Want to add some well needed brilliance and presence to your mix?
Or maybe you want to make things a little more gritty, or add some perceived clarity.
An harmonic exciter plug-in, when used right, will do that for you. So in this plugin guide, we’ll go over a few of the best exciter plugins to give your mix that special brilliance.
List of the best Free Subtractive, Additive, FM and Wavetables Synthesizer VST/AU Plugins currently available!
NOTE: This VST Plugin is 32-bit only. A Simple plugin that I built for myself and thought I’d tidy it up and make it available to anyone else who may find it useful. It allows adding harmonic distortion at about 10k and 100hz, which is useful for creating presence in dull. ReaEQ By Reaper. ReaEQ equalizer VST plugin is one of the best free plugins for music producers. Harmonic Exciter Vst, free harmonic exciter vst freeware software downloads. STA Enhancer CM - Free VST/AU exciter. By Computer Music (Computer Music) 10 September 2014. The 25 best VST/AU plugin synths in the world right now: all the best. The 5 Best Free Harmonic Enhancer VST PluginsAutoSwell Light Link:http://pechenegfx.blogspot.com/2015/06/autoswell-light-new-audio-effect-in-vst.htmlCLARITY.
Quick answer: iZotope Ozone Suite’s Exciter offers the best that money can buy.
This is followed by The Abbey Road Studios Brilliance Pack by Softube.
The lowest price? Take a look at Valve Exciter by AudioThing.
The rest of this guide will explore these plugins for closely, and name a couple others to boot.
Let’s take a closer look 🙂
Table of Contents
- Exciter Plug-in Buying Guide
Find more great gear here:
Exciter Plug-in Buying Guide
What is an Exciter?
An exciter is a hardware device or software plug-in that enhances an audio signal via any number of processes. Among the methods typically used by exciter circuits are dynamic equalization and phase manipulation.
Some devices also use high frequency harmonic synthesis, while others incorporate harmonic distortion into the signal.
Exciters are also often referred to as harmonic exciters or aural exciters.
Below this is an amusing inscription: “WARNING: HIGH AMOUNT CAN LEAD TO DESIRED DISTORTION”. Softube is clearly not shy about Tape being a saturation machine.If this were a ‘shoot out’ to crown the meanest tape sim in the west, Tape would be the clear winner despite tough competition.The sound is instantly impressive, it coaxes so much character out of your sounds. This is a pleasant surprise but easy to miss, a good reminder to always read the manual even for your plugins! It seems contradictory that the results can have so much clarity and detail even with the boldest levels of saturation.At first glance, it looks like there are just three controls, but if you click on the right side you open up a ‘remote control’ which gives you further options including a ‘stability’ knob for Boards of Canada style wow and flutter. Tape stop plugin fl studio.
The earliest exciters were hardware devices with tube circuitry. Most modern hardware exciters utilize digital signal processing (DSP) in emulating early analog/tube exciters. But they now also come in plug-in form for use in a software-based audio production environment.
What are Exciters Used For?
If the above definition went over your head, don’t worry about it…
… what’s more important is what an exciter plugin can do for you, and why you should use it when necessary.
Some useful applications in live and studio settings:
- Restoring the ‘brightness’ or high frequency content of analog tape recordings
- Brightening up old tape or vinyl recordings (eg. by digitizing vinyl using a turntable) by simulating spectral content
- Enhancing the output of media players, both hardware and software
- Enhancing the signal of electric guitars or other instruments
Aphex Aural Exciter Vst
Features to Look For in an Exciter Plug-in
A good amount of control is always nice to have in a plug-in, and it is especially important for exciters.
With sufficient control over the amount of the harmonic excitation and the mix between the “excited” and original signals (like the wet/dry mix of a reverb plugin), you will be better able to brighten up your audio without undue harshness or brittleness.
Some of the more fully featured exciter plug-ins come with several configurable modes. This is also a good thing to have, as different modes tend to affect the signal in different ways.
Some plug-ins even have models of tube circuitry or specific hardware exciters, giving you a good range of options with which to treat audio signals.
How to Choose the Best Exciter Plug-in
At the end of the day, what matters most is the sound.
