15 - Plugin Inventory
Purpose
This is the working inventory of the tools actually installed on this system (Logic Pro on a UAD Apollo setup).
It exists to answer, fast:
- What do I already have for this job?
- Which tool sounds the most expensive for this job?
- What is the fast path when I just need to keep moving?
- What overlaps, and what should I default to?
The collection is large. The point of this page is to reduce choices, not celebrate them.
How to Read This Page
The Expensive Flag
⭐ = a premium / flagship tool. When the goal is "make it sound expensive," reach for ⭐ first.
🟢 = fast path. Good result quickly, low decision fatigue (often Logic stock).
Default reach order: try the ⭐ premium tool first — premium is the priority for this guide's expensive sound. Drop to a 🟢 fast-path tool only when you need speed, are still writing, or the premium tool is more than the part needs.
Workflow Role
| Role | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Core | High-quality default worth learning deeply |
| Character | Strong flavor; use when personality helps the song |
| Utility | Solves a specific technical problem |
| Analyzer | Helps judge balance, loudness, translation |
| Special | Ear candy, weirdness, transitions, stylized moments |
Priority (for the target sound)
| Priority | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A | Central to the electronic art-pop target |
| B | Useful often |
| C | Situational |
The "Expensive Sound" Shortlist
When in doubt, these are the go-to premium tools by job. Everything else is backup or fast path.
| Job | ⭐ Reach For | Why it sounds expensive |
|---|---|---|
| Analog synth foundation | u-he Diva | True analog modeling, depth, glue |
| Vintage poly character | GForce OB-E / Roland JUPITER-8 / JUNO-60 | Real-machine size and drift |
| Modern hybrid / sound design | Arturia Pigments / Omnisphere | Dimensional, animated, deep |
| Evolving atmosphere | KORG wavestate / Omnisphere | Constant, organic motion |
| Lush studio reverb | Lexicon PCM (Hall/Plate) / UAD Lexicon 480L / EMT 250 | Classic high-end studio tails |
| Otherworldly reverb | Eventide Blackhole / ShimmerVerb | Huge, modern, cinematic space |
| Plate / vintage reverb | UAD EMT 140 / Capitol Chambers / Eventide SP2016 | Real plate and chamber character |
| Premium delay | Eventide H3000 / UltraTap | Studio-grade pitch+delay, rhythmic taps |
| Tape echo | UAD Galaxy Tape Echo / Strymon El Capistan | Warm, wow/flutter, analog repeats |
| Width without chorus cheese | Eventide MicroPitch / TriceraChorus | Subtle, hi-fi stereo bloom |
| Analog tape glue | UAD Studer A800 / Oxide Tape | Cohesion, weight, expensive top |
| Tube / harmonic color | UAD Thermionic Culture Vulture / Manley | Rich, musical saturation |
| Vocal compression | UAD 1176 + LA-2A (in series) | Industry-standard vocal sheen |
| Vocal channel | UAD Manley VOXBOX / Avalon VT-737 | One-box expensive vocal tone |
| Mix-bus glue | UAD SSL G Bus Comp / Shadow Hills | Pro console cohesion |
| Mastering polish | iZotope Ozone 12 Adv + Manley Massive Passive | Clean loudness + analog sweetening |
Reach-For-First by Job
| Need | ⭐ Premium | 🟢 Fast Path | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surgical EQ | FabFilter Pro-Q 4 | Logic Channel EQ | Random EQ browsing |
| Analog-color EQ | UAD Pultec / Neve 1073 / Maag | NI Solid EQ | Stacking 3 colored EQs |
| Dynamic / multiband | FabFilter Pro-MB | Ozone Dynamic EQ | Over-processing |
| Compression (vocal) | UAD 1176 / LA-2A | Logic Compressor (VCA/FET) | Over-squashing |
| Compression (bus) | UAD SSL G Bus / Shadow Hills | NI Solid Bus Comp | Crushing the mix |
| Reverb (lush) | Lexicon PCM / UAD 480L | Valhalla VintageVerb / Logic ChromaVerb | Wetting everything |
| Reverb (huge/weird) | Eventide Blackhole / ShimmerVerb | Logic Space Designer | Drowning the vocal |
| Delay | Eventide H3000 / UltraTap | Logic Delay Designer / Tape Delay | Constant clutter |
| Tape echo | UAD Galaxy / Strymon El Capistan | Logic Tru-Tape Delay | Lo-fi on everything |
| Width | Eventide MicroPitch | UAD Dimension D | Making everything wide |
| Saturation / glue | UAD Studer A800 / Oxide | Logic ChromaGlow | Smearing the whole mix |
| Distortion | iZotope Trash | Logic Phat FX | Distorting everything |
| Lo-fi character | RC-20 Retro Color | iZotope Vinyl | Permanent degradation early |
| Glitch / transition | Stutter Edit 2 | Audija SuperStutter (live jam) / Logic Remix FX | Gimmick overload |
| Precision kick design | Audija KickDrum | Roland TR-808 / Logic Drum Synth | Endless kick tweaking |
| Mix-ready designed bass | UVI Rumble | Diva + Pigments stack | Over-designing the low end |
| Evolving atmospheric reverb | Arturia Rev OCEAN | Eventide Blackhole / Valhalla VintageVerb | Wetting everything |
| Rhythmic movement | ShaperBox 3 | Logic Step FX | Pumping on everything |
| Repair | RX 12 Advanced | — | Mixing out bad audio |
| Mastering sketch | Ozone 12 Advanced | Logic Mastering Assistant | Over-relying on AI |
| Tonal check | Tonal Balance Control 3 | Logic MultiMeter | Mixing only by meters |
| Cinematic pop strings | NI Session Strings Pro 2 | GForce VSM IV / Logic Studio Strings | Full Symphony Series browsing |
| Clear sustaining grand | Synthogy Italian Grand | Ivory / Ravel | Felt/muted pianos (Noire) for this job |
| Emotional grand piano | Synthogy Ivory | UADx Ravel | Random piano preset browsing |
| Vintage Mellotron color | GForce M-Tron Pro | Logic Vintage Mellotron | Cleaning tape flutter away |
| Orb/cinematic granular bed | NI Ashlight | wavestate / Omnisphere | Layering multiple texture beds |
| Tuned percussion one-shots | NI Session Percussionist | Battery 4 / Quick Sampler | Installing every Kontakt percussion lib |
Synths and Keys
This is the heart of the target sound. Choose by role, not by browsing.
