Yes I read the manual! They often give you really good insight into exactly what it’s doing to your signal and how best to work with it. it often really frustrates me that you don’t before demonstrating a plug-in because a lot of times you miss some really important features or explanations for your questions about the plug-in.
For someone who seems quiet knowledgeable about audio engineering it seems weird that he doesn’t want to know exactly what each plug-in is doing to his audio and how he can use it to its fullest.
I'll only use the manual if I can't work it out for myself, and most of the time I can. Some plugins, like the spl vitalizer, really need some detailed understanding, so the manual is very important.
Yeah this is also my approach. I will not read the manual until I reach a feature in which I can't work either 1) how to do some specific thing (or whether it can be done) which I can't figure out for myself, or, 2) a feature I came across and not sure how it works, e.g. what's this button do and why does it sound like it does when i press it?.
I am by no means a pro, still learning mixing skills, tried some free stuff, bought some Waves plugins to understand the usage of vintage hardware and then bought a range of Fabfilter plugins, which I like a lot. Still looking at reviews like this, but quite frankly only for the entertainment. At this point, it takes a lot more than a variation of the same thing to make me even consider buying it.
I usually open up the manual after about 3-6 months of using software. That's when you're comfortable enough with it that the manual makes practical sense.
Another amazing feature i noticed about Claro, is when using multiple instances on the same channel Claro actually only shows the last in the mix view, so for someone like me who usually does eq before and after the effects chain it is so nice to not get confused witch ones are at the end of the chain,
In all plugins I've used over the years the shortcut for reseting the settings to default is alt + click. I don't get the frustration. Creators of this plugin respected this standard thing. Part of being quick and professional is to know your tools so I guess reading the manual wouldn't hurt.
I bought this because I like Sonnox plugins and it seemed to allow me (a non-pro producer) to quickly and simply dialin in a curve with good initial results then refine it later. I found the time to get good results on my various Darude inspired tracks was quick, so I've added this to my favorites list and it will probably compliment Pro-Q in my workflow. Regarding manuals, I always look at them after trying the plugin first and if I need to deep dive. Otherwise as you did I figure it out by experimenting.
Great video! I think you were a little to hard on the unmasking idea behind this plugin when you said that carving out space with EQ is not the best thing to do when i fact it is the fundamental and very classic thing every old school Neve or SSL mixing engineer would do all the time. It is THE key to make every mix great. Of course, I get your point, that multiband compression can be better in some situations, but sidechain multiband compression is a more modern approach done with digital plugins mostly, which of course is not a bad thing, but absolutely not necessary for a great mix. So my point is, although you are absolutely correct about the benefits of multiband compression and ducking - that this plugin is about balancing the elements in your mix with an EQ. And I think they have done it very interestingly, because none of the competitors like iZotope Neutron 4 or FabFilter Pro-Q3 has the ability to ACCESS every instance fully in one SINGLE instance like Claro does. So using only EQ, Claro is superior regarding masking visualization and accessibility from one instance hence pointing in tempo and workflow. Also Claro's built in analyzer adapts to the Q factor from the handle which is currently selected. The narrower the Q factor the narrower the analyzer's peaks are getting and vice versa. The fact that in that higher Q factor mode, the analyzer is showing resonances, this plugins also replaces the Neutron 4 EQ learn function which is simply placing existing EQ points to resonating frequencies. I must say that I tried that plugin a while ago and wasn't fully impressed either, maybe much like you. That last "wow" was missing. Would I have bought it if ProQ didn't exist already? Probably yes. But since there are so many top notch plugin GUIs already in the market, it's really difficult to make someone get another EQ that either does something really new (like SplitEQ for example) or is just better at everything your existing plugins do. What's missing? I miss the info about different phase modes (don't know which mode is used in this plugin). Maybe some saturation options would also be very interesting - at least because the "producer view" is basically a Pultec style EQ. I love Sonnox' Dynamic EQ and use it in every session that I mix. So if they implemented the dynamic EQ with the onset and peak detection in this plugin then I think I would have my new true go to swiss army knife EQ. Somehow this plugins seems or looks a bit like I can't trust its quality. But that of course a subjective view. Would it replace my UAD Pultec EQ? Probably not, because Claro doesn't have the harmonic saturation (and of course it's not supposed to have it in it). Could it replace my ProQ3? Yes, it can, because for dynamic EQing I don't use ProQ anyway (I use Sonnox Dynamic EQ). Would it replace my Neutron 4 EQ? Yes for sure, because it can do everything Neutron 4 can do. So it can replace ProQ3 AND Neutron4 EQ, as long as you use another dynamic EQ. But Claro is also a multiband imager which means it could replace my iZotope multiband imager as well. And what's unique about Claro is that it shows the frequency dependent (!) stereo width amount so you can see wether it's too much or not. And the price is very friendly. It costs only 99$ which is only a fraction of the price of the other two products. So maybe, just because I want to do more mobile mixing, I will maybe ask Sonnox for another demo so I can see if this plugin is a better option when working on a smaller screen (Macbook) where you often won't be able to load another EQ instance. This is where Claro can play its trophies with its all-in-one window approach.
