VST plugins & mixing/mastering workflow in your DAWs

[if_then_else]

FWIW: I recently discovered a few new (to me) VST plugins during the Black Friday sales (e.g. TBProAudio DSEQ3 and ABML2, the Sonible smart bundle, OEKSound Spiff and Soundtheory Gullfoss), which have found their permanent place in my DAW for the music I usually record (mostly SBD+AUD matrices and multi-track SBD recordings).

Even though many tasks could already be done manually in the DAW in the past, these tools make many things easier and, above all, lead to a simplified, fixed workflow and a huge time saving.

However, I have found that the sequence in which you load the plug-ins in the mix busses and especially on the master bus makes a huge difference.

I.e.: Filters and (Dynamic Spectral) EQs first. Then transient shaping and saturation/distortion plug-ins. Then reverb and stereo imaging and finally the limiter. For loudness matching, you need two instances of ABML2 on the master bus (one as the first and one as the last plug-in in the chain). Otherwise you are simply under the illusion that "louder is better".

I have collected the plugins in the list over several years and some of the VSTs are certainly redundant in function. But sometimes a more user-friendly interface or more precise manipulation options were worth the switch for me.

Question for the others here: What do you use for what purposes and are there any plugins that are game-changers for you in terms of your workflows (either in terms of precision or time savings)?

## Alignment and Phase Correction
- Sound Radix Auto-Align2: Automatically time-aligns and phase-corrects multi-microphone recordings.

## Audio Restoration and Editing
- Acon Digital Acoustica Premium: Comprehensive audio restoration suite for removing noise, clicks, and other artifacts from recordings. Feature-wise, it's comparable to RX Standard but all of the yearly upgrades to version 7 were free over the past 5+ years.
- iZotope RX Standard: Industry-standard audio repair toolkit offering modules for noise reduction, de-clicking, spectral repair, and more.

## Channel Strip Emulation / Expanders
- SSL Sourcerer: Advanced channel expander specifically designed to reduce mic bleed in multi-track recordings. Provides precise control over unwanted audio leakage without harsh gating artifacts.

## Compressors
- Fabfilter Pro C2: Versatile compressor with multiple compression styles and extensive visual feedback.
- Fabfilter Pro MB: Multiband compressor allowing frequency-specific dynamic control.
- Klanghelm MJUC: Vintage-style variable-mu compressor emulation with a warm, musical character.
- Sonible smartComp 2: AI-driven compressor that analyzes the input and suggests appropriate compression settings.

## Deverb
- Acon Digital deVerberate: Specialized plugin for reducing or removing unwanted reverb from audio recordings.

## Dynamics Processors
- Fabfilter Pro DS: Precision de-esser for taming harsh sibilance in vocal recordings.
- Fabfilter Pro G: Versatile gate and expander for noise reduction and dynamic shaping.
- Wavesfactor Trackspacer 2.5: Carves out space for vocals in a mix by dynamically reducing conflicting frequencies in other tracks.

## Enhancers
- AudioThing Type A: Type A uses the Dolby A encoding method without subsequent decoding, applying its compression and equalization techniques to enhance audio signals. This results in added warmth and character by boosting specific frequencies while compressing others.

## Equalizers
- Fabfilter Pro Q4: High-precision equalizer with dynamic EQ capabilities and extensive visual feedback.
- Sonible smartEQ 4: AI-powered equalizer that analyzes and suggests EQ curves based on the input signal.
- TBProAudio DSEQ 3: Dynamic spectral equalizer that applies EQ adjustments based on the input signal's dynamics.
- Voxengo TEOTE: Another dynamic spectral EQ that automatically balances the frequency spectrum of audio material.

## Filters
- TDR Special Filters Bundle (Arbiter, Elliptical, Infrasonic, Ultrasonic): Collection of high-quality filters for precise frequency shaping and clean-up tasks.

## Intelligent Processing
- Soundtheory Gullfoss: AI-powered equalizer that dynamically enhances clarity and balance in real-time.

## Limiters
- Fabfilter Pro L2: Transparent limiter with extensive metering and oversampling options.
- Sonible smartLimit: Intelligent limiter that automatically adapts to the input signal for optimal loudness.

