Not a Logic user myself, but I think there is a possibility to set the EQ to be linear in X. Someone else might be able to fill you in regarding MB comp as I have only used third party ones in Logic.
Reading all this, Iām gonna try something different now, to pop over to a studio with some material, sit down with an engineer and see whatās actually going on when youāre mastering properly. Just watching it done live, will probably be revealing in itself.
3 Likes
Had one of these about 10 years ago.
It was ok back then. Definitely donāt bother these days.
Modern plugins sound MUCH better
Just knowing that, educated me more than buying a new piece of gear. Thanks. Definitely gonna visit a studio now, and bring both apples and pears.
2 Likes
for getting the loudness right, i suggest the toneboosters ebu loudness analyzer, you can use the demo without a timelimit. I also know the free stuff from tdr and the limiter 6 but its not realy better than the built in stuff you get with most daws, unless you work with something like ardour or tracktion. fabfilter plays in a different stadium. if you wanna learn the mixing and mastering stuff, take a monthly online course from sae, they show you the basics.
1 Like
I was using Fabfilter Pro-L limiter till I started using Limiter6
Night and day difference for me.
Limiter No.6 is much more transparent when pushed hard up to commercial RMS levels. Secret is squeezing a little out of each of the 5 modules in the chain.
But hey we all have our favourite tools. No right or wrong.
Use whatever works for you 
3 Likes
I take it that when the OP speaks of āmasteringā, he is concerned more over the technical correctness of his recordings than āmojoā? Or the other eay around?
Technical correctness requires a monitoring system that translates perfectly. So either better speakers, acousticc treatment, speaker isolation etcetc, or in case of headphones, good ones coupled with a good headphone amp. Then youād want to cross reference your output with commercial recordings to make sure you are in the right ballpark.
āmojoā OTOH requires entirely different tools. For a 1k budget, Iād perhaps recommend a funky 2-track tape machine, or a SSL bus compressor clone (like the one that chilean company sells). But f or that price, you will run out of options pretty fast.
Personally I use lurssen mastering console app on my iPad right now. Itās cheap & cheerful and gives decent results, assuming what goes in is already in the ballpark. But since itās not hardware, it will not be for you.
I used to read that the Motown sound was partially due to the engineers at Motown starting their career in mastering, and working their way down towards first the mixing and then the recording of the music. This tidbit has stuck with me, and makes me think that getting it right at the source is the best way to reach superb sounding results. This however requires a boatload of knowledge and experience regarding all the processes involved.
2 Likes
No, youāre right. And mojo can be find in all kinds of way. Run stuff througn an old SP-303 or import a loop into the Volca Sample, and thatās also mojo, and not as expensive.
So youāre correct, Iām more after what makes the output, whatever it is, be clean and tidy enough to behave as intended on anything from a pair of crap headphones to a solid living room sound system. I want my music to sound good, without me being there to interfere.
But it doesnāt sound all that bad now either, so Iām curious about the difference. I know itāll be better - and to my ears, substantially better. But Iām not my audience.
Iām under the assumption that when done right, getting this part of the process right elevates the track to such a substantially better quality that the difference is not just for those who can tell, but for anyone. Itās an improved musical experience for anyone whoās listening, on any system.
I donāt much care if a track sounds great on a great pair of monitors or in a properly built studio room or in a great set of headphones. I want it to sound as good as it can for the everyday man, and it seems to be that when recorded and mastered properly, the fundamental musical experience improves so much that the aforementioned everyday man will enjoy the difference, consciously or not.
If Iām wrong in this, then Iām good and donāt need more gear.
But judging from the many angles and takes on this subject in this thread, I donāt think I am.
1 Like
would recommend a good 2bus comp.
if you are into diy, this is a great and not too expensive option:
Your assumptions are largely on point regarding this. So, what you want to aim for is a monitoring environment (be it headphones or monitors) that translates well across various other listening environments.
And people, even laymen, subconsciously appreciate good sounding stuff whether they realize it or not.
Sadly, there is also the matter of volume. A louder sounding song will always sound better upon a casual listen. And reaching the commonly accepted levels of ācompetitive loundessā is very tricky if you also want to preserve all the fine nuances of your music.
1 Like
If youāre in Sweden, Gothenburg at around the point when Iām doing this, youāre welcome to join and Iām okay with you bringing a camera, for all Elektronauts to enjoy 
1 Like
Sadly, there is also the matter of volume. A louder sounding song will always sound better upon a casual listen. And reaching the commonly accepted levels of ācompetitive loundessā is very tricky if you also want to preserve all the fine nuances of your music.
This is an area I struggle with. Granted, I donāt have the best listening environment, but I do always try and take my recordings and listen in a few different environments and systems to judge different aspects of the song. Headphones, monitors, home theater system, car, tiny mono speaker, etc. I feel I can usually get a well-rounded mix this way.
But when it comes to mastering, I admit I cannot usually tell what the difference is between various tools. On the master tracks of my last album I used Abletonās The Glue, EQ8, and FabFilter Pro-L. I tried other things like Voxengo tools, Tokyo Dawn tools, etc. and I really couldnāt tell much difference except louder usually sounds better, for a while. I would have a very hard time doing a blind A/B test, with these different plugins, and saying āooooh, that one sounds sooo much better!ā After getting the volume equal on all the tools, I think basically itās a draw. I stuck with the interface I thought was best - FabFilter Pro-L.
If I had the money, Iād probably just go with a good mastering engineer any day. Although, I do enjoy the learning process and tinkering with these mastering tools, I just donāt feel I ever hear much difference one way or the other. I guess Iām not blessed with golden ears. 
To the OP, if youāre looking for hardware end-of-chain mojo around a $1000 budget, try snatching a used Empirical Labs Fatso or pairs of Warm Audio gear. Under $1000, maybe a Strymon Deco, Analog Heat.
is it a free plugin? From its page cannot find a price.
You got me curious on itā¦
My experiences have been a bit similar, which is why I now leave the āmasteringā to the lurssen app. Just selecting a preset and setting the input gain gets me further than I could ever get by (mis)using multibands, limiters etc. I know āautomasteringā tools like this and the ozone are usually frowned upon, but as long as Iām getting the results I want, Iāll keep on doing this.
1 Like
yupp, itās free. Get it! 
2 Likes
Let them frown. Iād rather spend more time composing. I usually stick close to presets or follow a good recipe. I have made my own document containing my mastering recipe, based largely on Tarekithās Mastering document. Works for me.
That Ozone Elements looks interesting. Might give it a try.
Thank you for this advice. I now have more time on thwe weekends so I can watch mixing videos on Groove3.com. I will also start taking the SAE online courses. The main thing is I train my ears and understand whatās going on. The end result is I want people to hear my tunes and the emotion behind it. Good mixing and mastering brings that to the table.
I agree that instead of/as well as buying gear it would be very useful to shadow a mastering engineer and pick their brains for an afternoon. Mastering is one of those dark arts thatās hard to self-teach.
I doubt one afternoon would be enough for anything but the basics. MEs are intimate with how certain frequencies and resonances translate to various playback systems, among other things. Learning all that takes years.
2 Likes
Indeed. Maybe it would be enough to know where to point your next steps of research though.
1 Like