While transparency and neutrality are always good qualities in audio processing tools, there are instances where a bit of grit or character is just the thing to get the perfect mix.
Although you should definitely consider the availability of controls and features when choosing an exciter plug-in, it is equally important that you choose one based on how much you like its basic tone.
The Best Exciter Plug-in Software
iZotope Exciter
Part of the hugely-popular Ozone mastering suite, iZotope’s Exciter packs a whole lot of features and functionalities in a cool and very customizable interface.
The exciter circuitry adds a lot of character and brilliance to audio with its multiple saturation modes. Along with the triode and dual triode options, there are also tube, retro, and tape modes that sound just as good as their analog counterparts.
If you have been disappointed with the sterile and brittle quality imparted by many exciter plug-ins, the iZotope Exciter definitely deserves a close look.
Specs and useful features
- Four configurable saturation bands
- Triode and dual-triode modes
- “Retro”, “tape”, “warm”, and “tube” settings
- Multiband and mid/side processing
- Saturation spectrum display
- Post filter for sculpting frequency output
- Peak saturation
User impressions
Many users laude the Exciter’s ability to enable sounds to cut through the mix without the need to increase the gain. The plug-in also gets praise for its flexibility, which is attributed to the ability to specify algorithms for each of the four saturation bands.
Bottom-line
The iZotope Exciter is one of the most fully featured exciter plug-ins available today. It does cost a lot more than other exciters, but only because it is part of a comprehensive suite of audio tools that perform a lot more functions as well. Offering a high degree of user customization and a modern, intuitive interface, it could very well handle all your audio exciter needs.
Demonstration
Softube Abbey Road Brilliance Pack
This is inspired by the revolutionary mix tools used in the legendary studio of the same name. The Abbey Road Studios Brilliance Pack is a set of three specialized equalizers that work well on individual tracks, stems, and even entire mixes.
Focusing primarily on the high frequencies, the suite is comprised of two RS127s (one with and without built-in transformer), and the RS135. With these three distinct-sounding EQs, mix engineers have a broad range of tools to liven up even the dullest tracks.
Specs and useful features
- Three treble equalizers modeled from Abbey Road original hardware units
- RS127 – Up to 10 dB of boost or cut at 2.1, 3.5 and 10 kHz
- RS127 – Adds transformer to original RS127 circuit
- RS135 – Fixed boost at 8 kHz
- Low CPU usage
User impressions
Many user reviews of the Abbey Road Brilliance Pack cite the absolutely beautiful sounds that this suite produce, a sentiment that I also share. A common thread is the ability to enhance source audio and make it sweeter, without introducing any harsh qualities to the signal.
VST 4 FREE - Free Audio Plug-ins and Archives. Free VST downloads: FabBass (Hofner violin bass by Samsara Cycle Audio) - Digital Nylon (Nylon guitar by TED) - Classic.Gtr (Spanish guitar by Quiet Music) - SuperRiff Bass (Bass. Free bass vst plugins for fl studio studio. FL Studio is one of the most powerful music production tools around, with an array of synths and effects available right out of the box. But like most producers, you could probably use a few more plugins! Here we’ve put together some of the best free plugins for FL Studio.
Most users tend to use these plug-ins for processing vocal tracks, although they have been used to great effect on individual instruments and stems with plenty of high frequency content as well.
Criticisms of the Abbey Road Brilliance Pack typically revolve around the relative lack of control over certain parameter settings.
Bottom-line
The Abbey Road Brilliance Pack is a great set of exciter plug-ins that covers most any conceivable studio applications. While the somewhat unusual workflow may take some getting used to, there is no denying its ‘magic.’ Even with its somewhat steep price tag, the Brilliance Pack has a really unique sound that many salivate over, and considerable functionality in a versatile package.
Demonstration
Valve Exciter by AudioThing
Also modeling tube circuitry is the Valve Exciter by AudioThing, which is billed as a “Harmonic Enhancer plug-in”.
The exciter section has a series of filters that have been tuned meticulously by hand, allowing you to sweep the crucial center frequencies with absolute control. The valve section itself gives you all the rich analog flavors you could need to add subtle brilliance to your tracks.
