Signal Processing & Effects

Effects plug-ins can make the difference between a track that sounds wimpy and amateurish and one that packs presence and punch.

Like any other form of audio sweetening, the real trick to signal processing is to exercise moderation, and to apply it where it helps something sound better—although, of course, some rules are made to be broken (as Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails does on every album).

A key feature to watch out for in any type of signal processing plug-in is the ability to mix the dry (unaffected signal) with the wet (the sound with the effect applied). Take reverb, for example—a little bit added to any vocal gives the track some surrounding “air” and makes it sound more natural, while drowning it in reverb drains the life out of a track’s tonal definition and quality. Your own results may vary, but remember, start subtle and mix your way up for the 
best results.

Free Magic

SoundMagic Spectral sounds better than it looks.

You can’t beat free, and for starters, we suggest downloading the rather odd and intense set of plug-ins from New Zealand composer Michael Norris (www.michaelnorris.info/soundmagicspectral/). SoundMagic Spectral is a set of 23 plug-ins with minimalist interfaces and maximum audio shredding and mangling potential, all primarily focused on altering the way sounds play out over time and frequency. Spectral Filterbank takes a straight acoustic piano and turns it into tubular bells, a lovely effect we could definitely see using in a musical context. Spectral Granulation morphs the same piano into a slowly evolving, complex sonic texture that barely resembles the original piano, while Spectral Gate and Hold stretches a piano note into a soft, shimmering pad sound (an understated sound usually played in chords).

Luxonix LFX-1310 is one of a handful of capable free effects plug-ins out on the Net.

Mouse over to Luxonix (www.luxonix.com) and download the LFX-1310 multieffects processor, a freeware wonder that offers 24 different effect types (from reverbs and delays to compressors, equalizers, and even a lo-fi decimator) in three simultaneous slots, for some seriously sophisticated and useful processing options. Did we mention it’s free?

Loop-The-Loop

Augustus Loop, not to be confused with the Apple Infinite Loop.

ExpertSleepers (www.expert-sleepers.co.uk) makes one of our favorite effects, dubbed Augustus Loop, a combined looper, delay unit, and pitch shifter that puts Robert Fripp’s Frippertronics to shame (Google it and try not to faint). With Augustus Loop, you can take a vocal passage, a guitar riff, or synth line and turn it into a living, breathing sonic entity that defies simple description. It’s one of the most important tools in our own personal toolbox, and has been for years. For $29, it’s the most fun you’ll ever have with a plug-in, and if you don’t believe that, download the excellent—and free—Multitap Delay to get a taste of true aural fun. ExpertSleepers makes a nice free phase shifter too, as well as some other commercial offerings. As the kids say, it’s all good.

Bargain Bin

Ground Control to Major Tom.

Stillwell Audio (www.stillwellaudio.com) is a company that we recently discovered, and we’re thrilled to tell you that it makes a wonderful line of synths and effects. Major Tom ($49) is one of the best software compressors we’ve run across, and it takes minimal effort to make vocals as smooth as silk, or bake up some punchy drum sounds that sit very nicely in a mix. We also adore Vibe-EQ ($39), an equalizer with definitive attitude and a sweet sound. Check out Stillwell’s site, which features more inexpensive goodies than we have space to cover here.

We love a good bargain, and the fine folks at Audio Damage (www.audiodamage.com) make a line of très cool plug-ins that span the range of moderately useful to totally essential, and at prices that are easy on the wallet. Most of the company’s offerings do one thing really well, and with minimal CPU load—always a good sign. We consider Reverence to be one of the best reverb plug-ins available. At $39, it’s an instant classic. If you use lots of acoustic guitar in your tunes, you’ll adore Fluid, one of the loveliest chorus effects we’ve heard, and great for adding sheen to background vocals as well. It’s $29, which is simply astounding. The DubStation is a re-creation of a classic “bucket brigade” analog delay, and for $39, you can conjure up the kind of wild, wacky effects that are not easily created with expensive digital delay effects. There are loads of other wonderful plug-ins from these guys, and they all sound spectacular.

OhmiGod

Harness the power of the Ohm Force’s OhmBoyz.

For the ultimate in bizarre interfaces, check out the madness of the Ohm Force plug-ins (www.ohmforce.com). The OhmBoyz is a dual delay line with some seriously twisted sonic abilities, and it sounds fantastic. On the other side of the sonic spectrum is Predatohm, a nasty distortion processor that puts serious bite into your pristine guitar tracks and makes synths sound like they’re having a bad hair day. Our only beef is that the software is priced in Euros, which means it’s as expensive as a meal in Paris paid for with weak American dollars. If you want a taste of the Ohm Force way, download the free Frohmage filter and try running a vocal track though it. Vive la France!

I'll Take A Little of Everything

SFX Machine Pro covers the effects gamut for $150.

SFX Machine Pro (www.sfxmachine.com) is a Swiss army knife of signal processing, and it’s reasonably priced at $150. It does a little bit of everything, from compression and equalization to robotic voices, flanging, and lo-fi effects. It’s easy to use and sounds smooth—and if you’re happy to settle for a bunch of the effects with less editing options, take a look at SFX Machine RT, which is half the price at $75 and offers most of the essential processing power of its bigger brother.

Season Your Sonic Stew

VintageWarmer 2 is delicious secret sauce for any composition.

PSP Audioware (www.pspaudioware.com) is an inspired Polish developer of superb audio tools, and we highly recommend its VintageWarmer 2 as a cure-all for adding punch, presence, and pizzazz to individual tracks or overall mixes. It’s super-secret sauce for a tasty sonic stew. We’re also mad about MixPack, which includes superb bass and treble processors (know that deep, oomphy bass on so many hip-hop records? It’s PSP MixBass2.), a great compressor, a slick saturation plug-in (for emulating overdriven tubes and adding analog warmth to crisp digital tracks), and an excellent noise gate. For $199, this is a killer bundle that could serve as the cornerstone of a virtual recording studio.

Remember the Lexicon? If you do, pick up Lexicon PSP 84 to add unique modulation and delays.

When you visit the website, take a look at some of their more esoteric offerings—Lexicon PSP 84 is a $149 re-creation of a truly cool old Lexicon, and it’s capable of making some of the weirdest delay and modulation effects you’ve ever heard.

Go Pro

ChannelStrip is a rare breed of AU plug-ins developed specifically for GarageBand.

One of the only plug-ins developed specifically for GarageBand, Metric Halo’s (www.mhlabs.com) ChannelStrip for GarageBand ($89) is an essential tool for serious equalization, compression, and gating work. The equalizer is one of the best we’ve used and is just right for fine-tuning vocal recordings, difficult instruments (such as cymbals and bass drums), and just about anything else likely to end up in your mixes. If you wanted to invest in just one plug-in for getting professional results from GarageBand, this is the one.

Leggo My Pluggo!

Weird name, cool effects.

One of the greatest single deals in the plug-in world is Cycling 74’s Pluggo (www
.cycling74.com), a collection of over 100 plug-ins for $199, and full of truly surprising and original sound processing chops. While the interfaces of the individual plug-ins vary wildly, the audio quality is uniformly high and the range of effects is as wide as a galaxy: weird delays, granular synthesis, and, can you imagine, an audio effect called Squirrel Parade? There are also a number of sound generators and synths, so for a couple hundred bucks, you end up with an entire arsenal of audio toys and tools.