I’m sure you have your favourite plugins – your “go to” choices for EQ, compression, distortion etc.
I know I definitely have my favourites, but do you really know what they all do or what they’re capable of doing for your mixes?
For example, do you know why some engineers might use a serial compression combination of an LA-2A followed by an 1176 on lead vocals?
The LA-2A is used to smooth out the vocal with and the 1176 is used to catch the remaining peaks. Now you could use two 1176 compressors in a row or any two compressors in a row for that matter, but there’s a reason why those particular compressors are used.
They both have unique qualities and characteristics
This isn’t an article on compression but the LA-2A has a preset ratio for compression and a preset ratio for limiting. The attack and release times are dependent on what signal is being input to the compressor but they’re generally a little slower. The average attack time is around 10ms and the release time can be up to 5 seconds for a full release.
With the 1176, you can adjust the ratio, the attack and release times. The fastest attack with that compressor is a super quick 50 microseconds and the release time can be set as fast as 50ms.
So when you see your favourite engineer or producer reaching for a certain plugin or piece of gear, they’re doing it for a reason. It’s generally not a random selection. Even though there are no rules, some plugins are simply better at some jobs than others.
No rules you say? So can I just push the gain up on everything and hard limit my stereo bus?!
And if that’s your way of “mixing“, please unsubscribe.
Now, I’m not for a second saying you need to scrap your current plugin setup, buy the exact gear you see those top engineers using and use only that. What I am saying is that a deep knowledge of your own collection and the best way to apply those plugins will yield far better results than anything else.
How do I get to know my plugins better?
Let’s use another example and we’ll stick with compression as a theme. Say you want to round out your bass sound and create more of a “warm” low end. Well you could achieve that by using a compressor with a fast attack and a fast release. This technique affects the low frequencies of a sound and produces distortion. That distortion can help us to add a lot of warmth and definition to instruments with a lot of low frequency information like the bass!
If you picked a compressor with a characteristically slow attack and release but you wanted a “warm”, round bass sound, you’d be missing out on what another piece of gear has to offer. You’d probably end up adding some form of distortion plugin after the compressor to compensate. Not only are you wasting time and CPU power, but you probably won’t achieve as good a result.
To answer the original question, “How do I get to know my plugins better?” – your use of plugins should always stem from an idea.
Some examples:
- I want to make the low end of my bass sound “warmer“
- I want a more “up front” lead vocal sound
- I want to remove the mud from my drums
Sometimes you might not know how to achieve a desired effect and that’s the perfect learning opportunity to try something new. Try to use an existing favourite or a plugin you haven’t used before to fix the problem. You’ll find out more about your existing favourite or you’ll learn something completely new.
If you’re using something new or even if you want to learn something new, the best place to start is with the plugin manual.
Now, if you’re the type of person who never reads manuals for flat pack furniture until it’s half assembled wrong, then you might be a lost cause! But trust me, reading your plugin manuals will teach you so much about their function that you’ll wonder why you never did it before.
Personally, I don’t stop at just reading the manuals. I try to find out what piece of analog gear the plugin has been modelled on (sometimes that’s very obvious) and the history behind it. If you know the history and the original function, then you know why the plugin has developed the way it has and the best application for that tool.
Going back to the LA-2A example…
Did you know that the LA-2A originally came about as a successor to the original levelling amplifiers? Those amplifiers were first introduced in the radio world so that radio engineers didn’t have to manually ride the faders in and out during a broadcast.
Now, you might think, “Those lazy f…..s!”, but their job was incredibly difficult. If they didn’t get their gain rides just right, the system would overload and the transmitter would blow. A blown radio transmitter is no bueno for a broadcast.
Knowing the original idea behind the hardware means you have a much better understanding of the plugin in front of you. You know that the LA-2A would do a very good job of smoothing out a vocal performance like a radio engineer riding a fader, but you also know that it might not catch random, unpredictable peaks – just like a human would have difficulty doing the same thing. That’s why a second, faster compressor like the 1176 would work very well to catch some of those peaks.
You’ll see the same pieces of gear being used over and over again by different engineers and producers. That’s because the unique qualities and characteristics of a piece of gear or plugin, combined with its ease of use, creates its popularity and status within our world.
So, music is not all about the gear and the plugins. We know that premium plugins beat stock plugins because they make your life easier, but if you know the function of a hardware 1176, then why do you need to buy a Waves or Universal Audio emulation when you’ve got the BF-76 bundled free as part of your DAW?
That might only be the case for Pro Tools, but if you use Logic, Studio One or Ableton Live, I’m sure there are similar comparisons to be drawn.
The bottom line is that your plugins are there to help you make great music but it’s down to you to really know how to get the most out of them. More often than not, you don’t need to keep investing in new plugins because your existing collection will do what you need them to do either on their own or combined with another plugin.
Always start with the issue you’re trying to fix and over time your “go to” plugins and tools will become automatic just like you see when you watch your favourite engineer or producer mixing.
Now, I’d love to know…
What’s the biggest revelation you’ve had from reading a plugin manual? Or… have you ever read a plugin manual?!
Leave a comment below!
professional sounding mix every time...
I always read manuals of plugins I get, so tbh I don’t get too many surprises. There was this case when I was learning what the Klanghelm IVGI does and its “ASYM MIX” knob, and I discovered it’s actually a compression knob (it’s a saturation plugin). A saturation plugin that lets you control how much compression to use (or even not at all)? AWESOME
You’re definitely one of the rare few who will read a manual before starting – so good work! That plugin does sound sweet…
I’ve had a habit of skimming the manuals lightly and then starting to play with them right away so ‘my ears can figure it out’. That’s also probably why I don’t have a proper grasp on their best usage and performance…..it was a nice touch to add “understand the history” of why it was used in the first place.
I’ll spend some time over the next few days reviewing the manuals. I sometimes get impatient and this is obviously one of those times…..thanks for the tip.
My pleasure, Dave. I hope your manual review lead to some “Aha! moments”