It even has a bias control for the tube section, so you can hone in on the precise frequencies you want.
Specs and useful features
- Bass and treble with Harmonics sweep
- Valve emulation with drive control
- Low CPU usage
- Preset system with randomizer control
User impressions
Like many other exciter plug-ins, the Valve Exciter has garnered praise for its ability to improve clarity and enhance brightness when used subtly. The key to its effective use is proper gain staging, as the input is especially sensitive to signal levels. Some users have in fact mentioned difficulty in fine tuning the levels, although this was effectively dealt with after familiarization with the controls.
You learn about gain staging from or article on understanding gain structure.
More problematic was the idiosyncratic valve response, which seemed to be a highly subjective quality. While some users had no problem with the compression artifacts produced by the plug-in, others felt that these effects made the plug-in unusable for critical applications
Bottom-line
The Valve Exciter is a pretty flexible exciter plug-in that has an attractive price tag. However, the compression artifacts induced is very much an acquired taste. Few users will likely settle on this as their sole exciter plug-in, although it may have some use for ‘character’ sounds. Those looking for more transparency would probably be better off considering other options.
Demonstration
Waves Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter
The name “Aphex” should be familiar to anyone who has worked extensively in pro audio. With the Waves Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter, the venerable tube-driven circuitry now has an equivalent in software form. The software version closely models the sound, vibe, and even appearance of the original, with a bunch of features that would make it fit right into any modern studio. It even comes with an analog section that allows you to dial in just the right amount of grit to individual tracks, stems, and entire mixes.
Specs and useful features
- Modeled after tube-powered original
- Enhances brightness, depth, and vibrancy
- Increases presence without increasing levels
- Suitable for vocals and instruments
- Mix and AX modes
- Useable as insert or send
- Mono and stereo capability
- 24bit/192kHz resolution
User impressions
One of the most common praises about the Waves Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter is its ability to liven up a mix when used sparingly. Although this implies that it is easy to overuse the plug-in to the detriment of the sound, it is easy enough to simply add as much of the effect as needed to improve the source audio without ‘overcooking’ it.
Some users also appreciated the high-end ‘grit’ that it added to the signal, while others praised its ability to make muffled vocal tracks clearer and more intelligible.
Bottom-line
The Waves Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter carries with it the formidable Aphex pedigree, but more discriminating users might bemoan the lack of classic features and reduced flexibility. Those looking for more functionality than that which their native EQs provide might have some use for this. Otherwise, there are better options for the money, particularly for master buss usage.
Demonstration
Waves OneKnob Brighter
Best Free Harmonic Exciter Vst Software
The Waves OneKnob Brighter is about as simple as exciters come.
This little plugin offers only a single control knob, and packs a surprising amount of functionality in a simple and straightforward package.
Of course, the sound is what matters the most, and you may find that the OneKnob Brighter works perfectly on the mid-high frequencies of your guitar and vocal tracks, making them cut through the mix without being too shrill or overbearing.
Specs and useful features
- Full range of mix processing
- All-in-one sound-shaping capability
- Mono, stereo, and mono-stereo capability
- Single-parameter interface
- Suitable for studio and live applications
User impressions
For many users, the Waves OneKnob Brighter is about as easy to use as they come. Adding brightness to the mid-high frequency range of audio signals, it helps tracks cut through the mix without the need for extensive tweaking.
If you are happy with the sound that the OneKnob Brighter gives to your audio, this could be a pretty cool exciter plug-in for your needs. However, some users feel that it understandably provides limited functionality in the context of a full mix, and that the price warrants more control.
Bottom-line
The Waves OneKnob Brighter could be sufficient for your needs, if you like the base sound and don’t have a need for more intensive tonal shaping. For most users however, the single control can be too restricting, and the price might make it seem like less of a bargain.
Demonstration
Final thoughts – Which to Get?
The clear winner in this roundup is the iZotope Exciter. It has a level of control that no other exciter plug-ins can come close to, this one combines rich sound with modern features and functionalities that deliver outstanding results every time.
