Is there a way to create additional insert slots on the Master bus? I ran out when setting up my mastering chain!
Thanks,
-Michael
I don’t know of a way. In fact I haven’t had to use one in a while, I have been pretty lucky I guess in mastering and mixing.
Look into a VST Chainer like this:
http://www.xlutop.com/html/chainer.html
or this:
But you have to scroll down the FX Chainer.
On my old laptop, I ran LE that came with a 2-channel interface. I would use the Acon one a lot since you only got 2 slots. It worked really well for me.
2 track mastering? If so, import as stereo track and load w/insert fx…send to aux buss and load with insert fx…send to output buss and load with FX. how many is that? 24?..Duke
As cubase can support 256 group channels if you chained them all together that would make 2048 insert slots, add the eight from the channel and eight on the master channel then that would be a total of 2064 inserts, is that enough? 
I am not sure if that is enough. I just bought komplete 7.
That sucks, I usually end up with 2065 
Thanks for the replies. I was hoping I could do it with out additional routing, but I realize that’s easy to do and won’t cause any problems. Funny enough I only need 1 more insert space for my chain, ah well.
-M
If it takes that many slots, you aren’t mastering.
Have you considered that you can actually use all 10 slots, including the 2 post ones, since:
- No one uses Sends on the master… (I can’t think of any reason to anyways)
- You should always try to have the master volume fader on 0 dB (if you have to lower the master out during mix, then you probably have a mixing issue you should take care of first).
If you are mastering an audio file, then just put the file and the plugins on an Audio Track and as many Groups* as you like.
*) see earlier replies in this thread
to answer your question:
build master chain in a subgroup and when full map the output of the fist sub into a new subgroup etc etc.
however, consider to stop with what you call “mastering” if you need more than 3 plugs (EQ, compressor & limiter) and you can’t get the results you want, something is clearly wrong. with either your mix or mastering skills (or both)
Not really - it is more than common to use two compressors in series, some kind of stereo image widener
, possibly enchanger, dithering plugin and some kind of spectrum analyser in inserts in addition to eq and limiter.
braunie
Thanks for those who really helped with the groups ideas…and a bit less thanks to all those who felt the need to suggest that I’m an idiot for wanting to use numerous plug-ins in the mastering process. Have we forgotten that there are no ‘rules,’ guys? There’s nothing amateurish or obscene about all the plugins I need in my mastering chain – many of them play a small, subtle, vital role. This includes a slight reverb unit, a psp EQ, sonalksis stereo tools, multi band compresssion, bbe sonic maximizer, a second final compressor, sonnox limiter, and cubase’s dithering tool. So, this is not mastering? That’s 8 slots I need, and the regular master channel has 7. Thus my original question.
-M
If you only need one (or no more than 8) more, put the first plug-in in one of the channel slots. (As was suggested in the reply to your other double post)
you put your limiter and ditherer in the post slot, so those drop off already
i would use the imager on the mixbus during mixdown, as this affects dynamics
same for any EQ for high pass / low pass duties.
But then again there are no rules, just best practises.
And also again, if you need to polish your mix THAT much with stacks of subtle differences, you did did not finish you mixdown properly in the first place.
On the other hand, if you are making a home master for your own purposes and plan to have your final mix once mastered by someone else I wouldn’t use widener or even compessor or eq at mix bus. But like said, no rules there 
Also agreed, I refuse to take mastering jobs of tracks which have been “prepared” i send them back and ask for a new mixdown.