TC Electronic Finalizer

This mastering unit can be strapped right between your output of your recorder and your final destination (CD, DVD, HD, etc...It comes with AES/EBU input, coaxial in and out, MIDI in and out and SPDIF input and output...
While the unit is not compatable with PC/Mac interface, it doesn't need to be...It is very simple to use...
The finalizer can be used analog or digital...
It is a one space rack unit...


UTILIZATION

The presets are very usable and editing them to meet your needs is easy and effective...I started with using the presets and then simply fine-tuned them to fit my needs...There's a ton of room to save lots of your own created patches...

The general config is very straight forward and easy to use...The manual is excellent, full color, and thorough...It explains some concepts behind the technology so that you can use it more effectively...

Editing is as easy as pressing a button or two and scrolling through a handful of options...Nothing overwheling...

SOUND QUALITY

I use this with my Roland VS-2480 and they play very nicely together...The Finalizer takes an already great mix and makes it better...I use it with my Mac and PC as well...Any input source can be eaily used...

The Finalizer does not touch the tone of your mix at all, it simply makes it tighter and more cohesive...It's not a "fix it in the mix" unit per se but it does have some great features..I really like the Digital Radiance Generator...It adds a set of upper harmonics that must be heard to be appreciated...

There's nothing on the unit I dislike...It's all usable and worthwhile!

OVERALL OPINION

I like the ease of use and results the best...The screens make sense and the layout is cohesive...

FOr the price, I know of nothing better although there are some software mastering suites that can certainly give it a run for its money....When I bought mine 15+ years ago, it was the only thing like it...

I have not had the desire to master on anything else so this unit is more than applicable in most cases still today...Sure 3 band compression has now given way to 4 and even 5 bands - I just don't personally see the need in having so many bands of compression myself...

This unit works on any signal source- be it classical, pop, rock, country, spoken word...

The finalizer is a compressor / Expender / digital multiband limiting (3 bands) that can act individuelemen on bass, mids or treble. It has five floors:

- The entry with level control, source type (analog, AES, 44.1/32/48 etc ...) and an adjustable highpass cutoff at.

- A parametric 5-band equalizer totalemen with a gain setting

- Treatment or there is a choice between a de-esser, an expander / retrecisseur field stereo generator armonica

- With a normalizer SoftClip to optimize the sound level as a kind of gain (one more), but this faith it with a system of ridges planing (saves a few db in the ridges diminuan superflux without saturation can be heard)

- A gate / Expender on three frequency bands with all the settings found on a Expender / gate worthy of the name (atack / release / level / hold etc. ...) but the bass / mid / high ( allows for example to remove a bit of breath in pain without affecting the rest of the spectrum or a mix too legeremen decompress compressed)

- A 3-band compressor with additional égalemen usual settings (but pushed), get the possibility to increase the detection mode level between peak and average according to the given that we want to get (going from a compressed natural a more aggressive compression of sorts) was egalemen a gain setting for each band and an overall gain.

- 3-band limiter with the usual adjustments and soft-clip that allows more of the limiter, type in the 0db without saturation audible (but must not abuse even quan)

- The output stage where you choose the format, with a final quentification gain and an automatic generator fade-in/out adjustable.

You can set the crossover frequency of 2 to choose the width of the bands third treatment.

then a part tools for adding information on the digital signal, it was also a phase meters, the level display for each floor, a cretemetre ...

UTILIZATION

This is the TC and feel goes with the individual settings for frequency parameters of the compressor / limiter / expendeur are adjustable together or individuelemen or both.

The machine is complete and EXTREMELY équivaud a rack analog of at least 10u forcémen So, it's pretty, but TC has provided a variety of tricks to make handling more logical and simple, not to mention the factory preset adapted to different uses (generalemen quite interesting, they also form the basis peutvent the ON to if necessary) there is the famous Wizard function that provides automatic analysis of the level, three types of sound reproduction, three types of cuts and some presets that are interesting equa egalemen DIRECTLY used or that can be refined.

the display is quite nice and the use of the machine with the usual super intuitive.

I finally put 9 because I do not like the automatic compensation level based on the threshold of compression because I think it is misleading (but that is just details and just think to lower the level accordingly ).

SOUND QUALITY

Efficacitée The machine is quite surprising and can be optimized incroyablemen saturated gain without and staying fairly neutral or a mix carrémen boost by Rendan very punchy even very aggressive.
The finalizer is a tool as very useful for sampling because it is used to calibrate all the drumkits and samples, if we add to this the qualitée converters, it redoutablemen become indispensable.

The gate / expend vraimen are coming good and same to be forgotten.

The Finalizer can solve many problems of dynamics without distorting the sound (although this may result in any distortion)

OVERALL OPINION

Of course there are the new versions and 24bit 96khz but the machine is efficient sacraments whether a perspective qualitée sound or use (I find it more ergonomic that different plugs that I used) .

multiband compression therapy is not simple (and can also do great damage when doing anything) but the Wizard system allows a treatment based on a preset with an automatic optimization of the level which makes the machine usable someone inexperienced can be a version of the Finalizer Express but with many functions).

I used it for several years and difficilemen could do without either for sampling or pre mastering mastering but I went to TC DBmax which is the Broadcast version.

I now have a Powercore with MasterX5 but I find that if the treatment is the EXCELLENT X5, 3-band rack version goes much further because we have access to more parameters.
This machine also allowed me to ratraper recordings unusable or causing to obtain surprising results Rendan unrecognizable in a good old 808 just such jouan the gate and cuts. The machine can auptimiser sound with a more natural and made with a very faithful rendition of a few while Gagnan Rendan DB and the sound less fatiguing or super aggressive or otherwise carrémen flat without modulation of the levels ...

Sometimes I use it to control a sound front, increasing the feeling of power without increasing the DB and without breaking the material deri (in this case, I remove the delay of treatment that is used to anticipate the distortions and I rule accordingly).

If I Devaya aquérir a processor like this, I reselect the Finalizer no problem with ergonomics, and fluiditée efficacitée vraimen of treatment are impressive especially for a digital apareil! That said, I do not loccasion hours to compare it to its new home real direct competitor or the DBX Drawmer (much more expensive but very interesting certainemen). In any case, I have tested plug in me quite disappointed.

FYI, the unit was sold more than 17000F00 (over 2500euros) excluding tax in 98!