Great points on the quick knob to deeper dive interphase choice many plugins offer... reminds me of when I cycle through pre sets sometimes and get one that is close... then can go deeper to get the thing where I need it but cut out half the battle... cheers
I love the workflow of this plugin. I have it on all my channels and then can compare/review all of my EQ work in one window. The first window is for broad brush stroke, the second for more detailed EQing and the third to see (visually) how it all fits together. Very surprised you completely missed using the excellent width controls of this plugin tbh!
You said you review your eq work in one window... So do you use this eq just to VIEW the work that you did using other Eqs? And do you actually use this plugin to fix the eq problems that it shows you? Or do you go back to whatever other plugin you are using? Just a curious question....
@@JuliusDeBerryJr Hi Julius. It's pretty straightforward - if you put Claro on every track you can go to the "mix" tab on the plugin and see all the other instances on other tracks playing in real time - it even highlights where you have frequencies that are competing against one another. From there you can adjust whichever EQ needs to be tweaked. Check this out: ruclips.net/video/JDUEkIcEN5s/видео.html
I read manuals for plugins that have extensive controls. I jumped I. This manual mostly because I was looking to see if they had a dynamic mode but other than that I figured most of this plugin without the manual. Spl iron for example is one plug in i had to read the manual for - mostly to get an idea of the speeds for the dif circuits. Or something like byome too. Usually things with more control that I can remember.
Also the big thing about this is that it takes your fader position on your daw into account if you work on a daw compatible only studio one and logic are fully compatible right now- the daws themselves have to add some coding that Presonus made publicly available that allows the daw to communicate w the sonnox plug This means if you lower your fader in studio one or logic claro will take that into account with the masking map it shows (they recommend having it last in the channels for this though). This could be useful for ppl starting out w mixing to get more familiar with basic balancing or maybe if suffering from ear fatigue to tune up some masking late in a session. Not ideal tbh. W a dynamic mode I would def purchase but don't think I'll keep it rn
I dive in first, right away after download, then I read the manual, this way I kind of have things in mind already going in as questions, so I can be aware when the answers present themselves.
That version of sandstorm sounds…. Very Level 42 like. I occasionally read the documentation that comes with software, it depends on the type of software and it’s purpose. There was a time that any serious software package came with a thick, heavy manual. Early versions of Cubase and Autocad come to mind. These manuals where serval 100 pages. Part of these manuals was explaining the use of the software with examples. The plugin’s interface reminds me of fabfilter.
Only when I am stuck on something I will reference the manual but other than that I don't usually. Will watch a video before I read a manual because I can fast forward videos :)
I usually pull up a manual before I buy something to make sure it works the way I intend. I also beta-test now and then, so I've had input on some plugin interfaces/manuals (I ask for equal loudness bypass every time!). NDA so I can't tell you what, but you have covered at least one plugin that I had input on. On the other hand, when I beta-test, a manual usually doesn't exist yet, so I have to learn those by diving in and seeing what happens.
I load up the plugin, start using it for a few minutes, then go through the manual and get all the details plus most of my "q's" or wonderings answered. Read your manuals. Seriously, they're usually very short when it comes to "simple plugins".. You can do it...
You should do a review of DMG Equilibrium. I think its very pleasant and natural sounding in the way that it boosts frequencies - with 18 analog EQ algorithms, I've just learned about it and am using their own EQ model (basically not modeling an analog unit, but instead, offering adjustable qualities of analog EQ - gain-to-Q, set per band - or something like that.
Always great to see your videos! Hello from Luxembourg (the country with the "real" blue in the red-white-blue flag) 😁😁😁 Looking forward to your next stuff, fanboy here! :)
6:00 What i likje to do is reading the manual the day before using, in my bed before sleep. So i know what expect and then the next day i just do what you do fiddling with the knobs. But with a little advantage. 😎
Never read a manual for software. I tend to mess about with a plugin or DAW until I understand what's going on. If I don't fully "get" a plugin, I'll rarely use it again, even if reading a manual could help. It's probably due to my limited patience. For hardware, though, I will read manuals.
I might be late but I'm a RTFM type guy. I work in the software field so reading the manual is a requirement for success. For those not in the know, RTFM means read the F'ing manual. Exploration is good but when you have a map to guide you it's much easier to get to cool places.
