Essential Pro Tools Add-ons and Plug-ins (Recording)

This entry is basically a review of various essential Pro Tools entries from the past couple of weeks. For the time being, the following plug-ins (and one supplemental add-on program) will make your Pro Tools program the most amount of flexibility on a budget (relatively speaking):

Virtual Instruments, or audio Illustrator
Strike instead of drum loops;
VST to RTAS Adapter to use free VSTi plug-ins, downloaded from the Web;
Xpand! as a sampler of sampled sounds.

Postproduction, or audio Photoshop
Melodyne Plugin to quickly fix pitch/tempo issues, or to explore the technology;
Repli-Q to mimic the tone of other recordings;
SoundSoap 2 or SoundSoap Pro to clean up noisy recordings.

Keep in mind the Audio Suite and RTAS plug-ins that come with Pro Tools by default are also useful - the EQs, the limiters, the delays, etc. We'll get into those already paid-for effects in future entries.

The only thing truly missing is the human element, and that's where you come in (and possibly some nifty guitars, amps, and mics, too). The above list will give you that audio Photoshop advantage for about a thousand dollars (not counting the price of the initial Pro Tools DAW), and they are all RTAS (or RTAS-dependent) add-ons. When you spend the big bucks on a TDM-based Pro Tools HD system, you'll get more than the above effects.

Happy recording!

Digidesign Xpand! (Keyboard, Recording)

The Digidesign Xpand! virtual instrument falls somewhere between an essential Pro Tools plug-in and a default, yet very useful Pro Tools plug-in. Let me explain: Xpand! comes with the installation CDs to Pro Tools 7.3 and later, but Xpand! might or might not come with Pro Tools 7.1, and definitely not with any earlier build of the DAW. In any case, Xpand! comes with a myriad default sounds and virtual instruments, with several options to modify them to your taste (and beyond). You can assign up to four different instruments per plug-in track (stereo or mono), and you can assign those instruments as overlapping or discrete regions on your keyboard to save RAM, CPU, and track usage (e.g., piano from C1 to B2, glockenspiel from C3 to C6, strings from A3 to G#5, etc., depending on your song's needs).

With that many sounds, you actually get to audition exactly what you want for a song, or something similar. From there, you can either buy a better virtual instrument plug-in or go on the Internet and download a free VSTi (VST instrument) if you have the FXpansion adapter. I recommend the latter route, as it saves money and time.

If your version of Pro Tools contains Xpand! by default, don't squander the opportunity to use it. If you don't have Xpand!, order a "free" copy from Digidesign - you will have to pay about $10 for shipping and handling, though. Xpand!, like Strike, is only for use in Pro Tools. A MIDI keyboard controller would be helpful to use with Xpand!, but you can always draw your notes in Pro Tools.

Tickle them pseudo-ivories and have fun recording!

Celemony Melodyne Plugin (Recording)

If there was ever an appropriate music analogy to Sauron's Ring of Power (from The Lord of the Rings), it would be the Melodyne Plugin. While it is true that in Pro Tools you can shift pitch by using the pitch-shifting effect in the non-real time Audio Suite menu, and you can stretch and fix tempos with the Elastic Time option in Pro Tools 7.4, Melodyne just makes those tasks a snap. It's like magic. No, better: Melodyne is like treating waveforms as MIDI.

The current version of Melodyne works best with monophonic sounds, that is, single-note melodies. Melodyne can only modify the tempos of multi-track recordings (like drums) and polyphonic sounds (chords and the like). (It has been reported that the next Melodyne version will decipher chords so you can fix/modify chord pitches.)

Keep in mind, that Melodyne can be used for "evil" too. Like Autotune, a producer can go perfection-crazy by fixing all sorts of notes and make a performance into some soft of pop music "perfection" (artifice would be the actual term). If your producing needs need that Autotune function, then by all means, go for it. However, you are just scratching the surface when it comes to manipulating the sounds around you: With Melodyne, you can make avian choirs from sampled bird chirps from your backyard and highway orchestras from the various cars zooming by your street - with actual melody, harmony, and tempo!

Yes, the Melodyne Plugin will take Pro Tools into the realm of Photoshop-for-the-ears in light-speed time. It works as VST, AU, and RTAS, so non-Pro Tools users can also experience the power of Melodyne! Check out the Celemony website for more information. The Melodyne Plugin costs between $250 and $300. The anticipated polyphonic upgrade will cost $130, or $400 for the full version (new users).

Just make sure that this and other plugins don't corrupt you musically (that's subjective!) and turn you into Gollum! Happy recording, my preciousss...

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!

FXpansion VST to RTAS Adapter (Recording)

FXpansion's VST to RTAS Plug-In Wrapper is one of the most essential of essential Pro Tools add-ons. It opens the door for you to use a myriad of free/open source VST plug-ins in Pro Tools. (Just Google it!) Normally, VST plug-ins would not work in Pro Tools, as it uses proprietary RTAS technology instead. The adapter wraps most VST plug-ins so that Pro Tools will accept it for RTAS use.

Be warned, though, that not all free VST plug-ins are coded well enough for use in Pro Tools (you get what you pay for). For every new wrapped VST plug-in you must test it in Pro Tools, especially during the "Bounce to Disk" process. A faulty VST plug-in might cause an RTAS error, crash your session, or worse!

For more information, please go to the FXpansion website. The program usually costs between $100 and $120 (depending on the current conversion from Great Britain pounds to United States dollars). FXPansion also sells a sister program that wraps VST plug-ins as AU plug-ins, for use in Apple's Garage Band and Logic (and other Apple production programs).

Be careful, but have fun recording!

Digidesign Strike (Recording)

If you don't have a drummer with a drum kit at your disposal, Digidesign Strike will, at the very least, replace your drum loops. You can customize the drum performance, drum tuning, and mix - with several style and kit options to help you start. As of this writing, missing options include alternate drum sticks (brushes, rods, etc.) and a more intuitive non-4/4 time signature play. The latter can be remedied by sequencing the patterns yourself, with some knowledge about time signatures and accents.

This is Digidesign's introduction/advertisement video for Strike:

"Niiice."

Strike is an RTAS plug-in and will only work with Pro Tools (Academic, M, LE, or HD). Strike costs between $250-$300, depending where you buy. If you buy online, always remember to do a quick Google search of coupon codes to save money! Along with Bias Repli-Q, consider Strike an "essential" non-standard Pro Tools add-on/plug-in!

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!