We all know how great Logic's native plug-ins are. With the choice of multiple EQs, compressor models, modulation processing, and reverbs provided, we have everything we need to create a first-rate pro mix. However, the appeal of third-party Audio Unit plug-ins to augment our mixing tools is a strong pull that is difficult to avoid. Succumbing to the temptation of the latest, most incredible effects processing plug-ins is difficult to resist. Most of us have plug-in folders full of redundant Audio Units that we barely touch. And of course, there are some that we reach for all the time. However, the bottom line remains, Logic unquestionably provides us with everything we need to get the job done. 

We've assembled the expert panel once again, this time to answer the unanswerable: If you could only use one single third-party Audio Unit effects processing plug-in to augment Logic's already great arsenal, which would it be, and why? Which plug-in would you not be able to do without when mixing?

Our panel consists of Chris Vandeviver from whylogicprorules.com, Edgar Rothermich, known for his graphically enhanced Logic and Pro Tools manuals, Maurice Chevalier, moderator of several Logic Pro-related Facebook groups, myself, groove3 trainer Eli Krantzberg, and Apple certified T3 Logic trainer and educator Eddie Grey.

Chris Vandeviver

Ah, the proverbial "desert island" plugin question. We've all seen it play out again and again on websites and forums. Yet I for one am eager to see what my colleagues have lined up for this latest Expert Panel. There's just something so intriguing and insightful (and fun!) about restricting one's options down to the bare essentials. Even if we are only talking hypothetically.

But as it turns out, I decided to hold my feet to the fire of this very question last year. I've bought my fair share of plugins. But did I really need most of them? I decided to find out. 

Since then, I've eliminated 90% of the plugins living on my system. And the benefits have been tremendous! Less plugin menu diving. Faster decision-making. And best of all, I've been delighted (and reminded) by how much amazing value lives in Logic's native tool kit.

So if Logic has it all, why even indulge the "desert island" plugin question? Well, an area I feel Logic Pro has yet to address is the world of dynamic/smart processors. Plugins that adapt to audio in that way that only computers can. For example, Logic's Channel EQ is great. That is until you have a resonance howling and floating around the frequency spectrum like some ghoul. Of course one could automate an EQ band to wander about playing whack-a-mole. But the results are often only "okay" at best. And where there's one resonance, there's usually more to contend with.

This is why oeksound's Soothe2 is my must-have processor to complement Logic's toolkit.

Soothe2 takes erratic and unpredictable frequencies and eradicates them. Or to put it another way, Soothe2 is a "deresonator." It actively and instinctually finds overbearing frequencies and tucks them down where they belong. But unlike static or even dynamic EQs, Soothe2 doesn't camp out on a single set frequency. Oh no, Soothe2 will chase resonances where ever they try to hide. It's like a mix engineer's personal EQ homing missile!

From the moment you place Soothe2 on a track, it gets right to work in reducing the levels of resonances. From there you can globally decide how hard it digs into your track with its Depth control. And most of the time adjusting just this one knob is enough to rein in an unruly track. I even will place Soothe2 on my mix bus to gently tighten up a full mix.

But once in a while Soothe2 can be overeager. And it may chew into frequencies you might not deem problematic. For example, maybe you're more interested in taming some muck down around 200 hz, but Soothe2 is hellbent on carving into 2000-4000 hz.

This is why Soothe2 also provides its handy EQ display. Which allows users to specify where exactly de-resonating should occur. Setting Soothe2's high and low-pass filters lets the plugin know to avoid using its magic above or below those set frequencies. Boosting a band tells Soothe2 to dig deeper into a particular frequency area. While reducing a band tells the plugin to pay less attention to non-critical areas.

When I think of the tracks I've found the most difficult to gel into a mix, they most often were a) highly dynamic, and b) at the mercy of several factors in the recording chain. Where the performer, performance, miking technique, or room were all potentially suspect. And no matter which way you bend and stretch the EQ bands, the track just didn’t sit right. Oeksound's Soothe2 lets you leapfrog past all the tail-chasing. An absolutley vital mix tool.

Edgar Rothermich

A Spatializer Plugin is the One

This is a no-brainer. I need the "DearVR Pro" plugin as the only non-Logic plugin.

