When we talk about it, debate it, and make the info public so that other people can read these comments from people without agendas - non-biased, non-advertising based descriptions and discussions, I think it serves the audio community in an overall positive way. I'm sure I'm likely to get both agreement and disagreement on this, and this is the way I think that it should be. but speaking for myself, for me, these new Slate processors are the best I've used so far in terms of 3rd party stuff, and, at affordable prices as well. You may find that they don't meet your expectations, or that you can accomplish what you want using other processors at your disposal. I would encourage those of you who have iLoks to give these plugs a try. I'm still learning these processors, working with various settings and combinations, but, at least as of this writing, I am very satisfied with the results I am getting. It is my opinion that these Slate plugs serve me very well in that final "make it or break it" stage. It's those final nuances and esoteric alterations that can make the difference between just an "okay" mix and that of a nice, smooth, warm, punchy, great sounding final result.
It's the subtle added air, silk, sheen and warmth that so often eludes me in the last stages of a mix - that final 10% that we've discussed here before where a mix can be made - or, destroyed, LOL - and for me, that final 10% stage can be the toughest to get right. I have found that, along with native plugs from Sam (both bus and 2-bus processors) these Slate processors make that final "10%" of the mix easier to navigate, and with nicer results than not using it.
The FG 401 strip - which emulates a VCA-based SSL channel compressor, also has a "transformer on/off switch", as well as 2 selectable "circuit paths" one is punchy and hot, while the other is more transparent and "smoother". There is also an added processor that you can add to the track - Revival - which is an harmonic enhancer for upper air/silk, and a thickness control, which does the same with the lower frequencies.
I've also downloaded a trial version of the VMR collection - which is the Virtual Mix Rack - which gives the EQ and Dynamics sections modeled after desks like the Neve 8048, the SSL 4000, a FET compressor similar to an 1176 and a tube based C/L, similar to an LA2. ( It also comes with a console 2-Bus processor for each of the consoles as well) and I'm happy with the sonics, the efficiency (it's not at all taxing on my CPU - which is an HP, AMD 3.2g Quad Core, 8 gig RAM, 2 TB HDD) and, perhaps most importantly after the sonics of course, is the seamless integration with Sam Pro X 64. I like the character that I can add to transparently recorded tracks, using various channel strip models from Neve, SSL, Trident, API and RCA Tube Consoles. I decided to give the VCC - which is Slate's Virtual Console Collection - a solid try, to see if it would be of any value to me. Like any other audio guy, I have also encountered various plug-ins that weren't effective, or didn't sound good, or, simply weren't worth the price. I know that many here are dubious as to claims made by manufacturers, and very often, rightfully so.
If you are new to mixing EDM, this free tutorial by Slate Digital will give you some great starting points to make your EDM sound "club ready" for maximum impact on the dance floor.I finally broke down and bought an iLok this past weekend - actually my girlfriend bought it for me for Christmas LOL, along with Slate's VCC processor, which I've had my eye (ear) on for awhile now.
Steven then goes on to work on the kick, bass to build up the mix ready for the vocals. Finally, Steven adds the VTM Virtual Tape Machine to the master to give the feel of an analogue mix with gentle tape saturation. Steven starts by working on the master or 2-buss, adding the amazing (free plug-in) Revival module to add bottom end with the "Thicker" parameter to make the mix deeper and give it some punch. The next plug-in used in the master buss is the VBC the Slate Virtual Buss Compressor to add some mids and make the entire track more aggressive. Steven Slate takes us through an in the box mix of a club track and shows us some ideas to add depth, warmth, and fatness to the track using Slate Digital plug-ins.
Luckily the team Slate Slate Digital has produced a very cool free tutorial showing you how to use Slate's Virtual Mix Rack (VMR) in EDM mixing. EDM or Electronic Dance Music is not a style we cover often on Pro Tools Expert.