Mastering Without mastering suite

**RyanHayes10** · 01-15-2011, 04:22 PM

I have pro tools 9 and do not have a mastering suite cause i dont have 600$. im using a compressor on the master fader to bring up the volume of everything but my drums are pumping alot! in and out it sounds really bad. is there any suggested setting for this compressor or a different way to get it all tho the right volume? it is alternative music im trying to get right. please help
Thanks, Ryan

**Bigduggieface** · 01-15-2011, 06:02 PM

Try setting up the compressor to behave as a limiter. A limiter uses very fast attack and release settings as well has a high compression ratio.

Start by setting the compressor's attack at its extreme. As close to zero milliseconds as possible. Next, set a relatively short release time. Maybe a 10-20% setting. Finally, set the ratio control to its maximum.

Use the threshold control to apply the limiting effect. Watch the gain reduction meters as the limiter will kill any of the instantaneous peaks in volume that approach the threshold.

This method will allow you to gain a few extra decibels with less pumping artifacts. However, if you overuse a limiter it starts to sound shrill and distorted. Like any audio tool, there comes a point then any effect can be overused. So beware.

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**jhkillam** · 01-15-2011, 07:58 PM

Check out the L2007 Mastering Limiter by Massey. I love it. Just roll the threshold back somewhere between 3 and 6 and you should be set. I've never really even dealt with the couple of other switches it has.

Demo version is free, and it's fairly inexpensive to buy. Demo is unlimited use with only restrictions being no automation, only supports up to 48k, and your settings aren't saved with the session.

**garageband** · 01-15-2011, 09:13 PM

But my drums are pumping alot!

This mostly a mix-level mistake. You need more compression on the drums at the drum bus/track level. Don't make the master bus compressor do most of the work. Also, this is a sure sign that your DRUMS ARE TOO LOUD. If the bus compressor is whipping everything in time with the drums, your drums are too large a share of the audio energy.

Thank goodness you don't need to blow $600. Just improve your mix.

**Audio~Geek** · 01-15-2011, 09:46 PM

Originally Posted by RyanHayes10

I have pro tools 9 and do not have a mastering suite cause i dont have 600$. im using a compressor on the master fader to bring up the volume of everything but my drums are pumping alot! in and out it sounds really bad. is there any suggested setting for this compressor or a different way to get it all tho the right volume? it is alternative music im trying to get right. please help
Thanks, Ryan

You may not have $600, but I can do mastering for $40 for you.

Pumping is probably A mix problem or from pushing a single compressor too hard.

My most recent mastering chain was:
* Already compressed mix (4dB of GR while mixing), the fader on this was turned down 4dB so it peaked a little lower at the master.
* Parametric EQ (UAD Cambridge)
* Multiband compressor. 5 band taking no more than 3dB off each with no makeup gain. (Waves)
* Multiband Harmonic Exciter (Ozone 4) saturating lows and high mids slightly
* Multiband stereo widener (Ozone 4) Narrowing subs and widening highs slightly
* Multiband Comp+Limiter (waves) compressing a few dB again here then applying brickwall limiting to bring up the loudness.

That's just how it ended up. I probably could have done a fine job with just Ozone 4.

**RyanHayes10** · 01-16-2011, 12:28 AM

How much is it ? And does it matter that the compressor isn't linear? And I had to turnmess with the thresh a lot cause the drums were going over and thats why it was pumping so much I had turn everything down so much my guitars are at like -5 db about so Idk how loud its gunna be now

**shackman** · 01-16-2011, 02:44 AM

NICE one Audio Geek - but I stumbled across this advert!

"Your recordings sound dull, lifeless, softer than those you hear on the radio?
Not any more!!!
For just $100, you can buy Shackman's "PAY LESS MASTERING SUITE!"
All the mastering EQs, Compressors and Limiters you need and all at a fraction of the price of our competitors.
AND, as a SPECIAL OFFER, you can have the whole suite FOR NOTHING.
But remember... the offer only lasts FOREVER!"

OK, it's MY fake ad, but it's ACCURATE TOO!

What folks get blinded by are the words "Mastering Suite". That advert should read - "A bunch of VST's we got for nothing, we bundled together and are gonna charge YOU an extra $100 on top of what the VSTs cost".

OK, so there ARE true mastering tools and they CAN be useful. But most Home recordists don't need them, know how to use them.

So YOU can put together your own "mastering suite" - FOR NOTHING! It may not have the quality of well known brand names, but unless your end listeners are studio freaks, music experts or just have super-sensitve ears, THEY won't know the difference and the end results will be the same.

Parametric EQ: I use my DAW (Samplitude) master bus Para EQ - but the MEqualiser (freeware) will do just as well.