## Loudness Matching
- TBProAudio ABLM2: ABLM2 is a gain control plugin that enables level-matched A/B comparisons of audio tracks. It measures loudness before and after processing, automatically adjusting levels to eliminate loudness bias for more objective evaluations of effects. With multiple measurement modes and auto-linking features, it's an essential tool for mixing and mastering.

## Metering and Analysis
- Sonible trueBalance: Analyzes and visualizes the spectral balance of audio signals across the frequency spectrum.
- Sonible trueLevel: Provides loudness metering and analysis tools for achieving consistent levels across tracks.

## Reverb
- LiquidSonics Reverberate 2: Convolution reverb with modulation capabilities for realistic space emulation.
- LiquidSonics Seventh Heaven: High-end reverb plugin emulating the Bricasti M7 hardware reverb unit.
- Valhalla Room: Algorithmic reverb known for its natural sound and extensive customization options.
- Valhalla Vintage Verb: Emulates the character of classic digital reverbs from the 1970s and 1980s.

## Saturation and Distortion
- Fabfilter Saturn 2: Multiband distortion and saturation processor with modulation capabilities.
- Kazrog True Iron: Emulates the subtle saturation and harmonics of audio transformers.
- Klanghelm SDRR2: Versatile saturation plugin with multiple modes for various types of analog-style distortion.
- Kush Omega bundle (458A, A, N, TWK): Collection of analog-modeled processors for adding warmth and character to audio. I prefer 458A and TWK for the type of music I record. Your mileage may vary.
- Soundtoys Decapitator: Popular analog saturation emulator known for its aggressive, punchy character.
- Soundtoys Radiator + Little Radiator: Emulations of vintage Altec console preamps for adding tube-like warmth.

## Stereo Processing
- Nugen Monofilter 4: Controls low-frequency content to ensure mono compatibility in stereo mixes.
- Nugen Stereoizer 3: Expands the stereo image of audio signals while maintaining mono compatibility.
- Nugen Stereoplacer 3: Allows precise positioning of frequency bands within the stereo field.
- Ozone Imager 2: Stereo widening tool for enhancing the perceived width of audio signals.
- Stereo Savage 2: Enhances stereo width and depth through mid-side processing techniques.

## Tape Emulation
- Softube Tape: Adds analog tape warmth and compression to digital recordings.
- u-he Satin: Versatile tape emulation with extensive control over tape machine characteristics.
- UADx Ampex ATR-102 Master Tape: Detailed emulation of the Ampex ATR-102 mastering tape machine.
- UADx Oxide Tape Recorder: Simulates the warmth and cohesion of recording to tape.

## Transient Shaping
- OEKSound Spiff: Transient shaper that allows precise control over the attack and sustain of audio signals.

[admkrk]

Ozone for dither and light limiting, mostly because I cannot figure out how to get the dither to work otherwise.

Rx to remove the occasional clink or clank.

[morst]

## Alignment and Phase Correction
- Sound Radix Auto-Align2: Automatically time-aligns and phase-corrects multi-microphone recordings.

https://www.soundradix.com/products/auto-align/


Wow I need to check this out.
I wanna compare this to using something like SMAART versus my manual method. I bet this and SMAART beat me but I'd like to hear by how much... $199 huh? The pros think it's a great deal for their 48 tracks... that would be a hassle to do manually.

[goodcooker]

On almost every recording I use -

*deClick -
*deNoise - this also includes a dePlop that decreases the woof from low bass that seems to escape my EQ so I put it in pre EQ
*EQ - I use several different ones but unless I need a multiband parametric EQ I use API 550 or 560
*SSL Channel Strip - this is a simple but flexible EQ and dynamics processor

My magic bullet is Waves L3 Ultramaximizer - it's a dynamics processor that uses simple presets and has only two controls - an activation threshold and an output limiter setting. It's great glue for the master.

[if_then_else]

## Alignment and Phase Correction
- Sound Radix Auto-Align2: Automatically time-aligns and phase-corrects multi-microphone recordings.

https://www.soundradix.com/products/auto-align/


Wow I need to check this out.
I wanna compare this to using something like SMAART versus my manual method. I bet this and SMAART beat me but I'd like to hear by how much... $199 huh? The pros think it's a great deal for their 48 tracks... that would be a hassle to do manually.

