Balance and Tone

PaulBrewer

I'm happy enough with my mix balancing - my attitude on mixing is that it should sound good on an iPhone speaker as well as a big system and recent results are hitting that mark reasonably well.

However I'm not loving some of my tones .
With that in mind I'm looking at harmonic plugins to fatten things up in a way Eq/Compression can't ...


Any of the brothers using Cranesong Phoenix ?

I've just started trying it by sticking it on every track - bejaysus it's like someone pressed the 'Make it sound it like a record' button.

I've not tried 'Heat' yet .

Anyone any experience ?

Also on the list is Slate's VCC.

Reading on the net suggests Phoenix is the Big Daddy ....

peter05

I have a couple, brainworx saturator is great on dynamic programs. M/S functions lets me drive out the middle nicely. I have another, for the life of me I cant remember but I find it only works in certain situations such as more chilled programs. I'll post back tomoorw the name of it.

As for the oxford limiter harmonic function I really don't know how I feel about it. sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

I must check out this Cranesong phoenix.

krd

PaulBrewer wrote: »

bejaysus it's like someone pressed the 'Make it sound it like a record' button.

The Holy Grail.

trackmixstudio

Great plugins for an amazing price are:

Sominus Satson console emulation.
Nice VU meter and good hi and lo pass.
Excellent plugin for setting up proper gain staging before hitting subsequent plugins.
Your mixes will sound so much clearer if you use the gain to get the vu on zero on non transient sounds.
Note that a VU is slow on transients so make sure your drums don't clip. (use the peak meters on your DAW so transients hit about -6dbfs)
(I know you are a pro, Paul, and understand gain staging. Info is for anyone who doesn't)
Includes channel and bus plugins. On the bus plugin make sure to set the crosstalk to "modern".
The other setting has a bit too much crosstalk.
$39
http://dsp.sonimus.com/products/satson/

ToneBoosters ReelBus.
Really nice tape saturation for €15.
Keep the saturation at about 20-30%, click auto gain and set level so vu hits zero.
Has different models but hybrid and professional are most subtle and useable.
Don't let the price fool you. It's fantastic.
http://www.toneboosters.com/tb-reelbus/

Google both of these and you will see how highly regarded they are.
For about 50 squids you can get close to an analog sounding mix without blowing a fortune on slate and waves stuff.
I use these 2 plugins on each track before summing into 16 channels of my A&H ZED-R16.
I then mix into Drawmer 1968me valve compressor.
I have done plenty of mixes on the SSL in Windmill Lane and my setup sounds as "analogue".Deep and wide.
Here is a recent mix for "Val Normal"
I was never able to get the width, depth and punch like this when I used to mix fully "in the box"
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2133088/03%20Seizure.mp3

PaulBrewer

Thanks Trackmix - I've not heard of either of these

woodsdenis

PaulBrewer wrote: »

I'm happy enough with my mix balancing - my attitude on mixing is that it should sound good on an iPhone speaker as well as a big system and recent results are hitting that mark reasonably well.

However I'm not loving some of my tones .
With that in mind I'm looking at harmonic plugins to fatten things up in a way Eq/Compression can't ...


Any of the brothers using Cranesong Phoenix ?

I've just started trying it by sticking it on every track - bejaysus it's like someone pressed the 'Make it sound it like a record' button.

I've not tried 'Heat' yet .

Anyone any experience ?

Also on the list is Slate's VCC.

Reading on the net suggests Phoenix is the Big Daddy ....

Phoenix rocks , did you get the new version.

PaulBrewer

woodsdenis wrote: »

Phoenix rocks , did you get the new version.

No, I'm running 8.1.1 - I've not checked if it's compatible . Only $65 for upgrade I believe too.

woodsdenis

PaulBrewer wrote: »

woodsdenis wrote: »

Phoenix rocks , did you get the new version.

No, I'm running 8.1.1 - I've not checked if it's compatible . Only $65 for upgrade I believe too.

Yep same sound but all units combined into one plugin which makes it easier to compare.

Bluebirdstudios

Re Heat -
Ye I use from time to time, very sparingly. It's a type of plug that catches out nearly all the work experience students I've had around the place the last couple of years. It can do the thickening thing from the lower mids down but things can get a little to soft sounding very easily. So the immediate reaction is wow for most but when I ask them to really listen to whats happened some would prefer the mix with it off. Depending on the mix ofcourse.
Interestingly the Rupert Neve portico tape emulation is preferred by nearly all, who hear both. You don't have the tone control aspect but the sound is definitely more 3d and tape like. Again can't use it on a lot of mixes like everything else.
One big benefit with heat is the ability to bypasss each channel compared to the hardware counterparts.
All in all heat is a very handy way of getting the tape vibe but will never sound like actual tape. but i guess for most that's not a problem.
- Dec.

madtheory

woodsdenis wrote: »

Phoenix rocks , did you get the new version.

Ya it's addictive. I used it a couple of times, tended to put it on everything...

studiorat

Big fan of the Dark Essence plug-in on vocals.

SeanHurley

Anyone tried the Waves NLS plug? I like the idea that they modelled every channel in the board, thus increasing the non linearity of the saturation. Havent tried it tho.

Phoenix II looks cool.

I'm always wary that I might over use plugins of this nature, they can be addictive. A case in point would be the Waves CLA compressors which when I first got them went on literally everything but after a while I found mixes started to sound small*. IMHO these "tone" plugins are best used sparingly and in conjunction with other "tone" plugins.

* I know the CLA compressors are not the same as what we are talking about here - I am just using it as an example.

PaulBrewer

I just posted a mix in the 'Let's hear your music' Thread of a Cransonged Mix