What are the must-have plugins and effects for professional music production?

In my experience, utilizing an EQ (equalizer) is pivotal in sound design, notably in scenarios like ensuring dialogue clarity amidst ambient noise. Take a café scene in film: with clinking dishes and chatter, dialogue can easily get lost. First, I'd analyze the audio, pinpointing frequencies contributing to both dialogue and noise. Problem frequencies, often lower ones masking dialogue's mid-range, are identified. Using EQ, I'd cut problematic ambient frequencies and boost dialogue frequencies, fine-tuning to balance and naturalize. Continuous monitoring ensures dialogue remains clear, with optional automation for dynamic adjustments. EQ thus becomes a vital tool, sculpting audio landscapes for optimal storytelling.

One time at work, I faced a challenging film scene transitioning from a quiet room to a noisy street. Dialogue clarity was crucial. I analyzed the audio's dynamic range, adjusting compression settings accordingly. I set the threshold to catch peaks in dialogue volume, balancing attack and release times for natural dynamics. Makeup gain compensated for level reductions, ensuring consistency. Continuous monitoring and fine-tuning were key, alongside optional automation for dynamic adjustments.

Once, I had to work on a scene set in a massive cathedral. The audio needed to convey the grandeur of the space. Using reverb was key to creating that immersive feeling. Adjusting parameters like decay time and pre-delay helped craft the perfect ambiance, enriching the scene without overshadowing other sounds. It was all about finding the balance between depth and clarity.

In a recent project, I encountered a scene set in a dense forest, where the characters were embarking on a mysterious journey. The challenge was to create an immersive audio experience that conveyed the depth and intrigue of the environment while maintaining clarity. To achieve this, I employed delay effects. By carefully adjusting parameters such as delay time and feedback, I was able to simulate the echoes and reverberations one might hear in a dense forest, adding layers of depth to the audio without overwhelming the scene. This allowed the audience to feel fully immersed in the mysterious atmosphere while still being able to follow the dialogue and key audio cues.

When it comes to producing music professionally, from jingles to hardcore anime background scoring, your audio game needs to level up, you can research about these 3 software/plugin companies. 1. Fabfilter : With this bundle, you get a bunch of plugins like EQ, reverb, compressor, multiband dynamics, limiter, delays which have become an industry standard. 2. Waves : Waves Mercury is the industry’s most comprehensive bundle, with over 190 plugins covering an incredible breadth of mixing, production, and mastering needs. 3. Soundtoys : All 22 soundtoys plugin combine the sound and vibes of analog gear with the modern and musical elements. I personally use a permutation & combination of the above stated plugins to level my audio game.

There are too many good plug-ins to mention in 750 characters. I’ll list some of my favorites. Neve 1073, UA1176, LA2A, Studer A800, Marshall 1959 Super Lead, Ampeg SVT-VR Bass Amplifier, SSL 4000E, API Vision Channel Strip, SPL Transient Designer, Fairchild 660 and 670, Neve 88RS Channel Strip, Neve 33609/C Limiter/Compressor, Little Labs Voice of God Bass Resonance, Galaxy Tape Echo, Precision De-esser, bx_masterdesk, AMS Neve DFC channel strip, Manley Voxbox Channel Strip, Pultec Passive EQ collection, Sonnox Oxford Inflator, Ampeg ATR-102 Mastering Tape Reel, and out of all of those I mentioned, not one of them was a reverb effect. I have a spring reverb and a plate reverb plug-in but I just don’t like reverb as an effect in my music.