Alongside developing the first audio plugin, the Waves Q10 Paragraphic EQ, and the hugely popular L1 Ultramaximizer/Limiter back in the 90s (which are both still being used in major studios all around the world to this day!), Waves remains at the forefront of technological innovation and authentic analog emulation with each new product they release.

On that note, today I’d like to introduce you to 5 Waves plugins I’ve been using heavily on a daily basis for the last 10 years or so. You’ve most definitely heard these being used on thousands of chart-topping records.

Note: although pretty much all of the plugins I’m mentioning in this article are pretty old at this point, the fact that hundreds of chart-topping, A-tier engineers still use them religiously in mixes just goes to show how awesome they still are!

1. SSL E-Channel Channelstrip

Part of the Waves SSL 4000 Collection, but also available to purchase individually, the SSL E-Channel plugin is an authentic emulation of the Solid State Logic 4000-series mixing console of the same name. This console is widely regarded as the most famous mixing desk of all time.

The go-to choice of platinum hit makers including Chris Lord-Alge, Andy Wallace, Randy Staub, David Bendeth and Bob Clearmountain, SSL consoles are famous for their aggressive, punchy, “in your face” sound.

Green Day’s American Idiot, Nirvana’s Nevermind, Paramore’s Riot, Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA and Nickelback’s Dark Horse were all mixed on SSL consoles and relied heavily on built-in processing!

The plugin consists of a 6-band equalizer section on the left, and a flexible, powerful dynamics section on the right with a great compressor/limiter and gate/expander. The EQ features sweepable high & low-pass filters, and a four-band parametric equalizer.

Check out the video below, in which Eric Tarr gives a great in-depth explanation on how the plugin works, alongside some awesome practical usage examples.

My Top-tips for Using the SSL E-Channel Plugin

Aggressive Shelving: Don’t be afraid to try cranking a +8-10 dB 8 kHz high-shelf boost on vocals and drums to get them to really shine and cut through. This EQ is highly musical, and I often find myself using it to paint in broad strokes which drastically alter the overall tone of an instrument rather than doing multiple surgical cuts in the mids to try and achieve a similar effect.

Fast/Slow Attack: Depending on whether you’re looking to tame or accentuate the attack of the signal you’re compressing/limiting, definitely make sure to experiment between using the fast or slow attack time setting. On the slow attack setting, the compressor will allow the transients to pass through untouched, resulting in a punchier front-end. On the fast attack time setting the compressor will react quickly and grab the transients, resulting in a softer, less “pokey” front-end.

Gate vs. Expander: When using the gate, don’t just automatically reduce the range knob to maximum in an attempt to obliterate all bleed. Instead, allow a little bit of underlying bleed to remain, and you’ll find that the gate (or technically “expander” at this point) suddenly produces much more natural sounding noise suppression results.

2. CLA-2A Compressor

Part of the CLA Classic Compressors Collection, but also available to purchase individually, the CLA-2A plugin is an authentic emulation of the classic Teletronix LA-2A Leveling Amplifier. This remains one of the most popular compressors of all time since its original introduction in the 60s.

Revered primarily for its smooth and musical gain reduction (compression) effect on lead vocals, the 2A is extremely simple to operate (if not the simplest plugin to operate). It boasts just 2 main controls: gain and peak reduction.

Simply put, insert the plugin on a vocal track, adjust the amount of peak reduction to taste, compensate the overall volume with the gain knob and voila! You’ve got a rich, warm, silky smooth vocal sound in a matter of seconds!

Check out the video below, in which Ian Vargo gives a great practical example of how the CLA-2A can be used to easily level-out a dynamic vocal in an indie rock context.

My Top-Tips for Using the CLA-2A Plugin

Staged Compression: Although the CLA-2A can work just fine by itself on most mid and slow-tempo material, with faster material you may want to try pairing it with a faster compressor such as the CLA-76. The faster compressor should be inserted beforehand in order to tame the fast peaks and allow the 2A to operate smoothly, without frantically trying to catch up to the fast dynamic fluctuations in the material. This is due to the non-adjustable, slow release time of the plugin. This is a hugely popular compression chain for vocals, and a technique I use on every single mix.

Tube Warmth: Given the fact that the plugin is emulating not only the compression characteristics but also the analog saturation characteristics of the analog unit, even just running audio through the plugin with no peak-reduction applied can often be a good idea when looking to subtly “warm up” your digitally recorded audio tracks.

3. CLA-76 Compressor

Part of the CLA Classic Compressors Collection, but also available to purchase individually, the CLA-76 is an emulation of probably the most well-known and beloved compressor of all time: the Universal Audio 1176 Limiting Amplifier (compressor).

Much like the CLA-2A, the CLA-76 is fairly simple to operate, with the main differences being the additional attack, release, ratio and “revision” settings available to the user.

While someone who’s new to the concept of compression may find the idea of all these additional controls a bit daunting, in practice you’ll find that most engineers use the exact same settings 90% of the time regardless of source material. The main variable is whether they use the “blackface” or “blueface” version of the plugin.

Check out the video below, in which David Glenn uses the CLA-76 plugin to parallel compress a bass guitar for added sustain, attack and consistency.

