Plugin roundup

[Lee Flier]

Yeah, true - but those other companies are hardware companies, with the exception of Brainworx I guess. It does make sense for them. I thought dano was referring to other makers of plugins who are already selling native versions of their plugs. That doesn't make quite as much sense, but might still work in some cases.

[A. Einstein]

There is this one phenomena, whenever I use a processor then I don't like what it does to the sound. Don't really know why.

 

I can only assume that I like what I heard first and any modification thereof sounds worst to me, or maybe by mind doesn't care about the sound as such but only listen to the music and the worst recording quality is just good enough for that purpose, no real need to renovate an old recording, it is only gathering musical information.

 

Maybe another reason could be that I like acoustic events the most, and recordings are only capturing data, translating information to a recording format stored on some storage medium, but always in mind: "I would like to hear that live to know what the music's real sound is."

 

When I go from the recording room to the control room, I am always disappointed how it sounds out of a loudspeaker compared what I heard acoustically. I.e. an orchestral perfomance played back from a CD player is pretty much only frustration about how it sounds.

[mister natural]

dunno what DAW you're using Lee, but for transparent EQ and compression; I vote native LIVE plugs. Don't think EQ8 can be beat, period

[temnov]

From what I use all the time.

 

With character:

 

Softube CL-1B, Cytomic Glue (SSL type), free Molot compressor by vladgsound, UAD compressors, Waves API;

 

Mastering:

 

Ozone 5; Steven Slate FG-X, UAD Precision, PSP Xenon - one of the best, IMHO, L2;

 

Transparent:

 

Waves and UAD DBX160 if you use it right.

[Anderton]

 

dunno what DAW you're using Lee, but for transparent EQ and compression; I vote native LIVE plugs. Don't think EQ8 can be beat, period

 

 

I think Live's plug-ins are really underrated, but I figure that's mostly because they work only in Live

[A. Einstein]

When transparent means only changing the amplutide of a frequency without altering the color of the instrument, then the LinearPhase PEQ Red is the one.

 

I only want to change the amplitude of certain frequencies, for example closing a little the top of a string section so it blends better in pop music, or EQing the ambience until it has the mood I like. For pop the orchestral instruments are to bright. However coloring, changing the timbre of a great acoustic instrument is nothing I like.

 

 

The mastering chain I have on the export master fader at the moment consists of the Studio EQ, the Steinberg mastering spectralizer and the L3-16 band peak limiter. For stereo widening I use at the moment the A.O.M Stereo Imager, as well the K-Stereo Ambience processor which can alter, raise or lower in level, make the stereo width of the ambience smaller or widen it. That's all.

 

A few month ago I mixed the first soundtrack with no processors at all, no EQ no nothing, only reverberation.

[Kendrix]

FWIW-I hopped on the UA bandwagon a few years ago and I never looked back.

 

re EQ: I recently swung from using mainly the Cambridge (I like things clear & aggressive) to the NEve 88RS emulation (I also like things big and not at all strident).

Now I realize how I had been thinning some things out in an effort to clean up any mud. Now, with the Neve I clean out the mud and still have some nice depth and dimension left behind.

 

Trident EQ is somewhat colored and is best for bringing out the overtones on El. guitars.

 

For comps I use the UA F'Child on vox often.

LA2A or 1176 on other sources.

They all carry some color.

 

The UA mono tape delay is totallly not digital sounding at all. Thats hard to find. It gives real dimension when slapping back a voice- just like the old echoplex.

 

I sometimes think I need to check out other plugs.

However, nothing lately seems as compelling as whatever is next on my list from UA.

 

Lately Im trying not to need any master bus comp. (yeah right)

However, the UA precision multicomp has displaced my TC finalizer for this function.

More of the dimension/depth survives the processing. I like that you can choose either linear phase or min phase filters.

One sounds analog/colored the other is quite transparent.

[philbo]

I don't mean to be a troll here or anything, but lately the main way I process sound is by moving the mic around till I like how it sounds. My objective is to not use plugs if I can help it.

 

That said, I really like some of the ones included with Reaper. Most used: multiband compressor, the EQ that includes a before/after spectral display (sorry I didn't memorize the names), the free SIR convolution reverb, and the Camel plugs. The Oxford EQ is also very nice.

