| Dave Pensado's
Plug-In Secrets by Mike Levine EM WebClips Exclusive, Mar 17 2004 |
With all of the contemporary pop and R&B songs that he mixes, Dave Pensado has become a huge fan of plug-in effects. In the April 2004 EM cover story, “Mixing Strategies of the Pros,” Pensado talks about two of his preferred plug-ins, the McDSP Compressor Bank CB2, that he uses for emulating the Fairchild compressor, and the Eventide Harmonizer H910 from Eventide’s Clockworks Legacy Bundle. Here, in Pensado’s own words, are descriptions of some more of his favorite plug-ins (listed in alphabetical order*). The screen shots accompanying them show actual settings he’s used on some of his most high-profile mixes. |
Princeton
Digital 2016
“This is a great example that I really want people to understand. A lot of
times a manufacturer will reissue the real version of an original piece of gear.
Like there are new 1176’s out there. But the new [Eventide Reverb] 2016 is my
favorite reissue ever. The SP2016 is my favorite reverb ever, and the reissue is
just as good as the original. I’ve got the new one and I love it. Having said
that, that plug-in that you see [Princeton Digital 2016], I love just as much as
my original. That’s a vocal reverb that I used probably 50 percent of the
time. If you listen to “Get the Party Started” by Pink, or “Family
Portrait” by Pink [From the CD Missundaztood Arista, 2001] That’s the
reverb I’m using on her vocal. That same exact setting is used a lot on just
every record that I do, including on Brian McKnight’s new CD. Anyone familiar
with my work, just go listen to a song, that’s the setting that I’m using.
I’ll change the predelay to match the tempo of the song. I’ll change the
decay. What I like to do is to listen to just the vocals and the drums by
themselves and then tailor the timing elements of the plug-in to the timing of
the drums.”
* Complete list at emusician web site article.