My Top-Tips for Using the CLA-76 Plugin

Black or Blue: To my ears, the blueface variation is brighter and a bit more “spitty” sounding, while the blackface variation is smoother and a bit less aggressive. When looking to achieve a bright, aggressive, spitty, “in your face” vocal sound (a la CLA), try crushing the lead vocal with a 4:1 ratio, slow attack, fast release and 10 dB+ of peak reduction.

Cheat Sheet: For most purposes, setting the attack knob at 3 (slow), release knob at 7 (fastest) and ratio at 4:1 will work great. Simply dial in the amount of compression you want with the input knob and the amount of after-the-fact make-up gain you want with the output knob, and you’re good to go!

Do it in Parallel: Try absolutely crushing a drum room, bass or vocal with the fastest attack and release settings with the CLA-76 on a parallel channel and blending it in subtly under your primary signal to gain all the benefits of the boosted sustain without totally sucking all the life out of your initial transients.

4. L1 Ultramaximizer/Limiter

One of the most iconic plugins ever released, the Waves L1 Ultramaximizer/Limiter is a one-stop-shop for gently taming or absolutely obliterating the dynamic peaks of an incoming audio signal.

Much like the CLA-2A compressor we’ve talked about previously in this article, the L1 is extremely simple to operate. Simply pull down the threshold fader until you’re taming the incoming peaks by the desired amount, then adjust the output ceiling to the level you’d like the signal to sit at.

Check out the video below from Waves for some examples of the L1 and it’s younger brother L2 in action.

My Top-Tips for Using the L1 Plugin

Transparent Limiting: With a totally raw and dynamic vocal track, you’ll often have a few words which are drastically “peakier” and louder than the rest scattered throughout the performance. When using a slower compressor such as the CLA-2A, these loud peaks will cause the compressor to “pump” due to the slow release time. Taming these peaks beforehand by a few dB with a super-fast and transparent limiter such as the L1 will prevent your vocal from pumping your compressors down the line, resulting in a much more natural final vocal sound.

Soften: Sometimes you’ll come across a tacky piano track, pokey snare, or overly “picky” guitar track that simply makes your eyes hurt. Try using the L1 to shave off some of the harsh attack, and allow these instruments to sink back into the mix in a more natural and pleasing way.

5. Vocal Rider

A fairly unique plugin, the Waves Vocal Rider is basically the digital equivalent of having someone manually ride (adjust) the volume fader of a vocal track from start-to-finish, but without all of the time-consuming, boring and frustrating bits that go hand in hand with doing the real thing.

In a nutshell, the “target” slider is used to determine the average level you’d like the vocal to sit at within the mix, then the plugin will automatically increase/decrease (ride) the volume of the vocal based on your chosen speed (fast or slow reaction time) and range (max/min volume increase/decrease applied) settings.

My Top-Tip for Using the Vocal Rider Plugin

Ease the Load on Your Compressors: Compressors can potentially pump and spit in an unpleasant way if the raw performance you’re feeding into them is too dynamic. In order to ease the load on my compressors from the get go and start with fairly even vocal tracks which are all sitting around a similar overall average volume, I’ll often run all of my vocals into individual instances of Vocal Rider as the first step of my vocal mixing chain.

6. SSL G-Master Buss Compressor

When the topic of buss compression comes up, most people will instantly think of the SSL G-Series Buss Compressor. While there are a lot of digital recreations of this classic hardware unit to choose from on the market nowadays, the Waves emulation has always been an industry favorite.

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept: buss compression is basically the act of applying stereo compression to an instrument group/buss (e.g. all drums, all guitars, full mixes, etc.) in order to somewhat unify and “glue” the individual musical elements together dynamics-wise.

Check out the following video by Eric Tarr for some great examples of how the Waves SSL G-Master Buss Compressor can be used in various ways to glue and punch-up a drum track:

My Top-Tip for Using the SSL G-Master Buss Compressor Plugin

The Classic SSL Compressor Settings: For most buss compression applications, a ratio of 4:1, attack time of 30ms and release time of 100ms or auto will do wonders.

Simply pull down the threshold to where you’re getting some nice glue and attack enhancement while making sure not to induce pumping, then apply some after-the-fact make-up gain to match the before/after and call it a day. Simple!

7. PuigTec Equalizers (EQP-1A + MEQ5)

When fat, deep lows and smooth, airy highs are the goal, it’s hard to beat the studio classic Pultec EQP-1A Program Equalizer. But given the fact that a real, single-input hardware Pultec currently costs $4000 ($8000 if you want stereo processing!), the truth is, this sound was basically unattainable for the common man/woman for the first 60-ish years of its existence.

Luckily in 2008, Waves Audio teamed up with legendary producer/engineer Jack Joseph Puig to capture and re-create his original hand-crafted Pultec unit in the digital domain, resulting in one of the most beloved and widely-used equalizer plugins in history, the PuigTec EQP-1A.

