Producer Thoughts: My Top 3 Mastering Plugins For 2023

So it’s probably a little early for end-of-the-year lists just yet but I wanted to shout out these three plugins that are on high rotation on my mastering chain at the moment.

Sonible True Balance

I’m a big fan of Sonible’s plugins. I use the Smart EQ 3 in most of my mixing sessions. I wasn’t actually aware of True Balance until I stumbled upon a review of it being compare with iZotope’s Insight 2.

I don’t use the term “game changer” very often but this is one of those plugins that is transforming my mixes and masters.

I was working on a master recently and the mixes were very light in the mid-range. True Balance helped me to dial in the right amount of mid-range EQ without a bunch of back and forth referencing and trying to find the optimal centre frequency for the boost.

If it saves time and makes your end product noticeably better, it’s a winner.

Klanghelm VUMT Deluxe

Klanghelm just makes great plugins that are super affordable as well as generous free offerings. 

VU meters aren’t the hottest new plugin to invest in but if you understand the importance of good metering you know it’s essential. Klanghelm VUMT Deluxe helps me to get a good feel for RMS on a final master. There are a bunch of other metering plugins I could use but this one on the RMS/Peak preset just feels right and I know where I’m at immediately when it comes to the loudness of a master..

Venn Audio Free Clipper

This little guy has been getting used more and more on songs that need a little more bite on the master. Free Clipper is simple, has great features and it’s free.

My current practice is to:

1. Choose the Quintic soft clip type.
2. Set oversampling to 8x.
3. Lower the ceiling to -2 or -3.
4. Push the input into the clipper so I’m shaving the peaks but also getting that little texture and high end boost from the saturation.

I’m using this in place of Brainworx bx_XL V2 which is getting more of a workout on the drum bus these days.

The Takeaway: All the above mastering plugins are affordable or free. They aren’t about getting secret sauce for your masters so you can just slap it over a mix and say job done. They are tools that will help you as a mastering engineer who is always learning and growing in your craft. Your craftsmanship is what is truly your own and the thing that will really set your work apart if you invest into the growth of it.