Analog / Virtual-Analog
| Plugin | ⭐ | Role | Priority | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| u-he Diva | ⭐ | Core | A | The expensive analog default: bass, pads, leads |
| GForce OB-E | ⭐ | Character | A | Oberheim 8-voice; huge warm pads, Goldfrapp/DM size |
| GForce OB-X | ⭐ | Character | A | Official Oberheim OB-X; lush early-80s analog poly — DM/synth-pop chords + pads |
| GForce SEM | ⭐ | Character | B | Oberheim SEM; fat mono/duo, silky filter |
| GForce Two Voice Pro (TVS Pro) | Character | B | Official Oberheim TVS; fat SEM duophonic bass/lead/sequence | |
| GForce OB-1 | Character | B | Official Oberheim OB-1; aggressive mono lead/bass | |
| GForce Minimonsta | ⭐ | Character | B | Minimoog (with Melohman morphing); fat mono bass + leads |
| GForce Novation Bass Station | Character | B | Classic 1993 mono/acid bass — dance, dub, electronic low end | |
| GForce VSM IV | ⭐ | Character | A | Solina-style string machine; lush strings, choirs, brass for cinematic pads |
| Roland JUPITER-8 | ⭐ | Character | A | Lush vintage poly, brass, pads, classic synth-pop |
| Roland JUNO-60 / JUNO-106 | ⭐ | Character | A | Iconic chorus pads, plucks, 80s warmth |
| Roland JUPITER-4 / PROMARS / SH-101 / SH-2 / SYSTEM-100 | Character | B | Mono bass, acid, vintage character | |
| Brainworx bx_oberhausen | Character | B | SEM-style poly; alt analog flavor | |
| Pulsar Modular Zorba | Character | C | Boutique analog voice; lush textures | |
| Scaler Carbon Electra 2 | Character | C | 4-osc poly; quick analog-style pop pads | |
| UADx PolyMAX | Character | B | Modern poly-analog, big unison | |
| KORG Pompei (Polysix) / Montpellier (Mono-Poly) / Lexington (ARP Odyssey) / Phoenix | Character | B | Vintage KORG/ARP analog flavors |
Hybrid / Modern Sound Design
| Plugin | ⭐ | Role | Priority | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arturia Pigments | ⭐ | Core | A | Modern pads, motion, wavetable+granular, deep design |
| Spectrasonics Omnisphere | ⭐ | Core | A | Dimensional pads, hybrid textures, "expensive" presets |
| KORG wavestate native | ⭐ | Character | A | Wave-sequenced evolving atmosphere/motion |
| KORG modwave native | Character | B | Wavetable digital motion, cold edge | |
| UADx Opal Morphing Synth | Character | B | Modern morphing leads/pads | |
| NI Massive X / Massive | Character | B | Aggressive/digital bass and leads | |
| Waldorf Blofeld | Character | C | Wavetable PPG-style digital character (Microwave 1 preferred for vintage PPG) | |
| UVI Rumble | ⭐ | Core | B | Multiband bass synth (Body/Character/Air); mix-ready sub + grit + transient; kick-engine option |
| GForce MAP | Special | B | West Coast (Buchla/Serge) triple-osc + waveshaping/FM, XY, generative arp; experimental evolving textures | |
| Newfangled Generate | Special | C | Generative/spectral drones and odd-but-pretty textures | |
| Audio Damage Traverse | Special | C | Creative modulation/texture effect |
FM / Digital / Vintage Workstation
| Plugin | ⭐ | Role | Priority | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GForce Halogen FM | ⭐ | Character | B | 4-op FM (generative "happy accident" engine); bells, glass, metallic, evolving FM textures |
| Waldorf Microwave 1 | ⭐ | Character | B | Official PPG Microwave wavetable; bells, glass, metallic pads, evolving 80s/90s digital romance |
| NI FM8 | Character | B | Bells, glass, metallic keys, DX-style FM (produced path when Halogen is too musical) | |
| Roland D-50 / JD-800 | Character | B | 80s/90s digital pads, romantic synth-pop | |
