optimaster or psyq?

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bosone
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Post by bosone »

probably (but not sure) i will convice a guy to buy a pulsar 2...
now, just in the case of this event... i'll choose optimaster or psyq. i don't need vinco (for now), nor minimax nor the vocoder
what are your opinions? what would you choose and why?
thanks!
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krizrox
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Post by krizrox »

Well, these are two completely different tools. What's more important to you: a mastering compressor/limiter/expander/normalizer or an aural exciter?

Decide for yourself and then choose one.
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kensuguro
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Post by kensuguro »

I'd go with optimaster... to unvail a lot of the mystery I sense in this device.
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garyb
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Post by garyb »

those two go together.psyq is a mastering eq/exciter.optimatser is a mastering compressor.
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sandrob
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Post by sandrob »

vote for psyq... and use free finaliza multiband comp :smile:
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krizrox
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Post by krizrox »

Right - so there you go! One guy says Optimaster, one guy says PsyQ and the other guy says get 'em both.

Here's my suggestion: beat your head against the wall for 30 minutes and when your head starts spinning, run over to your computer and buy whatever comes into focus first. :smile:
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krizrox
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Post by krizrox »

This response has nothing to do with this silly thread. I simply wanted to see my counter go to 300. Thank you.
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sandrob
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Post by sandrob »

ha! :smile:
i understand what you try to say, krizrox, but i think that you have no right here :smile: our experience can be helpfull to bosone or for someone else.
yes, those are different tools, but for psyq have no other alternative in sfp, while he can use finaliza enstead of optimaster. i found that i even don't need optimaster anymore - i use finaliza sucessfuly :smile:

yes, and congrats for 300th thread :wink:
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krizrox
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Post by krizrox »

Don't take what I said too seriously :smile: I understand people are looking for objective feedback. The problem with questions like this though is that 10 different people will respond with 10 different answers. In the end, you simply have to roll the dice and live with the outcome.

It should be clear from the product descriptions on the CW website (as well as the dozens of messages here on PZ) what these products do. How hard can it be to make a choice based on that information?

Ok then. Let me redeem myself by providing a real objective response to the question.

If you are more in need of a mastering device such as a compressor/limiter, then get the Optimaster. Yes, I know there are freebee devices out there but Optimaster's Wizard function alone is worth the price of admission. I think Optimaster is a more expensive device than PsyQ and it probably has a better resale value if you should ever decide to sell it (not sure that means much).

If you can live with the freebee mastering devices or the devices that come standard in SFP, then go for the PsyQ. PsyQ is similar to an aural exciter and can really spice up a mix - especially a muddy sounding mix.

If I had to choose one over the other, I'd probably pick Optimaster as it holds more interest to me personally.
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cannonball
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Post by cannonball »

bah

io non capisco molti dei quali sputano su optimaster quando è iscito gli hanno fatto una gran pubblicita

a me piace molto non è facile da usarema funziona anche psy q è fico ma bisogna fare attenzioneperchè rende medioso tutto se usato male
qualche volta MI è SUCCESSO

CIAO CANNONBALL
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garyb
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Post by garyb »

uh,yeah.what he said.....

there's the demo function as well....
Grok
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Post by Grok »

PsyQ IS NOT an aural exciter (aural exciters works by adding a little amount of harmonic distortion to the audio signal, wich makes it sounds clearer and brighter).

PsyQ works on the phases of the frequencies, making high frequencies starting a little sooner than in the original audio signal; it "synchronises" the starts of the high frequencies with the medium and the low, giving more impact, intelligibility and brightness to the sound, like the BBE Sonic Maximizer does...
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Grok
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Post by Grok »

Must I say that BBE was the original creator of this kind of "PsyQ" audio calculation with its Sonic Maximizer, like Aphex was the original creator of the first Aural Exciter?

Well, it's said :smile:
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krizrox
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Post by krizrox »

Sorry - my bad for referring to PsyQ as an aural exciter. I agree it is more like the BBE process but with some interesting twists. I have a BBE processor here but never cared for it for recording purposes. It just sounded a bit too brittle for my taste. But I will say this: the BBE unit can make a mediocre PA sound system sound great!

Let me add one other comment: I've used both these devices many times in the past but there are times when I didn't care for the PsyQ effect in the final mix. Yet, I've been using Optimaster practically 100% of the time.
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Ricardo
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Post by Ricardo »

I guess also it depends on what sort of music you're dealing with. PSYQ can bring out effects beautifully and create atmosphere in your tracks. Optimaster would be better for, well, simply mastering! I use STW III bundle for mastering, then Cool Edit for noise reduction and expansion, then the PSYQ. It would be handy if people wrote their techniques when they upload their music to the music pages.
Enjoy
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elisha
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Post by elisha »

If I had to choose one or the other I'd choose Optimaster... I did, however get great results on my last project using both. But be careful... the immediate "shimmering" sound of PsyQ can easily be overdone and fatigue your ears quickly... I had to back it off after my 1st mixes with it... after learning to use it sparingly I got good results.
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