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12 Of The Best Free AAX Plug-ins - Have You Seen All Of These Friday Free Plug-ins? In our regular Friday Free plug-in posts we feature a different free AAX plug-in for the community. These cover everything from distortion and bitcrushing, through reverbs and delays, compressors and EQs and even utility tools such as loudness meters. Its support for plug-ins is just amazing, in addition to its ability to be translated to major languages is exceptional, a breeze for developers to do coding from their native languages. Now that you are better informed about the ingenious Notepad, I will discuss 21 best Notepad plugins to consider in this era of code writing and design.

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There are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to software equalizers. Almost every plugin manufacturer in the business has at least one. With so many options it can be hard to figure out which ones to pick and why.

This little list is my favorite, go-to EQs, along with why I like them and how I use them. It's not entirely comprehensive. I'm continually demoing new products and there are certainly some older ones that have fallen off my radar. That said, you will find at least one or two of these on just about every record I've mixed in the last few years.

1. FabFilter Pro-Q 3

Introduction to FabFilter Pro-Q 3

There are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to software equalizers. Almost every plugin manufacturer in the business has at least one. With so many options it can be hard to figure out which ones to pick and why. This little list is my favorite, go-to EQs, along with why I like them and

I would be amiss without mentioning my number one go-to: FabFilter Pro-Q. I've been using the Pro-Q series for years now. This EQ sets the bar for utility. It is very transparent and extremely versatile making it perfect for any general work on any source that needs enhancement or correction.

Mix Tips

808s: One of my favorite uses for the Pro-Q is to pump +20 to +30 dB of wideband top-end into an 808. I know that sounds utterly weird, but as I've pointed out in a few videos (below), the fun parts of the 808 are living above the fundamental tone. All that buzzy or grungy overtone that's super buried ultimately amounts to the character of the 808 — but sometimes that stuff is really low. While adding 30 dB of anything sounds extreme, it's really not if what you're trying to push up is 30 to 60 dB lower than the fundamental tone.

Mixing 808: How to Enhance 808s in a Hip-Hop Mix

There are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to software equalizers. Almost every plugin manufacturer in the business has at least one. With so many options it can be hard to figure out which ones to pick and why. This little list is my favorite, go-to EQs, along with why I like them and

The Pro-Q 3 is a really nice step up from the Pro-Q 2 because it offers dynamic EQ. This means the amount of EQ reacts proportionately to the incoming signal level. This is very useful for sources that have highly fluctuating tones — vocals being the main culprit.

Vocals: For controlling the lower-mids of a vocal (that 200-600 Hz range where room tones and proximity build up) I like to use the FabFilter in dynamic mode. http://alneqnx.xtgem.com/Blog/__xtblog_entry/19155544-high-sierra-on-macbook-air-2013#xt_blog. Sometimes only a static cut is needed, but more often than not, it's hard to strike a balance between eliminating the mud and retaining the body. I'll get as close as I can with static EQ, but I frequently finish the job with dynamic attenuation. This way I'm only cutting when there's too much tonal build up.

FabFilter Pro-Q 3 [Plugin Review]

There are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to software equalizers. Almost every plugin manufacturer in the business has at least one. With so many options it can be hard to figure out which ones to pick and why. This little list is my favorite, go-to EQs, along with why I like them and

2. Slate Digital FG-S & FG-A

Sometimes we want transparency. Other times we something with a specific flavor. Slate Digital prides itself on doing analog emulations and making colorful sounding plugins. While it's debatable how close the emulations may or may not be to the hardware units (especially since analog gear will sound a little different from unit to unit), what isn't debatable is that these plugins sound great!

Mix Tips

Drum Kit: I come from a Pop and Hip-Hop background which primarily rely on drum samples for the percussion elements. Acoustic drums do not inherently have the punch and boldness as really good samples. In order to get that it can require some pretty dramatic EQ moves. For the snare, don't be afraid to do narrow boosts on the FG-S in both the upper-mids and to the primary fundamental in the bass/low-mids. Conventional EQ wisdom goes 'boost wide, cut narrow' but on a snare drum, narrow boosts, and/or sizable medium Q cuts to the spongey midrange can bring out the attitude.

