We write a lot about how to use effects and technology to mix and master your music here on the Sage Audio mastering blog, but occasionally we also like to highlight some new and
interesting products on the market. There are tons of new plugins, audio interfaces, instruments, hardware and much more released every day that can help your studio, but these are a few that have caught our eye recently because of their uniqueness and helpfulness. Let’s get right to it.
123 Creative: Epralux ORB7000 – Octave Reverb System
While we’ve written about how reverb is traditionally used to achieve great mixes , this new plugin doesn’t fall under any definition of the word “traditional.” In fact, it says so right on the product’s website: “Epralux ORB7000 – octave reverb system is not classic reverb simulation of real acoustic space. ORB7000 is special, artistic and creative octave/pitch-shifting reverb system for creating special sound and space effects, new sound colors and unique experimental sounds.”
And the plugin certainly doesn’t sound like any other reverb, because it’s actually splitting the reverb signal into three sub-signals. One is raised one octave, another is lowered an octave and final signal is left normal. The result is something that definitely won’t be right for every (or even most) tracks, but can be another cool tool for your home recording arsenal.
Waves Now Supporting AAX Native Plugin Platforms
Waves has long been one of the biggest names in plugins, and the company’s products are found in professional and home studios around the world. Until now, however, none of them offered AAX Native plugin support.
That changed recently when the company began offering AAX-compatible plugins at no additional charge for those on the Waves Update Plan. The change was largely in response to user demand, particularly when Avid released Pro Tools 11 earlier this year. As the official Waves website puts it, you can now “take advantage of Pro Tools 11 in all its 64-bit glory!”
Avid Introduces S6 Control Surface
Speaking of Avid, the company has just released its newest control surface, the S6. Admittedly, this one is going to be well beyond the budget of most working in a home studio, but we all know that every once in a while it’s nice to dream a bit.
The S6 includes a built-in touch screen that condenses your setup to include all the editing and mixing tools you need in one space. The desk comes with two primarily configurations: the M40 with a maximum of 64 faders, and the M10 with a maximum of 24 faders. From there, you can choose the level of customization that best fits your studio. Again, even the most basic model starts well above the cost of the total cost of many home studios, but the surface is something awesome to behold, nonetheless.
Make Pro Songs
There are 8 unique value-points inside the Sage Audio membership, so let’s go over each one so you can decide if it’s the right fit for you.
1. 50 Free Mastered Songs Per Year
- 50 free mastered songs per year with your own dedicated professional mastering engineer so you can get all your mixes sounding like professional songs.
- You’ll get your own dedicated Sage Audio mastering engineer to create custom masters that are specific to you and sound exactly how you want.
- Unlimited revisions with your dedicated Sage Audio mastering engineer. As a standard of our service, we are not happy until you are happy with the sound of your masters.
- All masters are delivered as commercial, industry-standard high-resolution 24-bit HD WAV masters so they will sound clean and clear on every platform.
2. 1-on-1 Mentorship
- The Sage Audio 1:1 Mentorship gives you direct access to us to answer all your questions and receive unlimited advanced mixing feedback directly from us.
- Unlimited direct access to us for in-depth discussions to help you improve your mixes and masters.
- Unlimited advanced mixing feedback with detailed suggestions for improvement.
- Fast communication to answer all your questions and get tailored guidance that’s specific to your needs.
3. Unlimited Mixing Feedback
- Unlimited mixing feedback so you can improve your mixes quickly.
- This is highly valuable - giving you access to a thriving community of mixing engineers who can provide feedback about what you can improve before sending your mix to be professionally mastered.
4. Sage Audio University™ (SAU) — (Mixing and Mastering Education Platform)
- SAU is a modern audio engineering education platform that includes in-depth mixing and mastering course curriculums that match the new music industry.
- SAU is designed for every experience level, ranging from first-time mixing engineers to advanced engineers. The techniques and concepts taught can be applied to any DAW to create industry-leading mixes without expensive software or plugins - and free plugin alternatives are suggested throughout every course curriculum.
- SAU course curriculums include Start-to-Finish session walkthrough lessons for multiple genres so you can follow along with your preferred genre.
- SAU Certification Document, which can be downloaded and showcased on your website, social channels, and portfolio for as long as you remain a member.
- Get first access to all future SAU course curriculums to continually build and refine your mixing and mastering skills as the industry evolves.
5. Mixing and Mastering Competitions
- Compete in Mixing Competitions and Mastering Competitions to win prizes and connect with friends and colleagues.
- This is a great collaborative way to improve your skills alongside both aspiring engineers and seasoned industry professionals.
6. Community
- The Sage Audio community is a tight-knit community of passionate audio engineers who can provide you with real-world mixing feedback, meaningful discussions, networking, collaborations, and more.
7. 70+ GB of Curated Sage Audio Downloadable Content, Including:
- 36 multitrack sessions spanning multiple genres for mixing practice.
- 57 un-mastered mixes spanning multiple genres for mastering practice.
- 62 Recommended Free Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
- 39 Recommended Paid Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
- 58 Sage Audio custom plugin presets to improve your mixes and masters.
- Sage Audio Membership Badge to showcase on your website, social channels, and portfolio.
8. 700+ Video Catalog
- Access 700+ in-depth Sage Audio mixing and mastering videos - curated and organized into playlists so you can take a deep dive into all aspects of audio engineering with thousands of hours of concise, expertly crafted Sage Audio videos to continually improve your mixing and mastering skills at your own pace.
