Mastering via PC

[MartinH74]

Hi All,

I recently got the Boss Micro BR and think it is an amazing piece of kit and has given me hours of fun so far. The only downside that I find with it is the interface.

Ideally I would use it to record all of my tracks and then transfer them to my PC to master them. Can anyone recommend:

A) The best way to do this
B) A good, basic mastering bit of software that I can use, preferably free,

thanks
Martin

[Satchwood]

I've dinked with Audacity a bit, and it's free. 

I'm still wondering if anyone has actually used the "Mastering" capabilities of the Micro BR?  I've tried using a few of the Mastering effects patches, like Dancemix & Softcomp, but I don't see any noticable enhancements. 

Maybe I'm not doing something right; has anyone used "Mastering" with noticable enhancements using the MBR?

[launched]

Hope this helps:

You'll probably get the same answer from many people on here:

Audacity is probably the best free DAW software - Garage Band is free for the Mac.
To get the audio off the MBR, convert the tracks to .wav with the BR Wav converter, which is free on the BOSS website downloads section.

Later,

Mark

[launched]

Here's the link for the .wav converter:

http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.aspx?ObjectId=699

You can convert on the unit, but this works much better.

I have just started mucking with the Master setting and it really requires a read from the manual. Search "MBR User's Guide or Manual" here or turn to page 76 if you have a printed copy - It does help the final output - You get EQ, Compression, Limiter - All kinds of good stuff.

Peace,

Mark

[MartinH74]

Great - thanks for the tips so far everyone. Will give the wav converter and audacity a try!

thanks
Martin

[hewhoiscalledj]

I've dinked with Audacity a bit, and it's free. 

I'm still wondering if anyone has actually used the "Mastering" capabilities of the Micro BR?  I've tried using a few of the Mastering effects patches, like Dancemix & Softcomp, but I don't see any noticable enhancements. 

I've been toying with Mastering on the MBR quite a bit. The problem with "hearing" the difference lies mostly with the method of monitoring. My Sony headphones pick up way more sound than my lesser AKG cans and there is a noticeable difference. I use either MixDown or PreMaster most often on my live recordings but find that I have to tweak things quite a bit. I now have a user setting that I almost use exclusively for my purposes. Just depends on what kind of tracks you are working with. My exp is with my live band jam sessions.

I mess with Compression and EQ the most as it greatly affects my final product. Mostly to boost and solidify the bass lines and getting the vocal to sit in the mix better. The key is not to overdo any one effect. Subtle little changes are mostly all you need. With compression, just make sure you scroll over to OUT and bump it up at least a decibel or 2. I also tend to tweak the reverb settings too; theres a setting to tweak the reverb's tone that i use very often (usually at +4) I dont even understand what it does, but it totally affects the songs color in a good way. Try it! Hit the effects button so Reverb pops up and then scroll all the way to the right.

Have fun with it.

[Satchwood]

Thanks for sharing your useage of the Mastering on the MBR, ...J!  I'm encouraged to try some more experiments based on your words of wisdom here. 

I actually checked out Guerilla Home Recording from the public library - and was reading it to help me further understand this mastering/effects stuff.  My brain got more scrambled, but your post here J really shed some light on a complex topic, thank you!

I'm going to print it out and experiment tonight!

[hewhoiscalledj]

check out this website if you havent already. it's been my go-to resource for recording and gear info. click on "The Guide" and look to the left for all the helpful articles from signal chains and effects to midi and gear reviews. their forum is hands down the best out there for getting answers too (besides this website of course

http://www.tweakheadz.com 

[Ferryman_1957]

The mastering effects on the MBR are superb. No need to transfer to a clunky old PC in my view. This little box constantly amazes me with the quality of recordings it produces. Some of the mastering effects make a big difference IMO, you can really tell a difference between the effects. The beauty of the MBR is that you can cycle through the mastering effects as you are playing the final mix, so you can find what sounds best for each track. You can also tweak the settings as the track is playing to get it just right.

However, it does depend on the type of music, because some effects suit some styles better than others. Here's some examples:

https://songcrafters.org/community/micro-br-b65/chill-with-debussy/0/
This was mastered with Dance Mix to emphasize the low end bass (you need to listen to this on quite good gear)

https://songcrafters.org/community/post-your-work/is-paris-burning/0/
This was mastered with MixDown (like hewhoiscalledj, this and PreMaster are my faves) with the bass and mid boosted slightly. This effect suits poppy songs IMO (Pop mix is a bit too tinny for my liking)

https://songcrafters.org/community/micro-br-b65/unicordia-remix/0/
This was mastered with SoftComp, first time I have used that. The drum machine I used on this had a lot of trebly drum sounds and SoftComp helped tone them down.

The mastering effects really bring things together and make the final result sound like an integratedf piece in my view. I also use mastering effects when bouncing. I'll often tweak the EQ on a bass or vocal track during bouncing with a mastering effect. It's a really powerful part of the BR in my view.

Cheers,

Nigel

[hewhoiscalledj]

Also keep in mind that all the different Mastering settings are essentially different combinations of INput, COMPressor, EQ, LIMiter and OUTput settings. DanceMix is set for dance/electronic where bass is at a premium, but you could just as easily use PopMix and tweak the bass.

Somewhere on this wonderful forum is a spreadsheet that details all the different default settings for each Mastering effect, as well as for Bouncing, Guitar, Mic, and Ext effects. It's quite handy for understanding the exact difference between them all. I just cant remember what it was called or who the kind soul was that posted it. Someone here knows what i'm talking about and will hopefully post or link to that file.

Peace.