Snare:

TG12456 (Waves)

– TLDR Notes:

Perfect for getting punchy snares. Add drive if more vintage dirt is needed (bottom right corner).

Set to 4XOS if possible in DAW.

– Review:

It’s easy to get a boring, vanilla sound with no character on a snare drum. Most standard DAW compressors are guilty of that. 

This plugin goes the other way and then some, and gives you a ton of punch and character as well as several nice tone shaping options.

It’s an emulation of the legendary EMI TG12345 console that was used by the Beatles, Pink Floyd, and many other iconic artists at Abbey Road Studios in the late ’60s and early ’70s. The TG12345 console was known for its crispness, harmonic distortion, and unique EQ and dynamics features..

It does not have a threshold control. Instead you drive the input (upper left corner) once the limiter or the compressor module has been selected, driving the signal into the plugin to get the desired amount of compression.

The punchy compression on a snare drum is the star of this one, but don’t rule out its limiter section for that application either.

With the “hold” control at 0 you get that aggressive, musically pumping compression action it does so well. But you can increase the hold value for a more subtle result.

The tone shaping options are nice to have. The bass band has a fixed frequency of 90 Hz, while the treble band has a fixed frequency of 10 kHz. You also get a separate presence band.

I appreciate the drive control on the TG12345 (bottom right corner).

If using the drive however, I recommend oversampling with x2 or x4 – you can do that in a DAW like Reaper or by loading the plugin in Metaplugin, but it would have been nice to have this option within the plugin itself.

I usually prefer to EQ into the compression, so it’s convenient that this is the default routing, but if you want a different order the plugin allows you to change that.

When you EQ into compression you can usually EQ a bit more because the compression softens the frequencies that might otherwise poke out too much.

Waves12345 is a favorite on snare, and it’s been used in great mixes by people like Dave Pensado and Eric Valentine.

BX Console SSL 9000 J (Brainworx)

– TLDR Notes:

Good channelstrip for that SSL sound on snare. From the filters to the EQ to the compressor, you can get results very quickly.

– Review:

What makes the SSL 9000 J special?

In short, it emulates the sound and features of the Solid State Logic 9000 series consoles, giving you the SSL ‘snap’ combined with a low end that’s bigger than the 4000 series, making the 9000 J very well suited for modern productions.

With the 9000 J you get a big, deep and clear sound. 

The plugin was created by Brainworx in collaboration with SSL and mixing legend Michael Brauer, who used the original console on many hit records.

Brauer moved over to the SSL 9000 console for the exact reasons mentioned; He wanted the full low end he was used to from mixing on a Neve, but with the more modern sound of the SSL.

He found that combination in the 9000.

Brainworx tweaked the SSL 9000 J until Michael Brauer was unable to tell the console from the plugin.

The plugin has 72 different channel emulations courtesy of the Tolerance Modeling Technology (TMT) that simulates the variations and tolerances of the analog components. This means that you get a bit of variation between channels, just like a real console. How big a difference does this make? Honestly, it’s subtle. But the more channels you have, the more it adds up, and given the choice I’d rather have this than be without it.

The fact that you can drive the harmonic distortion, the THD (the screw in upper left corner), in different amounts for each channel is a nice way to further this effect.

The dynamics section has a compressor and an expander/gate, which are based on the SSL 9000 series design. The compressor gives the option of the standard program dependent attack or you can go with a fast attack mode. I also appreciate the mix parameter for the dynamic section, which allows you to blend the compressed and uncompressed signal. 

The output section has a noise control called ‘V gain’ (upper left corner knob), which adds some analog noise to your signal for more realism, although you might want to be a little careful with that one as it can quickly build up over the course of a full mix!

I prefer to set the V gain to -100dB or below. That usually keeps the hiss at acceptable commercial levels overall, while still doing what I want it to; fill out the mix in that subtle, psychoacoustic way that makes it all feel a little less dead or ’empty’.

Disable the noise completely, and you might find that things don’t feel quite as good. Interesting how that works.

I like using this plugin on snare because it’s so quick to get good tone shaping results with the SSL EQ curves, and the expander/gate works well to reduce unwanted bleed or noise from the snare track.

Another reason I like it particularly on snare is that out of all the Brainworx SSL plugins, this has the punchiest compressor to date. It’s the one that gives me the snap that I want when reaching for something from the SSL family.

