Slate Digital FG-X Mastering Processor

FWIW morgan, I experienced similar results and I prefered G-Clip; although not quite as loud. I found the "detail" transient setting to be rather useless because all it did was add fizz and make the snare sound like a metal trash can. It seems to clip a lot, but I have heard that it's an issue for some with the demo.

Positives, I found that it can make a super fujcking loud mix and keep the kick drum hitting impressively.
 
you know, after doing some more detailed a/b testing myself with my normal method, I'm starting to think this isn't worth it... lots of clipping and stuff at the same levels
 
I've tried FGX a bit now.
definitely cannot replace my finalizer/apogee which sounds much better, but FGX is awesome to "get loud quick" and I'll be using it in the future for some quick roughmasters...cool plugin.
Would like to know how FGX compares to Ozone4 for quick plugin client-pleasing, anyone compared them?
 
Lasse Lammert said:
I've tried FGX a bit now.
definitely cannot replace my finalizer/apogee which sounds much better, but FGX is awesome to "get loud quick" and I'll be using it in the future for some quick roughmasters...cool plugin.
Would like to know how FGX compares to Ozone4 for quick plugin client-pleasing, anyone compared them?
Click to expand...

If that's all you want it for, Ozone 4 definitely does just as well.

Damn, if you guys prefer the finalizer, maybe it'd be better to just not waste money on FG-X and get a finalizer... how do you use your apogee? clipping the converters?
 
Just tried again.

ITP at 0.3, Dynamic Perception only at 3, and no FG-Comp. GClip still won [I'm doing this blind]. They both squashed the snare (it was -7db RMS), but GClip retained the character of the snare, whereas FG-X produced a distorted, high-middy version of the original snare. FG-X makes it sound more 'hifi', but if I want hifi I can mix it hifi, mastering should be transparent.

I'm really confused as there have been SO many reviews saying this plugin is absolutely fantastic.. have these people never used GClip, or am I doing something wrong here? Maybe the demo version (Version 1.1 Build 199) is significantly different to the retail version? Although that doesn't make a lot of sense.
 
Morgan C said:
Just tried again.

ITP at 0.3, Dynamic Perception only at 3, and no FG-Comp. GClip still won [I'm doing this blind]. They both squashed the snare (it was -7db RMS), but GClip retained the character of the snare, whereas FG-X produced a distorted, high-middy version of the original snare. FG-X makes it sound more 'hifi', but if I want hifi I can mix it hifi, mastering should be transparent.

I'm really confused as there have been SO many reviews saying this plugin is absolutely fantastic.. have these people never used GClip, or am I doing something wrong here? Maybe the demo version (Version 1.1 Build 199) is significantly different to the retail version? Although that doesn't make a lot of sense.
Click to expand...

I don't know how you could put gclip on the master and take it that loud without the entire mix sounding terrible. why would you want to clip and distort guitars, vocals, etc.?
 
JoshuaLogan said:
I don't know how you could put gclip on the master and take it that loud without the entire mix sounding terrible. why would you want to clip and distort guitars, vocals, etc.?
Click to expand...

I couldn't hear any distortion in the GClip version at -7db RMS with Steve's mix above (I literally just put 2x oversampling on and turned the gain up to like 11db). It's a well-balanced mix, with the focus primarily on the drums and vocals, so there's not much room for distortion to creep in. Maybe I just have a magical GClip XD
 
If you use GClip right, is pretty transparent. Just because it's called "GClip" doesn't mean that suddenly the guitars and shit will distort.
Any kind of limiting or clipping has the potential for distorted the shit out of stuff, but they can certainly be used right too
 
Pretty sure quite a few guys on this board are putting GClip on the master bus and with great results.
Really, I think the guitars will only go to shit when using GClip on the master bus if the guitar tone itself is unbalanced frequency wise (lower mid build up, or a nasty higher/upper mid spike for example).
 
JoshuaLogan said:
You have any examples of those good results? because I haven't heard any... I know a lot of people here started using gclip becaue Sturgis uses it, and he recommends "never use a clipper on the 2 bus, sounds ******** (unless you like distorted everything)"

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-much-gear-so-little-time/434841-joey-sturgis-2.html
Click to expand...

//

There's a TINY bit of clipping here and there (I heard a bit at the end of the verse), but this is at -7.5db RMS, much farther than I'd push it normally. That's JUST GClip, no compression, no limiting, nothing else. I'll see if I can post an FG-X version, not sure if I can export with the demo.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/324723/Original.mp3
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/324723/Slate.mp3
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/324723/GClip.mp3

Slate one is retaining the crack of the snare more, but the low-mid punch is gone, and the character has changed from the original. The kick is also a bit weird sounding.
 
Morgan C said:
//

There's a TINY bit of clipping here and there (I heard a bit at the end of the verse), but this is at -7.5db RMS, much farther than I'd push it normally. That's JUST GClip, no compression, no limiting, nothing else. I'll see if I can post an FG-X version, not sure if I can export with the demo.
Click to expand...

cool song, cool mix, cool singer.

if you can't export with FGX just record it to a new track
 
Lasse Lammert said:
It was actually Slate who recommended using 2GClips back to back followed by a limiter
Click to expand...

yeah, I know. never sounded great to me though. it works on drums, because it just kinda removes the transient peaks a bit but leaves behind the body. don't like what it does to guitars though.

you didn't answer about the apogee. are you clipping converters as well as using the finalizer? kinda curious what sneap and murphy are using other than their finalizers...
 
JoshuaLogan said:
you didn't answer about the apogee. are you clipping converters as well as using the finalizer? kinda curious what sneap and murphy are using other than their finalizers...
Click to expand...

yep, I'm using 2 instances of clipping in the finalizer and then am clipping the Apos a bit as well.

Not sure if I'm allowed to share what Sneap and Murphy are doing though, both are/were using the finalizer among other stuff, although Sneap seems to be digging a plugin for mastering lately (instead of the finalizer).
But I don't think a plugin will replace my finalizer anytime soon
 
Josh,

sneap is using:
waves ssl comp
cranesong hedd
finalizer

the cranesong is a tape emulation with a lot possibilities to push and colour the signal.

morgen try this with fg-x:
itp at -0.1
no kick and snare transient enhancer
dynamic percession MAX

dont master up to -7rms.
try to go up to -9rms.

thd fg-x only make things louder if the mix is unbalanced this tool shows that in a heartbeat.

so loudness isnt thr problem anymore, but a good and well balanced mix is a must

hope this helps
 
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