BIAS SoundSoap (Recording)

I'd have to say that BIAS SoundSoap 2 and BIAS SoundSoap Pro aren't the most essential of "essential Pro Tools" plug-ins. Why? If you record with low signal-to-noise ratio equipment and in finely tuned recording rooms, then you might not need to use the SoundSoap plug-in. However, if your recordings suffer from background noise or 60-cycle hum (due to single coil pickups or faulty electrical wiring), a SoundSoap product can probably save the day.

SoundSoap 2 can be used as a standalone program, so you can "clean"/restore your masters (or scratchy vinyl transfers or hissy cassette tape digitizing) with ease but with less options than SoundSoap Pro. SoundSoap 2 can also be used as a VST or RTAS plug-in for your DAW.

SoundSoap Pro cannot be used as a standalone program, but needs a DAW to host its VST or RTAS plug-in capabilities. On the other hand, SoundSoap Pro is a much stronger program than its budget-minded counterpart.

Speaking of price, SoundSoap 2 costs between $80 and $100 from most retailers, and SoundSoap Pro usually runs around $500. HOWEVER, here's a little tip for those who want to get their feet wet in audio restoration and save money as they progress:

1. Buy SoundSoap 2.
2. Make sure you register with BIAS (you have to, anyway) and receive their periodic newsletters.
3. There is a chance that BIAS will send you an offer to upgrade to SoundSoap Pro for a couple hundred dollars less (but don't take my word for it!), as well as other BIAS products (like Repli-Q) at deep discounts.

It kind of makes you wonder if BIAS and/or retailers are high-balling you in the first place. In any case, check out the BIAS website for more information about SoundSoap 2 and SoundSoap Pro.

As always, have fun producing great music!

BIAS Repli-Q (Recording)

If you are not a master at the mastering process, nor a wiz at fiddling with EQ settings, BIAS Repli-Q can help. This plug-in, which can be purchased separately at bias-inc.com or part of the BIAS Master Perfection Suite, can literally take the EQ profile of an existing recording and allow you to place it on another recording/track. Of course, it isn't a miracle worker.

Repli-Q is best at tackling one instrument at a time. For instance, if you have an existing recording of a sweet-sounding solo piano, you can use Repli-Q to take that track's EQ profile. When you have a less-than-ideal EQ'd piano recording, you can insert the sweet sounding EQ for pretty good results. You can make the new recording have anywhere from 0% to 100% of another track's EQ. For mono/stereo single tracks, 50-100% will usually have good results.

You'll need to be more careful when you take the EQ profile from a multitrack, bounced stereo master (consisting of several instruments mixed together) and place that EQ onto another bounced stereo master. I'd say to hover around 25% to have noticeable similarities but not go overboard to the 50-100% range, as it will not have good results.

You can also throw away all the above suggestions regarding EQ profiles when you just want to experiment! Steal the EQ profile from a vocal track and paste it onto some bongos (and vice versa), and hear what happens! You might like the result, or you might just remove the plug-in from the track: The choice is yours!

Have fun recording, producing, mixing, and mastering!