 

If I want character, I start with mic choice and room position. If it needs more, I do one or more of these:

run stub mixes to & back out of my reel machine (an old Teac 3440S 4-track), reamp, run it through some old hardware (a variety of different things from the studio boneyard). Hmm... that reminds me, I need to get my old Gates Sta-Level running again.

 

I don't use a lot of different plugs; I prefer to use ones I'm familiar with so I can dial in what I want with minimum fuss and delay. Since I'm doing pretty much everything myself, I try to avoid jumping between musician and tracking engineer, it just hoses up the vibe.

[A. Einstein]

I don't mean to be a troll here or anything, but lately the main way I process sound is by moving the mic around till I like how it sounds. My objective is to not use plugs if I can help it.

 

Yes. There is no plugin to make a not so good recording sound like a good one, this tools are mainly to shape the sound for the real world via mixing - and use musical instruments which have the sound you like. And in case the room ambience is usable then record the natural room ambience on seperate tracks, or when you don't have a sounding room then record relativ dry, for example something in this manner, acoustic guitar stereo:

 

 

[144dB]

I'm a pretty big fan of the UAD plug-ins... I only have UAD-1's so I can't take advantage of the EMT-250, Manley Massive Passive, etc., but I hope to get a Duo or Quad next year (along with a new computer).

 

For tracking and mixing I use the 1176 for guitars and I use the SSL Buss Compressor for that wonderful "splat" that only the quad compressor can provide. I'll use the LA2A on occasion as well. I use the EMT-140 for most of my reverb, and occasionally I'll use Realverb Pro for other ambiences.

 

For mastering I rely heavily on the Precision Limiter and I just bought the Precision Maximizer, the Cambridge EQ, and the Precision Buss Compressor (the SSL can be a bit aggressive for some of the music I do). I tried the Precision EQ but I wasn't that impressed. The Cambridge was more to my liking.

 

Other plug-ins that I use include the Renaissance Compressor (great versatile track compressor) and the Renaissance EQ. For delays I like the PSP Lexicon devices.

 

I just bought an iLok to renew my Waves subscriptions, but I'm starting to wonder why. I like the Ren Compressor and Ren EQ, but I don't know how much longer I'll use them. The older native plugs (especially Q10) sound harsh to me. I don't use the Ren Reverb much at all anymore. To be fair, I haven't bought any of their newer plugs (Linear Phase EQ, etc.).

 

If I get a UAD-2 I won't be able to resist the EMT-250 or the Lexicon reverb. Some of the tape emulations are interesting as well. I suspect there will be more Manley plug-ins, but that's only speculation with nothing to back it up.

 

And certainly if money was no object I'd add an impulse reverb to the list (e.g. Altiverb, etc.).

 

I'm sure hardware sounds great, but from a practicality/affordability standpoint, it's hard to beat plug-ins. With total recall, near-endless instances, and no noise, they're hard to beat for a project studio musician.

 

Todd

[Lee Flier]

I don't mean to be a troll here or anything, but lately the main way I process sound is by moving the mic around till I like how it sounds. My objective is to not use plugs if I can help it.

 

Well, same here, but I've always been that way.

 

I don't use that many plugs, but when I do use them I want plugs that sound good.

That said, I really like some of the ones included with Reaper. Most used: multiband compressor, the EQ that includes a before/after spectral display (sorry I didn't memorize the names),

 

ReaFIR. Yeah, that's a pretty great tool. It really is kind of crazy how many great plugs you get with Reaper.

 

If I want character, I start with mic choice and room position. If it needs more, I do one or more of these: run stub mixes to & back out of my reel machine (an old Teac 3440S 4-track), reamp, run it through some old hardware (a variety of different things from the studio boneyard).

 

Yeah, see? I like doing that stuff with hardware, but I'd rather use plugs for that sort of thing, if they sound good. So don't give me any of this "mic choice and placement" nonsense - you like to mess up sound as much as the next person!

[Ryst]

Hey all - Just wondering what everyone is using these days for EQ and compressor plugins. What are your faves for: - transparent plugs - "character" plugs - mastering plugs Preferably VST and don't require iLok or any other ridiculous dongles. Any details about why and how you use the plugs you use, and/or what you've compared them to, would be appreciated. Happy New Year!

 

Sorry Lee, some of these require an ilok!

