Mac OS 9 Lives

Classic Mac OS Software => Digital Audio Workstations - General Discussion => Topic started by: Syntho on February 26, 2020, 12:20:27 PM

Title: Mastering Rigs & Plugins
Post by: Syntho on February 26, 2020, 12:20:27 PM
Any of you guys have a mastering chain going on? I have enough old Macs to have an extra one dedicated to 2-track work. I'm tired of combining all of my stuff onto one system so I'm thinking a separate system dedicated to working on samples, editing 2 track mixes and mastering would suit me well.

What kind of hardware, outboard, and software were people running back in the OS9 and prior days? I'm also not a big fan of plugins but I'm curious if there were some popular ones back then that mastering engineers liked. I recently posted about the Sonic Solutions software, and it would be great to have a rig running that, but I think I'll probably be in the dark since there is far less technical info about it floating around today.
Title: Re: Mastering Rigs & Plugins
Post by: IIO on February 26, 2020, 01:03:51 PM
you are talking about live play-through?

otherwise i would just make an extra copy of the DAW with only a carefully selected handful of plug-ins, and not use a second computer.

there are not much pseudo mastering grade plug-ins for OS9 (not even pseudo) but i would start with C1, C4, the powercore 24/7, L1 & L2, X-noise, then some imager utility, the BBE exciter, your favorite reverb for first reflections, for dynamics i have custom plug-ins... what can also be of help is sonicworx. then roxio jam for redbook... but when i rember right its OSX only.
Title: Re: Mastering Rigs & Plugins
Post by: ssp3 on February 27, 2020, 04:58:21 AM
It all depends on machines you have, OSes you're willing to run and tasks you want to accomplish. Editing samples and working with samplers would call for one type of applications, editing mixes (how?) for different ones. Please be more specific.
Title: Re: Mastering Rigs & Plugins
Post by: IIO on February 27, 2020, 05:21:53 AM
he was clearly asking for audio mastering options in OS9, working with samplers in windows is normally not part of that.
Title: Re: Mastering Rigs & Plugins
Post by: ssp3 on February 27, 2020, 06:22:02 AM
Windows? Where did you get that from? By other OSes I ment OS7.x.x and OS8.x.x
Title: Re: Mastering Rigs & Plugins
Post by: Protools5LEGuy on February 27, 2020, 07:38:02 AM
I have been making some masters on windows XP with Wavelab, but the method can be made on OS9 too, probably with that matrix software that is awesome, and surpases Wavelab. (Spark?)

The plugs I use on all mastering are FreeFilter and the modern steinberg "red" (Cubase SX or Mastering Edition?) comp that can be split to 3 band (not sure if it is called Comp or multiband comp)

Title: Re: Mastering Rigs & Plugins
Post by: Protools5LEGuy on February 27, 2020, 07:44:27 AM
Deck http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,843.0.html
Peak http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,3190.0.html
Spark http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,1375.0.html

There was a plugin that allowed you to use a MATRIX of plugins, but cant remember if it is included with any of those or elsewhere
Title: Re: Mastering Rigs & Plugins
Post by: Protools5LEGuy on February 27, 2020, 07:49:34 AM

The plugs I use on all mastering are FreeFilter and the modern steinberg "red" (Cubase SX or Mastering Edition?) comp that can be split to 3 band (not sure if it is called Comp or multiband comp)

They both are here http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,902.0.html

The trick with FreeFilter is to "Copy" the EQ from a commercial target audio reference and blend that to your audio.
Title: Re: Mastering Rigs & Plugins
Post by: DieHard on February 27, 2020, 07:56:19 AM
OK, under OS9 the absolute best mastering suite is Spark, nothing comes even remotely close

This was written for TC Works by the same Italian programmer who later went on his own and created
DSP Quattro for OS X
http://www.dsp-quattro.com/dspquattro/Site/DSP-Quattro.html

It even looks and feel similar

Back to OS9, this program is unique since (not only does it use VST plugins from your other apps), it has a "Plugin Matrix" that can use mastering plugins in parallel, series, or both simultaneously !  It is called the Spark FX Machine, All your VST Mastering plugins can be loaded into a matrix, the matrix size can be changed according to your requirements, from 1x1 to 10x10 you can create any size for your processing.

