KVR Audio

jammer42777 · Post by **jammer42777** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 5:09 pm

what companies and plugin bundles are the top contenders for best mastering plugins (EQ's, and compressors mainly)
I like the kjearhus Gold bundle.
I'm not too much a fan of waves plugins (the native power pack)
But I'm also considering T-racks..

Any Ideas?
if so thanks!
--Joshua

shamann · Post by **shamann** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 5:15 pm

Well if you wanted to do a shoot out, you'd be looking to include Voxengo, Sonalksis, URS, WaveArts, Izotope, PSP, Nomad Factory, and Elemental Audio.

Two underdogs I'd include would be tBt and buzzroom, both makers of fine things.

jammer42777 · Post by **jammer42777** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 5:16 pm

shamann wrote:Well if you wanted to do a shoot out, you'd be looking to include Voxengo, Sonalksis, URS, WaveArts, Izotope, PSP, Nomad Factory, and Elemental Audio.

Two underdogs I'd include would be tBt and buzzroom, both makers of fine things.

it would seem that I will be trying plugins until my face is blue

shamann · Post by **shamann** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 5:31 pm

Very likely, yes.

For what it's worth, I like the Kjaerhus ones the best of the ones I've tried out of that bunch. Some are easy not to try for me, like URS and Nomad, since they are very expensive and use copy protection schemes I have no patience for.

I've never really liked the mastering things from either Sonalksis, Izotope or PSP, but then lots of folk rave about them. Elemental Audio make some good EQs, and Voxengo make some very interesting dynamics processors. I've been meaning to try out Voxengo's Marquis compressor, looks very promising.

CANE CREEK · Post by **CANE CREEK** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 5:36 pm

shamann wrote:Well if you wanted to do a shoot out, you'd be looking to include Voxengo, Sonalksis, URS, WaveArts, Izotope, PSP, Nomad Factory, and Elemental Audio.

well i'd agree apart from the Nomad Factory their blue tubes bundle contains an EQ that doesnt equalize and a compressor that doesnt compress.

defjamm · Post by **defjamm** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 5:56 pm

shamann wrote:Some are easy not to try for me, like URS and Nomad, since they are very expensive and use copy protection schemes I have no patience for.

and they try to imitate hardware with their guis, imho total crap(maybe nice for people who know the originals like with urs).
but i'll take a modern approach, where every band can be different types and u can sweep in the frequency range graphically and every band can be in the whole freq-range.

shamann · Post by **shamann** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 6:25 pm

defjamm wrote:and they try to imitate hardware with their guis, imho total crap(maybe nice for people who know the originals like with urs).
but i'll take a modern approach, where every band can be different types and u can sweep in the frequency range graphically and every band can be in the whole freq-range.

I'm a fan of either camp on the GUI front, my main concern is just that it's easy to work with and doesn't just waste space. I find that the GUI approach, as long as it is done well, will lead you to use similar plugins in different ways, even though their functions overlap.

On the EQ front, also worth checking Christian Budde's Electri-Q. I've only tried the free posifohpit, which was Electri-Q's predecessor, but it is a fantastic EQ.

NoBrain2k · Post by **NoBrain2k** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 6:55 pm

I quite like IK Multimedia T-Racks Plugin, the individual plugins are great for mixing too. Having said that it is the only thing i've used that wasn't free or bundled with Cubase.

Edit - Oh and For EQ I am really liking Elemental Audio Systems' Equium and Firium Demos. Both good for their own reasons but definately both smooth and clean sounding and really quick response when you sweep across the spectrum to find the sound you are after. Their Neodynium Compressor is probably great too but i havent played with it much. Worth a go anyway IMO, I'll probably get them when i Have the cash.

top contenders?