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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Apr 2009
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Posts: 10,334
Regarding Ozone supposedly sucking the life out of your mix....

First, that is not limited to Ozone. Anyone can do that with the default plugins that come with any DAW including BB & RB.

Second point and probably the most important one. If you learn what you're doing and use only what you need, you can use any preset in Ozone and still have a dynamic mix. Some tweeking of any preset is always a good idea. AND.... there is a PDF that helps newbies learn about using compressors and limiters and all the other tools in Ozone....and the best thing is, it applies across any plug in used in the mastering process.


It is ultimately YOUR choice and by the decisions you make whether your mix looks like this which is compressed to the max:



or if it looks like this one which is also quite loud but still retains the dynamics it needs to impart a pleasant listening experience:



A good wave editor lets you see the final wave. This is one time I do recommend using visual information in the mixing process. And yes, a simple compressor adjustment can make the difference between the top photo and the bottom one. And unless you have good ears, it may be difficult for a newbie mixer to hear that difference but your eyes will spot it.

My 2 cents


You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 40
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Joined: May 2015
Posts: 40
I have been recording my band for many years. For anything serious, we have it professionally mastered here in Chicago or New York for $100-$150 per song. Those guys are using gear that would never make sense to own, and (more importantly) have the experience to get things sounding as close to "radio-ready" as possible.

Back to the original poster's question... Which mastering suite/plug-in is best suited for BIAB/Realband? If you're happy with the overall sound of your mix, you can just run it through a peak limiter to get things a little louder. Look at kvraudio.com for free peak limiters. This one is highly regarded:
http://vladgsound.wordpress.com/plugins/limiter6/.

I use the Izotope Mastering Essentials. It's included with Mixcraft Pro Audio 7, which costs less than half of Izotope Ozone. Essentials doesn't include nearly as many features as Ozone, but has a lot to offer in terms of shaping the sound and amplifying your mix. That, and Mixcraft is a great DAW if you need features that extend beyond Realband's capability (I use both).

Lastly, here's some great general advise:
"The short version: Stop recording so hot. Instead of trying to get your tracks to peak at -2dBFS, have them peak between -20 and -12dBFS and your recordings will almost undoubtedly sound better. Mixing will be easier. EQ will be more effective. Compression will be smoother, more manageable and predictable. You're in the age of 24-bit digital recording - Relax and enjoy the headroom. Even if your only concern is the volume of the finished product (which would be a shame, but it happens), recordings made with a good amount of headroom are almost undoubtedly better suited to handle the "abuse" of excessive dynamics control. QUIETER recordings have more potential to be LOUD later. It's because they're usually better sounding recordings in the first place."

John Scrip - MASSIVE Mastering
-----
I hope this helps!

Best,
Mark


Mark
2020 BIAB Audiophile, Mixcraft Pro 9
Band: http://www.midwesternlull.com
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Questo è il link alla nuova versione 2025.

Di seguito i link per scaricare il pacchetti di lingua italiana aggiornati per Band-in-a-Box e RealBand, anche per chi avesse già comprato la nuova versione in inglese.

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