I think if you don't have analog mastering gear that is both highly flexible, repeatable, and clean at virtually all settings, you are putting the cart before the horse in choosing anything colored. There are so many specific one-off fixes one encounters when push processing to the limits, and usually the color pieces fall apart sonically before they achieve the goal. They can be great crayons when a mix is to clinical or boring, but are then still only used for broad strokes of the brush. I typically feel my best clean and precise analog gear delivers better results than any plug-in approach, usually cleaner and clearer sounding. The mastering guys I work with who have large arsenals to draw upon have colored gear to help those home sessions done at home ITB, which reek of all that's wrong with an all digital approach by an amateur. Rose-colored glasses and soft focus, if you will.
DIY Mastering gear
- Thread starter G-Sun
- Start date
Help Support GroupDIY Audio Forum:
G-Sun said:
If you're simply looking for some mojo, i would recommend a pair of VP28 or GIX tube pres.
Pretty much all of my mixes have either the VP28 line-through or GIX tube pre as a final analog process.... depending on the material.
I also like my gssl with just a touch (~1db) of 4:1 compression on the 'master bus'
Though i have not used myself yet, i was thinking about perhaps a sontec style EQ on the master chain. im curious to try one out.
Thanks everyone for your input!
I'm trying to grasp the points you're making.
Yes, I do much ITB/singel-instrument tracking, and I was thinking some sonic glue/imprint on master could be beneficial.
I understand my approach doesn't live up to pro-standards for mastering.
Yet, it seems to work well for what I'm doing.
My approach for tracking and mix is ITB, less is more, doing things with what I have is better then always striving after and using my energy on better/more hardware.
Yet, workflow-wise, I see I could implement hardware EQ/comp for the mastering-process.
So, I just need to get a better grasp of what I would gain or loose by going that route.
Candidates seems for me to be: gssl, calerec eq (I have some pcbs), GIX
but then, there are many benefits for me staying ITB.
I'm trying to grasp the points you're making.
Yes, I do much ITB/singel-instrument tracking, and I was thinking some sonic glue/imprint on master could be beneficial.
I understand my approach doesn't live up to pro-standards for mastering.
Yet, it seems to work well for what I'm doing.
My approach for tracking and mix is ITB, less is more, doing things with what I have is better then always striving after and using my energy on better/more hardware.
Yet, workflow-wise, I see I could implement hardware EQ/comp for the mastering-process.
So, I just need to get a better grasp of what I would gain or loose by going that route.
Candidates seems for me to be: gssl, calerec eq (I have some pcbs), GIX
but then, there are many benefits for me staying ITB.
jplebre
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2012
- Messages
- 617
As it was said a few times, mastering is about the process: Prepping the audio for delivery and a final QA step.
I believe that mastering gear needs to be clean (colour is an option), reliable, repeatable (eg. highly recallable), low noise, high headroom. It makes it expensive straight away, as components need to be good, the design needs to be sound, and the assembly quality is usually tricky (think of the recall ability example: the £25 pots are replaced by £75+ switches with resistors that need to be matched)
I don't think none of the alternatives shown are worth it. I think the SSL G compressor is not versatile enough and with way too much colour.
The mixbuzz (full rack with all the options) is much more suitable for mastering as it has a much more clean signal path and more options.
I'm also a bit confused about this current "let's master with Pultec" trend. These guys are anything but surgical. Maybe the colour and the bumps is exactly what your track needs and exactly what you are going for, but then again, that is most likely what most tracks won't need that colour. (again, IMHO, I don't master for a living)
Back to my first line on this post, seeing mastering strictly as a audio prep, you may need:
a reliable, versatile EQ to fix some frequency issues or to tilt the mix if you are prepping for some delivery formats (however, I haven't seen people doing much treatment before vinil these days), and a couple of compressors that may focus on different tasks (eg. fast limiting or overall levelling?). In fact, some of the most sought compressors have at least 2 different type of compression for the exact same reason (eg. shadow hills)
It is up to you to decide what you need most depending on the mixes you get in, etc. If you are just "pre-mastering" or giving your mixes a quick master for clients' sake, then you are probably fine ITB. If you are going for hardware, I'd advise against 1176, Pultecs, SSL as first tools. I would go for the versatile tools first.
