This month, I’d like to take a look at a few of
my favorite guitar production plug-ins. These
get used on virtually every recording session
I do, and have the ability to turn plain-Jane
tracks into something special. Some of them
originated with hardware units, but all three
are currently available as software versions for
your DAW.
Sound Toys EchoBoy
Sound Toys’ EchoBoy plug-in |
EchoBoy, from Sound Toys, is a TDM, RTAS,
AU (Audio Units), and VST echo plug-in that
has quickly become an industry standard.
What makes it so good, aside from its sonic
quality, is its flexibility and ability to carve out
great tones.
We guitarists don’t always want our delays
to be crisp and bright—or, for that matter,
perfectly on time. With EchoBoy, it’s easy
to shape the sound of your delay with the
Saturation control, LowCut and HighCut filters,
and the Analog/Digital switch. You can
also set the tempo to the song’s bpm, or tap
your own using Tap Tempo. The actual delay
times can be altered by setting the Groove
knob to either Shuffle or Swing. Using the Feel
knob, EchoBoy can push or pull the echoes by
choosing Draggin’ or Rushin’. These small but
important touches provide classic, warm-as-hell
delayed sounds for guitar tracks.
EchoBoy is also good as a slap or short reverb,
and can even provide some cool distortion
effects. Presets such as Memory Man, Tel Ray,
Boss DM-2, and others make this plug-in a
must for a wide range of applications.
UA EMT 140 Classic Plate Reverberator
Universal Audio’s EMT 140 Classic Plate Reverberator plug-in |
Universal Audio’s EMT 140 Classic Plate
Reverberator can deliver some seriously cool
reverb sounds. The original unit dates back to
1957 and can be heard on countless hit songs.
This software version, which runs on the company’s
UAD-1 and UAD-2 cards, was modeled
after three different EMT 140s formerly installed
at The Plant Studios in Sausalito, California.
What makes this plug-in special is the quality
of the algorithms and the flexibility it provides
in altering sound. Unlike the original, you
can choose from the three different EMT 140
models directly from the front of the unit. You
can also change the width of the return from
wide stereo to mono, pan the reverb, and filter
the sound with Lo and High Freq EQ. The
Pre Delay can be pushed from 0 to 250 ms,
and it even has a Mod (modulation) section to
add depth and rate to the reverb.
Jimmy Page would be proud to have this in
his collection. Placing the EMT 140 on a solo,
adding about 60-90 ms of Pre Delay and panning
it to one side is guitar reverb bliss. It is
certainly one of the best EMT 140 emulations
I’ve heard to date.
Eventide H3000 Factory
Eventide’s H3000 Factory plug-in |
Eventide is a name long synonymous with
great guitar effects, and the H3000 Factory is
a powerful tool for those with Pro Tools TDM
capabilities. This is the plug-in that I use to
create lush, super-wide guitar sounds. From
delays, echo, and reverb, to chorus, filtering,
modulation, and pitch shifting, this plug-in
covers a lot of ground in one unit.
The H3000 Factory (and the H3000 Band
Delays) plug-in originate from the legendary
H3000 Ultra Harmonizer hardware unit, and
are currently available as part of Eventide’s
Anthology II bundle. The plug-in is incredibly
easy to use, because soft keys and a big rotary
knob (just like on the original) allow for fast
tweaking. If you demand more control from
your plug-ins, you can enter tweak heaven
through the H3000’s Program and Expert
pages.
The H3000 Factory comes loaded with great
presets to get you started, but like many
power users, I’ve created a handful of frequently
used patches such as “Solo Widener,”
“Big Deep Slide,” and “Tight Rhythm.” Not
just for the guitar, the H3000 is also great on
vocals. I’ve also used it to pitch snare drums.
These are just three examples of plug-ins you
might find useful when it comes to guitar
production. Each one provides a way to get
bigger, thicker guitar sounds without a lot of
fussing around. These plug-ins are certainly
not the only ones on the market, but they are
some of the best at what they do.
Rich Tozzoli
Rich is a Grammy-nominated engineer and mixer who has
worked with artists ranging from Al DiMeola to David
Bowie. A life-long guitarist, he’s also the author of
Pro
Tools Surround Sound Mixing and composes for the likes
of Fox NFL, Discovery Channel, Nickelodeon, and HBO.