Abbey Road TG Mastering Chain: Is It Worth the Hype?
Tansel Günay (aka Punkat) — Punkat Music Sàrls | Steinsel, LUXEMBOURG
The TG Mastering Chain brings 70s Abbey Road vibe into a modern, modular mastering strip. It recreates the EMI TG12410 workflow—EQ, compression/limiting, filters and stereo field—in one place. I don’t use it on every job; I reach for it selectively when I want musical glue, elegant tone shaping and a tasteful width enhancement.
At a Glance
- Modules: Input • Tone • Limiter • Filter • Output (Input/Output fixed; others reorderable)
- Processing: ST (linked), DUO (independent L/R), MS (Mid/Side)
- Live components: lower latency/CPU with alternate sidechain design
- TG Meter Bridge: PPM/VU/Phase; IN/GR/OUT monitoring
Modules in Detail
1) TG12411 Input
- Input Gain: −24…+24 dB (0.1 dB steps)
- Tape EQ: NAB↔IEC (7.5/15 ips) character options + Flat
- Pole/Transpose/Balance/90° Phase: phase and channel organization
Use: Subtle tape sheen or softening; 90° phase for “odd-stereo” fixes.
2) TG12412 Tone (4-Band EQ)
- Centers: 32–128 Hz • 181–724 Hz • 1.02–3.25 kHz • 4.1–16 kHz
- Gain: −10…+10 dB (0.05 dB), shapes: Low/High Shelf, BL wide, MED, SH narrow
- Band Solo in the expanded view
Use: Wide musical moves with BL/MED; add a tiny high shelf on S in MS mode.
3) TG12413 Limiter (Zener/Modern/Limit)
- Type: Original (Zener), Modern (clean VCA), Limit (not brick-wall)
- Recovery: 1–6 (bundled time constants)
- Ratio: 1–100 • Mix: parallel • Make-Up: −12…+12 dB
- Sidechain: HP (25 Hz–1 kHz, 48 dB/oct), Bell (100 Hz–12 kHz, −40…+40 dB), LP (1–22 kHz, 48 dB/oct), SC Listen
Tip: Modern, Recovery 3–5, Ratio 30–40, Mix 40–50%; SC HPF 120–200 Hz; aim ~1–2 dB GR.
4) TG12414 Filter (HP / Presence / LP)
- HP: 40 / 63 / 80 / 110 Hz
- Presence: 0.5–10 kHz, −10…+10 dB (0.1 dB), Med Blunt bell
- LP: 20 / 15 / 12 / 10 / 8 kHz
Use: HP 40–63 Hz to breathe; Presence ≤ +1 dB polish; LP 12–15 kHz to tame harshness.
5) TG12416 Output (Spreader & Monitoring)
- Spreader: −5…+5 dB stereo width
- Monitor: L, R, Stereo, M, Mono, S
- Output Fader: −24…+12 dB • Peak Meter
Use: Spreader +0.5…+1.0 dB; always check Mono/M/S.
TG Meter Bridge
Unified PPM, VU and Phase view; monitor IN/GR/OUT and switch between instances.
Is It Worth the Hype?
Pros: Character + flexibility, smart sidechain, MS/DUO architecture, handy Meter Bridge.
Limits: Limit is not brick-wall; not ultra-invisible (there’s a tasteful TG flavor). Live uses a different SC design.
Verdict: When used on the right material and in the right dose, it absolutely delivers.
My Starting Points
- Limiter: Modern • Recovery 3–5 • Ratio 30–40 • Mix 40–50% • SC HPF 120–200 Hz • ~1–2 dB GR
- Tone/Filter: BL/MED wide moves • Presence ≤ +1 dB
- Output: Spreader +0.5 dB • check Mono/M/S
Takeaway
Not my “every job” finalizer; but for musical glue + tone + width, TG can be that special sauce. Pair with a true-peak brick-wall (e.g., L4) for modern delivery.