My Top Ten Plugins for Mixing Heavy Music
- mason eismon
- Jun 7, 2022
- 7 min read
Welcome!
Hey there! If you don't know me, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Mason Eismon and I am an audio engineer who specializes in mixing heavier genres of music. If you're anything like I was when I was starting out, or even to this day, finding really good plugins to help you in your mixes seems to be an impossible task. With big brands pushing ads in your face and YouTube tutorials telling you what plugins to use, it can be a lot. With so many plugins out there it can be hard to find the ones that really stick out and make your job as a mix engineer easier. This list is here to show you the plugins that I found to be the most helpful in my journey thus far. Please take note that these are not in any particular order. Enjoy!
This compressor is my best friend when mixing drums. The simple and intuitive design from the guys over at GetGood Drums is absolutely amazing and has sped up my drum workflow a bunch. This plugin has everything you could need for compressing drums right at your fingertips. Having the choice between FET (Smash) and VCA (Grab) style compression, the "Drum" knob, which lets you chose which drum you are compressing (which adjust the compressor settings accordingly), "Beef" and "Air" EQ Controls, and Saturation all in one plugin makes this a very hard plugin to pass up. And for only $99, you can't beat the ease of use.
This plugin is an absolute MUST when dealing with any vocal. I have never once thought: "Hm, I wish I could have that $29.99 I spent on this plugin back". I however think: "Holy crap! That just fixed all the sibilance issues on this track with one mouse move!"
All hyperbole aside, I genuinely do think this is one of the most "Come-in-clutch" plugins I have my arsenal. With a few moves of the mouse you can clean up the sibilance of any vocal and it does a really good job of softening the sibilance without making it sound like the vocalist has a lisp.
All I have to say about this one is "Thank the heavens this plugin was created I needed this in my life". This plugin has been a very amazing life saver for me. I like to put this on my bass bus to add some sub-enhancement to my bass tracks. It really makes the low end punch. I have even put this on a kick drum just to get that extra low-end punch out of it. Its so simple to use as well, with the "Intensity" slider which determines how much sub you add, the input and output on either side of the main slider for easy gain matching, and the frequency selector at the bottom, it could not be any easier. And for around $79.99 (which I have never seen it go for) and its on-sale price at $29.99, it is a great buy.
These plugins are used on EVERY. BUS. IN. MY. MIXES. Seriously, I use these on every bus in my mixes. It is undeniable that in heavier music, compression is required to make elements stick out. When so many different elements are competing for the same space, EQ can only do so much. That's where these guys come in. There is a compressor in this bundle for every element in a metal song. Ergo drums, guitar, bass, vocals, keys, and even a mixbus compressor. Each unit has instrument specific controls that help the overall tonality of those elements. I HIGHLY recommend picking this bundle up. It is normally about $354, but as I am writing this, it is on sale for just $89! You CANNOT beat that.
Remember how I said that compression is required to make elements stick out in a heavy mix? Well vocals are the trickiest part. Not anymore. This vocal compressor by JST is an absolute beast at taking a vocal and crushing it with compression to bring out the detail in the vocal. To be entirely honest with you, I usually just throw this bad guy on the vocal and adjust the gain knob to taste. It works THAT well. The plugin has some very simple controls on it such as the "Body", "Slay" and "Gain" knobs. "Slay" is your compression level, "Gain" is the makeup gain you will use to get back the volume the plugin took away, and "Body" is an EQ That can fatten up the vocal without making it sound boxy or muddy. Regularly $59 but on-sale often for $39. This plugin is another MUST have for me.
For this list I wanted to stick to only mixing plugins and stay away from amp sims. I however, had no choice but to mention this amazing plugin from Aurora DSP. This plugin is an absolute BEAST when it comes to making guitar tones. The main reason I included it in this list is because instead of having your typical guitar amp sim interface, it has a very engineer-friendly interface. This plugin trades the traditional look of amp sims in for a cleaner, more polished and intuitive interface. There are no guitar amps in sight. On top of the amazing aesthetic and workflow, the tones out of this guy are STELLAR. You can get anything from a lush and vibrant clean brimming with reverb and delay, to the heaviest high-gain sound you have ever heard. The graphic EQ in the top middle of the plugin is what really sells it for me. You can see what your knob turns are doing on a graph as well, which is unheard of in an amp sim plugin. This plugin runs for around $89 regularly, but I got it for $40 and if you wait for a sale, you can too!
This little EQ may not seem like a lot but it has helped me on so many occasions that I simply cannot leave it out of this list. For my main EQ work I am using the EQ built directly into Logic Pro X. However, when I need to simply boost or cut a frequency and I don't want to load up another instance of Logic's EQ, I use this. Not only do the knobs on the plugin help me to make less choices with my eyes and more choices with my ears, but the character that this EQ adds just by itself is amazing. The main usage I get out of this is boosting the higher frequencies in my Vocal, Overhead, and Guitar tracks. It has a very unique way of doing this while still adding clarity but not making the tracks harsh. I really love this plugin for that reason. This little guy will run you about $29.99 for Waves "On-sale" price, however I have never seen Waves sales stop.
C4 is the best multiband compressor.
...
....
No seriously. I have yet to find a multiband compressor I use more. That's mainly because this one does everything I need it to do. If I need to top off on some DeEssing, done. If I need to control my low end a little bit, done. If I need to make the mid frequencies pop out some more, done. The ease of use for this guy is honestly the main seller for me though. It has 4 bands, you can control separately, and each has the controls clearly labeled right there on the plugin. It may not be the most exciting on the list, but its one of my personal favorites. The only thing this plugin doesn't do that I wish it did, is sidechaining. Their C6 plugin can do this, but I rarely see a use for sidechaining with a multiband compressor in my mixes, so it isn't really a need for me. This plugin can be picked up for around $49.99 regularly, and right now you can get it for $29.99.
Flatline is a clipper/maximizer that I use on my master bus. Every song I have mixed since I purchased this plugin has been run through this, and if I am honest, it is the cleanest clipper I have ever heard. The reason I initially bought it is the engineer for one of my favorite artists, Plini, used it on that artists album. I wanted to get THAT sound. That aggression out of the mix, but in a very clean and transparent way. This plugin does EXACTLY that. It is super easy to use with a built in LUFS meter on the right side, and no more than 3 controls. It also has a feature called "Clip guard" which employs help from your CPU to make sure when the signal does clip, that it doesn't distort or fart out. It is my favorite mastering plugin I own, and it is a gem to have around.
This plugin was my most recent purchase and yet, it has been one of the most useful. Being able to reference a mix similar to the one I am working on without having to set up a separate track and route it accordingly has sped up my workflow and made my life just a little easier. On top of this, the plugin automatically gain matches for you! There is a graph to show you your EQ curve versus the mix you are refencing and it even shows you the LUFS level of the reference track so you know how loud to master the track. Being able to reference mix has legitimately never been easier for me and I have this plugin to thank. You can get this plugin directly from Mastering the Mix for $63. It is worth every penny!
Thank you for reading!
This was a very cool list for me to make. I really do hope this helps some of you out while trying to find plugins that actually help during the mixing and mastering phase. If you liked what you read and would like to read more, give my website a lookover. This is my first blog post but it will not be my last. If you are interested in any of these plugins, just click the name of the plugin and it will take you straight to the website where you can buy it!
Happy Mixing!
Mason Eismon
Comentarios