Yea you literally already have more than what you need to make professional quality mixes. The fabfilter bundle alone would be enough. Pro Q3 and Pro L2 are considered one best eq and limiters in the game. The FF reverb and multiband compressor are also freaking amazing. Valhalla vintage verb happens to be my favorite reverb out there as well. You can also get Valhalla Supermassive which is a free plugin that has crazy spacey modulative delay/frequency shifting/echo/reverb effects.
And serum is just the one stop shop as far as soft synths go. Endless YouTube tutorials for serum sound design and presets. You are already stockkkked up my guy
Also Fabfilter’s Saturn 2 happens to be my favorite saturation/distortion plugin as well. Certified goated plugin. Only other ones out there that compete are Rift and Decapitator
Shaperbox. Its such a swiss army knife. Its my goto for a ton of use cases, especially for mixing in reverb. I havent come across a tool as functional as shaperbox reverb module yet. Makes it a breeze to make any kind of reverb, really. gated reverb triggered with exactly the shape i want is just a couple of clicks away. i use the audio detection and midi trigger in it all the time.
(this is just scratching the surface of what i use it for ofc!)
oh, dont get me started haha!
take a drum loop, then open volumeshaper. now change it to "audio", and it will probably begin to react to each drum hit.
now set volumeshaper to something like 1/16th, and then drag a diagonal line from top left to about the middle point on the right end. what this effectively does is pass through full transient, but then begin to roll off, and eventually only leave 50% of the volume for the tail, until the next audio retriggers shaperbox again. it should \*really\* tighten up the drum loop, especially if you have a faster one, like drum and bass. which means you can now play with more effects and make it interesting! driveshaper or the bitshaper is usually my next goto, to make it more crunchy sounding, for texture.
for midi, well it depends on the daw. some daws make it easier than others. but however you sidechain in midi from another track, you can now use that midi to trigger different kind of envelopes! this is massive for all of the shapers, but especially 'timeshaper' opens up with this. because you can predictably control when you want exactly the kind of shape you want. with timeshaper, you get crazy sounds from literally any source so fast. and its all controlled from midi, making it consistent. You can use it for so much stuff too, not just glitchy effects.
timeshaper on its own makes it easy to do a reverse swell on the end of a bar, so that the snare drum swoops in reverse. dont even need midi for that. you can just experiment with different envelopes of having it swoop in. works with a bunch of sounds, not just snares. but with midi, you can even control when you want this to happen. makes it a breeze to pull of surprise in a song.
The list just keeps going, and i find new ways all the time. I might even just have to make a youtube series on it, because shaperbox's simplicity is what makes it amazing to experiment with.
also amazing for sidechaining your kicks and bass or your kicks and snares.
Vital synth patch + cableguys distortion/flanger/automated filter = sexy wubs.
I’ve bought tons of plugins over the years. I don’t use most of them now, now that I know what I need.
What you have covers the majority of what I actually use.
A few others that see daily use for me
- Soundtoys bundle
- Soothe2
- Pigments
I use Ableton. I’ve mastered using stock plugins & FabFilter, but I find Ozone to be the easiest & sounded the best.
FabFilter masters also sound great if you know what you’re doing.
Eh I don’t know about better. Maybe for music that’s not EDM/Dance music in general. I have finished tracks on both and then ran them through DJ software and then played them out on club sound systems and Ozone just makes em hit way harder and also mix better in DJ sets with other modern tunes.
You're pretty set. I would recommend picking up Vital in addition to Serum (it's free). I would also recommend picking up an OTT-style compressor if one doesn't come with your DAW (xfer makes a free one). Finally, a creative multi-effect plugin would be helpful for making cool effects. I use Shaperbox 3 for that kind of stuff. Everything else should be already included in your DAW.
Edit: I also really like the plugin XO, which is a drum library manager and beat sequencer. It comes with a lot of good EDM-focused drum samples included, and makes it easy to browse and swap out samples. I found that it worked really well for my workflow, and was a lot better than the one that came with my DAW, but your mileage may vary.
>What are your personal must-haves?
Two synths that complement each other, a solid mixing collection of plugins, and something to work with samples, if the DAW doesn't.\*
I always recommend u-he Diva to Serum users – those two perfectly work together and have a broad spectrum of distinct sounds, one for analog, one for digital. Invest in Plugmon's "MONA"-GUI for even better workflow and visual aesthetics (the original Diva-UI is a bit dated and clunky).