See it here: https://www.kvraudio.com/product/spark_fx_machine_by_tc_works

It's available here on our board
http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,1375.0.html


TC Works Spark XL Versions 2.0, 2.5, & 2.8
Complete mastering and editing environment provides a stack of powerful tools to get the job done

(http://macos9lives.com/smforum/postimages/SparkBox.jpg)(http://macos9lives.com/smforum/postimages/SparkXL.jpg)

Included Plug-Ins:(See Image Below)
Spark FX Machine, Spark FX Machine Instrument, Compressor & Limiter, MaxIt, Bandpass, Cut Filter, Resonance Filter, Tape Delay, 1 and 3 Band EQ, Expander, TCO-Oscillator, TCF-Filter, TCA-Amplifier, TCSeq-Step Sequenzer, TCK-Virtual Keyboard, FuzzSat, Grainalizer, Touch Wah, Sonic Destructor, Sonograph, Metergraph, Denoiser, Declicker

(http://macos9lives.com/smforum/postimages/sparkplugs.jpg)
Title: Re: Mastering Rigs & Plugins
Post by: Protools5LEGuy on February 27, 2020, 08:01:25 AM
If I would destinate a Mac OS 9 machine to mastering, undoubtly I would install also:

Yamaha FX Bundle http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,743.0.html

TC Works Spark 1.5 (FX Bundle) & Spark Modular 1.6 (Synthesizer) http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,3151.0.html
It has the matrix thing.

TC Works Native Bundle v3.0 http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,1182.0.html

Decide what TC algoritmic are better suited for the mastering.

WaveArts PowerSuite http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,1237.0.html


It worth checking.

Also the mastering machine needs to have a "transparent" interface or use it thru SPDIF/ADAT to your main rig
Title: Re: Mastering Rigs & Plugins
Post by: DieHard on February 27, 2020, 08:08:14 AM
Hey PT, we have the Spark 2.X series available

It's available here on our board
http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,1375.0.html
Title: Re: Mastering Rigs & Plugins
Post by: mrhappy on February 27, 2020, 10:23:42 AM
Nice recommendation DieHard! Haven't messed around with Spark yet but it sure seems cool! I'm planning on setting up a separate rig for final 2trk capture/ mastering so I'll definitely check that thing out!! ;D ;D
Title: Re: Mastering Rigs & Plugins
Post by: Syntho on February 27, 2020, 10:58:24 AM
There is one type of of plugin that I just haven't seen for OS9 and below, and I would love to have it in software: a stereo widener/imager. The TC, DBX and Drawmer mastering hardware boxes from the late 90s or so all had these features, but I have as of yet to find something in hardware. At the most there's probably some M/S decoder where I can bring down the mono information and have the stereo information louder, but the way this particular effect works is that it can push out the sides and leave the middle alone. And in three different bands!

From what I can tell NONE of the TC packages have something like that, even though they had it on their Finalizer hardware box.
Title: Re: Mastering Rigs & Plugins
Post by: IIO on February 27, 2020, 11:25:33 AM
There is one type of of plugin that I just haven't seen for OS9 and below, and I would love to have it in software: a stereo

simple imagers exist in multiple flavors, but widening a mono source is limited to s22 stereo shuffler from waves, which works somewhat, but is of course way behind polyverse wider from 2019.

(i think TC finalizer hardware also only has an MS matrix, you dont really want to apply widening a mono source on the sum)

simple imagers for VST are available from: steinberg, waves, PSP, pluggo, sfx machine, mda, arboretum, and matt ingalls ... that should be it.

8 should be enough since they are all doing the same thing.
Title: Re: Mastering Rigs & Plugins
Post by: IIO on February 27, 2020, 11:29:19 AM
of course it is mostly useful as a parallel effect, so that you can apply it only to the attacks of the freqeuncy mid band without reverb or whatever you wish.

that is where spark or max come to play for better routing options compared to DAWs.
Title: Re: Mastering Rigs & Plugins
Post by: IIO on February 27, 2020, 11:32:05 AM
but the way this particular effect works is that it can push out the sides and leave the middle alone

btw, this is done (for example in the waves and psp plug-ins) by using an average weighting factor for the side signal - i prefer to do that by ears.
Title: Re: Mastering Rigs & Plugins
Post by: IIO on February 27, 2020, 11:45:32 AM
wavearts wavesurround ... no, not really. it adds hrtf.
Title: Re: Mastering Rigs & Plugins
Post by: Syntho on February 27, 2020, 04:58:09 PM
I'd have to look at some manuals for those plugins you mention to see exactly how they function, but to elaborate a bit: the Finalizer has a normal M/S thing where you can pull down the mono information level which is the equivalent of pushing up the level of the stereo information. But using another effect available only on the 96k version, you can set up the Finalizer's Spectral Stereo effect to look at, say, only 8k and above, sense the stereo information only in that range, then it uses its magic phasing and other wizardy to push out the stereo information 8k and above. The mono information in that range is left alone. Since it gives you three bands though, the midrange band I leave alone, and I usually pull the really low stuff to mono just a bit, but not entirely.

There are definitely newer plugins that can do all of that (I'm looking at you, Ozone) but there doesn't seem to be a one-stop-shop plugin like that for OS9. If there were, I'd consider going more ITB for mastering. The Finalizer's Spectral effect, plus my mastering hardware compressor is what's keeping me from doing that.
Title: Re: Mastering Rigs & Plugins
Post by: mrhappy on February 28, 2020, 09:55:32 AM
used the Finalizer in late 90's-ish and thought it was a fun, eye opening box at the time! Kind of forgot about it and miss it somewhat... might have to check one of those out again. ;D