pro-league plugins?

[Fragle]

hey there,

i'm just curious, what kind of plugins are pros like andy, colin, tue madsen etc using? especially regarding effects like reverb, delay etc.
thinking about it, i also wonder how many of the effects we're hearing on let's say dimmu borgir's in sorte diaboli, or also the incredible reverb(s) on opeth's damnation actually come from plugins vs. outboard gear?
i think it would be quite interesting to see how much of that pro-sound comes from proper tweaking, and how much from high-quality gear.

 

[TheDriller]

i recall Andy stated recently that he now works 100% in the box, no outboard gear.

 

[006]

I know Andy and James are using Waves...as is probably the largest majority of other pros out there. Waves, like Digi, has dominated the professional market. There's not really any "pro" plug-ins, unless you are correlating "pro" with "expensive." Tons of plugs out there that hold their own from tons of developers. Sony is another company that has a bunch of pros using their stuff.

FWIW I think somebody like Andy could do his magic on a Tascam 4-track tape recorder...top quality gear doesn't mean anything unless you know how to use it. The person with the ears and experience is more important than the gear being used.

~006

 

[Aaron Smith]

I obviously can't answer for the pro-leaguers, but I'll second that Waves gets the job done; it's my go-to set of plugs. I bought the 1973 and the Vibe EQ from Stillwell recently too, and they're extremely affordable and great for a more colorful sounding EQ. Andy also really loves Metric Halo Channelstrip.

 

[Ermz]

The Waves stuff is very popular. The SSL/API/Vintage & Renaissance bundles in particular are the shiz. My own fave is the SSL bundle and it gets use on every project I do.

Beyond that many really like the Sonnox plug-ins for transparency, Algorithmix for true colourless linear-phase, the UAD stuff, URS CSP etc. etc. So many different bundles and so many different companies. Just get the ones that work for your workflow. The SSL bundle really streamlined the way I work, and it gets me all that much closer to 'that' sound which I really love.

 

[LSD-Studio]

I'm using Waves API and MH CS primarily.

 

[crillemannen]

Waves, TC electronic (such as MD3, T3 etc), Digidesign.

 

[The Unavoidable]

The Waves stuff is very popular. The SSL/API/Vintage & Renaissance bundles in particular are the shiz. My own fave is the SSL bundle and it gets use on every project I do.

Beyond that many really like the Sonnox plug-ins for transparency, Algorithmix for true colourless linear-phase, the UAD stuff, URS CSP etc. etc. So many different bundles and so many different companies. Just get the ones that work for your workflow. The SSL bundle really streamlined the way I work, and it gets me all that much closer to 'that' sound which I really love.

The SSL 4000 collection?

 

[WestCoastCrush]

Colin McDowell's plug-ins. The McDsp Filterbank and Compressorbank plug-ins sound awesome.

 

[colonel kurtz]

wavearts bundle

trackplug5 = amazing channel strip, and ridiculously underrated

 

[Ermz]

The SSL 4000 collection?

That's the one.

 

[The Unavoidable]

That's the one.

Coolio, I noticed it was pretty cheap. Interesting....

 

[smy1]

Coolio, I noticed it was pretty cheap. Interesting....

Cheap?? Not when I bought it ...

 

[WestCoastCrush]

Cheap?? Not when I bought it ...

Three really great waves plugs for $800? Sounds good to me. Most high-end plugs are around 400-500 EACH.

 

[006]

Yeah that's fairly cheap for 3 Waves plugs, haha. Shit...C4 and a couple of others would have run it up over $1k for me when I thought about buying just the separate plugs that I actually wanted from them. The bundle really is the way to go with Waves, you save a ton going that route. But you get stuff you may never even use...

URS is fairly expensive as well for single plugs. Bundles aren't all that much of a break either... Metric Halo and URS both make a good strip plug around the same price IIRC, those are good bang-for-your-buck plugs. I think I remember reading that Andy uses MHCS a LOT.

~006

 

[mintcheerios]

I would say most of the pro sound comes from tweaking, not super expensive industry standard gear. All you have to do to believe this is head over to the Rate My Mix forum and look at some mixes made by Splat88, Bulb, Behindert, and others.

It would be pretty interesting to have a mix challenge that only allows you to use free plug-ins.

 

[Metaltastic]

I would say Voxengo Elephant kicks absolutely unspeakable amounts of ass I used to use L2 back in my pirate days, and Elephant shits all over it, and is affordable enough that even a chump like me can have the satisfaction of knowing he bought it legally! ($80, to be exact, and it's on Mac too!)

 

[Jesse Z]

I just wanted to point out that if you purchase plugins from a dealer you can get them substantially cheaper than you will purchasing direct. I think the going street price for the SSL bundle is around $500.

 

[Metaltastic]

When you say from a dealer, do you mean like haggling with Guitar Center?

 

[Jesse Z]

check:

High Profile Audio or Good ol' Ebay