Post Plugins

[Mitch.Kear]

Hey guys,

What are your most used plugins? I am curious to see what kind of reverb is most used.

EX.
- Ren EQ/COMP
- RX
- Ozone
- Digi plugs
- D-Verb
....

Also what editing software you're using.

For the guys that do everything them self, do you just leave your audio unprocessed or use premier presets?

 

[gpforet]

I do post audio work in Sonar X1. For reverb, I'm a Perfect Space user. I really like the amount of control I have over early reflections and dampening. I don't compress at all early in the process. After having all my stems tweaked which means all the level and eq automation applied, I start listening for any out of place dynamics. Those will get a soft touch and again use automation so only those areas that need it will get it. Depending on the content I may use a mastering compressor on the main mix but with a very low ratio (typically 1.5:1 or less) and this is typically used for things like talking heads or discussion panels, not for narrative film.

 

[Noiz2]

Depends a lot on what your doing.

Dialog Rx is one of the more used plugins (unfortunately) with low budget work. EQ certainly. I use some you can't get anymore but EQality is supposed to be a good replacement. De-Essers are another fix plugin that gets some use. I use Massey's limiter on the bus.
There is also a multi band expander I will sometimes use with noisy tracks.

FX EQ is high on the list also speed changes, reverse, gain, GRM tools to do strangeness. Pitch N' Time is a good manipulator but $$$$ Waves has one similar that is much more affordable. The most used tool isn't a plugin but a librarian program called Soundminer.
And I use a hardware sampler. Convolution Reverbs can also do interesting things if you give them strange things as IR's.
Oh and SpeakerPhone, very nice. Your probably mostly going to be using it on dialog but only when it's very effected so FX?
But 80% is slicing and dicing.

Foley is sort of left alone. Sometimes goosed a bit.

Music is usually "done" so you can't do a lot. If you get multiple tracks then you can mix it a bit other wise maybe a bit of EQ if the track seems off.

Reverb... I have a bunch. If your trying to fit a space convolution reverbs are usually best. Altiverb is kind of the king for post. TL Space also has a bunch of post IR's and there are a few others. dVerb can be useful and it's free (with PT) and doesn't use a lot of processor power. TrueVerb is a decent non convolution reverb. A good combo one is Wizooverb, but I think it's been orphaned. There are also a lot of nice boxes out there that you can pick up for a song.

For the final mix bus I will have a limiter and a high res meter. Rarely a compressor and rarely an EQ.

I'm on a Mac and ProTools. If your doing sound post professionally (for features) you almost have to be on ProTools though now that it is cross platform you don't have to be on a Mac anymore. If your not working in a team environment you can pick just about anything that works for you and can receive and out put the formats you need. Nuendo is popular as is Sonar and Pyramix and I know people using Vegas for sound, so...

 

[davefisk]

I work in Pro Tools. When it comes to plug-ins, here is my "must have" list (sound miner, as Noiz said, is a must have)

-Complete Sound Toys Suite
-Izotope Spectron
-Reverb One
-Amplitube
-Avox Throat
-Speakerphone (you can literally spend weeks messing around with this one)
-Pitch n' Time pro
-Red Scarlett

I also use Metasynth, which isn't a plug-in, but a stand along program that does all kinds of neat things. You import sounds into it and do your thing, and then export them. I've used it to make water talk, fire scream, and bears cry like a baby. Amazing program.

 

[Noiz2]

OOOO, I forgot about Metasynth, good call. I also have spectron but I havent played with it enough. Lowender is also good for FX. You end up collecting a bunch of stuff.

Another non-plugin that is very important if you do low budget features is Conformalizer. It is a conforming tool for ProTools that will save you days when the picture department makes a "small" change.

Add up the system and the plugins and you begin to understand the WTF responses when you want someone to do your post sound for free.

This is a HUGE generalization but the folks who will do your film for free generally are the last folks you want to touch your film.

The exceptions (and it's not super rare to find them) are folks who loved your film and want to help, or that you ask a favor of and say sure. But be very leery of folks who have done no films you can see.

 

[Mitch.Kear]

-Complete Sound Toys Suite-Izotope Spectron-Reverb One-Amplitube-Avox Throat-Speakerphone (you can literally spend weeks messing around with this one)-Pitch n' Time pro-Red Scarlett

Are you using amplitube for sfx? I love the plugin for reamping but trying to think of a way to use it in post. It looks like I should look more into speakerphone.