And having the mix (blend) parameter for just the dynamic section is useful, because the type of compression this one offers can work really well when mixed in with the uncompressed signal on things like snare.

I’m not huge on presets on a channel strip, but it does come with Michael Brauer’s presets, which some might find useful as a starting points or as inspiration.

Transgressor 2 (Boz)
 

– TLDR Notes:

Allows independent tone shaping of transient and sustain, giving sound design control beyond the capabilities of normal EQ.

– Review:

What if you want more control over a snare sound? What if you want to shape the attack of the drum to be tonally different from the sustain?

It seems like a simple enough concept, something every mixer would want in their toolbox, yet it’s rare to find a tool that can do it.

This plugin not only works like a traditional transient shaper, but you can EQ transient and sustain independently, making it a true life hack for mixers that need to shape those drums into submission.

If you like the challenge of making real drums sound good without the use of samples, I suggest you take a look at Transgressor. It’s the kind of plugin where digital shows its strength.

It’s also pretty simple to use. With the threshold control (slider on the right) you decide how you want the plugin to parse attack from sustain, and from there you can EQ them separately.

Loc-Ness (Tone Empire)

– TLDR Notes:

Can bring out harmonics and dirt in a snare. Also, interesting effect when pushed hard and mixed in at a very low percentage using the internal ‘MIX’ control.

It can be used like the Soundtoys ‘Devil-Loc’, but this has the option of being more subtle when needed, as well as oversampling and different saturation types.

Set its native OSx4 (Or OSX8).

– Review:

A clean snare is great, nothing wrong with a beautiful natural snare sound at all. But in the right context, a distorted or slightly crunchy snare is the best way to create the vibe needed to support the song. Drum loops also benefit from this treatment quite often.

I look at Loc-Ness as a bit of a rock’n roll box. It’s probably not the first thing you reach for on a ballad, but that doesn’t mean it’s a one trick pony at all.

Tone Empire does have a reputation for delivering some great tools for adding harmonics and characterful compression. Goliath comes to mind in that category as well.

Loc-Ness is no exception. It has two main controls:

With the ‘CRUSH’ control (left) you dial in the amount of saturation/drive you want, and by increasing ‘SMASH’ knob (right) you get more sustain and a type of processing Tone Empire describes as similar to the “all buttons in” setting from an 1176.

What is so nice about Loc-Ness is that it gives you plenty of options to find a cool sound for drums. It’s all about saturation, distortion and compression here, and in the case of Loc-Ness it can go from fairly subtle to completely crush and transform the snare. It has the ability to make a snare much louder in the mix with the same amount of headroom, which makes it easier to get an overall loud mix if that’s an objective.

PSP 2445 (PSP Audioware)
 

– TLDR Notes:

This reverb can be subtle and still enhance the sound. “Gated Driven Snare” preset in this example.

– Review:

A digital reverb that sounds tasteful and not goofy!

Based on the EMT 244 and the EMT 245, two early digital reverbs, PSP made a plugin that greatly respects those originals, and in my view does something unfortunately too rarely found in modelled digital reverb plugins: provides a reverb that is never embarrassing or ‘off’-sounding, but actually musical for lack of a better term.

PSP Audioware was able to achieve that result due to consultation from Dr. Barry Blesser, the inventor and developer of the first commercial digital reverb, the classic  EMT-250 from 1976. 

The plugin is officially endorsed by EMT.

What makes it a great choice on snare is the way it supports the snare without taking over. 

The preset system is very nice as well, easy to navigate. For the scenario in the image, I went into ”presets”, picked “Drums”  and then the “Snare Enhance” preset.

My only beef with this reverb is that the hidden panel is, well…too hidden. You have to click “open” (bottom of plugin) to get to it, something that is easy to forget or overlook, which would be a shame as it actually has some good, important controls that deserve to be visible as default such as a modulation control, a width control letting you decrease the width and last but not least high pass and low pass filters.

Saturate (Newfangled Audio)

– TLDR Notes:

Overdrive and clipper for snare (used after compression) with detail preservation.

Enable its built-in anti-aliasing (center top of plugin). The marine blue color means functions are engaged.

– Review:

You might be able to get a really good sounding compressed snare with your favorite compressor set with a slow enough attack to let some transient through and a fast enough release to provide the right energy and timing, only to realize you now have a spiky snare drum with a tall thin initial peak that comes with the drawback of making your limiter work hard on the masterbus or in mastering.