Been doing this for a very long time so I read manuals but only if there is something that doesn't make sense. ;-) Been using the new smartEQ3 from soneble that has the new group EQ feature that does a great job of eliminating interference problems in final/master mixes. By using this feature it automatically tweaks all of the EQ's in the group. The only limitation that I find is that master groups are limited to 6 as far as I can tell till I actually read the user guide. ;-p On the Claro, you did miss the high and low pass buttons on the first screen which makes that a basic 5 band EQ. Looks like it would be useful for quick mixing or live work.
Hi! Remeber the ART pro vla video? I bought it and I love it. Could you make some recomendation for begginer analog guys like me about analog EQ? Budget max 2000 euro?
I read the manuals of all plugins i buy. Some plugins have manuals with 200 words and some others plugins have manuals with 10 pages or more.😎 It seems Tdr Nova is a better EQ.
The first interface looks more convoluted and difficult to learn and use, but I support the premise of a quick and advanced interface. U-he presswork did this pretty effectively.
Great show ! You look great and your voice is good. Sonnox are great sounding but never have been easy to use. I less read manuals I more look videos like yours. cheers
On manuals: some plugins harbor unique algorithms or features that one would now know were included or what they are actually doing without looking at the manual. If you just guess what’s going on under the hood, you are bound to make mistakes that could hurt your end product. A simple example is when this channel recently reviewed baby audios TAIP plug-in, one of the things that bothered you right of the bat was the lack of a bypass button… but there is one. You just have to know where it is. The end result of that move is more plug-in real estate, since the logo and bypass buttons share the same space when they would need to be separate to be completely intuitive without reading the manual or doing more research. Same with more complicated features, sometimes simplifying what’s going on to “it seems like it’s just a high shelf” can give you and viewers the wrong impression about what the plug-in actually is doing or is meant for.
If I’m buying something with an algorithm designed to make a certain part of the process automated, and/or a unique GUI, it’s important to know what the freakin buttons ACTUALLY do! If I didn’t read about fabfilters linear phase vs natural phase vs low latency modes, I’d have phase issues up the wazzoo
Would we rather no text, and no features that break new ground that would otherwise need explaining? Why suppress progress like that? I know we artists don’t like reading, but we also all know that time invested = better control and quality. Sometime that time should be spent messing with the actual plug-in, but sometimes it’s important to spend some on educating yourself. That’s what these videos are about-so why post your guess about what is happening without correcting misinformation by checking the manual too. Reading the manual for something you paid money for is just the responsible thing to do in my opinion, despite your feelings oh how intuitive the GUI “should” be in your ideal world. We engineers are also acutely aware that sometimes, what you see does not always equal what you hear…
Always read the Manual is a phrase for a reason, but most people jump right in and figure out stuff because most plug ins have common UI functions. But there is always more to explore in the manual and it's just a good idea to skim it. When a plug in does something different with UI and functions, I give them the benefit of a doubt and read their manual as I go. So I just get what their intentions are. Also, I'm a simple person, I'm not gonna intuitively figure everything out by just messing around.
Don't always read the manual, but there are certain plugins that warrant it just because my lack of expertise with Brit consoles for example, or if something like Sooth or Spectre, where it's doing some special proprietary stuff that I want to learn more about. but I'd rather get frustrated and open a manual than get frustrated and still have no idea what anything does.
Look, if you want something TRULY novel and unique in the world of software (not just an analog style EQ with a unique character for example), it does stand to reason that it will require an explanation, as its a unique idea and therefore outside of the realm of prior experience. Now, a good user interface should definitely help with this, and the better it is, the more intuitive the processing/function of the software will be. That said, if it’s something completely different, you aren’t going to immediately know how to use it (or maybe even exactly what it does) and therefore an explanation from the developer is a necessity. Silly to hate on that imo, but it makes sense to grade the developer on how well they explain their technology
Can you do a video on iems vs monitors vs headphones. I.e. where and when each is appropriate for contexts and why to use one over another when doing certain things.
Oh and I think I've never read any manual of any of my plugins. I know I should have but I like to play around and figure out what it does for me and most of the time I watch tutorials if I feel like there is more to it than I can figure out. I just cannot really "learn" from reading. I need to "do". There are many different learning types, so to each their own. If I read a manual it usually doesn't sink in at all. My brain just doesn't work that way.
