Because I've only recorded and mixed within the walled garden of Mac Pro Tools, and then mastered with some other stuff, I wanted to push aside my preconceptions and find out if anyone had an in-the-box way to master in a Mac.
You can master on mac or PC, and you can master in Pro Tools although SF is better suited for that in terms of functionality.
Nobody is going to agree on specifically what processing gear or software is needed for optimal mastering. There are guys doing it with tens of thousands of dollars of outboard gear (much of it analog/tube). And there are guys doing it in the box with lots of expensive plugins. And then there are guys doing it in the box with plugins that aren't that expensive and still getting pretty decent results.
The biggest part of mastering is having the right ears to do it. It's also crucial to have the right monitors and put them in a space that is acoustically sound. Otherwise, the best gear in the world isn't going to make it sound better if it's not being heard properly and the wrong decisions are being made.
And even in the case of someone who is a great mixer and masterer, it's smart to have someone else do the mastering just to get a fresh set of ears on it.
So for someone mixing in PT, I think getting SF does have the potential to make mastering an easier process. Depending on what is needed, certain third party plugins may help as well. But new software isn't going to magically make mixes sound better, it still comes down to ears and skill. A great mastering engineer is going to get a better result with the cheapest plugins than a guy without much skill using the fanciest gear available.
My conclusion from this thread is that it is possible, but it's probably like wrestling an octopus.
I'd say it the other way around. You can master in PT but it's like wrestling an octopus. Using something like SF is much more suited to the mastering part. But if you're happy with your results, stick with it. Maybe there will be a downloadable demo of SF and you can try it out.
You can master quite easily from Logic.
No question you can get good sounding mixes from Logic. But there are things SF can do much more easily than Logic, specifically editing and tweaking bounced files (as you mention, editing wavs). Some people won't work in a way where they want to do that, but for anyone who needs the functionality, having it available is huge.
All the more reason it's nothing that can't be done from within Logic.
True, it can be done, but along the same lines, there's no reason it can't be done in Garage Band. It's not a question of if it can be done, the difference between different apps is the features and how easily various things can be done.
Then there's all those albums that are compressed to DEATH and are clipping all over the place (although often that's a result of the record company execs dictating to them that it better be LOUD on the radio).
There are bad mastering guys just like there are people bad at any job. Mastering just requires finding someone who is good, and someone who specifically is good with that kind of material. And a good mastering engineer will be ecstatic to work with an artist who wants to preserve the dynamic range instead of insisting on compressing it to death. But the right mastering engineer can put on the finishing touches that make a good mix sound great.
super great news!