What is the MASTERING ORDER ?

[Plendakor]

[...]

 

[Erratic]

Eq, Comp, Limiter

That's the order.

 

[Trevoire520]

I get the song mixed, mixing through a limiter on the master bus.
Once I'm happy with the mix I'll remove the limiter and bounce out the mix.
The mix is then imported into a new session and I'll get on with mastering, if anything doesn't sound right after mastering then I'll go back and adjust the mix.

 

[Lasse Lammert]

Eq, Comp, Limiter

That's the order.

welll.....some people work like that and often it makes sense...not always.

I think that MANY people on this forum haven't even understood yet what mastering really is, else they wouldn't even ask a question like this (or reply with a fix order like that).....

my advice would be: first find out what mastering actually means and what it's supposed to do, then think about the tools you'll need for that, if you know the tools and if you know what you wanna achieve with them you'll also know the order.

there is no "preset" in mastering

 

[DanLights]

there is no "preset" in mastering

There are in Ozone

Just kidding of course, Lasse speaks the truth, asking a question like "what is the mastering order" is implying there actually IS a fixed order, and there isn't

 

[Derpsicle]

Limiter, comp, limiter, comp, limiter, Waves L3, comp, eq, ozone.

-Ensi

 

[Jaymz]

Limiter, comp, limiter, comp, limiter, Waves L3, comp, eq, ozone.

-Ensi

 

[bryan_kilco]

My Master chain is usually something simple.....

ReaEQ
GClip
ReaComp
GClip
W1 Limiter

 

[Lasse Lammert]

Today I used this chain:

CraneSong Phoenix-> Smart C2->EQ->Softclipper->Multiband Comp->Limiter->Hardclip->Clipping Converters->Limiter->Dither

the other day I used this:
Comp->EQ->Clipper->Dither....

also....don't forget that fades, transitions, creating track markers, ISRC lists etc is all a part of the mastering Job.

 

[Sacha]

You can only join the order once you've reached -6db rms with no audible clips

 

[S-O]

You can only join the order once you've reached -6db rms with no audible clips

And that's just to reach the Journeyman level. Then your real quest beings.

 

[Erratic]

@ Lasse Lammert

You are so right!

Mastering for some means LOUD levels, where it should be about psychoacoustic check and relative level check and rms check and what you can bring to the track to make it shine even more than what the mixing engineer did with the original mix.

But we all know that anyway.

There are no real orders to master a track, this is the truth but, the basic are normally around that; EQ,COMP,Limit;

But sometimes a tracks might demands for more so then you could use a slight touch of stereo imager, Mid/Side Eq'ing, Reverb, Parallel compression, name it.

Sometimes a Limiter does the job, it depends of your source and how well it was mixed, but it all depends.

 

[LeSedna]

You can only join the order once you've reached -6db rms with no audible clips

I remember this Long time ago.

 

[guitarguru777]

For me its usually

EQ, Comp, Ozone Loudness. I tend to try and keep it as minimal as possible to add the least coloration, and to just keep it from falling apart.

Personal preference really.

 

[bryan_kilco]

Is this thread full of inside-jokes, or am I just very confused right now?

 

[Jevil]

There is a nice tutorial here:

 

[OneDaySky]

There is a nice tutorial here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPu0DKyGgZI

Hahahaha!

 

[DanLights]

In case I'd have misinterpreted your call, I can actually reach -6dB with nothing audible.

Both from highs or lows

You'd probably feel dizzy after a while but not from your ears.

I think this one is an unintentional joke haha