An exciter also called a harmonic exciter or aural exciter is an audio signal processing technique used to enhance a signal by dynamic equalization, phase manipulation, harmonic synthesis of usually highfrequency signals, and through the addition of subtle harmonic distortion. I bought a hardware unit in 1995, and still use the waves aphex plugin currently. The mixer pot in the image above controls the rf levelblend across the mixer diode, along with the diode bias there is a sweet spot i adjust to. A true groundbreaker, the original aural exciter was highly regarded for its ability to increase. How to use the waves aphex vintage aural exciter plugin. It delivers all the character of an analog signal path and provides what digital processing usually is hard pushed to, including a rich lowend experience and that vibrant. But mastering has become the area where their plugins are most commonly used. Harmonic exciter plugins vst, au, aax daw music production aax, audiounit, and vst exciter plugins that apply a smooth harmonic enhancement, exciter, and valve coloration effects to audio tracks. To operate a linear amplifier, simply connect the output to the transmitter input, set the output tap for 50 ohm operation, and adjust the front panel output. Aphex vintage exciter by waves plugins vst, au splice. Were often asked at sweetwater if an exciterenhancer is cheating when it comes to getting a great sound certainly not. Harmonic exciter is an auv3 compatible plugin for your favourite daw such as cubasis, auria, aum, meteor, bm3 or garageband etc.
Check out the following tutorial to learn how to add character to your mix with an aural exciter. When it was originally introduced in the mid1970s, the aphex aural exciter brought its distinctive sound to select sessions by. What would be the advantage of multiband harmonic exciter. Add character to your mix with an aural exciter august 20, 2019 an exciter is a processing technique used to enhance an audio signal by dynamic equalization, phase manipulation, harmonic synthesis of highfrequency signals, and through the addition of subtle harmonic distortion. They can also be used in mid and even low frequencies to add a boost or presence.
When it comes to software emulations of famous analog hardware audio processors, one plugin definitely stands out from the rest. Waves aphex vintage aural exciter audio software plugin. For example, if your fundamental tone is a 1 khz sine wave, 2 khz would be an even harmonic and 3 khz would be an odd harmonic. From tools designed by legendary mixing engineers to models of vintage analog gear, waves saturation and distortion plugins add attitude and edge to your mixes. How to add harmonic distortion for analog warmth waves. Harmonic or aural exciters affect odd and even harmonics. Exciters can add life and high end harmonic content to an otherwise dull signal, bringing out the harmonics and brightness needed. Also check out decimort 2 bit crusher and devastator 2 multiband. Abbey road j37 tape saturation plugin, modeled on the machine used to record many of the greatest masterpieces in modern music, brings analog warmth to digital recordings. At its core is the requirement for all waves to develop with natural wave relationships for each respective wave that generate matching. Eq simply boosts or cuts frequencies already present in the signal, whereas harmonic exciters are adding additional harmonic frequencies that are not present in the original audio. Jun 06, 2018 an exciter also called a harmonic exciter or aural exciter is an audio signal processing technique used to enhance a signal by dynamic equalization, phase manipulation, harmonic synthesis of usually highfrequency signals, and through the addition of subtle harmonic distortion. Sound magic exciter is a full range exciter which could add sweet, beautiful harmony to your music.
When it was originally introduced in the mid1970s, the aphex aural exciter brought its distinctive sound to select sessions by leading recording artists, traveling from studio to studio as an exclusive and expensive rental unit. Thrillseeker xtc is all about adding weight, vibe and attitude back to the sound. The first choice for grammywinning mixing engineers, music producers, musicians and sound designers, waves is the worldleading maker of audio plugins, software and hardware for audio mixing, music production, mastering, postproduction and live sound. Add character to your mix with an aural exciter soundbridge. Exciter plugins, vst exciter plugins, buy exciter plugins.
The audio plugin features high and low exciter controls, an analog button, and a. Dynamic equalization involves variation of the equalizer. Waves soundgrid tdm products also include native versions. The aural exciter is a great tool to use in the studio if youre looking to add some highend clarity and sparkle to your music productions. And of course its mac audiounits only at this point, unless you fish around for an older pcvst version. It is best used when you need to attract audience with an impressive timbre. Another board the harmonic exciter is where the real vocal action happens. Sweetwater carries exciters that can give your audio higher perceived loudness while enhancing harmonic richness.