| KORG Darwin (M1) / Milpitas (Wavestation) | Character | B | 90s digital pads/bell, vector/wave atmosphere | |
| Roland JV-1080 / XV-5080 / SOUND Canvas VA | Character | C | Rompler pads, retro multitimbral color | |
| KORG Chiangmai (FM) / Warszawa (Wavetable) / Kiev (Vector) | Character | C | Extra FM/wavetable/vector flavors |
Keys / Pianos / Organs
| Plugin | ⭐ | Role | Priority | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synthogy Ivory | ⭐ | Core | B | Realistic, emotional grand piano |
| Synthogy Italian Grand | ⭐ | Character | B | Clear European grand; long sustain, expensive clarity (Balearic piano, cinematic chords) |
| UADx Ravel Grand Piano | ⭐ | Core | B | Alt premium grand |
| UADx Electra 88 Vintage Keys | Character | B | Rhodes/Wurli/Clav vintage electric keys | |
| UADx Waterfall B3 + Rotary Speaker | Character | C | Hammond organ + Leslie | |
| Logic Vintage Electric Piano / B3 / Clav / Mellotron | 🟢 | Character | B | Fast vintage keys in-DAW |
| GForce M-Tron Pro | ⭐ | Character | A | Premium Mellotron — tape strings, flute, choir; Lana/Felt Mountain/Mono tape nostalgia |
Sample Instruments (Kontakt / Keys)
| Plugin | ⭐ | Role | Priority | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NI Session Strings Pro 2 | ⭐ | Core | A | Close cinematic pop strings; legato beds (Lana, Hooverphonic, Felt Mountain) |
| NI Session Percussionist | Character | B | Tunable wood/metal/mallet one-shots; pitched-perc grids, ear-candy | |
| NI Ashlight | ⭐ | Character | B | Dark granular evolving beds; Orb/iamamiwhoami cinematic texture |
| NI Kontakt 8 (player) | Core | B | Host for NI libraries and third-party instruments | |
| Arturia Augmented PERSIA | Character | B | Fast hybrid cinematic texture | |
| Logic Alchemy ⭐🟢 | Core | B | Deeply capable sampler/synth, great pads/motion (free in DAW) | |
| Logic Sculpture | Character | C | Physical modeling, unique mallet/string textures | |
| Logic Sample Alchemy / Quick Sampler | 🟢 | Utility | B | Fast sampling/granular |
Drums and Percussion
| Plugin | ⭐ | Role | Priority | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roland TR-808 / TR-909 | ⭐ | Character | A | The core electronic drum identity |
| Roland TR-707 / TR-727 / TR-606 | Character | B | Drier 80s machine kits, Latin perc, acid hats | |
| XLN XO | ⭐ | Core | A | Sample-based kit building, groove, organization |
| NI Battery 4 | Core | B | Custom one-shot kits, breakbeat cells, metallic layers | |
| NI Session Percussionist | Character | B | Tunable wood/metal/mallet percussion; pitched grids, Depeche accents | |
| XLN Addictive Trigger | Utility | C | Drum replacement/reinforcement | |
| GForce IconDrum | ⭐ | Character | A | LinnDrum (LM-1/LM-2) — the 80s synth-pop/Depeche Mode/Lana drum sound |
| GForce DMX | Character | B | Oberheim DMX vintage machine flavor | |
| KORG Gadget drums (London, Osaka, Gladstone, Recife, Tokyo) | Character | C | Quick electronic/perc machines | |
| Logic Drum Synth / Ultrabeat / Drum Kit Designer | 🟢 | Core | B | Fast synth and acoustic drums in-DAW |
| Logic Beat Breaker | Special | C | Beat slicing/rearrangement, stutter feels | |
| Audija KickDrum | ⭐ | Core | B | Precision kick synth; pitch-curve sculpting, sample analyze-to-patch, layered electronic kicks |
| UVI Rumble (kick engine) | Character | C | Designed kick transients inside the multiband bass synth (Air band) |
Reverb
Tiered by job. Use sends for shared space; duplicates for extreme tails.
