I find this to come in handy quite often since it prevents the need to go frequency fishing. There’s a feature called Spectrum Grab included with the Pro-Q 3 that automatically identifies peaks for you and allows you to create new bands at resonant frequencies. This EQ offers up to 24 bands, 9 different filter types, linear phase, zero latency, and natural phase modes, the ability to toggle bands into dynamic mode, per-band mid/side processing, full surround support (up to Dolby Atmos 7.1.2), the ability to solo bands, optional auto gain, a customizable spectrum analyzer, and a resizable GUI. At a mastering level, I want a digital EQ full of features, with the ability to perform surgical processing this is where the FabFilter Pro-Q 3 steps in. Things change a little bit once I get around to mastering either my own music or the music of others. I mostly use stock or analog-modeled EQs while mixing, since I’m either looking for convenience or color at that stage in the production process. Check out 'The Ultimate List of Plugin Companies' to see which plugin manufacturers are worth keeping an eye on. Be patient and keep an eye out for sale announcements on the social media pages of these plugin manufacturers you should be able to pick up a majority of these mastering tools at a heavily discounted price. Instead of opening up a mix session to turn a kick down 2 dB, they need to resort to other methods that will not only fix the issue but preserve the quality of the overall track.Įvery plugin company mentioned in this list has had sales in the past, some offering over 80% off their products. Part of the reason for this is that they’re usually working with mixes that have been sent to them as a stereo track. It’s true that you can mix your music using stock plugins, but mastering engineers require specialized tools. If you’re not yet familiar with all these types of tools, I suggest you check out “Mastering Demystified” by Justin Colletti this is one of the best mastering video courses that I’ve come across online, and it’s well worth the small investment. A mastering engineer must know how to use these devices to work effectively. Some of the most fundamental mastering tools include EQs, compressors, saturators, dynamic processing devices, stereo imagers, limiters, and meters.

Best free mastering plugins 2017