Multiband compressor. T-Sledge only has four bands. You think the public will notice?

Multiband Harmonic Exciter: Homegrown Sounds Harmonic Enhancer. It's for from sophisticated, and a little growly on the low end but the exciter does the job as well as any pro kit I've used.

Multiband stereo widener. I have never found a need for this - I always find myself thinking I should have mixed better. So mark me a a PART FAIL here.

Multiband Comp+Limiter: C3 Multi Band Compressor will do this work for you.

So, there it is the Shackman's "PAY LESS MASTERING SUITE!" Send me $100 and I'll bundle the zip files up and send them to you. Or go for the special offer and download them yourself!

MEqualiser

T-Sledge Multiband

T-Sledge Multiband compressor

Homegrown Sounds Harmonic Enhancer

C3 Multi Band Compressor

Multiband Stereo enhancer - the Shackman bundle doesn't include this.

**rook2c4** · 01-16-2011, 10:18 AM

Excellent post, Shackman!

I've never understood the logic behind spending $300 on a simple limiter plugin, for example. Besides perhaps a more attractive gui, it does the same thing and has nearly identical features as many freeware limiters or the limiter that already comes with your DAW. Not only does the pretty gui get boring to look at after a while, those attractive looks don't really make the audio sound better.

I agree totally with Shackman - you surely can cobble together your own "mastering suite" that isn't all that inferior than a professional mastering suite package. And with the money you save, you can invest in something else... like a new microphone. Or a well-earned mini-vacation, perhaps.

**RyanHayes10** · 01-30-2011, 07:49 PM

Can some one walk me threw step by step what i need to do for mastering? I got the drums from pumping so what now?

**garageband** · 01-30-2011, 08:45 PM

I'm out. Any of ewe guise want to go threw this again? It wood bee nice if someone wood through they're hat in the wring awn this won.

**ivan.lt** · 01-31-2011, 02:59 AM

Offtopic -- drums sound -- I wish all music was mastered like this! YouTube - GIVE UP THE FUNK(TEAR THE ROOF OFF THE SUCKER) - PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC (1976) Never mind the YouTube quality.

**rook2c4** · 01-31-2011, 09:29 AM

Originally Posted by ivan.lt

Offtopic -- drums sound -- I wish all music was mastered like this! YouTube - GIVE UP THE FUNK(TEAR THE ROOF OFF THE SUCKER) - PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC (1976) Never mind the YouTube quality.

To get that kind of super-smooth sound, you already need to have it BEFORE the mastering stage.

BTW, I attended a Funkedelics show back in the 90's -- one of the most awesomely entertaining concerts I've ever been to. You couldn't help getting sucked up in the groove, even if you resisted! I can't imagine how incredible the band must have been in its heyday.

**TonyB** · 01-31-2011, 12:25 PM

You don't need a mastering suite to master. I'm with GB on this one. I've provided step-by-step "little m" mastering many times before on this forum.

However, AudioGeek gave a good rundown how he appropriately uses the right tool for the right job; not relying on a single "magic" mastering suite.

And very true..... some of your problems are in the mixing stage....and sometimes it's in the tracking stage.

[EDIT]: By going with AudioGeek you'd be approaching the Big M mastering. Why? Because you're using an independent person with objective ears using a system that the material wasn't mixed on.

Mixing and mastering your material on the same system....and many times in the same session is what I call "little m" mastering. It's not real mastering, but good enough to get you by. I've had some of my "little m" mastering jobs sounding pretty good on the radio, but they've never been better than the Big M mastering. I've had Danny D do some of my mastering for my material. I'd call it Big M mastering. [END EDIT]

**willj** · 02-02-2011, 03:52 PM

Ryan just my two cents. Sounds like you dont have a lot of experience with mastering. I'm all for learning and by all means if this is somethin you just wanna do then go for it, but you'll get a way better result by having someone else do it for a lot of reasons. $40 bucks is a fair price for a quality mastering job. If its my song i master it myself and pay Audiogeek to master my track and compare the two. My guess is that even someone more experienced as myself would prefer the outsourced master.(outsourced<<im pretty sure i made that word up for the lack of the right terminology at the time

) Not only will you get a better end product by having someone else do it, but you'll probably learn enough along the way that you'll be way better equiped to give it a go next time on yr own.

**SafeandSound** · 04-01-2011, 10:43 AM

Mastering is not really about what you slap on a master bus.

In a nutshell it is about accurate monitoring in an accurate room by an individual who has many years listening experience.
(often many years audio engineering experience)

If you cannot hear the problem you cannot fix it.

By applying plugins without knowing what is in a file it is impossible to know whether there
is a subjective improvement or degradation.