The same is also somewhat true for kicks, although I find I like to do broader boosts to the top end of a kick and pretty wide cuts to the midrange if there's a lot of undesirable shell tone. I highly recommend the FG-S for this because there's something about the way the EQ effects the perceived attack of a drum that doesn't exist in many other EQs. When it comes to close mic captures, don't be afraid to go a little overboard with the EQ. In solo, it might sound weird but in the context of the rest of the drums and the mix, you will probably find yourself going a bit further to get the right impact.

Piano & Acoustic Guitar: The FG-A is perfect for melodic instruments like Piano or Acoustic Guitar. While the FG-S is punchy and aggressive, the FG-A is shinier and sweeter with broad bands. I like the high shelf set to 2.5 kHz or 5 kHz (depending on the piano) to bring out the right hand in a sparkly way. Pushing a little 100 Hz is great to give body to an acoustic guitar, and if too much woofy tone shows up, reigning back some 400 Hz usually does the trick.

Bonus Tip: These EQs pair nicely with the Slate channel emulations. You can make your own digital channel strip which has a cool sound and can just be plain fun to experiment with.

Introducing The FG-A Vintage American Equalizer

There are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to software equalizers. Almost every plugin manufacturer in the business has at least one. With so many options it can be hard to figure out which ones to pick and why. This little list is my favorite, go-to EQs, along with why I like them and

3. Sonible smart:EQ 2

Now I want to get into the less general purpose EQs and into the stuff that does something really cool. The Sonible EQ is not always needed, but what it does, nothing else does. It's a secret weapon EQ that really stands on its own. The Smart EQ is a linear phase EQ that has a whole bunch of fixed corner points, as well as five sweepable corner points. The EQ has preset target tone curves (and you can make your own) and automatically adjusts your source signal to match your preset. In other words, it makes a source sound more like an ideal version of itself, and can then be further contoured with the sweepable points.

Mix Tip

Super Fixing: Now, for a very well recorded source this might not be necessary. But for some sources where the recording has all sorts of unwanted peaks and dips that would be extremely burdensome and difficult to fix manually — this EQ is a lifesaver. I had a mix earlier today where the vocal was recorded poorly. Doing the treatment with a conventional EQ would have been time-consuming, would have involved a lot of tail chasing, and probably wouldn't have come out as well. Basically, this EQ saved my ass.

smart:EQ 2 by sonible – The intelligent equalizer plug-in

There are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to software equalizers. Almost every plugin manufacturer in the business has at least one. With so many options it can be hard to figure out which ones to pick and why. This little list is my favorite, go-to EQs, along with why I like them and

BONUS: proximity:EQ⁺ & entropy:EQ⁺

Two more Sonible EQ plugins to check out are proximity:EQ⁺ and entropy:EQ⁺. These are not EQs in the conventional sense at all. The Proximity EQ takes variable frequency bands and makes them appear either closer or further away by separating the 'dry' part of the signal and 'reverberant' part and adjusting the ratio between the two.

The Entropy EQ separates the signal as well, but does it by differentiating between harmonic (tones related to the fundamental pitches of the source) and non-harmonic (tones unrelated to fundamental pitch) sounds. In other words, you can effectively EQ down something like clipping distortion or EQ up something like the bow hairs of a cello.

It's a very unique way to conceptualize 'EQ' and is exceptionally useful when needed.

Introducing proximity:EQ⁺ – Plugin for ideal room acoustic by sonible

There are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to software equalizers. Almost every plugin manufacturer in the business has at least one. With so many options it can be hard to figure out which ones to pick and why. This little list is my favorite, go-to EQs, along with why I like them and

Introducing entropy:EQ⁺ – Creative postproduction plug in by sonible

There are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to software equalizers. Almost every plugin manufacturer in the business has at least one. With so many options it can be hard to figure out which ones to pick and why. This little list is my favorite, go-to EQs, along with why I like them and

4. Wavesfactory Spectre

While we're talking funky and unique, I've been really digging the Wavesfactory Spectre EQ. It's a bit of a twist on EQ in that it brings up tones using harmonic saturation rather than conventional phase manipulation. The EQ works in boost only, so it's not really meant for contouring the frequency spectrum. Rather, it's more for adding body and presence to a tone range, rather than simply quantity.

