Tag: mixing

FRISKETCH X Yeonjun Yoon | Um – Sound Directing for the June 14 Performance

Hello, I’m Jooyoung Kim, an engineer and music producer.

Today, I’d like to share a quick recap of the performance I worked on as a sound director last Saturday.

Originally, the plan was to rent some basic speakers and gear for simultaneous recording. But things took a slight turn, so I ended up hauling my own audio interface (Antelope Orion Studio Synergy Core) to the venue… haha.

I also brought a boutique mic preamp, handcrafted in Japan, known for its clean sound. It felt like a perfect fit for recording the acoustic piano, so I decided to take it along.

For miking, I went with an unconventional setup. To avoid peaks, I positioned the mics slightly off the hammers, using different mics for the left and right channels (Peluso P87 and Charter Oak E700). With just a touch of EQ in post-production, the sound came out surprisingly great.

For the audience-facing ambience mics, I was a bit short on options, so I used a Peluso CEMC 6 and an M30 measurement mic. They have different directionality and characteristics, but the result was honestly pretty impressive. Now I’m wondering if I should grab another pair of each to make a proper set…

The main mics ran through the external preamp, while the ambience and vocal mics for narration went through the built-in preamp. The synthesizer was recorded via the artist’s audio interface as a mono line while simultaneously outputting.

In post-production, I widened the synth’s mono line using the UAD Precision Reflection Engine and Leapwing Audio StageOne 2 to enhance the stereo image.

For output, we rented Yamaha 400i speakers, commonly used for busking.

I didn’t get a chance to snap a photo of the audience mic setup… oops. The photos I do have were kindly taken by a friend I was working with. [photo]

Hauling all the cables and gear was a bit of a hassle, but the sound came together nicely, and I was pretty satisfied.

The final mix turned out better than expected, and both the artist and I were really pleased with it. I’d love to share it with you all, but I can’t just post it without permission. If the artist releases it on YouTube or as promotional content later, I’ll make sure to share it here.

Until next time, see you in my next post! 😊

Pulsar Audio Vocal Studio Launch

Hey there! I’m Jooyoung Kim, a mixing engineer, and music producer.

It’s been a whirlwind week with listening experiments, live performance recordings, and mixing, so I haven’t had much time to focus on the blog… haha. I worked on a pretty unconventional setup for a recent gig—more on that in the next post!

Today, I’m excited to introduce Pulsar Audio’s Vocal Studio, a new plugin designed specifically for vocals, brought to you thanks to Plugin Boutique.

If you purchase through the link on my blog, I’ll earn a small commission, which really helps me keep things going… thank you! 😊

Ready to check it out? Let’s dive in!

What’s Pulsar Vocal Studio?

Click image to purchase Pulsar Audio Vocal Studio

Think of this as an all-in-one vocal effect and channel strip. It’s packed with everything you need: compression, EQ, gain, saturator, gate, de-esser, delay, reverb—you name it, it’s here.

Top Section

Let’s break down the controls in the Top Section of the Pulsar Vocal Studio interface:

  1. Sensitivity: Automatically adjusts volume to maintain consistent levels, working independently of the compressor.
  2. Drive: A saturator offering three distinct flavors—Solid State (inspired by Neve-style circuits), Tube (emulating a pentode preamp), and Germanium (mimicking a germanium transistor preamp).
  3. De-ess: Reduces sibilance by attenuating frequencies around 4kHz and above.
  4. Gate: Exactly what it sounds like—a gate! 😄
  5. Compress: Offers three compression modes—Natural (FET-based, smooth and transparent), Modern (faster attack/release with added saturation), and Gritty (the fastest and most aggressive for a bold effect).
  6. Volume: Adjusts the final output level of the plugin.

Mid-Section

On the left, you’ve got controls for how much EQ to apply. On the right, the Focus section offers three dynamic EQ presets: Air, Edge, and Presence.

Bottom Section

Down below, the Special FX section lets you add creative effects.

  • Delay: Includes standard delay, ping-pong, slap delay, and more.
  • Reverb: Offers a wide range of types—hall, plate, spring, room, chamber, ambience, you name it.

All delay and reverb parameters are fully tweakable, of course.

