New toys are exciting at any age and the purchase of new audio plug ins is no exception. But after that initial rush (“THIS is the one that will make EVERYTHING amazing!!”), the true test is how often you’ll keep coming back to it.
I find value in almost all of the ones that I have, partially due to the “Demo Mode” that many manufacturers implement. This is a very smart move because it lets the user “try before you buy”.
There is an “embarrassment of riches” in the audio field these days, from hardware to software. Some of these were made to “fix” audio issues while others lean more to the creative “sound shaping” side. So let’s see who is standing the relative “test of time”.
PSP Infinistrip: Great Modular “Drag and Drop” 500 Series Layout. Pre Amp Models are great although I like the way the Slate ones go further over the top, distortion wise. This plug in features THE BEST Ducker that I have encountered, a serious DeEsser and great Eqs (musical ,not surgical) and analog sounding compressors. I recently used this plug in to record a D.I. bass part by Brandon Hodge and he was completely blown away by the sound.
Brainworx bx_console N: Incredibly smooth EQ and Compressor, very natural gate and nice console saturation. That Neve sound..what’s not to love?
Brainworx bx_digital V3: The Stereo Imager alone is worth the price of admission but the mid-side with auto solo makes this a serious addition to the Master Bus for mixes or mastering.
Fab Filter Pro Q3: It’s everything that they say it is…and the addition of Dynamic EQ has made it my “go to”.
Soundtoys 5: Indispensible..amazing delays and moving filters..but the killers for me are the “Devil-Loc Deluxe” and “Decapitator”.
Dune 3: Incredibly deep synth yet easy to get around on, once you understand the architecture. I start from scratch with the “initial” preset and end up with something worth saving every time.
