Fabfilter Mastering Bundle Review

Published: Sat 09 January 2021
Updated: Sun 02 July 2023 by Ludo In Music
tags: mastering audio plugins compressor limiter equalizer

How to improve your song mastering? Maybe you should take a look at the Fabfilter Mastering bundle. There are 4 VST/AU/AAX plugins included in this package to help you improve your mastering.

The FabFilter Mastering Bundle is a collection of four professional mastering plugins that will help you get more control over your final master. You have the plugins to tune your tracks in your DAW, but what about the master? This is where the FabFilter Mastering Bundle comes into play.

You can now get rid of all those unwanted background noise from your tracks, play with dynamics in different frequency bands and get a clean, clear, and professional mastering result.

The 4 plugins included with this package are the Pro-C compressor, Pro-MB compressor, Pro-Q equalizer, and Pro-L limiter.

Fabfilter mastering compressor pro-c

Benefits of the FabFilter Mastering Bundle

  • Exceptional Sound Quality: The plugins in the FabFilter Mastering Bundle are renowned for their transparent and pristine sound quality. They preserve the integrity of your audio, allowing you to achieve professional-grade results.
  • Intuitive User Interface: Each plugin features a user-friendly interface with clear visual feedback and extensive control options. This streamlines your workflow and enhances your productivity, making the mastering process efficient and enjoyable.
  • Extensive Compatibility: The FabFilter Mastering Bundle is compatible with major digital audio workstations (DAWs) and operating systems, ensuring seamless integration into your existing setup.
  • Versatility and Flexibility: The Mastering Bundle offers a wide range of tools and features, giving you the flexibility to handle various mastering scenarios and adapt to different musical genres.

The Pro-C 2 Compressor

Fabfilter Pro-C Compressor is a digital mastering compressor with a wide range of tonal options for all types of music. It has been designed to offer the ultimate sonic control over your signal and sound quality. The Pro-C compressor has a clean interface. By looking at it you could be fooled into believing it is “just another compression plugin.” Yet once you have taken an in-depth look under the hood you will see that it has significantly more to offer.

Within this compressor, there are 3 different modes of compression. They are presented as opto, classic, and clean. All of these modes have their own signature sound. They give of their own vibes and will give a unique overall impression to your tracks.

Once you click the expert tab, you will have access to a huge range of extra features. These settings can be a little intimidating if you don’t know what you’re doing. So beginners are better off avoiding this tab if you can.

Here are a few tips for using the FabFilter Pro-C compressor to improve your mastering:

  • Start with a good mix: The quality of the source audio is crucial to the success of the mastering process. Make sure that your mix is well-balanced and clean before you start the mastering process.
  • Use a moderate amount of compression: In mastering, it's generally best to use a moderate amount of compression to avoid over-compressing the audio. Aim for a ratio of around 2:1 or 3:1, and adjust the threshold and attack/release settings as needed.
  • Use the right attack and release settings: The attack and release settings of the compressor will affect how it responds to transients in the audio. In general, a faster attack and a slower release will allow the compressor to react more quickly to transients, while a slower attack and a faster release will allow the compressor to be more transparent. Experiment with different settings to find the right balance for your audio.
  • Use the sidechain feature: The sidechain feature of the FabFilter Pro-C compressor allows you to use the signal from one channel to control the compression of another channel. This can be useful for creating ducking effects or for de-essing vocals.

The Pro-MB Compressor

The FabFilter Pro-MB is a multiband compressor plug-in that is known for its high-quality audio processing and intuitive interface. If you’re looking for an all-in-one tool to compress and EQ your files, look no further. The Pro-MB is a fantastic piece of software that has all the flexibility you need to do just about everything. It’s fast and easy to use, and absolutely amazing.

Of the two compressors that come in this package, the Pro-MB compressor is the simplest. The FabFilter Pro-MB allows you to split the audio spectrum into up to six separate bands, which can be processed independently. This allows you to apply different compression settings to different frequency ranges, which can be very useful for shaping the sound of your audio.

The Pro-Q 3 equalizer

The Pro-Q stands out as the crown jewel among these three processors, thanks to its extraordinary flexibility, exceptional sound quality, zero latency, and intuitive interface. Unlike any other EQ on the market, it doesn't limit you to a fixed number of bands that can be enabled or disabled.

Enabling a band is as simple as double-clicking on the line, instantly creating a band that can be adjusted up and down for cutting or boosting. Hold down 'command-Alt' simultaneously, and you can fine-tune the 'Q' value for that specific band. It also features an Analyzer that can be activated for both pre- and post-EQ graphs, and optional auto-gain!

Similar to the Pro-C, the Pro-Q supports Left/Right and M/S modes. This dynamic visualization helps you visualize the impact of overlapping bands, while maintaining a phenomenal sound quality that allows for significant cuts and boosts without introducing harsh or dull results.

Also includes undo and redo buttons, detailed information about each feature within Fabfilter Pro Q and advanced options including MIDI learn, A/B comparison, EQ match and dynamic filtering (for reducing sibilance).

The Pro-L 2 Limiter

Limiters are an often overlooked but very important plugin to get your tracks sounding professional. This does appear to be a simple plugin but once you dive deep into the software you will find that there is more to this True Peak Limiter.

The advanced tab on the Pro-L lets you drill down on the most minute parameters and it features advanced algorithms that prevent distortion and artifacts, allowing you to push your tracks to their limits without sacrificing quality. The plugin offers comprehensive metering and visualization tools, making it easy to monitor and optimize your loudness levels with precision.

Conclusion

In summary, This is an overall great package but maybe expensive when compared to a lot of the competition. Take a look at some of the other best mastering plugins to make a direct comparison.

Four plugins is not necessarily a huge amount for a mastering bundle but don’t let that scare you off considering this product. What it lacks in the number of included plugins, it makes up for with depth and detail of each individual product. They are some of the most comprehensive and cohesive on the market. Many users have found the FabFilter Mastering Bundle to be a powerful and effective tool for mastering. The plug-ins included in the bundle are known for their high-quality audio processing and intuitive interfaces, which make it easy to get good results.

That being said, it's important to note that the quality of the mastering process is not solely dependent on the tools being used. Mastering is a complex process that involves a number of factors, including the quality of the source audio, the skill and experience of the mastering engineer, and the overall aesthetic goals of the project.

This article was initially composed by Chris Daniel of Incitemusic.com

Feel free to comment on this Fabfilter Mastering Bundle below 😉

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