Hello,i Need help on what steps are best to master a tracks from cassettes PLEASE HELP.!!!!!!! -Sound Forge - PC

Subject:Hello,i Need help on what steps are best to master a tracks from cassettes PLEASE HELP.!!!!!!! Posted by: Mrlogan Date:5/21/2000 6:27:00 PM Hello,with sound forge having so many features i was wondering what steps of ANY OF YOU,taken to master your projects rather it be cassette or cd. In other words what do you do first second third etc...2 master your project. Also have any of you made brought out any projects from mastering if so what do you think of the results.?? thanks 4 your time. you can e-mail me or post it here.
Subject:Re: Hello,i Need help on what steps are best to master a tracks from cassettes PLEASE HELP.!!!!!!! Reply by: Jeff_Lowes Date:5/27/2000 11:56:00 PM Mastering tips: I am currently mastering a project using SF 4.5 and XFX1, XFX2 and Noise Reduction plug-ins. For all practical purposes, you really must use DirectX previewing in order to do any real mastering properly. There are far too many variables to try to do it one step at a time. You will also need a pretty fast system so that you can load up the plug-in chainer with all the processes you need and still be able to preview in real-time. I am using a 600 MHz PIII with 128 RAM and am able to do just about anything I need to do with one exception ... with all the other processes enabled in the chainer, I sometimes cannot view and adjust my mastering compressor without glitching the playback (during preview). I suspect the reason for this is that this particular plug-in uses alot of processor overhead. (More on that later.) What processes you use really depends on what the music needs. If you are mastering anything that has been on cassette at one time or another, you must use noise reduction and it should be the first thing in the chain. Next, I like to use multi-band dynamics to clean- up and tighten up my mixes. After that, I will use one or more of the 3 EQs in XFX2....Pragraphic to address certain problem freqs or accent certain desired ones, graphic to shape the overall sound, and parametric usually to add air to the top. Next, would be an overall compressor (mastering compressor). I have tried to use graphic dynamics for this but I am not particularly satisfied with the results it gives. I found out about a good one that I am using on this project...look up Sonic Timeworks on the web to down load a trial version. In my opinion, it does a much better job than does SF graphic dynamics. I talked with an SF tech about them maybe creating such a thing. The last thing you should do is normalize your files to -0.01 peak. If you have done your work properly up to that point, you should not need to use RMS normalizing at all. Three tools that you should get used to using are 1)some kind of spectrum analyzer that will allow you view in real-time as well as generate an overall frequency response curve, 2)other mastered CDs (I am talking about major label releases - good ones) and 3)YOUR EARS...they are your most valuable asset. Overall, I am quite pleased with SF's performance as a mastering tool. However, do not think that you can create major-label-quality masters from less than desireable mixes. The key to a great master starts at the studio with the musicians/instruments/microphones/studio gear/acoustics/engineer/etc. Good luck! Jeff Lowes On-Track Recording DamonLoganAHolland wrote: >>Hello,with sound forge having so many features i was >>wondering what steps of ANY OF YOU,taken to master your >>projects rather it be cassette or cd. >>In other words what do you do first second third etc...2 >>master your project. >> >>Also have any of you made brought out any projects from >>mastering if so what do you think of the results.?? >> >>thanks 4 your time. >> >> >>you can e-mail me or post it here. >> >>

Mastering tips:

I am currently mastering a project using SF 4.5 and XFX1, XFX2 and
Noise Reduction plug-ins. For all practical purposes, you really must
use DirectX previewing in order to do any real mastering properly.
There are far too many variables to try to do it one step at a time.
You will also need a pretty fast system so that you can load up the
plug-in chainer with all the processes you need and still be able to
preview in real-time. I am using a 600 MHz PIII with 128 RAM and am
able to do just about anything I need to do with one exception ...
with all the other processes enabled in the chainer, I sometimes
cannot view and adjust my mastering compressor without glitching the
playback (during preview). I suspect the reason for this is that this
particular plug-in uses alot of processor overhead. (More on that
later.)

What processes you use really depends on what the music needs. If you
are mastering anything that has been on cassette at one time or
another, you must use noise reduction and it should be the first
thing in the chain. Next, I like to use multi-band dynamics to clean-
up and tighten up my mixes. After that, I will use one or more of the
3 EQs in XFX2....Pragraphic to address certain problem freqs or
accent certain desired ones, graphic to shape the overall sound, and
parametric usually to add air to the top. Next, would be an overall
compressor (mastering compressor). I have tried to use graphic
dynamics for this but I am not particularly satisfied with the
results it gives. I found out about a good one that I am using on
this project...look up Sonic Timeworks on the web to down load a
trial version. In my opinion, it does a much better job than does SF
graphic dynamics. I talked with an SF tech about them maybe creating
such a thing. The last thing you should do is normalize your files
to -0.01 peak. If you have done your work properly up to that point,
you should not need to use RMS normalizing at all.

Three tools that you should get used to using are 1)some kind of
spectrum analyzer that will allow you view in real-time as well as
generate an overall frequency response curve, 2)other mastered CDs (I
am talking about major label releases - good ones) and 3)YOUR
EARS...they are your most valuable asset.

Overall, I am quite pleased with SF's performance as a mastering
tool. However, do not think that you can create major-label-quality
masters from less than desireable mixes. The key to a great master
starts at the studio with the
musicians/instruments/microphones/studio gear/acoustics/engineer/etc.

Good luck!
Jeff Lowes
On-Track Recording

DamonLoganAHolland wrote:
>>Hello,with sound forge having so many features i was
>>wondering what steps of ANY OF YOU,taken to master your
>>projects rather it be cassette or cd.
>>In other words what do you do first second third etc...2
>>master your project.
>>
>>Also have any of you made brought out any projects from
>>mastering if so what do you think of the results.??
>>
>>thanks 4 your time.
>>
>>
>>you can e-mail me or post it here.
>>
>>