Apr 25, 2018 waves have over 140 different plugins in their range, that can be used for all kinds of effects and processing. Free exciter enhancer plugins audio plugins for free. Exciters and enhancers add harmonic content in ways you cant achieve with other processing techniques, and youve heard them on more prolevel recordings than you realize. This eighth episode of our home mastering series will deal with harmonic exciters, harmonic enhancers and company. The best free vst effects exciter maximizer enhancer. Logic audio has an exciter plug built in, but its not great. Apr 07, 2019 best exciter plugin software izotope exciter. Tony maserati is of course the famed producer who has worked with virtually every pop star out there. Using waves aphex vintage aural exciter to bring character. From precision preamp models like scheps 73 and aural excitation tools like aphex, to tone shaping and saturation engines like vitamin, waves harmonic enhancement plugins bring warmth and spark to your sound. Each month we search the web for some of the industrys most essential freeware instrument and effect plugins. This roundup features five free vst plugins for mixing vocals. Its a contemporary exciter build around a true parallel analog style equalizer design.
The third harmonic attenuation begins at the mixer diode to get that classic theremin sound. Exciter offers separate controls on low frequency and high frequency which you could use to achieve different sweetness for your sound. Even harmonics are the result of even number multipliers 2, 4, 6, 8, etc. Dynamic equalization involves variation of the equalizer characteristics in the time domain as a function of the input. The best harmonic exciter and enhancer plugins for mastering. The audio plugin features high and low exciter controls, an analog button, and a vumeter. Modeled on one of only a few tubepowered units ever made, the waves aphex vintage aural exciter plugin delivers all the unique character of the rare original hardware unit, with all the advantages of software. Harmonic enhancement for the sound is like spices for the food.
Tutorial on using vocodex plugin as an exciter as far as i know exciters are used to make the track have an unique sound to it, and this certainly does so. Download the best free exciter enhancer audio plugins. It allows adding harmonic distortion at about 10k and 100hz, which is useful for creating presence in dull audio, especially useful for brightening up the top end. Kinder musical instruments harmonic exciter effects database. When it comes to mixing edm or any kind of electronic music, there is one plugin that is more helpful than all the rest. It is wellknown for flexibility and the most fully featured exciter plugins available in the market. Harmonic maximizer is a multiband exciter and loudness shaping plugin that will make your tracks powerful and more alive. Maserati hmx harmonic generator is a unique plugin that comes as part of the tony maserati collection of plugins. An exciter also called a harmonic exciter or aural exciter is an audio signal processing technique used to enhance a signal by dynamic equalization, phase manipulation, harmonic synthesis of usually highfrequency signals. A harmonic exciter is an audio effects signal processor applied to enhance the brightness and clarity of a sound, particularly used for vocals. Abbey road j37 tape saturation plugin, modeled on the machine used to record many. It even comes with an analog section that allows you to dial in just the right amount of grit to individual tracks, stems, and entire mixes.
This is done by generating even andor odd harmonics, usually. Aphex aural exciter by waves is, without any doubt a faithful emulation of its hardware. Sep 11, 2017 this video includes an eq, a compressor, an auto panner, a distortion and saturation plugin and a harmonic exciter plenty to try out. While an eq boosts already existing frequencies, a harmonic exciter actually adds content to the signal by producing harmonic distortion. Above you see a selection of exciter plugins from some of the top music software companies worldwide. Waves loair adds sub harmonics waves maxbass synthesize upper harmonics, to give the illusion of a bigger bottom waves vitamin is a multiband harmonic enhancer type of plugin, so you can process bands independently. Harmonic exciter vst software free download harmonic. Waves vitamin is a multiband harmonic enhancer and toneshaping plugin that can make any track sound powerful and full of spark by mixing an enriched version with the original signal. The beauty of harmonic elliott wave is in its truly fractal nature, inherent logic and adherence to fibonacci and harmonic ratios that weave a web of consistent wave relationships throughout the wave degrees. Modeled on one of the few surviving tubepowered units ever made, this plugin delivers the unique character of the original hardware. Im admitting im on shaky ground with this assertion, but i do know that the hardware and software somehow sound different.
