Two Track Mastering - that elusive pro mix

[madkin]

Just wanted to add one other item I found that was a great addition to my set up and see what else people have found out there to get better final masterings before pressing to CD.

Mastering seems to be a term that has more than one meaning. I am speaking of the two track file master eq, compression and volume enhancement prior to CD generation.

When I came directly out of pro-tools to a two track wave file the volume was very low compared to pro stuff and didn't have the presence.

When I saw that the Mac version of Pro Tools LE had a mastering software with it, I started looking for one for PC. I found a pretty darn good one at:
http://www.t-racks.com

They have a free demo that lets you hear the difference, although it adds some startling beeping in the midst to protect their revenue stream. T-Racks really made a difference in the sound and of course the volume of the overall two track master.

Has anyone else found something as good or better out there? T-Racks is a great product and I love the interface and the warmth, but it clearly adds some noise. Perhaps unavoidable.

Now, what I have is pretty good two track tool and a need to learn how to mix better.

I have a couple of MP3 snippets out there at
www.MadKin.com (http://www.MadKin.com)

Please feel encouraged to listen and critique the production and offer any suggestions or thoughts. Let me know if there are other similar mastering programs to try.

Thanks,
MadKin

[ReniuR]

I've had my eye on soundforge for a while... Once I can afford it, I'll go with that one. The interface is more my style, and I can get good results with it in a reasonable amount of time, without using a noise reduction filter.

If you haven't looked at that one, check it out.

Remember: a professional mastering house is the best option if you are really serious and can afford it.

[Toney Robinson]

Before you plunk down the cash for Sound Forge, you might want to look at GoldWave http://www.goldwave.com/. It is fully functional shareware, only $40 to register. I'm not sure if SF has some features not YET found in GoldWave, but the developer told me he was working on plug-in support.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by ReniuR:
I've had my eye on soundforge for a while... Once I can afford it, I'll go with that one. The interface is more my style, and I can get good results with it in a reasonable amount of time, without using a noise reduction filter.

If you haven't looked at that one, check it out.

Remember: a professional mastering house is the best option if you are really serious and can afford it.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>