Fantasy plug-ins

[johnS]

On the mundane side, I'd like a simple gain controller that prevents clipping. All it would do is sit there, as the last plug on each channel, and limit the signal just before it hit 0dBfs. If it included a subtle "tape saturation" vibe that would be cool.

On the fun side, I'd like a universal side-chain plug that would follow the signal from one track, and use it to control a parameter of your choosing in a plug on another track. It would probabaly need to have some sort of ratio control so you could flatten out the dynamics for more subtle modulation if you wanted it, and it would need an overall output so you could set the range. (It would be cool to have a polarity switch, too.) This plug would have all sorts of really cool applications, and would turn your DAW into something akin to those old modular synths that could use audio signals as control voltages. Imagine having any part of your mix able to modulate any effect parameter on any other part of your mix. Groovy.

OK kids, let's hear it. What would you like to see a plug-in do?

[silenced]

I'd like to see a plugin that chops up your delay at different rates (just a delay whose wet output is put through a rhythmic gate tied to the tempo).

You could do things like have the delay only in effect on beats 2 and 4, or in various patterns. Maybe have a 16th note grid, where you click on the 16th notes where you want your delay to be operational (like the old Roland products and used in more recent products). If two "notes" in a row are set on, then the delay continues. Or have a setting of 0 to 100% of how long the delay works for each pulse.

Open questions:
* What is the base delay that gets gated?
* Does the gated output route back into the beginning of the delay for the repeat, or does the entire signal?

I think this could be cool for a reverb or any other sound effect as well. What's different about this fantasy plugin from any I've seen before is that (1) it's integrated into one easy-to-use piece, and (2) the option of whether the pre-gated or post-gated audio loops back into the beginning of the input.

[DreamwaveMusic]

i would love to find a delay plugin like that, tap button for rhythm delay and automatable time signature changes as well as tempo changes with custom fade options

[Bellringer]

I would like a session musician emulator. Basically you play a part. You punch in the name of the person who you would like as your session musician (like if I play a flawed keyboard part, I type in Stevie Wonder) and magic! An emulation of what a pro might do on your song.
A plug in that gives us all top notch players!

[dolivas]

the Easy Plugin:
put it on your AU or VST chain and voila editing patches in Absynth, setting beginning/end points for samples in REX, getting ProTools to recognize VST natively, automatically setting optimal latency for the card for you, etc..

but realistically, I would love a good modular multi-fx plugin sorta like johnS described, AudioDamage has a sorta awesome delay plugin which is very modular called Ronin that lets you do that kind of routing but its only for delay and chorus effects.

[dagosto]

Originally Posted by johnS

On the mundane side, I'd like a simple gain controller that prevents clipping. All it would do is sit there, as the last plug on each channel, and limit the signal just before it hit 0dBfs. If it included a subtle "tape saturation" vibe that would be cool.

Check out digitalfishphones.com. There is a suite of three plugins called the fish fillets. One of them is called BLOCKFISH. It is a pretty nice compressor with a brick wall limiter built in. You could leave the compresser inactive and the limiter will still be there. There are a lot of cool features but it is easy enough on your CPU that you could use it just for that on a large number of tracks. It also has a saturation control.

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Hmmm. . . a fantasy plug-in. I really would want the ultimate randomization plugin. Or perhaps a plugin (possibly MIDI based) that can create random envelope changes in other plugins. I guess it would be cool if you could make these changes tempo based or set to a waveform too.

[Nubus]

one that changes the waveform displayed as you tweak, so you can see what you're doing real-time.

[Nubus]

I'd like a real-time reverse plug-in too.

[johnS]

Originally Posted by Nubus

I'd like a real-time reverse plug-in too.

That would be cool. And what if it had a built-in "beat detective" that would line up the transient peaks of the reversed region with the MIDI click. You would select the beat where you wanted the reversed part to start, then when you clicked "reverse" it would reverse the track and align the first (originally last) peak with that beat. Viola! Instantly aligned reverse guitar solo! Of course it would need "forward" and "back" buttons to let you fine tune in either direction. Or you could just use your DAW to nudge the reversed part so it's exactly aligned how you want it. Hmm, very interesting . . .

[dagosto]

dudes.

http://www.niallmoody.com/ndcplugs/reversinator.htm

not beat tracking but very useful. This would be my fantasy plug-in if it didn't exist.