FF Pro Q on the left is before the main saturation and the other is after saturation in the mastering chain. Put limiter, push gain mix to -0. Whatever you do to your own mix bus is just you mixing. You can use the auto mode to get you pretty close then adjust from there. Im currently producing a track that I decided to test some basic mastering on. Subtle multiband compression, if I feel like the track needs it - Fabfilter Pro-MB. It's a good plugin. Agreed, before I started building up a large arsenal of mastering facing tools, TG Mastering was a crucial part of my chain. Works very well to keep the original sound nice and clear. Delay: Waves H-Delay and Manny Marroquin Delay. Small distinction but I think an important one Anyway, to answer your question, SSL bus comp. My friends who are pro producers for a living their mastering chain just goes Pro L2->Ozone->Kclipper. Reaper stock plugins aren't pretty, but they're quite effective. its all about the quality of the plugins/gear. I'm using Match eq plugin in Logic. Patcher mid side processing ("Mid side" preset with a parametric EQ 2 placed before the fruity limiters) - cut lows from side (around 80-120hz, set order to gentle 8), do some very light EQ boosts or cuts to the mid and side of necessary. I use a hodgepodge of everything. Now it's a little more bulky than I'd like, and I have a similar mastering chain as you do instead of Ozone. I got their classic version of their Ampeg bass amp and use it all the time. When we are beginners, our mixes suck, so plugins like Ozone etc make crappy mixes sound louder so we think "better". It doesn't do anything that you can't with plugins you already have but it makes it easier for sure, especially with the assistant. From the ADAM Audio Mastering Masterclass Series. Yeah, ozone is a mastering plugin, it has eq, compression and everything you'd need to put on the master. I’ll start with the imager (widen the mids 40-60%, mid-high 25-35%, highs/ultrahighs 40-60%), vintage tape to greatly boost the bass and slightly high end, equalizer to roll off the low end (around 15-20hz) and high end (20,000+hz), use the dynamic compressor set to mid-side mode to prepare the track for the limiter, then limit Started three songs ago, I started experimenting with reverb on the master. Some of the results i got from web Ozone 9 advanced, fabfilter pro, waves Abbey road mastering chain, soundtoys, cla vocals, Valhalla reverb etc Ozone is being used by professional mastering engineers all over the world, so it's definitely a high end software for mastering. I find it very useful for sending demos and ideas with a loudness that non-audio specialists are used to. ) I also like the low/high filter and presence control. Realistically, I eventually want my Mastering Chain to just be Pro Q3->Ozone->Pro L2-> Gulfoss. It has a lot of flexibility and is often useful. I'm looking for a VST plugin stereo widener that I can use in the master chain. If you Mixed it, you’re too close to it to be objective. I don't know if the Waves Abbey Road Mastering Chain really makes sense in a modern day Mastering Engineer's toolkit. tools sometimes boost the volume by around another few dB. Plugins inherently don't matter so stock or no stock, it's how you use them. Mixing : Ableton vanilla devices like Utility (for volume automation, so I don't automate the main fader), EQ, Delay, Reverb, Mastering : A few plugins from Waves, mainly the Abbey Road TG Mastering Chain, Ozone for final limiting and stereo expansion So I already have some degree of loudness by the time I hit the AR TG Mastering Chain (important, to maximize color from AR TG. There are resources on youtube if you like video content or sound on sound website if you like reading. It slightly compresses the mix in a non-linear, frequency-dependent fashion that helps glueing everything together; saturation thickens up the mix a bit and helps taming peaks; it kinda rounds off previous clipping and removes some of the harshness; working in dual mono it can help to create a bit more width. I’ll also use the Waves DBX 160 plugin for this sometimes. the thing people often forget about mastering is that the perfect master is absolutely nothing, meaning your mix was perfect. You can put a compressor. Logic has some Mastering Presets you can apply on the Stereo Out channel. Mastering chain plugins are excellent tools in many ways. I noticed recently that I was adding way too many plugins on my master chain and found that limiting my plugins actually gave me a better result. My signal Chain: BootEQ MKII -> Density MKIII -> Fruity Parametric EQ2 -> IL Maximus -> Fruity Limiter. If you have all the waves plugins definitely check out parallel particles. Simple, yet has enough tonal variation. You should now have two "Chains", one with only "Reverb 1" and one with only "Delay 1" which we will call "Chain 1" and "Chain 2", respectively. Hi Ambitious-Object, (mastering engineer here) I like that your limiter is at the end of the chain, looks great. Though if I’m using the TG Mastering plugin (Wave’s Abbey Road collection) on the master, I’ll sometimes widen the mix slightly. I am a mastering engineer and I use Ozone 10 very frequently. I prefer to take