Lush / Studio (the expensive default)
| Plugin | ⭐ | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Lexicon PCM (LexHall, LexPlate, LexChamber, LexRoom, LexRandomHall) | ⭐ | Polished halls, plates, chambers — the high-end studio glue |
| UAD Lexicon 480L | ⭐ | The classic digital hall/plate of countless records |
| UAD EMT 250 | ⭐ | Early-digital lush plate/space |
| UAD EMT 140 | ⭐ | Classic plate (vocals, snare, synths) |
| UAD Capitol Chambers / Hitsville Chambers | ⭐ | Real chamber depth, dimensional |
| UAD Pure Plate | 🟢 | Fast, clean plate |
| Valhalla VintageVerb | 🟢 | Fast lush vintage-color hall/plate; the quick "expensive enough" dream-pop wash |
| Logic ChromaVerb | 🟢 | Capable modern algorithmic reverb in-DAW |
Otherworldly / Cinematic
| Plugin | ⭐ | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Eventide Blackhole (+ Immersive) | ⭐ | Massive, unreal, cinematic space and risers |
| Eventide ShimmerVerb | ⭐ | Pitch-shimmer pads and halos |
| Eventide MangledVerb | Distorted/aggressive reverb texture | |
| Eventide SP2016 | ⭐ | Classic vintage plate/room (expensive 80s) |
| Eventide Crystals | Reverse + pitched reverb/delay, pretty halos | |
| Eventide Sheen Machine | High-shimmer "air" reverb | |
| Strymon BigSky / NightSky / Cloudburst | Pedal-flavored ambient/granular space | |
| Eventide UltraReverb | Deep, tweakable all-rounder | |
| Eventide Spring / Tverb | Spring (surf/dub); Tverb = Bowie "Heroes" 3-mic room | |
| Arturia Rev OCEAN | ⭐ | Evolving FDN atmosphere; tidal motion (Abyss/Tide/Foam), freeze, ducking — fast cinematic/dream-pop wash |
| Logic Space Designer | 🟢 | Convolution: real spaces and IRs |
| Logic Quantec Room Simulator / EnVerb / SilverVerb | 🟢 | Alt rooms and ambience in-DAW |
Delay
| Plugin | ⭐ | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Eventide H3000 Factory / Band Delays | ⭐ | Studio pitch+delay, lush multitap, signature movement |
| Eventide UltraTap | ⭐ | Rhythmic taps, swells, reverse, pad risers |
| Eventide MicroPitch | ⭐ | Detuned delay widening (premium stereo bloom) |
| Eventide H910 / H949 | Vintage harmonizer doubling/detune | |
| UAD Galaxy Tape Echo | ⭐ | Warm Roland Space Echo tape repeats |
| UAD EP-34 Tape Echo / Cooper Time Cube / Korg SDD-3000 | Tape and early-digital delay colors | |
| Strymon El Capistan / DIG | Pedal tape echo / clean dual digital | |
| UAD Roland RE-201 / Roland Cloud RE-201 | Space Echo (spring + tape) | |
| iZotope Cascadia | Modern modular delay/movement | |
| Logic Delay Designer / Tape Delay / Stereo Delay / Echo | 🟢 | Fast, capable delays in-DAW |
| Lexicon LexDualDelay / LexRandomDelay | Studio-grade algorithmic delays |
Modulation and Movement
| Plugin | ⭐ | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Eventide TriceraChorus | ⭐ | Tri-chorus width, 80s/DM lush stereo |
| Eventide MicroPitch | ⭐ | Subtle hi-fi widening (not chorus cheese) |
| UAD Roland Dimension D | ⭐ | Classic dimensional chorus (the "expensive" widener) |
| UAD Studio D Chorus / Brigade Chorus / Dytronics Tri-Stereo | Vintage chorus colors | |
| Eventide Instant Phaser / Instant Flanger | Classic phase/flange movement | |
| Eventide Undulator / Rotary Mod | Tremolo-delay; Leslie rotary | |
| Tone Projects Uni-L | Polished chorus/uni-vibe width | |
| NI Freak | Ring-mod/frequency-shift weirdness | |
| Cableguys ShaperBox 3 | ⭐ | Volume/filter/pan motion, sidechain shapes |
| Devious Machines Infiltrator | Gated/rhythmic multi-fx sequencing | |
| Logic Ensemble / Scanner Vibrato / Modulation Delay | 🟢 | Fast modulation in-DAW |
Saturation, Distortion, Character, Lo-Fi
| Plugin | ⭐ | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| UAD Studer A800 | ⭐ | Tape glue/cohesion on bus, drums, synths |
| UAD Oxide Tape / Ampex ATR-102 | ⭐ | Tape weight and expensive top end |
| UAD Thermionic Culture Vulture | ⭐ | Rich tube distortion/character |
| UAD bx_saturator / SPL TwinTube / FATSO | Harmonic density and color | |
| iZotope Trash | ⭐ | Heavy/creative distortion (best on duplicates) |
| iZotope Plasma | Quick analog-ish density | |
| Eventide CrushStation | Musical overdrive/fuzz | |
