If you’ve ever downloaded Plugin Alliance’s full bundle, you know the feeling: hundreds of plugins staring back at you, and somehow you end up using the same three or four over and over again. The rest? Digital dust collectors.
But here’s what most engineers miss: buried in that massive catalog are absolute gems that can transform your mixes. After years of working with artists like Kelly Clarkson and A$AP Rocky, I’ve narrowed down the best Plugin Alliance plugins that have become non-negotiables in my workflow.
Today I’m breaking down my top 10 favorite Plugin Alliance plugins, starting with the five that make it onto virtually every mix I do, followed by five more that are essential for specific situations.
My Top 5 Essential Plugin Alliance Plugins
1. Louder Than Liftoff Silver Bullet MK2
This is hands down one of the best Plugin Alliance plugins for adding analog character to your tracks. When this plugin first came out, I’ll admit I was a bit frustrated—I had just purchased the hardware unit. While they sound remarkably close, the plugin version has one massive advantage: you can use it on multiple sources simultaneously.
Why it’s indispensable:
The Silver Bullet MK2 excels at emulating both Neve (N) and API (A) preamp sounds, and you can blend them together for unique tonal shaping. The Neve sound is perfect for adding thickness to low end, kicks, and snares, while the API adds that coveted mid-range punch.
Best uses:
- Drum buses (especially kicks and snares)
- Thin-sounding vocals
- Mix bus processing
- Bass guitars
What makes this plugin special is its ability to stack both preamp sounds. You can run a signal through the Neve for thickness, then into the API for mid-range excitement. When you apply this across multiple drum elements, it creates a cohesion that’s hard to achieve with other plugins.
The built-in gain compensation is another huge advantage over the hardware—you can push it hard without constantly adjusting your monitoring level.
2. Metric AB
This might seem like an odd choice for a “top 5” list since it doesn’t actually process audio, but Metric AB has become absolutely essential to my workflow, especially given how important rough mixes are in modern production.
Why every mixer needs this:
In today’s music landscape, artists and producers are heavily invested in their rough mixes. As a professional mixer, my job isn’t just to make things sound polished—it’s to enhance the existing vibe without losing what made the rough mix special in the first place.
Metric AB allows me to instantly switch between my mix and the rough mix (or any reference track), which is crucial for several reasons:
- Vibe checking: Making sure my mixing decisions aren’t negatively impacting the song’s energy
- Troubleshooting stems: When stems are exported from one DAW and imported into mine, things can sound different or elements might be missing
- Quick A/B comparisons: No need to solo/unsolo tracks or fumble with file management
Pro tip: I route all my tracks to a mix bus with a send to a dedicated AB return track where Metric AB lives. This allows me to switch between versions with a single button press on my monitor controller, making the comparison workflow lightning-fast.
3. SPL De-Verb Plus
For vocal-heavy production, especially pop, SPL De-Verb Plus is one of the best Plugin Alliance plugins for solving a common problem: room noise in vocal recordings.
Many artists are recording in less-than-ideal conditions, and when you have room reflections or ambient noise in a vocal recording, compression becomes problematic. As you compress harder to get that modern vocal punch, you’re also bringing up all that unwanted room tone.
Why it outperforms the competition:
I’ve tried countless de-reverb plugins, including Waves RX, and 99% of the time, SPL De-Verb Plus simply sounds better and more natural.
How to use it effectively:
- Place it before your compressor in the signal chain
- Set the reduction amount between -8dB and -10dB (the sweet spot)
- Going past -10dB can start sounding unnatural
It won’t completely eliminate room noise, but it will reduce it enough to give you a workable vocal that can handle the compression and EQ needed for modern productions.
4. Brainworx bx_digital V3
This mid-side EQ has been a staple in my mastering and mix finalization workflow for years, and I still haven’t found anything that replaces it completely.
Primary uses:
Final mix polish: Once a mix feels close to finished, I’ll load up the bx_digital V3 and sweep through with the relatively tight Q settings looking for problem frequencies, usually in the mono (mid) section. Even minor adjustments (0.5dB to 1dB) can make a significant difference in the final product.
Stereo width enhancement: There are two effective techniques here:
- Use a high shelf (around 7-8kHz) and boost the sides by about 1dB to push out the high-end stereo information
- Engage the built-in stereo width control (around 113%) combined with subtle EQ for a beautifully wide, open mix
Bass management: The mono maker feature is invaluable for taming stereo bass tracks. If someone’s put a bass through a stereo effect and the low end is going crazy in the stereo field, you can use the mono maker set to 200Hz or so to keep your low end solid and centered while allowing the upper harmonics to remain in stereo.
This versatility—from surgical problem-solving to creative width enhancement—makes it one of the most useful tools in the Plugin Alliance catalog.
5. Lindell Audio 825
This is a plugin version of a legendary mastering equalizer, famous in mastering circles for its beautiful, musical sound quality.
What makes it special:
When Lindell 825 first appeared in the Plugin Alliance catalog, I thought, “Great, another EQ.” But there’s something genuinely special about how this plugin handles frequency boosts, particularly in the top end.
The 825 has a sweetness that’s difficult to describe but immediately apparent when you use it. You can boost significant amounts of high-end without the harshness that typically comes with aggressive EQ moves.
Best applications:
- Mastering (vocals and full mixes)
- Vocal brightening
- Any source that needs air and openness without brittleness
Whether it’s the saturation modeling or the way the EQ curves are implemented, this plugin just sounds really, really good—especially when you need to add top-end sparkle.
5 More Best Plugin Alliance Plugins for Specific Situations
While these next five don’t appear on every single mix I do, they’re absolutely worth having in your arsenal for specific production needs.