Impressions

This plugin is a bit heavy on CPU due to its many effects, but if you think of it as a one-stop shop for an entire vocal track, it’s well worth it. Personally, I think the reverbs are so clean and polished that I’d love to see them sold separately at a lower price. They’re some of the best digital reverbs I’ve come across!

Purchase Pursar audio Vocal Studio at Plugin Boutique

Bonus Deal!

This month, if you buy any plugin from Plugin Boutique, you’ll get Wave Alchemy’s Pulse—a faithful recreation of the Lexicon PCM-60 reverb—for free. Don’t miss out!

If you’re in the market for a vocal channel strip, Pulsar Vocal Studio is definitely worth checking out.

Catch you in the next post! 😊

Brainworx May Sale (1) – Amek Mastering Compressor, Mäag Magnum-K, Millennia TCL-2 (Until May 31)

Hello! I’m Jooyoung Kim, a mixing engineer and music producer.

Plugin Alliance has started charging taxes for Korean buyers, making Plugin Boutique a more cost-effective choice. With Plugin Boutique, you can often get free plugins or collect points, even for the same products.

Find about Brainworx Plugins at Plugin Boutique

This month, Plugin Boutique is holding a big sale on several Brainworx plugins from Plugin Alliance, so I’m here to highlight a few.

In a previous post, I focused on Saturation and Bettermaker plugins. This time, I’ll dive into compressors: Amek Mastering Compressor, Mäag Magnum-K, and Millennia TCL-2.

Let’s get started!
(I numbered this post as (1) in case I cover more plugins later, but no promises… 😅)

AMEK Mastering Compressor

Click image to purchase Amek Mastering compressor at Plugin Boutique

This compressor is inspired by the Amek 9098 console and compressor… or so they say. It’s probably best to think of it as Brainworx’s unique take on an Amek-based compressor.

Its standout features are:

  1. Multiple detector settings (Fast, Peak)
  2. Timing and Release Hysteresis parameters instead of traditional Attack and Release

These can be a bit confusing, so let’s break them down.

The Peak parameter enhances detection of transient peaks, while the Fast parameter makes the attack respond more quickly.

Timing directly adjusts the speed of Attack and Release, while Release Hysteresis links the Fast detector to the signal’s volume, reacting faster to loud sounds and slower to quiet ones.

A bit tricky, right? 😄

Also, this compressor has automatic Make-Up Gain, so you’ll need to slightly reduce the Output Gain to balance the sound.

In terms of frequency response, it slightly boosts the low end, and when compression kicks in, the high end gets a subtle lift. True to its “Mastering Compressor” name, it’s very clean with minimal harmonic distortion.

Millennia TCL-2

Click image to purchase Millennia TCL-2 at Plugin Boutique

The Millennia TCL-2 is a plugin emulation of Millennia’s opto compressor, often compared to the Avalon AD2044 as a top-tier stereo opto compressor.

It’s exceptionally clean, producing very little harmonic distortion even under compression. You won’t notice significant changes in the frequency response either.

The parameters are fairly standard, so there’s not much to dive into here.

From my experience, it’s ideal when you want a smooth opto compressor without expecting high-frequency saturation.

Mäag Audio Magnum-K

Click image to purchase Magnum-K at Plugin Boutique

The Mäag Audio Magnum-K is a compressor that incorporates Mäag Audio’s signature Air Band EQ.

This one’s a bit complex to use. It’s easiest to think of it as three sections: Magnum Compressor, K Compressor, and EQ2.

The Magnum section should feel familiar, but the FB/FF (Feedback/Feedforward) setting on the far right is unique. Feedback mode offers smooth compression, while Feedforward mode is more aggressive.

The K Compressor is a one-band compressor centered at 3kHz, essentially functioning as a de-esser to tame vocal sibilance.

The EQ2 section operates in parallel with the original signal, blending with the Magnum and K Compressor signals before soft clipping kicks in.

It adds some coloration, and when compression engages, the midrange feels fuller. The left and right channels can slightly differ, creating a richer effect. If you don’t like this, you can use M/S mode or Digital Mode for uniform channel processing.

Find about Brainworx Plugins at Plugin Boutique

Until the end of this month, these compressors and other Brainworx plugins are on sale at Plugin Boutique, so it’s worth checking them out.

Plus, if you buy any plugin from Plugin Boutique this month, you’ll get Bitwig Studio 8-Track DAW for free, so don’t miss out!