| XLN RC-20 Retro Color | ⭐ | Expensive lo-fi: wobble, noise, magnitude, space |
| iZotope Vinyl | 🟢 | Record-dust lo-fi (free-feeling) |
| Unfiltered Audio lo-fi-af | Aggressive bit/sample-rate lo-fi | |
| Vynl Audio Voyager | Tape/turntable warp + flutter character | |
| Newfangled Saturate / Invigorate | Spectral saturation/enhancement | |
| Logic ChromaGlow / Phat FX / Bitcrusher | 🟢 | Fast color and grit in-DAW |
EQ
| Plugin | ⭐ | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| FabFilter Pro-Q 4 | ⭐ | Surgical + dynamic EQ, the precision default |
| UAD Pultec EQP-1A / MEQ-5 | ⭐ | Smooth analog low-end/top sweetening |
| UAD Manley Massive Passive | ⭐ | Expensive broad tonal shaping (mix/master) |
| UAD Neve 1073 / 1081 / 1084 | ⭐ | Classic console color and presence |
| UAD API 550A / 560 / Maag EQ4 | Punch, air (Maag "Air Band") | |
| UAD Trident A-Range / Harrison 32C / Helios 69 | Vintage console flavors | |
| NI Solid EQ / Newfangled EQuivocate | 🟢 | SSL-style; linear-phase match EQ |
| Eventide EQ45 / EQ65 | Vintage graphic/parametric colors | |
| Logic Channel EQ / Linear Phase EQ / Vintage EQ Collection | 🟢 | Capable EQ in-DAW |
Dynamics / Compression
| Plugin | ⭐ | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| UAD 1176 (Rev A/E/AE) | ⭐ | Fast FET vocal/drum punch and attitude |
| UAD Teletronix LA-2A / LA-3A | ⭐ | Smooth optical vocal/bass leveling |
| UAD Fairchild 660/670 | ⭐ | Vari-mu glue and vintage density |
| UAD Manley Variable Mu | ⭐ | Expensive bus/vocal vari-mu glue |
| UAD SSL G Bus Compressor | ⭐ | The classic mix-bus glue |
| UAD Shadow Hills Mastering Comp | ⭐ | Premium 2-bus (VCA + optical + transformers) |
| UAD API 2500 / Vertigo VSC-2 | Punchy VCA bus compression | |
| UAD Distressor / Empirical FATSO | Aggressive character compression | |
| UAD elysia mpressor / alpha | Modern, colorful, flexible dynamics | |
| FabFilter Pro-MB | ⭐ | Transparent multiband/dynamic control |
| NI Solid Bus Comp / Solid Dynamics | 🟢 | SSL-style glue in-DAW |
| Newfangled Punctuate / UAD SPL Transient Designer | Transient shaping | |
| Logic Compressor (model-switchable) | 🟢 | Capable all-purpose comp in-DAW |
Vocal Tools
| Plugin | ⭐ | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| UAD Manley VOXBOX | ⭐ | One-box expensive vocal channel (pre/EQ/comp/de-ess) |
| UAD Avalon VT-737 / Century / LA-6176 | ⭐ | Premium vocal channel strips |
| Antares Auto-Tune Pro | ⭐ | Tuning: transparent or hard-tuned effect |
| Antares Harmony Engine | Generated vocal harmonies | |
| Eventide Octavox / Quadravox | Pitched multi-voice harmony/thickening | |
| Eventide Crystals / H910 / MicroPitch | Shimmer, doubling, detune on vocals | |
| iZotope VocalSynth 2 | Vocoder, talkbox, synthetic vocal layers | |
| Logic EVOC 20 PolySynth | 🟢 | Classic vocoder (The Knife/electronic vocal) |
| UAD Softube Vocoder | Alt vocoder color | |
| Antares AVOX suite (Throat, Mutator, Choir, Duo, etc.) | Vocal design and effects | |
| RX 12 (De-ess, De-plosive, Mouth De-click, Breath Control) | ⭐ | Vocal cleanup before mixing |
| Antares Mic Mod | Mic-modeling tone shaping |
Guitar / Amp
| Plugin | ⭐ | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| UAD Fender '64 Deluxe Reverb | ⭐ | Premium clean — try first; onboard spring reverb + tremolo (surf/western/cinematic/clean leads) |
| UAD Fender '55 Tweed Deluxe | ⭐ | Premium warm clean / edge-of-breakup |
| UAD Marshall / Friedman / Diezel / ENGL / Fuchs / Suhr | ⭐ | Premium amp models (crunch to heavy) |
| UAD Softube Vintage Amp Room / Amp Rooms | Alt premium amp/room colors | |
| Bogren Ampknob DUET | 🟢 | Fast one-knob clean — when speed matters more than amp specificity |
| Overloud TH-U | Widest amp/cab/IR/rig library; specific amps and dirt | |
| NI Guitar Rig 7 | Creative/experimental guitar effects (not clean-amp realism) | |
| KORG Rosario (G.Amp) / Santa Ana / Durban (B.Amp) | Quick gadget guitar/bass amps | |
| Logic Amp Designer / Bass Amp Designer / Pedalboard | 🟢 | Capable amp/pedals in-DAW |
Real amp: Vox AC15HW1X (character, but apartment volume limits use).
