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My friend just showed me how he uses garageband to 'master' his tracks. It was about as easy as it gets considering garageband syncs up with Reason. I would like to use something free and easy for songs I don't intend to get professionaly mastered.

Is there any freeware that will sync up with Reason like garageband that may have better mastering capabilities, or is garageband pretty good for this?

I have reason 2.5 which does not have any of it's own mastering capabilities.

it doesn't need to "sync up" in any way with reason.

export your track as a high quality wav and master it in any program you like mate.

Deadcode wrote:it doesn't need to "sync up" in any way with reason.

Ah, okay shows my ignorance on the matter.

Then does anyone know a good freeware mastering program?

Worry about getting your mix right rather than 'mastering'. No point icing a cake if it tastes like crap (your mixes may be great, just saying )

If you're just after making them louder for playing out, then make the mix as good as you can and use a limiter plugin to raise the perceived level.

Lots of pople will come and tell you you need to use a compressor or worse, a multiband compressor, and eqs and all this. You don't. Make the mix the bollocks and the rest will take care of itself.

Good luck!

And to continue what Macc said - http://tarekith.com/assets/mixdowns.html

Macc wrote:use a limiter plugin to raise the perceived level.

I think this may be what i'm looking for then. Right now my finished songs sound really weak and flat. I do intend to master some of them, but until they are done poperly i just want to polish up a version for my own sake.
thanks

If your mixes sound weak and flat, then a limiter will make them loud and weak and flat.

It won't polish anything. It will remove a certain amount of dynamics/punch in order to raise the overall perceived level. It's not an automatic 'betterer' button, it's just a glorified volume control

The best way to 'polish it up for your own sake' is by getting the mix right, end of story I say again - no point icing a cake you've made if it's soggy, has too much sugar and tastes awful. Improvements - perhaps even 'magical' - can be made by a knowledgeable, experienced mastering engineer, no doubt. Some MEs will send back suggestions on how to improve your mixes - I do this allll the time - and this can help further for the future. But really, the best masters come from great mixes.

Anyway, a limiter might help you out as it will sound louder (if not objectively better), which seems to be what you're after

I understand what your saying. My mixes could always use work. Producing is definately a learning process. I think the limiter may be what I'm after in the short term, something to boost the volume, and if it objectively makes it sound better then that never hurts.

If you care to, check out my music in my link and give me some suggestions. They were uploaded direct from reason without going through anything and because of this the volume is really weak, as are other possible elements.

Hehe, I meant the limiter won't actually make it objectively better - though the volume can fool people.

I'm afraid that I don't do myspace really - sorry... the sound quality is a joke, especially for mix criticism, and it will be playing out of my laptop speakers rather than my proper stuff! Bit busy too - just posting here while things are recording down

Working on a Friday evening =

No worries, i thought i would give it a try. Only 3 more long hours of work for me to go.

heh new recordings mag that i just got in mail and haven't had a chance to read yet has a big headline on the front: mixing and mastering for maximum impact
lets see if it's any good...

A lot of that shit just goes right over my head. I need a mixing and mastering for dummies option

Sqwol wrote:A lot of that shit just goes right over my head. I need a mixing and mastering for dummies option

nah you need this
http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Audio-S ... 873&sr=8-1

hell every producer should have a copy

copied this from an amazon review of the book because i'm sure this is how I would feel.

"Sorry to be harsh but for the near expert - this could be your ticket. For me, I'll struggle through for awhile and refer back to it, but it lacks fundamentals and I do not like being left out of the conversation when I just laid down good money for a learning guide"

Sqwol wrote:copied this from an amazon review of the book because i'm sure this is how I would feel.

"Sorry to be harsh but for the near expert - this could be your ticket. For me, I'll struggle through for awhile and refer back to it, but it lacks fundamentals and I do not like being left out of the conversation when I just laid down good money for a learning guide"

heh it's like the mixing/mastering bible
with a lil beginner reading and help trust you'll want a copy

I agree, it can't hurt.

Sqwol wrote:I agree, it can't hurt.

honestly i just snagged some killer deals on barnes and nobles for production books for like 2-6$ ea plus shipping
and if you dont have it already subscribe to tape op it's free

I just checked out tape op, I might have to get on that. Honestly there is a shit ton of info online and within this website to help people with there mixdown and mastering needs. I need to spend more time focusing on that dept.

Sqwol wrote:I just checked out tape op, I might have to get on that. Honestly there is a shit ton of info online and within this website to help people with there mixdown and mastering needs. I need to spend more time focusing on that dept.

yea but personally i'm more apt to read printed material rather than pdfs and txt on screen and for the price of free tape op kills it

Sqwol wrote:I just checked out tape op, I might have to get on that. Honestly there is a shit ton of info online and within this website to help people with there mixdown and mastering needs. I need to spend more time focusing on that dept.

Be careful not to believe everything you read online - and yes I suppose that includes me

Be sure to focus WAY more on your mixing than any mastering too. Getting th mix right is the key, everything else is a sticking plaster (Band Aid if you are from the US ).