Or maybe you are happy with ITB, and just want some colour. In that case, you again need to know what you want or like and get an 1176, or a PRR, or Pye, or a TG, or a Mixbuzz (I'm going for DIY projects).
Typical mastering chains include some selection of Prism audio EQ/compressors, CraneSong Eq, Sontec, GML, Shadow Hills etc. You won't find many people mastering with their 4000k channel strips for a reason.
I believe that these days best of both worlds is the way to go! I do a lot of small, surgical stuff ITB, and then use compressors for the full on hard work. Again, down to personal preference.
I think, honestly, you need to step back, look at the work you've done, and see what your trends are. Then make a list, and set your priorities.
Compressor wise, MixBuzz, TG, and "even" the 33609 can be good options (the 33609 is not good for all material, IMO). I've heard good things about the PRR176 and if you could get a pair of vari-mu's would be great. I'm also using (a lot) a pair of LA2A for general "leveling" in the chain of compression.
EQ: Sontec, Net EQ, and there are a few other offerings going on. I apologise I haven't build many EQ's to know about the current offers.
commercial eq: GML EQ, Sontec, Buzz Audio REQ 2 (worth!Every!Penny!), massive passive stepped, prism audio, But TBH if you get a sontec you'll be pleasantly surprised
commercial compressors: Shadow Hills, prism audio, Manley Slam/elop, Elysia Alpha, TubeTech, Weiss, Crane, Termionic culture.
Again, highly subjective area. The people I work with seem to all share the opinion that mastering needs above all: incredibly experienced engineer in an exquisite listening environment. Mastering is about final QA, some tweaks and prepping files for delivery. When I worked with Roger Nichols and he kept mentioning the time he sent the stuff to Bob Ludwig. Bob did nothing - simply ok'd the job. And that's what Roger paid him for - a QA service. And sometimes I send mixes to master and they are sent back with notes for the mix - that's OK too! that's the engineer doing a fine QA job.
I grow scared and wary of these "fast turn around online mastering services". But then again you just need to listen to the radio and you realise that maybe you get what you paid for.
I believe that mastering gear needs to be clean (colour is an option), reliable, repeatable (eg. highly recallable), low noise, high headroom. It makes it expensive straight away, as components need to be good, the design needs to be sound, and the assembly quality is usually tricky (think of the recall ability example: the £25 pots are replaced by £75+ switches with resistors that need to be matched)
I don't think none of the alternatives shown are worth it. I think the SSL G compressor is not versatile enough and with way too much colour.
The mixbuzz (full rack with all the options) is much more suitable for mastering as it has a much more clean signal path and more options.
I'm also a bit confused about this current "let's master with Pultec" trend. These guys are anything but surgical. Maybe the colour and the bumps is exactly what your track needs and exactly what you are going for, but then again, that is most likely what most tracks won't need that colour. (again, IMHO, I don't master for a living)
Back to my first line on this post, seeing mastering strictly as a audio prep, you may need:
a reliable, versatile EQ to fix some frequency issues or to tilt the mix if you are prepping for some delivery formats (however, I haven't seen people doing much treatment before vinil these days), and a couple of compressors that may focus on different tasks (eg. fast limiting or overall levelling?). In fact, some of the most sought compressors have at least 2 different type of compression for the exact same reason (eg. shadow hills)
It is up to you to decide what you need most depending on the mixes you get in, etc. If you are just "pre-mastering" or giving your mixes a quick master for clients' sake, then you are probably fine ITB. If you are going for hardware, I'd advise against 1176, Pultecs, SSL as first tools. I would go for the versatile tools first.
Or maybe you are happy with ITB, and just want some colour. In that case, you again need to know what you want or like and get an 1176, or a PRR, or Pye, or a TG, or a Mixbuzz (I'm going for DIY projects).
Typical mastering chains include some selection of Prism audio EQ/compressors, CraneSong Eq, Sontec, GML, Shadow Hills etc. You won't find many people mastering with their 4000k channel strips for a reason.