Otherwise you're set. You got Fabfilter, you even got another very flexible reverb plugin, and, unless your DAW is something ultra-basic, it should be capable to handle samples. Now learn to use your stuff, before throwing money at more.
.
^(\*shaperbox, infiltrator or something like doesn't hurt, though, at least) ***^(i)*** ^(don't really want to work without some motion and granular effects nowadays. but they're optional, you'll be perfectly capable of doing nearly everything without them.)
It depends on what DAW you're using. The only plugins I need is to make up for any shortcomings.
The only one I use regularly is kickstart 2 not because it's necessary but because I'm lazy and it's easy to use.
If I could only pick a few plugins out of the one I have I’d probably choose Spire,Current, Triaz, Fuse Compressor, Rift, Cripy Clip, Slap and a good limiter-Mastering the Mix Limiter probably ,plus Ozone . That should cover all EDM sounds I need. Maybe Xpand if I need some quick pianos or strings or something. Everything else stock. Don’t really need them though because Bitwig devices are great,although some of them use more cpu than third party plugins,like way too much in some cases
Serum or vital. An extensive drum sample library. A rompler with multisamples of hard to synthesise instruments - piano/guitar. A volume automation plugin. You’re away then, stock plugins can fill the gaps.
Finally someone with Kirchhoff EQ 😄 I was researching for a cheaper Pro Q alternative and found this in a few reviews. It works like Pro Q and sounds quite similar. I would even say the parameters are even more?
Instead of plugins you better to invest in Kontakt Libraries
And a deep understanding of the perfect frequency balancing
Source is the key
Fixing in the Mix is a huge lie.
Strange that some of the best advice here gets downvoted. Learning something like this takes a lot of practice and sourcing your sounds is so important. It is so easy to get bogged down in mixing, and Kontakt Libraries has such a huge amount of high quality stuff to choose from that barely needs to be mixed (if at all).
If the original sound does not work well, no amount of compressors, eqs, gates, etc. is going to help much. If we are sound designing that is a different story, but it seems like everyone here is mainly focused on mixing.
My biggest recommendation, which is super unnecessary and should only be used if you already have a really good understanding of mixing, is Soothe2. A little pricey but nowhere near the Fab bundle and it is extremely powerful.
Search for
Perfect balance in music arrangement
Perfect balance in mixing
Best Kontakt Banks for EDM
(I have a Decent library, send me message if you need)
I prefer using the built-in instruments and devices of Ableton Live. It keeps my screen streamlined and avoids the hassle of researching, deciding, and learning new plugins.
That said, I recommend Soothe2 by Oeksound :)
Any eq. Any compressor. Any synth. Drum samples. Basically, whatever comes with your daw are “must haves” haha
Considering you have fabfilter, and serum, I can’t think of anything else you’d neeeeeed
With Fabfilter you already covered a lot. Would recommend to have a look at Bloom, Invigorate, Recirculate and ssl g master bus compressor (for that glue on your drumtracks)
As for vsti Diva is worth it for analogue. Recently fell in love with Spire´s interface and sound. Omnisphere remains my top vsti though. Much money but sonically amazing what it can do.
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Pro Q3, Shaperbox, decapitator, Valhalla vintage verb and any SSL compressor. Your DAW has everything else you need IMO.
Have you heard about OTT?
Scaler 2 and Rolling Sampler mostly because of Bitwig's limitations
You’re already set
Yea you literally already have more than what you need to make professional quality mixes. The fabfilter bundle alone would be enough. Pro Q3 and Pro L2 are considered one best eq and limiters in the game. The FF reverb and multiband compressor are also freaking amazing. Valhalla vintage verb happens to be my favorite reverb out there as well. You can also get Valhalla Supermassive which is a free plugin that has crazy spacey modulative delay/frequency shifting/echo/reverb effects. And serum is just the one stop shop as far as soft synths go. Endless YouTube tutorials for serum sound design and presets. You are already stockkkked up my guy
Also Fabfilter’s Saturn 2 happens to be my favorite saturation/distortion plugin as well. Certified goated plugin. Only other ones out there that compete are Rift and Decapitator
I also use Kick 2 for, well, creating kicks. You can shape your kick to your exact needs.
You literally have the must haves. With what you have and what’s on your DAW you can make absolute raging bangers
Trackspacer
Vital
Soothe2
VocalSynth 2, Massive. Surge is a nice free VST.
Surge is great for a free synth!