The fact that the sound of this classic equalizer is now available to the masses at the incredibly affordable low price of $35 (bundled together with the MEQ-5 mid-range equalizer) is simply incredible. Here’s a great example from Waves Audio of the Puigtec Equalizers in action:

My Top-Tip for Using the Puigtec EQP-1A Equaliser Plugin

The Tone of the Plugin: While the Puigtec EQP-1A is a fantastic plugin for applying drastic low & high boosts, I’ll often simply insert it on a channel with no boosts whatsoever just to benefit from the tone of the plugin itself. Even on the flat default setting it can add a wonderful low end boost that’s just the ticket when something needs that tiny bit of extra fattening.

8. C6 Multiband Compressor

Multiband compression is one of the most useful processing tools in mixing. Being able to control dynamics on a per-band, per-frequency basis simply allows for much greater sonic control than is often achievable via regular EQ or compression. It’s often the only solution for getting a voice or instrument sounding totally in-check and natural.

For me, my journey into multiband compression started way back with Waves’ awesome C4 Multiband Compressor plugin. The C6 Multiband Compressor is essentially the C4’s bigger brother, allowing for the same awesome level control and versatility, but with an additional 2 floating bands and the ever-so-useful option to use a sidechain input.

Whether you’re looking to dynamically control the low end bloom of guitar chugs in a heavy metal guitar performance, reduce sibilance/harshness in vocals or simply compress the lows of a bass guitar/synth, C6 has you covered. Here’s an example of the plugin in action by Eric Tarr:

My Top-Tip for Using the C6 Multiband Compressor Plugin

Kick/Bass Low End Juggling: While sidechaining a kick to a bass so that the bass ducks in volume every time the kick hits is common practice in a lot of “synthetic” genres, it’s a fairly blatant effect and often doesn’t work for more “natural” styles of music.

A great solution for making sure you’re still maintaining maximum kick/bass low end compatibility for rock or pop, for example, would be to only duck the low end of the bass every time the kick hits via sidechaining the low band of a multiband compressor like the C6. Give it a go!

9. Doubler

Artificial vocal doubling has been used to give mono vocals an added sense of width and presence in mixing since the 80s, and is pretty much a given when looking to achieve that pristine “larger than life” mainstream-pop vocal sound you’re used to hearing on the radio.

Originally popularized through Eventide’s classic H3000 Ultra-Harmonizer hardware effects unit, the “doubling” effect basically consists of multiple duplicated “doubles” of the original sound being hard panned left/right, then subtly delayed and pitch-shifted up/down a few cents on each side and blended subtly (or not so subtly) underneath the dry signal. The result is a somewhat “stereo-ized” sound which has a larger sonic signature when played back within a mix.

Waves’ Doubler allows you to recreate and customize this effect to fit any source, and is a tool for adding that final 5% to get your vocals or guitars to really pop. See the plugin in action:

My Top-Tip for Using the Doubler Plugin

Subtle Width: While the Doubler can be a great effect when used heavily and blatantly, when looking to maintain a certain level of natural “realism,” it’s often best dialed in to the point of being “subtly felt” rather than “obviously heard.”

Typically blending in a 100% wet Doubler effect at -20 or -25 dB lower than your original dry signal will do a great job of achieving some nice extra presence and width without sticking out.

10. H-Delay Hybrid Delay

There are tons of great delay plugins to choose from nowadays, but you’ll typically see the same 2-3 being used in all the big studios by all the big-dog mixers. One of them is Waves’ H-Delay.

Delay is a pretty simple effect at its core, and most basic delay plugins will do the trick when you’re just looking for clean, simple repetitions of your input source. The area in which delay plugins can differ drastically is in the extra features and tonal options they have to offer. This is where H-Delay really shines. With 4 different analog “characters” to choose from, built in high/low-pass filters, a great modulation section and an instant “lo-fi” mode option, the plugin basically allows you to create the perfect “custom” delay sound to fit any context.

Here’s a great demo from Waves on various ways you can use H-Delay to create cool effects within a mix:

My Top-Tip for Using the H-Delay Plugin

Filter Your Delays: Generally speaking, full-range, full-frequency delays tend to take up far too much space within a mix. They can really muddy up and get in the way of the dry signal you’re applying them to when pushed too far. A classic trick for achieving present, audible delays which don’t contribute a huge amount of clutter to a mix is to simply channel them into the midrange via fairly heavy-handedly filtering out the lows and highs. You’ll be surprised at how much of a difference some basic filters at 250-500 Hz and 5-8 kHz will make towards clearing up your mix!

Final Conclusion

You’ll often come across user comments and software advertisements on the web saying one manufacturer’s version of a plugin emulation is “far more realistic” than another’s. Personally, I say that most of the time the small differences really aren’t worth all the fuss. If you understand how the tools work, you can get great results using any one of them.

Regardless of whether Waves plugins are “the most authentic next to the real thing” or not, they have a sound that myself and literally thousands of engineers love and use on a daily basis. They definitely deserve their legendary status as some of the best audio processing plugins of all time.

The post 10 Most Popular Waves Audio Plugins appeared first on Plugins24.