I believe that these days best of both worlds is the way to go! I do a lot of small, surgical stuff ITB, and then use compressors for the full on hard work. Again, down to personal preference.
I think, honestly, you need to step back, look at the work you've done, and see what your trends are. Then make a list, and set your priorities.
Compressor wise, MixBuzz, TG, and "even" the 33609 can be good options (the 33609 is not good for all material, IMO). I've heard good things about the PRR176 and if you could get a pair of vari-mu's would be great. I'm also using (a lot) a pair of LA2A for general "leveling" in the chain of compression.
EQ: Sontec, Net EQ, and there are a few other offerings going on. I apologise I haven't build many EQ's to know about the current offers.
commercial eq: GML EQ, Sontec, Buzz Audio REQ 2 (worth!Every!Penny!), massive passive stepped, prism audio, But TBH if you get a sontec you'll be pleasantly surprised
commercial compressors: Shadow Hills, prism audio, Manley Slam/elop, Elysia Alpha, TubeTech, Weiss, Crane, Termionic culture.
Again, highly subjective area. The people I work with seem to all share the opinion that mastering needs above all: incredibly experienced engineer in an exquisite listening environment. Mastering is about final QA, some tweaks and prepping files for delivery. When I worked with Roger Nichols and he kept mentioning the time he sent the stuff to Bob Ludwig. Bob did nothing - simply ok'd the job. And that's what Roger paid him for - a QA service. And sometimes I send mixes to master and they are sent back with notes for the mix - that's OK too! that's the engineer doing a fine QA job.
I grow scared and wary of these "fast turn around online mastering services". But then again you just need to listen to the radio and you realise that maybe you get what you paid for.
KDE said:
I recommend also the DRIP projects quality wise, boards are amazing well built and designed, the documentation acompaning the Boards is an artwork by itself, what I really wouldn't advise for mastering is the Fairchild 670 project. It's too expensive, around 6000 to 10000 dollars, and also not the best compressor limiter for mastering.
Of course it has a lot of personality and it sounds amazing but with that price you can DIY all the basic equipment you need for a nice mastering setup.
I should also say that the Fairchild is not really used in any of the big and well know mastering studios in the world.
For Fun also, You can search on the internet for Bob Olhshon, this gentleman was the Mastering engineer at Motown for many years. The Fairchild in Motown studio, went from the mastering studio to the recording studio and started to be used in recording sessions, because Mastering engineers in Motown found it unusable for mastering.
Of course Im not saying anything bad about the Fairchild, just pointing something about its use in mastering.
I love it and I would love to have one or two. I used them quite a few times and even had the privileged of asking 2 fairchild 660 in Abbey Road to use in my 2 kick drum microphones of a Rock drum Kit, asked for 2 more for the the room mics. These are the places I like them the most.
I don't have one and will not buy one for sure, so I will stick to the Bombfactory Fairchild plugin that its good enough for the uses I call it for.
And Now answering your Question in a simple way without getting away from the subject:
DIY projects at the forum that can be useful for mastering I think it will be the EQ's and COMPs
Compressors
- SSL Bus Compressor , try some sort of the clean and more modern versions that appeared here on the forum, not the Gyraf first version of the project, but true bypass boards with relays, clean power supply
Use external power supplies, no toroids inside the box
- theres also the Neve 33609 projects here, different variations
1176, La2A, etc I would not advise for mastering, but thats me
EQ (more choices here)
Night EQ (nice air)
Sontec EQ (precision EQ)
Pultec EQ (yes its nice and useful to have also a not surgical EQ as a tool for mastering, large Q's can be usefull for tone shapping a track)
I would have this 3 EQ's for sure.
Actually I have them and use them for mastering depending on what the songs needs
Some sort of M/S encoder and decoder would be nice, and some other different compressor but I'm not sure what is around at the moment,
this forum looks like a supermarket nowadays so everyday theres new equipment to build.
Really important,
I would DIY a High Quality and Clean Monitor Controler and "A/B compare and routing matrix", with a simple and efficient design using only Top Quality components.
Hope this helps
Tiago
