Four Great Plugins for Artists and Engineers
Hey all! I hope everyone is staying safe and well during the COVID-19 times. One thing that has been inspiring to see is so many friends taking time at home to write music or post a clip of themselves performing on their instrument.
I’m writing this for those who are looking to upgrade their current music production set up on their home computer. Below I put some info and short video examples of each of the four plugins I chose. I recommend that when you check out the video examples for each plugin that you listen to them on your best set of speakers to hear the full effect. Most of the plugins are subtle tools but really add to the overall production of the music when used in mixing and mastering. There are a few audio specific words with the definitions linked should you need that resource.
Waves Gold Bundle
This bundle might be the first bundle of plugins I purchased. It comes with EQs, reverbs, delays, compressors, and even some unique effects plugins such as harmonic enhancers/exciters and guitar amp emulation. Two unique plugins that I enjoy using are the Maxxbass and the S1 Stereo Imager, which are sampled below.
MaxxBass
This plugin adds harmonics to low frequencies that results in a larger sounding low end. It helps low frequencies stand out through playback systems such as ear buds and phone speakers that otherwise are difficult to hear lower frequencies through. When I first added this plugin, I didn’t think I would use it very much, after all you can just use an EQ to boost low frequencies. However, the harmonics that this plugin adds to the low end give a more elevated sound than just boosting low frequencies with an EQ.
S1 Stereo Imager
This plugin makes the stereo field that your mix takes up wider. Say you have a mix that sounds narrow, or doesn’t sound very balanced between the left and right speaker. This plugin changes your perception of the stereo field by making the mix sound wider without creating phase problems like some early widening plugins.
I find myself typically using this as a way to find space for individual instruments in a mix that has a lot of tracks. For stacked guitars that are wanting to be hard panned left and right I like to experiment with panning inside of S1 and giving the guitars different asymmetry settings to create interesting panning effects that help the guitars stand out while both of them are playing at the same time.
Izotope, Ozone 9
Ozone 9 is created to make mastering easier with a “all in one” design. Inside Ozone 9 are several different tools that professional mastering engineers typically use when mastering a song for CD, Radio, or Streaming services. The ones I use most commonly are the maximizer, the dynamic EQ, and the exciter. The maximizer is designed to keep the dynamic range of a song the same while increasing the overall loudness of the track. A Dynamic EQ can manipulate frequencies when that frequency reaches a certain volume. The EQ also has a frequency spectrum analyzer that lets you see the frequency spectrum of the audio while you are making EQ adjustments. The Exciter adds harmonic distortions to audio, which add warmth to the track. All of these tools in Ozone 9 can help make final mixes become professionally mastered music.
Izotope, RX7
RX7 is basically an audio repairing tool. It’s not as fun as some of the other tools above. However, RX7 can be a life saving plugin for tracking, mixing, and mastering engineers. I have been able to remove humming room noise from a track without sacrificing the sound of the music. I have even used this to get rid of the sound of a guitar pick smacking the wood of the guitar too loudly after a strum, while keeping the sound of the acoustic guitar intact. It is a unique set of easy to use plugins that help doctor errors, which find their way into audio recordings. This video example showcases the noise reduction plugin. I would recommend playing loudly so you can really hear how much hiss this plugin is taking out.
Click here for more details on the Waves Gold Bundle.
Click here for more details on MaxxBass.
Click here for more details on S1 Stereo Imager.
Click here for more details on Izotope, Ozone 9
Click here for more details on Izotope, RX7
Hope this gave you some ideas on some helpful tools whether you are an audio engineer or musician who wants more audio toys. Let me know what your favorite plugin of all time is in the comments and I’ll definitely check them out.