Lately, I experiment more with mixing in immersive sound. And for that, my favorite plugin is "DearVR Pro" from a small German company Dear Reality, specialized in 3D audio software with a focus on AR/VR applications. They are now part of the Sennheiser Group.

Here is a little background. With sound mixes for film, formats like Surround Sound, and for a few years now, Immersive Sound (mainly in the form of Dolby Atmos) are already the norm. For music mixes, however, we are pretty much stuck between our two speakers for ages using just stereo. With the exception of some experimental formats (including Quadraphony) the only hope was DVD Audio a few years ago that promised us 5.1 surround for music mixes. However, it was dead on arrival for many reasons. Since then, things have changed and evolved, and it seems there is new hope on the horizon. The old concept of Binaural Audio combined with the shift in consumer music listening via headphones/earbuds (propelled by smartphones) now lets us experience music mixes beyond the constraints of stereo.

Binaural Rendering

Usually, when mixing for immersive audio, you need a studio setup for Dolby Atmos or any similar format. Needless to say, that is a bit cost-prohibitive besides the logistics in figuring out where to place all those speakers in a typical studio environment of a smaller size.
Although the DearVR Pro plugin has the capability to mix in all those multi-speaker immersive setups, I use the magic of the built-in Binaural Rendering. Selecting this option in the Output Format and putting on my headphones is all it needs to listen and mix in immersive 360 audio. The beauty is that the output I bounce at the end is a standard 2-channel audio file so anybody with a pair of headphones/earbuds (which is the definition of EVERYBODY) can experience that mix in 360 audio the way it was mixed.

You can put the plugin on any Channel Strip and use the full 360° Immersive Panner to position the signal with a similar workflow like Dolby Atmos, Auro 3D, or any other immersive audio format. Of course, any parameter can be automated. That's where the fun starts.
The built-in parameters for Virtual Acoustics and Reflections on the plugin let you fine-tune the immersive experience with an amazing level of realism. In case you wonder whether Logic's own Binaural Panner can achieve that binaural experience, then the answer is no. Logic's Binaural Panner existed already in pre-Logic Pro X versions and technology has improved since then quite a bit.

So, having all the professional Logic plugins available lets me create a good mix without any third-party plugin, but that one extra non-Logic plugin "DearVR Pro" is what I need to extend my mix in all directions of the 360° space.

Eddie Grey

If you could only use one single third-party audio unit effects processing plug-in to augment Logic's already great arsenal, which would it be, and why? Which plug-in would you not be able to do without when mixing?

I often joke during my live webinars or consultations that if I was stuck on an island with only a laptop and had to choose between my wife or one plug-in of my choice that I would....need more time to think.

If my focus is efficiency, a Channel Strip Emulation that has an EQ and Dynamics Section (Compression, Gate, Expander) like the TR5 British Channel by IK Multimedia or “Ultra Channel” by Eventide is definitely the quickest way to go.

If my intent is to purely have fun, a multi-effect processor like “Infiltrator” by Devious Machines
will keep me entertained for a lifetime but if my focus is to select just One Plug-in to enhance Logic’s already robust offerings then I would have to say...

“Sorry Wifey!” Looks like this island is not big enough for the Q3 of us. JK.

Fab-Filter Q3 is a beast of a plug-in and can make anyone a better Producer/Mixer instantly if and when they understand how to use it.

Most EQ’s attenuate, reduce, or omit frequencies. This is a positive thing but not when it comes at the expense of deadening your sound. Let me explain further...

If I wish to reduce the snare in an already recorded drum loop and I slap on an EQ on an Audio Insert, my first inclination is to use a Bell Filter. At best, I may hit the jackpot and get exactly what I want and at its worst, this may procure results that dampen the frequencies in an all too aggressive way.

In my courses, I often refer to the similarities between Building a House and putting together a mix as a Music Producer. We need the right tools for the right job and this is why the Q3 is indispensable in my toolkit.

It can certainly be used in the “traditional” sense as noted above but we can also utilize “Dynamic EQ” which is lighter and more organic than boldly pushing frequencies down. It can best be described as being somewhere in between an EQ and a Compressor. This makes it a more flexible tool.

