Choose which you prefer the most...

[Ognen]

Which plugins for audio mastering you would prefer the most?

(I need valid answers, so please this questionnaire is only for those who are considered as a professionals in audio mastering. Thank you for your time)

[TonyB]

It's really tough to pick the best.

I use Kjaerhaus and Voxnego quite a bit. Sometimes the Kjaerhaus is better for a particular song while the Voxnego Elephant may be better on another.

Or I may mix the two on the bus.

Fortunately, there are many affordable, quality choices.

[fortyseven]

I've never used any of the plugins on your list except iZotope; I never mix anything without it.

[String7th]

I really do love the older PSP compressors, and I used the vintagew@armer as an effect for certain music types. But these days, I've accepted the fact I'm not a mastering studio. I ask the band if they plan to get it mastered after I mix it. If they say no, I throw a pre-master fader, a multi-band compression and/or the L2, both from Waves. I don't spend too much time of mastering, just for volume boost and dithering.

[richiebee]

Interesting to see no representation from Waves.

I didn't vote. I use Voxengo plugins, but I don't know what else is out there really, and would not do commercial mastering myself.

[garageband]

No representation of Universal Audio, either. There is one Rogers Nichols plug I use all the time, though.

so please this questionnaire is only for those who are considered as a professionals in audio mastering.

I don't what to say except that this is unnecessary and off-putting.

[richiebee]

Originally Posted by garageband

I don't what to say except that this is unnecessary and off-putting.

Especially since "professional" and "good" are too very different things!

[Ognen]

I didn't mention purposely on the list any of the software plugins that are dependable on hardware like UAD, because those are costly and off course affirming quality. I know many great things about Waves, but I need more information about the others, for comparison.

[jagcmos]

Visit any top end mastering facility and you will see that along with years of experience, they use $$$ worth of outboard dynamic processors in addition to plugins.

[garageband]

Originally Posted by jagcmos

Visit any top end mastering facility and you will see that along with years of experience, they use $$$ worth of outboard dynamic processors in addition to plugins.

I think the upshot here is, "What can I buy for cheap that's the same as the stuff 'pros' use for mastering".

Short answer is "nothing". Slightly longer answer is that one engineer or another may have an inexpensive plug-in that they are really dialed into and love. As far as any of the "mastering plug-in suites", nobody uses one exclusively.