It should be noted that pitch correction plugins such as Melodyne (Celemony) or Auto-tune (Antares) have not been included here, because those products are largely about correcting vocal inconsistencies with subtle or not-so-subtle pitch quantizing. What has become known as the Cher effect due to her song “Believe” is something heard everywhere now. That style of abrupt auto-tuning is anything but transparent. Curiously, the producers originally attributed the effect to a vocoding process so as not to reveal their “trade secret.” Read this historical footnote embedded in this Sound on Sound article from 1999.

“Cher’s “Believe” (December 1998) was the first commercial recording to feature the audible side-effects of Antares Auto‑Tune software used as a deliberate creative effect. The (now) highly recognizable tonal mangling occurs when the pitch correction speed is set too fast for the audio that it is processing, and it became one of the most over-used production effects of the following years.

In February 1999, when this Sound On Sound article was published, the producers of this recording were apparently so keen to maintain their “trade secret” process that they were willing to attribute the effect to the (then) recently-released Digitech Talker vocoder pedal. As most people are now all‑too familiar with the “Cher effect,” as it has become known, we have maintained the article in its original form as an interesting historical footnote.” (Matt Bell) (source).

But they couldn’t keep that secret for long and now the Cher effect is a recognizable cliché or an expected/accepted part of the musical language in certain genres, depending on your perspective.

If you are looking for precise vocal pitch correction, whether blatant or transparent, those products by Celemony (Melodyne) and Antares (Auto-tune) have set the standard. But if you want to explore software that leans more towards creative pitch-shifting methods for manipulating literally any melodic source, read on.

1. Crystallizer by Soundtoys

This staple in the Soundtoys arsenal takes a granular approach to alter pitch for creative effect. It includes delay, filtering and pitch-shifting (plus or minus 3 octaves) with fine-tuning by cents. Note: each 1/2 step = 100 cents. Browsing through the presets reveals everything from chordal harmonization settings to bizarre and unexpected textures.

Also check out Little Alter Boy, which has a deceptively simple but powerful interface that includes formant controls that can be linked to pitch and three progressively aggressive modes: transpose, quantize and robot.

2. Pitchfunk by DMG Audio

This product by DMG Audio, the creators of the coveted mastering limiter Limitless, among other great plugins, is a pitch-shifter that thrives on modulation with 3 LFOs, an envelope and onboard filtering & delay. It also works natively with ODDSound’s MTS-ESP plugin for microtonal contexts.

3. FrqShift by Tonstrum

As the name implies, this plugin is more aptly described as a frequency shifter, since parameters are designed to explore frequencies as opposed to notes or pitches. There are two frequency shifting engines that can generate subtle stereo enhancement, weird atmospheric textures and everything in between.

4. Pitch Shifter by Kilohearts

Don’t let the austere interface of Pitch Shifter from Kilohearts fool you. This little bad boy is a capable granular-based pitch manipulator with a randomize button guaranteed to provide hours of enjoyment.

5. Pitchmap by Zynaptiq

This incredible device produces effects you could not even imagine. As the developer states, it allows for “processing the pitch of individual sounds within mixed signals in real-time. It lets you change the melodies and harmonies of any recording by simply playing your own on a MIDI keyboard or creating a pitch map using our stream-lined GUI, and optionally corrects any tuning issues at the same time.”

Pitchmap, like many of Zynatiq’s products, is geared towards sound design and sonic experimentation, and the GUI is unusually stunning. It is simply fun to use at every level!

6. VocalSynth 2 by iZotope

This plugin has a treasure trove of vocal processing and pitch-shifting algorithms that can be successfully applied to any source. In addition, there is a robust collection of audio processing modules that can be custom routed. The interface is intuitive and encourages experimentation.

7. Spectral Harmonizer by Michael Norris

This plugin is part of the shareware suite from Michael Norris that uses real-time spectral processing for a variety of extremely effective plugins. The interfaces are comprised of the bare-bones default controls for the Mac. You won’t find any fancy visuals here, but toying with the generic sliders and menus are well-worth it, considering the sonic results. The whole suite should definitely be explored. And if you like the stuff, be sure to throw him a few bucks in appreciation.

8. Manipulator by Polyverse and Infected Mushroom

This is one of my new favorite mangling plugins. It can be loaded as a normal audio plugin on an audio or instrument track, or you can use it like a vocoder as an instrument with a side-chained audio input. The single-page interface gives you everything you need to generate granular textures with seven main controls: pitch, harmonics, alternator (pitch-shift range), formant, ratio, FM and octave. At the bottom are “metaknobs” — four user-defined modulation sources. The graphics are brilliant and intuitive. You can instantly start creating juicy and unusual timbres seconds after your first launch. But there is also a decent set of presets categorized as subtle, morphs, rhythmic, FX and MIDI. When used as an instrument with side-chained audio it supports up to 4 voice polyphony. If you are looking to transform, mutate, morph, mutilate, mangle or sonically disfigure a vocal or literally any other audio input, the Manipulator will do the job!

9. Fusia by Puremagnetik

Fusia is one of the best $20 plugins you can find and another jewel from Puremagnetik. The company offers a great collection of low-cost and free spectral and granular-based processing devices with simple and intuitive interfaces. Fusia is a pitch-shifting plugin that can create chaotic textures and surprising results with just a few twists of one of the nine control parameters. One of the most satisfying features is the spectral freeze button which can generate sparkling drones that will shimmer on indefinitely. The comic book aesthetics of these plugs is an indication of the playful approach of the developers, emphasizing experimentation and exploration.

