Studio Owner Jim Moreland has sent us this very positive message about his experiences using the Pro Series plug-ins :
“I’m kicking myself for not even bothering to demo the other two Pro Series plugins you came out with. Your EQ is the only EQ I’ve used on any mix in my mix bus over the last two months.
The Tube Exciter was the first I tried out. “Wow” was the first thought I had. Then I thought – there has to be a downside to it. It couldn’t possibly be that easy to glue a mix together (I used it as the first plugin in a mastering chain). Then the band showed up (alt country guys in their 20’s) and I asked them to sit for an A/B test. They had no idea what I was doing to the mix, they just wanted it to sound as good as possible. So I asked whether they preferred “A” or “B” (“A” being another company’s Harmonic Saturation Processor, a plugin I’ve been using as a sort of summing mixer and “B” being the Tube Exciter filling the same role). Before I got to the third A/B instance, they stopped me and said “Isn’t it obvious, it’s B. B sounds much better”. If there’s a better plugin for this purpose, I’ve never heard it – at any price.
Then I tried the OptoMax. I initially found it a little too aggressive on a mix bus. Then I noticed the “Peak/RMS” button and hit that. And again, “Wow”. What a beautiful, smooth, warm glue box that plugin is. And that “Peak” mode sounds friggin’ awesome on a drum bus.
The only downside to these plugins is the lack of documentation, or rather, unclear docs. The manual for the OptoMax states that the Peak button “displays the Peak decibel or RMS level”, when it very clearly changes the behavior of the compressor. Also, the gain reduction meter in RMS mode shows no reduction, even when it’s really working hard. But these are quibbles regarding VERY useful tools that I’m thrilled to own – and – I set compressors by ear anyway.
Thanks again for these plugs. I’m telling everyone that walks through my doors about them. And please make more Pro Series plugins. I’m buying whatever you’re selling.”
The Plug & Mix Pro Series on promo at $49 until Monday, October 5th.