Getting into plug-ins can be scary for a new audio engineer. I remember the first time I ever played around in Pro Tools -- the night I was recording a New Year's Eve gig for a now well-selling artist. I had no idea what any of it did -- and quickly found myself in trouble when trying to mix the next day without any idea how to use the various settings. That seems like so long ago, when that same version of Pro Tools seems so familiar; I could edit and mix a 24-track recording in that version with one hand tied behind my back and a blindfold on.
That being said, even the basic plug-ins with most DAW software contain complicated controls that can sometimes be daunting to new engineers; the Waves OneKnob series -- from the same guys who brought me the stellar Eddie Kramer Tape, Tubes, and Transistors bundle -- offers amazing processing without a lot of thought required; in fact, even for experienced engineers, the simplicity is often forgotten after hearing how great they actually sound. These may be inexpensive and easy to use, but they certainly don't sound like it. In other words: don't feel like you're cheating. These are serious tools.
Let's take a look at the various tools included in the Waves OneKnob bundle.
That being said, even the basic plug-ins with most DAW software contain complicated controls that can sometimes be daunting to new engineers; the Waves OneKnob series -- from the same guys who brought me the stellar Eddie Kramer Tape, Tubes, and Transistors bundle -- offers amazing processing without a lot of thought required; in fact, even for experienced engineers, the simplicity is often forgotten after hearing how great they actually sound. These may be inexpensive and easy to use, but they certainly don't sound like it. In other words: don't feel like you're cheating. These are serious tools.
Let's take a look at the various tools included in the Waves OneKnob bundle.
An Introduction to the OneKnob Family
Waves' OneKnob series consists of seven top-notch plug-ins. If you're new to recording, this package of 7 represents a fantastic value, especially if setting parameters for things such as compressors, EQ, and effects makes you feel like you're in over your head. And as you'll remember from our How to Ruin a Mix article, messing with settings you don't understand is a quick way to ruin your work. Instead, this package provides foolproof, single-knob plug-ins that add a lot to any mix.
Just starting your recording studio? Check out our Guide to Recording Basics.
Included in the package is Brighter, a treble-enhancing EQ device; Driver, a distortion-like overdrive plug-in; Phatter, a plug-in that offers easy fattening of a track's low end; Filter, an easy phaser effect with the ability to easily control resonance modes, creating a unique effect perfect for dance mixes or synth tracks; Louder, a clean gain function that increases the overall volume of your mix; Pressure, a function to improve "air circulation" out of a track; that's the say, it helps low-end feel more "live" and mids feel more detailed; and last but certainly not least, Wetter, a plug-in that provides a track with the perfect mix of reverb and delay to help a dry vocal or instrument sound huge. Wow, that's a long list.
All of the plug-ins are available together in the OneKnob bundle, or as part of the stunning Mercury package. They sound great on paper, but how well do they work?
Just starting your recording studio? Check out our Guide to Recording Basics.
Included in the package is Brighter, a treble-enhancing EQ device; Driver, a distortion-like overdrive plug-in; Phatter, a plug-in that offers easy fattening of a track's low end; Filter, an easy phaser effect with the ability to easily control resonance modes, creating a unique effect perfect for dance mixes or synth tracks; Louder, a clean gain function that increases the overall volume of your mix; Pressure, a function to improve "air circulation" out of a track; that's the say, it helps low-end feel more "live" and mids feel more detailed; and last but certainly not least, Wetter, a plug-in that provides a track with the perfect mix of reverb and delay to help a dry vocal or instrument sound huge. Wow, that's a long list.
All of the plug-ins are available together in the OneKnob bundle, or as part of the stunning Mercury package. They sound great on paper, but how well do they work?
In Use
Mixing a live sampler for an artist I work with, I used the Waves OneKnob series to control a lot of various settings on tracks that I wouldn't have otherwise been able to spend a whole lot of time on; I was making reference mixes using multitracks from various different shows, resulting in a lot of editing work amongst the many tracks. OneKnob makes processing a large amount of tracks into a quick mix -- whether for reference purposes or eventual release -- easy without much thought required. For beginning engineers, this is something really cool -- you'll be able to use world-class processing in an easy, foolproof package.
While I enjoyed all of the OneKnob processors, I found special use in both the Louder plug-in and the Brighter plug-in. Louder worked to increase track volume, allowing me to equalize all of the tracks in a multi-track easily and effectively, adding a certain "pop" to the overall mix; instead of using multiple processors, I was able to use a lot less processor power to get the desired effect. I'd also consider OneKnob for use in live sound applications, given it's simplicity.
OneKnob simplifies processing in many ways; I found that using OneKnob was incredibly useful for mastering quick references mixes.
OneKnob is available from Waves, and is priced at $200 as a full package. You'll need an iLok, and it's compatible with any software package that accepts Native plug-ins.
While I enjoyed all of the OneKnob processors, I found special use in both the Louder plug-in and the Brighter plug-in. Louder worked to increase track volume, allowing me to equalize all of the tracks in a multi-track easily and effectively, adding a certain "pop" to the overall mix; instead of using multiple processors, I was able to use a lot less processor power to get the desired effect. I'd also consider OneKnob for use in live sound applications, given it's simplicity.
OneKnob simplifies processing in many ways; I found that using OneKnob was incredibly useful for mastering quick references mixes.
OneKnob is available from Waves, and is priced at $200 as a full package. You'll need an iLok, and it's compatible with any software package that accepts Native plug-ins.