enhancers

[borg]

A while ago LttV mentioned Clipper by Blacksaltaudio, and have been getting some mails from them. So, what's the deal with enhancers like their Low Control and Oxygen? Are they really great tools, or are they just devices for the lazy and unknowing? Do they make up for bad mixing, or do they really add something essential to the secret sauce?

[Lost to the Void]

A while ago LttV mentioned Clipper by Blacksaltaudio, and have been getting some mails from them. So, what's the deal with enhancers like their Low Control and Oxygen? Are they really great tools, or are they just devices for the lazy and unknowing? Do they make up for bad mixing, or do they really add something essential to the secret sauce?

I don`t think there is a definitive answer to that, unless it is specifically about Black Salt Audio. I`ve not tried their enhancers.

Some enhancers are super useful, and some can come with some mess inducing complications.

If there is a free trial, try it. I don't think it's cheating if you get the results you desire using a tool or tools that get you there.

I use enhancers, both in mixing/producing and mastering. Usually sparingly, with a defined purpose, and I know the outcome I am looking for and how to get there, and how to handle the issues that may arise, if they do arise.

I have a few bass enhancers I use to get extra harmonics out of things I want to have more impact or size. Sometimes I use them to extreme to coax sub out of things maybe not usually used for that.

I use harmonic exciters, usually saturation based, for all kinds of things. Sometimes to tame transients, sometimes to smooth out the high end, or to give a sound more richness or movement.

Stereo enhancers can be really useful for me as I like to work in mid-side to place my elements, and occasionally a more algorithmic stereo enhancer can help push a sound out to the sides, occasionally that might get smeary, so a transient designer (I consider to be a kind of enhancer) could then be used to tighten the side signal.

I might use saturation in mastering, either on an entire mix, or just the sides, or just a certain frequency band, for various reasons.. Though in mastering I tend to avoid some of the more exotic enhancers unless they have really good phase and timing coherence.

Don`t be afraid of them, don't overuse them, find out how they work to a degree where you understand what complications they may add. Usually it can be managed.

[borg]

thanks Steve!
It's finding a balance between good practice and knowledge on one side and embracing new technology.
In the end it's all about what's coming out of the speakers, I heard this famous long bearded engineer say. Forgot his name...

Big sales coming up at BSA, they say

[Lost to the Void]

As an addition
SIR StandardCLIP, quite simply the best clipper on the market, is currently 25 dollars.

I consider a good clipper an essential tool in any stock library, this is a no brainer at this price.
This is a super clean and very very accurate oversampling clipper, the metering is customisable so you can really get into detail, and you can have an additional of soft clipping to any degree you like, and the soft clipping has a definable dynamic action, so you can dial it in like compression.
This is a gateway to advanced production, for getting clean loud levels and getting your compressors and limiters to work more efficiently at what they do best.
Just get it.

https://www.siraudiotools.com/StandardCLIP.php

[borg]

Thanks for the heads up! Gonna grab that StandardClip with SIR3! That looks like an awesome reverb as well.
I downloaded the BSA clipper demo, but never gotten around trying it. I found it odd there was no oversampling setting, nor any mention of it in the manual or their site.

I also just noticed waves factory Spectre is on sale right now. Just seems like a better option than the "over easy" offerings of BSA. Maybe not truely the same, but have to make choices here. I have so many plugins I don't use anymore as it is.

[Lost to the Void]

Thanks for the heads up! Gonna grab that StandardClip with SIR3! That looks like an awesome reverb as well.
I downloaded the BSA clipper demo, but never gotten around trying it. I found it odd there was no oversampling setting, nor any mention of it in the manual or their site.

I also just noticed waves factory Spectre is on sale right now. Just seems like a better option than the "over easy" offerings of BSA. Maybe not truely the same, but have to make choices here. I have so many plugins I don't use anymore as it is.

You really can`t go wrong with spectre. For the whole mix of individual sounds, first and foremost it sounds amazing, but also you have so many options, bands, wet/dry, de-emphasis and so on. It`s a god level plugin.

[borg]

Grabbed Spectre today, and it felt like I had been in the club toilet all my life and finally made it to the dance floor! Amazing how much weight or sparkle it can add without raising levels through the roof.
I immediately started thinking how nice it would be to have this in a live rig, and then remembered I have a dbx900 rack in the attic somewhere that has 2 dbx eqs, 2 dbx compressors, and 2 aphex 9001 aural exciters. Probably not the same, but just feel more curious now to give it a go, never gotten around trying it. The rack weighs a ton though, so not an option to take it out. Got it from my previous job after cleaning up the stock, together with a Klark Technic DN780 which I occasionally use. It can do some wonky stuff using the remote control.

[Master G]

I have a few bass enhancers I use to get extra harmonics out of things I want to have more impact or size. Sometimes I use them to extreme to coax sub out of things maybe not usually used for that.

What bass enhancer you would recommend?

[Lost to the Void]

I have a few bass enhancers I use to get extra harmonics out of things I want to have more impact or size. Sometimes I use them to extreme to coax sub out of things maybe not usually used for that.

What bass enhancer you would recommend?

Well, no one plugin does everything.

Here`s what I use

Klanghelm SDRR2 - on Tube mode, just flip the emphasis dial down in to bass you get loads of low order harmonics... it`s massive.
Good old Waves RBass or Maxxbass - still works fantastically.
Denise Audio BassXL - it's a much more refined and precise version of wave maxxbass. But it doesn`t get as woolly (sometimes woolly can be good though).
reFUSE Lowender -It`s really a bass synthesiser/octaver type effect, but designed for low end. Can get very thick and saturated, needs careful setting up, but you can get really creative and monstrous with it.
Wavesfactory spectre - Warm or Tube on the low bands and things will thicken up nicely.