The Tool Kit

As I get ready for some sessions to take place in the next several weeks I wanted to do a

software update to show you all what I am working with. To start, I am a Pro Tools user. It is truly an amazing software. No matter what you might hear me say about the software being clunky or less intuitive than another, I would not substitute it anything else for it. This is because it has been

around for so long and gone through a great deal of development. Avid has already worked out all the kinks. This means there is probably nothing in this software that does not work the way it should. If something is not working the way you think, it is probably your fault and not the softwares. It is humbling, but this is why I love it deep down, it forces me to figure it out and get it done.

The Pro Tools stock plugins are great for what they are. For the longest time, I was even using these processors to do the vast majority of my mixes. However, I have recently begun to dive into new software processing plugins. The newestaddition is the Slate Digital Bundle and mix rack. I thought this would be a great overall addition to my tool kit as it added three different compressor units, three British modeled eq units as well as reverb, delay and pre amp plugins. This software upgrade was huge for me, it only took a few hours of using these plugins to totally redevelop my processing workflow to better suit these great sounding units. My mixes have really benefited from these processors.

This last update is one of the most exciting tools that I have just added to my collection. I am talking about Izotope RX5. Not only does the software work as a standalone workstation for audio restoration, but you can use the individual modules within RX5 as an audiosuite process in Pro Tools. This is helpful for fixing audio on the fly while mixing or editing a session. For those who do not know what this software is capable of, here is a run down:

Foremost, the interface of this software depicts a spectrograph which shows the range of frequencies within a file and the amplitude at which they are present. From here you can use a vast number of modules to fix the frequencies within a sound that are too loud or detrimental to the rest of the audio. Here are a few of the processes.

- Spectral Repair: with this module you can attenuate or replace selected frequencies. The software does this by analyzing the frequency content around your selection and processing the selected frequencies by attenuating or replacing it with the frequency content around the selection.

Image of: Spectral Repair Process

- De-noise: Say you are editing an interview. In this interview you hear the consistent hum of a heating unit in the background. By selecting a portion of the interview with minimal dialogue the module can analyze the frequency content of the unwanted noise and reduce that specified spectral content through out the entirety of the interview, and doing so without diminishing the content of the dialogue.

Image of: De-Noise Process

These are the two modules in this software that I use most frequently however there are a large majority of other modules that allow you to process and fix your content for other common issues. RX can fix problems such as dynamic clips, clicks and the transparent corrective eq also contributes to this software tremendous power and versatility.

I will soon further expand my processing abilities by adding Melodyne Sudio to the tool kit in the near future. This will allow me to tune vocals and other instruments so that I can even further control the outcome of a recording session. This being said, I know it is important to achieve the best possible sound during the session. It's a fact however that things will go wrong. Having these tools is not a statement of "oh, I will fix it later," but a statement of "Yes, I can do that," Being able to adapt is critical in this profession and any profession for that matter. These tools will make it so much easier for me to do so.

So this is my tool kit. I wrote this blog to hopefully give some insight on my mixing and editing process as well as what I am capable of doing for your audio content. I hope this was informative! Stay tuned for more software, session and networking updates, I am aiming for new posts every week.