6. Kirchhoff EQ
If you don’t have FabFilter Pro-Q 4, the Kirchhoff EQ is your answer. Personally, I’m so comfortable with Pro-Q 4’s workflow that I default to it, but the Kirchhoff is just as capable—and in some ways, even more powerful.
What sets it apart:
- Multiple EQ emulations (SSL, Neve, Pultec, TubeTech, and more)
- Clean digital EQ when you need surgical precision
- Dynamic EQ capabilities
- Excellent metering and analysis tools
This is genuinely one of the best Plugin Alliance plugins for EQ work if you don’t already own Pro-Q 4. The UI is well-designed and the sound quality is exceptional.
7. Vertigo VSS-2
I stumbled across the VSS-2 channel strip somewhat randomly, and it’s become a secret weapon. With its VCA compressor, EQ, and tube saturation all in one unit, you can get fantastic sounds incredibly quickly.
Best applications:
I’ve used it on:
- Vocals
- Drum bus
- Individual drum elements
It’s a lot of fun to work with and delivers professional results fast. The combination of compression, EQ, and saturation in a single channel strip makes it perfect for getting great tones without reaching for multiple plugins.The dual compression modes give you incredible flexibility—use the VCA for punchy, controlled compression or switch to optical for smoother, more transparent glue.
8. Black Box Analog Design HG-2 & HGQ
The HG-2 has been around for years and remains one of the best saturation processors in the Plugin Alliance collection. I used to reach for it constantly on drums before exploring other options, but it’s still capable of delivering incredible saturation character when needed.
The newer sibling – HGQ:
More recently, the HGQ (essentially the HG-2 with EQ) has been getting heavy rotation in my sessions. This plugin is fantastic on:
- Vocals
- Percussion
- Any source that needs extra energy and presence
If you want to add excitement and dimension to percussion elements, the HGQ is hard to beat.
9. Brainworx bx_console SSL 4000 E
If I didn’t have the Softube Console 1 hardware controller in my studio, the bx SSL would be my go-to channel strip on every single track.
Why channel strips matter:
Having a consistent channel strip across all your tracks creates a cohesive workflow. Need to boost something? Just boost it. Need compression? It’s right there. Simple, fast, effective.
Added benefit – TMT (Tolerance Modeling Technology):
The TMT feature randomizes each instance slightly, emulating the natural variation you’d get from a real analog console. This can add dimension and depth that’s similar to using a hardware summing mixer.
I sometimes stack this on top of my Console 1 tracks just to engage the TMT for extra dimension. It’s probably one of the best SSL emulations available, and Plugin Alliance now uses it in the Console 1 software as well.
10. Brainworx bx_console Lindell 80
Where the SSL 4000 E gives you that punch and clarity, the Lindell 80 delivers classic Neve warmth and color.
Best applications:
- Drums (especially when you want that thick Neve character)
- Any source needing vintage warmth
- Parallel processing with aggressive settings
Standout feature – Unity button:
This is huge: you can absolutely crank the input gain to get aggressive saturation and distortion, but the unity button ensures your output level stays consistent. No more gain-staging headaches when you’re pushing things hard.
The EQ section nails that classic 1073 sound, and if you’re looking for authentic Neve color in the box, the Lindell 80 is a serious contender.
Bonus mention – Vertigo VSS2:
I stumbled across this channel strip somewhat randomly, and it’s become a secret weapon. With its VCA compressor, EQ, and tube saturation all in one unit, you can get fantastic sounds incredibly quickly.
I’ve used it on:
- Vocals
- Drum bus
- Individual drum elements
It’s a lot of fun to work with and delivers professional results fast.
Are Plugin Alliance Plugins Worth It?
After working with the Platform Alliance ecosystem for years across hundreds of professional mixes, I can confidently say the subscription is worthwhile if you’re serious about mixing and production.
The depth of quality here is impressive—these aren’t just “me too” plugins trying to imitate better tools. Many of the best Plugin Alliance plugins are industry-standard emulations or original designs that hold their own against any competition.
What makes Plugin Alliance stand out:
- Authentic analog emulations (often in partnership with the original hardware manufacturers)
- Consistent high-quality DSP
- Regular updates and new releases
- One subscription gives you access to their entire catalog
The key is knowing which plugins actually solve problems in your workflow rather than just collecting dust in your plugin folder.
Ready to Take Your Mixes to the Next Level?
Understanding which plugins to use is just one piece of the puzzle. The real magic happens when you know how to use them effectively within the context of a full mix.
If you’re struggling to get your mixes to translate across different systems, or if you’d like professional ears on your productions, I’d love to help. I offer professional mixing and mastering services with unlimited revisions until you’re completely satisfied. Every project gets my personal attention, and I work with artists globally with a typical 3-5 day turnaround.
For engineers looking to level up their skills: I also offer one-on-one coaching and mentorship. We can dive deep into your mixing challenges, workflow optimization, and the techniques I’ve developed working with major-label artists.
Check out my services at mixandmastermysong.com to see how I can help you achieve the professional sound you’re after.
Your Turn: What Are Your Favorite Plugin Alliance Plugins?
I’m always exploring new tools and techniques, and I’d love to hear what’s working in your studio. What are your go-to Plugin Alliance plugins? Are there any hidden gems I should be checking out?
Drop your top picks in the comments below—let’s learn from each other’s workflows.
Matty Harris is a professional mixing and mastering engineer with credits including Kelly Clarkson, A$AP Rocky, and Travis Barker. He holds Apple Digital Masters certification and is ranked in the top 1% globally for mastering according to Muso.ai. When he’s not mixing, he creates educational content for audio engineers on YouTube and offers professional coaching services.