10. Pathways by Dillon Bastan (Distributed by Isotonik Studios)

For Ableton Live users, this Max for Live device offers FFT and granular modes to manipulate pitch and filtering via a fun little spectral interface that allows you to draw a cursor path right in the display. Drag and drop a sample and use the drawing tools to create a custom path. It’s a great tool for generating textural loops from any audio file. For the price of a sandwich and a cup of coffee, this thing is a steal! Check out other sonic and visual lunacy by Dillon Bastan at his website.

11. Pitch Monster by Devious Machines

This beast has three main modes: granular, formant and vocode — giving the user a choice of algorithms that can be auditioned on the fly. For vocals, input modes are available based on the range of the vocalist for optimal performance. There is a convenient onboard filter and some nice jitter effects. The chord setting is particularly satisfying and intuitive for making customized presets. I suggest exploring the SFX category in the preset library if you need a unique texture.

12. Quadrovox by Eventide

This plugin was offered free for a short time by Eventide just before it released the Octavox with 8 voices instead of 4. Both are designed as diatonic pitch-shifters for generating harmonies from a single voice or audio input. Each voice can be independently delayed and panned, and tuning can be adjusted to a tenth of a cent. The notation grid is a convenient way to both visualize and edit the delays and pitch of each voice. You can also scale quantize the output which is indicated with traditional key signatures in the notation grid.

Eventide is well-known for its hardware-based harmonizers and pedals, and the H9 series exploits that expertise in the software realm. Be sure to check the software emulations of the H910 Harmonizer and the effects-rich H949 Harmonizer as well.

Final Thoughts

It should be clear by now that pitch-shifting devices can have far more capability than pitch correction and simple vocal processing. Any audio input can be raw material for extreme pitch-based manipulation resulting in unique textures, rich drones and complex rhythmic loops.

The post 12 of the Best Creative Pitch-Shifting Plugins appeared first on Plugins24.

Perhaps aside from equalization, there is no type of processor more essential to the audio engineer than the compressor. Originally used in the broadcast industry to prevent the over-modulation of radio waves, music engineers gradually realized that compression could be used for other purposes. Compressors can even out the dynamic range of signals, making them easier to balance against one another. They can also manipulate transients so that the attack of kick or snare drums are more or less pronounced. Additionally, because many early hardware compressor units were tube (valve) based, engineers utilized the fact that they had a rich tonality to them, making them great for adding harmonic content to recordings.

Over the years technology advanced and so did the capability of compressors. They are now far more feature-laden than they were in the early days. As with equalizers, you’re not likely to be able to find a major music release over the past 60 years that didn’t utilize compression at some point in the production process, whether it be during recording, mixing and/or mastering.

Here are some of my favorite compressors to use when mixing music, and tips on how I use them.

1. UAD 1176 Classic Limiter Collection

Bill Putnam of Universal Audio designed the original 1176, which went on to become the most popular compressor of all time. It’s known for its character and aggression. It’s no surprise that the Universal Audio plugin emulation of the classic hardware unit is a standout. The Classic Limiter Collection comes with three revisions of the 1176, each of which have their own unique sonic characteristics.

Mix Tips

Revision A: sometimes referred to as the “Bluestripe” due to its faceplate, Rev. A is based on Putnam’s original design, and became known for its distortion characteristics and its ability to “slam” drums aggressively. I use it all over the place when mixing: for emphasizing the tails in drum room tracks, giving a more “in your face” quality to vocals and even adding energy to an entire mix by using it in parallel.

Revision E: Also referred to LN for “low noise,” the Rev. E is slightly tamer than its blue-faced counterpart, and I use it when I want a more transparent gain reduction solution.

AE (Anniversary Edition): this version features lower compression ratios (down to 2.1) than the others, making it great for subtle gain reduction tasks.

2. FabFilter Pro-C 2

If you’re looking for a hyper-flexible, clean-sounding compressor not based on a classic hardware unit, it’s hard to argue against the Pro-C 2. It’s jam-packed with modern features, a beautiful graphical user interface and 5 different compression styles that emulate different compressor types. The types are as follows:

Vocal: designed to bring vocals to the front of your mix. This style has automatic knee and ratio settings, so compressing your lead vocal is fast and easy.

Mastering: designed to be as clean and transparent as possible, introducing little to no harmonic content, which keeps the integrity of the mix intact.

Bus: designed to work well with combined sources like drums. Adds a pleasant and subtle glue to tracks.

Punch: traditional, well-rounded, analog-like compression behavior.

Pumping: this style was designed to introduce over-the-top pumping artifacts. while this obviously doesn’t work on everything, it often suits harder hitting musical genres like EDM quite well.

It’s important to utilize the compressor type that best suits your program material, but don’t let the recommended types prevent you from experimenting with all that this compressor has to offer. You might find situations in which the punch compressor type works on a vocal, bus works on an individual track, etc.

