I´m just trying to get my hands on that Nexus thing. Sounds hot. Especially as I really love the Spectrasonics Romplers, like Trilogy.

Another plugin I use regularly is The Grand for Piano-Things.

I also agree on the Compressors-Thing. My personal favourite is the TC Native Compressor I can really recommend to try out that package. It also has a nice reverb, a great destortion / sonic destructor and a wierd modulation plugin. All great quality!
I also like the Vintage Warmer but I don´t use it a lot when I do electronic music. I use it a lot on basses when I mix rock music.

But one thing I´ve noticed is that the typical approach for compression, making the drums pound like hell, is not that important in trance. Most Samples are very well compressed and sound good like they are. The important thing is using a lot of sidechaining...

If you compare this to "traditional" sound engineering you do when working with bands, its really a completely different way.+

Another important thing is mastering or the final compression of the master output.
I use Waves C4, L3 and some other secret plugins

___________________
"nee, de plaat heeft geen kras! dat hoort zo!!!"

Agenda 2009:

WinterWorld, Sporthalle Oberwerth, Koblenz
Trance Energy, Jaarbeurs Utrecht
Mayday, Westfalenhallen, Dortmund
Nature One, Pydna, Kastellaun / Hunsrück

quote:

Originally posted by Johnny Cache The important thing is using a lot of sidechaining... If you compare this to "traditional" sound engineering you do when working with bands, its really a completely different way.+ Another important thing is mastering or the final compression of the master output. I use Waves C4, L3 and some other secret plugins

Yup agree on that too. Waves C4 and L3 here too.

I also use Sidekick by twisted Lemon a lot. Great tool as a lot of DAWs don't support true sidechaining.

Cheers
Nem

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https://www.mixcloud.com/Calvin_Karass/

yes, the sidekick, superb tool. im still stuck to pc and cubase sx 3 - no many for a decent mac and software - so i need something to do the sidechaining to bad you can only use four instances of it...

___________________
"nee, de plaat heeft geen kras! dat hoort zo!!!"

Agenda 2009:

WinterWorld, Sporthalle Oberwerth, Koblenz
Trance Energy, Jaarbeurs Utrecht
Mayday, Westfalenhallen, Dortmund
Nature One, Pydna, Kastellaun / Hunsrück

.:instruments.

* Roland JP-8000 and Juno-G (hardware)
* All Logic Pro 8 toys
* reFX Nexus and Vanguard
* Novation V-station
* Lennar Digital Sylenth 1
* NI Battery 3, Massive and FM 8
* Rob Papen Albino 3, Predator and Blue
* Arturia Minimoog V, CS-80 V and ARP-2600 V

.:effects.

* All Logic Pro 8 toys
* Wave Arts TrackPlug, Masterverb and Panorama
* SlimSlowSlider Sidechain Compressor
* Sonalksis Bundle
* Camel Audio Camel Phat and Camel Space
* TriTone Digital ColorTone Pro
* ArtsAcoustic Reverb
* Audio Damage DubStation, RoughRider, Kombinat, 914 and Reverence
* Izotope Ozone and Radius (warp algorithm for Logic)

These are the ones that I'm really loving today

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• i7 950 class A Vanilla Hackintosh w/ Logic 9 • Dead Macbook Pro w/ error ts2377 pending court decision ( I hate apple ) • Apogee Duet • Access Virus Snow • Roland JP-8000 and Juno-G • Novation Ultranova • Mackie 802-VLZ3 Mixer • Yamaha HS-80 •

Some of my favorite stuff right now:

LennarDigital Sylenth1
Tone2 Gladiator
Camel Space & Camel Phat
Tone2 Warmverb
Brainworx bx_digital
ArtsAcoustic Reverb
iZotope Radius

and of course:

Logic Studio & Ableton Life

Gotta give it up for one more VST instrument that's been dominating my productions as of late:

Arturia Minimoog V. Sounds absolutely outstanding. Of course it doesn't sound exactly the same as a real Minimoog, but its pretty close, and it does a few things that a real minimoog cannot, like be polyphonic. I'm always happy when I can get that polymoog sound from anything, since a real minimoog is monophonic (and a real polymoog is rare, expensive and unreliable). If nothing else, download the demo and listen to a polyphonic Moog pad. It sounds like nothing else! Can be a bit buggy at times, but the results are worth it!

Synth: NI Massive

Effects: PSP Vintage Warmer, PSP MixBass2, Waves L2, Big Tick Nasty Shaper