The power and flexibility of DAW software have grown by leaps and bounds over the last couple of decades, and that goes for the included plug-in processors, too. But, no matter how many plug-in tools your DAW software includes, you’ll inevitably come to a point where you need something that your DAW does not offer. Whether it’s pro-level pitch correction, songwriting and composition tools, or advanced analysis and sonic repair, you’ll ultimately want more solutions than your DAW’s tool kit provides. We talked with musicians, mixers, producers, and podcasters around the Sweetwater campus, and these are their recommendations for plug-ins that offer big rewards for home studios.
Waves Gold Bundle
Waves has been a leader in plug-in technology for almost as long as plug-ins have been a thing, and they’ve developed world-class solutions for practically every processing need an audio engineer could have. With the Gold Bundle, Waves offers more than 30 of their mixing and mastering plug-ins — consider it a pro-level studio-processing starter pack. It includes powerful plug-ins for the most common tasks like EQ, compression and limiting, and audio analysis. You’ll also find advanced tools for virtually re-amping guitars, vibrant effects including delays and reverbs, and even corrective tools like Waves Tune LT. If you’re looking for maximum bang for your buck to complement your DAW’s stock plug-ins, then it’s hard to beat the value in the Waves Gold Bundle.
Antares Auto-Tune Pro Pitch Correction and Vocal Effects
“Just record it again (and again) until you have a pitch-perfect take!” screams every recording engineer who charges by the hour for vocal sessions. For everyone else, Antares Auto-Tune Pro pitch-correction software makes it possible to turn that almost-perfect vocal take into a perfect take. And, once you’ve used it a couple times, you’ll realize that making minor, almost imperceptible pitch corrections to a vocal is one of the best ways to bridge the gap between an amateur mix and a pro production. Add to its industry-standard pitch-correction abilities a suite of advanced vocal effects, and you’ve got a full-featured vocal processing suite with Antares Auto-Tune Pro.
Steven Slate Drums Trigger 2 Platinum
Whether you’re a mixing engineer for hire or a home recordist dealing with the sonic realities of recording drums in a small space, you’re going to spend plenty of time trying to mix less-than-ideal drum tracks. And when time becomes more important than your pride for your mixing wizardry, drum-replacement software is the solution. Trigger 2 Platinum has been a leader among drum-replacement plug-ins, thanks to its incredibly smart operation — it offers extremely accurate drum replacement, even when there’s heavy leakage in the target drum’s mic. And, because it comes with Steven Slate Platinum samples, you’ve got a world-class selection of snares, bass drums, and toms to work with. When re-recording the drums is not an option, Trigger 2 Platinum is the solution.
Native Instruments Komplete 13
Native Instruments claims Komplete 13 is “the world’s largest production suite” — and with over 65 amazing instruments and effects, over 20 expansion packs with additional sounds and presets, and over 35,000 individual sounds, it’s hard to argue with them. Ranging from massive-sounding synthesizers and sampled instruments to powerful guitar-amplifier modeling, studio-quality processing, and some of the most exceptional sonic effects you’ve ever heard, Komplete 13 is your peace-of-mind tool kit — if you need something, you’ll probably find it here. Best of all, Komplete 13 offers seamless integration with Native Instruments’ Maschine music production controller and Komplete Kontrol keyboards.
The Toontrack EZ Line Bundle — EZdrummer 3, EZbass, EZkeys, EZmix 2
Aimed at DIY music producers, Toontrack’s suite of “EZ” software solutions gives you everything you need to transform a moment of inspiration into a fully arranged demo. And, because the sounds are production quality, you may very well find your “EZ” tracks making their way into your final mix. In short, EZdrummer 3, EZbass, and EZkeys make it incredibly easy to create and arrange drum, bass, and keys parts for practically any musical style in any key. Their built-in songwriting and arrangement tools make these plug-ins both incredibly powerful and extremely approachable at the same time. When it’s time to mix, EZmix 2 simplifies the mixing process and makes it easier to achieve pro-level sonic balance without spending hours tweaking individual processors. And, even if you’re a pro-level mixing engineer who also plays drums, bass, and keys, Toontrack’s EZ suite of software can save you time without having to sacrifice production quality.
Audio Ease Altiverb 7
Whether you’re producing music, creating sound effects, or doing sound design for film, you’re going to need quality reverb on a regular basis. Altiverb set a standard for high-quality convolution reverb plug-ins, offering a huge range of real-world spaces to add the perfect ambience to any project. Of special note is Altiverb’s unique “Brightness” control, which can layer a finely tuned algorithmic reverb atop the real-world impulse response to add clarity and brightness in a way you cannot achieve by EQing a reverb return. And, because you can load in your own impulse responses, Altiverb 7 is a powerfully creative sound-design tool. Basically, if you could only have one reverb plug-in to use in your DAW, you’d be well served with Audio Ease Altiverb 7.
iZotope RX 9 Standard
When we at Sweetwater were first introduced to the original RX audio restoration and repair software, we suspected a time traveler visited us to show us what audio editing would look like in the future. But the future is now, apparently, as iZotope’s RX 9 offers an unprecedented set of tools to do the seemingly impossible — like reducing excess reverb in a recording, eliminating that car horn that almost ruined your guitar solo, removing hum and buzz from guitar amplifiers, and so much more. Best of all, it achieves these sonic feats transparently. And, aside from fixing audio recordings that are seemingly beyond repair, RX 9 offers plenty of creative applications, as well, including isolating vocals from a full mix and re-balancing mix elements in a stereo mix. Whether you use it as a standalone audio restoration suite or use its individual modules as plug-ins in your DAW, iZotope RX 9 will make you feel like an audio engineering master.
Ask x-number of producers and engineers what the best plug-in is for a specific task, and you’ll get x-number of answers. But, when it comes to getting the most functionality and benefit for your dollar, it’s hard to beat the value that these seven plug-in solutions provide. Your DAW may offer some similar tools with its stock plug-ins, but the solutions above have earned a reputation for giving you creative capabilities that extend far beyond your DAW’s capabilities. If you’d like to know more about how one of these plug-ins can integrate with your specific studio setup, then give your Sweetwater Sales Engineer a call at (800) 222-4700 — there are solutions for every audio task imaginable, and we’re here to help you find them.
