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I am thinking about buying the PsyQ to brighten up my mixes. Currently I am using the Optimaster (which does a real good job).

Now I have the following questions:

1. What are your experiences with that tool? Is it worth the money or is there any better alternative (e.g. any VST-Plug-In)?

2. Can I use the PsyQ as an XTC-Insert in the CubaseSX-MasterChannel?

3. Do you use the PsyQ in combination with the Optimaster? If so, do you feed the optimastered signal into the PsyQ or do you feed the PsyQ-Signal into the Optimaster to get the best result?

Thanx for any tip and opinion.

Cheers,
Uwe

i didn't hear it yet, i think you can try the demo and see if you like...
i don't know exactly how does it work, but it reminds me the concept of an old hardware effect, that now exists also in dx plugin version, the Visonik-bbe sound maximizer. i've owned it in it's hardware version and i also tried it as plugin.
i find it a little risky (the sound maximizer, not the psyQ, that i don't know),
as you get easily addicted and can lead to exageration.

you can try the demo and report your opinion...
ciao.

the psyq is great!(please don't overuse it tho!)it's also great with the optimaster...never tried it with xtc.

psy-q can sounds nice, but in most cases only hurt the sound. so, as garyb said be carefull, specialy if you don't have realy good monitoring.
i found that bbe is much "universal" tool. (imho)
also i prefere waves multiband over optimaster.
optimaster and psyq are much usable on individual track to me.

btw: vinko is great!! he do miracles on drums

I downloaded the test version and was convinced in minutes!!!

So I bought the PsyQ and used it on some mixes yesterday. I must say, that it is absolutely worth the money. The mix sounds more "expensive" after using the PsyQ on it. But always keep in mind, that it is a professional tool which must be used carefully.

Somewhere I read a statement of Mr. Katz who said: "Use the exciter (or any other psychoacoustic effect) until you can just hear the effect. Then turn the value a little bit back again - that will be the right amount of effect."

What he means, is that you should not "hear" the effect but "feel" it. If used in that way, the PsyQ is a perfect tool.

"psy-q can sounds nice, but in most cases only hurt the sound"

Disagree completely but it depends how you apply it. You then compare it to the BBE process which I again disagree with. I have a BBE rack unit and I've never cared for it as a recording device. It simply can't be beat, however, as a sonic booster for a mediocre PA system.

Anyway, I love the PsyQ effect and have been using it almost nonstop since I got it. I agree that you need to be careful with it but that thought applies to just about any effect unless you are deliberately going for something whacky.

I've encountered only a few instances where I had to turn it off completely.

I always put PsyQ before Optimaster but that doesn't mean you can't do it the other way around. Just seems to me if you're normalizing with Optimaster, you would want Optimaster as the last device in the signal chain. Any device that boosts frequencies after you've normalized seems dangerous to me.

i have my way of working. i use psy-q and optimaster on the individual tracks in almost every project.
so, in the mastering i prefere bbe/linMB combinations.