What are your favorite “glue” plug-in’s?
- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 493 posts since 28 Dec, 2007 from The Netherlands
Maybe you recognise this situation. Your track is finished, but somehow there is lack of unity. The separate sounds match nicely, but they need some “sauce”. That’s where a glue plug-in comes in. I use The Glue compressor of Cytomic and TB Reelbus tape simulator of ToneBoosters for this purpose. What are your favorites?
Thanks for your time
Thanks for your time
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- KVRAF
- 1512 posts since 26 Jun, 2005
UAD Ampex and UAD SSL Bus Compressor are practically living on my Master Bus.
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- KVRian
- 662 posts since 12 Jul, 2013
If I want to bring more unity to all the different parts of a track, I prefer Reaper's inbuilt 'Glue' feature. This works pretty well.
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- KVRist
- 275 posts since 28 Jun, 2017
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- KVRAF
- 4712 posts since 26 Nov, 2015 from Way Downunder
Softube Tape
Reviver
T-Racks Opto
Softube Tape
Devil-Loc
SlickEQ
Softube Tape
Reviver
T-Racks Opto
Softube Tape
Devil-Loc
SlickEQ
Softube Tape
- KVRian
- 598 posts since 10 Jan, 2017
TDR Kotelnikov or more recently, the surprisingly brilliant Airwindows Logical4. Both free!
- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 493 posts since 28 Dec, 2007 from The Netherlands
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- KVRian
- 986 posts since 8 Mar, 2009
SDRR with a very low amount of gain into it (peaks registering below 20dBFS)on the desk setting.doesn't seem to sound as good in SDRR2.you can get a similar sound with TBReelbuss as well taking the same approach
I
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simon.a.billington simon.a.billington https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=341278
- KVRAF
- 2375 posts since 12 Nov, 2014
Gluing... god I hate that term, isn’t really about any specific plugin, but a process.
Sure a decent compressor on the mixbus can help, but its all the little things you do in common that what gels a mix together. From processing sounds together on the mixbuss, or a submix, to choosing to process all the guitars with the same eq as an example. The more you have in common across your tracks, the more it contributes to mix cohesion.
There is a limit to this though, too many of the same processors makes things too muddy and dull and nothing ends up standing out. So it’s about finding that balance that works.
As icing on the metaphorical cake, personally, I do like the Cobalt Saphira, NLS Buss, Black Box, and One from IK on the master. Not all together, it’s either-or.
Sure a decent compressor on the mixbus can help, but its all the little things you do in common that what gels a mix together. From processing sounds together on the mixbuss, or a submix, to choosing to process all the guitars with the same eq as an example. The more you have in common across your tracks, the more it contributes to mix cohesion.
There is a limit to this though, too many of the same processors makes things too muddy and dull and nothing ends up standing out. So it’s about finding that balance that works.
As icing on the metaphorical cake, personally, I do like the Cobalt Saphira, NLS Buss, Black Box, and One from IK on the master. Not all together, it’s either-or.
Last edited by simon.a.billington on Thu Apr 26, 2018 5:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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simon.a.billington simon.a.billington https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=341278
- KVRAF
- 2375 posts since 12 Nov, 2014
[Double Post]
Last edited by simon.a.billington on Thu Apr 26, 2018 5:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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- KVRAF
- 4218 posts since 15 Sep, 2010
Call me ignorant if you want, but if the elements overall don't seem to 'glue' nor feel that they stick well together in the final mix, isn't a problem that should be taken care of at the source? Meaning, the sounds themselves with correct EQ, balance & mix? How can a compressor or a saturation plugin can magically 'glue' unbalanced things that don't mix well together?
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thecontrolcentre thecontrolcentre https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=76240
- KVRAF
- 35190 posts since 27 Jul, 2005 from the wilds of wanny
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- KVRAF
- 1530 posts since 17 Sep, 2002
Hush now, people want to buy new plugins, not learn proper techniques with the ones they already have.Neon Breath wrote:Call me ignorant if you want, but if the elements overall don't seem to 'glue' nor feel that they stick well together in the final mix, isn't a problem that should be taken care of at the source? Meaning, the sounds themselves with correct EQ, balance & mix? How can a compressor or a saturation plugin can magically 'glue' unbalanced things that don't mix well together?
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- KVRist
- 275 posts since 28 Jun, 2017
Pretty much every professional engineer in the world will use certain gear for 'glue', what the hell are you on about?funky lime wrote:Hush now, people want to buy new plugins, not learn proper techniques with the ones they already have.Neon Breath wrote:Call me ignorant if you want, but if the elements overall don't seem to 'glue' nor feel that they stick well together in the final mix, isn't a problem that should be taken care of at the source? Meaning, the sounds themselves with correct EQ, balance & mix? How can a compressor or a saturation plugin can magically 'glue' unbalanced things that don't mix well together?
The primary point of 'glue' isn't to fix a mix that isn't properly balanced (although it can help in situations where the source can't be fixed, ie. mastering), it's to provide a final finish to a mix that's already good. When you feed multiple signals into a compressor you get a dynamic interaction between the signals that wasn't there previously, certain compressors can do this in a very musical way, which can make the mix more lively and interesting. Saturation (which also compressed) on multiple signals at once can provide a musical, uniform smoothing of transients, making the signals sound more uniform in a musical way and harmonic thickening, which gives the signals more harmonic overlap, leading to a denser and warmer mix (although it can be overdone, obviously).