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anonymous 4 July 2004

This is what I use for mastering right now, in Logic Pro on a Mac G4 (original software of course)

1) Waves Linear Phase EQ's
2) Waves Linear Phase Multiband Compressor
3) L2 Limiter

I need two things:

A) Warmth/tube saturation
B) More punch and RMS output

So I'm looking at:

1) Manley Mastering SLAM! (mastering version of SLAM!)
2) Manley Stereo Variable Mu (also the mastering version)
3) TUBE TECH SMC2B 3 band tube compressor

This is to be inserted before the L2 of course.

My reservations are:

1) Will the Manley SLAM! and the L2 work together (essentially 2 limiters in a chain)
2) Will the Manley Vari-Mu do a better job than SLAM! in my particular situation?
3) Will the TUBE TECH 3 band tube comp provide me with better control over the material due to the 3 bands?

Any ideas for other machines that may fit my needs or any advice on what would be the "best" choice in my situation?

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Comments

iznogood Mon, 07/05/2004 - 10:00

i use the vari-mu all day every day!!!

for mastering and mixing
i have two of them... one normal and one mastering edition

also have the tubetech... i love it for vocals / deesser but for mastering it is too soft... it takes a lot of punch out of your mix

i have heard the slam and don't like it at all!! it doesn't have any of the qualities of the vari-mu!!!

just beware that the vari-mu takes several hours (2-300) before it sounds its best!!

if you can't afford the mastering version then buy the normal one...
it may actually sound better (warmer)

iznogood Mon, 07/05/2004 - 10:03

i use the vari-mu all day every day!!!

for mastering and mixing
i have two of them... one normal and one mastering edition

also have the tubetech... i love it for vocals / deesser but for mastering it is too soft... it takes a lot of punch out of your mix

i have heard the slam and don't like it at all!! it doesn't have any of the qualities of the vari-mu!!!

just beware that the vari-mu takes several hours (2-300) before it sounds its best!!

if you can't afford the mastering version then buy the normal one...
it may actually sound better (warmer)

iznogood Mon, 07/05/2004 - 10:04

i use the vari-mu all day every day!!!

for mastering and mixing
i have two of them... one normal and one mastering edition

also have the tubetech... i love it for vocals / deesser but for mastering it is too soft... it takes a lot of punch out of your mix

i have heard the slam and don't like it at all!! it doesn't have any of the qualities of the vari-mu!!!

just beware that the vari-mu takes several hours (2-300) before it sounds its best!!

if you can't afford the mastering version then buy the normal one...
it may actually sound better (warmer)

Ammitsboel Mon, 07/05/2004 - 16:31

You should also check out the Gyraf G10 VariMu compressor(gyraf.dk)
Jacob Erland is a great circuit/unit designer!!...

What do you really seek in getting a warm sound? maybe it's not a comp but an EQ you need?.. or maybe a comp is just the right thing?

...or maybe you just need a tube gain stage with transformers?

Best Regards

anonymous Tue, 07/06/2004 - 00:49

Thanks for the answers (funny you are both Danish too isn't it?)

I guess the Manley SLAM! perhaps isn't what I need in particular, so that one's been crossed from the list.

Iznogood, you have the SMC2B 3 band compressor from Tube Tech? It was made for mastering purposes but you find it too soft for that purpose, right?

Hm, guess my list right now is:

1) Manley Vari Mu (normal version)
2) Gyratec X (G10) (BTW: Where can I get one of these babies?)
3) Avalon Vt747sp
4) Tube Tech SMC2B

Anyone know the Avalon?

Ammitsboel Tue, 07/06/2004 - 03:36

What forms the overall sound in a circuit that contains tubes lies mostly in the components and voltages used(and of course tube quality)... That's why many new tube devices sound so hard and edgy and old devices sound warm.

Manley has a reputation of being transparant with a strain of warmth.
It seems to me that you need a lot more warmth to light up your plugins.

The GX and the Manley is not devices that turns every thing into fire, they are just a little warmer than the Avalon.

