Jan 14, 2008 12:19 pm Here's what I do:
Get all the stuff fixed up and mixed to my liking, but not trying for volume yet.
Render the song down to stereo wave file, but leave it in it's native format, 24bit / 48 khz.
Once the file is rendered, I open a new project, that just has the stereo wave file in it.
On track 1 (the only one) I put multi-comp, EQ, reverb, or enhancer.
Then I'll put my master limiter on the master bus. Set my max output to -.3db.
I use the track volume and multi-comp make-up gain to bring up the volume, and the master limiter to keep it under my ceiling.
I put a dither on the master, but you have to leave the master at unity (don't touch the master fader) for the dither to work.
I then render this song down to my 16bit/44.1khz
For this pre-mastering phase, I use:
ReaComp - easy and nice compressor
ReaXComp - multiband compressor (works great)
Teej12eq - tj's 12 band EQ
Stereo enhancer, can't remember which one
ReaVerb or Reaverbarate
EventLimiter2 - S Stillwells master limiter.
These all come with Reaper.
(not in that order, of course, just trying to remember).
Mr. Stillwell has made newer versions of his plugs, like dandy mastering type EQs and limiters, but I haven't had a project to try them on yet.
www.stillwellaudio.com