In this article we take a look at several third-party plug-ins which we feel make excellent examples of how relevant AudioSuite plug-ins still are for both processing and workflow applications. It can be easy to overlook AudioSuite in some types of audio production as AAX inserted plug-ins, which process in real-time, often do most of the heavy lifting for us in the mix, but that wasn't always the case, especially in Pro Tools pre-version 11 which first introduced a 64-bit architecture for processing.
Before we get into what plug-ins we consider to be excellent AudioSuite tools, let’s first learn a little history behind AudioSuite and what applications it has proven to be useful in over the years.
What is AudioSuite In Pro Tools?
AudioSuite was first introduced in 1997’s release of Pro Tools 4. Its menu has always been found in the top menu of Pro Tools
Before AAX 64-bit processing, earlier versions of Pro Tools which ran on computers with limited power would often struggle to cope with the demands of modest plug-in counts. When playback buffers would struggle under heavy load, Pro Tools would more than often refuse to play nicely. To get around this, users would often opt for AudioSuite instances instead of the then RTAS (Real Time AudioSuite) inserted plug-in as a means to render their effects, EQ curves and dynamics processing directly to their audio clips. Working this way would eradicate the need of many RTAS plug-ins inserted on channels, quickly freeing up system resources, helping Pro Tools engineers to complete projects without further being interrupted by nagging warning messages.
Why You Should Not Neglect AudioSuite in Pro Tools
Some noise reduction real-time plug-ins can introduce extended plug-in latency beyond what ADC (Automatic Delay Compensation) can handle in Pro Tools. Such latency delays the playback of tracks that have this type of plug-ins on well past what is considered usable in Pro Tools.
Other plug-ins types rely heavily on capturing information from one audio clip on the Pro Tools timeline and feeding information to another.
Both examples here make strong cases for deciding to use “offline” AudioSuite variants of plug-ins over AAX real-time plug-ins you would normally insert on a track.
With all of that considered, what are the plug-ins we consider to be the best tools to reach for in AudioSuite?
Third-Party Plug-ins Only Available In AudioSuite
There are a small number of plug-ins so clever and innovative they simply would not be able to function as a real-time plug-in. Such plug-ins provide very specific applications and workflows making AudioSuite in Pro Tools the only vehicle possible for processing. Below are three such examples:
iZotope Dialogue Match
Re-recording mixers and editors in film and television routinely face a challenge of matching dialogue recorded from dry sounding lavalier mics, ambient sounding boom mics, and tight sounding ADR to create single seamless and cohesive sounding performances in post.
There are, of course, many ways engineers have tackled this problem in the past. These processes often required several plug-ins which took a lot of time to get sounding right.
Enter iZotope Dialogue Match, a Pro Tools AudioSuite only plug-in that massively simplifies this common post-production issue. It's as easy to use as it is powerful thanks to its machine learning capabilities. Engineers first need to capture the reference source audio, being the track recorded from the boom mic. Dialogue Match listens to determine tone, natural ambience and reverb followed shortly by user values it finds to be as close as possible to the boom’s characteristics. These values are of course user-adjustable and can be quickly set to taste for matching lavalier and ADR. When style and sound are achieved by previewing the results, users need to ensure the clip they want processing is highlighted before rendering from within the instance of Dialogue Match AudioSuite to the audio clips in Pro Tools.
Watch our video below to see iZotope Dialogue Match in action in Pro Tools. To find out our verdict on Dialogue Match and for more information check out our in-depth news and review article.
Visit iZotope for more information.
SoundRadix Auto-Align Post
Auto-Align Post by SoundRadix is another one of those plug-ins which addresses a very specific issue. In concept, Auto-Align Post isn’t too dissimilar to the original Auto-Align plug-in which analyses audio captured from more than one microphone correcting destructive phase cancellation caused by time of arrival differences.
The difference between the original Auto Align and Auto-Align Post is that the latter can work with source material in which the relationship between the mics and the source changes dynamically because of moving sources or mics.
Auto-Align Post guides you through the entire process saving confusion. Auto-Align Post needs you to pick which track is the reference and the other you plan to pull it into time with the reference. As an example, you can use a clip recorded with a shotgun mic as the reference and process the lav mic which was recorded at the same time. To see Auto-Align Post in action watch our free video tutorial below.
