Apple Buys Redmatica!

many have not heard of Redmatica but to me this is a big deal. I bought all of redmatica products about 5 years ago and they are basically steroids for Logic. Keymap Pro adds incredible useful features to the EXS24, pro manager lets you arrange all your sounds for Logic, and auto sampler samples hardware and automatically maps it as an exs24 instrument. I sampled all my favorite korg triton sounds with it. I thought this company was dead because its been many years since I received a update to any of the programs. If Apple ties this into Logic it will be a huge step in the right direction for them to show they are still serious about Logic. With other daws like Studio one and Pro Tools updating to new versions on an annual cycle Logic is way over due for a new version. But if they tie this into the next version of Logic now, how much longer will we have to wait for Logic 10? Check out the videos on Redmatica's site to see what it does and why I am excited about this. http://redmatica.com/Redmatica/Videos.html

SPL De-esser Collection Review

I know I said I was done with buying plugins unless they were a game changer, unique enough, or something I didn’t already have. The SPL de-esser collection fits two of three,  the unique and something I don’t already have. The first reason I purchased this is because it does m/s. I’ve been doing a lot of mastering lately and this would be perfect if I needed to de-ess vocals while mastering. The second is that it only has two frequency settings (male and female) unlike most de-essers which allow you to dial in the exact frequency you want. So why would I want a de-esser with “less” options? Because it will either simply work, or not. Instead of spending time dialing in the frequency, I try the two chosen for me. If it doesn’t work, then I go to a different de-esser that's more precise.

The de-esser collection comes with two plugins, the SPL classic de-esser, and dual band de-esser. The latter being a de-esser that has a lower band of 1.44k. On the SPL classic de-esser the male frequency is 6.4k, and female is 7.2k. In the dual band de-esser male is the same 6.4k, but female is set to 7.6k. The dual band is interesting to me because I never thought sibilance to be as low as 1.44k. What makes this more interesting is the bands interact with each other. If using both bands together the signal is processed by the low band first and then by the high band. Kind of like using a compressor in series. Because of this the low band affects how the high band processes the signal.

Another great feature is the auto threshold. On the dual band it's always on, on the classic de-esser you have a button to engage it. What this does is automatically change the de-essers threshold depending on how the input signal varies allowing for the best performance. Without this feature you’d spend time dialing in the right threshold to cover a whole vocal take, or even automating the threshold for louder and softer parts for smooth de-essing.

One thing I noticed with these de-essers is there is no way to audition what the de-esser is seeing. Most de-essers have this and it's helpful for getting the de-esser set just right. By listening to what the de-esser is seeing you can easily adjust the frequency until you hear strong sibilance coming through. This is isn’t a deal breaker but I find it odd this feature was not included.

In use I found it quicker to get dialed in than any other de-esser with just having male or female settings to choose from. With the dual band I figured the low band would remove some presence from vocals being so close to that 2-4k range but it didn’t. If you don’t have any other de-esser plugins I wouldn’t recommend this one because you may need to get precise with it, however if you have others this is a great addition, especially if you mix and master. I have not had to use it in m/s mode yet but when the time comes I’ll be ready. For more information visit www.plugin-alliance.com

My Favorite Saturation Plugins

After softube released a free saturation AAX plugin for Pro Tools 10 users, I realized just how much I use saturation plugins. They do a great job of adding some bite and thickening up anything I need them to. They also help tracks cut through in a mix.  So here are my favorite saturation plugins and how I use them when mixing. 

1. McDsp Analog Channel - This was my first saturation plugin. It didn’t get love from me until I read the manual and really understood how to use it. Analog Channel is two different plugins. The AC101 emulates class A amplifier circuits like preamps, and the AC202 emulates tape machines. I use AC202 more than AC101 but both are great and extremely versatile. AC202 in vintage mode thickens up thin vocals. Sometimes its too much, but when it is the more subtle modern mode will do the job. I also use AC202 on strings to give some attitude. Most strings I get to mix sound boring and thin, and eq most times will not fully do the job. Sometimes the AC202 is the only plugin that I put on strings in a mix. It sees action for me on drum bus as well. Being able to shape the eq curve really come in handy as well.
2. Decapitator - Another extremely versatile saturation plugin, and arguably the most popular. SoundToys gives you 5 different analog modeling styles. My favorite is E, followed by P and N. I use decapitator on my mix buss, strings, and sometimes drum buss. One of my favorite features is the tone knob, which allows you to make the signal darker or brighter. Its what really makes this a coloring tool for me. That knob can sometimes replace an eq for me. I never  used the punish the button before, but I can think of some cools ways to use it for effects.
3. Softube Saturation Knob - Even though I’ve only been using it for a week I have to list this as one of my favorites. At first I thought this was just the saturation taken from the focusing equalizer, but a quick shootout with the two quickly proved me wrong. The focusing eq can be pushed a lot harder before it starts to distort. So far this plugin has seen use on vocals and mix buss for me. Next time I get some strings I will try them there to.