I actually only discovered Auto-Align 2 thanks to another thread here - about 2 or 2.5 years ago, and I've used it on all my SBD+AUD matrix recordings since then. I also tried it on some multi-track matrix recordings, but with more than 32 channels the system load eventually got very high. It might be smarter to use it on groups of channels rather than individual channels.

The thing is: Previously, I always aligned my SBD+AUD matrix recordings manually with élastique Pro in the DAW. In Samplitude, this is accurate to 5 or 6 decimal places. This means that even if the result is "almost" exact, there is still a small delta after 30 minutes or 60 minutes and the phases no longer match exactly.

I still do the initial, rough alignment manually but then let Auto-Align 2 do the surgical work. The effect is clearly noticeable: i.e. any comb filter effects are eliminated and the phases match exactly. The program constantly matches samples from the individual channels and corrects them. The result is much clearer for me.  And since then I've spared myself the discussions with some band members about the fact that something sounds "off".

Whether this is worth $200 for everyone, I don't know. My time was well worth it.

Sound Radix always have a plugin sale around Black Friday (I think reduced by about one third of the asking price). I don't know if there are any other sales throughout the year. If you need it (and can wait) you should go for it then - as with most other plugins.

There is also a specialised, even more expensive "Auto-Align Post", but this is more intended for film sets where talents move around the room. I think even the manufacturer recommends Auto-Align 2 for music, because it is more suitable for this kind of content.

[if_then_else]

Surprisingly, perhaps the most useful plugin for me was TBProAudio ABLM2. (The price is quite fair for such a plugin and the manufacturer never has any sales promotions).

I had always wondered why the resulting mix was so much quieter before the final limiting than when I was monitoring it. This is because many of the other plugins in the chain add gain and when you lower the level to avoid clipping, it suddenly doesn't sound so great. The perception is that louder is always "better".

ABLM2 equalizes the gain of the individual plug-ins and even adds a safety margin if desired.

This means that what I hear when monitoring in the DAW is what I get when mastering. And I can correct it in real time without having to change and re-render anything later.

[morst]

There is also a specialised, even more expensive "Auto-Align Post", but this is more intended for film sets where talents move around the room. I think even the manufacturer recommends Auto-Align 2 for music, because it is more suitable for this kind of content.

This might be particularly useful to folks attempting to synchronize direct board recordings with those made using body worn mics.

[phil_er_up]

 if_then_else - thanks for posting these. It is appreciated.

DL'ed the  Sound Radix Auto-Align2 plugin and could not get wavelab to see it as a plugin.

Tried the TBProAudio ABLM2 as a plugin in and managed to get it to work in wavelab and it does look like a good tool.

Thanks again.

[if_then_else]

if_then_else - thanks for posting these. It is appreciated.

DL'ed the  Sound Radix Auto-Align2 plugin and could not get wavelab to see it as a plugin.

Tried the TBProAudio ABLM2 as a plugin in and managed to get it to work in wavelab and it does look like a good tool.

Thanks again.

Not sure about the issue with Wavelab and Auto-Align 2... It could be because it might not have been installed to the default Windows folder. (I think the default folder for VST plugins would be C:\Program Files\Steinberg\VstPlugins. In my specific case Auto-Align 2 is installed in C:\Common Files\VST3\AutoAlign2.vst3\Contents\x86_64-win\AutoAlign2.vst3). Maybe just see if that's the same issue with your installation and, if so, add the path to your VST search path in Wavelab and then re-scan the plugins.

Re. TBProAudio ABLM2: I noticed today that there's a plugin called "Letimix GainMatch" that supposedly serves a similar purpose. At a first glance, it looks less advanced/customisable than ABLM2, but it's also just $19 compared to the €49 for ABLM2.

[boomfizzle]

## Alignment and Phase Correction
- Sound Radix Auto-Align2: Automatically time-aligns and phase-corrects multi-microphone recordings.

Whether this is worth $200 for everyone, I don't know. My time was well worth it.

