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moosers
Published on 12/03/09 at 10:42
The TC Electronic Finalizer 96K is an all in one mastering unit. It is a unique piece of gear as I haven't used anything like it. It has a variety of connections including 1/4 inch, XLR, MIDI, and ADAT. This is a digitally based unit and will take up a single rack space in a traditional rack mount.
UTILIZATION
The configuration of the TC Electronic Finalizer 96K does take a bit of time to get used to simply because there are so many features and so much going on here. Since it is a digitally based unit, there are tons and tons of different screens that you can make your way through in order to get different sounds. In addition to the LED screen, there are also a variety of external buttons including sections for functions, program, and control. While it will take a bit of time to get used to everything going on here, once you have mastered it the amount of sounds that are possible are pretty much endless. The manual for the TC Electronic Finalizer 96K is put together well and is definitely a good thing to have around when trying to figure out how to use everything on this unit.
SOUND QUALITY
The TC Electronic Finalizer 96K is probably the closest thing that you can get to an all in one mastering unit that doesn't compromise sound quality. Most all in one units like this one end up not sounding all that great, but I'm a fan of most of the sounds that I can get with this unit. While I would probably rather master something using a variety of different gear, this does make it quite easy to dial in a master. I have only used this for mastering as that is what it is made for, but if you wanted to use the effects for mixing or other uses, I don't see why you couldn't do so.
OVERALL OPINION
Whether you are a home or professional studio owner, the TC Electronic Finalizer 96K is something that you should look into. However, most home studio owners probably won't be able to afford the hefty price tag. This is the only downfall of this product as it doesn't make it accessible to those on smaller budgets. You must consider though that this is a high end piece of gear and is aimed at those who want something to master with easily regardless of the price. All in all, the TC Electronic Finalizer 96K is absolutely worth a look for those who want a great sounding all in one mastering suite.
UTILIZATION
The configuration of the TC Electronic Finalizer 96K does take a bit of time to get used to simply because there are so many features and so much going on here. Since it is a digitally based unit, there are tons and tons of different screens that you can make your way through in order to get different sounds. In addition to the LED screen, there are also a variety of external buttons including sections for functions, program, and control. While it will take a bit of time to get used to everything going on here, once you have mastered it the amount of sounds that are possible are pretty much endless. The manual for the TC Electronic Finalizer 96K is put together well and is definitely a good thing to have around when trying to figure out how to use everything on this unit.
SOUND QUALITY
The TC Electronic Finalizer 96K is probably the closest thing that you can get to an all in one mastering unit that doesn't compromise sound quality. Most all in one units like this one end up not sounding all that great, but I'm a fan of most of the sounds that I can get with this unit. While I would probably rather master something using a variety of different gear, this does make it quite easy to dial in a master. I have only used this for mastering as that is what it is made for, but if you wanted to use the effects for mixing or other uses, I don't see why you couldn't do so.
OVERALL OPINION
Whether you are a home or professional studio owner, the TC Electronic Finalizer 96K is something that you should look into. However, most home studio owners probably won't be able to afford the hefty price tag. This is the only downfall of this product as it doesn't make it accessible to those on smaller budgets. You must consider though that this is a high end piece of gear and is aimed at those who want something to master with easily regardless of the price. All in all, the TC Electronic Finalizer 96K is absolutely worth a look for those who want a great sounding all in one mastering suite.