Mastering suite

[spm_gl]

I just discovered the BBC open-source metering tools: http://sourceforge.net/projects/baptools
Haven't tried them out yet, have to rush to a wedding now. We need a dedicated metering thread, or better a wiki page.

[DioXide]

For a quick bit-meter try "JACK Bitscope" (actually renamed to "JACK Bitmeter" but in most distros it's still Bitscope)

[zettberlin]

To return to the stereo vs. surround issue:

Stereo is still the way to go I think. Expect for Soundtracks that are planned to be heared in THX-certified cinemas

I have never seen or heared a working, decent surround-setup outside a movie-theatre but I have seen and heared indeed quite okayish stereo-setups in living-rooms and homestudios. As of now I sit in front of my old Canton LE600 in a rather perfect triangle with my head and I must say: I cannot imagine, that a surround-mastering of Black Sabbath`s vol4 would sound much more athmospheric and authentic than my Vertigo-swirl-LP. I have started to buy vinyl again and be it Mastodon, Mogwai, Antony and the Johnsons or the impaccable Rose Kemp: it sounds just great from a Stereo vinyl.
And I'm quite satisfied with my own stuff on the stereo too: if it has flaws, I can easily track them down to my own failures and some limitations of my mik-preamps. The speaker-setup is absolutely not the issue. In my control-room I use a pair of Tannoy Reveal without a subwoofer involved and it is quite OK also...

best regs

HZN

[spm_gl]

Just shamelessly bumping the thread, to let everyone know we're actually making building progress again. Currently working on the floor. Check our blog for pics and details.

[spm_gl]

We're still at it, but time has been very tight lately. Today we finished the flooring, and put the curtains back up.
I'll be getting two more computer systems (and a digital console) soon, so I'll be spending a lot of time configuring things.

[studio32]

@spm_gl , maybe you can tell us something about Mastering with Linux on LAC 2010!
http://lac.linuxaudio.org/2010/

[spm_gl]

Currently our mastering room has become more a post-production room, because we happen to have several jobs in that direction. Which is also why we're so slow on construction.