The Songwriter Forum - songwriting reviews, tips and chat
Songwriter Forum => Recording => Topic started by: cowparsleyman on August 31, 2018, 12:58:53 PM
-
Just been talking to @Cawproductions (http://www.songwriterforum.co.uk/index.php?action=profile;u=20938) and we got on the subject of plugins..(I don't know if this has been posted before...)
What are you go to plugins?
Do you have a preset based on a few, and you always use them?
Do you pay shed loads of cash for them or do you try and go for free ones?
I'm genuinely interested, for those who are interested I don't really need anymore.
Just to start things off....here's my favourites.
Izotope Nectar Elements - just great for Vocals, but avoid the auto correction with a long barge pole, and tweak every time to suit.(not many $ at all)
Waves Abbey Road Plates - use it very sparingly - great for everything
Waves Puigchild compressor - makes dance drums sound snappy
Izotope Ozone stereo maker - brilliant way to add width (it was free too)
Waves Scheps 73 - channel strip - seems to have a knack of making things jump out of the mix
Waves Torque - Super for tuning Kick or Snare drums to the general key of a song.
Waves NLS (used on each track)+ Waves SSL Buss Comp - Used on the master buss - Makes a good mix just sound fantastic
Isol8 - I just don't know why this is sooo good, but It just makes bass guitar sound really cool (free)
Most Waves plugins pretty much come up up for $29 at sometime through the year, you get 10% off with yny23 discount code(which comes out to about £18), so I tend to watch and wait and pounce.
The other thing I do with plugs is to read the manual, and test it before using it in anger, just so I have a feel for it. Maybe watch a few videos.
hope this helps
cpm
-
Hi Cpm.
So heres my tools for a great mix. IMHO
I have native instruments Komplete 11
It has a great SSL EQ, Compressor and master bus compressor emulation. Sounds great on most stuff. Solid mix series.
Running case 8.5 pro so it has a good 1176 comp and a tube comp.
Use the 1176 on vocals, parallel drum busses, anything that needs a bit of quite harsh compression.
Tube comp I use on vocals after I have tuned with Melodyne and fully automated the volume by hand to obtain clarity on every word.
I may comp again to add a little more smoothness to the vocal. and again if it needs it.
The Komplete 11 comes with Replika, great delay and Supercharger comp...turn the dial and listen type plugins....but work on drums heavy guitars and solos.
I am try to incorporate the stock cubase plugs too, as they may not look the best but seem to work as good as anything else.
As I said before, I think you can achieve the same results from lots of plugins.
Hope this helps
Andy
-
Hi @Cawproductions (http://www.songwriterforum.co.uk/index.php?action=profile;u=20938) - Interesting what you use, I agree there are loads of great plug bundled with DAW, it's all to easy to overlook these, especially if they don't appear to be as flashy as others...
Thanks for the response
cpm
-
I can recommend Aphex Aural exciter for brass, seems to bring it alive...
cpm
-
This review is the best.
-
Anything by these guys! https://valhalladsp.com/
-
I've heard that they are excellent, anyone into FabFilter, they seem well received in the edm world.
I have to say I'm particularly keen on Waves products, they get a grilling in the music press but they are excellent, even if a bit long i the tooth, and maybe a bit CPU hungry, they also have some great features, and they are easy to use, unlike some I've tried....loads of buttons, sliders do me head in.....
-
I mostly use the plugins that are part of the Logic Pro X package. They are excellent. I use EQ, Compression, reverb, occasional light delay a De-esser for vocals and occasionally the exiter plugin . The Waves vocal Rider is a cool plugin too. I've got the Fender Amplitube plugin but don't use it extensively and addictive Drums that I used to used a great deal but not so much anymore.
Paul
-
My DAW is Reaper so basically everything is a plugin. EQ, comp, d Esser, and all modulation etc...i stick mostly to the canned plugins that come with Reaper. It does everything I need to do.
-
One plugin I turn to consistently is PSP's NobleQ. Superb EQ
-
just a twist here, not all plugins are great... i downloaded the freebie izotope Vocal Doubler, (also their Vinyl is just as shakey) and in my view it's totally unusable. Sorry but i can't recommend it.
Izotope make some cracking stuff, in other areas....
-
just a twist here, not all plugins are great... i downloaded the freebie izotope Vocal Doubler, (also their Vinyl is just as shakey) and in my view it's totally unusable. Sorry but i can't recommend it.
Izotope make some cracking stuff, in other areas....
Could not agree more! It’s hardly going to entice folk new to IZotope to splash out on Ozone etc...they make some stunning plugins, Ozone being one of them, but the Vocal doubler is poor.
On another note, I am an electric guitar player first and foremost. I’ve used Scuffham Amps S-Gear for many, many years. Tried a lot of the main suspects, but S-Gear is significantly better than everything else I’ve tried. It doesn’t have the pretty GUI of its competitors but the quality of the sounds is really very good. My secret weapon revealed!
-
@Bill Saunders (http://www.songwriterforum.co.uk/index.php?action=profile;u=18525) - Well, very brave to divulge your secrets, but I'll take a look...I tended to use my guitar mic'd up through my amp and any stomp boxes as a goto method, but I tried the Waves GTR thing and there's a couple of clean amps on there which really sound good, there's one or two tidy bass amps on there as well.
-
@Bill Saunders (http://www.songwriterforum.co.uk/index.php?action=profile;u=18525) - Well, very brave to divulge your secrets, but I'll take a look...I tended to use my guitar mic'd up through my amp and any stomp boxes as a goto method, but I tried the Waves GTR thing and there's a couple of clean amps on there which really sound good, there's one or two tidy bass amps on there as well.
@cowparsleyman (http://www.songwriterforum.co.uk/index.php?action=profile;u=21308) I am a big fan of Waves generally but GTR is long in the tooth and cannot hold a candle to S-Gear. I'd definitely demo it if I were you.