Tell us your Favorite Plug-in tips and tricks!!!!

[geetar777]

Alright!! I have an idea. I have looked and looked through the forum and can't find any threads on tips for PT plug-in's. Third party or otherwise. Let's start a thread for nothing but your own favorite uses of any plug-in's. Which company/plug?......what instrument do you use it on?

This idea came about from my own experience this past week. I was using the Digidesign Maxim plug on the mains of a session. The default mix is always set at 100%, with no dry or unlimited siganl mixed in. I always left it at 100% (why, i don't know) and could pull the thresh down to about 4db before it got just unbearable. My mixes always sounded horrible. Well, a couple days ago, I decided to pull the mix level on the maxin to about 50% and then pulled the thresh back to about 8db. PUNCH CITY!! It lets the limited signal in enought o punch and leaves enough of the dry to open up the mixes and give it some air.

Also, D-verb sets it's default diffusion at 87%.....!! Change it before you start dialing in your verb settings and your verbs will be tighter and less swimmy/muddy

Let's hear everyone's favorites!!!

be good y'all



Earthtones Recording Studio

[antiphase]

My favorite plug is the one I don't have to use!

[shabbadoo]

here's one I like to do:

If your looking for a "tape" or "analog" delay sound and don't have a good plugin that you like for it, you can set any digital delay plugin up on a auxiliary channel and then set up another aux. with a some sort of tape emulating plugin if you have it (like analog channel) or if you don't, you can use an eq or any number different filter plugins and still get good results.

Anyway what I do is I have the delay mix set to 100% and the feedback set to 0. I set the input on the delay aux. channel (aux. 1 for now) to a buss number (buss 1 for now) and the output to a different buss number (2 for now). On the tape emulator or eq channel (aux. 2 for now) I set the input to the same as the delay output (buss 2) so the delayed signal passes through it.

Now I set up a send (post) from aux. 2 to buss 1, and that's how I control the feedback to the delay. That way each repeat passes through the filter/eq again causing each generation to distort/degrade that much more like a tape delay does. If you set the bias settings (or eq/filter) to extreme levels you get extreme results, where the 4th or 5th repeat is completely unintelligible noise. Any kind of plugin can be used with a delay this way to "mess up" the repeats of a delay- just be careful with that 'feedback' send, and don't turn it too high!

so it's:

buss 1-->delay(aux1)-->buss 2-->filter(aux2)-->send (to buss 1)-->mix
^---------------------------------------------------------| (feedback loop)

Oh yeah, if you haven't figured out already, you need to set up a send (to buss 1) on whatever channel you want delay on and you control the mix of the delay from there.

I'm sure this is a basic tip for plugins to set them up on an auxiliary channel in this way. Another advantage of setting up your plugins like this is you can have as many sends to the same effect as you want and only have one plugin open and draining your processor. Very useful for reverbs.

[geetar777]

that's what i'm talkin'!!! more more more!!!

earthtones recording studio

[geetar777]

bump

[Naagzh]

To get a trashy sound out of a snare drum, I send the snare to an aux track through a buss, and then put a Sansamp PSA plug on the aux track and blend to taste. Works well on bass drums, too, but with a high pass filter before the Sansamp plug.

Not too inventive, but there it is.

Actually, I might try Shabbadoo's tip with the Sansamp plug in there, now that I think about it.

[geetar777]

bump again!!

[mpark9000]

Try this web page -

http://www.digitalaudiorock.com/cgi-...p/download.cgi

Most are for TDM, but some work for RTAS plugs.

[WorldOfWiz]

Analong Chanael on the first insert on the master fader. Makes the tracks fit better. Use console 1 or 2.

Wiz

[tld]

Try this web page -

http://www.digitalaudiorock.com/cgi-...p/download.cgi

Most are for TDM, but some work for RTAS plugs.

Thanks for the link to my site! By the way...though I haven't tried myself because I use all TDM plugins, my understanding from folks at Digi is that preset files should be compatible between RTAS/AS/TDM for the same plugin.

Tom