It comes as part of the Ozone suite of mastering plug-ins, which might give it an unfair advantage over the other standalone exciters in this roundup. Nevertheless, there is no denying the control and precision that the iZotope Exciter offers, and it would be just as impressive even when judged on its own merits.
Speaking of impressive, the Abbey Road Brilliance Pack packs quite a solid punch as well. Vintage flavors are the stocks-in-trade of this trio of exciter plug-ins, but it can more than hold its own with other more modern-oriented offerings.
If you like the rich, brilliant flavors heard on countless classic recordings since the 1960s, the Abbey Road Brilliance Pack will make a great addition to your set of studio tools.
The Waves OneKnob Brighter might seem like a bit of a one-trick pony to some, but it’s pretty hard to beat if simplicity is high on your list of priorities.
As for the Valve Exciter by AudioThing and the Waves Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter, these could very well find a place in your studio toolbox. Keep in mind though that the artifacts they impart to the sound at more extreme settings might make them better suited to more specialized tasks or as alternatives to your more transparent exciter plug-ins.
Article Content
So far in this series, I’ve covered some of my favorite and most used compressor, limiter and equalizer plugins — three types of processing vital to any mastering engineer.
It’s important not to forget about other processors that can add harmonic content to your material. You might hear them referred to as exciters, enhancers, saturators, maximizers etc. — regardless of the name, these plugins can be great for adding tone, vibe, impact, and character to your masters.
1. UAD Ampex ATR-102 and Studer A800
These are emulations of the classic tape machines, and while they are two separate and very different plugins, I find them both to be essential — and wanted to make room for the many other great processors — so they occupy the top spot.
They’re great for both mixing and mastering, and can be used on individual tracks or entire mixes. For a majority of the time we’ve been listening to recorded music, tape has been involved, and these two plugins help achieve that famous sound.
The ATR-102 features 4 different tape types, 4 tape speeds, and dozens of other features that make this an incredibly deep tool for adding color and tone to your material. I find that it helps add a sense of clarity and separation between instruments in a way that no other plugin does. It’s definitely a hi-fi sound, but the brightness can be dialed back by changing the tape speed or using the shelf EQ.
The Studer A800 is a bit more warm and vibrant. I find myself using this one on individual tracks or sub-auxes more than the ATR-102, but when material needs to sound more rolled off, saturated, and vintage, the Studer is unmatched.
Unique features: The sheer depth of these two plugins makes for a virtually endless amount of sonic capabilities. The Studer is simpler, and I find myself tweaking the bias setting to achieve a very open, airy sound. The ATR-102 has really unique tape effects like wow, flutter and crosstalk. While you may understandably hesitate to use these on a master, in the rare case when you absolutely need your material to have a subtly warped, analog feel, look no further.
Best free vst pads. But don’t let its minimalist design fool you; it is jam-packed with all kinds of goodies.This free drum software features a wide array of drum sounds from bass drums to rimshots, you can string together just about any sort of sound you are trying to achieve and with relatively little fuss. Seriously, this thing is a pleasure to use. Drumatic 3 features a GUI that is second only in beautiful simplicity to MiniSpillage. The basses and kicks are always full and punchy, and the cymbals are crisp and ring out nice and loud. If you were to pick up this VST right now and mess around with it a bit, you could easily get the hang of most of what it has to offer within probably a day or so.Digging into the dashboard, you will find that it offers you Multi-Segment Graphical Envelopes (MSGE) to make tweaking every element just that much easier through an array of harmonic modifiers, knobs, and noise oscillators.
2. SPL Vitalizer MK2-T
The Vitalizer MK2-T is a tried and true hardware unit that is common in mastering, and the plugin does a similarly great job of adding air and presence to your material. There are also useful compression and drive controls. If your source lacks excitement and definition, the Vitalizer is a quick fix thanks to it’s intuitive interface.
Unique feature: The stereo expander on the Vitalizer is as good as on any plugin I’ve found. If I want to widen the stereo field in mastering, this is the tool I reach for.
3. Sonnox Oxford Inflator
When you need to add impact and modern size to your material, look no further than the Inflator. It adds a tasteful curve, even when it’s pushed pretty hard. Although it can make virtually any source sound and feel more exciting, it really excels with electronic music.