But it’s not like you have to read the manual without the plug-in in front of you to ‘do’ at the same time. Each to their own, but in my experience spending 2 minutes skimming through a manual gives you a much better understand than a 15 minute tutorial.
i get your thoughts about basic parameter functionality. one of my favourite topics (which makes me a really annoying person sometimes, but i stick with it because it's important) is missing sensitive drag on mousewheel in a lot of plugins. i'm always like "why not" and i can promise you that this is not even hard to implement. they just forget about it or never think about it for some reason. about your manual-reader-question: no, i don't read a lot of manuals. but when the plugin already brings the manual into the interface as some sort of tutorial when you open it the first time, then that's basically as gamified as it can get already, so that's cool. i have to say tho, manuals can be quite fun to read if you are already obsessed with the plugin or the developer and just wanna learn more about it really bad. about the frequency response: it's hard to make something like that in a cpu-efficient way so some devs intentionally make it low-res. but you're right that it's also kinda packaged as a feature here, because the smoothness is the same throughout the spectrum. maybe that should keep people from thinking in terms of resonances and make them more open for broad curves. i love the part where you are talking about sidechain compressing certain freq ranges with pro-mb rather than eqing clashing frequencies. i gotta admit i have not been able to try one of these modern EQs that detect clashing freq yet myself. i still use Pro-Q2. but even without such a tool you sometimes try to find them by ear and reduce the clashing frequencies. and as you said that's kinda hard compared to sidechaining them a bit. you often lose a lot of good energy when removing the clashing freq. but i'd love to try one of these eq myself to get a better opinion on that. maybe they do find better spots to reduce clashing frequencies than my ears for some reason and make me change my mind a bit. on top of that. why only one or the other? i think the point is never to say "this is better than that" but just to say "these are both possible and i do both"
It is fun how's there's a plugin company trend of, "You don't want to spend ages mixing and tweaking knobs for just the right tone for eternity", like, have you not met mix engineers before? Most wouldn't know what to do if the mix finished up early.
I actually never read manuals, a tool must have convinced me before I look at the manual. And I only do that if something is unclear to me or not understandable. Otherwise, a tool must explain itself, otherwise I don't use it. I have simply no time for that. There are enough good tools out there.
Hi! Your video could have been a little bit longer and more focused on the actual features. SONNOX have very good sounding EQ.s and this one has a different approach but sounds very good. By the way about reading manuals, I only read them if I do not understand the plugin. Thanks anyway!
I used to be one of those guys that never read the manual. And then I realized how stupid I was being because 1. I spend way too much money on equipment and plugins to NOT know everything about them, and 2. I was mixing for a client that knew more about a product I was using more than I did because he read the manual..lol. I vowed to never allow someone to know more than I do about my own craft or anything that I pay for. So although I install things and generally start pushing buttons and twisting knobs to see what it does, I take the manual with me to the thrown and edu-macate myself ....
Yes I read the manual! They often give you really good insight into exactly what it’s doing to your signal and how best to work with it.
it often really frustrates me that you don’t before demonstrating a plug-in because a lot of times you miss some really important features or explanations for your questions about the plug-in.
ADHD hyperactive kidow
Great stuff! Thanks for doing this Wytse! I've been hearing about this a lot and I have to try it out.
Sensei is here!
@@dwaaaiii8757 thanks! I love Wytse's channel!
Warren! ❤️
Maaaarvelous!
Hey! Hope you're doing marvelously well, Warren!
So painful to see him miss many of the cool features. I always read the manual first btw.
I bet it has side chaining / dynamics or anti masking features.
It happens so often on his videos. And it’s made more frustrating by the fact he even makes a point of not reading the manual.
For someone who seems quiet knowledgeable about audio engineering it seems weird that he doesn’t want to know exactly what each plug-in is doing to his audio and how he can use it to its fullest.
@@realraven2000 you've lost the bet
@@roberteismann1929 ok - honestly didn't have time to research this. So what does it have that fabfilter Q3 hasn't? different interface flavors?
I'll only use the manual if I can't work it out for myself, and most of the time I can. Some plugins, like the spl vitalizer, really need some detailed understanding, so the manual is very important.
Yeah this is also my approach. I will not read the manual until I reach a feature in which I can't work either 1) how to do some specific thing (or whether it can be done) which I can't figure out for myself, or, 2) a feature I came across and not sure how it works, e.g. what's this button do and why does it sound like it does when i press it?.
i guess i should read the vitalizer manual lol. That thing can do some damage in both good and horrid ways
@@freewheelinghorn yep, a little goes a long way and it can work magic under the right circumstances.
I read the manual, and I watch Dan worral videos at 2x speed.
looool
This is the way.
I take Dan Worral-audio and push it through Paul Stretch and listen to it at 1/1,000,000 speed. I am now a Golden Audio God.
@@larsthomasdenstad9082 presently kneeling
I am by no means a pro, still learning mixing skills, tried some free stuff, bought some Waves plugins to understand the usage of vintage hardware and then bought a range of Fabfilter plugins, which I like a lot. Still looking at reviews like this, but quite frankly only for the entertainment. At this point, it takes a lot more than a variation of the same thing to make me even consider buying it.
I usually open up the manual after about 3-6 months of using software. That's when you're comfortable enough with it that the manual makes practical sense.
