Can sum 1 help? When mixing and mastering tracks, what are the BEST plug ins? Im sort of new at this and I need just a little help. THANKS
You are not going to get a good answer answer to that question, gino, just so you know. The best thing is the thing that works. That might mean that you should play the mix through a garbage can with a radio shack mic stuck in it. It has been done. 
HOWEVER, if you are looking for some basic freebie plugins to learn on that won’t disappoint, SIR is a great free impulse reverb, you might want to try out Spin Audio’s EQ that comes with any issue of Computer Music magazine, Kjerhaus’ mastering limiter works well, and the multiband compressor that comes with n-Track can do very good things.
But remember, in decreasing order of importance:
Good music
Good arrangement
Good players
Good performance
Good room
Good mics/preamps
good mix
good mastering
IMHO, of course, and whadda I know anyhoo? On the other hand, if you think my stuff sucks now, you should have heard it 20 years ago.
lol thanks 4 ur time, I really appreciate it.
Everything TomS said plus…
I use mainly the Kjaerhaus classic plugs cuz they’re free, pretty good and I’m a total amateur so they work for me. Here are some links which will keep you busy…
VST list 1
VST list 2
KVR
cliff
In addition to N-tracks native effects I use Kjaerhus freebies (reverb, delay, phaser, flanger, master limiter, compressor) and Blockfish (as a lead vocal compressor). That’s all I need, the best for me basically.
SSL listen mic compressor is a great and peculiar compressor, there’s also simul analog guitar suite for amps and such that can be useful. If everything else fails you may want to use Gsnap for pitch correction.
Now you don’t have to search anymore… There’s plenty more than you really need.
varakeef, I have that SSL plug in, but I’ve never been able to make it do anything musical. How do you use it?
Use the SSL compressor sparingly on individual tracks. It has a very pronounced low-end roll-off what either must be compensated for after the effect or works well on tracks that need the roll-off in the first place. Tracks that have this effect may sound really thin out of the mix, but using the in the right places can really help clean up muddy mixes.
“Pronounced” is an undestatement. 
I’ve tried it on guitar, whihc as you said worked OK when the low end needed to be eliminated, and on drums of course - but I can’t get anything close to the phil collins sound out of it. Isn’t that what it’s good for?
I suspect it’s because they used it on room mics, and I don’t have a “room,” I have a basement.
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| but I can’t get anything close to the phil collins sound out of it. Isn’t that what it’s good for? |
I don’t see any way that can be used for the Phil Collins drum sound as-is. It may can be used in combination with a side-chain stereo gate and reverb or good room (as you mention), but not as-is for sure.
I’m not even sure the SSL plug-in would be good to use as the limiter in a Phil-wannabe effect chain. The attack isn’t nearly hard enough and there’s no way to set that with the one knob it has that seems to increases the ratio (with a little more intelligent stuff happening to compensate when using high ratios).
While Phil Collins may have used the real thing onboard SSL channel limiters for that sound he didn’t use these plug-ins and we don’t know exactly what else he did, except to use a side-chain stereo gate and a very lively room…here’s what I think he did…
Start with the uneffected close-miced drum tracks triggering the stereo gate. These are the close miced uneffected drum tracks of some pretty dead drums (Phil was using single headed toms with the mics stuck up under them so there is virtually no bleed). That will open and close the gate based on just the uneffected drum attack and a very short sustain. The triggered stereo gate in the overhead tracks (probably two mono gates ganged together in two mono tracks really). Add reverb before the triggered gate (to simulate the room). I don’t know if the limiter should be before or after the gate, but it could be either since the gate is being opened and closed from the close miced tracks. Use the drastically effected overheads as the basis for the the overall sound, and mix in a little of the uneffected drums to bring back the attack lost due to the hard limiting, and to help compensate for any tonal stuff that needs working on.
I also read that Phil Collins cranked up the channels to clipping to get a harder sound (Tape saturation or board clipping? No clue.). That may add to the final result, but we can’t do that since he was working with analog at the time.
| Quote (TomS @ April 15 2007,16:41) |
| But remember, in decreasing order of importance: Good music Good arrangement Good players Good performance Good room Good mics/preamps good mix good mastering IMHO, of course, and whadda I know anyhoo? On the other hand, if you think my stuff sucks now, you should have heard it 20 years ago. |
Obviously, we are our own worst critics
Honestly, Tom, I listened to a couple of your songs and I was impressed.Your list is a good reminder of what it takes to make a good recording and gives some insight into why things that I do sound a bit amateurish. But it is OK because I am using my music as more of a therapeutic outlet than anything else. I quit playing many years ago and actually consider myself an artist rather than a musician. But a few years back, we lost everything we owned when our house burned down in the California fires and I found myself with nothing. No insurance, no tools, no home...... and if it had not been for friends and family, we would have hit the bottom. One day we were at a swap meet and I caught sight of a Lyle humingbird copy being sold and I practically ran to the booth. Once I had it in my hand I never let go of it, because I knew someone else was going to grab it. Later that day I ran into an old autoharp, and I just considered all of this an omen.
Not sure why I am rambling like this, except just to say that music, recording, and all the associated has given me an outlet to express myself and the solice to get thru a very hard time in my life. And I do appreciate the information I am gaining from this board.
Bob
In that case the list can be shorted drastically:
Good Friends
Good Fun
Anything after that is icing on the cake.
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| But it is OK because I am using my music as more of a therapeutic outlet than anything else. |
Well, that is, unless Bono or someone wants to record one of my songs.
| Quote (TomS @ April 17 2007,07:15) |
| varakeef, I have that SSL plug in, but I've never been able to make it do anything musical. How do you use it? |
Well indeed: it's not musical, but it's different.
I've used it on drums to get more punk outta 'em, both in insert and especially in parallel compression (aux, blend...)
I haven't tried to get anything Phil Collins -like out of it, because well... how to say it politely and without using word suck... it's not close to my sound or vibe ideal
I agree, it’s not a sound I really want to use, but I wanted to know how to get it - perhaps it could be twisted somehow.
Put like a diplomat, varakeef.
| Quote (ginomaxx @ April 15 2007,16:27) |
| Can sum 1 help? When mixing and mastering tracks, what are the BEST plug ins? Im sort of new at this and I need just a little help. THANKS |
Yes, the Classic plugins are great for mixing.
I also highly recommend endorphin for the final mastering. Gives a very nice sound on the master. It’s at:
Endorphin
For mastering, n-Track’s 3 band is entirely functional.
Also, speaking of compressors, these are good, although there is no metering - but one can use PSP’s free meter in front and behind them:
Buzzcomp compressor bundle
Jeepers, how did we get along in the past with a 4 track and a DOD pedal compressor? 
This hint is from Phil O’Keefe from Harmony Central: <!–QuoteBegin>
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Massey |
He also recommended this Leslie simulator. And really, who can live without one?
Sometimes you need a wah wah too.
Aren’t the Massey ones PT only?
RTAS or TDM; yep, ProTools only…
What a shame, they look like great units!
'til;
TW