 

These are some of my favorites.

 

Transparent - MDW Parametric EQ, Waves API 550B, Waves SSL

 

Character - UBK-1, Kramer Pie, Kramer HLS

 

Mastering - FG-X, Brainworx Digital V2, DrMS, Fab Filter Pro Q

[WRGKMC]

I have a few additions to whats been mentioned already that are pretty decent.

I too have alot of plugins collecting dust but know these well enough to recomend them.

 

 

I bought this set awhile back. It was donation ware and got the entire set for $10.

The quality of the plugins I'd liken to the quality of the waves plugins for clarity and quality.

Theres some really neat stuff to use here for EQing and Dynamics.

http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=215456

 

TRacks is a pretty good mastering suite. They do consume some major CPU power.

I bought one of their latest versions but dont use it all that much because of that.

My DAW is fairly modest and I can do simular things with lesser plugs.

 

Ruby Tubes make a nice free limiter good for boosting guitar tracks.

Theres also one called H20 thats a nice warm track comp that can be used on just about anything.

 

I do like the Voxengo stuff and they dont cost you an arm and a leg.

The Voxformer is a great tool for vocal tracks.

The Marques Compressor is a really good comp for just about anything.

 

The Lampthruster is one of my favorite guitar enhancement plugin. Especially good for changing the

countour and edge of an already driven track that needs a different EQ curve or additional drive

It has a parametric EQ and harmonics enhancement and can make a sterile sounding guitar track sound

more natureal and tube like. It can be used to gain up other tracks as well.

[roomjello]

 

Yeah, it's probably inevitable that I will end up getting this...lol.

 

 

Careful about making a quick descision. Personally i think the Waves CLA 1176s sound way better than UA, get some more opinions if you can or try em both.

That said there are many great UA plugs.

[Lee Flier]

 

Careful about making a quick descision. Personally i think the Waves CLA 1176s sound way better than UA, get some more opinions if you can or try em both.

 

 

I have used both and I prefer the UA. Frankly I'm not wild about Waves' stuff. They have some plugs that do what no other plug does, and some of it's great. I know some folks also swear by their mastering tools, and I can understand that. But for everyday plugs of mixing, especially anything that is supposed to add some character, I've just never been very impressed with them. Just my subjective taste.

[The dman]

I don't know if anyone mentioned The Glue but it's a killer SSL style compressor plugin for $99

[A. Einstein]

I spent about $30,000.00 on plugins in the last 24 months, most of it is creepedy crap, doesn't do any good to the music,

 

but at least with a time-consuming effort I was able to select the DSP' which are usable.

[philbo]

Well, same here, but I've always been that way. I don't use that many plugs, but when I do use them I want plugs that sound good. ReaFIR. Yeah, that's a pretty great tool. It really is kind of crazy how many great plugs you get with Reaper. Yeah, see? I like doing that stuff with hardware, but I'd rather use plugs for that sort of thing, if they sound good. So don't give me any of this "mic choice and placement" nonsense - you like to mess up sound as much as the next person!

 

Yeah, I plead guilty. There are times when you have to clean up as best as you can. I remember I was recording a christian folk singer songwriter; she drove here all the way from western South Dakota (basically a couple of states worth of distance). On the first session I didn't use the right mic, and ended up putting in 2 or 3 hours trying out EQ & compressor plugs to get what I wanted out of the vocal. It happens.... But I still shoot for the 'brass ring': getting it right the first time. Doesn't always happen.

[veracohr]

 

I think Live's plug-ins are really underrated, but I figure that's mostly because they work only in Live

 

 

Exactly. I don't use them much because I switch between Live & DP, and I'd rather just start with, say, UAD plugins so that I can save them and load them easily in DP instead of having to re-make. But on occasion, especially when I'm messing around and not sure if what I'm working on will last, I use some of Live's plugins, and they're pretty good. I especially like the filtered delay. It's a pain to have to redo later with separate delays and EQ/filter, and never sounds exactly the same.

[A. Einstein]

Since I produce everything in digital audio priduction software since quite a while, and there are so many new plugins lately, I set up a project where I can test plug-ins quickly on high quality recorded tracks which where recorded without any processing, no limiter no nothing,

 

as well I have a few unprocessed tracks of the Berliner Philharmoniker to test EQs