Hey FarleyCZ good points and also what works for one might not work for another as they are used to compensate for changes automatically.
That aside just had a listen to your tracks, some dam cool tracks there, have u considered sending any to record labels? There are a couple of chillouts on there that I would consider if I were you sending to Alter Ego Records Alteregorecords.com for their Sub label Tranquil State, they have a drop box here http://www.label-worx.com/demo/alteregomusic

Best of luck
Ryan Anthony

Thank you! It's kinda OT, though. More in PM.

I think it's a bad idea to have anything even slightly processing the master while working on the track. Here's a reason case by case:

- EQ: Changes phase response for the whole song. More steep filter you use, the worse. Not so much of an issue, but in extreme cases it can add a wierd effect you get used to, but listener won't.
- Linear phase EQ: Adds delay, resulting in input lag. As the processed channel is master, no latency compensation will help you.
- Clean compressor, heavy settings: Screw's your idea about transients that actually happen in the track.
- Clean compressor, light settings: Not much effect as it only cuts highest transients.
- "Character" compressor: Adds saturation that potentionally might fool you into thinking you have a mixing issue somewhere.
- Harmonic exciter, tape sim: ...same reason.
- Limiter, heavy setting: Same problem as with heavy compression. Your idea of transients is screwed. You'll mix the track to liking, mastering engineer WILL ask you to take the limiter off and then you'll find out it doesn't sound good anymore.
- Limiter, light setting: You might miss some really high peaks. Taking it off and mixing quiter actually saves you some hustle in that case. Master limiter will bring it up anyway.
- Stereo widener: You get used to unusually WIIIIDEEEE sound. Your stereo image will fall apart when for example mastering engineer dials it back a bit. (Or when it gets played in mono. Cheaper cell phone speakers, some clubs...)
- Bass narrowing plugin (TP Basslane): It cuts low frequencies out of the side signal. If it makes a big change, it suggests there's a mixing problem somewhere else (not enough low-cutting, too wide bass) you're not hearing, thus not solving.
- Reverb - Some people like to "test" their track by putting it in a "virtual" room. It can help as a check for low frequency room behaviour, but shouldn't be on the whole time. It screw's your idea about how your ambience is behaving.
- Room simulator - "BUY THIS AND YOU'LL HAVE MONITOR SOUND ON YOUR HEADPHONES!" ... yeah right. Dunno. Tried, wasn't convinced. ...but whatever it does, I'd be really carefull to make mixing descisions upon it.

Analysis stuff like frequency analyser or steroscope is ok. It doesn't process the signal.

...also it's just an opinion. If you put stuff on a master and it works for you, ignore this.

When i was working 14+hours a day most days, i didn't really feel like doing any thing besides smoking weed and playing video games. I got some work done on my day(s) off, but that was mostly spent hating life and smoking more weed and playing more video games.
....
That just actually might be the want to produce, but your body just isn't going to have it. Listen to that sign, and come back when you're ready. other wise it's just going to be not an efficient process.

When I think about it, that might just be exactly what's happening to me at the moment. ...kinda makes me think about switching a job for something not that time consuming.

I'm here! Séguin is pronounced Say-gain (but don't pronounce the "n" at the end of gain"

Some cool stuff could be derived from that, actually:

Sey-gae
S-Gain
Say Gain

Rameses B, KOAN sound, Etherwood, Andrew Bayer, Deadmau5, Steve Duda, Hans Zimmer (With Howard Scarr around.) ...aaand of course both Matt's that hang out here.

...but you know what? In reality anyone with similar taste would do. Closest friend like that I know lives like 100 km away. But it probably will happen one day.

It indeed is.

It's really hard topic. It's not just about music. Same goes for sport, science, languages, IT knowledge. Everything that should elevate the child. I certainly wish my parents made me learn at least SOME musical instrument. A lot of stuff I decided to do later on would be a lot easier. But on the other hand, I've chosen my path anyway. It might have helped to get some goals I couldn't achieve till today. It might have helped me to not feel like garbage every other day ... but I still chose it.

...what I'm affraid of is kids being on path they didn't choose. Artists that grow up into football players, scientists unwillingly memorizing chords they don't care about and so on. There lies the key to great parenting. To reckognize what the kid is really good at (which is sometimes even miles away from what teachers think btw) and then keep him/her on that path no matter what. I've seen both extremes of this. Kid's naturally gifted that pursued right career, but also kids who went with the totally wrong one.

Also it's kind of sad that todays society is so demanding people have to solve this way sooner then the kid is even able to.

The CPU is the center point. That's where everything happens, so you want the best you can afford. Quad core preferably, the more GHz the better. (Don't go under 2.3 today.)
If you use a lot of big sample libraries like Omnisphere or Kontakt libraries, you want also a lot of RAM. 16gb is cool enough.
SSD might be a good idea as everything loads much quicker with it, but they are expansive, so I'd worry about it later. CPU is more important.
At least 1TB HDD for data and you're good to go.

As for the MACs... You'll get nicer and better built case, but for the same money, you'll get less powerfull components. ...and even if the money isn't issue, Apple doesn't care too much about backwards compatibility. With El Captain version of their OS, a lot of companies had to adjust their plugins so they work after update of OS. Including Steinberg, who made whole damn VST standard. ...and that took time.