Mix Bus and Mastering
| Plugin | ⭐ | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| iZotope Ozone 12 Advanced (+ modules) | ⭐ | Mastering workstation, loudness, tonal shaping |
| UAD SSL G Bus Compressor | ⭐ | Mix-bus glue |
| UAD Manley Massive Passive | ⭐ | Master tonal sweetening |
| UAD Shadow Hills Mastering Comp | ⭐ | Premium master compression |
| UAD Ampex ATR-102 / Studer A800 | ⭐ | Tape on the 2-bus |
| Newfangled Elevate / UAD Precision Limiter / bx_limiter True Peak | Final limiting | |
| UAD Oxford Inflator | Loudness/density without obvious limiting | |
| FabFilter Pro-Q 4 / Pro-MB | ⭐ | Precision master EQ/dynamics |
| Tonal Balance Control 3 / Insight 2 | ⭐ | Reference and loudness/true-peak metering |
| Logic Mastering Assistant | 🟢 | Fast master sketch in-DAW |
Repair / Utility / Metering
- iZotope RX 12 Advanced ⭐ — clicks, plosives, hum, noise, de-reverb, rebalance
- Eventide Physion Mk II — transient/tonal split resynthesis (creative + repair)
- Eventide SplitEQ — transient/tonal EQ
- Eventide Precision Time Align / UAD Little Labs IBP — phase/time alignment
- UAD Little Labs VOG — low-end resonance control
- sonible pureLevel — automatic level/ride
- Brainworx bx_tuner / bx_crispytuner — tuning/utility
- Logic Match EQ / MultiMeter / Loudness Meter / Correlation Meter — in-DAW analysis
Logic Stock Worth Using (don't overlook these)
The full Logic library is installed. These hold their own against paid tools:
- Alchemy — sampler/synth powerhouse; pads, motion, granular, morphing
- Sculpture — physical modeling; unique mallet/string/metallic textures
- ChromaVerb / Space Designer / Quantec Room Simulator — strong reverbs
- Delay Designer — pattern/rhythmic delay sequencing
- Phat FX / Step FX / Remix FX — multi-fx for character and transitions
- EVOC 20 PolySynth — vocoder
- Ringshifter / Spectral Gate / Beat Breaker — creative texture/glitch
- ChromaGlow — modern saturation/tube/tape
Redundancy Notes (what to default to)
- EQ: Pro-Q 4 for precision; UAD Pultec/Neve only for color. Don't stack.
- Reverb (lush): Lexicon PCM or UAD 480L for the studio default; Valhalla VintageVerb for fast vintage/dream-pop color.
- Reverb (huge): Eventide Blackhole/ShimmerVerb.
- Delay: Eventide H3000/UltraTap premium; Logic Delay Designer fast.
- Width: Eventide MicroPitch or UAD Dimension D. Not on everything.
- Tape glue: UAD Studer A800 (bus); Oxide (tracks).
- Vocal comp: UAD 1176 → LA-2A in series.
- Bus glue: UAD SSL G Bus.
- Synth analog: Diva first; GForce/Roland for specific machine character.
- Synth modern: Pigments or Omnisphere.
KORG Gadget Reference Map
The KORG "city" plugins are KORG Gadget instruments. Codename → what it is:
| Gadget | Emulates / Role |
|---|---|
| Darwin | KORG M1 (90s digital, piano/organ/bell) |
| Pompei | Polysix (analog poly) |
| Montpellier | Mono/Poly (analog) |
| Lexington | ARP Odyssey (analog mono/duo) |
| Memphis | MS-20 (gritty mono/bass) |
| Phoenix | Analog poly |
| Helsinki | Pad |
| Brussels | Lead |
| Madrid | Bass |
| Chicago | Acid (TB-303-style) |
| Milpitas | Wavestation (vector/wave-sequencing pads) |
| Kiev | Vector synth |
| Warszawa | Wavetable |
| Chiangmai | FM |
| Glasgow / Marseille | Keys |
| Montreal | Electric Piano |
| Salzburg | Piano |
| Firenze | Clav |
| Alexandria | Organ |
| Fairbanks | Hybrid |
| Dublin | Semi-modular |
| Kamata | 4-bit (lo-fi/chip) |
| Otorii / Ebina / Kingston | SEGA / Taito / Arcade chip |
| Stockholm | Dr. Octorex (loop player) |
| Bilbao / Sydney / Vancouver | Samplers |
| London / Osaka / Gladstone / Recife | Drum machines |
| Tokyo | Electronic percussion |
| Abu Dhabi | Slicer (FX) |
| Berlin | Sync (FX) |
| Amsterdam | SFX |
| Lisbon | Sci-Fi |
| Miami | Wobble |
| Rosario / Santa Ana / Durban | Guitar / Guitar / Bass amp (FX) |
| Zurich | Recorder/tape (FX) |
Complete Ownership (by vendor)