That’s where Saturate from Newfangled Audio comes in for me. I like to use a clipper after a compressor in those situations, and often some saturation as well, so a one-stop shop like Saturate is a nice workflow booster.

Newfangled Audio claims that you can add up to 24 dB of overdrive with no loss of fine detail from the audio source, which is impressive. This contributes to the application of Saturate reaching far beyond just snare drum use.

One of the selling points of this is the ‘Unique Detail Preservation algorithm’ that maintains tonal balance and fine detail making the saturation sound more open and pleasant. Having that available for snare is a big plus.

When it comes to workflow, the inclusion of optional automatic output gain compensation should make many people happy, although I feel like it often compensates a tiny bit too much when engaged. By clicking the little arrow next to Output/Auto box (right) you can switch between manual and automatic output level, and in manual mode you drag down the value in the output box to adjust the level.

Similarly, you can set the amount of input gain by dragging the value in the input box (left).

I like how you get a nice visual representation of what’s happening and you see the curve being affected by the changes you make.

Since version 1.10 the plugin comes with the anti-aliasing feature (center top).

According to Newfangled Audio it actually beats regular oversampling when it comes to removing the (typically) unwanted garbage known as aliasing. A function like that, or good old oversampling, is vital when dealing with distortion and clipping, so that function shouldn’t be overlooked.

SP2016 Reverb (Eventide)

– TLDR Notes:

These settings give a stereo spread room sound that can be used on snare or as a drum room.
One of the best reverbs out there for drums.

Has good presets.
Per default it models the classic unit at the original bit depth but also has a modern take on the sound if needed called “Modern” which can be accessed by clicking the red “Program” button to the right.

– Review:

You also get something else, which wasn’t part of the original unit: Vintage and Modern mode.

‘Vintage’ is the original box including its bit-depth that helps give it that classic character.

‘Modern’ gives you a brighter more diffused higher bit-depth version of the plugin.

Changing between the two algorithms it becomes clear that newer, higher resolution is not always better; it depends on the context. It’s great to have both. The position slider is another cool feature, giving you the option of placing the reverb just right in a mix

Joe Chiccarelli called the SP2016 “the perfect snare drum or lead vocal reverb”. Hard to complain about a reverb that kicks butt on those two vital parts of a production.

MAutoDynamicEQ (MeldaProduction)

– TLDR Notes:

Detect and remove unwanted resonances on the snare track.

Make the snare stand out by using a dynamic midrange eq boost in mastering/on the masterbus.

– Review:

This one is pretty, pretty, pretty cool. You can use it as a normal EQ with a nice analyzer, you can saturate or you can use it as a great dynamic EQ. All those things are useful generally in a mix. But in addition, MAutoDynamicEQ has a neat feature where it can analyze a source and remove/reduce resonances.

A snare might have some very unwanted resonances,  from ringy to boxy and this feature-rich tool from MeldaProduction gets that job done.

Here’s how you do it:

Double-click on “Automatic Equalizer” (a large button visible at the bottom when you load the plugin.)

You might want to decrease the “smoothness” value a little bit (top left) in order to get it to react to a less smooth but more accurate spectrum.

Then click “Analyze target” once so that box is blue, and play the snare audio. Let it listen to that for a while, then stop playback and end this phase by clicking “Analyze target” again.

You can now click “Remove resonances”. As in the image above you will see the resonances notched down.

If that’s too much removal you can use the dry wet control to make it less than 100 % wet (top left).

Another way to adjust the amount of reduction is to enable “Use peak filters for resonance removal” in settings before you analyze.
That way you get peak filters instead of notch filtering, which you can adjust individual gain for by clicking the up/down arrows to the right in the Bands section.

MAutoDynamicEQ can do a ton more, such as “EQ to sound like”, but I like using it on the snare track to deal with resonances when needed.

Here’s how I like to use it’s dynamic EQ as it relates to snare:

If you have a stereo track where you feel like the snare should jump out of the speakers a bit more, you can use the dynamic EQ function of the plugin by placing it on the master, then define a threshold for a band set where the snare presence hits and make the eq boost between 1 or 2 dB every time the snare is hit. That can be a very nice way to add some life to a master and unlike a traditional eq it doesn’t re-eq the whole mix statically.

If you need a tool to have a lot of retro hardware vibe this one may not be your cup of tea visually. And that’s not what this one is all about.

It looks like a MeldaProduction plugin; utilitarian, practical, and feature-packed. A powerful tool in a production arsenal.