What is your favorite exciter distortion plugin to use. I use the aphex aural exciter from waves and the freebie softube saturation plugin for my needs, i have others that do the same job but i am so used to these that are my go. The zl1bpu lf exciter rf output is a clean sine wave with very low harmonic content. The main purpose of a harmonic exciter is to help instruments cut through a mix and give some edge and clarity to a sound by adding additional harmonics. Harmonic exciters are the key to mixing electronic music. The techniques ranged from psychoacoustic frequency compensation to simple filtering but the aim was the same.
Add warmth, sparkle and shine with four separate bands of excitation. Used judiciously, it does sweeten the sound like any other dsp, if used unwisely, it will screw up your mix. It includes a vocal pitch shifter, tape saturator, one knob reverb, a glitch delay, and a harmonic exciter. With the waves aphex vintage aural exciter, the venerable tubedriven circuitry now has an equivalent in software form. Should you know of anything that we have not listed here let us know. Aphex currently offer a 2 channel exciter as a 1u 19 rackmount unit, while versions in 500series lunchbox format and even footpedals have been produced. The modern exciter vst is capable of applying subtle harmonic coloration to the sound without squashing it.
Harmonic maximizer, harmonic maximizer plugin, buy harmonic. Whether youre recording or performing, exciters and enhancers can sweeten your audio in ways you cant achieve with eq and compression, and theyre generally fast to dial in. Redopter is a vintage tube distortion unit, and just brilliant. Apr 25, 2018 the aural exciter is a great tool to use in the studio if youre looking to add some highend clarity and sparkle to your music productions. Exciter with harmonic coloration the modern exciter vst plugin by antress is a high quality exciter harmonic enhancer. With its zerolatency processing, vitamin caters to studio and live mix engineers alike. Extra 40% off use code creative40 modeled on one of only a few tubepowered units ever made, the waves aphex vintage aural exciter plugin delivers all the unique character of the rare original hardware unit, with all the advantages of software. The aural exciter s patented technology is available nowadays in both hardware and software formats. It can help to add extra punch to a whole mix, or it can be used on individual tracks and instruments like vocals, drums, guitars, and bass. Furthermore, id say that you use exciters on a full mix at very high risk of overcooking it.
In this free video tutorial russ shows how the waves vintage aural exciter has some tricks up its sleeve. Exciter by sound magic exciter enhancer vst plugin. I use the psp mixtreble plug all the time to help overprocess background vocal harmonies. Feb 17, 2015 tutorial on using vocodex plugin as an exciter as far as i know exciters are used to make the track have an unique sound to it, and this certainly does so. Im yet to find a convincing exciter plugin but i use the real unit so. The exciter preset in the waves plugins is not what petsematary is looking for its a simple delay. This list of free vst plugin downloads offers five modern. Audio mastering software what to use in the studio. Apr 25, 2019 the d16 team have been getting a lot of grassroots praise from edm producers for their range of awesome effects plugins, not to mention probably the best 808 and 909 classic drum machine emulations yet created. Browse, download and buy our selection of exciter plugins, effects and instruments online today. Az of waves h is for harmonic enhancers in our ongoing series looking at the az of waves, we come to h for harmonic enhancers and in the waves plugin portfolio there are several to choose from including andrew scheps 73, cobalt saphira, vitamin and aphex aural exciter plugins.
Modelled on full scale stage gear, the look and feel is truly reproduced. Harmonic exciter harmonic exciters can give a sparkle or shine to the upper frequencies of a mix. When it was originally introduced in the mid1970s, the aphex aural exciter brought its distinctive sound to select sessions by leading recording. The software version closely models the sound, vibe, and even appearance of the original, with a bunch of features that would make it fit right into any modern studio. In this tutorial you will learn how to use the aphex vintage aural exciter plugin to enhance your vocal and instrumental tracks in a recording session. In our ongoing series looking at the az of waves, we come to h for harmonic enhancers and in the waves plugin portfolio there are several to choose from including andrew scheps 73, cobalt saphira, vitamin and aphex aural exciter plugins. We also have two other videos with another 10 free plug ins. Different producers and engineers will have their own opinions, but the following plugins are among the best audio mastering software tools waves have to offer. When it was originally introduced in the mid1970s, the aphex aural exciter brought its distinctive sound.
916 752 590 239 547 987 1537 254 169 1179 80 145 1000 1518 1307 1097 675 1439 999 109 1483 586 700 252 1293 542 1219 173