Mix Tip

Super Fixing: Spectre is exceptionally useful if a source sound is 'thin' in a particular frequency range.

For example, we've all heard cheaply recorded vocals that are somehow muddy in the lower midrange, but when that mud is EQ'd out, the signal left behind feels empty or hollow. Spectre is perfect for putting energy right back into that otherwise thin capture.

Similarly, certain instruments just don't naturally have a lot of presence in certain ranges.

Many pianos record dark. Spectre is great for adding upper-mid sparkle. Old cymbals also have this problem. They lack natural treble and end up sounding clanky or like tin cans. Spectre can bring some brilliance back in a way normal EQs can't.

Spectre – Spectral Enhancer – Overview

There are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to software equalizers. Almost every plugin manufacturer in the business has at least one. With so many options it can be hard to figure out which ones to pick and why. This little list is my favorite, go-to EQs, along with why I like them and

5. Sound Radix SurferEQ 2

One of the most interesting EQs out there is the Sound Radix SurferEQ 2. This EQ identifies the fundamental pitch of an instrument. As the fundamental pitch changes with the note that's being played, SurferEQ 2 gives the option to change a selected corner frequency relative to this shift. In other words, as the note moves, the frequency band you selected moves with it!

It's a simple yet brilliant concept. Sometimes what we want to change is fixed … oh, there's room build up at 500Hz — lets EQ that out. But sometimes it's not … wow, this cello is very honky, so much wood tone from 700 to 1500Hz. Unfortunately, this honk is resonating relative to the note being bowed. Fortunately, there's an EQ that moves relative to the note that we can use to control that.

Mix Tips

Strings: String instruments are notoriously dense, harmonically. Violins, violas, cellos and basses have pronounced overtones and not by accident. When you're in a concert setting and the listener is 30 to 50 feet away from the string section (or further), these overtones help the instruments feel rich and alive. But when the microphone is six feet away (or less) the amount of tone getting into the mic can be just overwhelming.

While there are models of string instruments that are better for recording and mics that are better for recording them, we don't always have these at our disposal. SurferEQ 2 is great for getting out the denser overtones (which move relative to the fundamental note being bowed) while allowing the sweeter tones to pop through.

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Bass: SurferEQ 2 works particularly well on bass instruments. Bass instruments rely heavily on the primary fundamental and lower overtones to define their sound. SurferEQ 2 is perfect for dialing in the bass sound in the context of a record by raising or lowering any given overtone.

Introduction to Surfer EQ 2

There are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to software equalizers. Almost every plugin manufacturer in the business has at least one. With so many options it can be hard to figure out which ones to pick and why. This little list is my favorite, go-to EQs, along with why I like them and

Mixing with EQ Course

Coding download file. If you'd like to learn how to use EQ to take your mixes to the next level by manipulating tone, texture and balance, check out Mixing with EQ.

Mixing with EQ: Mix Training Course from Matthew Weiss

There are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to software equalizers. Almost every plugin manufacturer in the business has at least one. Macbook pro mojave support. With so many options it can be hard to figure out which ones to pick and why. This little list is my favorite, go-to EQs, along with why I like them and

FREE Masterclass: Low-End Mixing Secrets

Downloaded Over 19,455 times!

Discover how to make your kick and bass hit hard by cutting (NOT boosting) the right frequencies! Plus, more counterintuitive ways to get fuller yet controlled low-end in your mix. Download this 40-minute workshop by Matthew Weiss, now for FREE!

Article Content

Getting the vocals right in a mix is kind of everything. Even if everything else isn't perfect, if you nail the vocals, you're still doing ok and the artist will be reasonably happy. On the other hand, even if everything else is perfect, but the vocals are a touch off, it's going to stick out like a sore thumb and you might lose the gig. Of course, we strive to get everything right — I'm just stressing the point that vocals are the one element you have to absolutely nail.