Mix Tip

Use M/S mode to fine tune the dynamics of subgroups and your stereo buss. I find the Mid-Side capabilities to be incredibly useful when you want to alter the dynamics of the information in the middle or panned to the sides separately. For example, you can compress the information in the sides to add liveliness and excitement to them without altering the dynamic range of the kick, snare, bass and lead vocals, which are generally panned center.

3. Soundtoys Devil-Loc Deluxe

Continuing in the Soundtoys tradition of emulating vibey vintage gear while adding a few helpful modern twists, this compressor plugin is a take on the Shure Level-Loc from the 1960s which was originally designed to be used for public address systems. The original Level Loc only had three controls: an input level knob, a distance selector and a bypass switch. Fortunately, Soundtoys upgraded the Level Loc’s capabilities, and the Devil-Loc Deluxe features crush (compression level), crunch (which is an unwieldy saturation effect), slow or fast release settings, darkness (which is for tone-shaping) and a mix knob.

Mix Tip

Place Devil-Loc on your track(s) of choice, dial in a sound, assign the mix parameter to a knob or fader on your MIDI controller and automate to taste. The Devil-Loc is not subtle, but can be dialed back by turning down the mix blend. By assigning this control to a knob or fader, you can add a performative element to your mix. Try this on bass, vocals, subgroups or even the master buss if you’re feeling adventurous.

4. Whichever SSL Bus Compressor Emulation You Can Get Your Hands On

The original SSL Bus Compressor became known for its punchy, energetic sound and was often used for adding “glue” to entire mixes. There are tons of great plugin version offerings from companies including SSL itself, Waves, IK Multimedia, Slate Digital, Universal Audio, Cytomic, Native Instruments, PSP, and more. If you own Ableton Live, a free version comes included in the form of the Glue Compressor. No two of these are exactly the same, but each provide superb sound quality if you’re looking to add a final cohesive polish to your tracks. The real difference you’ll find is in the functionality, as some of the aforementioned plugins offer more features than others. I suggest demoing as many as possible and finding the one that works for you.

Mix Tip

Start with a slow attack, fast (or auto) release, 2:1 ratio, and set the threshold so that only about 1-2 dB of gain reduction is taking place. Then tweak to your liking. To me, the SSL sounds a bit ‘mushy’ when not used subtly, so I suggest starting with these conservative settings, and then alter them based on your own needs.

5. Universal Audio Empirical Labs Distressor

UAD partnered with Dave Derr of Empirical Labs when meticulously designing this end-to-end emulation of the legendary EL8 Distressor. Made commercially available in 1993, the Distressor gained popularity among engineers for its lightning-fast attack, ability to aggressively shape transients and its harmonic characteristics. Derr strongly endorsed Universal Audio’s take on his beloved hardware compressor, stating “It’s the best Distressor emulation in the world and will stand the test of time as the definitive Distressor emulation.”

Mix Tip

While I definitely recommend using the Distressor on drum recordings (whether they be kick, snare or rooms) for its abilities to shape transients, I also love using the EL8 in parallel on lead vocals. Depending on the mix, I might send my lead vocal track through several auxiliary tracks, each with their own unique processing chain to bring out certain qualities in the vocal. One such aux will be “warm” with processing placed strategically to bring out chest tones and fullness. Another will be “intense,” with an up-front, energetic quality. For the “intense” vocal aux, I’ll usually use the Distressor with a moderately fast attack and release and a 10 to 1 ratio. I’ll utilize the band emphasis feature found within the detector section. This will influence the compressor to tame harsh upper midrange frequencies. For extra grit, I’ll use either the “Dist 2” or “Dist 3” features found within the audio section, which introduces saturation onto the signal. I’ll tweak the input until I have achieved the desired amount of gain reduction. I’m left with a powerful, exciting vocal sound that can be blended with the others.

6. Softube Tube-Tech CL 1B

Based on the award-winning optical compressor from Tube-Tech and founder John G. Peterson, the plugin version of the CL 1B is silky smooth and a nice mellower alternative to the numerous in-your-face dynamics processors listed previously. When I’m looking for a warm, somewhat subtle and musical compressor, I’ll very often reach for the CL 1B. Most refreshing about this plugin is that it usually takes very little time to dial in the exact sound I’m going for. With a few quick turns of the chunky, black (graphical) threshold, attack, release and ratio knobs I can dial in a transparent and forgiving compression sound.

Mix Tip

There’s a reason the CL 1B is regarded as one of the greatest compressors for lead vocals. Once dialed in, it almost feels like someone is riding a fader for you. The volume of the louder passages is smoothly reduced, and with the release set correctly the quieter parts are brought up without any of the pumping artifacts that certain compressors are known for.

7. iZotope Neutron 3 Compressor

This versatile compressor from iZotope can do a bit of everything. It can be surgical and transparent, but it also features a “vintage mode” if you’re looking to add color and character to your signal. The depth of this compressor can’t be summarized in a couple of paragraphs, as it is loaded with state of the art capabilities. Because of this, the learning curve is a tad steep if you want to fully utilize the Neutron 3 Compressor, but it’s worth it to put in the work.