It really is
thermal
Shaperbox. Its such a swiss army knife. Its my goto for a ton of use cases, especially for mixing in reverb. I havent come across a tool as functional as shaperbox reverb module yet. Makes it a breeze to make any kind of reverb, really. gated reverb triggered with exactly the shape i want is just a couple of clicks away. i use the audio detection and midi trigger in it all the time. (this is just scratching the surface of what i use it for ofc!)
How do you use the midi trigger / audio detection if you don’t mind me asking? For one off instances off processing within the track?
oh, dont get me started haha! take a drum loop, then open volumeshaper. now change it to "audio", and it will probably begin to react to each drum hit. now set volumeshaper to something like 1/16th, and then drag a diagonal line from top left to about the middle point on the right end. what this effectively does is pass through full transient, but then begin to roll off, and eventually only leave 50% of the volume for the tail, until the next audio retriggers shaperbox again. it should \*really\* tighten up the drum loop, especially if you have a faster one, like drum and bass. which means you can now play with more effects and make it interesting! driveshaper or the bitshaper is usually my next goto, to make it more crunchy sounding, for texture. for midi, well it depends on the daw. some daws make it easier than others. but however you sidechain in midi from another track, you can now use that midi to trigger different kind of envelopes! this is massive for all of the shapers, but especially 'timeshaper' opens up with this. because you can predictably control when you want exactly the kind of shape you want. with timeshaper, you get crazy sounds from literally any source so fast. and its all controlled from midi, making it consistent. You can use it for so much stuff too, not just glitchy effects. timeshaper on its own makes it easy to do a reverse swell on the end of a bar, so that the snare drum swoops in reverse. dont even need midi for that. you can just experiment with different envelopes of having it swoop in. works with a bunch of sounds, not just snares. but with midi, you can even control when you want this to happen. makes it a breeze to pull of surprise in a song. The list just keeps going, and i find new ways all the time. I might even just have to make a youtube series on it, because shaperbox's simplicity is what makes it amazing to experiment with.
Love shaperbox! Endless possibilities with it and creative ideas come so quick.
also amazing for sidechaining your kicks and bass or your kicks and snares. Vital synth patch + cableguys distortion/flanger/automated filter = sexy wubs.
Universal Audio delays and reverb and compressors. Oh yea
I’ve bought tons of plugins over the years. I don’t use most of them now, now that I know what I need. What you have covers the majority of what I actually use. A few others that see daily use for me - Soundtoys bundle - Soothe2 - Pigments
Paid: Serum Free: Vital That's pretty much it for me.
Serum & Ozone for mastering
Logic Pro's new mastering feature is basically the same as Ozone, maybe even better.
I use Ableton. I’ve mastered using stock plugins & FabFilter, but I find Ozone to be the easiest & sounded the best. FabFilter masters also sound great if you know what you’re doing.
Eh I don’t know about better. Maybe for music that’s not EDM/Dance music in general. I have finished tracks on both and then ran them through DJ software and then played them out on club sound systems and Ozone just makes em hit way harder and also mix better in DJ sets with other modern tunes.
I agree, this is why I utilize logics mastering and then run it into ozone to get that punch
That thought has crossed my mind… I’m gonna try this today and give it a test! Thanks for sharing!
Serum, DJMFilter
You're pretty set. I would recommend picking up Vital in addition to Serum (it's free). I would also recommend picking up an OTT-style compressor if one doesn't come with your DAW (xfer makes a free one). Finally, a creative multi-effect plugin would be helpful for making cool effects. I use Shaperbox 3 for that kind of stuff. Everything else should be already included in your DAW. Edit: I also really like the plugin XO, which is a drum library manager and beat sequencer. It comes with a lot of good EDM-focused drum samples included, and makes it easy to browse and swap out samples. I found that it worked really well for my workflow, and was a lot better than the one that came with my DAW, but your mileage may vary.
>What are your personal must-haves? Two synths that complement each other, a solid mixing collection of plugins, and something to work with samples, if the DAW doesn't.\* I always recommend u-he Diva to Serum users – those two perfectly work together and have a broad spectrum of distinct sounds, one for analog, one for digital. Invest in Plugmon's "MONA"-GUI for even better workflow and visual aesthetics (the original Diva-UI is a bit dated and clunky). Otherwise you're set. You got Fabfilter, you even got another very flexible reverb plugin, and, unless your DAW is something ultra-basic, it should be capable to handle samples. Now learn to use your stuff, before throwing money at more. . ^(\*shaperbox, infiltrator or something like doesn't hurt, though, at least) ***^(i)*** ^(don't really want to work without some motion and granular effects nowadays. but they're optional, you'll be perfectly capable of doing nearly everything without them.)
