Put it across all of your drum tracks, and let it go to work. The included instrument editor will allow you to import WAV files and make your own multi-velocity samples, but one-shot WAVs can be loaded directly into the plugin as well.Īuto Align offers a unique approach to getting drum tracks in phase with minimal effort and second-guessing.Īnother great “utility” plugin for drums is Auto Align from Sound Radix. I end up adding Kick 7 to almost every kick I mix, even if I am blending it in with other samples to get a distinct tone each time.Īll of the samples come in Slate’s proprietary TCI format. While some may sound dated, these samples have been used on countless records, and are sure to give you some more options when blending. When you purchase the plugin, you’ll also receive a library of Slate samples. To me, it’s more than just an essential drum plugin, it’s just an essential plugin in general. In true Slate fashion, the important stuff is put up front while more complex options are just a few clicks away.ĭespite being a “utility” plugin, this one has been essential for me in getting great and consistent-sounding mixes.
Despite being very flexible, everything makes sense within the plugin. What I really love about Trigger is how simple it is to use. You can tweak the samples further with controls for dynamics and velocity range, giving you the options to mold the sound to fit your live kit more naturally. It allows you to load up to eight different samples and blend them however you want, along with the natural sound. Trigger is a fully-featured drum replacement plugin. Thankfully, Slate Trigger can.ĭrum replacers are becoming more and more commonplace and, while a few good competitors exist, nothing comes close to Slate’s in my experience.
One thing Drum Leveler can’t do is fix a bad-sounding drum. Slate Trigger is one of the more effective and user-friendly drum replacers out there. While not as flexible or powerful as the Drum Leveler, it also provides a unique take on drum gating and can currently be found for less than a third of the price. Another interesting entry in this category of drum-specific gates is the Wilkinson DeBleeder. It can’t fake good playing, but it can take a good drum performance and make it great. In short, Drum Leveler cleans up both your drum tracks and your drummer. What this means is that the plugin automatically compresses or expands individual hits to achieve a more limited dynamic range with a minimum of compression artifacts, all while respecting the natural dynamics of the performance. This plugin is also described as a “detection-based downward and upward compressor/expander”. The internal sidechain is custom-built for filtering out bleed, and a few helpful presets will help tailor its response for the particular kind of drum you’re working on.ĭrum Leveler it’s more than just a gate, though. In every situation that I’ve used it, this plugin has delivered, and fast. This plugin tracks hits, and cuts out all the stuff you don’t need. Drum Leveler has become indispensable in my drum mixing, and it may be the best, and final, gate you’ll ever need for drums. They can be frustrating enough to work with that it seems many engineers avoid them altogether, opting to work around bleed in other ways, whether by using samples, cutting dead space, or just working on optimizing their mic positioning and selection.īut there is hope. Noise gates have come and gone from my arsenal, some with more success than others. Drum Leveler comes in as my first essential drum mixing plugin because it solves one of the most significant issues with live, multi-tracked drums: Bleed. Sound Radix only makes a few plugins, but each of them is truly special. The Drum Leveler by Sound Radix provides one of the more effective takes on drum gating out there, as well as transparent dynamic range control.
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