Mix utilities
So much hype surrounds the release of plugins that purport to clone classic compressors or authentically ape enshrined analogue EQs that we often overlook the more humble tools designed to simply get the job done. Yet without simple utilities we would be up the proverbial creek.
The developers of such tools rarely find themselves on the receiving end of gushing gratitude, so let’s take the opportunity to shine the spotlight on some of the finest free mix utilities of the last year.
Our thanks is first extended to HOFA for their 4U+ BlindTest, a brilliant bit of code that provides a means by which various plugins or signal paths may be compared unhindered by bias based on, say, a plugin’s name or GUI. 4U+ BlindTest is instantiated at the end of every signal path to be compared. The interface hides the identities of the test subjects and you can shuffle their positions in the interface for utter anonymity. This obscurity enables you to choose the best based on your ears, rather than your emotions. It’s a great idea and one that will shake up your preconceptions. Download it from hofaplugins.de and get testing!
Our appreciation also goes out to Dotec Audio for DeePanpot, a simple, single-slider affair that allows for true panning of a stereo signal, as opposed to simply adjusting the balance between left and right channels. Think about it: a stereo signal is normally manipulated using a balance control, which simply adjusts the levels of either left or right channels, but doesn’t actually simulate moving the signal further to one side or another. DeePanpot draws upon a psychoacoustic phenomenon called the Haas (or Precedence) Effect to do exactly that. Honestly, we didn’t even know we needed such a thing until we tried it, and we’re sure you’ll feel the same way. Download it from dotec-audio.com.
We’ve focused primarily on cross-platform software throughout this feature, in order to ensure that no one is left. But there are a few single-platform entrants that are too good to ignore, and Noisebud’s Fletchy-Muncher is one of them. This Windows-only plugin gets its name from Harvey Fletcher and Wilden A. Munson, pioneers in the study and measurement of loudness. Among other things, they determined that human hearing perceives some frequencies as being louder than others, specifically midrange ones, which are more prominent at lower volume levels. This is one reason why tracks mixed at low volume levels often produce unexpected results when played back on louder systems – you don’t hear the lows and highs as well at lower volumes, and you may be inclined to overcompensate. Some of the bedroom mix masters among you will know all too well the horror of having such errors revealed by a massive club sound system the first time you play a track out!
Fletchy-Muncher is designed to help you overcome the so-called Fletcher-Munson effect by exaggerating the deceptive mid-range frequencies, allowing you to better balance the highs and lows against them. Simply place it at the end of your signal path and let it show you where you might be going wrong. With so many of us consigned to bedrooms, apartments and other shared spaces, such a utility can be a lifesaver. Assuming you’re on a Windows machine, you can get a copy from noisebud.se.
“You don’t hear the lows and highs as well at lower volumes, and you may be inclined to overcompensate”