Plugins. Plugins, Plugins….

So many to choose from these days, I can’t even keep track!

However, I seem to always come back to a few workhorses over and over again. The Fab Filter ProQ is an all-time favorite, as well as the UAD 1176. ( Or any 1176 plug for that matter.)

So when it comes to Mastering what are the best mastering plugins to use?

Well, I mostly use outboard gear when I master songs. I don’t think I could live without my Bettermaker EQ, Rupert Neve Portico MBP, and most of all, my Burl B2 Bomber!

But to get songs loud, and everyone wants them loud,  I depend on three amazing plugins to do the job.

  1. Sir Audio Tools Standard Clip – Clipping is a great way to cut down stay transients so you can get your song louder without squeezing it too much. I use clipping to help my limiter not have to work so hard. For clipping, this is the plugin I’ve found works the best.
  2. Leapwing Audio Dynone – This plugin is a monster. it is a parallel multiband compressor. However, it does so much more. You must hear it to believe it.
  3. Izotope Ozone 8 – A modern day classic. This plugin does it all. If I need a little more eq, or I need to widen the mix a bit more this baby can help. The limiter on it works quite well too. It’s the swiss army knife of mastering plugins.

 

So there you have it. 3 of my favorite mastering plugins. You can watch the video for a more in-depth review of all three.

Now give them a try, and if you still can’t get the mastering sounding right, you can come back here and hire me. 🙂