See you in the next post! 😊

SSL X-Delay & X-Echo Plugin Sale (Until 4/14)

Hey there! I’m Jooyoung Kim, a mixing engineer and music producer.

Now that my “Mixing Basics” series is wrapped up, I’m scratching my head about what to write next… haha. Maybe something about synthesizers? Lately, I’ve had a lot on my mind, and it’s been a bit overwhelming.

Anyway, today I’m excited to talk about two delay plugins from SSL’s X series—X-Delay and X-Echo—which are currently on sale. Let’s check them out!

[link: https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/81-Bundles/39-Effects-Bundles/14642-SSL-X-Delay-Native-X-Echo-Bundle/?a_aid=622ea9ee9160c]

I received these plugins as NFR (Not for Resale) copies from Plugin Boutique. If you buy through the links in this post, I’ll earn a small commission that really helps me keep going—thanks so much for the support!

Ready? Let’s get started.

X-Delay

Click image to purchase X-Delay at Plugin Boutique

X-Delay draws inspiration from 1980s hardware digital delays. My guess? It’s channeling vibes from the iconic AMS DMX 15-80—those big, bold delays from back in the day… haha.

This plugin lets you run up to four delays at once, packed with a bunch of extra features. Let’s break it down.

Up top, you’ve got a power button on the left and a Sync button on the right to switch between milliseconds (ms) and BPM sync. Below the “Time” label, it shows whether you’re in ms or BPM mode. To the right, you can tweak delay length in beats or ms—BPM mode offers options like straight (-), dotted (d), or triplet (t). In the screenshot, it’s set to dotted.

Then there’s Level control, a Ping Pong delay toggle, and Panning adjustments. Pretty simple, right?

Now, let’s peek at the bottom section:

  • Modulate: This applies an LFO to the delay time, adding some wobble. Crank it up a bit, and your sound gets lush and full.
  • Saturate: Adds saturation (duh!). Max it out, and you’ll hear harmonic distortion kick in with a gentle soft-knee compression starting around -12.5 dB (it’s subtle, so hard to pin down exactly). It colors the sound nicely—turn it up for some rich warmth.
  • Diffuse: A room reverb effect.
  • De-Ess: Tames harsh highs.
  • Freeze: Locks the feedback sound in place.
  • Kill: Cuts all feedback instantly.

This thing’s a beast. It’s perfect for wet, dreamy tones but versatile enough for all sorts of uses. At a sale price of $24.99, it feels like a steal.

X-Echo

Click image to purchase X-Echo at Plugin Boutique

X-Echo takes its cues from 1960s tape delays—think Echoplex vibes, maybe? Haha. Unlike tape hardware built for playback, these old-school delay units often rolled off the highs due to slower tape speeds. You can see it in the frequency response—everything above 13 kHz just drops off.

It’s got that classic tape delay character—slight harmonic distortion included. One listen, and you’re like, “Yup, that’s tape delay!” Haha.

The controls are similar to X-Delay, but here’s what’s different:

  • Zoom: A scope to magnify the waveform for a closer look.
  • Grid: Adjusts delay time to your BPM with a grid—pick a note value (like quarter or eighth), or drag the connected circle to fine-tune.
  • Fit: Tweaks the waveform’s horizontal length.
  • Four Delay Buttons: Toggle between four delay lines, each with its own light.
  • Sync/Tap: Set BPM manually or tap it in.

The bottom section’s mostly the same as X-Delay, except for Wow & Flutter—that’s the tape-style distortion from uneven movement, like stretched tape, wobbles, or dust. Think vintage quirks!

  • Freeze: Holds the feedback sound.
  • Kill: Stops all feedback.

At $24.99 on sale, X-Echo nails that tape delay tone you’d expect—great for anyone hunting for that retro sound.

Bundle Deal & Bonus

The X-Delay & X-Echo Bundle is just $39.99. If you’ve been wrestling with spatial effects in your mixes, this is a fantastic deal worth considering.

Plus, this month, any plugin or virtual instrument purchase from Plugin Boutique comes with a free synth, MOK Miniraze. Don’t forget to grab it when you check out!

Wrapping Up

Both X-Delay and X-Echo bring something special to the table—vintage-inspired delays with modern flair. At these prices, they’re hard to pass up. The sale runs until April 14th, so now’s the time to jump in.

That’s it for now—see you in the next post! 😊