KVR Audio

BBFG# · Post by **BBFG#** » Thu Sep 25, 2014 5:02 pm

A general question of what are you're currently using in your tracks/mixes?
And by current, I mean within the last week or two of your projects.
And by tracks/mixes, I mean just that. Not any new toy you just bought and are just fiddling with the presets or scratch programming.

Like many, or even most of us, I have a list of what I have and a list of what I use and what I use changes from time to time according to what I'm doing.
I admit, I have a couple of VIs that I play often but have yet to be used in any song/sequence (other than the first cpu-load test I do with every 'new toy'.) Some of these have become more about brain elasticity exercises than musicality.

Because I'm re-installing everything, utilizing a new SSD, everything comes up again to make sure it works, but after I do my 'per diem' installs, and go to doing something tangible, I have my go-to's for the moment.

And this 'exercise' is something I look at often (which helps me determine if certain software needs to find a new home). So you can easily leave a comment that seems to completely contradict the one you made from last week (but it actually doesn't since it's as much as about time frame as the VI used).

So I will start here with my current ones being Alchemy; Kontakt; Battery... with additional synths being split between Absynth; Zebra; VS-2 and Reaktor-Prism. (of course we use our hardware with that too, but I'm just listing S/W). As I'm not set up for vocals yet with this system upgrade, my additional effects have been only GR5 ATM.

What are you really using currently?

aallvor · Post by **aallvor** » Thu Sep 25, 2014 5:13 pm

Really just using Reason atm.

danbroad · Post by **danbroad** » Thu Sep 25, 2014 7:09 pm

On every track... Battery 4, Valhalla Room. On nearly every track, Omnisphere [and Trilian as I use the sound sources from the one engine], Massive, a Reaktor ensemble.

Kontakt, FM8 and Absynth see regular but not everyday use.

ImNotDedYet · Post by **ImNotDedYet** » Thu Sep 25, 2014 9:08 pm

FabFilter Pro-Q2, FabFilter Pro-C, FabFilter Pro-L, FabFilter Saturn, u-he ZebraHZ, u-he Diva, IK Black 76, IK 670, IK Bus Compressor, and Stillwell The Rocket and Live's Sampler

Forgot verbs...Valhalla Vintage and Room

cryophonik · Post by **cryophonik** » Thu Sep 25, 2014 9:23 pm

Pretty much every track I've made in the past year or so has one or more instances of the following:

NI Battery 4 and/or Maschine
Fabfilter Pro-Q (v1 or v2), Pro-C, Pro-L, Pro-G, and Simplon
Waves SSL G channel strip and CLA 76
Sonnox SuprEsser
Valhalla Vintage Verb
SoundToys EchoBoy and FilterFreak
Alchemy
Omnisphere
Zebra2
Virus Control/Virus TI2 (if that counts as "software")

I have project templates set up using many of these (e.g., the reverbs, delays, and drum plugins) already instantiated and routed because I use them so often.

layzer · Post by **layzer** » Thu Sep 25, 2014 9:40 pm

ALWAYS:
linplug RMiV
Synth1
Charlartan
OBXD
Z3ta+
Dune BE
MicroTera
Energy Pro
TAL ChorusLX
TAL Reverb2

Sometimes:
Dim Pro
Rapture
Cronox3
V-station
Pro-53
M1
Wavestation
FM7
PlastiCZ

TheNickC · Post by **TheNickC** » Thu Sep 25, 2014 9:47 pm

Zebra, Sytrus, and Harmor are my go to synths that find their way into almost everything I do. Zebra is my favorite on it's own but being an FL user I like to use it's native generators for convenience where possible. Also been using Drumaxx pretty regularly for the past few weeks, but the other three have been in consistent use for years

Rah · Post by **Rah** » Thu Sep 25, 2014 9:52 pm

I fiddle with a lot of stuff, but these are becoming mainstays in my arsenal

Sampler - Kontakt
Drum Sampler - Battery
Drum Synth - Xoxos Bong
Basic Synth - Tend to go to TAL Bassline 101 a lot
EQ - Using TB Fix a lot, I like the extra control over dynamics
Tilt EQ - T-Bone
Filter - The Drop
Reverb - NI RC 24/48
Delay - REA Delay forever
Exciter - Noveltech Character
Compressors - Hornet Multicomp and NI Solid Bus Comp
Limiter - LoudMax
Transient Shaper - NI Transient Master

