PLUG-IN LINKS & REVIEWS

UNDER CONSTRUCTION!

The following is links to resources for effects plug-ins for IQS/RML Lab's excellent line of digital audio multitrack editors/recorders, SAW.  They are in native SAWStudio, FX32 (native for SAWPro/32), VST, and DirectX formats. I have personally tested these for use within SAWPro, SAW32, and SAWStudioLite.  If it is listed here for the most part it means that it works and won't crash your system - in fact the ones listed are the ones that in general sound really good - still, it should be noted that how well they will work on your own system is subject to a lot of variables.  A lot of this stuff is freeware - so happy plugin grabbing!!

PLUG-IN LIST LINKS:
The best way to keep up to date and find lot's of good stuff - is to check out the following sites:
VST Central - excellent site for locating VST freeware
KVR-VST - also great for VSTi's and other softsynth / virtual sampler / VSTi host info
Direct X Files - extensive link & news source for DX plugins maintained by Cakewalk

NATIVE IQS FORMATS:

RML Labs  (formerly Innovative Quality Software) is of course SAW's creator and they feature 2 highly recommended plug-in native Studio format:

Reverberator 32 - an excellent reverberation plugin - tails can sound very natural from "HD" (high density) presets  - $150 direct.  You can pick up 48 additional presets for it here.

Levelizer - another excellent sounding plug-in - this one is a mastering compressor/limiter capable of normalizing in real-time, ducking, gating, brickwall limiting, de-essing, etc.  Highly recommended!  $150 direct. 

JMS Audioware - awesomely cool SAW native  plugins - well worth downloading.

HiRes EQ - an incredible paragraphic eq with shelving, peak, and band pass filters with fully adjustable q and center frequency.  And it's automateable on top of all of this.  At $75 a must have - this is one of the first plug-ins I reach for in any mix down. 

RCDelay - amazing dual echo/delay, fully automatable and capable of incredible special fx.  At $75 another must have (and available as a bundle with Hi-Res EQ for only $120)

Freeverb for SAW - available in both Studio and Pro/32 formats.  this is an awesome plug - and considered by me a must have download.  Freeware.

Metronome - a freeware click track creator for Studio/Pro/32.

Center Channel Eliminator - since IQS forgot to put this plugin into SAWStudio Jon was kind enough to provide it as freeware to us!

Sonic Engineering  

SAW Utiltiy Pack - I have this set of 4 plug-ins for SAWPro/32 from them as I was priviledged enough to be a beta tester for it. Basically this provides an Aux Send/Return, Meter Bridge, Stereo Pan (a very cool stereo field tweaker), and an extra large SMPTE display.  When it first came out it was half the price of IQS's own versions, however since SAWPro and SAWPlus32 now come bundled with these plugins I recommend just picking up the StereoPan for Pro/32 - available alone for $50 - as it is a mighty useful tool.

Pan Handler - this is a surround sound plugin for SAWPro/32 which I have not tested.  Since SAWStudioLite has XY panning built in I recommend updating your SAW instead of purchasing this - but if you need to do surround using SAWPro or SAW32 this is your ticket. 

Brainspawn

Stereo Panner - a very useful stereo field tweaker for Studio/StudioLite available as freeware.

SpektR Pro - a sample accurate 62 band spectrum analyzer and phase correlation meter available for $35.

Tone Gen - a fully automatable test tone generator.

m'audio This company has 4 freeware plugins for SAWPro/32 (haven't been updated since 1998 though).  Since they are in native format and don't cost you a dime I recommend picking them up.  You can use them in SAWStudio by downloading the FX32 Linker from JMS Audioware. 

Delilah - a delay/echo plugin that is a little more flexible than IQS's native version

Rita - a ring modulator.  Not my favorite but useful enough.

Sakuri - a tube/tape saturation emulator.  A little grainy to my taste so I definitely wouldn't master with it - but if you have a track that you want to add a touch of edge or overdrive this works pretty well.

Trishpam - a tremelo.  Works good for those surf guitar sounds.

DIRECT X:
You can use Direct X plugins (Microsofts very own and very cludgy plug-in format) in SAWPro/32 via the DirectX linker, or in SAWStudio/StudioLite directly.  The following stuff works well in SAW, it should be noted though that in general DX plugins take up more CPU cycles to do the same things than Native SAW plugins (or even VST plugins).

Arboretum 

Hyperprism Suite - a set of 30(!) DirectX plugins doing everything from time based effects such as reverbs, choruses, flanges, to eq based effects such as high & low pass filters, to crazy stuff like pitch shifting.  To be honest I find myself using this stuff not that often except for special effects as I find I like other stuff's sound  for the basics like reverb and eq a lot better.

Sonic Timeworks  

Reverb 4080L -At $179 direct to me it is overpriced.  Still for some things (like piano) it can be very useful.

Phaser 88 - if you want psychedelic phase shifting ala the 70's this is the jammy. 

