Best Exciter Vst Plugin
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In the analog days, engineers would utilize hardware exciters to brighten up individual elements, or entire mixes recorded to tape that had become dull due to extensive overdubbing or age. Arguably the most popular of which, the beloved Aphex Aural Exciter, was even mentioned in the liner notes of numerous popular albums in the 1970’s.
Aphex Aural Exciter
With digital recording technology capable of more accurately capturing and reproducing high frequencies, popular music has gotten brighter through the decades. Even with these advances in technology, exciters regularly find their way into the recording, mixing and mastering of popular music. Perhaps the continued use of exciters is partially motivated by one of the tactics used in the ever-ongoing loudness war, which is adding more high-frequency content to achieve a greater perceived loudness.
In my new mixing pop course, I spend a great deal of time working on the vocals to get them to sit perfectly, and part of that is ensuring they have just the right amount of high end. It’s essential to get lead and background vocals to cut through the mix, while not coming across as harsh and brittle. There are plenty of great options if you’re hoping to add extra clarity, sheen and brightness to your pop vocal tracks. Here are some of my favorite exciter plugins, and how I use them.
1. Waves Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter
This impressive emulation of the original hardware unit captures the detail, depth and color of the original unit, all while adding several helpful features. This is one of my go-to exciters when mixing pop vocals because it has an instantly recognizable sound. This plugin version is configurable to be used in parallel, so make sure to utilize that function if you’re hoping to add a touch of brightness to your vocals.
Mix Tip:
I do find that because you can’t get super surgical with the Aural Exciter, that it occasionally draws attention to components of the vocal that you don’t want. Experiment with using your favorite De-esser before and/or after this plugin if your vocals become overly bright.
2. SPL Vitalizer MK2-T
Available native and from Universal Audio, the SPL Vitalizer MK2-T works on virtually everything you throw at it including individual tracks, subgroups or even the stereo buss. This plugin emulation of the fantastic hardware unit is my favorite enhancer for processing pop backup vocals. It’s a saturator, compressor and equalizer, all-in-one.
Mix Tip:
For super-wide pop backup vocals that have been at least double-tracked, hard send your desired signals to an auxiliary track, and place the Vitalizer as an insert. Then experiment with the stereo width knob and the various other features. I often try to have less low end content in my backup vocals than I do in the leads and do this trick to differentiate the tone of the lead and backup vocals.
3. iZotope Neutron 2 Exciter
Both of the aforementioned units/plugins are a bit more restrictive in what their controls allow you to do, but the Neutron Exciter is a versatile workhorse if you need to be a bit more surgical with your enhancing. As with most of iZotope’s state of the art digital tools, Exciter is chock full of parameters that allow you to dial in sounds with great precision.
Mix Tip:
You can stay subtle, or get pretty gnarly with Exciter. If I want to cross over from subtle enhancing of a pop vocal into heavy saturation used as a layer or special effect, this is the plugin I’ll most likely choose.
Tutorial: Getting Started With Neutron 2
In the analog days, engineers would utilize hardware exciters to brighten up individual elements, or entire mixes recorded to tape that had become dull due to extensive overdubbing or age. Arguably the most popular of which, the beloved Aphex Aural Exciter, was even mentioned in the liner notes of n
4. Maag EQ4 EQ
Also available native or from UAD, the Maag is technically an equalizer, not an exciter. Still, I often reach for it when I want to add a crisp, clear, musical sheen to my lead vocal. The “Air” Band is unlike anything I’ve found in any other EQ and finds its way onto my individual lead vocal tracks and busses, especially when I need the smooth high-end common to most modern pop vocals.
Mix Tip:
Don’t sleep on the non-“Air” Band bands. While I reach for this EQ when I want to enhance the high frequencies, the other bands are incredibly musical. This is one of my top hardware-emulation plugins, and is all over my latest pop mixes.
Maag Audio EQ4 Demo
In the analog days, engineers would utilize hardware exciters to brighten up individual elements, or entire mixes recorded to tape that had become dull due to extensive overdubbing or age. Arguably the most popular of which, the beloved Aphex Aural Exciter, was even mentioned in the liner notes of n
5. Vertigo Sound VSM-3
I love saturating lead vocals, especially when mixing pop. I think pop has a misconception of having an “overly clean” sound to it. The Beatles, the greatest selling Pop artist of all time, used blistering saturation and other distortion effects applied to their lead vocals on many of their songs.
Mix Tip:
I often find the 3rd Harmonic Zener Blender section to be the perfect solution if I’m using the VSM-3 for adding excitement to a vocal. If you need to create a hyper-saturated special-effect vocal sound and drop out the other elements of a pop arrangement, during a breakdown, for instance, the VSM is tons of fun and does just the trick.
UAD Vertigo Sound VSM-3 Mix Satellite by Brainworx Tutorial
In the analog days, engineers would utilize hardware exciters to brighten up individual elements, or entire mixes recorded to tape that had become dull due to extensive overdubbing or age. Arguably the most popular of which, the beloved Aphex Aural Exciter, was even mentioned in the liner notes of n
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Do you want to add brilliance and presence to your mix? Perhaps you’re looking for making things a little grittier? Or you want to add some perceived clarity? So if that is so then here, you will get the best harmonic exciter plug-in that will do everything right for you.
