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Testful Mastering

One rack to Master?

£13.00

A refined full mastering chain and template set consisting of six modules which are custom-tuned to produce a tasteful master file in a systematic fashion. Its feature set gives you tools allowing for sculpting a mixdown in a discerning, fastidious fashion, thoroughly yet without going overboard, for solid, consistent results.
Developer: PerforModule
Compatibility: Ableton Live 9.7.5+ | Live 10 | Live 11
OS: Mac & Windows
Min. Requirements: Ableton Live Suite 9.75+

Description

Live 11 version now available!

Designed with “test mastering” in mind for at-home producers to dial in a polished mastered version on a track they are working on, Testful Mastering is also capable of full, professional mastering jobs. There could be several reasons for using Testful Mastering… to compare your tracks to commercial songs… to listen in the car and assess what needs work in the mixdown… to share with friends and colleagues online… to make a reference for a mastering engineer highlighting the overall feel you’re looking for… or to polish something up for official release.

Testful Mastering comes in one “super rack” which contains six modules within it, each designed to accomplish a specific task in mastering and including “secret ingredients” for extra-immaculate results. Not all modules are essential for a good master so beware of the urge to use them just because they are there. Prudently configured parameter ranges mean that most settings will be safe for most audio, keeping you free to use your ears to dial in the optimal results. Mastering can be accomplished either by using the dedicated template set, or just by dropping in the Testful Mastering rack. The pack also comes with an UnMastering Rack which can be useful for adding some life back to overly squashed audio.

The Filtering Module – Cut away unnecessary ultra-low and and ultra-high frequencies, provide transparent clarity and focus to the essential program material and rebalance overall stereo width. Secret Ingredient: “Focus Sauce”.

The Surgery Module – The main tone-sculpting module. Provides easily automatable macros for four low-range and four high-range bands. EQ ranges are deliberately limited in scope to avoid over-EQing, minimizing phase issues. If you find you need more EQ than this to get a song reasonably balanced, it’s probably best to go back and adjust the mix instead. The lesson file includes a mini-guide on EQ protocol for mastering if you have no clue how to go about it.

The L-R Groove Module – Solidly balance the left and right channels against each other, for a tight, solid mix. Secret Ingredient: “Stereo Link Inversion” for organic stereo widening.

The M-S Groove Module – Adjust the mid and side balance, enrich a sensation of movement, and condense ambience.

Secret Ingredient: Custom M-S Sidechain Contour which alters how much certain frequencies feed the key signal.

The LCR Saturation Module – Inject subliminal amounts of frequency-focused saturation for added perceptibility.

The Serial Limiting Module – In our experience, using a few different methods to shave off small amounts of peak generally gives more transparent results than trying to do it all with one limiter. This gives you three “Push” knobs to fine-tune (plus one non-adjustable internal stage) for carefully refined peak reduction and final limiting.

The Analysis Module – Pre-loaded with a main analyzer, plus optional Mid and Side analyzers to tell what’s going on with the M-S.

 

Q, But i could just use LANDR.

A, You could! I like LANDR too. But this gives you more control to master the way you want to, using human feeling and choices and stuff. Try this fun challenge: send a mixdown to LANDR, then try to master the same mixdown using Testful Mastering instead. How close can you get? Which version do you end up preferring?

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CHANGE LOG

11 March 2022

– Live 11 version now available; rack knob arrangements optimized.

 

5 June 2018

Maintenance update, cosmetic polishing.

Final Live 9 update.

 

REVIEWS & FEATURES

INSTALLATION

Our Products are generally provided as Zip file downloads which in all cases will need to be extracted and saved to your hard drive prior to installation. Details on the different file type provided and what to do with them are below.

.alp Files – These are Ableton Live Packs and will install directly into the Packs Section of the browser of Ableton Live. When you double click on them you will see a pop up window asking you to confirm that installation is ok as the files are described as “Legacy”. This is fine and you are ok to proceed, the packs are created using the format for an earlier version of Live and so remain compatible with the current version.

.amxd files – These are individual MaxforLive Devices and can be stored anywhere on your hard drive. We’d advise creating a folder for them and then adding that folder as a location within the Places section of Lives Browser.

Control Surface Scripts – Please refer to the individual User Guides provided with your download, an abridged version of the installation will be shown further down this page.

ClyphX Pro – Please refer directly to the manual and installation video for this specific product.

Novation Circuit Packs – These are provided as individual Sysex Files and as a complete bank file. All are to be installed using a version of the Circuit Editor and not via Novations Components back up utility.

DEVELOPER

PerforModule

PerforModule is the brainchild of Animus Invidious. Over the year Animus has collaborated with scores of artists from all over the world on songs appearing on various albums and compilations. He has mastering credits on about a dozen albums with his unofficial brand “Tasty Mastering”. Known for having sensibilities covering both acoustic as well as electronic music, he has mastered material by Astara Summers, Hopeful Heroines, Michael Garfield, Charlie Milo Trio, Phat Kid, StoneyBertz, Lil’ Flip and others.The most recent album mastered by Animus Invidious is “Face Our Own Reflection” by Joy Tru, which includes multiple songs that have achieved FM radio play reaching hundreds of thousands of listeners.As a Sound Designer Animus has assisted various musicians with tailored sound design tasks over the years (for example, he appears in the credits of the prog metal album Solipsism by the band Left Brain). In 2013, Animus started performodule.com and began sharing clever and useful custom Ableton Live racks which he had crafted. Shortly thereafter, his “Vocoverb” device was featured on Ableton Live’s website and the rest is history.LINKS – WEBSITE

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