Home

Har-Bal Mastering Software Review

Har-Bal Mastering Software Review

 

HarBal Mastering Software Review

HarBal, har-bal, or however you want to type it, is a very useful audio mastering application in my home recording studio tool box! From tweaking individual tracks like guitar or bass, to adjusting the frequency balance of whole songs, HAR-BAL is definitely a go-to application!

 

Har-Bal - On to the practical application:

This project started with an old gig tape cassette... I am posting the wav files, to provide the 'best' samples possible, so you can hear the differences, if I've done my work correctly. I think the results are pretty good considering the original source media.

 

Actual Steps including Har-Bal

  1. Harbal | Original File

    2. In this example, I'm taking a raw track digitized from an OLD cassette tape. The tape was recorded live at a gig in late 1981. That old tape sat around for about 23 years (freezing temperatures to 100+ in the shade, 3 states) before it was transferred to the digital realm. After all that, well I guess that brings us here...

    Here is the original track: 04_Frustrations_orig.wav

    Harbal screenshot of Original File:

  2. Har-Bal | Mixed File


    3. Several critical things were considered as the mixdown of "The Plutonians Live Set" was started. The following were achieved using Cakewalk Guitar Tracks Pro and a few well applied VST plugins:

    1. Add space
    2. Enhance vocal
    3. Reduce harshness
    4. Balance mix

    Here is the mixed track BEFORE Har-Bal is applied: 04_Frustrations_mix.wav

    Harbal screenshot of Mixed File:

  3. Har-Bal | File with HarBal applied

    4. I wanted this track to have a richer bass response, and to even out the mid and upper frequencies.

    Here is the mixed track AFTER HarBal is applied: 04_Frustrations_HarBal_applied.wav

    Harbal screenshot of File AFTER HarBal is applied:

    Disclosure: We are a professional review site that receives compensation from the companies whose products we review. We review each product thoroughly and give high marks to only the very best. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.