In keeping with the Dutch company’s shining reputation in building high-end audio plugins, FabFilter’s update to their much-acclaimed compressor is a reliable gem of a plugin. By way of features, the Pro-C 2 doesn’t have a lot. All of the fundamentals are there, but given how saturated the market has become when it comes to compressor plugins, FabFilter’s compressor might look unremarkable. Of all the plugins in this list, Bx_digital V3 is the only one whose graphical display can be hidden, which is a very good thing from a certain level in the field of music mixing. It’s easy to see why this plugin is made for “pros”.

Waves is probably the most famous plugin manufacturer at the moment. The brand is appreciated for its very affordable plugins whose quality never disappoints its users. As with most FabFilter plugins, the Pro-L 2’s user interface boasts an intelligent management of screen real estate, with most of the screen dedicated to the real-time operation in visual and metered format. The FabFilter Total Bundle contains all 14 FabFilter plugins, with free updates, whenever they come out.

1. FabFilter Trial: up to 60 days for free

The filter in itself has FabFilter’s signature sound which can give any signal distinct coloring effects that you would not find in DAW-native filters. Of course, this means that this is not the best filter if you are looking for something more neutral and does not introduce any character to the signal.

The Simplon is at its core a pared-down version of the Volcano 2. Thus, it utilizes the same self-oscillating digital filters and the workflow. Like the Volcano 2, it has two signal paths which can be used either in parallel or series. Each path/filter has three different filter types (low-pass, high-pass, and band-pass with 12/24/48 dB/octave slopes). Optional Dynamic EQ mode for all bands (Bell and Shelf shapes), using any slope setting and with perfect analog matching, with optional external side chain triggering The plugin is instinctive, easy to use and especially precise in its corrections. It is also equipped with advanced features that make Vocal EQ a high quality and complete tool. FabFilter allows license transfers, thereby enabling the selling and buying of "used" or second-hand plugins: While the plugin is easy to figure out, the accompanying manual provides a lot of useful information not only about the plugin but about the principles of mixing and mastering. This tells us that the Pro-L 2 was made with the serious mix engineer in mind. DemonstrationNext, and you might think this is ridiculous, but I find the bands super easy to manipulate. I’m not sure why, but with this plugin it’s really simple to work efficiently and accurately. IQ-EQ can be used for multi-band work, but it can also be used as a simple compressor over the whole frequency range by changing the filter type on flat. Very handy! Bell, Notch, Bandpass - Solos audio either side of the frequency according to the Q, Holding CMD or Ctrl on a PC and dragging up and down can change the width while auditioning in Solo

Whether you prefer iZotope’s multi-level approach to mixing and mastering, or FabFilter’s surgical precision and quality, no matter which developer you buy into, you won’t be disappointed. They also introduced some improvements to the spectrum analyzer, including frequency collision indication. This allows you to see which signals ‘collide’ in the same frequency, thus helping you distribute the frequencies evenly across the mix. The Spectrum Grab feature also points to critical peaks that may need some fixing. The improved EQ match is also a delight to use when managing multiple instances of the plugin. What I really like about Neutron is the quality of the presets. They really allow you to go in very specific directions depending on what you want to sound like. Moreover, let’s not forget that Neutron 4 is not only an EQ, but also a compressor, an exciter, a gate,… all in one plugin.Of course, you also get all the usual FabFilter goodies: perfectly tuned knobs, interactive MIDI Learn, undo/redo and A/B switch, Smart Parameter Interpolation for smooth parameter transitions, an extensive help file with interactive help hints, sample-accurate automation, advanced optimization and much more! Features Another nifty feature is that Pro-MB gives users the ability to unlink side-chain crossovers from the directly processed signal. This means that you can reduce the gain in a specific frequency band using the peaks in another band as triggers. This is some next-level sidechaining technique that is only possible with the Pro-MB. A few weeks ago Antares released a plugin that nobody expected: Auto-Tune Vocal EQ. An EQ? For a company that is professional in pitch correction? Yes, and frankly, they did not miss a beat! With its look ahead feature, unexpected aggressive transients will easily blend into the general dynamics of the source. If you’re a mixing engineer, or are looking for the best of the basics, FabFilters Total Bundle is the obvious choice. FabFilter plugins can be recommended to anyone who already doesn’t have them, because, chances are, they’re better than what you’re already using.