Mix Tip

I enjoy using the multiband capabilities found within the Neutron 3 Compressor. If I’m working on a sound source that has too much dynamic range at one specific frequency area (for example a kick drum that has a nice upper midrange punch but is a bit “boomy” in the 150-400 Hz range), I’ll compress only at that frequency range. The ability to focus in on specific area of the frequency spectrum is a helpful one, and not something that many other compressors can offer.

8. Brainworx/Plugin Alliance Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A 

I’ve been using the original Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor plugin from Brainworx/Universal Audio for years now as a mainstay on my stereo buss and for in the box mastering duties, so needless to say, I was thrilled when I heard that Brainworx was modeling the Class A version that was released by Vintage King in 2012. As with the original SHMC, the Class A features both discrete and optical compressor sections, with the latter having been upgraded with Lundahl input transformers and hand-wired using Mogami Cable. The result is a smoother, punchier sound with more depth and clarity. The switchable output transformer control allows you to add three distinct types of coloration (iron for a smooth top end, nickle for a boost in the midrange, and steel for a touch of harmonic distortion) to your signal.

 Mix Tip

As with any mastering compressor, I would recommend starting with a conservative approach — moderate to slow attack, moderately fast release (if possible, timed with the “groove” of the song) and then set the threshold for both the optical and discrete sections so that you have only about 1-2 dB of gain reduction. In non-mastering settings, feel free to push this plugin harder by using faster attack times and higher ratios, being sure to take advantage of the parallel mix blend knob. I’ll often use this approach on subgroups, applying upwards of 10 dB of gain reduction when I’m feeling adventurous, and then dialing back the effect with the mix blend knob.

9. Brainworx/Plugin Alliance Purple Audio MC 77 Limiter

It’s no secret that the 1176 compressor, originally manufactured by Universal Audio, is a studio legend. You’ll find plenty of hardware and software emulations of the original, and many of them are fantastic. The 1176 and its predecessors are known for their lightning-quick transient response, allowing users to manipulate transients with precision. They are also highly regarded for their colorful sonic character when driven hard. Purple Audio released their version, known as the MC 77 (MC is 1100 in Roman numerals), in 1997 and it has become used in studios the world over for its impeccable build and sound quality. The Brainworx emulation features added flexibility including M/S (Mid-Side) capabilities, a high-pass sidechain, stereo width control, a dry/wet blend knob and more.

Mix Tip

Similar to the original 1176, I love using the MC 77 on vocals placed before an LA2A to grab and tame louder passages. This allows the slower, smoother LA2A to work in a more transparent fashion. Truthfully though, the MC 77 works splendidly on anything you’d use an 1176 on. It’s fun to use it to smash individual drums or room mics, it can give a gritty, vintage saturation to a bass guitar and it can help acoustic guitars sit evenly in a mix.

10. Brainworx bx_Townhouse Compressor

In 1978, engineers at Townhouse studios in London custom built a compressor made from components supplied by Solid State Logic. This punchy, character rich buss compression unit proved essential during a time when similar hardware was not commonplace, and it has been used on records for artists including Sting, Muse, Queen and many more. If you’re looking to add liveliness and energy to a rock mix, this “glue” compressor is a great option.

Mix Tip

I go through phases with plugins, and there will be times when the Townhouse lives on my stereo buss. I love the sense of cohesion and excitement it adds to entire mixes, and it’s made even more useful by having a mix blend knob (as most Brainworx plugins are equipped with). I find that this compressor works best when used similarly to how I employ an SSL master buss compressor, which is subtly. Usually a 10 or 30 millisecond attack time is advisable, as it allows the transients through, and the fast or auto release settings sound the most appropriate. Once I have these set, I’ll alter the threshold so that the Townhouse is only doing about 1-3 dB of compression. Because this plugin features a mix blend knob though, sometimes I’ll use more extreme settings with greater amounts of gain reduction and then dial back the mix, essentially employing parallel compression.

11. Tone Empire LOC-NESS v2

The name suggests that this plugin from Tone Empire is paying homage to the Shure level loc, but LOC-NESS takes the concept of Shure’s classic public address compressor and runs with it, adding features that make this plugin useful for filtering and saturation in addition to mangling the dynamic range of your signals. LOC-NESS features a hilariously named “crust” knob (which is essentially a saturation control), plus “smash” (which is heavy limiting and great for adding sustain to tracks) and both pre and post filter sections. It also comes with four unique saturation types and an attack control that allows your initial transients to survive this absolutely abusive compressor. Lastly, the helpful wet/dry blend knob allows you to dial back the overall effect for a more subtle application of the effect. Altogether, LOC-NESS is a fantastic transient and tone shaping tool.

Mix Tip

According to the Tone Empire website, LOC-NESS is geared towards anyone interested in smashing their drum tracks, whether they be close-miked signals, overheads or rooms. And while this plugin certainly works wonderfully for that application, I’ve found it useful for anything that needs a bit of grit. In my mixes, LOC-NESS has found its way onto piano tracks, strings, guitars and even subgroup tracks. Don’t be afraid to use LOC-NESS on any track or group that is perhaps lacking in size and character.