BasariStudios · Post by **BasariStudios** » Fri Sep 26, 2014 12:01 am

Cubase 6.5.5
Zebra and Diva
AIEP+Epand!2
Rob Papen Explorer 3
SuperWave Total
SynthMaster
Waves Element
Arturia SEM V
Lush-101
Melda Total Bundle
ToneBoosters Total
Eareckon Analog Total
SonimusTotal
SS VBC
IK: EQ81, Master EQ 432, CSR Plate and Hall, Black76, White2A, Vintage760 and Opto Compressor
Plug and Mix VIP Total
112db Redline Collection+BlueCompressor
AOM tranQuilizr and Invisible Limiter
PSP Total
Waves API 550 Bundle

RLSguitar · Post by **RLSguitar** » Fri Sep 26, 2014 3:12 am

Great thread! Thanks to the OP for posting it. Being a relative novice myself at computer music creation and production (though I am an advanced computer user in general), this thread is very interesting to me.

Sporadically, I've been editing/mixing my own music (mostly tests/draft compositions) and a few friends have asked me to edit/mix theirs. Some of the mixes have been of audio extracted from video and then re-synched. However, I've only been seriously trying to record and self-produce for little over a year, as my health permits. I've barely started scratching the surface, am still searching for my own "right" sound and have yet so much to learn, so please don't put any weight or value on my experience and comments here.

Though I have a moderate amount of VST plugins and despite my limited knowledge and skills, these are the ones with which I've experimented and use the most with good results (each category is in alphabetical order and I don't use all these at the same time):

Main DAW Host:

Cockos Reaper x64

Amp Sims/MIDI Guitar:

Fishman TriplePlay
IKM AmpliTube
Kuassa Amplifikation CM
Waves GTR

DSP Effects:

Acon Digital Multiply
Aegean Music Pitchproof
Antares Harmony Engine Evo
Cockos ReaFIR
Cockos ReaPitch
GVST GClip
iZotope Alloy
iZotope Nectar Elements
iZotope Ozone
SoundToys Little Microshift
TAL-Chorus-LX
ToneBoosters Isone
vacuumsound ADT
ValhallaDSP ValhallaRoom

Virtual Instruments:

Cakewalk Rapture
Cakewalk SI String Section
Camel Audio Player
EWQL Symphonic Choirs
Garritan Instant Orchestra
IKM SampleTank 3
KV331 Audio SynthMaster Player
Rob Papen Blue II
Synapse Audio Dune CM/BE
Toontrack ezDrummer
Toontrack ezKeys Grand Piano
u-he Tyrell N6
u-he Zebra CM
u-he Zebralette
XILS-Lab polyKB II Player
XILS-Lab XILS 3

I mostly use presets and sound libraries where available with limited tweaks. I have yet to learn to design my own synth sounds and maky my own samples. Also, I try my best to keep all my software updated to the latest versions, when I can afford it. I've been a DIY musician (guitar is my main instrument) for a very long time.

----------------------------------------------------------------

P.S.: I'd also like to mention, though it is not a plugin, that occasionally when working with singers as additional support to the vocal melody guide, I've used Stephen Malinowski's freeware Music Animation Machine (MAM) MIDI Player. It gives an excellent animated visual presentation of the MIDI notes that seems to very much help vocalists visualize and learn the melodies of a song. It also works great as a guide for instrumentalists who don't read music notation.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated in any way with the MAM player developer.

See the MAM Player in action:
http://youtu.be/fslVgFdgEwg

More MAM Player YouTube videos:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... +player%22

MAM Player info and download here:
http://www.musanim.com/player/

Another plugin I recently used jokingly as a vocal melody guide for a friend's composition was Delay Lama. He loved it!

Greg Houston · Post by **Greg Houston** » Fri Sep 26, 2014 3:26 am

DAW:
Cubase 7.5

Purely for saturation:
IK EQ P50A* (no eq'ing)
Acustica Aquavox (adds 5 minutes of latency, subtle effect, not necessary)

Compression and saturation:
IK Bus Compressor (not just on the 2bus because the saturation pairs so well with the EQ P50A)

Workhorse EQ, saturation and occasional compression:
IK British Channel

EQ (low end, top end; for special cases):
IK EQP1-A

Surgical EQ (if needed):
FabFilter Pro-Q 2

Limiter:
FabFilter Pro-L

Reverb:
Either ValhallaRoom or B2, but not both.

For mixing it's basically just those 9 plugins right now.

