Some premium plug-ins don't allow you to tweak all of the settings you need to get the sound you want.

Take an LA2A for instance. The only thing to do on the LA2A is to increase or decrease the gain reduction.

No attack, release or ratio. Don't get me wrong, that's perfectly fine because that's an accurate emulation of that particular plug-in but sometimes you want more options.

Sometimes Simpler Isn't Better

As far as easy-to-use, slap-on-and-see-what-happens plug-ins go, the CLA Signature series from Waves is one of my go-to plug-ins.

I probably overuse those plug-ins, especially on vocals and guitars.

But the reverb settings on the CLA Guitars tends to be problematic.

It's exactly because of the lack of customization. It's so simple and usually sounds so good, but sometimes simple just doesn't cut it.

You might find a one-size-fits-all plug-in that works most of the time but sometimes you have a special guitar that needs a special kind of treatment.

Take an acoustic guitar for example. 

If you use the reverb on the CLA series you have no way to EQ the high-end off the string sound. So you're stuck with too much high-end on the reverb. That can sound splashy and annoying, with harsh reverb slap-backs that don't fit in the mix.

And since you can't EQ the reverb it almost defeats the purpose of using it. You can use it the old fashioned way with a send, but I'd rather just use a dedicated reverb plug-in if I have to resort to that.

So when you're in that sorta situation, you just have to deactivate the reverbs on the plug-in, send the acoustic guitar to a different reverb and add an EQ filter on the high-end.

That way you'll get an instant, spacious sounding guitar without the sharp sounding reflections ruining your perfectly shimmery guitar track.

That's why critically listening to your tracks and what your plug-ins are doing to them is so important.

Tip for Today?

EQ your reverbs.

It always pays to make sure you're not adding unnecessary frequencies to your mix. Leaving your reverbs un-checked is a surefire way to both clutter up your low-end with extra space, causing boominess, or adding high-frequency hiss, sibilance or slap that's distracting and harsh to the ears.

Take that to heart in your mixes over the weekend.

If you want more in-depth EQ tricks to get rid of your EQ problems once and for all, check out EQ Strategies - Your Ultimate Guide to EQ today:

www.EQStrategies.net