Hello,

What are the great Plugins for Metering and Mastering ?

I'm curious why you're asking.

Welcome. I'm sure you understand that's a fair question to ask of a first-time poster. Are you a user of Band-in-a-Box? Is the question about the plugins in PG Music products? As a professional consultant on recording and sound, you should already have some idea of the answer.

Yes I am a very new user on the Mac platform. I'm curious to hear about what others are using. I'm happy with the results of mixing in BB. I'd like to see better metering. If also like to know what mastering plugins are available within BB.

My background is mostly in hardware

This isn't necessarily in the wrong forum, but I wonder if it would be better in the BIAB for Mac forum. I could talk about Ozone or Waves, for example, but as a PC-only user, I don't know if those work on a Mac.

As a Mac user I mix with Logic Pro X using a host of Izotope plugins including Ozone 6, Alloy 2 and Nectar 2. Everything works seamless on the Mac. I am running 20 gig RAM and have no latency issues. On occasion I will run Waves multiband compressor - again with no problems.

Ok... fair answer... And Welcome to BB/RB.... I won't hold it against you that you're on the Mac version. #all_DAWs_matter

So I don't use any metering in BB or RB at all. I take the files as they are. The assumption on my part is that they were recorded in a professional studio and the levels were looked after in a professional manner.

I use them at whatever their original levels are and so far, I have not had any issues with tracks being too loud or over the top compressed. On a few occasions, I have found a few that were weak and needed to be bumped up a bit.

I export them to my DAW, Sonar. (X1) In X1, I use the DAW's default meters and simply "keep them out of the red" for the most part. For my "mastering", I use Ozone 4 to do the polishing to add the sparkle and shine to the music.

I don't do a whole lot to the music actually. Use good tracks, and you shouldn't have to spend hours of time finessing it to sound good.

Hope that answers your question and points you in the right direction.

Steve,

You don't really mix in BIAB unless you are doing very simple productions and are satisfied with a few simple plug-ins to do 4 track mixes and such. (I am speaking of EQ, Amplitube and such.)

BIAB is for exporting .wavs you can important into the DAW of your choice and you mix from there.

In that context, I use a full array of software compressors, EQs, effects and almost everything by IK Multimedia and Ozone, including Nectar Production Suite.

But the ONE plug-in I cannot live without now is this, recommended by a forum reader. It tells you what your dynamic range is at a glance, and if you have used too many plug-ins and need to start deleting some of them.

https://www.kvraudio.com/product/tt-dynamic-range-meter-by-pleasurize-music-foundation

Not sure if you're a Mac or PC user Steve but as a Mac user I find most of what I need within Logic Pro X. As David says you need to bounce your tracks to a DAW. For a while I was using Logic's mastering preset chains and fiddling a little to get pretty good results. But now I use Ozone and getting much better results. Ozone includes metering tools.

David I've looked high and low for that plugin you mention. It's old and apparently not distributed anymore according to the link you provided. How did you find it? (Maybe it's only the Mac version that has gone AWOL.)

Matcham

Matcham,

It appears the new version is 64 bit for Windows and you have to register as a user to see download now, but there is no MAC version at the moment, though they are working on it. (Go to their site and you will see.)

I too have Ozone, and the level meters are useful, but they are relative loudness and peak levels. That is different than dynamic range and that is why I love this meter.

Ozone will tell you how loud you are and you can see spectrum graphs, but you can't get a number for the dynamic range. I find those simple numbers to be very useful. If you have a dynamic range in the 11 to 12 range you know you have a Cat Stevens, Pat Metheny or Steely Dan mix, it will be crisp and resonant.

If you have a dynamic range of 3 you will be sounding like the Clash through busted speakers. You probably have over compressed the heck out of everything and need to go back to the drawing board.

Everyone is so focused on volume these days they have completely forgotten about dynamic range--that is the wood of the guitar, the bell like sound of piano high keys, the skin on the drum. You know, the good stuff.

Dave,
Thanks for sharing. Looks interesting.

I like ParMeter, but it's hard to find these days.

I know Dave, I know. I really like the idea of the meter you have and read all the background to it. It would be a great tool over the output bus. Ozone should have it.

They're pricey, but I'm a huge fan of FabFilter's Pro-Q, Pro-C, and Pro-L (eq, compressor, and limiter). They sound great, and provide visual feedback I haven't seen in other plugins, showing an analysis of the signal pre-effect and post-effect, in real time.

Ozone is a great all-in-one solution as well.

I do my mixing and mastering in a DAW, but there'd be nothing stopping someone from using them directly in BIAB itself.

Thanks
Kent
PG Music

I appreciate all of the advice and opinions.
But, what is the PlugIn area at the top of the BIAB screen for?

For those that bought the cheap $19 Tracktion 3 years ago, the FinalMix plugin was a great mastering/metering plugin.

It was property of Mackie, so when Tracktion went dark several years ago after Mackie turned it into abandonware, I was worried I wouldn't be able to use it once Tracktion quit working.

About 3 years ago, Tracktion was bought back by the original developer, and I am now running version 6 and I successfully got FinalMix to work with it.

Tracktion now have a very similar looking plugin for sale called MasterMix.
https://www.tracktion.com/products/master-mix

They charge $60 for it and some change.

I always said FinalMix was worth the price of Tracktion by itself. I use it on individual tracks as well as a mix bus plugin.

I can't vouch for MasterMix as compared to FinalMix. FinalMix was coded by Acuma, which was a software house that wrote code for Mackie's digital mixers back in the day.

You might try this link for the TT Meter:


http://www.dynamicrange.de/es/es/download#menu1



Regards,

Bob

Hi Steve,

That's where you can assign any plugins you have installed to your Band-in-a-Box tracks. The only ones we currently provide with the software are SampleTank and Amplitube.

Just about any VST or Audio Unit plugins by other companies will work with Band-in-a-Box, whether they're synths, samplers, or effects.

Thanks
Kent
PG Music

Kent,

I sometimes just use BIAB without another DAW like Logic / GarageBand. So, what mastering / metering plugins would you recommend?

Thanks very much !

btw, we are absolutely blown away by the feel and quality of RealTracks. Inspiring!

Steve & Pamm

Hey Steve!

Fello NJ boy here-

I love your version of "Your Song" on your Reverbnation site. That's some sweet playing!


Regards,

Bob

Hey Bob, thanks very much. I've been studying for decades. I enjoy the heavy fuzzy stuff as well as mellow Jazz and sweet nylon/classical.

You had a pretty good teacher.


Regards,

Bob

Thanks, I've had a few. Fred DeMaio, Ted Clancy, Masters Joe Cinderella, Buckey Pizzarelli, and Les Paul. I was playing with Bucky just last week at the Morristown Jazz and Blues Festival we did How High The Moon that afternoon. Later that night I sat in and tore it up with Robert Randolph. I enjoy variety.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/quilteramps/permalink/1274079442619475/

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gv815d2gvnvjpwk/Europa.mov?dl=0

I love Bucky and his dad (GRHS), and Randolph is incredible.

You travel in large company!

Bob, thanks very much. Buckey is 90. I don't know what you mean by his dad. Are you referring to Buckey's son John. John is 57ish. What is GRHS ?