Visit SoundRadix for more information.
Synchro Arts VocAlign
VocALign enables engineers to time-align recorded vocals and instruments with little fuss and effort. Time differences between vocal tracks in backing vocal arrangments can often ruin the feel of an arrangement. These sorts of timing issues can be fixed on a timeline with manual editing but this takes time and results can vary, often sounding unnatural. A monophonic pitch and time correction editor would be a better remedy, but these also take time to get right as you need to work line by line to get pleasing results.
VocALign is the best way of getting multiple tracks of the same line in time with each other. It removes guesswork and labour intensive edits by capturing timing properties from one track and applying it to the next vocal or harmony in a blink of an eye. Results are tight and clean sounding saving producers and artists a lot of effort in trying to get the tightest of performances in tracking.
Watch our video below to see and hear VocALign in action. This demonstration shows the older version of VocALign but the application and process pretty much the same as the modern version. Visit Synchro Arts for more information on the latest versions and to learn the differences between VocALign Pro and VocALign Project.
AudioSuite Plug-ins For Transfering Audio From Within Pro Tools To Standalone Applications
The following two AudioSuite tools provide a means of sending audio out of the Pro Tools environment into standalone applications such as iZotope RX Audio Editor and Synchro Arts Revoice Pro. Both of these applications provide extremely powerful audio correction technologies that process well beyond what they could achieve if they were solely AAX.
Think of the following AudioSuite tools as bridges, filling in for the lack of ARA in Pro Tools.
iZotope RX Connect
RX Connect enables users of RX to send a clip to the RX standalone application from the Pro Tools timeline for editing and repair providing full access to all of RX modules in a single interface. This workflow has many benefits, such as RX's offline processing and visual interface.
To use RX connect in Pro Tools you first need to open it in the AudioSuite menu found under either the iZotope sub-menu or noise reduction category. Select the audio clip you wish to process from your timeline then select repair in RX Connect and send. The standalone RX Audio Editor will open with the audio you chose in Pro Tools ready to use. After you have made your noise repair adjustments in RX you click send back. Pro Tools will then appear in which you click the render in the RX Connect AudioSuite instance, completing your RX roundtrip.
Read our review and watch our demo videos to learn more about iZotope RX 7:
ReVoice Pro Link
ReVoice Pro is Synchro Art’s flagship pitch and time correction application makes it possible for producers to work with several tracks at once within a single interface. Like iZotope RX, Revoice Pro also requires a bridge via AudioSuite to get audio from within Pro Tools into its standalone application and back again. This is achieved simply by using ReVoicePro Link.
Check out some of our free video tutorials below to learn some cool Revoice Pro techniques.
Watch Synchro Arts free step-by-step video tutorial below to learn how to transfer audio between Pro Tools and Revoice Pro using AudioSuite.
Plug-ins That Provide Better Workflows In AudioSuite Than Real-Time
Waves DeBreath
Waves DeBreath does exactly what it says on the tin. Though available to use as an AAX real-time plug-in you probably opt to use the AudioSuite version instead, but why? The latency DeBreath introduces into the path of a channel with DeBreath inserted in it is massive. While you could use the real-time instance of DeBreath for monitoring followed by copying and pasting the setting across into the AudioSuite instance of this, it is by far simpler to just start working with DeBreath in AudioSuite.
If you are working on a lengthy dialog mix that needs either gentle attenuation or complete removal of breaths then DeBreath is well worth checking out. Its simple to use UI along with great-sounding results make it a valuable plug-in to have it your engineer’s toolbox. Check out our free video tutorial below to hear DeBreath in action.
Why Not Use Track Commit Instead Of AudioSuite?
It’s worth mentioning that track commit, first introduced in Pro Tools 12.3 could, of course, negate AudioSuite in the case of using plug-ins such as DeBreath. Track Commit, besides being useful for committing an entire track with all of its inserts, can also commit up to an insert in a track’s plug-in chain. If DeBreath was the first plug-in inserted in your chain you could right-click the plug-in insert, click commit up to this insert and “stamp” your processing just like AudioSuite would during rendering. While the final results would turn out to be the same remember that AudioSuite makes it easy to process individual clips within a track which is useful if you only need to apply processing to small portions within a performance. Track commit is a good option if you want to render your processing throughout the performance of the track.