In this article, you will see a few of the best exciter plugins that will give you extraordinary brilliance and presence to your mix. But before we dive in let’s see in brief about Exciter.
Contents
- 1 Best Exciter Plugin Software
- 1.10 Features of Waves OneKnob Brighter
So what is an Exciter?
It is a hardware or software plug-in that improves an audio signal via any number of processes. Mostly, the methods use by exciter circuits is dynamic equalization and phase manipulation. However, some of the devices use high-frequency harmonic synthesis whereas others incorporate harmonic distortion into the signal. Furthermore, exciters are also said as harmonic exciters or aural exciters.
Best Exciter Plugin Software
iZotope Exciter
If you’re disappointed with the sterile and brittle quality then, iZotope Exciter will be perfect for you. It is well-known for flexibility and the most fully featured exciter plug-ins available in the market. iZotope Exciter has tons of features and functionalities with a customizable interface.
The exciter circuitry also adds lots of character and brilliance to audio with its multiple saturation modes. iZotope Exciter has triode and dual triode options. Also, you will have tube, retro, and tape modes which sound good as their analog counterparts.
Even it has the ability to enable sounds to cut through the mix. As it is part of a comprehensive suite of audio tools that why it will cost a lot more than other exciters. But offers a great degree valuable of user customization.
Features of iZotope Exciter
- It comes along with four configurable saturation bands and multiband and mid/side
- Processing.
- iZotope Exciter has a saturation spectrum display and peak saturation.
- It has triode and dual-triode modes and Retro, tape, warm, and tube settings.
- iZotope Exciter has a post filter for sculpting frequency output as well.
Softube Abbey Road Brilliance Pack
It is an absolute element to create beautiful sounds and enhancing source audio without installing any harsh quality to the signals. Where is vst plugins folder in windows 10. This amazing plugin easily stems with vocals, instruments and other sound processes. Abbey Road Brilliance Pack comes with the revolutionary mix tools used in the legendary studio of the same name.
The brilliant set of three specialized equalizers serves great on individual tracks, stems, and even entire mixes. This soulful plugin can even liven up even the dullest tracks. In the process of adjusting on the high frequencies, the Abbey Road Brilliance Pack includes two RS127s (one including and excluding built-in transformer), and the RS135.
This versatile package of exciter plugins satisfies most any credible studio applications. It comes at a high price tag but with an underlying undoubtedly ‘magic’ sound.
Features of Softube Abbey Road Brilliance Pack
- Firstly, Abbey Road original hardware units molded three treble equalizers.
- Supplements transformer to original RS127 circuit
- The RS127 provides up to 10 dB of boost or cut at 2.1, 3.5 and 10 kHz.
- The RS135 fixes boost at 8 kHz also.
- Lastly, all of this comes at low CPU usage.
Valve Exciter by AudioThing
Valve Exciter cited as “Harmonic Enhancer plug-in” acclaim for its ability to develop clarity and intensify luster when handled subtly. The rich feature of this exciter is that it has a series of filters that have been tuned scrupulous by hand, granting you to sweep the critical center frequencies with total control.
The valve section grants you all the intense analog flavors you could need to add shrewd brilliance to your tracks. The best part is you can even smooth in on the accurate frequencies you want through a bias control for the tube section. The secrets to its effective use are proper gain staging, as the input is chiefly sensitive to signal levels. This ultimate garnished exciter comes at an attractive price tag.
Waves Exciter Plugin
Features of Valve Exciter by AudioThing
- Valve Exciter has bass and treble with Harmonics sweep option.
- It comes along with valve emulation with the drive control and low CPU usage. Also, a present system with randomizer control installed.
Waves Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter
Aphex is a familiar term to any person who has operated broadly in pro audio. It is popular for its ability to liven up a mix when handled avidly, the high-end ‘grit’ that it added to the signal and to make muffled vocal tracks precise and more intelligible.
The Waves Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter closely fashions the sound, vibe, and even features of the original, with a mass of features that would make it suit right into any modern studio. The analog section allows digging in the precise amount of grit to individual tracks, stems, and entire mixes. There is a perfect value for the price in Waves Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter.
Features of Waves Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter
- It is modeled after the tube-powered original.
- It enhances brightness, depth, and vibrancy of the sound.
- Waves Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter has an amazing ability to increases presence without increasing levels.
- The exciter is suitable for vocals and instruments both.
- Mix and AX modes are available.
- Mono and stereo capability also installed along with the 24 bit/192kHz resolution.
Best Free Exciter Plugins
Waves OneKnob Brighter
Waves OneKnob Brighter is about simplicity, after all the quality is what matters the most, and you may spot that the OneKnob Brighter binds flawlessly on the mid-high frequencies of your guitar and vocal tracks, making them hit through the mix without being too shrill or overbearing.
It is a single control knob and handles an unexpected volume of functionality in a simple package. It is easy to use and eases tracks cut through the mix without the demand for extended tweaking. There are fewer chances on a bargain in this exciter.
Features of Waves OneKnob Brighter
- Mainly all-in-one sound-shaping capability single-parameter interface
- With a full range of mix processing enriched
- Mono, stereo, and mono-stereo capability suitable for studio and live applications
- So these are the five Best Exciter Plugin Software!
Aphex Exciter Plugin
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