Hello,

I treated myself and now have some really nice hardware, an old dream come true

I think I'm using it well, but I don't know anyone to talk to about it, and I'm wondering if there's a better or different way to do it. So I'd like to get your opinion on how I'm using it !

I generally only use it for mastering.

- First, I put the EQ, a Wes Audio Hyperion, in Mid Side mode.
- Then I put the first compressor, a VCA, the Elysia Xpressor Classic, followed by a second compressor, a Vari-Mu, the Wes Audio Rhea. I use the compressors for glue and color.
- To finish, I put two Neve 542 in "red" mode to add the warmth of a band (the blue mode cuts the highs too much, and I already have a lot of bass in my tracks).
- I'm very careful with the gain staging.
- At this stage I usually tweak my first EQ settings a bit.
- Then come the software clipper and limiter.

What do you think of my chain?

 

Any different order and chain for any different reason is fine as well.
I'd delete almost everything.

 

That looks pretty standard setup to me & probably the way i would go.
You can obviously try a few different things but i can't see you ending up with anything dramatically different.