Plugin discussion

[PrototypeRaptor]

Alright, this topic comes up around 5 times a day at KVR, but I haven't really seen it here that often.

My question is: what vst effects do you use?

I know that you can get by with the default fl effects/whatever effects your DAW came with, but I want some more options that (hopefully) sound better.

I've downloaded the demos of some of the big companies' products, but I know that often there are these little companies that sound better than their bigger counterparts.

Here's what I've tested/narrowed down to and some observations:

-PSP Audioware is pretty much GOD

mixpack2 and vintagewarmer are freakin amazing. The mixsaturator alone does wonders while mastering and the mixtreble and mixbass make everything that much clearer. awesome stuff, but expensive.

-Voxengo has some decent stuff, and at a cost effective price.

glisseq is pretty much the only eq I want now, and the curve eq is very colorful while mastering.

SPAN is a very useful monitoring utility (and free) - and the Soniformer 2 is the most useful compressor I've ever used. It compresses individual frequencies - like an eq+compressor in one; it's the one plugin from them that I think is essential.

The voxformer is also nice for vocals, but not necessary.

-Waves is overrated and damn expensive, though they make a mean desser. That is all.

-Timeworks makes the best reverb plugin I've ever heard, along with the best limiter on the market for pretty much EVERYTHING imo.

It somehow makes everything louder while keeping the punchiness of drums/everything. It's crazy. (and expensive)

-nomad factory sounds like crap from my experience. bleh.

-ozone is alright, although I'm wary of the ALL IN ONE box things.

-TRACKS is OK, but it compresses a bit too much for me and the limiter pumps like a beast if you put anything through it.

It's better than ozone, though, IMO.

-Harbal is a one of a kind eq that is so extremely useful that you need to get it right now. It lets you "see" the overall frequencies in a variety of meters and adjust them to match a reference source, and includes a rather great sounding stereo enhancer.

For those of you without an amazing studio setup (and even those with), this is invaluable.

-melodyne rapes autotune in every way. Seriously. you can move individual notes in chords from WAV files. Madness, sparta, call it what you will. it's awesome.

alright, so that's what I've tested so far. feel free to add to the list, discuss what I've got up there, totally disagree, list your setup, etc, etc.

(also, inb4 digital will never sound like hardware )

[Argle]

I luv the Sonitus fx in Sonar producer edition. I really like the compressor, EQ, and reverb. The modulation effect is good too.

I use other random stuff like CamelSpace, and the mda free pack, and lots of other free bits and bobs. Melodyne for vocals, as V-Vocal in Sonar is bugged.

[Fishy]

http://www.celemony.com/cms/index.php?id=dna&L=1.%253FL%253D1

Melodyne looks friggin sweet, I might actually be able to sing a song with it!

In terms of "external" plugins, I pretty much only use Addictive Drums. I've been trying to record everything live lately so I barely use any software AUs. Most of Logic's standard use effects (reverb/delay/multipressors) are outstanding, never really needed more. Maybe if I made more electronic music I would need more.

Been trying to find some decent distortion and modulation effects in AU form though.

[zircon]

I use T-Racks and, more recently, the "TLs" free series of plugins for mastering. TLs Pocket Limiter and Maximizer are amazing. George Yohng's W1 Limiter, another freebie, is great too. I use dblue glitch and PSP Nitro for various "FSU" effects (f!@# sound up) and FL Reverb/Glace Verb for most reverb purposes. Sometimes, I use Kjaerhus stuff, like their Classic Phaser and Reverb, both of which are free. My favorite reverb generally speaking is ArtsAcoustic, which is about $180 and absolutely fantastic.

I don't really care about EQs much... I use FL's EQ2 for basically everything. I never saw the big deal. The "Density" compressor as well as MDSP Compressor are both solid freebies when I need to comp a channel.

[Rozovian]

Maybe this thread should be split into an AU and a VST thread?

Anyway, I use the following free AUs: BetaBugs' Crayon Filter, Camel Audio's Camelcrusher, and mda's Combo. You might want to have a look at the last two, Fishy.