Good "pre-review"! I'll stick with Pro-Q and Smart EQ when in doubt. :D
Another amazing feature i noticed about Claro, is when using multiple instances on the same channel Claro actually only shows the last in the mix view, so for someone like me who usually does eq before and after the effects chain it is so nice to not get confused witch ones are at the end of the chain,
In all plugins I've used over the years the shortcut for reseting the settings to default is alt + click. I don't get the frustration. Creators of this plugin respected this standard thing. Part of being quick and professional is to know your tools so I guess reading the manual wouldn't hurt.
The only time I read the manual is if I specifically want to know what something does that I don't already know. Very rarely.
I bought this because I like Sonnox plugins and it seemed to allow me (a non-pro producer) to quickly and simply dialin in a curve with good initial results then refine it later. I found the time to get good results on my various Darude inspired tracks was quick, so I've added this to my favorites list and it will probably compliment Pro-Q in my workflow.
Regarding manuals, I always look at them after trying the plugin first and if I need to deep dive. Otherwise as you did I figure it out by experimenting.
Please post your Sandstorm Remix
I find it interesting that Sonnox hasn't updated the old Oxford plugins to match the new look.
Great video! I think you were a little to hard on the unmasking idea behind this plugin when you said that carving out space with EQ is not the best thing to do when i fact it is the fundamental and very classic thing every old school Neve or SSL mixing engineer would do all the time. It is THE key to make every mix great. Of course, I get your point, that multiband compression can be better in some situations, but sidechain multiband compression is a more modern approach done with digital plugins mostly, which of course is not a bad thing, but absolutely not necessary for a great mix. So my point is, although you are absolutely correct about the benefits of multiband compression and ducking - that this plugin is about balancing the elements in your mix with an EQ. And I think they have done it very interestingly, because none of the competitors like iZotope Neutron 4 or FabFilter Pro-Q3 has the ability to ACCESS every instance fully in one SINGLE instance like Claro does. So using only EQ, Claro is superior regarding masking visualization and accessibility from one instance hence pointing in tempo and workflow. Also Claro's built in analyzer adapts to the Q factor from the handle which is currently selected. The narrower the Q factor the narrower the analyzer's peaks are getting and vice versa. The fact that in that higher Q factor mode, the analyzer is showing resonances, this plugins also replaces the Neutron 4 EQ learn function which is simply placing existing EQ points to resonating frequencies.
I must say that I tried that plugin a while ago and wasn't fully impressed either, maybe much like you. That last "wow" was missing. Would I have bought it if ProQ didn't exist already? Probably yes. But since there are so many top notch plugin GUIs already in the market, it's really difficult to make someone get another EQ that either does something really new (like SplitEQ for example) or is just better at everything your existing plugins do.
What's missing?
I miss the info about different phase modes (don't know which mode is used in this plugin). Maybe some saturation options would also be very interesting - at least because the "producer view" is basically a Pultec style EQ. I love Sonnox' Dynamic EQ and use it in every session that I mix. So if they implemented the dynamic EQ with the onset and peak detection in this plugin then I think I would have my new true go to swiss army knife EQ.
Somehow this plugins seems or looks a bit like I can't trust its quality. But that of course a subjective view. Would it replace my UAD Pultec EQ? Probably not, because Claro doesn't have the harmonic saturation (and of course it's not supposed to have it in it). Could it replace my ProQ3? Yes, it can, because for dynamic EQing I don't use ProQ anyway (I use Sonnox Dynamic EQ). Would it replace my Neutron 4 EQ? Yes for sure, because it can do everything Neutron 4 can do.
So it can replace ProQ3 AND Neutron4 EQ, as long as you use another dynamic EQ. But Claro is also a multiband imager which means it could replace my iZotope multiband imager as well. And what's unique about Claro is that it shows the frequency dependent (!) stereo width amount so you can see wether it's too much or not. And the price is very friendly. It costs only 99$ which is only a fraction of the price of the other two products. So maybe, just because I want to do more mobile mixing, I will maybe ask Sonnox for another demo so I can see if this plugin is a better option when working on a smaller screen (Macbook) where you often won't be able to load another EQ instance. This is where Claro can play its trophies with its all-in-one window approach.
Another great video! I always read the manual, but only after jumping in and seeing how my instincts translate to results.
Great points on the quick knob to deeper dive interphase choice many plugins offer... reminds me of when I cycle through pre sets sometimes and get one that is close... then can go deeper to get the thing where I need it but cut out half the battle... cheers
I love the workflow of this plugin. I have it on all my channels and then can compare/review all of my EQ work in one window. The first window is for broad brush stroke, the second for more detailed EQing and the third to see (visually) how it all fits together. Very surprised you completely missed using the excellent width controls of this plugin tbh!
You said you review your eq work in one window... So do you use this eq just to VIEW the work that you did using other Eqs? And do you actually use this plugin to fix the eq problems that it shows you? Or do you go back to whatever other plugin you are using?