Antares: Auto-Tune Pro (+ARA), Auto-Tune Vocal Compressor, Auto-Tune Vocal EQ, Harmony Engine, Mic Mod, Vocal De-Esser, AVOX (Articulator, Aspire, Choir, Duo, Mutator, Punch, Sybil, Throat, Warm)
Apple / Logic Pro: Full stock instruments (Alchemy, Sculpture, ES1/ES2/ES E/M/P, EFM1, EVOC 20 PolySynth, Retro Synth, Vintage B3/Clav/Electric Piano/Mellotron, Studio Bass/Horns/Piano/Strings, Sample Alchemy, Quick Sampler, Sampler, Ultrabeat, Drum Synth, Drum Kit Designer, Klopfgeist) and effects (ChromaVerb, Space Designer, Quantec Room Simulator, SilverVerb, EnVerb, Delay Designer, Tape Delay, Stereo Delay, Echo, Tru-Tape/Tie Dye/Blue Echo/Modulation/Sample Delay, Phat FX, Step FX, Remix FX, Ringshifter, Spectral Gate, Beat Breaker, Squash/Compressor/Limiter/Adaptive Limiter/Multipressor/Noise Gate/Expander, DeEsser 2, Channel/Linear Phase/Match/Single Band EQ, Vintage EQ Collection, ChromaGlow, Bitcrusher, Clip Distortion, Distortion/II, Overdrive, Phase Distortion, Tube Burner, Vintage Drive, Grit/Grinder, fuzz family, Amp/Bass Amp Designer, Pedalboard, Rotor Cabinet, Scanner Vibrato, Tremolo family, Ensemble, phaser/flanger/chorus families, Wah, Vocal Transformer, Pitch Shifter/Correction, MultiMeter/Level/Loudness/Correlation Meter/Tuner, Mastering Assistant, Auto Sampler)
Arturia: Pigments, Memory V, Augmented PERSIA, Rev OCEAN
Audija: KickDrum, SuperStutter, OScope
Audio Damage: Traverse
Bogren Digital: Ampknob - Duet
Cableguys: ShaperBox 3
Devious Machines: Duck, Infiltrator
Eventide: Blackhole (+Immersive), ShimmerVerb, MangledVerb, UltraReverb, SP2016 Reverb, Tverb, Spring, Crystals, Sheen Machine, Blackhole, DeBoom, UltraTap, MicroPitch (+Immersive), H3000 Factory Mk II, H3000 Band Delays Mk II, H910 (+Dual), H949 (+Dual), Octavox, Quadravox, TriceraChorus, Undulator, Rotary Mod, Instant Phaser Mk II, Instant Flanger Mk II, Omnipressor, EChannel, UltraChannel, EQ45, EQ65, SplitEQ, Physion Mk II, Precision Time Align, CrushStation
FabFilter: Pro-Q 4, Pro-MB
GForce: Oberheim OB-X, OB-E, OB-1, SEM, Two Voice Pro (TVS Pro), Minimonsta, VSM IV, M-Tron Pro, Novation Bass Station, MAP, Halogen FM, DMX, IconDrum
iZotope: Ozone 12 Advanced (+ all modules), Ozone 11, RX 12 Advanced (+ modules), Trash, Plasma, Vinyl, Stutter Edit 2, VocalSynth 2, Cascadia, Tonal Balance Control 3, Insight 2
KORG: wavestate native, modwave native, multipoly native, ARP 2600 (+FX), KORG Gadget (full city set — see map)
Lexicon: PCM Native (LexHall, LexPlate, LexChamber, LexRoom, LexConcertHall, LexRandomHall, LexRandomDelay, LexDualDelay, LexVintagePlate, LexChorus, LexPitchShift, LexMultivoicePitch, LexResonantChords, LexStringBox)
Native Instruments: Kontakt 8, Session Strings Pro 2, Session Percussionist, Ashlight, Battery 4, FM8, Solid Bus Comp, Solid Dynamics, Solid EQ, Massive X, Massive, Reaktor 6, Freak, Guitar Rig 7, Maschine 3, Komplete Kontrol
Newfangled Audio: Elevate, EQuivocate, Punctuate, Saturate, Invigorate, Articulate, Generate, Recirculate
Nomad Factory: Blue Tubes bundle (Analog Chorus CH2S, Analog Phaser APH2S, TrackBox, BrickWall BW2S, Compressor CP2S, DeEsser DS2S, Equalizers BQ2S/BX2S/GEQ12/PEQ2B/PEQ322/PEQ5B, Gate Expander GX622, Limiters FA770/LM2S, Oilcan Echo TLE2S, Stereo Imager ST2S, Tempo Delay DL3D, Valve Driver ADR2S)
Overloud: TH-U
Plugin Alliance / Brainworx: bx_console N, bx_oberhausen, bx_saturator V2, bx_subsynth, bx_refinement, bx_masterdesk (+Classic), bx_digital V2/V3, bx_limiter True Peak, bx_tuner, bx_crispyscale, bx_crispytuner, Unfiltered Audio lo-fi-af (note: several bx_ also appear via UAD)*
Pulsar Modular: Zorba
Roland Cloud: JUPITER-8, JUPITER-4, JUNO-60 (+Chorus), JUNO-106, SH-101, SH-2, SYSTEM-100, PROMARS, D-50, JD-800, JX-3P, JV-1080, XV-5080, SOUND Canvas VA, TR-808, TR-909, TR-707, TR-727, TR-606, TB-303, RE-201, JC-120, BOSS Effects Pedals
Scaler Music: Carbon Electra 2