care of most other things in the mix itself, and leave a little more to be done mastering in Ozone 5/6, which I am quite familiar with. Inflater is a great plugin, but the iLok cloud shit is annoying. Bit pedantic but it’s just your 2 bus or mix bus, not a ‘mastering chain’. Amps: Amplitube Distortion: Audiority The Abuser. (Mo Falk mastering chain) I feel kinda comfortable using this type of chain and the results don't disappoint. Get to the basics: Listen to the track, decide what it needs based on what you hear, then grab the best tool to add or correct what you think is missing or is wrong. I enjoy the SLL plugins, particularly since they have the HiDPI update. the goal of mastering is to achieve consistency between all tracks on an album, and it is now developing Mastering is situational and mix is way more important that mastering in my opinion. I find that this works best, and after the composition phase (Many times the tracking and mixing will be simultaneous) I will begin a loose mastering chain to reference as I hey guys, I've been thinking lately to change my Mixbus chain. He’s only using plug-ins and explains every single move and why he’s making each move. lower sampling rate, cut too much lows, compress using dynamic compressor, apply long levelling window (few seconds), level average volume, cut extra highs, get sample rate back to 96k, apply multi band eq + optional spectral clipper if dynamic range is still too high. It has nice compression & EQ, and sometimes I automate a HINT of width increase during choruses. Especially anything designed for saturation. but getting that sound out of the plugin (as opposed to the hardware) is actually a little convoluted. I will also throw in a clipper right before the final limiter. For mixing: Fruity parametric EQ 2 Bust most plugins have some sort of gain or level for you to level-match. For mix bus/mastering duties, Plugin Alliance's Black Box HG-2MS. First year I started out, I spent around $300 on iZotope plugins for mixing and mastering, even though they’re only slight improvements, and I barely knew how to use them at the time. When you listen to this years later, you will realize its very exaggerated and fatiguing on the ears. This includes your voice, your sound area, and your mic and its settings. No mastering engineer-- ME's are great (!) but some of us need or want to DIY. My genre is Pop, electropop and Synth pop So which plugins you'd recommend for whole instrumental music mixing mastering & vocal track's mixing mastering. The mixing and mastering go hand in hand for me. The FL stock plugins really are enough. For tape delay, Waves J37. Limiter 6 is a motherfucker of a plugin and if you know how to use it properly you can get great results. This is what I use for a "fast techno mastering". This is the master bus chain I've settled on: AR TG Mastering Chain. Maybe the Fabfilter ProQ3 and Limiter, maybe Ozone, or maybe some real analog gear. You can now add another effect to this second chain (ex. The one free plugin that is used by me in every single Master FX chain is Voxengo Span. If your mix is clipping without anything in the master chain, you need to lower your mix. only on my vocal tracks, in the mix. It is also protect your ears and sound system from unexpected loud sounds) Ozone will cover all your bases as a good all in one mastering plugin. I’ve started to use separate return tracks for reverb and delay, put a stock Ableton compressor on each and side chain the effects to duck while the dry signal is playing. Even if the waveshapers totally dry, it stops the unclipping the signal chain was doing and the distortion from the effect will print in. By the way, a trick you can use to sort of reduce aliasing with plugins that can't oversample (and you're not using Reaper, which can oversample plugins externally, or a VST manager like DDMF's MetaPlugin) is to use a treble shelf, set to cut dramatically the highs before a clipper (let's say, -20 or -30dB @ 10kHz, Q=0. a drop down menu should appear, and you can click the Factory presets at the bottom of that drop down. o. My studio has a lot of hardware but the indispensable pieces are: Merging Horus AD/DA converters; Ampex/ATR Services rebuilt ATR-104 tape machine with both 1/4 and 1/2 inch head blocks in all track configurations; Maselec MTC-2 mastering console; Elysia Alpha Master compressor (my fave mastering compressor); various Sontec and Millennia EQ’s; ATC and Ocean Way Even using some of those online mastering sites just to then go back to your mix and try to replicate whatever that mystery processing chain did, is a legit way to get better. It sounds amazing, behaves like an analogue mastering comp would, and comes with various different algorithms to emulate various compressor types, as well as allowing you to change how parameters react… Since ur learning, don’t make my mistake. Regards vintage, I guess I can just look up what that means on Izotope's website but I wondered if someone on this thread had some more detailed insight into the what they do different apart from add some generic form of saturation, or filters based on old analogue -Dynamics processor -Saturation (rarely use for most tracks) -M/s compressor/eq (rarely touch the comp) -Exciter (subtle settings or off) -Dynamic eq/comp (love these for mastering) -Limiter Seems like a bit much but, everything is normally set conservatively unless I want to do something "artistic". My favs are Omni Channel, AR TG Mastering Chain, H-Reverb (with built in fucking), H-Delay, F6, OVox, Vocal Bender, Retro Fi, CLA Epic, Reel ADT, MV2, Smack Attack, Brauer Motion, Berserk & MDMX Distortions, RS124 (killer for parallel compression), Grand Rhapsody (best piano), My mastering chain always looks something like this: Reductive EQ + some mid / side tidying - Fabfilter Pro Q2. Some might argue that Ozone is more capable at the best mastering chain. Using some graphical editing software, OP added numbers to clarify what order they were in. Less is more. So If there is one that is causing clipping, I'd fix it there. How you record is a huge factor in what cleanups you need to do. Dont overwhelm yourself. it changes for every situation, but there will usually be a m/s eq some dynamics processing. All in an easy to understand way. They took up so much screen real estate, that it warranted two screenshots. Logic Pro X Gain: Allows me to switch to mono to make sure nothing gets lost Mastering the Mix Levels: Set up for mixing input levels Fabfilter Pro-EQ: Just to roll off below 30Hz and trim some highs above 19,500Hz A mastering chain on a balanced track can be as little as a limiter/clipper combo. Also high quality tape plugins (UAD or Slate VTM) are very good for feeding in more dynamic material Question about tape emulation and the mixing chain. That said, it sounds like from your experience both VSTs arent all that great. They are all incredibly clean and powerful mastering tools. My own master chain obviously varies from track to track, but my latest release had a filter to get rid of super low sub frequencies, then a Maximus making small changes, then an EQ to make it a little brighter. I used to go with a bigass mastering chain, but now its just the bare essentials (for me, at least): Pro Q 2 Pro Q 2 (mid side) L2. Ozone is more high-end than stock plugins, and probably easier to get a good sounding master on it, especially if you are new to mastering. Everything else I use is just band aids to cover up my mixing mistakes. A. Metering is an important part of this, if you get one of the izotope bundles they have 2 helpful plugins Insight and audiolens. That's a good question. Both have entry level versions for dirt cheap that are both shit, just get the full versions. Just my 2 cents. Subtle SSL compression - Native Instruments SSL Comp. Mastering chain plugins can teach us a This might be good for quick, faux masters, when you don’t wanna run through your whole mastering chain. Came across this while at the dentist’s office. Then I got better at mixing, and now very little needs to be done in mastering. Chain used on my track "Bottle Shamen" for reference. And there's no hard rule about what to put on your master channel. In mastering there is no one size fits all plugin chains. Usually, on the master I put a Pro MB from fabfilter and a pro L. Limiter(s)- I like to use 2 limiters in series but sometimes just 1 is needed. A lot of people test it ineffectively and thing it's not good I use LPX. It can actually be pretty convenient - like if I want the clipping effect from an effect plugin peaking, I can just pop a Waveshaper plugin after it. If your mix is clean, the mastering will not require much. May 6, 2023 · Here is a list of my current favourite plugins Happy to answer any questions about em EQ clean - Kirchhoff Equilibrium (maybe now retired) TDR Nova GE (best dynamic EQ ever) Jul 4, 2024 · Manley Slam (mastering version) with digital option card, analog inserts into the Manley Massive Passive (mastering version) analog outs into a Amek Medici Mastering EQ. My order usually goes: Cytomic glue - izotope 7 (usually only use the eq, exciter and imager) - psp vintage warmer - s1 stereo widener - mono filter - a. When I see someone with a list of 7+ plugins on a master bus I think you have a bad mix. Edit: Yeah, this thing is pretty good. If you need to fix something in mastering, your mix is just not ready. The rack I've created and Ozone can both get the job done. Although, there are some very popular choices for Mastering EDM such as the Glue and the Ozone 9 Maximizer. Typically u want gain plugin to be the very first thing if you need more level. this can be found on your loudness meter!) Setting Up a Mastering Chain in FL Studio! Either individual tracks or busses work better than on the master. 