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  4. Do I Really Need Mixing / Mastering Plugins

  • Do I Really Need Mixing / Mastering Plugins

    M
    M

     Hi all,

    I'm really after advice. I am in the process of upgrading my PC to to an Intel Core2 Duo 3GHz machine with 4Gb RAM and I have an RME Hammerfall 9652 card. I'm running XP Pro, Cubase SX 3, Sibelius 4 (waiting for version 5 upgrade) and VI SE. What I really need advice on, since I don't want a salesperson to blind me with science is whether or not I need to invest in mixing and mastering plugins. Most of my work is scored in sibelius and then I generally export the midi into cubase. I was quite impressed with the VI SE cubase demo which utilizes the inbuilt cubase plugins so are the built in cubase plugins sufficient? A salesperson suggested Wavelabs Gold Bundle however at a cost of £1000 it seems rather expensive. Now I have a more powerful machine I was thinking that maybe altiverb 6 would be more important. The majority of music I do is orchestral and my knowledge of mixing and mastering is virtually non existent except for my own trial and error.

    many thanks 

    Simon

      
  • D
    D

    There is no answer to your question. Partially it would depend on your mixing skills. However, the best thing that you can do is try and see what result you get without buying anything new.

    DG
  • B
    B

    The Waves packages have a LOT of useless garbage bundled into them (at least for orchestral applications). Do you really need a flanger or morphoder? I sure don't. I could probably get by with a Renaissance EQ, Compressor, C4, and L3. All the spectral and dynamics processing you could ever need is right there, IMO. 

    I've yet to try the SSL and API plugins though...

  • M
    M
    What I will have to do is download demos of everything the only trouble is that my ears are not yet trained on the finer details of effects especially compression maybe that's why I didn't have any issues with the way how the SE demo sounded. Can anybody recommend any good books or training DVDs on mixing and mastering that will just get me started?
  • H
    H
    Well you have to remember that sequencers contain mastering plugs .. but they are NOT what the industry uses and if you really want release quality audio it is necessary to get an app that does that. There are many types and it's down to individual opinion as to what you get. I have Izotopes Ozone 3 plug which costs about £350 .. far less than the waves stuff .. maybe even more useful. DG is right that you don't have to buy a mastering plug, and certainly one can be inventive with mixing without a special system to do it but I would say that you can get a much better sound from a pro mastering plug. A friend of mine who is a pro engineer has told me many a time of the lack of professional mastering tools in every sequencer. ..... sometimes one does need the gear. IMO
  • D
    D

    If you are mastering to a professional level, you certainly wouldn't be doing it in Cubase!

    I would recommend learning to mix first.; Then, when you find the built in EQ doesn't do what you want, start to think about buying another plug. Then when the compressor etc. There is no point in spending money on top quality toys, when you don't know the principles of what you are doing.

    DG
  • M
    M

     thanks guy, wise words. Just ordered the Mixing Engineers Handbook hopefully that will get me on the right track.

  • T
    T
    ...you´re right.... an extended mastering suite is in your case not that important...i don´t know what comes with cubase sx, but it won´t be that far away from the logic package, which is quite enough in the first place... but altiverb is a must...specially when you´re not that firm with mixing skills...the altiverb is doing half the job of the the perfect illusion...