My approach to vocals changes based on genre, based on what sound I want — and I experiment with plugins and gear all the time. But there are some plugins I keep coming back to that one would see in a lot of my mixes.

1. FabFilter Pro-DS

FabFilter Pro-DS is easily my go-to de-esser.

For a long time, I was actually automating sibilance by hand because I didn't like the graininess that I got from all the de-essers I tried. FabFilter Pro-DS in wideband mode is as good as automating by hand.

The split band also sounds great and works well on taming harsh tones that can show up around 3 kHz, not just sibilant tones higher up.

2. SoundToys EchoBoy

Play coin dozer. I spend an inordinate amount of time designing my ambiences, particularly on vocals. It's not uncommon for me to have three to five delay throws that I automate between throughout a record. EchoBoy gives me the versatility to create a number of delays — from subtle ambience around the vocals to overt effects.

I can do very tight delays for rap vocals, smeared 'pa system' delays for rock vocals or highly diffused and spread delays for pop. Basically, I feel like I don't have many limitations outside of my own creativity.

Mix Tips

Drum Kit: I come from a Pop and Hip-Hop background which primarily rely on drum samples for the percussion elements. Acoustic drums do not inherently have the punch and boldness as really good samples. In order to get that it can require some pretty dramatic EQ moves. For the snare, don't be afraid to do narrow boosts on the FG-S in both the upper-mids and to the primary fundamental in the bass/low-mids. Conventional EQ wisdom goes 'boost wide, cut narrow' but on a snare drum, narrow boosts, and/or sizable medium Q cuts to the spongey midrange can bring out the attitude.

The same is also somewhat true for kicks, although I find I like to do broader boosts to the top end of a kick and pretty wide cuts to the midrange if there's a lot of undesirable shell tone. I highly recommend the FG-S for this because there's something about the way the EQ effects the perceived attack of a drum that doesn't exist in many other EQs. When it comes to close mic captures, don't be afraid to go a little overboard with the EQ. In solo, it might sound weird but in the context of the rest of the drums and the mix, you will probably find yourself going a bit further to get the right impact.

Piano & Acoustic Guitar: The FG-A is perfect for melodic instruments like Piano or Acoustic Guitar. While the FG-S is punchy and aggressive, the FG-A is shinier and sweeter with broad bands. I like the high shelf set to 2.5 kHz or 5 kHz (depending on the piano) to bring out the right hand in a sparkly way. Pushing a little 100 Hz is great to give body to an acoustic guitar, and if too much woofy tone shows up, reigning back some 400 Hz usually does the trick.

Bonus Tip: These EQs pair nicely with the Slate channel emulations. You can make your own digital channel strip which has a cool sound and can just be plain fun to experiment with.

Introducing The FG-A Vintage American Equalizer

There are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to software equalizers. Almost every plugin manufacturer in the business has at least one. With so many options it can be hard to figure out which ones to pick and why. This little list is my favorite, go-to EQs, along with why I like them and

3. Sonible smart:EQ 2

Now I want to get into the less general purpose EQs and into the stuff that does something really cool. The Sonible EQ is not always needed, but what it does, nothing else does. It's a secret weapon EQ that really stands on its own. The Smart EQ is a linear phase EQ that has a whole bunch of fixed corner points, as well as five sweepable corner points. The EQ has preset target tone curves (and you can make your own) and automatically adjusts your source signal to match your preset. In other words, it makes a source sound more like an ideal version of itself, and can then be further contoured with the sweepable points.

