I wondered if anybody in Linux world knew of some good plugins, for mastering with Ardour, that don’t come installed with Ubuntu Studio.
I made some plugins which might be useful, here:
Not free, but very reasonably priced at the moment. Works with Ardour, Ubuntu etc.
I have a few of the OvertoneDSP plugins, and I have been very satisfied with the stability and sound quality. Never any errors and always sound good. I am using a Fedora installation, which is a distribution which updates very frequently, and even through multiple kernel changes and multiple gcc version changes (which can affect how system software interfaces to other software built with a different version of gcc) the plugins have continued working reliably,which speaks to Mike’s understanding of those low level details and his dedication to making sure his plugins work reliably with different distributions and different host software. I would never hesitate to recommend OvertoneDSP, I don’t think you would go wrong with a few of those.
I can definitely recommend the Overtone plugins from Mike. I just mastered two songs for an engineer friend of mine from NJ, and his plugs are all over it (his plugs are all over every project I’ve ever done, be it mixing or mastering, since I discovered them). Really excellent quality. His pricing is crazy good, and he’s always answered any questions I had in a very reasonable time frame.
U-he presswerk is great, overton fc70. And of course the harrison XT-multiband etc…
Overtone used to have a 4-band compressor (when he was called LinuxDSP), which I still have an LV2 of, that continues to work under Ardour and Mixbus. Not sure how long that will be true (was it compiled with GCC4?) but hopefully Overtone will be offering their multi-band compressor in the not-to-near future.
I second that, i.e. bringing back Mike’s multiband compressor. Compared to Presswerk, and presumably the XT-MC, it’s probably not as ‘powerful’ or versatile as other’s out there - meaning the gain and compression ratios aren’t designed to be as far as most others at their extremes. But I don’t think they need to be. It has a very nice analog behaivor & coloration (esp. when pushed) much like his EQ-500. I asked him a few years ago about bringing it back as VST/updated LV2. I like it as it is.
Don’t forget Damien’s ZaMultiComp. Though I don’t know if it’s included in Ubuntu Studio, I like his tools enough to have actually purchased them for use on Windows.
Anyone using Tracktion “Master Mix” (https://www.tracktion.com/products/master-mix) which provides a multiband compressor, limiter and EQ and runs on Linux and with Ardour? I did some tests but will use it on the next project mainly for mastering (and maybe some other places a multiband compressor may help).
I coincidentally actually just emailed Mike about that multi-band comp, like a week ago, and he said he’s been meaning to make a VST out of it, but he just needed more time in his busy schedule. I am sure it will happen.