Mastering tool for my homestudio: TC Finalizer or software?

[Grain Bastard]

Oh and I'd also listen to MagooUK's advice

[Pouckypluysch]

Have you used the 14-day trial for the mastering bundle on the UAD-1. If so then you could contact UA who are usually happy to reset the demo's for you to try again.

Yes, I thought of that. I didn't know UAD would lengthen the demo time, so I've waited with trying until the entire album would be mixed.

My advice would be to mix it as well as you can and apply 'light' eq, compression & limiting and dither to 16bit if needed. Nobody has ever got signed on the strength of a well mastered song but good music will shine through provided its not ruined by a crap mix.

Too many people think mastering is the answer to them getting signed whereas the reality is that the effort and money put into mastering stage should be used in far different areas, IMHO.....

I know, I know. Getting signed is actually not the main reason. I want to do some final processing, you know, just those things one applies to a final mix. Besides the things you mentioned (eq, compression etc.) some extra shine & shimmer in the high end, some extra tightening of the bottom end. In other words: to make the tracks sound finished, and not just mixed.

[Grain Bastard]

Have you used the 14-day trial for the mastering bundle on the UAD-1. If so then you could contact UA who are usually happy to reset the demo's for you to try again.

Yes, I thought of that. I didn't know UAD would lengthen the demo time, so I've waited with trying until the entire album would be mixed.

My advice would be to mix it as well as you can and apply 'light' eq, compression & limiting and dither to 16bit if needed. Nobody has ever got signed on the strength of a well mastered song but good music will shine through provided its not ruined by a crap mix.

Too many people think mastering is the answer to them getting signed whereas the reality is that the effort and money put into mastering stage should be used in far different areas, IMHO.....

I know, I know. Getting signed is actually not the main reason. I want to do some final processing, you know, just those things one applies to a final mix. Besides the things you mentioned (eq, compression etc.) some extra shine & shimmer in the high end, some extra tightening of the bottom end. In other words: to make the tracks sound finished, and not just mixed.

Sorry, server wanked out on me and my post is gone. It took me ages to write too.

[Pouckypluysch]

Darn. It makes me the more curious to what you wrote...