mastering chain order question:..

[DSPtetrahidrop]

hello, i dont have money for mastering gear now, so im doing my own mastering for some shows, and cause i have mac intel and dont have waves yet, im doing the mastering with some plugins, now im using .
1.. linear phase eq, from logic 8.
2.- Multiband compressor (logic 8)
3.- Voxengo Varisaturator.
4.- adaptive limiter. or Voxengo elephant...

I want to know if the order is good, i want to master electronic dance music, and also if there is any other better way also please suggest im open to get better all the time, and also, im thinking of using t-racks cause of the pultec eq and the fairchild compressor but im not really sure if the plugins only look like the pultec and the Fairchild or the also work kind of the same as the uad or close.... ok thanks alot, im using logic 8, as a secuencer. and dont have any hardware or DSP units so thanks.... waiting for advice from the pros... thanks..

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[Chris Lago]

Originally Posted by DSPtetrahidrop

hello, i dont have money for mastering gear now, so im doing my own mastering for some shows, and cause i have mac intel and dont have waves yet, im doing the mastering with some plugins, now im using .
1.. linear phase eq, from logic 8.
2.- Multiband compressor (logic 8)
3.- Voxengo Varisaturator.
4.- adaptive limiter. or Voxengo elephant...

I want to know if the order is good, i want to master electronic dance music, and also if there is any other better way also please suggest im open to get better all the time, and also, im thinking of using t-racks cause of the pultec eq and the fairchild compressor but im not really sure if the plugins only look like the pultec and the Fairchild or the also work kind of the same as the uad or close.... ok thanks alot, im using logic 8, as a secuencer. and dont have any hardware or DSP units so thanks.... waiting for advice from the pros... thanks..

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I do a lot of Dance masters so I'll help you out. Ok so make sure you remove the 20hz and below (with Lowshelf) with a linear Phase (to remove subsonic frequencies and whatnot.)

Then you can start compressing the track once you've put the linear phase. I personally don't like multiband compressor. I think you should just use a good compressor plugin (Sonalksis or URS or others).

After you've compressed, you can apply a linear phase again and add frequencies to hype up the track.

And finally, you apply the limiter.

I suggest applying each plugin and then stop pushing the plugin once you start hearing the digital effects (compression, harshness etc).

I personally do it like this:

1- Linear Phase, remove 20hz and below (low shelf)
2- Mastering compressor plugin (URS,Sonalksis, PSP)
3- Linear Phase (DDMF)(check them out, you give your own price for the plugins, so you could spend a dollar for 1 plugin)
4- Limiter
5- Stereo Expander (if needed)

And I have a sample of a mastered file:

[spencergs]

Why a stereo expander after the limiter? Should it not go before? Also, why linear phase EQs? Isn't a normal EQ just fine? What's the difference? Should we avoid using a non linear phase EQ on individual channels as well?

[E-Irizarry]

1- Mastering compressor plugin (e.g. URS,Sonalksis, PSP)
2-LinearPhase (after everything is uniformly compressed, balance out the sounds in the 4-frequency strips (20-20)
3-EQ Plugin (e.g. CRYSONIC Spectra'Q)
4- Stereo Expander (if needed)
5- Limiter



...based on the plugins you put here, that's how I'd do the mastering chain. And then I'd run it through Izotope RX Advance in order to patch it up sonically.