I tried it for fun, and while I agree that software like this can never replace good ears of an experienced mastering engineer. AAMS did a better job than I had expected, has quite a few tweakable parameters, and can even be used in a sort of hybridized fashion by disabling some or all of the automated features. As much as I hate to say it since I do some mastering work, this may be a great product for the "weekend warrior" musician/engineer who wants a quick "finessing" before offering their newest tunes to a friend or at a party. And now that it is free/donationware, it may entice more people than ever to not pay for better mastering until they think they are ready. I know that this should be a good thing, making it all accessible, but there is a part of me that is afraid that software like this, while being ok, it may also lower the standards for some people of what is "finished". I felt the same way the first time I tried the ready-made presets of both IK Multimedia's T-Racks and Izotope Ozone. Once people are convinced that what these software's do is "mastering", then the desire for a better job can be diminished. Or am I just being paranoid and self-serving ? Anyway, it did a better job than I had expected, and for some reason this bothers me...lol.

William