Best Regards,
Henrik

iznogood Tue, 07/06/2004 - 05:15

regarding the avalons....

i haven't heard the 747 but we have two of the 737 and the master eq 2077 and they all sound VERY clean (borderline clinical!)

good for the next usher album but not for warming things up!

as i can see you're located i cph. so you're welcome for coffee anytime... http://www.studioc4.dk

by the way henrik... my old vari-mu WILL set things on fire but it has been on for 10 hours a day for three years!! looking forward to comparing vari-mu comps the next time we meet!!

Ammitsboel Tue, 07/06/2004 - 06:04

BTW Nice offer (on your website) in July-August

Thanks!
you are always welcome to come by and have a talk... and maybe a try out if you have some material ready?

Rune, we must soon meet and have that jitter test done.
I'm more than ready now with my new modified top-of-the-line Plextor drive!! 8)

Best Regards,

anonymous Tue, 07/06/2004 - 06:22

Ammitsboel wrote:

BTW Nice offer (on your website) in July-August

Thanks!
you are always welcome to come by and have a talk... and maybe a try out if you have some material ready?

Cool, right now most of the stuff I do is mastered by Björn Engelmann in Cutting Room, Sweden as I haven't been 100% satisfied with either Dandisc or Tocano (no offense).

Ammitsboel Tue, 07/06/2004 - 07:03

Cool, right now most of the stuff I do is mastered by Björn Engelmann in Cutting Room, Sweden as I haven't been 100% satisfied with either Dandisc or Tocano (no offense).

I can understant you.
Did you read all my brochure? about what i stand for?
I hope that you haven't completely turned your back on Denmark when it comes to mastering.
I would very much like to give you a demo of my work if you have a raw file you could deliver to me.

Either way lets have a talk sometime about likes and deslikes about mastering.

Best Regards,

anonymous Tue, 07/06/2004 - 07:06

Ammitsboel wrote:

Cool, right now most of the stuff I do is mastered by Björn Engelmann in Cutting Room, Sweden as I haven't been 100% satisfied with either Dandisc or Tocano (no offense).

I can understant you.
Did you read all my brochure? about what i stand for?
I hope that you haven't completely turned your back on Denmark when it comes to mastering.
I would very much like to give you a demo of my work if you have a raw file you could deliver to me.

Either way lets have a talk sometime about likes and deslikes about mastering.

Best Regards,

Absolutely, I read your brochure from top to bottom, and it sounds exactly like what we need in DK.

If your offer still stands I'll give it try next time I'm having something mastered, and we can take it from there.

Cheers

Ammitsboel Wed, 07/14/2004 - 17:44

Hi Holger,

I've read your Manley posting...Sounds interesting!
But there is no miracle box, you can't get a new box then try it for 6 hours and expect to know all its + and -.

Like every other piece of processing gear you will over time find audio material that needs it's qualitys and where you will find the effect very audible... and then you will find audio material that absolutely don't need it and just degrate in quality when processed.

I was at Njalsgade 17 B today, to pick up a Sony APR5003 1/4".
Maybe next time I'm around I should give you a ring?
I would like to check out your monitoring to se what your situation is.

Best Regards,

anonymous Thu, 07/15/2004 - 00:44

You're right, I guess I *was* expecting some kind of magic box.

Although I do believe 6 hours (and 9 years of previous experience) is enough to get intimate with a compressor, it may not reveal all the finer details.

But while it most definitely is the best compressor I've heard yet, it's still only a slight improvement on my Waves Renaissance Compressor, and at $4.000+VAT I would expect a bit more.

Please do give me a call when you're in Njalsgade (26 79 90 03), it would be fun!

I mostly produce music, sometimes mixing, so mastering is just for demo purposes and promos. I'm looking at buying the new Genelecs powered monitors 8050A
http://www.genelec.com/products/8050a/8050a.php

iznogood Sun, 07/18/2004 - 06:30

lagerfeldt...

it is essential for all tube-equipment to run at least a couple of hundred hours to sound any good!!!

i wasn't impressed with the mastering edition of the vari-mu until it had run for half a year!!!

come down and have a listen!!!

you comparing the vari-mu to the ren comp is amazing!!! i find the ren abolutely disgusting!!!

what ad and da do you use???

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