Sneap & Finalizer

thanks Brett

Do you have any more info on Andy´s mastering chain, for me his masters compete with anything from mastering houses like Cutting Room, and that´s huge for a guy that produces/records/mixes/masters, and is even a pro musician...
 
hm, I don't get that finalizer-thing...
I used to use one myself, but in my opinion it doesn't do anything that cant be done in the box (with waves for ex.) plus it's easier to control a plugin.
 
Finalizer allows you to get louder than any other plugin.

hmm, not what I've experienced, but it's been a while since i used it last....
hans buff (personal engineer of prince) once came to me and said: " fuck that thing, it doesn't do anything that you can't do with a good plugin"...
so I tried ignoring the tc and made the same experience....
although i gotta admit that i didn't use/know the finalizer too much, so i perhaps should give it another try...
 
Finalizer gets a lot of bashing in message forums all around, but in the same time there are experienced professionals AE using the box. At least in the case of Sneap with very professional results, "radio ready" as some would say.

I´ll see if I can test one, gear testing is hard to find around here, I´ll post any impressoins ASAP.
 
Fuck oath Andy's mixes are radio ready. I heard an add on the radio for Gigantour in Oz, during which songs were played of Megadeath's, Soulfly's, Caliban's and Arch Enemy's. Guess who's mix sounded completely fucking brutal? Arch Enemy's song made the others sound tiny and ultra soft.
 
Agree that Sneap´s works are "radio ready" but not because the Finalizer. Everything from pre-prod. to the final master is problably, or even obviously, really pristine. I just wonder if the Finalizer 96k worth the investment, since it´s really expensive in here and some say that with plugs you can reach the same ballpark.
I have the Massey Limiter, absolutely love it, I use it with PSP compressors and all that happens is that things loose punch, get squashed and doesn´t even reach desired loudness.
Mastering with pro ME are out of the question for the label and bands I´m working with.
 
its taken me years to figure out how to get the best home brew masters, you just gotta stick with it. Try the presets on some plugs to get you in the ball park, then tweak to your liking.

Once you get your head round how it translates to other systems it all starts to make sense and you dont really need the presets and know what would make the song sound 'better'

Reading Mastering audio by Bob Katz helped me a lot. but that book is intense, and i can only handle it in small doses.

My preferred method for getting stuff loud is to use a few different limiters together each only doing a small bit of gain reduction, so the transients dont get destroyed.

Using a multi band set to a subtle (and i mean subtle ) smile also makes things appear slightly louder too.

try not to go too mental with the compressor... Ask your self if the song really needs it and use your ears. Not compressing everything just because has improved my mixes soooo much recently.