Dynamic EQ has a bit of a give to it and works with the signal and hence it sounds more natural and will not deaden your sound. If anything, it will bring movement and life to a stagnant recording/loop/sample.

If you add to this the fact that you can process the Left and Right signal independently and also carve out frequencies in Mid Side Mode, it really is no wonder why this is my weapon of choice (any why my wife is currently being consumed by sharks 🦈 ).

That is it for me team. As always...keep learning, keep growing, keep evolving, and Keep your Frequency High! Stay Up!

Eli Krantzberg

There is one plug-in that makes it on to every mix I do. It is magic. Listening back to my mixes with this plug-in doing its work is like bathing in a warm, luxurious cloud of fluffy air. It just adds this perfect coat of finish that elevates the entire mix. It's a mix bus processing plug-in. And it is called, unsurprisingly, Elevate by NewFangled Audio. And if I didn't mention it already, it is pure magic.  

Elevate is an adaptive multiband limiter. Think a combination of Logic's Multipressor and Ad Limiter souped up on steroids. I've used dozens of limiters over the years, but none has the shine and polish of Elevate. It splits the signal up to a maximum of twenty-six separate bands that follow the natural curve of human hearing. Each band can be solo'd and adjusted to taste.

Elevate maintains subtle dynamics and, at the same time, seems to improve the tonal balance of my mixes. Snare and kick drums jump out of the speakers. Vocals are crisp and clear. Guitars are bright and shine through. The adaptive limiter analyzes 26 frequency bands and alters the gain, speed and transients for each band in real-time. Transients, limiting, saturation, clipping, and the frequency split, are all adjustable. The result is a transparent, natural sound, no matter how hard you push it.  

There are a few presets I use as a starting point. I usually end up pushing the drive and clipping up. It is so subtle and warm it just makes the whole mix sound thicker. But I think the central part of Elevate's magic is the adaptive algorithm it applies to all of these processes. It feels and sounds like it is tailored perfectly to each mix I use it on. It doesn't matter whether it is pop, jazz, instrumental funk; Elevate knows just what to do in each area of the frequency range. 

As a bonus, the transient shaper (Punctuate), EQ (Equivocate), and saturation components (Saturate) that comprise Elevate are available as separate stand-alone plug-ins for use within your mix. I usually use the full Elevate on the stereo bus. 

To round off its already excellent feature set, it also does true peak limiting and gain matching. The Auto Output Level feature compares the limited signal to non-limited signals with the same amount of gain, allowing you to easily hear what impact the processing is having on your sound. Elevate also has simple functional easy to understand metering. So it is a trustworthy one-stop-shop to finalize all my mixes. Nothing in Logic even comes close to what Elevate does.

Maurice Chevalier

When asked about a ‘desert island’ plugin I thought I had one already in mind.  Then after a bit more thought - I realized that it would be much harder to choose.  Do you pick the 3rd party processor used most often?  (Waves Scheps Omni Channel) Or maybe the one that helps you find and solve problems fastest.  (FabFilter Pro-Q 3) Maybe the ‘mastering’ tool I’ve used to give the final sheen to every TV cue or record I’ve produced or mixed in a decade.  (iZotope Ozone)  There are so many great choices, and like many, I have hundreds I rarely use.  (until I really need them)  

But in the end, it’s the plugin at the end of almost every mix. Universal Audio’s SSL 4000 G Bus Compressor.

Even when barely used for compression it still effectively glues all of my sounds together.  It has become a ‘part’ of my sound.  If I were going to return to buying hardware (after selling quite a bit of it) this would likely be the first.  I can push sounds recorded at different times in different rooms, and with very little effort they all seem to ‘belong’ together. 

There are quite a few 3rd party plugins I’d miss.  (reverbs, delays, filters, EQs, compressors, saturators, and on and on)  But I can place a few bus compressors on my buses with stock versions of everything else and get ‘my sound’.  No other 3rd party plugin/processor can claim that position better than Logic’s own stock plugins.

So, there you have it. What is your favourite third-party plug-in that you just can’t live without? Let us know in the comments below