Do you master your own works?

[Heaven And Hell]

Do you master your own works, or do you take them somewhere else?

If you master your own, what do you use (hardware/software), or, if you take them somewhere else, where do you have them mastered?

I'd really like to master (or have mastered) my first album that I release on physical CD, and I'm curious what you do.

[S1gnsOfL1fe]

I bought T-Racks 3 Deluxe on sale a few months back and have never looked back. But since then, you know what I have learned? Most of the things that can be done with mastering tools...if you're good enough, can be done by MIXING. It's crazy, but things like loudness, EQ, compression, limiting can all be done in the host. My latest track "Language of the Ancients" for example I really tried to put my absolute best effort mixing it before it left my DAW. Once I got it into T-racks I realized something...it sounded better WITHOUT mastering it!

As crazy as that sounds...that's what happened.

[Thought Experiment]

I bought Ozone a few years ago, but I've only recently found a mastering chain that works for me - Nomad Factory (Analogue Mastering Tools) gently compresses/limits the low end and top end, I leave the mids alone, and Ozone enhances the highs. S1gns is absolutely right, most of what makes a great sounding track comes from a great mix - you can 'sprinkle some fairy dust' on it and make it shine, but most of the hard work should have been done before you get to mastering. I also have a very old-school view of mastering: it's what you do when you have an album or EP's worth of tracks, to make sure the level and overall EQ from track to track is consistent. When most music downloads are single tracks these days that approach is probably irrelevant, but I still prefer to listen to whole albums...

[manducator]

I master my music myself. I don't have a particular set of plugins that I use. Except for fabfilter Pro-L on all my masters and in most cases DMG EQuick. But for compressors, I like variety; PSP oldtimer, PSP mastercomp, Fabilter Pro-C, Cytomic TheGlue,...

[seismic1]

I usually master myself in T-Racks. I figure that not enough people listen to it to justify more expenditure :lol: Seriously, I think I'm just starting to get to grips with mixing this stuff. Lots of parameters to tweak and compromises to be made. I think mastering is a black art. My mastered tracks might sound a little "better" than the raw mixes, but they lose out in terms of dynamic range. Not surprising really, given that I usually use a light compression. I have a track that I just remixed for the second time. This time I paid particular attention to the levels in the mix. The master sounds much better than the master of the first remix, but only very slightly "better" then the unmastered second mix. I am going to take a long, hard look at my mastering chain next year. I'm sure I can do better with the tools I already have, but time is a constraint.

[aoVI]

I have been running things old and new through Ozone 5 since I picked it up, and have been really happy with the results.

[V0RT3X]

I try to mix and master my own stuff, but Im still learning. I also only have KRK Kns8400 headphones, which i think kind of mess with my mixes.

[S1gnsOfL1fe]

I also only have KRK Kns8400 headphones, which i think kind of mess with my mixes.

I was like you for quite some time...months of "headphone only" mixes until I got a decent set of monitors. Let me tell you the difference is night and day!!! The only way I can describe it is with good monitors...you are literally playing an instrument and with headphones you're only hearing a recording of that instrument. You feel me?

It's hard though...sometimes late at night you've got to keep the noise down. Headphones are the only way to go!!! I often compose something and then remix it in the morning for that very reason. ;)

[Heaven And Hell]

I try to mix and master my own stuff, but Im still learning. I also only have KRK Kns8400 headphones, which i think kind of mess with my mixes.

They're some of the best 'phones around, but even so, getting a good pair of monitors will make all the difference. I used to think that I could hear much better through headphones, but now after getting monitors, I never listen through my headphones anymore.

[seismic1]

Headphones are good for a QC run-through but monitors are essential imho.

[robojam]

I need a better set of monitors. I master using the tools in Ableton Live, but I think I really do need to invest in some better mastering tools.

[trimph1]

Same here...definitely could use better monitors