There’s no shortage of blogs with lists of plugins in them - let’s face it, we all love buying plugins! So I’m going to throw my hat in the ring and give you a list of my favourites for mixing, mastering and production. Here we go!
Microshift (Soundtoys)
This one probably needs little introduction - Soundtoys make a suite of plugins that are fun, quick, and sound great. Microshift for me is a utility plugin, providing instant stereo to tracks immediately. This is the fastest way to make a vocal bigger, to push a synth out to the sides of your mix, or to f**k your drums up!
You can get Microshift using my affiliate link here - https://www.pluginboutique.com/products/1809a_aid=63e38cba0ba26
or, if you're interested in the whole Soundtoys suite, I'd recommend starting with Effect Rack (which includes Microshift!). You can find it here (affiliate link) -
Console SSL 9000 J (Brainworx/Plugin Alliance)
I’m a huge fan of “Analogue” style mixing. When I get a track to work on, one of the first things I do is add a channel strip plugin to every track. I have a few from Plugin Alliance that I switch between (honourable mentions to Lindell 50, Lindell 80), but the SSL J is what ends up on my mixes the most. I think TMT (Tolerance Modelling Technology) is the key for these plugs - those subtle differences across each channel help widen the stereo image and give each track that little bit more definition.
Why the SSL J specifically? I find it’s got a relatively neutral character, while still adding a little something to the mix overall. The filters are a particularly useful addition that other models don’t have. The EQ and compressor sounds good! I wouldn’t say they’re a “special” sound, but it’s more that they just work. No fuss, nothing fancy, they do their job and they do it cleanly. Perfect!
You can find this plugin on the Plugin Alliance website here -
Purple (Acoustic Audio)
My secret sauce! We all know what the Pultec does - that low end trick just can’t be imitated!
This particular version is made by Acustica, who make plugins that care about one thing and one thing only - accuracy. Seriously - say goodbye to your CPU, this Pultec is the real thing.
I’ve had this for a while, and while my poor intel struggled to keep up with it in a dense mix my M1 Mac has no issues there! And this thing sounds good. I’ve compared it with a real hardware Pultec, and while there was a noticeable difference particularly in the low end, this plugin still blows the competition out of the water.
The Pultec is almost always found on my Drum bus, and on my Mix bus, and I’m not removing it any time soon!
You can get the Purple suite from Acustica here -
LX480 Complete (Relab Development)
This one is probably my first recommendation when people ask me about reverb.
As you’ve probably guessed about me, I like a good hardware emulator! This one models the Lexicon LX480, a beast of a reverb unit, who’s LARC remote control sits on countless recording consoles to this day. It excels at thick, lush, wide reverbs, but has the versatility to cover many bases. Throughout all of the options though it still retains its classic flavour, and for me it’s exactly what I want.
Relab’s engineers have painstakingly recreated the LX480 algorithm by analysing the original, and claim to have made the plugin so good it’s indistinguishable from the hardware. Honestly, I agree!
Get LX480 here -
Or, if you want to start off with a cheaper option, look at LX480 Essentials -
SoundID Reference (Sonarworks)
Your listening environment is hands down the most important thing about your mix. In order to balance correctly, you need to understand how your room sounds, and correct any undue resonances that might give you the wrong impression.
My room is pretty good, and sounds pretty good with my acoustic treatment, but to mitigate low end resonances fully requires more physical space than I’m willing to give up! So Sonarworks does the rest for me with their measured calibration. This is one of the most useful tools for confidence in mixing, and it always sits on my output bus. I Can’t recommend it enough for your production and mixing, just remember to turn it off when you bounce!
Get SoundID here -