After Putting My Work Horse TC Finalizer to sleep, I have been looking and searching for my next companion for Maximizer
I had a chance to demo the MCDSP ML4000.Great impression with the sound.
I have used MC2000 for many project along with TC Finalizer in combination. but the clear sound and wide variable control ML4000 offered me was just right tool.
working in digital domain MIXING require precision control with levels and words management.
many engineer who mixes to digital makes OVER (clipped) which they don’t seems care about. In pro-tools internal domain MIXING, once it gets over the 0,
your mixing game is over. it will be obvious at MASTERING that it will go no further as Flat Headed MIX.
knowing when and how much the Mixing Buss has more to push to make mixing story dramatic from the song is more important than technical talk
but One overload LED from Pro-Tools Meter isn’t good resolution for final MIX.
such as new Digital Meter SONY DMU7000 can display how many words has been lost in continuous segment.
knowing that how long in second / milliseconds the Flat Head was occur.
Analogue VU meter just shows current average program not telling or monitor what to guide to. it’s almost no use. (good light display for studio)

ML4000 is not easy to use if you know what you are looking unless just use the preset and make a HIT.
So here is how I work with.
I start my MIX with ML4000 on. but just use the limiter section to make my overall Monitoring level high and clear by adjusting threshold higher.
this keeps my individual track level lower to start to manage my digital mix buss is reserved.
with clearness and punch I get it from this limiter is very musical. most of the time I don’t even notice if there were any limiting.
because of the variable KNEE function It can be adjusted. Finalizer or other Limiter Plug in don’t have as smooth as ML4000
when My Mix is almost complete, my Mix Bus is at very healthy level, without any words to be lost
then I turn on this Multi-Band Compressor. With this Multi-Band Compressor, I can reach almost any parts of frequency and push the level to finish the MIX
without going back to change individual track EQ or level adjustment .
As my compression reached to what the Music needed, I slowly bringing down my thresholds of limiting to
almost to no-limiting by monitoring with external Hi resolution Digital Meter.
Working this way, I can deliver the good Dynamic Ranged MIX for Mastering as well as Hi level Reference CD for my client at same time.

So I was very impressed at this Plug-In. the founder of MCDSP Colin McDowell came to my MIX studio here in Japan and gave me all the lecture about their plug-in.
we had a very nice evening together at my home and SUSHI bar at the end.
Now my story with Colin is now on his WEB-SITE

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