Cockos Incorporated Forums - View Single Post - Native Linux plugins that work and sound good

JamesPeters · 10-13-2018, 02:32 AM

It's doubtful there will be any "valid proof" here either, then.

Everyone has their preferences, and if you're an entrenched user of specific plugins, nothing I say will convince you to use anything else. However these plugins are quite capable of making great-sounding mixes and working in a professional environment. You've probably already tried and rejected some of these since some of them are included in Reaper. I'd recommend you try them again, using your ears and some patience (and leave your preconceptions aside). It took me long enough to get over my preconceptions, so I know how it is...

Compressors:

ReaComp can do a nice job of sounding like LA-2A with the right settings.
NP1136 included in Reaper (a JS plugin) can sound similar to 1176LN.
(Both the above are crazy flexible too, if you know how to use compressors and are comfortable trusting your ears.)
Sonic Anomaly's S.LA.X (JS plugin, also in ReaPack) is an LA-2A type plugin that I like.

Multiband compressors:

ReaXcomp
Witti's "w_comp_multi" JS plugin included in Reaper
GVST's GMulti (among some other very useful plugins)
There are the compressors from LSP VST, although I haven't given them a good trial yet since I just installed them yesterday (and it seems they use a lot more CPU than the others mentioned here)

Mid-side stuff:

Sonic Anomaly's HBC-2 & HBC-5 compressors are both flexible and great (HBC-2 is stereo with mid-side option)
use mid/side splitters/joiners that are included in Reaper as JS plugins, or alternately the "Ed Is Dim" VSTs from Airwindows (among a bunch of other really neat plugins). Set up FX chains with the help of MPL's Wired Chain script or TrackFX Routing Matrix (both these are also available in ReaPack).
LSP VST has a bunch of mid-side tools (I haven't tested them yet)

Dynamic EQ:

MrElwood's DynEQ JS plugin (among other nice plugins)

Reverb:

ReaVerb used with impulses. Use a "trim/gain/stretch" module after the "file" module to shape the sound of the impulse further. I'm currently using impulses made from a VS8F, and stretching them to create immense/thick/dense reverbs (offsetting the start position of the impulse to smooth the attack) and adding some EQ afterward. Set the ZL option and there's no latency. It uses low CPU, sounds great, and is very flexible. I've found a lot more impulses (from a bunch of other reverb processors) but honestly I don't need any more than these, with the "trim/gain/stretch" and some EQ.
There are some other impulse loaders I'd found for Linux, but I prefer using ReaVerb.

As for convolution reverbs: for a very long time they were my preference for "bigger" reverb sounds (I only used impulses for more realistic sounding small-to-medium room sounds), but once I got used to the idea of "messing with" impulses as I mentioned above, I didn't care about convolution reverbs anymore.

Keep in mind you can save FX chains easily and recall them with a right-click from the MCP. So you can "piece together a tool" with several plugins (mid/side with separate EQ/comp etc.) that's complex as an FX chain and treat it effectively as a single plugin for recall in other projects. You can also name the plugins in your chain whatever you want to identify them for their role in the chain, instead of leaving the default plugin names (in the pane on the left).

10-13-2018, 02:32 AM	#69
JamesPeters Human being with feelings Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Near a big lake Posts: 3,943	It's doubtful there will be any "valid proof" here either, then. Everyone has their preferences, and if you're an entrenched user of specific plugins, nothing I say will convince you to use anything else. However these plugins are quite capable of making great-sounding mixes and working in a professional environment. You've probably already tried and rejected some of these since some of them are included in Reaper. I'd recommend you try them again, using your ears and some patience (and leave your preconceptions aside). It took me long enough to get over my preconceptions, so I know how it is... Compressors: ReaComp can do a nice job of sounding like LA-2A with the right settings. NP1136 included in Reaper (a JS plugin) can sound similar to 1176LN. (Both the above are crazy flexible too, if you know how to use compressors and are comfortable trusting your ears.) Sonic Anomaly's S.LA.X (JS plugin, also in ReaPack) is an LA-2A type plugin that I like. Multiband compressors: ReaXcomp Witti's "w_comp_multi" JS plugin included in Reaper GVST's GMulti (among some other very useful plugins) There are the compressors from LSP VST, although I haven't given them a good trial yet since I just installed them yesterday (and it seems they use a lot more CPU than the others mentioned here) Mid-side stuff: Sonic Anomaly's HBC-2 & HBC-5 compressors are both flexible and great (HBC-2 is stereo with mid-side option) use mid/side splitters/joiners that are included in Reaper as JS plugins, or alternately the "Ed Is Dim" VSTs from Airwindows (among a bunch of other really neat plugins). Set up FX chains with the help of MPL's Wired Chain script or TrackFX Routing Matrix (both these are also available in ReaPack). LSP VST has a bunch of mid-side tools (I haven't tested them yet) Dynamic EQ: MrElwood's DynEQ JS plugin (among other nice plugins) Reverb: ReaVerb used with impulses. Use a "trim/gain/stretch" module after the "file" module to shape the sound of the impulse further. I'm currently using impulses made from a VS8F, and stretching them to create immense/thick/dense reverbs (offsetting the start position of the impulse to smooth the attack) and adding some EQ afterward. Set the ZL option and there's no latency. It uses low CPU, sounds great, and is very flexible. I've found a lot more impulses (from a bunch of other reverb processors) but honestly I don't need any more than these, with the "trim/gain/stretch" and some EQ. There are some other impulse loaders I'd found for Linux, but I prefer using ReaVerb. As for convolution reverbs: for a very long time they were my preference for "bigger" reverb sounds (I only used impulses for more realistic sounding small-to-medium room sounds), but once I got used to the idea of "messing with" impulses as I mentioned above, I didn't care about convolution reverbs anymore. Keep in mind you can save FX chains easily and recall them with a right-click from the MCP. So you can "piece together a tool" with several plugins (mid/side with separate EQ/comp etc.) that's complex as an FX chain and treat it effectively as a single plugin for recall in other projects. You can also name the plugins in your chain whatever you want to identify them for their role in the chain, instead of leaving the default plugin names (in the pane on the left). Last edited by JamesPeters; 10-13-2018 at 02:50 AM.