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A monkey with a limiter can make any recording as loud as any other. That's not what mastering is. Volume is the least (and usually last) of our worries during the mastering phase...

Final perceived volume happens during the mastering phase - But it's not the point of the process. The software isn't nearly as important as the engineer.

Ahhhhh, good to see the horse again.

It's still dead though...

It gets a bit confusing because a lot of software companies are marketing there wares as "mastering programs".

Some dedicated software used for mastering:
Sadie
Pyramix
Sound Blade
Sonic pmcd
Sequoia
Wavelab
Wave Editor
Bias Peak

You can also use a daw plus an assembly program to master.

If you are primarily just looking for a limiter there are many out there that all do the same thing differently. Some are better that others. A couple decent ones are: PSP, Massey, UAD, Voxengo, Waves...

ME's use more than limiters to get the volume/level where the client likes it. An EQ treatment, analog chain, converter's, etc.

Its interesting to see what a lot of people are initially attracted to with DAW's. Potential greatness followed by total destruction of dynamics then MP3. I was there . We should make one of these a sticky.

certainly not Traction software, like Harry's Sonic Bistro uses, ****ing CRAP!!!!!!!!

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Scott i like your style. Some great posts so far. Check out the VIP mastering forum if you wish to participate in, shall we say, some above sea-level discussion. We're just getting started over there but you are welcome to try out.

divad, post: 343451 wrote: hello pple,pls i need someone to help me on my mastering software,i presently use cubase for my recording ,moving to protools soon, then,i want to know how to get my volume to commercial cd level using limiter,i dnt just get it

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Hmm, from your question I gather that it would be wise for you to stay with Cubase for a while longer since you seem to have worked with it, already. It will be easier to learn some more tricks of trade and become more experienced with the job as an audio engineering guy.
No Protools or anything else will make you a good mastering engineer if you haven't learned the job from the basics on. Some need to spend years of listening alone, some never make it...

Making a piece of music loud is not difficult, but often you kill a song with that. EQing, compressing, limiting,...there is no real golden rule how to do it.
It has to be decided for every job that comes along. And deciding tool No. 1 are your ears....and ears need lots of training, a lifetime long...
Choose the DAW for your most convenient handling and look if it can run your favourite plugins or outboard gear. My go-to tools (plugs) are 5 times as expensive as my DAW and I don't want to miss a single one. With those I can bring the right character and feel to the music, using few but the right ones. The sound of DAWs is pretty similar, these days, and can almost be neglected..
What cannot be left behind is room acoustic and quality of equipment like monitors, ADDA converters... Money better spent then on a new DAW.

Jeemy, post: 346313 wrote: Scott i like your style. Some great posts so far. Check out the VIP mastering forum if you wish to participate in, shall we say, some above sea-level discussion. We're just getting started over there but you are welcome to try out.

The whole topic of mastering is somewhat depressing to me. I had to close down my studio because of folks like the OP who just assume mastering is something that any n00b with a DAW can do themselves, without really having a clue what it is about other than making everything loud as hell and crispy around the edges.

Without wishing to cause offence, and purely in terms of objective discussion, that can't be the only reason.

I personally find it edifying that people exist in areas of knowledge, such as mastering, that I cannot hope to quantify. Rather like enjoying computer games but having no clue how they can possibly be made.

Yes, the "toasters" are devaluing the market, but objectively, there are many other factors that are far more damaging to those who are "true to the cause". Somebody I respect very much on these forums was commenting that their day/night rate is down from $1250 to $250, you gotta wonder.

Nonetheless if you can try to treat the topic as an art to be appreciated rather than territory to be stepped on, there is still validity and pride in the art to be found.

I have never perceived mastering as territory to be stepped on.

The reason why I had to close up shop is because DIY "mastering" software placed me in the unenviable position of having to sell the idea of a fresh set of highly skilled ears being worth the money, since there was no longer any respect for the gear or the skillset, thanks to that software. Folks believed they could fire up T-RackS and play around with some knobs and wind up with the same result they'd get from a professional. As long as they continued to believe that, I had no business.

Totally hearing you, and maybe I phrased it wrong. Just saying there is light at the end of the tunnel. With the world economy the way it is, those who can't practice what they preach are quickly finding mortgage and child maintenance payments eating into their T-Racks budgets. There will always be shysters in this world. We're just trying to fly the flag for doin' it right.