Charlie’s top-end excitement trick

46:33As well as using a de-esser to smooth out harsh highs, Charlie reveals a secret for sheen and sparkle. “An exciter can be nicer than EQ, as it distorts the top end and gives a mushy, crunchy, smooth top end – like hardware.”

He likes either the Ozone 7 Exciter (in Tube or Tape mode), or the UAD Vertigo VSM-3. “I keep the percentage of the mix low, but crank the amount, then pull back the wet/dry mix to only 5-10%. An EQ will make it sharper and spikier, but this method crushes the transients at those frequencies that’ll hurt your ears.”