VST/i plugins used by Sonic Construction

The Sonic Construction / dancecrave studio - VST/i plugins used

the studio -> music machine

I thought it a good idea to have a page dedicated to plugins, both instruments and audio processors. My favourites are listed below:

Click here to view studio hardware and DAW software.

VST Instruments

Native Instruments Komplete


This gives an amazing selection of instruments and effects, including Reaktor which offfers the ability to make you own synths and effects, including a library of existing ones, and Kontact which comes with a great sample library.

Halion Sonic SE

Multi timberal version of Halion-1 (which came with C5). Its a bit of a ball ache to get H-1 set up in C7 but it is possible. Otherwise you are spending valuable music time remapping all your older tracks to HSSE. Thanks Steiney :(

Halion-1 is bundled free with Cubase 5. This is amazing for drum sounds (and other instruments too). Of particular note are the dedicated banks Kick Shop and Snare Shop. Wonderful when you want to go through loads of cats and dogs to get the perfect snare and bass to start playing with. So thats every time then :)

If you are into electronic genres then chances are, these Shop kits are perfect. If you are into other genres such as rock, metal then there are plenty of kits for that too as well as some nice percussion. All sounds are crisp and crystal clear, ready for the using. This VSTi has taken over most of the drums I use now.

I don't use the instruments on Halion as I've not yet heard anything to rival the other devices I have...

Massive

Native Instruments Massive is a legend and is particularly useful when I want to turn something into dubstep or I get disorientated trying to find something in the 124 thousand bass sounds in the Virus. This beast takes quite a bit of CPU power from the host application so multiple instances might require bouncedown. However do you really need more than 2 massives when the sounds are this, ermmm massive?

Reaktor / Razor

Native Instruments Reaktor has become very important for my sound and my favourite plugin is currently Razor. This is a beast and can deliver weirdness and extreme savage phatness. It can take a sound from this end of the scale right down to serene. As a result I am probably using for too many sounds ;)

These plugins have become my most used for 2 step and Dub related productions.

Access Virus

Not really a plugin, but a hybrid and my most used bit of kit when producing techno, trance, house etc. Click here for more info

VST Effects and processing

Mod Machine

Mod machine bundled free with Cubase 5. A lovely delay unit with tape reggae sounding delays. At last a standard Cubase delay unit which you can put a filter in the feedback chain.

Can be driven into quick and wild feedback. My most used delay now almost - in every track achiving different effects.

This VST is largly responsible for wasting lots of my studio time while I play short bits of samples through it and mess about with the filter resonance and feedback parameters with a stupid grin on my face.

Waves C1, C1 + limiter etc

I love Waves plugins. I find the interface really easy to use and clear to read and the sound is amazing. They let you do what you want to do without getting in the way. C1 was a revolution for me. I have a boisterous sound which is overtaking the mix and clipping the master - quickly set the parameters using the easy to read meter and its taken care of.

Waves Q10

Q10 paragraphic EQ is why I bought the Waves suite in the first place. It is very quick to achieve exactly what you want.

Unlike the built in EQ in Cubase it can eliminate a specific frequency or a range. At the same time it can roll off or boost other areas allowing surgical precision over the sound. Goodness me I sound like the product literature now, but if there was ever a plugin that does exactly what is says on the tin - Q10 is it.

I use it on everything - and as a HPF / LPF filter too - the only thing it doesn't do is resonance.....

Camel Phat

That is where Camel Phat comes in. I was seeking a resonant filter (mainly for sweeping the master in dance mixes) after using the Warldolf and Antares Filter VST both of which are no longer and came across this beast. It has a nice busy interface and is capable of some serious munging of your audio and all in time with synced LFOs. This makes it quite inspirational, more than just a filter. Schweeet!

Waves Morphoder

This is a kind of vocoder / phaser plugin which works brilliantly adding animated chorussing to vocals. It can make such sweet noises from a fairly bland vocal, it can bring tears to your eyes!

Mastering processing

Waves L1 Ultramaximiser

This is a brickwall mastering limiter compressor. I was using the brick that came with Cubase 5 but this beauty just pips it -and- it has Waves patented dithering built in! (Is it patented? Dunno, just made that up).

I have since upgraded to L2 which has automatic attack / release which allows more compression without distortion.

Multiband

Multiband compressor - bundled free with Cubase 5. This plugin has been overhauled from SX3 and contains a new interface and new - more subtle presets.

This is good as multiband can tend to get in the way if used too heavily. I find the presets can be a good starting point into something as complicated and odd as multiband compression. I now use Waves C4 as part of the Gold bundle (unless I bought that separately?).

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