Your Desert-Island Plugins?

metanoiastudios · Post by **metanoiastudios** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 4:59 am

Hey guys,

I have been relying on UAD plugins for quite some time now, but I recently purchased a Macbook Pro 15", and I am not interested in purchasing the external, firewire version at the time. Because of this (and because the MBP has more processing power) I'd like to re-think my plugin collection a little bit, and only keep those tools that I use on a regular basis.

Without giving you much information about what I currently have, if you had to only keep 2 EQs, 2 comps, 2 FX and 2 reverbs, which would they be, and why?

Thanks!

A.David.MacKinnon · Post by **A.David.MacKinnon** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 5:43 am

There's nothing I use that's all that special (I mostly mix out of the box) but if I had to ditch all but a handful of plugs I'd hang onto -
the Massey De-esser - nothing flashy but it works perfectly
the Massey Mastering Limiter - it's my go to for making reference mixes loud and getting an idea of what mastering will do to my mixes
Roger Nicols Inspector - It's on the master bus for every mix I do. Great metering and I like to see what's happening way down low in the range my speakers can't recreate.
Digidesign 7 Band EQ 3 - again, nothing flashy but it does everything I need without adding much colour. I mostly use it for low and hi cutting and as a phase reverse button (most of my additive EQ is done with the console EQs).

As for Compressors.....there's nothing I have that I love the same way I love my outboard gear. I use the Digi compressor 3 a fair bit and I also use the Massey compressor. Both do the job but neither is very exciting.

joel hamilton · Post by **joel hamilton** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 7:00 am

metanoiastudios wrote:Hey guys,

I have been relying on UAD plugins for quite some time now, but I recently purchased a Macbook Pro 15", and I am not interested in purchasing the external, firewire version at the time. Because of this (and because the MBP has more processing power) I'd like to re-think my plugin collection a little bit, and only keep those tools that I use on a regular basis.

Without giving you much information about what I currently have, if you had to only keep 2 EQs, 2 comps, 2 FX and 2 reverbs, which would they be, and why?

Thanks!

I also mostly use outboard but these show up on almost every mix I do somewhere:

2 comps: Massey CT4 and Elysia mpressor.
2 EQ's: really only the Waves Phase Lin
2 Reverbs: Vallhalla DSP "shimmer" and "room"
2 FX: Soundtoys Decapitator and soundtoys Echoboy.

eeldip · Post by **eeldip** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 8:36 am

compressors: oldtimer and rocket, plus fair amount of logic built in.
eqs: 1973 and logic built in (often in linear).
reverb: sound designer (any convolution will do), michael norris spectral averaging (not a reverb really, but i love it on vocals paired with a delay)
effects: hipno suite (um, that won't help you much, discontinued product), soundhack delays and distortion.

ott0bot · Post by **ott0bot** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 10:09 am

yeah...I could get by with these alone:

EQ:
-URS N series EQ
-Digi 7 band EQ

Comp:
-Bombfactory BF76
-Massey De-Esser

Effects:
-Massey Tapehead
-Vahalla Freq Echo

Verb
-Air Reverb
-Standard Digi Verb

also...i like the TL Metro plug, much more versitle than the stand PT one.

And thanks A.David.MacKinnon for the Roger Nicols Inspector reminder....I keep meaning to download that sucker.

casey campbell · Post by **casey campbell** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 10:26 am

sonitus plug in suite. extremely useful... the compressor and EQ are great and the
delay plugin is extremely fun too. i cannot say enough about the sonitus stuff..dont know if it works with a mac...

melodyne

drumagog

waves L3

waves ir-1

Nomad Factory BlueVerb

bootsy stuff is all pretty useful, as well as stillwell plugins...

richierichie · Post by **richierichie** » Sun May 01, 2011 8:02 pm

EQ - Abbey Road TG Mastering
DMG EQuality

Comps - Elysia Mpressor
Softube Tubetech CL 1B

FX - Soundtoys Decapitator
Intelligent Devices Time Modulator

Reverbs - Altiverb
Lexicon PCM

Although, I would also need the BX Digital Cleansweep on this desert island...

@?,*???&? · Post by **@?,*???&?** » Mon May 02, 2011 8:27 am

I cop for the obvious. Sound on Sound published this list already and Massey is nowhere on it.

I do own many that are however:

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb07/a ... island.htm

metanoiastudios · Post by **metanoiastudios** » Mon May 02, 2011 8:44 am

@?,*???&? wrote:I cop for the obvious. Sound on Sound published this list already and Massey is nowhere on it.

I do own many that are however:

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb07/a ... island.htm

Thanks for the link! I was primarily asking for the TapeOp community's personal opinions on the matter, as well as their justification. That being said, I'll def. check it out

John Jeffers · Post by **John Jeffers** » Mon May 02, 2011 9:05 am

@?,*???&? wrote:I cop for the obvious. Sound on Sound published this list already and Massey is nowhere on it.

I do own many that are however:

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb07/a ... island.htm

That list is over four years old (Feb 2007). I'm not saying that the plugins they recommend aren't good, but what about everything that's been released since then?

metanoiastudios · Post by **metanoiastudios** » Mon May 02, 2011 9:16 am

John Jeffers wrote:
@?,*???&? wrote:I cop for the obvious. Sound on Sound published this list already and Massey is nowhere on it.

I do own many that are however:

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb07/a ... island.htm
That list is over four years old (Feb 2007). I'm not saying that the plugins they recommend aren't good, but what about everything that's been released since then?

True, but interestingly enough many of the plugins being mentioned here (Echoboy, Altiverb, BlueVerb, Drumagog) harken back to that particular time.

Thanks for all the comments, guys. I've been able to re-construct my plugin setup, now that I am forced to part with my UAD card. One thing I am missing is a nice, clean parametric EQ (with a graphic display), so I will be checking out Waves' Phase Lin in the future (thanks, Joel).

I have to throw in a recommendation of my own for everyone: Nebula 3 Pro. I know it's been overlooked in the past, but now that third-party developers are sampling quality gear at quality resolutions, it is def. worth a second look.

chris harris · Post by **chris harris** » Mon May 02, 2011 11:09 am

What were you using for graphic EQ before? UAD doesn't have one.

metanoiastudios · Post by **metanoiastudios** » Mon May 02, 2011 12:04 pm

subatomic pieces wrote:What were you using for graphic EQ before? UAD doesn't have one.

whoops, I'm on crack. Meant parametric (with a graphic display), like the Oxord EQ, UA Cambridge, etc etc.

joninc · Post by **joninc** » Mon May 02, 2011 4:40 pm

EQ:
- Waves Renaissance EQ
- URS Neve Graphic EQ

Comp:
- Rocket
- Major Tom

Effects:
- Decapitator
- Devil Lock Deluxe

Verb
- epic verb
- Reverence

Bondo · Post by **Bondo** » Tue May 03, 2011 9:57 am

I keep coming back to the Waves Vintage stuff. I find that I use the VComp and Veq all the time. It just seems to give me the sound I want and I always come back to it.

I use the limiter in Cubase a lot as well.

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