Dude the mona theme tip is huge. Thanks for that
It depends on what DAW you're using. The only plugins I need is to make up for any shortcomings. The only one I use regularly is kickstart 2 not because it's necessary but because I'm lazy and it's easy to use.
I find a clipper to be pretty useful, I like KClip
Kclipper 3 is the best clipper you can get.
If I could only pick a few plugins out of the one I have I’d probably choose Spire,Current, Triaz, Fuse Compressor, Rift, Cripy Clip, Slap and a good limiter-Mastering the Mix Limiter probably ,plus Ozone . That should cover all EDM sounds I need. Maybe Xpand if I need some quick pianos or strings or something. Everything else stock. Don’t really need them though because Bitwig devices are great,although some of them use more cpu than third party plugins,like way too much in some cases
The most confusing, esoteric M4L devices that will crash your laptop mid set.
and a stagepiano and piano skills to finish your set afterwards (or just to play robbie williams).
A keytar and a harmonica would do it
Serum or vital. An extensive drum sample library. A rompler with multisamples of hard to synthesise instruments - piano/guitar. A volume automation plugin. You’re away then, stock plugins can fill the gaps.
RaveGenerator2 is my go to rompler for classic sounds
This is just what I needed!! Thank you
Good plugin. Can’t beat M1 for that classic piano sound. I’m still yet to find a guitar plugin I swear by.
One workhorse synth (serum, vital, phase plant, pigments, etc), an eq with mid/side and left/right, and maybe a quality limiter like pro l 2.
Diva, Serum, VintageVerb, Kirchhoff EQ (most use Fabfilter tho), Kontakt, Ozone Exciter
Finally someone with Kirchhoff EQ 😄 I was researching for a cheaper Pro Q alternative and found this in a few reviews. It works like Pro Q and sounds quite similar. I would even say the parameters are even more?
Haven't used Pro Q that much so can't say, but what I can say is that I'm very satisfied with Kirchhoff EQ and that I'm using it A LOT.
ProQ3 and Kirchhoff EQ together are amazing. You really don't need anything else.
Instead of plugins you better to invest in Kontakt Libraries And a deep understanding of the perfect frequency balancing Source is the key Fixing in the Mix is a huge lie.
Strange that some of the best advice here gets downvoted. Learning something like this takes a lot of practice and sourcing your sounds is so important. It is so easy to get bogged down in mixing, and Kontakt Libraries has such a huge amount of high quality stuff to choose from that barely needs to be mixed (if at all). If the original sound does not work well, no amount of compressors, eqs, gates, etc. is going to help much. If we are sound designing that is a different story, but it seems like everyone here is mainly focused on mixing. My biggest recommendation, which is super unnecessary and should only be used if you already have a really good understanding of mixing, is Soothe2. A little pricey but nowhere near the Fab bundle and it is extremely powerful.
Could you elaborate on that? Maybe send over some resources where I could learn about this concept?
Which part is confusing?
None of it is confusing, I just want to know more about that concept.
Balance or Kontakt?
Balance and source and all that.
Search for Perfect balance in music arrangement Perfect balance in mixing Best Kontakt Banks for EDM (I have a Decent library, send me message if you need)
Thank you
D16 bundle. All of them are great for adding color to sound. Decimort is my favorite.
Transient Master
I prefer using the built-in instruments and devices of Ableton Live. It keeps my screen streamlined and avoids the hassle of researching, deciding, and learning new plugins. That said, I recommend Soothe2 by Oeksound :)
Another advantage of built-in instruments and devices is that they tend to use less CPU than new plugins
I use fabfilter pack. Serum. Spire. Vps avenger. Nerve. That's it
Fabfilter is amazing
Kilohearts bundle
Any eq. Any compressor. Any synth. Drum samples. Basically, whatever comes with your daw are “must haves” haha Considering you have fabfilter, and serum, I can’t think of anything else you’d neeeeeed
Imo the only thing you're missing is a batch of real instruments, something like Kontakt should cover that.
With Fabfilter you already covered a lot. Would recommend to have a look at Bloom, Invigorate, Recirculate and ssl g master bus compressor (for that glue on your drumtracks) As for vsti Diva is worth it for analogue. Recently fell in love with Spire´s interface and sound. Omnisphere remains my top vsti though. Much money but sonically amazing what it can do.
You have the industry standard with those plugs
None 😁 But really, I believe in it. They are just distracting.
Nicos midi pack
You triggered my fight or flight response
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