Best Free Exciter Plugins
Unique feature: Aside from Input and Output controls, it has “effect” and “curve” faders. That’s it. What I find to be most unique about the Inflator is its ability to enhance program material, even with such limited controls. There are very few plugins that are essentially “sound better” faders/knobs, and this is definitely one of them.
4. iZotope Ozone 7 Exciter and Vintage Tape
The Exciter alone has warm, retro, tape, tube, triode, and dual triode modes. More impressively, it’s a multiband exciter, in case you want to add any of these characteristics to specific frequency ranges. The vintage tape plugin is yet another iZotope plugin with flexible digital-style controls, but a warm analog sound.
Unique feature: Not only does the exciter work in mid-side mode, the exciting can also be added in parallel, per frequency range. The gain match feature on both plugins can help you determine if the changes you’re making are actually enhancing the material, or just increasing volume.
5. PSP Vintage Warmer 2
The Vintage Warmer is also a compressor/limiter in addition to being a great tool for adding tasteful saturation to material.
While there are many controls, everything is laid out in such a way that’s easy to understand. Both the sound and metering are excellent. This one can go from adding tasteful saturation to expressive gnarly tones, which can also make it a valuable mix tool.
Unique feature: Being able to choose the frequency at which you want to add drive (at both high and low frequencies) can really help when only a certain frequency range needs saturation and excitement.
6. UAD Brainworx bx_masterdesk
The bx_masterdesk is a simple, all-in-one solution for those in need of an in-the-box mastering processor. The GUI resembles an analog mastering console, and allows one to work quickly and efficiently. Sonically, the plugin is equally impressive; between the four compressor options (which can be blended in parallel), the incredibly smooth 4-band EQ section, the helpful resonance filters, and the unique “foundation” control, one can quickly add energy and sculpt the tone of their program material. The bx_masterdesk doesn’t stop there, though, and is loaded with a variety of additional features including a high-quality de-esser, the acclaimed brainworx M/S features including Mono-Maker and Stereo Enhance, and a THD control for adding tasteful saturation to your masters. The harder you drive the volume control, the harder the processing stages are hit, so the bx_masterdesk truly does behave like an analog console.
The metering, functionality and sound quality are all of the excellent quality one would expect from Brainworx and UAD. For anyone looking for an uncomplicated, versatile, juicy-sounding in-the-box mastering processor, I strongly recommend giving the bx_masterdesk a test drive.
Mastering Tip:
While bx_masterdesk was designed for the purpose of mastering entire mixes, don’t shy away from using them on groups like drum or vocal buss. I had great success recently using it on a backup vocal subgroup. What’s great about it is that there are so many high-quality processors located in a singular easy-to-use plugin. I used the equalizer section to carve out the low end, the de-esser to handle sibilance, the THD to add some pleasing grit and color, and the stereo enhance function to add some subtle width. It’s not abnormal for me to process backup vocals this way using a variety of tools, and I love the convenience of being able to handle everything within one plugin.
Introducing the UAD bx_masterdesk plug-in by Brainworx
So far in this series, I’ve covered some of my favorite and most used compressor, limiter and equalizer plugins — three types of processing vital to any mastering engineer. It’s important not to forget about other processors that can add harmonic content to your material. You might hear them referre
7. iZotope Ozone 9 Exciter
iZotope’s latest update to their all-in-one mastering plugin suite includes several new modules that make in-the-box mastering even more intuitive and effective including Master Re-balance and Low-End Focus. Updated in this top-notch multiband exciter module include tweaks to the analog-modeled Retro, Tape, Warm and Tube modes. I really enjoy the flexibility of multiband processing and the fact that you can choose different saturation modes for each band, so if you want to add some analog tape vibe in the low end, and tube warmth in the upper mids, you are quickly able to do so, and with great precision and control over the frequency crossover points.
