Any of you use mix/master assistants?

[Iron Keys]

Are any of you using mixing/mastering assistant tools or AI? (Basically things that you either chuck your music through or apply a preset to)


This isn't about shame or discrediting, I'm curious at your thoughts and experiences with the results.



What are your thoughts and opinions on them?
Are you getting better mixes or masters than you can on your own?
How do your mix/masters stand up against other people's music?
Do you ever find the music still lacks at all in any way, or do you feel they're giving you acceptable ready-to-go results? Or are they just bringing them to "good enough to share" level without necessarily sounding 'great' ?

Curious to hear your experiences

 

[2GooD Productions]

The only thing I use is Izotope Tonal Balance, I dont use presets on mixing plugins. I only use Tonal Balance so I dont overdo the bassline, which I tend to do without it. But my mixes seem to be getting a lot more in the right ballpark before I even look at the Tonal Balance. Many times I dont even have to adjust anything these days, but not always.

 

[Iron Keys]

The only thing I use is Izotope Tonal Balance, I dont use presets on mixing plugins. I only use Tonal Balance so I dont overdo the bassline, which I tend to do without it. But my mixes seem to be getting a lot more in the right ballpark before I even look at the Tonal Balance. Many times I dont even have to adjust anything these days, but not always.

Yeah i pulled up tonal balance today on some of the mixes in battle that, and could see where people were off. I was off on one where i could tell my bass was over done, but didn't realise my low mids were under (the big low end gave illusion), applied some EQ and it levelled really nicely, should have checked tht one first.

But otherwise, when i got tonal balance, all my mixes were always in the ranges, which, overall is a massively positive thing. But iw as like 'meh why do i need this'. But as i see now, definitely a useful tool if you can hear something is maybe off but you're being lazy.

The other entrants tracks didn' always do so well with adjustment, but it helped. So something more off on a deeper level.

 

[Iron Keys]

I also posed that question because sitting in on a session with my mentor he was using Ozone (because he needed to recreate/match an original mix but improve on it, and he could hear that ozone was likely used. And found a preset that pretty much matched the 2track... but when we were searching, there were a couple that actually sounded pretty decent on their own.

I always master using my own chain, and it changes depending on if im bored, if im lazy, or if mix needs this or not. But tempted to maybe try an ozone thing sometime and see if it gets anywhere near my own chains.

 

[attila]

sometimes I compare my chain with Logic tool and I find some correction to do in my chain but I am never fully satisfied by the tool result as It is. I think I need this Tonal Balance.

 

[attila]

PS. i know my mastering are amateurish and I hope not too bad to share. Even mong professional studios mastering engineers are not the same. The best are even specialized by genre and mastering hip-hop is a specific discipline that requires the understanding of the genre’s aesthetics, dynamics, low end, punch, and of coure the thech stuff for the translation across different playback systems. Mastering is already a specialized profession, and hip-hop mastering is an even more specific area of expertise. so i thin it's naïve to expect ato deliver a result comparable to the mastering on major-label records. Achieving that kind of sound requires not only an exceptional skilled, talented and expert mastering engineer, but also an already outstanding mix, excellent recording and production, high quality monitors and the resources of a professional release pipeline...

 

[2GooD Productions]

PS. i know my mastering are amateurish and I hope not too bad to share. Even mong professional studios mastering engineers are not the same. The best are even specialized by genre and mastering hip-hop is a specific discipline that requires the understanding of the genre’s aesthetics, dynamics, low end, punch, and of coure the thech stuff for the translation across different playback systems. Mastering is already a specialized profession, and hip-hop mastering is an even more specific area of expertise. so i thin it's naïve to expect ato deliver a result comparable to the mastering on major-label records. Achieving that kind of sound requires not only an exceptional skilled, talented and expert mastering engineer, but also an already outstanding mix, excellent recording and production, high quality monitors and the resources of a professional release pipeline...

90% of mastering is in the mix, mastering is really about making a well mixed song ready for the medium its being released on. For example, vinyl has specific limitations on the low end, the limitations are dictated by the maximum width of the groove

 

[attila]

90% of mastering is in the mix, mastering is really about making a well mixed song ready for the medium its being released on. For example, vinyl has specific limitations on the low end, the limitations are dictated by the maximum width of the groove

now first look at tbc...

 

[Iron Keys]

I need this Tonal Balance.

It's literally just a eq graph essentially, which shows the general ballpark of eq curve for predetermined genres. That's all it does.

And, it can be useful for sure, but serves to this predefined concept of how a mix should sound. Obviously per record maybe tjis changes.

The best are even specialized by genre and mastering hip-hop is a specific discipline that requires the understanding of the genre’s aesthetics, dynamics, low end, punch, and of coure the thech stuff for the translation across different playback systems.

And continuing on from what I was saying... hip hop, house, country, they all sound these ways because tastemakers decided that. Even hip hop's sound will have changed a bit over its time. So never feel restricted from stepping outside that if it's part of a new thing you've decided should be

 

[attila]

It's literally just a eq graph essentially, which shows the general ballpark of eq curve for predetermined genres. That's all it does.

And, it can be useful for sure, but serves to this predefined concept of how a mix should sound. Obviously per record maybe tjis changes.



And continuing on from what I was saying... hip hop, house, country, they all sound these ways because tastemakers decided that. Even hip hop's sound will have changed a bit over its time. So never feel restricted from stepping outside that if it's part of a new thing you've decided should be

agree!