Mix Tip

Super Fixing: Now, for a very well recorded source this might not be necessary. But for some sources where the recording has all sorts of unwanted peaks and dips that would be extremely burdensome and difficult to fix manually — this EQ is a lifesaver. I had a mix earlier today where the vocal was recorded poorly. Doing the treatment with a conventional EQ would have been time-consuming, would have involved a lot of tail chasing, and probably wouldn't have come out as well. Basically, this EQ saved my ass.

smart:EQ 2 by sonible – The intelligent equalizer plug-in

There are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to software equalizers. Almost every plugin manufacturer in the business has at least one. With so many options it can be hard to figure out which ones to pick and why. This little list is my favorite, go-to EQs, along with why I like them and

BONUS: proximity:EQ⁺ & entropy:EQ⁺

Two more Sonible EQ plugins to check out are proximity:EQ⁺ and entropy:EQ⁺. These are not EQs in the conventional sense at all. The Proximity EQ takes variable frequency bands and makes them appear either closer or further away by separating the 'dry' part of the signal and 'reverberant' part and adjusting the ratio between the two.

The Entropy EQ separates the signal as well, but does it by differentiating between harmonic (tones related to the fundamental pitches of the source) and non-harmonic (tones unrelated to fundamental pitch) sounds. In other words, you can effectively EQ down something like clipping distortion or EQ up something like the bow hairs of a cello.

It's a very unique way to conceptualize 'EQ' and is exceptionally useful when needed.

Introducing proximity:EQ⁺ – Plugin for ideal room acoustic by sonible

There are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to software equalizers. Almost every plugin manufacturer in the business has at least one. With so many options it can be hard to figure out which ones to pick and why. This little list is my favorite, go-to EQs, along with why I like them and

Introducing entropy:EQ⁺ – Creative postproduction plug in by sonible

There are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to software equalizers. Almost every plugin manufacturer in the business has at least one. With so many options it can be hard to figure out which ones to pick and why. This little list is my favorite, go-to EQs, along with why I like them and

4. Wavesfactory Spectre

While we're talking funky and unique, I've been really digging the Wavesfactory Spectre EQ. It's a bit of a twist on EQ in that it brings up tones using harmonic saturation rather than conventional phase manipulation. The EQ works in boost only, so it's not really meant for contouring the frequency spectrum. Rather, it's more for adding body and presence to a tone range, rather than simply quantity.

Mix Tip

Super Fixing: Spectre is exceptionally useful if a source sound is 'thin' in a particular frequency range.

For example, we've all heard cheaply recorded vocals that are somehow muddy in the lower midrange, but when that mud is EQ'd out, the signal left behind feels empty or hollow. Spectre is perfect for putting energy right back into that otherwise thin capture.

Similarly, certain instruments just don't naturally have a lot of presence in certain ranges.

Many pianos record dark. Spectre is great for adding upper-mid sparkle. Old cymbals also have this problem. They lack natural treble and end up sounding clanky or like tin cans. Spectre can bring some brilliance back in a way normal EQs can't.

Spectre – Spectral Enhancer – Overview

There are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to software equalizers. Almost every plugin manufacturer in the business has at least one. With so many options it can be hard to figure out which ones to pick and why. This little list is my favorite, go-to EQs, along with why I like them and

5. Sound Radix SurferEQ 2

One of the most interesting EQs out there is the Sound Radix SurferEQ 2. This EQ identifies the fundamental pitch of an instrument. As the fundamental pitch changes with the note that's being played, SurferEQ 2 gives the option to change a selected corner frequency relative to this shift. In other words, as the note moves, the frequency band you selected moves with it!

It's a simple yet brilliant concept. Sometimes what we want to change is fixed … oh, there's room build up at 500Hz — lets EQ that out. But sometimes it's not … wow, this cello is very honky, so much wood tone from 700 to 1500Hz. Unfortunately, this honk is resonating relative to the note being bowed. Fortunately, there's an EQ that moves relative to the note that we can use to control that.

Mix Tips

Strings: String instruments are notoriously dense, harmonically. Violins, violas, cellos and basses have pronounced overtones and not by accident. When you're in a concert setting and the listener is 30 to 50 feet away from the string section (or further), these overtones help the instruments feel rich and alive. But when the microphone is six feet away (or less) the amount of tone getting into the mic can be just overwhelming.

