It’s been a looooong time since I was inspired to write a new song, so when it hit me this morning I got home and am now updating VSTs, etc. before starting Cubase. When I start a new project, I keep thinking about the Slate Bundle (gee, thanks Lenny… ) and realize that even if I wrote material frequently enough to justify the $14/month cost, I wouldn’t know how to use half of the plugins in that bundle.
More specifically, compressors and EQ give me issues because - to me, at least - a compressor has one job: compress. EQ has a similarly singular job. However, we all know that compressors and EQ all have side-effects (compressors color the sound, for example), and that results in mix engineers like Chris Lord-Alge favoring one set of compressors / EQs over others.
This overloads my brain because I don’t know what compressors are best for specific situations. The extent of my knowledge beyond “just slap Pro-C2 on and use a preset” is using an LA-2A and 1176 on the mastering buss (which I don’t do since I own neither or even VST emulation).
Long story, short: is there a handy list of compressors, the side effects, and what situations they are most likely to be used in? Ditto for EQs.