Plugin Alliance is one of the top audio plugin manufacturers for music production, mixing, and mastering. I’ve been using their plugins for years, all starting with the BX Digital V3. This was one of the first plugins to offer M/S (mid/side) equalization in the digital domain. It might not sound like a big deal now with so many M/S plugins available, but it was a game-changer at the time. As years went by, they started working with Universal Audio, and in my opinion, that’s when they became a stronghold in the music industry.
In today’s post, I will break down the 10 best plugin Alliance Plugins. These are the plugins I tend to use in almost every mix.
Let’s get into it!
The 10 Best Plugin Alliance Plugins
1. BX Digital V3 – We went over this in the intro, but this is still one of my go-to plugins for mastering. It has the M/S ability, but some of the tilt EQs work perfectly in certain situations. Also, the dynamic processing can be beneficial when trying to get rid of esses or annoying frequencies during the mastering process.
2. Black Box HG2MS – This plugin is fantastic for adding saturation to your mix. I tend to use it mostly on drums. It adds a thickness and roundness that’s hard to get anywhere else. In addition, the plugin focuses on giving you the sound of tubes and transformers. A true gem!
3. Lindell Audio 80 Series – Speaking of thickness and roundness, the Lindell Audio 80 is a fantastic emulation of the famous Neve gear we all know and love. Specifically, model numbers 1073/1084/2254. One of my favorite features of this plugin is the Mic Pre. You can click the unity button and crank the gain to get distortion without raising the overall level.
4. SSL 4000 & 9000 – Solid State Logic (SSL) is one of the most recognized names in the mixing and mastering business. Every time I imagined a studio as a kid, an SSL was in it. The 4000 and 9000 are two of their most famous consoles. The 4000 is more gritty and dirty, and the 9000 is cleaner with headroom for days. The great thing about both of these is the TNT modeling that gives each plugin a variation in sound.
5. Bettermaker EQ232 – Bettermaker changes the world with the first digitally controlled analog equalizer. Add to that they are amazing clean-sounding EQs. Now you can use them in plugin form, and they sound fantastic.
6. AMEK EQ200 – This plugin is modeled after the famous GML 8200 Mastering EQ, and they both sound amazing. This one has become a mainstay on my Master Bus since the day it was released.
7. Shadow Hills Compressor – This is the software emulation of the famous mastering compressor of the same name. It was first released as a UAD plugin created by Brainworx but is now available through plugin alliance. Needless to say, it is one of the best mastering compressors out there and a mainstay on my Drumbus.
8. ADPTR Audio Metric AB – This isn’t an audio plugin per say, but it is the #1 utility plugin I use, and I can honestly say I would have a hard time mixing without it. It allows you to A/B your mix to the rough mix or any other mix while adjusting the level, so you don’t get fooled by loudness.
9. Maag EQ – I don’t use this one as much as I used to, but there isn’t really anything like it when you need some top-end air. It can give you brightness without sounding harsh. Also, the low end is great as well. Overall a very musical EQ.
10. SPL De-Verb – It’s boring, and it doesn’t do much. But what it does do, it’s great at. It can help take some of the room noise out of a recording that isn’t all that great. It’s saved my butt on many mixes, and for that, I will always be grateful.
So there you have it—my top 10 list of Plugin Alliance plugins. Let me know what your favorites are in the comments below! If you need your songs mixed or mastered you can check my audio mixing services here.
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