Music Mastering Software

Outside_Lookin_in

Outside_Lookin_in

G45 Legend
Joined
Jul 1, 2014
Can anyone recommend a good software program for Mac? The essential elements I need are:

* name, organise and store incoming signals at up to 96 kHz
* convert sampling rates / frequences
* created CD images
* basic editing like deleting one channel and reduplicating the remaining channel
* not compromise the signal integrity
 
hi,
not sure if you really need a "mastering" program, because what you list would all be audio editing. perhaps i can help if you tell me what exactly you need to do.

as for "audio editing", i'm working with Digital Performer, but for what you describe, Audacity (free) will be able to handle all that.

as for "mastering", i'm using "Ozone" which is easy and great.

-Lee
 
Hi Lee,
I guess my choice of words was inaccurate. I just need to feed the input from my Benchmark ADC into my Apple computer. Basically I want to digitise my entire vinyl collection in high difinition - which the Benchmark will do, but I need software to fix basic problems such as a bad left or right channel by deleting it and reduplicating the remaining channel; and maybe getting rid of pops or ticks. I'd also like to "down mix" tracks for burning CD's. I'd also like to rip CDs along with digitising my vinyl to create a mega storage of digital tracks for playback from a hard drive or something like the MusicKube.

- thanks, Daniel
 
Hi Daniel,

easy things like changing/doubling channels or pop and click filters can be done by the free Audacity software, which is really nice and easy to handle. for a more competing package, i think most people would use pro tools, but i never have used it.

izotope has a repair tool (forgot the name, it's on their website) which looks great for vinyl restoration. i have other isotope apps and i love them all.

if you want to play around with the dynamics of a recording, "ozone" from izotope rules. but as i pointed out, it's a mastering tool. that means you will alter the recording. a lot of people would not be ok with this, but since all those 1960s recordings were never "mastered" in the first place, it think it's a legitimate thing to do this.

-Lee
 
Outside_Lookin_in said:
Hi Lee,
I guess my choice of words was inaccurate. I just need to feed the input from my Benchmark ADC into my Apple computer. Basically I want to digitise my entire vinyl collection in high difinition - which the Benchmark will do, but I need software to fix basic problems such as a bad left or right channel by deleting it and reduplicating the remaining channel; and maybe getting rid of pops or ticks. I'd also like to "down mix" tracks for burning CD's. I'd also like to rip CDs along with digitising my vinyl to create a mega storage of digital tracks for playback from a hard drive or something like the MusicKube.

- thanks, Daniel
Click to expand...
I've been using COOL EDIT PRO for years...
 
Audacity is excellent and has many features, but since 2006 I usually use Adobe Soundbooth (had a free trial then bought it for $200). It was made for this kind of thing as it was single-track only. Now it's part of Adobe Audition which I'm sure is expensive.

One of the features I liked was a spectral view of the audio, which allowed for precise finding and reduction of certain noises that were elusive on the typical wavelength view. Now even Audacity has that a spectrum analyzer, but I haven't used it.
 
Another great option is Logic Pro. You can do almost anything with it, especially if you use Izotope RX4 Advanced and Ozone 6 Advanced as plug-ins to Logic Pro. With that set-up you would have everything you need, and the best quality possible.

The Audio editing programs mentioned are great, but there will come a time when you need more, such as state of the art click removal, or dynamic enhancement.

You will need a tech-head crash course to use all of that though!
 
I've finally made a CD-R from a pick of the flacs from the now legendary Compilation Request thread. After converting them to aif files, I burned one CD-R using iTunes, and one using Audition. I compared the two on my hi-fi system. The sound from the Audition-burned CD-R was astonishingly good, as you'd expect from the brilliant engineering that went into extracting the sound from the vinyl / acetates; but iTunes somehow screws the sound making the music sound dull and lifeless. I was using iTunes 12.3.0.44, but I had been noticing this vitiation of sound for some years through various versions. It's only now that I've verified my suspicions on a proper hi-fi system. Let this be a warning to all who use iTunes for managing their music. I can't say for sure if the bastardisation occurs when the files are imported into iTunes or in the export / burn process, but you can't burn a CD-R from iTunes without first importing the relevant tracks.
 
Did you check to make sure that you are using the right encoder (WAV or AIFF), in the iTunes Import Settings Preferences? If not, that could be the problem.
 
I believe the import settings only apply to CD ripping. I used the Add to Library option as I had already converted the files to aif format using Auditon. After importation, I checked to see that the files were still in the same format, which they were.

I guess I should run the test again, double checking at every point of the process.
 
Outside_Lookin_in said:
I believe the import settings only apply to CD ripping. I used the Add to Library option as I had already converted the files to aif format using Auditon. After importation, I checked to see that the files were still in the same format, which they were.

I guess I should run the test again, double checking at every point of the process.
Click to expand...

I checked by importing a WAV file (The Hayze acetate which I have remastered but not yet converted to FLAC format) and compared playing it via iTunes, and playing it via RX4 which I use for mastering. There really is a noticeable difference, not in iTunes favour. It killed off and flattened the extreme depth and detail. Kind of muddied it up.
 
Glad it's not just my imagination! Pity though, because you can't get a any music database software approaching the functionality of iTunes for under a few grand - if such a thing even exists!
 
Question, how do you clean up sounds like "grating" for wont of a better word? On screen it looks like a jagged edge. Cleaning also takes away the music that's there. Also, are these bad vinyl pressings, as most of them look m-? I have a few of those, mostly major labels. Thanks. JW
 
Jim said:
Question, how do you clean up sounds like "grating" for wont of a better word? On screen it looks like a jagged edge. Cleaning also takes away the music that's there. Also, are these bad vinyl pressings, as most of them look m-? I have a few of those, mostly major labels. Thanks. JW
Click to expand...
Post a screen grab of your audio file.
 
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