What kind of mastering software do use with VSL, and in general what type of settings do you find to be the most effective with strictly orchestral music like VSL?
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What are you using for mastering plugs?
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I think any mastering plug can be used for Orchestral music. There's no particular type cos Mastering is down to getting levels, volume, EQ and al that right.
I use Ozone 3 by Izotope which I'm very happy with at the moment. But there are many others that one can use. I find that I need this as Logic doesn't really have any particular mastering plugs.
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Nothing......
Just a great mix.....(I do have EQs on all of the section / stems though)
I generally have a master eq ....which has a very broad "Q"dip of 2db @ 375Hz....
That's it.
SvK
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mastering plugins are a clever combination of your standard plugins including - mutliband eq, multiband compression, exciter, limiter, dither, stereo width effects.
Now I would be interested to know what a mastering reverb is. I have no idea - but it sounds very dangerous.
I haven't ever used ozone or any other mastering plugin but I do use many of these tools individually when I feel I need them. Particularly limiter, master eq, and an exciter.
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The Mastering Reverb on Ozone is just a handy little extra reverb in case your track is too dry. With ozone you have 6 plugs that can operate independently of each other. The Mastering reverb, as with all the plugs, are there just to give a little extra to your song. You're not meant to use the Mastering Reverb as the overall Reverb, or even as a final reverb. Only as an add on later if a track needs it.
With Ozone it's really the Limiter that one needs. To increase sound level without clipping. It does this quite well.
Worth trying the demo version .. there's a link to it on my site (VSL Tech page .. then Hetoreyns Studio .. down the bottom is a pic .. click on it .. and you're there.)
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If you are doing pop / rock / radio music....then mastering plugs are great......since you can get your music LOUD and give it that "compressed", "tite" sound......
however, at the expense of dynamics......and dynamics are what orchestrals are all about.....
Now in film music it is not necessary to turn your piece into a "brick" since it will rarely be mixed that loud beneath the dialogue, sfx anyway......
Mush better to focus on the eq's placed on your busses for the violins, violas, basses etc, etc......
ps: On a further note many, many of the leading producers and engineers out there are trying to get the record companies to stop "L1 ing" there music to kingdom come......it causes ear fatigue, and robs the music of all it's natural dynamics...
As an example try this:
Bring an aggressive, current "Green Day" song into your DAW...Now bring "Back In Black....Ac/DC" into your DAW as well.........Now when you play them back to back "Green Day" song will sound 8db louder then "Back In Black" ....now lower the "Green Day" song to be the same volume as "Back In Black"......
Now turn up the volume of the speakers and play songs back to back
The 80s mix of "Back In Black" sounds WAY bigger....
SvK
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To put this into perspective........
It all really started in the early 90's.....Tools like the "L1" from waves came along......and record companies realised they could make their releases sound "louder" than their competition's on the radio.....
Because if their song starts playing and it sounds "louder" then the song before it, the listener will find it more noticable (exciting, powerful)........but it's an illusion.....it's being "squashed" in order to be louder, so the percusion becomes less "punchy", less "percussive"..........this is bad, very bad. So now that this song is sounding louder, the competition squashes their song even MORE!!!! And it's been going that way since the early 90's.......Now most mixes just sound like lifeless pancakes.....
I hope this makes sense.
SvK
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What the PROS say:
read this...
http://www.orban.com/support/orban/techtopics/Appdx_Radio_Ready_The_Truth_1.3.pdf
SvK