While there are models of string instruments that are better for recording and mics that are better for recording them, we don't always have these at our disposal. SurferEQ 2 is great for getting out the denser overtones (which move relative to the fundamental note being bowed) while allowing the sweeter tones to pop through.

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Bass: SurferEQ 2 works particularly well on bass instruments. Bass instruments rely heavily on the primary fundamental and lower overtones to define their sound. SurferEQ 2 is perfect for dialing in the bass sound in the context of a record by raising or lowering any given overtone.

Introduction to Surfer EQ 2

There are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to software equalizers. Almost every plugin manufacturer in the business has at least one. With so many options it can be hard to figure out which ones to pick and why. This little list is my favorite, go-to EQs, along with why I like them and

Mixing with EQ Course

Coding download file. If you'd like to learn how to use EQ to take your mixes to the next level by manipulating tone, texture and balance, check out Mixing with EQ.

Mixing with EQ: Mix Training Course from Matthew Weiss

There are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to software equalizers. Almost every plugin manufacturer in the business has at least one. Macbook pro mojave support. With so many options it can be hard to figure out which ones to pick and why. This little list is my favorite, go-to EQs, along with why I like them and

FREE Masterclass: Low-End Mixing Secrets

Downloaded Over 19,455 times!

Discover how to make your kick and bass hit hard by cutting (NOT boosting) the right frequencies! Plus, more counterintuitive ways to get fuller yet controlled low-end in your mix. Download this 40-minute workshop by Matthew Weiss, now for FREE!

Article Content

Getting the vocals right in a mix is kind of everything. Even if everything else isn't perfect, if you nail the vocals, you're still doing ok and the artist will be reasonably happy. On the other hand, even if everything else is perfect, but the vocals are a touch off, it's going to stick out like a sore thumb and you might lose the gig. Of course, we strive to get everything right — I'm just stressing the point that vocals are the one element you have to absolutely nail.

My approach to vocals changes based on genre, based on what sound I want — and I experiment with plugins and gear all the time. But there are some plugins I keep coming back to that one would see in a lot of my mixes.

1. FabFilter Pro-DS

FabFilter Pro-DS is easily my go-to de-esser.

For a long time, I was actually automating sibilance by hand because I didn't like the graininess that I got from all the de-essers I tried. FabFilter Pro-DS in wideband mode is as good as automating by hand.

The split band also sounds great and works well on taming harsh tones that can show up around 3 kHz, not just sibilant tones higher up.

2. SoundToys EchoBoy

Play coin dozer. I spend an inordinate amount of time designing my ambiences, particularly on vocals. It's not uncommon for me to have three to five delay throws that I automate between throughout a record. EchoBoy gives me the versatility to create a number of delays — from subtle ambience around the vocals to overt effects.

I can do very tight delays for rap vocals, smeared 'pa system' delays for rock vocals or highly diffused and spread delays for pop. Basically, I feel like I don't have many limitations outside of my own creativity.

3. Klanghelm MJUC

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I've tried a lot of different compressors for vocals, and while there's a number of hardware pieces I love, I haven't found too many in the software world. Best macintosh virus protection. Oddly enough, the one that I keep coming back to again and again is the Klanghelm MJUC, which is one of the least expensive options available.

It's super versatile with a great tone. It's transparent enough to not distinctly change the tone, but just colored enough to give the voice a little extra magic. I can't imagine a genre where this compressor wouldn't work. And even if I were using some of my very expensive outboard, I would still likely be using this compressor as a parallel return.

4. Waves MV2

There's usually a point in my mix where I love my vocal sound, but I just want it to be a touch fuller and a hair more forward. This is where Waves MV2 is my finisher. The Waves MV2 has a 'low level' limiter which does something really interesting.

Instead of taking level above a threshold and attenuating, it takes level below the threshold and turns it up, keeping the louder signal exactly where it is. This effectively brings the vocal forward without actually turning it up louder. Even setting the low level up to just 2 or 3 adds a distinct amount of body to a vocal.

5. Avid Lo-Fi

Surprisingly enough, the stock Avid Lo-Fi plugin makes this list. Sometimes a vocal comes in too clean to really stand out in the right way. I use very subtle amounts of Lo-Fi to add grit to a vocal or shift the tone ever so slightly darker.

