I am in the market to buy a TC Electronics Finalizer for my studio. Currently, I am running my outboard gear to an analogue mixer and then into my G4 tower via RME 98/6 soundcard. If I want to use my computer as a sequencer for playback as well as be able to record the audio through the finializer and back into the MAC at the same time is this possible or will I need to buy a DAT or another recording device?? Any advice is appreciated . . . .thanks

I wouldn't get one of those. Go for a software solution or a combination of rack gear that you might already have.

i agree with baghun, try the software solutions, t-racks sounds like the answer, otherwise, master x or c4 if you're really careful. definitely forget the dat .

well you don't need a DAT. you can route the audio signal "externally" (use BUS 8 for example) and use the finalizer as an inserteffect, recording the finalized file... iv' read it somewhere how to manage this, i'll let you know...

As the name implied, finalizer is here to finalize your mix, not for recording, IIRC... But you do what you want to do, anyway ;-)

I'm not sure i got the point, but you can "insert" the finalizer between your group output on the mixer and the RME inputs? But you can't "finalize" the output of the RME board at the same time (just the monitored tracks, eventually).

Sorry if misunderstood your original post.
Bye.

a finalizer is only a three band frequency concious compressor, a limiter, and a parametric eq.
these are all available seperately as plugins that you can slap over your stereo output from your sequencer!
for the money you want to spend on a finalizer you could get loads of groovy new plugins.
please check out T-racks, it's a virtual mastering studio, does everything the finalizer does, looks sexy, sounds sexy, much less ars!^g about!
good luck

Sorry Damann, but i can't agree with you on this.
The Finalizer is much more powerfull than T-Racks, although T-Racks is pretty good IMHO for pre-mastering.

Just have a look to the spec sheet of the 96K model:
http://www.tcelectronic.com/products.asp?p...id=1&category=1

Lot of things T-Racks just CAN'T do, as any other plugins i've heard of (even in TDM). Anyone?

Bye.

hmm… consciousness in compressors… rather methaphysical… huh…

(sorry couldn't resist

sorry guys, but i can't agree with YOU here.
you're 'gonna have to be specific about what the finalizer does, including your "implied" better "fidelity"...
all good!
i checked out the link.
it only inforced my opinions.
compression and eq!!!
96k is no big deal!!!
it, of course, has to be dithered down anyway...

Speaking as a man, Damann is absolutely right!

His description of TC's finalizer is exactly what it is. 3 different units rolled into one, packaged and sold as a rack mount finalizer...by TC (good company.)

Metaphysical? I thought you were going to say something about Metasynth for a second there...!



But why a finalizer? I would first take ALL of Damann's advice, and on top of that check out the new Waves Masters plug-ins...they blow the TC Finalizer out of the water, and you can simply insert them across your stereo output, in software, and bounce to disk. Of course, you're not limited to one method of mastering when using plug-ins...know what I mean?


Why make life more difficult with an external mastering unit? I insert my mastering plugs, then when I save my song (I'm using Logic) EVERYTHING is saved, including all plug-in settings, which means if you have to later remix the same track, you won't be fiddling about with an external piece of mastering rack gear recalling patches scribbled down on a bit of paper or a computer stickie somewhere (bits of paper can get lost, and stickies can get deleted !)

My advice is get 'plugged in' for mastering...follow the path of least resistance, and sound all the better for it!



PS: I use my Sony A8 dat machine as a doorstop now...

PPS: T-Racks sounds WAY better when you can actually hear what you're doing with it ie: I occasionally use it via an Apogee AD-8000...a whole different ball game...otherwise, you are not getting the sonic picture via the apple's sound manager...!

Hi Teiwaz, do you mean that soundmanager doesn't present the whole picture even when it's internally routed through my 2408 main outs? I worked with t-racks for a while like this before discovering the waves masters. They are both indeed fine bits of software.

T-Racks has no real audio driver support, which kind of lets it down a bit. To me, software designed like this is a bit like buying a finalizer with unbalanced outs on a minijack and s**t convertors. Having to route the sound manager through to one's audio interface can create problems...my 2408 works great like this but...dodgydesign's sound manager driver extension can cause a system hang whenever I try to route the mac sound out through it to my Apogee...no suprises there...

T -Racks was fine for mastering DEMOS as a stopgap for a while, but I actually don't use it that much anymore...I'm using Waves with TC Spark now!

That's not to say that it's not a cool thang - it's just that I got a little bored of it after a few months...

mmm.. I see what you mean, my system crashed severely as well under similar circumstances. Also corrupted system files and the only way to fix was to reinstall the OS! Fortunately I don't have to put up with this anymore
T-racks can be a bit of a blunt instrument at times but notheless produces quick results - I recently mastered all the score to a film project to get a 'ruff and ready' sound with some punch, the audio track to the picture was no where near the quality of my tunes and using my usual choice of waves, the two elements were like oil and water when dubbed! The ear seems to gravitate to the higher fidelity and obviously this is a no-no for most underscoring.
Seriously though and totally on-topic, it's a hard choice to make when presented with hardware vs. software, especially when they're of similar price (TC and Waves Masters).
Think of it this way, the mac when harnessed effectively by software and with suitable interfacing can be every bit as powerful as hardware like the TC, and more. If we were comparing a beautiful vintage eq and comp's, we could argue the toss a bit more (character, warmth, quirkyness etc though arguably the job done by a modern mastering stage is a little different for sure ) ..but the TC is just some software running from ROM and EPROM with some DSP chips and some A/D D/A conversion.. in a big metal box!!
Since as a mac owner you have all of these elements and hopefully a sexy audio interface, why pay for them again?

If you compare Tc hardware and the waves masters and can't 'hear' the difference (foresaking charts, comparisons etc), buy T-racks, as with the utmost respect, it sounds as if it may suit your current requirements better and be more cost effective. T-racks is a great way to get into the mastering process. Luv Holli x