Sonic Foundry - the creators of Acid and Vegas also make some cool (if boring looking) plugins.  Unfortunately they have an annoying copy protection scheme with their stuff, but since the following does some unique stuff I highly recommend them.

Acoustic Mirror - massively CPU intensive "convolver" that allows you to load an impulse reading of an acoustic space, microphone or wav file.  Even with a 866MHzPIII a single stereo track of this plugin taxes my system - but the results have to be heard to be believed.  Acoustic Mirror can give amazingly detailed reverbs and ambiences and even some crazy sonic manipulations.  If you use this with SAWStudio you need to raise the buffer settings to a higher latency.  

XFX1  Suite - this is highly recommended for its Time Stretching/Compression and Pitch Shift plugins - as they are incredibly useful - especially for turning a 31 second spot into the needed 30 seconds, etc.  You also get a decent multitap delay, a Chorus, and an OK Reverb.  Sonic Foundry just lowered the price to only $35 so I consider this a must have.

Antares  

Autotune - to be honest I am not that big of a fan of Autotune because no matter what - it leaves artifacts.  However for a lot things (i.e. horrific vocalists that you just have finish the mix using (since model looks instead of vocal chops seems to be the qualifier these days - I wonder what would happen to Aretha Franklin if she tried to start her career in the 2000's insteads of the 60's?  Don't even get me started on the likes of N'Sync!), or that one damn cello note that simply didn't hit its mark) this will be your life saver. 

Microphone Modeler - more than an eq - this is an acoustic modeler that allows you to shift a tracks sound to emulate the sound as if it was recorded by another microphone model.  No, it won't turn your vocal track recorded with a Shure SM-57 into sounding like it was recorded on a Neumann U-47- however it will give you the ability to really subtly shape your tracks to some pretty cool results.  Recommended.  note: mono only.  

RGCAudio  

Reverb - a freeware DX reverb.  Nothing that special but for free it's nice to get another option to play with.

High Frequency Shaper - a very cool freeware plugin that is similar to Aphex Aural Exciter in that it brings out high harmonics.  Nice for adding a little shine to a track - but best if used subtly - otherwise it can get grainy. 

FASoft  

Parametric EQ - a 4 band parametric eq with an awesome interface, very wide parameters, and excellent sound.  Since this is only $18 I consider it a must have. 

db audioware  

Tempo Delay - nice freeware delay that can set its taps to bpm 

VST:

Steinberg  - the creators of Cubase and Nuendo and the originators of the VST standard - these guys have created ma lot of stuff - most of which I haven't really checked out - but the following freeware can still be found floating on the net

Chopper - nice tremelo

Karlette - tape delay emulator - parameters aren't really easily controllable - but can be cool for a little psychedelia

Transmitter - a very cool sounding ring modulator

Transformer - resonant filter

Vellocet 

Dr. J. Schmitt  - Lots of gui-less freeware - to run in SAWStudio you need Spin Audio's VST Skin Rack to create a gui.  Most of his stuff is redundant of other better sounding plugins, but the following two are very unique and recommended:

Humanizer - really cool formant changer - gives a really cool sounding "vocoder" or "voicebox" effect

Oscillator - nice rotating speaker emulation - kind of like a Leslie cabinet effect

Bo Johansen  

Flanger - freeware, nice sound, great interface, highly recommended

WaveChanger

Ring Modulator

Overdrive

Maxim Digital Audio - tons of gui-less freeware - a lot of this stuff is not that unique but some of it is incredible good and very well worth the download.

A0Audio  check the Double Delay for a nice VST freeware dual delay

PSP Audioware  

MixPressor - excellent sounding compressor with lots of parameters that can be tweaked - including adjustable knee, a couple kinds of limiting, peak and RMS detection and the ability to pass through a controllable percentage of unaffected audio to allow a more natural sound.  A bit more CPU using than the IQS compressors but worth it for the sound.  My one big complaint is that the metering doesn't work properly in SAWPro - or it seems at all in SAWStudioLite.

Smart Electron:x  

Cyanide - freeware over the top distortion - makes things sound like they blew up

Supaphaser - highly recommended freeware phase shifter

H20 - freeware compressor - not that special sounding though

Silverspike  

Room Machine 844 - nice room simulating reverb freeware plugin

Ruby Tube - decent tube warmth emulation plugin

Thomas Rehaag  

Spice - over drive and speaker emulation
Vibrato

Nick Whitehurst  

C-plugs for VST Measurement Series -  shareware spectrum analyzer, phase correlation meter, and stereo field tweaker.  I've never been able to get the VST Tuner to work - but otherwise a recommended download.

Rainbow  

Hexaline - nice freeware chorus

Nasty Shaper - ok distortion freeware

Clone Ensemble

Bass Chorus - nice freeware chorus that can do some unique flanging effects also while still leaving a decent amount of bottom end. 

 

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