A very common use is for vocals that have a boxy low-mid. I want to get rid of the boxiness so I EQ out the cruddy low-mid, but then I'm missing body in the vocal. I use Lo-Fi to bring some of that body back. Sometimes a touch of distortion also helps the ear find a sound in the mix, so it's also a good tool for getting a bit of presence in the vocal without having to make EQ changes.

6. Lexicon Vintage Plate

This one is close. I use a lot of different reverbs for a lot of different vocals for a lot of different reasons. And most commonly, I use my hardware Bricasti, but if I had to pick only one reverb to have for vocals in the box, I'd go with the Lexicon PCM Vintage Plate. With this reverb, I don't believe I'd ever run into a vocal that I couldn't make sound incredible.

7. Boz Digital Hoser XT

There's a number of EQs I use on vocals. I use the FabFilter Pro-Q 2 for surgical stuff pretty often. I use Waves Q10 for background vocals very frequently. But if I had to pick one that I use more than anything else, it's probably the Boz Digital Hoser XT. It's punchy like SSL-style EQs, but a broader band like API-style EQs, which kind of makes it the perfect vocal EQ in my book.

If the vocal is recorded fairly flat, I love pulling in a bit of 'larger than life' smile curve with the broad low and high shelf and then tightening things up by getting rid of any boxy or harsh tone using the two bell bands. It's a process I do very often.

8. Wavesfactory Spectre

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I have a lot of techniques for making a vocal sound rich in a certain frequency range. I will use parallel processing — either band-limited compression or saturation — that targets that range. It's a bit of a process to set up and it's a little tricky to dial things in just right. Getting a vocal to sound rich is even trickier when the vocal was not tracked in the best way possible. However, Wavesfactory Spectre has made this process much easier. Spectre works like an EQ but instead of boosting frequency content it boosts harmonic energy at a target frequency. This is exceptionally useful when it comes to getting vocals to sound full in the lower mids.

Turn the playback level very low with the entire mix going. Listen to the vocals. If they sound thin or diminished in any particular frequency range, grab Spectre. Set the 'Mix' to 100%, and dial in just enough of that frequency range to make the vocals stand over the record. Then turn the 'Mix' down to a lower percentage until the vocal seems to glue itself back into the track again. I find a little bit goes a long way. A dB or two boost at 30 to 50% is usually plenty. Experiment with the distortion algorithms — I find myself going to 'Warm Tube' very often. And set the Quality to 'Best.' Instant rich vocal.

Bonus: PSP B-Scanner

A lot of Pop and R&B vocals benefit from a bit of chorusing/modulation. It gives them some tonal movement, texture and a sense of spread. My favorite choice for this process is the PSP B-Scanner, and I don't believe this is at all what PSP intended for the plugin. But damn if it doesn't sound sexy tucked under a vocal 12dB down.

Now, I didn't list this in the primary seven because I don't believe this plugin would work well for Rap or Heavy Rock. I can't exactly call this one a 'favorite' for everything, but I had to at least mention it.

If I had nothing other than these plugins listed, I don't believe I'd have any restriction in mixing any vocal, from Top 40 Pop to grimy Punk-Rock. I'd be happy as a pumpkin in a pumpkin patch, and I'm pretty sure that's not even a real expression.

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Mixing Vocals Tutorials

How to Creatively Deal with Comb Filtering on Vocals

Getting the vocals right in a mix is kind of everything. Even if everything else isn't perfect, if you nail the vocals, you're still doing ok and the artist will be reasonably happy. On the other hand, even if everything else is perfect, but the vocals are a touch off, it's going to stick out like a

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FREE Masterclass: Low-End Mixing Secrets

Downloaded Over 19,455 times!

Discover how to make your kick and bass hit hard by cutting (NOT boosting) the right frequencies! Plus, more counterintuitive ways to get fuller yet controlled low-end in your mix. Download this 40-minute workshop by Matthew Weiss, now for FREE!