http://www.legendaryaudio.com/

Hey, you got about $20k burning a hole in the pocket???

How much would you pay to be a mastering engineer? Now, for only $19,000, you too can be a mastering engineer.

I'm sure it's awesome, but I wonder about the more money than brains crowd. It's like the ultimate geek version of the Finalizer. I can see the situation where people's monitoring chain is a pair of NS-10's.

Bear

It's a rarified world in the mastering game. Of course, there are always guys who have bought a copy of SoundForge who think they can master. And, then there are guys who have bootlegged a copy of SoundForge and think they can master.

I thought it was bootlegged Wavelab...

War

I think mastering USED to be a rarified world. And your observance that many with SoundForge and other programs have become masterers is also spot on. The first time I used a TC Finalizer, I spent three hours tweeking every parameter. I came back to the studio the next day for the MANDATORY re-listen and decided that I had actually made the audio sound worse.

BUT.......The entire process has changed and the technology as well. In the parallel universe of print, I noticed a big shift when I went from writing articles in a word processor and sending them to the production person to writing them in PAGEMAKER in a document designed to be a newsletter. I could easily see whether I was short or long for a page and edit as I wrote.

Likewise, as I mix audio now, I'm already thinking about mastering. I know, for example, that the bass will tighten up and I'll get a little edge starting to form in the presence range as a result of my mastering. That will determine how I mix.

I think, with the right ears, one who has a good command over what they hear and the right tools can do a very acceptable mastering job without a $20K rack. Having said that, I DO appreciate Rupert's fine work. He does make truly lovely circuits.

Regards,

Ty Ford

ty--

what do you see as the minimum gear and/or software requirements for mastering?

Good set of ears and the experience to know when NOT to do something! :)

then, non-linear editor for trimming, EQ and multiband dynamics processor or multiple stages of dynamics processing, good CD burning software.

Regards,

Ty Ford