12. Maag Audio Magnum K Compressor

Mix Tip

Similar to the EQ4, this compressor features Maag’s famous AIR BAND within the parallel EQ section. Users can boost at one of several low mid frequency ranges with the LMF control, as well as all the way up to 40k using the AIR BAND. Embrace this silky smooth feature to brighten individual elements or add a sparkly shine to an entire mix.

13. SPL Iron

Mix Tip

While IRON excels at stereo buss and mastering duties, don’t hesitate to use it on drum and instrument busses. I experimented with IRON on an acoustic guitar bus, and it instantly sounded powerful & upfront, but still very musical.

14. Goodhertz Vulf Compressor

Mix Tip

Go under the hood for even more tweakability — check out advanced controls for compression attack, release, stereo link, wow & flutter mix, phase speed, as well as lo-fi noise gain, crunch and type.

15. Your Stock DAW Compressor

You don’t need to drop hundreds or even thousands of dollars on third-party software to get your tracks sounding punchy, full and exciting. While I’d rather bring any of the aforementioned plugins to a desert island than what comes pre-loaded into all of the top digital audio workstations, it’s more important to understand compression as a concept than it is to own the latest and greatest plugin compressors. Logic especially has flexible dynamics processing capabilities right out of the box, as its stock compressor comes with emulations of VCA (Voltage Controlled Amplifier), FET (Field Effect Transistor), Opto (Optical), and Digital compressor types built in.

So as you can tell, compressors come in several varieties, and can impart myriad qualities to your program material. While I love using different compressors for different utilities, most essential is learning the basics of gain reduction. For this reason, you might want to get comfortable with the concept by putting your stock DAW compressor through its paces before investing in third-party plugins.

The post 15 Best Compressor Plugins for Mixing (+ Mix Tips) appeared first on Plugins24.

Any apparent muddiness can be rolled off around 300Hz. Try a small boost around 5-7kHz to add some high end.

50-100Hz ~ Adds bottom to the sound
100-250Hz ~ Adds roundness
250-800Hz ~ Muddiness Area
5-8kHz ~ Adds high end prescence
8-12kHz ~ Adds Hiss

Snare

Try a small boost around 60-120Hz if the sound is a little too wimpy. Try boosting around 6kHz for that ‘snappy’ sound.

100-250Hz ~ Fills out the sound
6-8kHz ~ Adds prescence

Check It Snare ? 250hz gives heaps of body ? Matt applied around 150hz to the Battery snare in ?Scotts Drums?

Hi hats or cymbals

Any apparent muddiness can be rolled off around 300Hz. To add some brightness try a small boost around 3kHz.

250-800Hz ~ Muddiness area
1-6kHz ~ Adds presence
6-8kHz ~ Adds clarity
8-12kHz ~ Adds brightness

Bass

Try boosting around 60Hz to add more body. Any apparent muddiness can be rolled off around 300Hz.If more presence is needed, boost around 6kHz.

50-100Hz ~ Adds bottom end
100-250Hz ~ Adds roundness
250-800Hz ~ Muddiness Area
800-1kHz ~ Adds beef to small speakers
1-6kHz ~ Adds presence
6-8kHz ~ Adds high-end presence
8-12kHz ~ Adds hiss

Vocals

This is a difficult one, as it depends on the mic used to record the vocal. However…Apply either cut or boost around 300hz, depending on the mic and song.Apply a very small boost around 6kHz to add some clarity.

100-250Hz ~ Adds ‘up-frontness’
250-800Hz ~ Muddiness area
1-6kHz ~ Adds presence
6-8kHz ~ Adds sibilance and clarity
8-12kHz ~ Adds brightness

Piano

Any apparent muddiness can be rolled off around 300Hz. Apply a very small boost around 6kHz to add some clarity.

50-100Hz ~ Adds bottom
100-250Hz ~ Adds roundness
250-1kHz ~ Muddiness area
1-6kHz ~ Adds presence
6-8Khz ~ Adds clarity
8-12kHz ~ Adds hiss

Electric guitars

Again this depends on the mix and the recording. Apply either cut or boost around 300hz, depending on the song and sound. Try boosting around 3kHz to add some edge to the sound, or cut to add some transparency. Try boosting around 6kHz to add presence. Try boosting around 10kHz to add brightness.

100-250Hz ~ Adds body
250-800Hz ~ Muddiness area
1-6Khz ~ Cuts through the mix
6-8kHz ~ Adds clarity
8=12kHz ~ Adds hiss

Acoustic guitar

Any apparent muddiness can be rolled off between 100-300Hz. Apply small amounts of cut around 1-3kHz to push the image higher. Apply small amounts of boost around 5kHz to add some presence.

100-250Hz ~ Adds body
6-8kHz ~ Adds clarity
8-12kHz ~ Adds brightness

Strings

These depend entirely on the mix and the sound used.

50-100Hz ~ Adds bottom end
100-250Hz ~ Adds body
250-800Hz ~ Muddiness area
1-6kHz ~ Sounds crunchy
6-8kHz ~ Adds clarity
8-12kHz ~ Adds brightness

The post EQ Mixing Chart / Cheatsheet appeared first on Plugins24.