Waves Audio Introduces Jack Joseph Puig Artist

Designed as a versatile bass plug-in that could be used in any situation, JJP Bass reflects Puig’s approach to recording bass and bass instruments: “Every track is different, and every bass track is different,” he notes. “Sometimes you want just a great bottom; other times you want something with more mid-range that cuts through a mix. You might want to give the track a bit of distortion, shape the sound with a nice bell EQ or use compression and gate to lock it with the kick drum. I could even see someone using this plug-in on the drums of a hip-hop track as a sub enhancer. JJP Bass lets you do all that and more.”

JJP Drums was developed to go beyond the realm of other drum processing options, offering users a more uniquely musical approach. Notes Puig, “There are things you can take for granted when you are mixing drums. Of course the snare sound needs to be there, and the bass drum has to have a nice bottom. But beyond that, there is a whole range of other things to consider to really make the song come alive. Maybe there’s some tonality in the drum kit that you want to emphasize. How do the drums relate to the rest of the song? And once you figure that out, how do you get there? JJP Drums gives you the tools to accomplish these things.”

Puig is well-known for his use of percussion sounds to add color to a mix, and JJP Cymbals & Percussion offers access to some of Puig’s favorite options. He notes, “There’s really so much you do with cymbals and percussion. Adding a lo-fi effect to fatten up shakers; taking the mid-range out of tambourines to make them brighter or adding distortion to make them sound grittier; boosting cymbals’ high-end to enhance the shimmer or compressing them hard to bring out other aspects of their sound – these are some examples of colors I like to use, and they’re all very easy to attain with JJP Cymbals & Percussion, so you can just fire it up, find what you need and stay creative.”

Puig approaches recording and mixing guitar as a sound designer, and he tries to use the whole sonic palette. Whether users are looking to make the sound brighter, darker or more aggressive, compress it, bring out the attack, etc., every decision should look to give the track attitude. He states, “The JJP Guitars plug-in helps you get into that creative space, quickly. There’s a real rock-and-roll edge to this plug-in, and what makes it extra powerful is that everything you need is right there in front of you – it lets you stay in the zone.”

Puig’s general approach to strings and keyboard parts is to make them “radiant and beautiful.” This requires shaping the tonality of the track to fit what the song needs to be, so it is the best it can be when it comes out of the speaker. JJP Strings & Keys is set up so that users can really follow their instincts, to bring out the complexities in their keyboard parts and orchestrations. Puig comments, “You might want to use some delay and make it wider, or add a little air for more ambient feel. Sometimes you’ll want it dry and in-your-face. Whatever it is, it should serve the song, and JJP Strings & Keys puts those options at your fingertips.”

When Puig mixes vocals, he does whatever it takes to make sure the track is open, sits well in the mix and, most importantly, helps convey the message of the song. Puig: “My approach is intuitive and instinctive, not technical. I don’t think in terms of ‘which delay’ or ‘how to EQ it’ or ‘more compression.’ What concerns me is how it makes you feel. Each singer and song is unique, so we made JJP Vocals a versatile, musical solution to help users find the right ways to make the vocal fit the song.”