I need Help Mastering with Sony Acid Music Studio 6
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Posted on Mar 26, 2008 09:02 pm
BoogieBang
Member Since: Mar 26, 2008
Wats The best way to go about it
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Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Mar 26, 2008 09:28 pm I don't recommend trying to master in Acid. It really isn't that well suited for it. You can pick up the light version of Sound Forge from Sony for pretty cheap and use that as it comes with some decent pluggins for mastering.
That or you can try heading over to SourceForge and looking into Audacity.
Mar 26, 2008 11:13 pm i have audacity but im not to familiar with it. I tried to record with it but it just doesnt sound the same. How would i go from recording on acid to mastering on Audacity
Mar 27, 2008 02:44 am What do you mean by "mastering". That has to be the most over abused word in the music world. 90% of the people who use the word have no idea what it is. Do yourself a favor and look up a definition of audio mastering. Better still visit a reputable mastering studio's web site and see what they plan to do for you. Then save up some coin. Mastering doesn't have to be expensive but it can help your final product if it is done by someone with experience. That is, not just some guy who bought (or more likely downloaded) a plugin from Ik Multimedia.
If you want to do a general set up of your audio montage to prepare it for burning to disc, you can absolutely do this in AMS. Read up on the manual in regards to how to insert cd track markers. As far as plugins are concerned. Stay clear of all in one "mastering" plugins and multiband compressors. Dangerous stuff.
cooloFrisco's Most UnderratedMember
Since: Jan 28, 2003
Mar 27, 2008 01:58 pm Um, I pretty much use a multiband compressor on everything i master....
but it helps to experiment a lot and be patient if you don't know how to use it. Don't expect to just throw it on and use some presets... prolly won't work out that well.
CptTrippsCzar of Turd PolishMember
Since: Jun 20, 2006
Mar 27, 2008 02:32 pm Huseph is quite right in regards to all in ones though, like Izotope. I have it and like it, but destroyed many a mix before I finally understood (and did not abuse) it. I suck at mastering, but I understand what the goal is and am slowly getting better.
Lately I use harbal for eq\air. LinMB from waves and then the L2 Ultramaximizer of which I do not "overcompress" with :) My cd's are becoming a tad quiter, but I am happier not squashing my work.
Mar 27, 2008 02:34 pm The "air" function in HarBal is friggin awesome.
Mar 27, 2008 03:29 pm Multiband compressors can be a useful tool. The fact that you "use it on everything" kinda tells me that your mix isn't right to begin with. A producer and mentor once told me, it takes 20 years to be a mastering engineer and longer to be a good one.
Mastering isn't a process that you apply to all of your tracks. In it's most basic form it is preparing a compilation of tracks for duplication, creating a master source from which all other copies will be made. The tweaking, amplitude matching, clean up is all part of that but isn't necessarily essential. A good mastering engineer will apply what is necessary if needed. You don't just run a process because that's what you're "supposed to do". That's exactly what I mean about most people don't really know what mastering is.
pjkPrince CZAR-mingMember
Since: Apr 08, 2004
Mar 27, 2008 03:48 pm Quote:
Mastering isn't a process that you apply to all of your tracks.
You obviously haven't been to my studio.
=0
cooloFrisco's Most UnderratedMember
Since: Jan 28, 2003
Mar 27, 2008 03:56 pm This guy!
Considering I'm 29 years old... and haven't been mastering music since I was 9 years old... well, lets just say I've never called myself a mastering engineer. I am an artist who mixes/masters his own music with what he has and likes to think he has a pretty good ear. As to the point of people not knowing what mastering means, well you missed me. I was being simple with my response, but to be exact, I use the multiband compressor in the premastering process of each track. The amount of compression differs for each song, and I don't use it cuz I'm supposed to, but rather, I've found that each of my songs sounds better when it is applied, then when it is not applied. You talk as if you know what I want my music to sound like...
So, um, where did you find a saddle that fits that high horse of yours.
(...laughing as I wonder if I'm gonna regret that last sentence...)
Mar 27, 2008 03:57 pm Quote:
So, um, where did you find a saddle that fits that high horse of yours.
::makes mental note for later use in forthcoming debate with wife::
Mastering is different for everybody, THAT is why it's less definable than most processes...it is what it is to who it's for.
Mar 27, 2008 04:39 pm Let's just say I've been around. I'm not a mastering engineer nor am I saying that I'm in any way better than anyone. On the contrary. I would consider myself a well educated hack.
Making generaliziations like "use a multiband compressor" is not wise advice. It simply isn't. As dB M aptly pointed out, "mastering is different" not necessarily for everybody but for every project. You don't treat a country project the way you treat a metal project. You don't treat a Video Post project like a music project. Each project needs to be treated on it's own.
I ain't nobody. Just a guy who's had his recordings disected and ripped apart by a panel of producers/engineers with enough gold records to put most of us to shame.
cooloFrisco's Most UnderratedMember
Since: Jan 28, 2003
Mar 27, 2008 04:58 pm Right, originally, I was just trying to give an alternate viewpoint. You said stay away from multiband compressors. I was basically trying to point out that, you shouldn't necessarily avoid them all together. Use them, if they give you the effect that you want. They may not be what you want on a country project, but might serve you very well on a hip hop project. I was under the impression that it was I who was trying to guard against the generalization of "don't use a multiband compressor"...
pjkPrince CZAR-mingMember
Since: Apr 08, 2004
Mar 27, 2008 05:15 pm It's a tool, like anything else. As a tech gets more involved, the tools can get more complex. But everything can be abused, and ruin a mix.
Compressor, reverb, EQ, cowbell, etc.
Mar 27, 2008 05:16 pm For the sake of explaining my comment regarding multiband compression and mastering vs mix:
It's a tool. Where would I use a multiband compressor? Where an eq could not fix the problem and a standard compressor would change the tone too much.
IE: you have a mix where there is high frequency distortion near 7-10kHz going on in areas, is lacking in the 7-10kHz range overall but otherwise the mix sounds great. The file isn't clipped but it is peaking when downsampled to 16bit. Alright. Pull out the MBC. Compress the problem area and bring up the make up gain.
That being said, this would be more effective if it was dealt with in the mix.