Sound Radix always have a plugin sale around Black Friday (I think reduced by about one third of the asking price). I don't know if there are any other sales throughout the year. If you need it (and can wait) you should go for it then - as with most other plugins.

There is also a specialised, even more expensive "Auto-Align Post", but this is more intended for film sets where talents move around the room. I think even the manufacturer recommends Auto-Align 2 for music, because it is more suitable for this kind of content.

I've posted about Auto Align Post 2 here in the past.  I actually just recently purchased Auto Align 2 as well, for tracking live drums.   (They had a bonus Black Friday discount for existing customers)
It's worth calling out that Auto Align 2 calculates the sample shift required to align phase, and that's it.  If you're trying to align two sources from decks with different clocks, the ability to have the "Post" version do any time stretching (difference between Static and Variable) necessary to align transients is worth it in time saved to me, as well.
It's expensive software, but try the demo and if it's not for you, save the money.

I mainly use FabFilter Pro L-2 to grab some stray peaks and dither.   I much preferred the results I got this way than by relying on normalization. 

I also want to mention the two attached pics...I used these Fairchild settings (taken from Chase's picture this past fall on Phish Tour) in my UA Fairchild plugin, along with these UA Pultec settings (stolen from a Spector murder doc), and loved what they each added to the last show I recorded.  YMMV, but it feels like I'm standing on the shoulders of giants on playback.

[phil_er_up]

if_then_else - thanks for posting these. It is appreciated.

DL'ed the  Sound Radix Auto-Align2 plugin and could not get wavelab to see it as a plugin.

Tried the TBProAudio ABLM2 as a plugin in and managed to get it to work in wavelab and it does look like a good tool.

Thanks again.

Not sure about the issue with Wavelab and Auto-Align 2... It could be because it might not have been installed to the default Windows folder. (I think the default folder for VST plugins would be C:\Program Files\Steinberg\VstPlugins. In my specific case Auto-Align 2 is installed in C:\Common Files\VST3\AutoAlign2.vst3\Contents\x86_64-win\AutoAlign2.vst3). Maybe just see if that's the same issue with your installation and, if so, add the path to your VST search path in Wavelab and then re-scan the plugins.

Re. TBProAudio ABLM2: I noticed today that there's a plugin called "Letimix GainMatch" that supposedly serves a similar purpose. At a first glance, it looks less advanced/customisable than ABLM2, but it's also just $19 compared to the €49 for ABLM2.

Thanks for the reply If_then_else.

Did add "C:\Common Files\VST3\' to the path in wavelab and rescanned plugins and it still did not see it. Tried this and some other methods for about an hour and could not get it to work. Have an older version of wavelab so that might be the issue.

Would the auto-align2 fix the combing effect with 2 sets of cardioid  mics from the same mic stand...like one set of cards with Supercardioid  or wide card?
Also, like the idea of using it with SBD and aud recordings.

[if_then_else]

Would the auto-align2 fix the combing effect with 2 sets of cardioid  mics from the same mic stand...like one set of cards with Supercardioid  or wide card?
Also, like the idea of using it with SBD and aud recordings.

Yes. That's actually my use case. I mainly record 4 or 5 audience channels + a stereo soundboard feed and matrix them in post.
Cf. the screenshot below. The darker areas in the Correlation diagram show the corrections.

[Gutbucket]

Following..

Will be curious to try Auto-Align2 at some point. In particular to see what it does with the multi-mic stereo configs I run

[Ronmac]

Melda Production make some very fine, intelligent plug-ins at reasonable prices. I have been using them for over a decade and highly recommend picking up their free bundle.

https://www.meldaproduction.com/MAutoAlign?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD3G1YeVoaZ69kRNLND2uu8PuHPjP&gclid=CjwKCAiApsm7BhBZEiwAvIu2XwjTwJpJ_30PvFNRN5fASvb515UblA8k1aMe0JlNXbbQwqzWvdjsqBoCHhkQAvD_BwE

[phil_er_up]

Went online and looked for other Alignment and Phase Correction tools and found some.

Does anyone recommend another tool besides  auto-align2 that does Alignment and Phase Correction?

Really want to try this. Ran wide cards and cards with omni mics for many years on one mic stand.