Hi
just purchased Har-Bal after a recommendation from the REP forum. I use SAWstudio as my DAW and have great success with my mixes, i was then dumping it into T-racks 24 and that used in small amounts really helped my overal sound. i also have PEAK Bias on a MAC G5
my question is this
should i mix my best in SAW with comps, eq, limiting as needed and then run it into Har-Bal and check my leve4ls, then dump into Tracks-24 or does this product get rid of the need for something like Tracks??
also i do know tracks-24 is frowned upon in the "real" mastering world, but as just a home hobbyst it sure has been nice for me and at a decent price point
anyway, just wanted to say hi and get this initial feedback
i write and record acoustic based Rock in the vein of the goo goo dolls
thanks
newbie: Tracks-24 as my old way of mastering?
By all means, try to get the best possible sound in your DAW before you produce a 2 track master to process in Har-Bal but keep your attention on trying to do the "minimum" amount of processing as this will give you the best possible sound. If you overdo the processing you may end up sucking the life out of your recordings.
As for using t-racks, if your ears tell you that it adds something that you like then by all means use it. If it adds nothing then you should question using it for your project. My guess is that you probably wouldn't need it but you should use your own judgement to decide these things, after all it is your project.
On the subject of wether t-racks or har-bal are fround upon in the "real" mastering world, it is more than likely yes, but that doesn't make it a good judgment. I think a lot of the frowning has to do with preserving gear envy and the nothing that it can only be any good if it costs the earth. Ultimately those sorts of judgements are largely irrelevant. The most important point in any artistic or craft endevour is the craftsmanship of the people envolved; whether they have an intimate understanding of their craft and how to do it. In that respect har-bal can be particularly helpful because it helps you improve your skills. My advice would be to trust your heart and forget about what the "pro's" are saying. I think you'll find that the "top notch pros" are silent anyway.
Regards,
Paavo.
As for using t-racks, if your ears tell you that it adds something that you like then by all means use it. If it adds nothing then you should question using it for your project. My guess is that you probably wouldn't need it but you should use your own judgement to decide these things, after all it is your project.
On the subject of wether t-racks or har-bal are fround upon in the "real" mastering world, it is more than likely yes, but that doesn't make it a good judgment. I think a lot of the frowning has to do with preserving gear envy and the nothing that it can only be any good if it costs the earth. Ultimately those sorts of judgements are largely irrelevant. The most important point in any artistic or craft endevour is the craftsmanship of the people envolved; whether they have an intimate understanding of their craft and how to do it. In that respect har-bal can be particularly helpful because it helps you improve your skills. My advice would be to trust your heart and forget about what the "pro's" are saying. I think you'll find that the "top notch pros" are silent anyway.
Regards,
Paavo.
Hi Paavo
great advice!
thanks for that. i was consumed with gear envy for a long time, and i have many tales of woe. i have since matured in my songwriting and approach and have downsized my studio considerably
i am looking forward to using har-bal and will try it out soon. i am close to finishing my first CD of 10 songs.
thanks again for the help and the product
i will be posting my results once i try har-bal and try and give some step by steps that worked for me in the hopes that might help some other newbie at some point
Tim
great advice!
thanks for that. i was consumed with gear envy for a long time, and i have many tales of woe. i have since matured in my songwriting and approach and have downsized my studio considerably
i am looking forward to using har-bal and will try it out soon. i am close to finishing my first CD of 10 songs.
thanks again for the help and the product
i will be posting my results once i try har-bal and try and give some step by steps that worked for me in the hopes that might help some other newbie at some point
Tim
I combine Har-Bal and T-Racks and I think it sounds great. You don't really need T-Racks because you already have the EQ and limiting in Har-Bal. But I like the sound of the T-Racks compressor, limiter, and clipper on rock music. Har-Bal has a much better EQ than T-Racks. So since I already have both, I use the Har-Bal EQ and export that into T-Racks dynamic processing.
I think there people who frown upon tools like these are old-school folks who spent thousands and thousands on aging equipment that can't do nearly as much as a few hundred dollars worth of new digital equipment. They like to contest the advantages of these new tools with arguements like, "Well my ears are so tuned that I can hear the space between the digital samples. I can't take the harsh high-end roll-off above 22khz." Bull $h!t. It's all going to a 16bit 44.1khz CD or a data-compressed MP3 anyway. Does anybody listen to their golden masters on huge analog Studer tape decks? Oh yeah, I like to master for people with open-reel analog car stereos with tube power-amps. [/i]
I think there people who frown upon tools like these are old-school folks who spent thousands and thousands on aging equipment that can't do nearly as much as a few hundred dollars worth of new digital equipment. They like to contest the advantages of these new tools with arguements like, "Well my ears are so tuned that I can hear the space between the digital samples. I can't take the harsh high-end roll-off above 22khz." Bull $h!t. It's all going to a 16bit 44.1khz CD or a data-compressed MP3 anyway. Does anybody listen to their golden masters on huge analog Studer tape decks? Oh yeah, I like to master for people with open-reel analog car stereos with tube power-amps. [/i]