Just a curious question....
@@JuliusDeBerryJr Hi Julius. It's pretty straightforward - if you put Claro on every track you can go to the "mix" tab on the plugin and see all the other instances on other tracks playing in real time - it even highlights where you have frequencies that are competing against one another. From there you can adjust whichever EQ needs to be tweaked. Check this out: ruclips.net/video/JDUEkIcEN5s/видео.html
Manual Smanual! If you read the manual, you miss out on that moment two years later when you realize, "Damn, this plugin does that?"
I'm a bit of both - I like to jump right into a plugin and tweak things, but I'll also consult the manual to learn whatever intricacies I can!
I read manuals for plugins that have extensive controls. I jumped I. This manual mostly because I was looking to see if they had a dynamic mode but other than that I figured most of this plugin without the manual.
Spl iron for example is one plug in i had to read the manual for - mostly to get an idea of the speeds for the dif circuits. Or something like byome too. Usually things with more control that I can remember.
Also the big thing about this is that it takes your fader position on your daw into account if you work on a daw compatible
only studio one and logic are fully compatible right now- the daws themselves have to add some coding that Presonus made publicly available that allows the daw to communicate w the sonnox plug
This means if you lower your fader in studio one or logic claro will take that into account with the masking map it shows (they recommend having it last in the channels for this though). This could be useful for ppl starting out w mixing to get more familiar with basic balancing
or maybe if suffering from ear fatigue to tune up some masking late in a session.
Not ideal tbh. W a dynamic mode I would def purchase but don't think I'll keep it rn
I dive in first, right away after download, then I read the manual, this way I kind of have things in mind already going in as questions, so I can be aware when the answers present themselves.
I have a rule that I can only buy a plugin if I commit to reading the manual. Makes my buys actually useful and saves my wallet. :D
Damn!
Hello! I do read the manuals but when I travel. And look at tutorial videos when at my home studio. Regards!
Maybe it would help to read the manual, there's a vision behind this plugin and it really works! Text to small? Make the UI bigger!
That version of sandstorm sounds…. Very Level 42 like. I occasionally read the documentation that comes with software, it depends on the type of software and it’s purpose. There was a time that any serious software package came with a thick, heavy manual. Early versions of Cubase and Autocad come to mind. These manuals where serval 100 pages. Part of these manuals was explaining the use of the software with examples. The plugin’s interface reminds me of fabfilter.
I barely read any manuals except for the Fab tools I just got. If it's plug & play, I just open it and have fun.
Only when I am stuck on something I will reference the manual but other than that I don't usually. Will watch a video before I read a manual because I can fast forward videos :)
I usually pull up a manual before I buy something to make sure it works the way I intend. I also beta-test now and then, so I've had input on some plugin interfaces/manuals (I ask for equal loudness bypass every time!). NDA so I can't tell you what, but you have covered at least one plugin that I had input on.
On the other hand, when I beta-test, a manual usually doesn't exist yet, so I have to learn those by diving in and seeing what happens.
The mic sounds really great in the new room ngl
I load up the plugin, start using it for a few minutes, then go through the manual and get all the details plus most of my "q's" or wonderings answered. Read your manuals. Seriously, they're usually very short when it comes to "simple plugins".. You can do it...
Amazing how FabFilter EQ has been ahead of its time What will version 4 will bring
Did you miss when he review the SSL X-EQ2?
You should do a review of DMG Equilibrium. I think its very pleasant and natural sounding in the way that it boosts frequencies - with 18 analog EQ algorithms, I've just learned about it and am using their own EQ model (basically not modeling an analog unit, but instead, offering adjustable qualities of analog EQ - gain-to-Q, set per band - or something like that.
Always great to see your videos!
Hello from Luxembourg (the country with the "real" blue in the red-white-blue flag) 😁😁😁
Looking forward to your next stuff, fanboy here! :)
In Reaper you can do this ducking in eq bands using ReaEq and parameters modulation... also neutron can sidechain it dynamic eq bands...
I rarely read the manual but look for RUclips tutorials. nice vid
6:00 What i likje to do is reading the manual the day before using, in my bed before sleep. So i know what expect and then the next day i just do what you do fiddling with the knobs. But with a little advantage. 😎
Never read a manual for software. I tend to mess about with a plugin or DAW until I understand what's going on. If I don't fully "get" a plugin, I'll rarely use it again, even if reading a manual could help. It's probably due to my limited patience. For hardware, though, I will read manuals.
Not always but quite a few times I read the manuals to get the best of the software I get.
I might be late but I'm a RTFM type guy. I work in the software field so reading the manual is a requirement for success. For those not in the know, RTFM means read the F'ing manual. Exploration is good but when you have a map to guide you it's much easier to get to cool places.