[PrototypeRaptor]

Melodyne looks friggin sweet, I might actually be able to sing a song with it!

Haha, yeah, melodyne does have that effect on people. And then you realize that it can be used on solo instruments, instrument sections, drums...

Pretty soon the New York Phil will be recorded in sections and melodyne'd!

Checking out the TL stuff tonight, thanks zircon.

As far as AU's go, I think that most companies offer both - I know that at least voxengo/psp does. Or are we talking about freebies? Cause then, yeah, I don't really know about those, as I'm a windowsfag.

(side note: it's not really an effect, but sylenth1 is the most badass synth around. just sayin.)

[Argle]

I got Sylenth a few weeks ago, haven't played much with it. It's got a gutsy sound for sure.

[audio fidelity]

i was planning on going all out and getting some top quality UAD stuff. still waiting for it to be compatible with logic 8.

in the mean time i am pretty happy with most of logic's plugs.

and big up for sonalksis - those filters, eq, comps, are awesome

edit: spoke too soon, just hit today - http://www.uaudio.com/index.html

[analoq]

Rozovian already mentioned combo, but the mda effects in general have been a staple of mine for years since they're free, cross-platform and quite useful.

Aside from Logic's internal effects and hardware analogue effects, I use Reaktor to build my own custom effects that I can just plug right in. good times.

[PrototypeRaptor]

Reaktor, eh? Looked at that a while back and couldn't for the LIFE of me figure it out. Ensemble saving, effects linking, and that stupid flow chart = mass confusion.

Didn't think it was worth whatever NI was charging at the time; maybe I'll go back and give it another look when I have time.

also, thanks for the link to the MDA effects, cause it led me to this conclusion:

the MDA e-piano is boss, check it.

And now for more synths: DRUMS!

I've tried some really fun samples - here's what I know:

-BFD/Addictive drums/battery 3 are go-to for rock/pop stuff

-the old 808 and 909 still sound really good

-steven slate's drums are amazing. I want them, but I can't rationalize a good enough reason to go for it...

-of course, drumatic is a good free alternative to check out

-and there's the big boy, stylus rx(?) I think. Seems pretty nifty, but also expensive.

I've found some decent drums over the years, but I have yet to run into that "ultimate" library that just fits everywhere - punchy, defined hits that can be sculpted into any style.

(Like pendulum, whose snare defies creation as a Frankenstein monster of drum beats.)

(also, the TL stuff is very, very nice. I still prefer the timeworks limiter, but for free, I can't think of anything better to do the job, thanks)

[zircon]

There is no such thing as an ultimate drum library, sadly. I think the best drums for dnb and big beat are basically acoustic recordings that were specially recorded and processed. It's nearly impossible to simply take existing 'normal' samples and turn them into Pendulum-sounding ones... I've tried! Samples cut from vinyl work best, such as Goldbaby MPC Vol 2, at least for a starting 'phatness'. Clean, low-tuned snares and super-tight & heavy kicks recorded from real kits will help as well. Believe me, I'm on a constant quest for that sound.

[PrototypeRaptor]

Ok, time for a necropost! (hopefully this is alright, I see no reason to make a new thread for the same purpose as this one)

So I recently bought an iLok (which was a depressing situation in of itself) and have been demoing stuff - there's alot of new plugs on the market that are downright AMAZING.

First off - waves is still overrated lol

The new URS Console Strip Pro is amazing. Seriously, it's so awesome words cannot describe it. PLUS it uses like no cpu at all - I can easily have 12 instances open at once.

It also sounds very, very nice to my ears - AND it's like 1/2 the cost of a single waves plugin. It also does emulations of pretty much everything in the book.

I think I'm going to start saving my pennies up for this baby. oh yeahhh

also, for those of you using T-Racks (great effects on their own), an update has been announced. And it includes new processors - included a fairchild and pultec emulation.

very excited about these - anything you guys are waiting for/recently got in particular? It's been a good year...santa needs to hurry up!