Which is the best quality plugins?

[DJ Ack]

I and a friend had a few plugins pack and we dont know which is the best quality one to be used often.
We had: Waves Gold + Waves Renaissaine 3.6, TC Works, Timeworks, Voxengo, T-Racks, Spinaudio RoomVerb M102
Or can u point out pros and cons for them?
I like Waves C4,RVerb,RComp
TC Works CompDeEsser, Native Verb
also RoomVerb but it eats too much CPU !!!

Thanks for reading and helping us !!!

 

[Massive Master]

I'm partial to the UAD collection.

VERY partial... I hardly touch anything other plugs anymore.

 

[xfinsterx]

i just went and upgraded the waves platinum bundle to V5.
Those plugs....id be lost with out them.

I have yet to sample the uad1 stuff.
But ima break down soon and buy it.
Ive heard too many good things.

 

[Massive Master]

If you're anything like me, your Waves plugs will just sit there gathering dust (well, "virtual" dust) after you install a UAD card.

They're about as close to "the real thing" that I've used.

 

[xfinsterx]

compression cowboy huh?

lol.....

 

[jtienhaara]

We had: Waves Gold + Waves Renaissaine 3.6, TC Works, Timeworks, Voxengo, T-Racks, Spinaudio RoomVerb M102

Wow I wish I had that kind of money to spend on plugins.

 

[chessrock]

I've been getting a lot of use out of the PSP plugs. I think they are a very innovative and highly under-rated developer. Their stuff seems to have a little of it's own personality to it. They do a pretty decent job of imitating analog gear in general, without necessarily trying to be a precice digital emulation of anything.

 

[xfinsterx]

I use the vintage warmer.
Good sound.
Bummer thing is, its not very DSP efficient.

 

[Teacher]

Out of the stuff you have I like

Waves Ren Stuff(Rcomp and RVOX are the shit)

Timeworks stuff I like all of them

Voxengo- the warmifier is real cool, elephant is nice, soniformer as well, and I heard great things about the gliss eq never tried that one yet.

You should be set with the plug-ins you have.

Pro's like Dave Pensado and Charles Dye use the waves stuff on there professional stuff all the time I'm not sure if its cuz the waves stuff is actually a step above or waves just has better marketing. Either way I think your fine in the efx and dynamic processing department. Now concentrate on getting your skills up!

 

[DJ Ack]

Oh thank you everyone so much !!!

 

[ryanlikestorock]

When I started learning about mastering, I was using T-Racks. People talk shit about it, but it really helped me understand the EQ/compression relationship that I think people need to learn when they're getting into mastering. It's not a bad plug-in if you're doing home demo stuff.

Then, I discovered the Waves plug-ins and noticed a big difference in the quality of the compressors and EQs. I haven't used all the Waves plug-ins, but the ones I have used have been really nice. I suggest the Renaissance Maxx bundle and/or the Masters bundle. They have most of the plugs I've used.

Just this week, I took a leap into the world of the UAD-1 with the Project PAK. The Pultec Pro EQ really changes the way I think about mastering. It's got a definite coloured tone, but I really like it and can see myself using it for most projects. I'm sure the UAD plugs will come in even more handy on my next mixing job, as many of the Project PAK plugs are more mixing-based than mastering-based. I assure you, I'll be spending the money on the Cambridge and Fairchild plugs when I can afford them.

The PSP Vintage Warmer is a fairly harsh sounding compressor. I really like it, but think it should be saved for the recordings that need a bit more dirt in their tone.

I just got a job as an ME at a pro studio here in Toronto, so I'm looking forward to getting used to the outboard gear I could really only dream about until I got a job like this. They also have the Sony Oxford plugs there, so I'll try and report on their sound when I get familiar with them.

 

[Middleman]

UAD-1, just do it.

 

[masteringhouse]

When comparing plug-ins be sure to check features like the bit depth of their internal processing, how they handle dithering, along with the other features. Just because something looks like a graphic of a pultec it doesn't mean it's going to sound like one.

The Waves Linear Phase Broadband EQ is a great tool for mastering. I particularly like the resonant shelving EQ and filters. A great addition along with the outboard EQs I use. And if you don't have the L2 hardware, the plugin is a must have.

 

[dachay2tnr]

UAD-1, just do it.

Probably out of the question for this guy since you can't get it off Kazaa.

 

[masteringhouse]

I just got a job as an ME at a pro studio here in Toronto, so I'm looking forward to getting used to the outboard gear I could really only dream about until I got a job like this. They also have the Sony Oxford plugs there, so I'll try and report on their sound when I get familiar with them.

Have you tried the Oxford inflator yet?

I would definitely like to hear opinions on it, heard very good things from other folks.

 

[ryanlikestorock]

I haven't used any of the Oxford plugs yet. I'll definitely do a little report when I have the chance.

 

[DJ Ack]

Probably out of the question for this guy since you can't get it off Kazaa.

Hey man, I bought some and my friend got some and we've just argued together which is the best in daily use.
I dont know what Kazza is.
Now I can believe Waves is the best soft plugin, right?
Thank u everyone so much !!!

 

[jtienhaara]

So how much did all those plugs cost ya?

If you don't mind my asking.

 

[ryanlikestorock]

The manufacturers all have pricing on their sites. Check out www.waves.com , www.uaudio.com , and the other companies... I forget the urls.

Some of the plugs are available on the file-sharing networks as illegal, pirated software, but the community here doesn't encourage that sort of thing. Still, if you wanted to learn more about some of these tools to see if you want to buy them in the future, they're around.

However, if you're serious about producing or engineering on any level, spend a grand and pick up the UAD-1. I think the Pultec-Pro EQ alone is worth the price of the Project PAK and the Studio PAK has all those other goodies. You really can't go wrong.

 

[jtienhaara]

Thanks for the links Ryanlikestorock. I am generally aware of how much these plugins cost, which is why I was surprised that someone would post a "which plugins should I use?" question. I just can't fathom spending thousands of dollars on plugins without taking the time to get to know them myself.

So I'm still curious how much DJ Ack actually paid for all those plugs? Maybe you know somebody who gives you a discount or something?

For what it's worth I don't have the dough for a UAD-1 right now, having just spent my money on a bunch of gear (including an outboard 1176). However the UAD-1 is near the top of my list for future purchases. Nevertheless people who are "serious about producing or engineering on any level" have gotten by in the past without it, so like any great piece of gear, it's not do-or-die.

Cheers,

Johann