How many outboards for mastering

[Hal]

I'd like to ask you how many outboards usually do you use for mastering at maximum?
How many comps and how many eqs at maximum together in your mastering chain?

thanx

[wado1942]

That's a pretty big can of worms but in my case it can range from 0 to 10 or so different units, not including record/playback devices of course (which can be used as outboard processors too). I can't answer the "how many EQs" or "comps" at a time question because the lines between them are a bit blurred. Are you considering the 2 identical comps I have in parallel a single unit or 2? Do you count a multiband compressor as an EQ also?

What raises your curiosity?

[mrlouie]

i have 4 outboard eqs i can use, 3 analogue and 1 dig ... sometimes i use all four, sometimes i use only one , sometimes two or three, and on a good day none ...but sometimes i may run thru one but keep it flat ... so im kinda sorta using it .



louie

[jdg]

its a scary day if i have to use more then one compressor on a song.

personally, i like to use as little processing as needed, at all times.

[lucey]

two eq, one comp

[24-96 Mastering]

The other day I actually used all analog outboard I have (6 units) on one song. I marked the recall sheets with GEARSLUT for engineer name to mark the special occasion

[Alécio Costa]

At the moment, 1 analog comp (Pendulum OCL2) and 1 analog EQ (Ibis EQ).
One AD DA with harmonic section in the a/d (Hedd 192), 2 Digital EQs ( PSP Neon HR, PSP Master Q) and 1 or 2 limiters ( TC MD3 TDM and PSP Xenon).

Seriously considering an API 2500 and an STC8 in close future.

[Jerry Tubb]

Originally Posted by Hal

I'd like to ask you how many outboards usually do you use for mastering at maximum? How many comps and how many eqs at maximum together in your mastering chain?

Well lemme see..

2 analog EQs (NSEQ-F & Sontec 432) and 1 analog compressor (Manley VariMu).

1 (optional) digital EQ (Z-Sys) and 1 digital limiter (L2 hardware).

Occasionally I might even throw a plug-in into the chain somewhere to complicate things.

works pretty well.

Cheers - JT

[Riccardo]

Usually an equaliser and a compressor in the chain on most (but not all) jobs.
Sometimes (but not always) a digital brickwall limiter.

There are no rules at the end of the day we'll use whatever it takes to do the mix "justice"

[gregor z]

One digital pre-insert EQ (PSP Neon HR), two analog EQs (Crane song Ibis M, Spl Pass EQ), two analog compressors (Crane song STC 8H, ESE Transcomp) and post insert digital brick-wall limiter (PSP Xenon).
Sometimes I use Neve 1073 DPA as a line driver......and sometimes Neve 33114 as a character EQ......

[Hal]

Originally Posted by Riccardo

Usually an equaliser and a compressor in the chain on most (but not all) jobs.
Sometimes (but not always) a digital brickwall limiter.

There are no rules at the end of the day we'll use whatever it takes to do the mix "justice"

Hello,
just curious about what do you usually to obtain gain?
how is the Vertigo for that? Is the gain quite clean?

[Waltz Mastering]

Usually 3 outboard

1 EQ
1 Compressor
1 Limiter

[It'sJoeAgain]

Originally Posted by 24-96 Mastering

The other day I actually used all analog outboard I have (6 units) on one song. I marked the recall sheets with GEARSLUT for engineer name to mark the special occasion

hey Robin, did u notice a significant increase of the SNR??...i guess u'd have to a/b that to tell......that's why i would love to hear before/after clips of that project...

[turtlerock]

i could not count the options on four hands , but mostly its two eqs two limiters, not too much of any of them .
on the days when i have to punch in the spanish armarda , i dont actually enjoy the work , which is ironic really .

we all buy and hoard all this stuff
and then frown at the world if we are forced to use it !

every time i pull something out of the racks because i havent used it in ages, a job turns up and you think" you know what would be good on this the .... damn !"

[24-96 Mastering]

Originally Posted by It'sJoeAgain

hey Robin, did u notice a significant increase of the SNR??...i guess u'd have to a/b that to tell......that's why i would love to hear before/after clips of that project...

Hi Joe,

It wasn't really the type of music and the type of mix where a bit of noise added is the primary concern I.e. the benefits far outweighed the drawbacks. The before and after won't really be interesting with regards to noise floor. If you want to hear it anyway, feel free to pm me about it.

[Riccardo]

Originally Posted by Hal

Hello,
just curious about what do you usually to obtain gain?
how is the Vertigo for that? Is the gain quite clean?

The more a mix is balanced the more level/loudness you can achieve without resorting to a digital brick wall limiter. When good mixes come in it is relatively easy to make them loud. If the artist/producer requests a very loud cut than usually 1 dB of limiting on top helps.
If the mix is not up to scratch for whatever reason then you do your best to achieve the best balance with whiting the source you are given, gain up where appropriate in your chain and if a very loud cut is requested close your eyes, mentally come to terms with the trade offs, take a deep breath and go with some limiting and/or AD pushing

The Vertigo make up gain stage is to my ears unique. Yes it is clean without being sterile at all.

[It'sJoeAgain]

Originally Posted by 24-96 Mastering

Hi Joe,

It wasn't really the type of music and the type of mix where a bit of noise added is the primary concern I.e. the benefits far outweighed the drawbacks. The before and after won't really be interesting with regards to noise floor. If you want to hear it anyway, feel free to pm me about it.

aight no problem...i'll take ur word for it...

[Adam Dempsey]

Obviously as few as possible, although – and here's a thing – it could be using several EQ's each for their strengths for a particular application..
3 EQ's could mean as little as 3 bands (or less) of total EQ, with results that one alone may not achieve, say a Sontec for just 1 - 3 bands of pre-compression corrections, an NSEQ-F for post comp low end 'bloom' with just 1 of its 4 bands (love those broad bells), then the API for maybe 1/2dB of something and its transformers, or the massive passive for a band of two of its thing.

yes the Vertigo make up gain is very clean; the STC-8's I find more 'neutral'.

[DBarbarulo]

Originally Posted by Adam Dempsey

Obviously as few as possible, although – and here's a thing – it could be using several EQ's each for their strengths for a particular application..
3 EQ's could mean as little as 3 bands (or less) of total EQ, with results that one alone may not achieve, say a Sontec for just 1 - 3 bands of pre-compression corrections, an NSEQ-F for post comp low end 'bloom' with just 1 of its 4 bands (love those broad bells), then the API for maybe 1/2dB of something and its transformers, or the massive passive for a band of two of its thing.

yes the Vertigo make up gain is very clean; the STC-8's I find more 'neutral'.

Same here

DB