You can use the exciter in mid/side mode, which I often do when mastering. Additionally, you can ‘solo’ the individual bands, so you can hear exactly what the processor is imparting onto the signal, and I find this feature quite helpful when dialing in exactly how much I processing I should be doing. Ozone 9 is, of course, marketed as a tool for mastering, but I’ll regularly fire it up when at the mix stage, and even use it on individual elements such as snare drum, bass guitar, and vocals, in part because of the tonal shaping qualities of the exciter.
Mastering Tip:
Learn how the ‘amount’ and ‘mix’ controls interact and affect the signal: ‘Amount’ functions similar to a gain control — the higher the amount, the more drastic saturation will be achieved. ‘Mix’ functions as a wet/dry blend. I tend to use the exciter very subtly when mastering, and in the event I’m using higher ‘amount’ values, I’ll definitely dial back the overall effect using the ‘mix’ slider. Additionally, make sure to pay attention to the order in which you use the models in Ozone 9. I ensure that the maximizer (which functions as a limiter) is the last module in the chain, as I don’t want any gain to be added with the exciter (or any other module) after the limiter ceiling has been set.
What’s New in Ozone 9 | iZotope Ozone Mastering Software
So far in this series, I’ve covered some of my favorite and most used compressor, limiter and equalizer plugins — three types of processing vital to any mastering engineer. It’s important not to forget about other processors that can add harmonic content to your material. You might hear them referre
8. UAD Vertigo VSM-3
The VSM-3, developed by Brainworx and Universal Audio is an emulation of an esoteric (and pricey) rack-mountable saturation unit from German company, Vertigo Sound. It’s a two-stage harmonic generator with mid-side capabilities. You’ve got extensive control over 2nd and 3rd order harmonics sections, each of which have their own unique sonic qualities, and each can go from tastefully subtle, to blistering and brash. The THD Mixer section allows one the ability to blend between the two stages, and you can choose between using them in series or parallel. Within each of the sections, you can target specific frequency ranges, so if you want to add a bit of warm saturation to the bass, and some crunch higher up in the frequency spectrum, let’s say on electric guitars, it’s fairly easy to dial in. In that case, I’d use the 2nd Harmonic FET crusher to add drive to the lows (bass), and the 3rd Harmonic Zener Blender and target the high mids. 2nd order harmonics are more tame and subtle in nature, whereas 3rd order have more ‘bite’, so this would be a useful application of the VSM-3.
There are so many unique tones available within this plugin–it’s a sort of saturator, equalizer, compressor all-in-one. It works great on individual tracks, sub-busses, or at the mastering stage, allowing you to bring attitude and vibe to dull, and lifeless mixes. If you have limited experience using saturation at the mastering stage, I do recommend avoid getting too heavy-handed with the VSM-3, as I mentioned, it can go from an exquisite polish to absolutely destroying transients unless you’re careful.
Mastering Tip:
Use it for Mid/Side Saturation: When mastering, I use saturation to enhance vibrancy and improve relationships between components of the mix. On a recent rock master, the sides featured crunchy, hard-panned electric guitars, and the vocal (which sat up the middle) was a bit lacking in character. I enlisted the VSM-3, adding a bit of brightness and via the 3rd Harmonic Generator, only focusing on the mid, disregarding the sides. Mid/Side processing can be extremely useful when mastering, and this unique saturator is no exception.
Honorable Mention
Although somewhat limited due to only being compatible with Pro Tools, the original Phoenix and its successor helped engineers add analog tape saturation and vibe to material long before most competitors. Simply put, it’s to this day, a great sounding plugin.
Mastering in the Box Course
If you’re interested in expanding your knowledge and learning effective techniques for getting great sounding masters 100% in the box, check out my debut course: Mastering in the Box
Mastering in the Box with Ian Vargo
So far in this series, I’ve covered some of my favorite and most used compressor, limiter and equalizer plugins — three types of processing vital to any mastering engineer. It’s important not to forget about other processors that can add harmonic content to your material. You might hear them referre
FREE Masterclass: Low-End Mixing Secrets
Downloaded Over 19,455 times!
Discover how to make your kick and bass hit hard by cutting (NOT boosting) the right frequencies! Plus, more counterintuitive ways to get fuller yet controlled low-end in your mix. Download this 40-minute workshop by Matthew Weiss, now for FREE!