1 Eq. So AR TG Mastering Chain, Scheps Omni Channel, and J37 are a critical combo for me. If you don't have any plugins that already have oversampling, I recommend DDMF Metaplugin as a good starting point. A lot of times I just solo the 2 midrange and move the sliders to where it sounds like the “coolest old radio” for the song. I love the color that happens when you drive into it a bit and pass through the unique compressor. Reply reply On my vocals I usually go with a main group chain - Gate, EQ low cut, Surgical EQ, wide band DS, compressor, EQ to boost midhigh and high, split band DS. I usually don’t add anything else if I’m just doing my usual stuff and I send to a few different reverbs and delays. When he starts ABing tracks, he is leaving the mastering chain on for the already mastered tracks thus giving him a bad ref. They opened up all the plugins used in their mastering chain, and they moved them around so they didn't overlap. It did a great job teaching me what the hell mastering even is. When it comes to mixing and mastering try to stick to actual professionals advice not 21 year old dudes on youtube telling you to solo every instrument and "sweep the eq to find bad frequencies". With plugins from FabFilter and DDMF you have to enable oversampling in the plugin. Back into computer either using the UNL-8, or if I need a bit more attitude, I'll go into the Crane Song HEDD Quantum, and then back into the UNL-8 Lots of options for color Jun 5, 2024 · Mastering Plugin Chain Order Explained – For music producers, mastering is the final frontier – the land of subtle tweaks and sonic sculpting that transforms a good mix into a professional masterpiece. The rest is up to you. Posted this in r/mixingmastering as well but might as well post it here: . There's a lot that goes into mastering and so should be done all in the same project for maximum results otherwise you have two different mastered versions each with there own tastes and flavors and you're trying to pop them onto each other rather then blending them all into one piece that has every Some of the plug-ins I use, but also sometimes Ozone 9 Elements all of that when I provide ITB services only. There’s something to be said for getting a simple and good quality sound quickly. But in any case, do whatever sounds best for you, everyone is different. Be sure to check out our wiki pages for more information regarding Pro Tools; links, shortcuts, FAQs, Guides, Tutorials, PlugIns and more. Plugins and "chains" will not make it more polished. My mastering EQ, saturation, compression, etc. Kiive tape face - probably not the best tape emulator for the master bus as it’s designed to be heavily saturated, but it’s great for softening the mix when you’ve got lots of clean digital elements going on. If you are wondering what Amateur Radio is about, it's basically a two way radio service where licensed operators throughout the world experiment and communicate with each other on frequencies reserved for license holders. Fast Fourier transform spectrum analyzer Stereo, mid-side, surround spectrum analyzer Stereo correlation meter EBU R128, K-system meter RMS, true peak level, and clipping detector “Mastering” Izotope Ozone 8 - Internal Chain Multiband - Sweep Frequencies to song. A multiband limiter. I can get all these plug-ins for $150, but Waves seems like a questionable company to invest money into their software with. Other elements placed earlier in the mastering chain can also raise volume, like EQ boosts, saturators, bus compressors, etc. He’s doing multiband, m/s, etc. Believe me, I've been there myself. This track was mixed with Reaper stock plugins, and free Valhalla and U-he plugins, with some Reverb free Linn Drum samples. Like there's often good reason to EQ multiple times, compre So I know it's possibly a long shot but I wanna know if anyone has a comprehensive list of VSTs he uses, and if he does have one a standard mastering chain or plug in he uses to make things sound so rich. Mastering in the Mix Ref Send: Allows me to A/B my final result with my original mix without plug ins. What you need is to listen better, understand what you do better, and take the time to learn to hone your skills. Pro mastering engineer here. Especially if you use the saturator to clip the transients before the Ableton limiter since the Ableton limiters tend to crunch down on the transients a lot faster than Pro L or the Ozone Maximizer L2s do this mid-focused distortion that can sound great and definitely sounds like it's time. 5%. The classic sound involves it being unlinked, meaning that you actually have to use 2 of the plugins and either set or trick your DAW into only During the sound design and mixing stages, the only thing I have on the master is an ableton plugin (utility) in order to check my mix for mono compatibility. It will let you build a plugin chain inside of it and you can oversample the whole chain. Honestly, I've been able to get some great results with reaXcomp, reaEQ, and Master Limiter on a mastering chain. (No more than +1, just a tiny bit. This is a situation when having an easy-to-access, quick DIY mastering chain can make all the difference. Usually in mastering all that's in my chain is an EQ for final polish, and the vst I've linked below. Mastering is what a mastering engineer does. I do use many other tools as well, I never rely on Ozone alone. But this plugin works even better in light effect in a full chain. ) but I decided to test a simpler mastering chain on this track. from there, you can choose a ton of different Mastering chain presets The comments above say the Ozone Maximiser does something different to a limiter, and the Dymanics module is Ozone's 'limiter'. Dynamic Comp, EQ, Multiband Stereo Imaging, Limiter/Maximizer. pipy nfnu vhuqnruh ayebwr ajym gxisgt imkvwos wdkbo akwfzk btrz