what's the best software to use for mastering???

[wyze]

i have wavelab 6.0 and sound forge 7 and have plently plug ins (cakewalk and sony) but my big question is what is the best (pC) software for mixing down and mastering music

[maxpidge]

wow, what a question, that's like asking, whats the best oil for my car, whats the best way to masturbate, and whats the best weed to smoke, all rolled up at the same time!!!! it realy depends on what you want in the end, ... why dont you just ask what the meaning to life is!!!

[richiebee]

Mix down in your DAW. Wavelab and SoundForge will both give the same results for mastering (why you would buy both, I have no idea).

IF you want to get lazy, AAMS is automated mastering software that does a surprisingly good job. I often have to turn around mock ups in a short space of time, and AAMS comes through for me time and time again. I'm not sure I'd use it on a final commercial release, but come to think of it, I don't think I'd trust my ears to master a commercial release either. I'd rather put it in the hands of a specialist.

In order to make good use of good mastering software, you need to have a really good room set up. Mastering software on its own, is never going to do everything for you.

R.

[wyze]

Originally Posted by maxpidge

wow, what a question, that's like asking, whats the best oil for my car, whats the best way to masturbate, and whats the best weed to smoke, all rolled up at the same time!!!! it realy depends on what you want in the end, ... why dont you just ask what the meaning to life is!!!

best oil is pennzoil
best way to masturbate is standing up over 2 girls getting it on
best weed is Afghan hybrid
meaning of life is to be happy in what you are doing

so your opinion of mastering software or good plug-ins is (and i'm going for more of a commerical/industry sound)

[brandondrury]

I've written long forum posts on this, but never an article or a blog. If I did, I'd write "Why mastering software is a joke".

If there is a mastering software, is there non-mastering software? The answer is no. Any software worth tracking in can be used for pretend mastering without a problem.

The ads imply that mastering requires radical, specialized things. (There are SOME mastering tools that do radical things). However, in the end most mastering sessions use a a very subtle amount of EQ (usually not more than 1 or 2dB), the right compression, and limiting.

A mix should sound outstanding before it even gets mastered or "pretend mastering". Your exact vision should be there and it the mix should sound the way you want it in your car, in your home stereo, everywhere.

If you have that, a pro mastering dude can put those mixes together and make an album out of them.

The mastering software out there is misleading, in my opinion. I "pretend master" in Cubase. I see no need for Soundforge or Wavelab even though I own an old copy of Soundforge. They sometimes bundle fancy tools with "mastering software", but the amateur is not going to understand how to use these fancy tools anyway.

[Charlie_M]

Originally Posted by wyze

best oil is pennzoil
best way to masturbate is standing up over 2 girls getting it on
best weed is Afghan hybrid
meaning of life is to be happy in what you are doing

A few oil changes with Pentosin may slow down the rate of abuse against your poor motor. All the other stuff sounds pretty good though

[richiebee]

Its about an easy workflow for me. I find it easier to trim, and to see categorically what I'm dealing with in Sound Forge - its destructive, whereas Cubase is (unless you want to go through a multiple process) non-destructive. You shape the final audio. If I didn't have Sound Forge, I'd be happy to do all this stuff in Cubase, but I do, and find it easier.

AAMS is something totally different since it performs program specific analysis, lets you hear what it would sound like with suggested changes, then lets you use whatever you think is right.

[brandondrury]

If I didn't have Sound Forge, I'd be happy to do all this stuff in Cubase, but I do, and find it easier.

I must admit that "easier" is worth something.

Of course, one person's "easier" is another person's "pain in the ass".

For me personally, I've already trimmed, edited, and applied X processing and plugins to 30 or 40 tracks in a song within Cubase when mixing. When I'm finished with a mix, it ends up looking like one of the cities was bombed all to hell in WW2. It's a complete and total mess. If Cubase does all that for me, it can easily handle 5-12 little wav files that simply need just a hint of EQ and their volumes evened out.

Assuming that I thought "pretend mastering" was easier in Sound Forge, I'm not sure I would recommend a person go out and buy it (over something like bass traps or better studio monitors). Of course, if you already have it and you like it, there is no reason not to use it.

[kyl]

Any tracking software can be used for mastering, right? I've been experimenting with Nuendo and Waves......but I would like to think that if I am doing it correctly (big "IF"), I could use Cubase, Protools, Sonor, Adobe or XYZ mastering software.

[brandondrury]

Any tracking software can be used for mastering, right?

Why not?

Most mastering engineers are hitting play, running through a EQ, compressor, and limiter and recording the output.

Brandon