Been doing this for a very long time so I read manuals but only if there is something that doesn't make sense. ;-)
Been using the new smartEQ3 from soneble that has the new group EQ feature that does a great job of eliminating interference problems in final/master mixes. By using this feature it automatically tweaks all of the EQ's in the group. The only limitation that I find is that master groups are limited to 6 as far as I can tell till I actually read the user guide. ;-p
On the Claro, you did miss the high and low pass buttons on the first screen which makes that a basic 5 band EQ. Looks like it would be useful for quick mixing or live work.
Manuals are nice to have around in the event I hit a brick wall or need a little more detail, otherwise never use them.
I dive in and play BUT on very complex hardware and software i open the manual alongside for reference.
Hi! Remeber the ART pro vla video? I bought it and I love it. Could you make some recomendation for begginer analog guys like me about analog EQ? Budget max 2000 euro?
Wonderful video, thank you! Rather an inspirational ending together with a neat explanation of the creative process and division of tasks.
I read the manuals of all plugins i buy. Some plugins have manuals with 200 words and some others plugins have manuals with 10 pages or more.😎 It seems Tdr Nova is a better EQ.
Ask about the manuals in a RUclips survey ;)
Wytse. As you are on a Mac now, the 0 reset is probably either going to be alt click or cmd click.
I always want to read the pdf but never do.
Manual is really important to read, but I just do it if I really need ...
Bring back your “music is love forever”sign ...put it in the left corner
I definetely read the manual if it has one
The first interface looks more convoluted and difficult to learn and use, but I support the premise of a quick and advanced interface. U-he presswork did this pretty effectively.
Great show ! You look great and your voice is good.
Sonnox are great sounding but never have been easy to use.
I less read manuals I more look videos like yours.
cheers
On manuals: some plugins harbor unique algorithms or features that one would now know were included or what they are actually doing without looking at the manual. If you just guess what’s going on under the hood, you are bound to make mistakes that could hurt your end product. A simple example is when this channel recently reviewed baby audios TAIP plug-in, one of the things that bothered you right of the bat was the lack of a bypass button… but there is one. You just have to know where it is. The end result of that move is more plug-in real estate, since the logo and bypass buttons share the same space when they would need to be separate to be completely intuitive without reading the manual or doing more research. Same with more complicated features, sometimes simplifying what’s going on to “it seems like it’s just a high shelf” can give you and viewers the wrong impression about what the plug-in actually is doing or is meant for.
If I’m buying something with an algorithm designed to make a certain part of the process automated, and/or a unique GUI, it’s important to know what the freakin buttons ACTUALLY do! If I didn’t read about fabfilters linear phase vs natural phase vs low latency modes, I’d have phase issues up the wazzoo
Would we rather no text, and no features that break new ground that would otherwise need explaining? Why suppress progress like that? I know we artists don’t like reading, but we also all know that time invested = better control and quality. Sometime that time should be spent messing with the actual plug-in, but sometimes it’s important to spend some on educating yourself. That’s what these videos are about-so why post your guess about what is happening without correcting misinformation by checking the manual too. Reading the manual for something you paid money for is just the responsible thing to do in my opinion, despite your feelings oh how intuitive the GUI “should” be in your ideal world. We engineers are also acutely aware that sometimes, what you see does not always equal what you hear…
Always read the Manual is a phrase for a reason, but most people jump right in and figure out stuff because most plug ins have common UI functions. But there is always more to explore in the manual and it's just a good idea to skim it.
When a plug in does something different with UI and functions, I give them the benefit of a doubt and read their manual as I go. So I just get what their intentions are. Also, I'm a simple person, I'm not gonna intuitively figure everything out by just messing around.
Please do a review of the Crave EQ 2. The new secret tip for a great sauce.
Sometimes reading the manual is the best way to procrastinate
You the best my friend!
Don't always read the manual, but there are certain plugins that warrant it just because my lack of expertise with Brit consoles for example, or if something like Sooth or Spectre, where it's doing some special proprietary stuff that I want to learn more about. but I'd rather get frustrated and open a manual than get frustrated and still have no idea what anything does.
vst plugins come with a manual? :)
Look, if you want something TRULY novel and unique in the world of software (not just an analog style EQ with a unique character for example), it does stand to reason that it will require an explanation, as its a unique idea and therefore outside of the realm of prior experience. Now, a good user interface should definitely help with this, and the better it is, the more intuitive the processing/function of the software will be. That said, if it’s something completely different, you aren’t going to immediately know how to use it (or maybe even exactly what it does) and therefore an explanation from the developer is a necessity. Silly to hate on that imo, but it makes sense to grade the developer on how well they explain their technology
If i see a button and i dont know what is it doin sure why would i not read the quick tip thingy in the plugin. Nothing bad about those quick tip.