sonible: pureLevel
Spectrasonics: Omnisphere (+ FX-Omnisphere)
Strymon: BigSky, NightSky, Cloudburst, Deco, DIG, El Capistan
Synthogy: Ivory, Italian Grand
Tone Projects: Uni-L
u-he: Diva
Valhalla DSP: VintageVerb
Universal Audio (UAD + UADx): Large collection. Highlights — Compressors: 1176 family, LA-2A/LA-3A, Fairchild 660/670, Manley Variable Mu, SSL G Bus, Shadow Hills (Mastering + Class A), API 2500, Vertigo VSC-2, Distressor, FATSO Jr/Sr, dbx 160, elysia (mpressor/alpha), Summit TLA-100A, Tube-Tech CL 1B, Valley People Dyna-mite, SPL Transient Designer. EQ/Strips: Pultec EQP-1A/MEQ-5/HLF-3C, Neve 1073/1081/1084/31102/88RS/2254, API 550A/560/Vision, SSL E Channel, Manley Massive Passive, Maag EQ4, Trident A-Range, Harrison 32C, Helios 69, Millennia NSEQ, Dangerous BAX, Tonelux Tilt, Oxford EQ/Dynamic EQ, Avalon VT-737, Manley VOXBOX, Century, LA-6176, V76/Neve/API/Manley/UA preamps. Reverb/Delay/Mod: Lexicon 224/480L, EMT 140/250, Capitol/Hitsville Chambers, AKG BX 20, Pure Plate, DreamVerb, RealVerb, Galaxy Tape Echo, EP-34, Cooper Time Cube, Korg SDD-3000, Roland RE-201/CE-1/Dimension D, ADA STD-1, Precision Delay Mod, Dimension D, Studio D/Brigade Chorus, Dytronics, MXR/ADA Flanger, Bermuda Triangle. Tape/Color: Studer A800, Ampex ATR-102, Oxide Tape, Thermionic Culture Vulture, bx_saturator, SPL TwinTube/Vitalizer, Oxford Inflator, Raw, Sound Machine Wood Works. Amps: Friedman, Marshall (multiple), Fender 55 Tweed, Diezel, ENGL, Fuchs, Suhr, Softube Amp/Bass/Metal/Vintage Rooms, Enigmatic 82, Showtime 64, Ampeg (B15N/SVT). Instruments (UADx): Moog Minimoog, Opal Morphing Synth, PolyMAX, Electra 88 Vintage Keys, Ravel Grand Piano, Waterfall B3 Organ. Mic collections: Hemisphere, Ocean Way, Sphere, Putnam. Master: bx_masterdesk, Precision Limiter/Maximizer/Multiband, K-Stereo. Vocoder: Softube Vocoder. Utility: Little Labs IBP/VOG, Precision Time Align.
Vynl Audio: Voyager
UVI: Rumble
Waldorf: Microwave 1, Blofeld, Attack 3
XLN Audio: XO, Addictive Keys, Addictive Trigger, DS-10 Drum Shaper, RC-20 Retro Color, Life, Life DAW Recorder
Microphones
| Mic | Type | Modes / Patterns | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Studio Technologies UT Twin87 ⭐ | Large-diaphragm condenser (U87-style, twin-circuit) | Vintage / Modern voicing; Cardioid / Omni / Fig-8; -10 dB pad; 80 Hz HPF | The main vocal mic. Lead/backing vocals, vocoder source, acoustic instruments, room/ambience, found-sound capture |
| Shure SM57 | Dynamic, cardioid | Cardioid | Aggressive/close vocals, percussion, metallic hits, found-sound, loud/untreated-room capture, future amp mic |
| Shure SM58 | Dynamic, cardioid (with ball windscreen) | Cardioid | Vocals with built-in pop protection, energetic/live-feel takes, found-sound, untreated rooms |
Notes:
- The Twin87 is the flagship: condenser detail and air. Use Vintage mode to tame sharp sibilance/soften the top; Modern mode for extra shine/articulation. Cardioid for close vocals, Omni/Fig-8 for room and creative capture.
- The SM57/SM58 are dynamics: less detailed but tough, dark, and proximity-rich. They reject room sound, so they're ideal in an untreated space and for loud or characterful sources.
Hardware / Monitoring Context
- UAD Apollo Twin interface (Unison preamps; tracks UAD plugins at low latency on input)
- United Studio Technologies UT Twin87 condenser mic (main vocal mic)
- Shure SM57 + SM58 dynamic mics
- Adam A7 monitors
- Vox AC15HW1X amp
- Gretsch Country Club (TV Jones T-Armond, brass Compton bridge)
- Gretsch 5120 (TV Jones TV Classic / Classic Plus, brass Compton bridge)
- Stock Danelectro baritone
Inventory Maintenance
Add new tools only when they solve a job better, faster, or with unique character than what is already here. For each: What job? Better than what I have? Faster? Unique? Does it reduce or increase decision fatigue?