Just wondering at what point in a songs life do people insert a mastering suite combi? Does any one have any views on the pro's and con's of using one early on in a project.

I don't any "scientific" advice, and speak purely from experience, but I find it better to put in somewhere in the middle, or closer to the end. I don't really like to the Combi modifies the sound, and I prefer to listen to the original, but when I add one with "extra bass" or something, it sounds pretty dope at the end.

I usually use it from the start because it'll eventually be inserted anyway(with the way I produce). Then I change the patches and devices within the combi to exactly what I need for the song. I like to really tweak all the devices till I the exact kind of overall sound I wanted for the song.

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Nice one, I tend not to wait to long either. Depending on the style of track i'll get the main part down i.e. drums and bass and then find a preset to suit them and get them to a finalised stage before going on with the melodies etc. I find that this allows me to pick out sounds that better suit my track and it keeps me interested in carrying on with it.

The one thing I always turn off is the stereo widener that thing can play havoc with a song, although I do sometimes turn it back on and tweak all the settings in the combi as I draw to a close.

i like to put it in at the end -- i do this so i can get the sound good without it (the mix, the flow, the velocity, the eq, etc) -- then i add it and then make little mix tweaks to get it right