I always read the manual after I play with it first
Can you do a video on iems vs monitors vs headphones. I.e. where and when each is appropriate for contexts and why to use one over another when doing certain things.
Check Invert EQ in the mix window.
Great video, thanks
Yup, always read the manual
Oh and I think I've never read any manual of any of my plugins. I know I should have but I like to play around and figure out what it does for me and most of the time I watch tutorials if I feel like there is more to it than I can figure out. I just cannot really "learn" from reading. I need to "do". There are many different learning types, so to each their own. If I read a manual it usually doesn't sink in at all. My brain just doesn't work that way.
But it’s not like you have to read the manual without the plug-in in front of you to ‘do’ at the same time.
Each to their own, but in my experience spending 2 minutes skimming through a manual gives you a much better understand than a 15 minute tutorial.
Overlap with Izotope Neutron EQ?
cahona XD! Sounds like a dance to me Mr !
i get your thoughts about basic parameter functionality. one of my favourite topics (which makes me a really annoying person sometimes, but i stick with it because it's important) is missing sensitive drag on mousewheel in a lot of plugins. i'm always like "why not" and i can promise you that this is not even hard to implement. they just forget about it or never think about it for some reason.
about your manual-reader-question: no, i don't read a lot of manuals. but when the plugin already brings the manual into the interface as some sort of tutorial when you open it the first time, then that's basically as gamified as it can get already, so that's cool. i have to say tho, manuals can be quite fun to read if you are already obsessed with the plugin or the developer and just wanna learn more about it really bad.
about the frequency response: it's hard to make something like that in a cpu-efficient way so some devs intentionally make it low-res. but you're right that it's also kinda packaged as a feature here, because the smoothness is the same throughout the spectrum. maybe that should keep people from thinking in terms of resonances and make them more open for broad curves.
i love the part where you are talking about sidechain compressing certain freq ranges with pro-mb rather than eqing clashing frequencies. i gotta admit i have not been able to try one of these modern EQs that detect clashing freq yet myself. i still use Pro-Q2. but even without such a tool you sometimes try to find them by ear and reduce the clashing frequencies. and as you said that's kinda hard compared to sidechaining them a bit. you often lose a lot of good energy when removing the clashing freq. but i'd love to try one of these eq myself to get a better opinion on that. maybe they do find better spots to reduce clashing frequencies than my ears for some reason and make me change my mind a bit. on top of that. why only one or the other? i think the point is never to say "this is better than that" but just to say "these are both possible and i do both"
If I need to I open the manual, but most of the time the plugin is selfexplaining. Extern PDFs aren't a problem for me tbh
I always have the manual, but initially and eventually just use my ears.......I am a super dork though 🤓
The "Music Is Love Forever" (Milf) sign is missing in the new studio :-(
Someone may of posted it, Hold option (Mac) , Double click resets...
I always read the manual.
it's like a EQ3 on Ableton
I download manuals for reference, but I rarely read the whole thing.
I don’t read manuals unless there’s one feature that I want to clarify
I read plugin manuals sometimes
I try to avoid the manual unless there's something just completely baffling about the software.
You can learn a lot of the Sonnox Manuals..
Nice, thanks. Great tool this.
Small Denglish thing here, tone and note are not the same thing ;D Otherwise great video as always, love your work bro. 026 let's go!
13:30 love this
It is fun how's there's a plugin company trend of, "You don't want to spend ages mixing and tweaking knobs for just the right tone for eternity", like, have you not met mix engineers before? Most wouldn't know what to do if the mix finished up early.
I actually never read manuals, a tool must have convinced me before I look at the manual. And I only do that if something is unclear to me or not understandable. Otherwise, a tool must explain itself, otherwise I don't use it. I have simply no time for that. There are enough good tools out there.
Hi! Your video could have been a little bit longer and more focused on the actual features. SONNOX have very good sounding EQ.s and this one has a different approach but sounds very good. By the way about reading manuals, I only read them if I do not understand the plugin. Thanks anyway!
This eq is dope
Why would I read the manual?
...Darude is funky today...thumbs!
What are 'manuals' ?
I never read the manual!
great review as always ^^. Poetical! Thanks.
Have never read a manual so far
I download a plug-in then have a nap after realising it was a waste of money
He said: "how many people read the manual?" and broke the comment section
I don't read the manual until I can't work something out, but I would read it if it was easier
I used to be one of those guys that never read the manual. And then I realized how stupid I was being because 1. I spend way too much money on equipment and plugins to NOT know everything about them, and 2. I was mixing for a client that knew more about a product I was using more than I did because he read the manual..lol. I vowed to never allow someone to know more than I do about my own craft or anything that I pay for. So although I install things and generally start pushing buttons and twisting knobs to see what it does, I take the manual with me to the thrown and edu-macate myself ....
I love Sonnox, but this looks like they’ve fallen in love with Zynaptiq.