Synths/Virtual Instruments:
Retrologue
Ample Sound AGM
Ample Sound AGP
SampleTank 3 (P Bass)
Addictive Keys (Studio Grand)
Addictive Drums (Fairfax Vol. 2)

Guitar and Bass Amp Sim:
Steinberg VST Amp Rack (This has grown on me a lot. It's just so 3D.)

My full vocal chain:
SM7B --> Cloudlifter --> Focusrite preamp --> IK EQ P50A --> IK Bus Comp --> IK British Channel

SoundCloud is having issues at the moment, but once it is up again here is a quicky demo I made last night for a post on Gearslutz:

https://soundcloud.com/gregoryhouston/p-bass-demo

arkmabat · Post by **arkmabat** » Fri Sep 26, 2014 3:42 am

Most used currently by me:

DAW:
FL Studio

Synths:
Diversion, Z3ta+ 2, Massive, Harmless

Effects:
Valhalla Room, Spline EQ

I could add M1 and Wavestation, but I play with them more than use them

V0RT3X · Post by **V0RT3X** » Fri Sep 26, 2014 3:44 am

I've got a ways to go yet...

arkmabat · Post by **arkmabat** » Fri Sep 26, 2014 3:45 am

RLSguitar wrote:Great thread! Thanks to the OP for posting it. Being a relative novice myself at computer music creation and production (though I am an advanced computer user in general), this thread is very interesting to me.

Sporadically, I've been editing/mixing my own music (mostly tests/draft compositions) and a few friends have asked me to edit/mix theirs. Some of the mixes have been of audio extracted from video and then re-synched. However, I've only been seriously trying to record and self-produce for little over a year, as my health permits. I've barely started scratching the surface, am still searching for my own "right" sound and have yet so much to learn, so please don't put any weight or value on my experience and comments here.

Though I have a moderate amount of VST plugins and despite my limited knowledge and skills, these are the ones with which I've experimented and use the most with good results (each category is in alphabetical order and I don't use all these at the same time):

Main DAW Host:

Cockos Reaper x64
Amp Sims/MIDI Guitar:

Fishman TriplePlay

IKM AmpliTube

Kuassa Amplifikation CM

Waves GTR
DSP Effects:

Acon Digital Multiply

Aegean Music Pitchproof

Antares Harmony Engine Evo

Cockos ReaFIR

Cockos ReaPitch

GVST GClip

iZotope Alloy

iZotope Nectar Elements

iZotope Ozone

SoundToys Little Microshift

TAL-Chorus-LX

ToneBoosters Isone

vacuumsound ADT

ValhallaDSP ValhallaRoom
Virtual Instruments:

Cakewalk Rapture

Cakewalk SI String Section

Camel Audio Player

EWQL Symphonic Choirs

Garritan Instant Orchestra

IKM SampleTank 3

KV331 Audio SynthMaster Player

Rob Papen Blue II

Synapse Audio Dune CM/BE

Toontrack ezDrummer

Toontrack ezKeys Grand Piano

u-he Tyrell N6

u-he Zebra CM

u-he Zebralette

XILS-Lab polyKB II Player

XILS-Lab XILS 3
I mostly use presets and sound libraries where available with limited tweaks. I have yet to learn to design my own synth sounds and maky my own samples. Also, I try my best to keep all my software updated to the latest versions, when I can afford it. I've been a DIY musician (guitar is my main instrument) for a very long time.

----------------------------------------------------------------

P.S.: I'd also like to mention, though it is not a plugin, that occasionally when working with singers as additional support to the vocal melody guide, I've used Stephen Malinowski's freeware Music Animation Machine (MAM) MIDI Player. It gives an excellent animated visual presentation of the MIDI notes that seems to very much help vocalists visualize and learn the melodies of a song. It also works great as a guide for instrumentalists who don't read music notation.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated in any way with the MAM player developer.

See the MAM Player in action:
http://youtu.be/fslVgFdgEwg

More MAM Player YouTube videos:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... +player%22

MAM Player info and download here:
http://www.musanim.com/player/

Another plugin I recently used jokingly as a vocal melody guide for a friend's composition was Delay Lama. He loved it!

Do you have issues with palm muting in Waves GTR ? I have solo and it's a nightmare!

C.Bennett · Post by **C.Bennett** » Fri Sep 26, 2014 3:46 am

Everything
—Ableton Live 9
—Zebra
—Diva
—Dune 2
—EzDrummer
—Stylus RMX

Often
—Alchemy
—Reaktor (OP-X)
—Kontakt
—Korg M1
—Korg Wavestation
—imOSCar2
—RealGuitar

What software are you really using currently?