Mix Buss & Mastering Secret Weapon? SPL Vitalizer MK2-T from Plugin Alliance

[@made.online2149]

"I hope you're wearing headphones to listen to this" is one of my funniest phrases in the context of mastering software/gear reviews, it's always like "alright guess I'll go power down the Psi's and put on my cans!" Thanks for the review/perspective!

[@MPHORROCKS]

I originally thought your review was too gushing. I now have Vitalizer and wholeheartedly agree. It seems to just make everything sound cohesive and nicely blended. It's amazing!

[@TheCratesMotel]

Haha I was gushing dude, I love that plugin. I’m glad you like it. Thank you for watching.

[@HollerAtcherBoi]

I love this plugin on 808s, bass, drums, and background vocal bus. Lots of times, I turn the bass knob all the way to the left, process & intensity knobs both around 4. That’s my usual starting point

[@TheCratesMotel]

Yeh man. It’s a great plugin. Thank you for watching.

[@elijahmant2855]

This is a nice sounding plugin. I use it on my Master channel along with eq, compression and limiter. As you said : It is musical. Adds a nice analogue sheen of niceness to the mix. You can push it and it rarely sounds bad. My opinion though. It doesn't need pushing. Good video demo. Thanks, Man.

[@TheCratesMotel]

Exactly. It sounds at its best when used gently and thoughtfully.

[@BIG_PASTA]

One of the only plugins that I can actually hear adding *depth* and somewhat of a "3D" image if used correctly. I have a feeling many people aren't listening in a decent enough environment to hear what it's doing or just don't know what to listen for. Sure it's not great for everything but it's definitely sonically unique and interesting :)

[@TheCratesMotel]

Thanks for the comment dude and thank you for watching. Yes I agree, I think it’s a bit of a misunderstood unit/plugin.

[@Mike_Benz_]

In all the years I've had this plugin I had never thought to try it out on the Master, weird. Sounded really good on the Master of the song. Thanks

[@TheCratesMotel]

You’re welcome dude. Thank you for watching.

[@Mike_Benz_]

@@TheCratesMotel Thank you for creating great content. Can you please do more of the Oldies but Goodies videos?

[@Submangalam]

Wow! Really nice video, quality content! I have that and didn’t really know how to make it work for my work… and now is so clear ! Thank you so much!

[@TheCratesMotel]

You're welcome man, I am glad it can be of some use. Thank you for watching.

[@richardgordon9939]

i had the vitalizer mrk1 hardware unit which was amazing. this plugin sounds wicked

[@TheCratesMotel]

Yes I love it. I have used the hardware before, but it was quite some time ago so I didn't want to make any proper comparisons between them. Thank you for watching.

[@anthonyjunior3335]

Very nice for glue and tightening

[@Jrel]

I used to use this and totally forgot about it. Thank you for making this video!

[@TheCratesMotel]

Yes I love it. Thanks for watching.

[@TimesOfTheSines.official]

I've used both hardware & plugin... & I have always found & adjusted the drive knob to find what is most suitable for the effect its having on a source sound firstly... If I've listened closely to what effect that is having initially to be the most suitable over something, that I'm about to process further with the various other processing stages & choices of the mk2t's... It generally makes balancing any other processing & options there after... Easier to balance for making it work for me. The drive will give you softer tube harmonic generated saturation presence counter clockwise from 0db, & fast become tighter harmonics clockwise from 0db - 6db.. If input levels are at good gain level of a source sound feeding into the plug or outboard devices. The harder drive & tighter harmonic generated processing on a source can really make the sound of every other processing in these things, sound & process results in a very different way & balance of them too. So the softer lesser drive amounts will get better results, & a easier balancing of the other processing too... I've used these for decades, it took a while for this penny to drop in use of them

[@TheCratesMotel]

It’s definitely one of those processors that people misunderstand. When the penny dropped for me I wondered how I’d survived without it. Thanks for sharing and thanks for watching.

[@streetpyramids]

Thanks for this video...I demoed this one on some of the presets and then bypassed, whoa gotta put that back on! got it for $10 and going through the manual too

[@TheCratesMotel]

Wow that’s an insanely good price. Enjoy. And thanks for watching.

[@RundFyrkant]

i got the hardware unit hooked up on a subgroup passing drums and percussion through it. It sounds nice when narrowing the stereowidth on the mixer sub and then rewideing with the Vitalizer. Got Transient Designer and the Kultube as well. Love all SPL stuff! 🙂

[@TheCratesMotel]

Yeh man, SPL make some dope hardware. Thanks for watching dude.

[@mixnmstrng]

Thanks for this video, the plug-in turned out to be very interesting, the stereo expander handle works great on the electric guitar bus.

[@TheCratesMotel]

Ah that’s awesome. I can’t say I’ve used it very much on guitars. That’s a great idea. I’ll have to try it out. Thank you for watching.

[@mixnmstrng]

@@TheCratesMotel Tom Lord-Alge does this, I spied on him. =)

[@TheCratesMotel]

@@mixnmstrng TLA has some amazing techniques

[@KASmonkeys]

Thanks! I used to own the hardware back in the day and love this plugin. Got me excited about it again ha :)

[@TheCratesMotel]

That’s awesome man, that was my intention. Thank you for watching.

[@matt_nyc_audioengineer]

Hey Conan! I pull out Vitalizer from time to time but most of the time I prefer Kush Clariphonic. I know they aren't exactly the same but I feel like they do a very similar thing. Great video!

[@TheCratesMotel]

Ah I love Clariphonic. I guess they’re both in the business of sweetening stuff. Thank you for watching.

[@djgoatdidit94]

@@TheCratesMotel OMG THIS PLUGIN IS A SLEEPER‼️ you explained it a little better than others thanks….

[@TheCratesMotel]

@@djgoatdidit94 Thanks for watching dude. That’s great, enjoy the plugin. I love it!!

[@mediapr4566]

great content, learned alot about this awesome plugin, thanks! btw where can I find that song? great vibe!

[@TheCratesMotel]

Hey thanks for watching and I appreciate your kind words. The track is a track I mastered for a client (LYP - Sensory Overload) but I don't think it has been released yet. You can check out his Soundcloud page here: soundcloud.com/lyp_official

[@eco9LOG]

I,ve had this for a while,read manual mmm what is it-you explain 5mins in - i have a quick fiddle and my god what a great little plugin I didn,t realise I had-thank you.

[@TheCratesMotel]

Awesome, that's great to hear. Thank you for watching.

[@sebbwen]

Another great video! I love the Vitalizer, awesome plugin

[@TheCratesMotel]

Thanks man. Yes I love it. Thanks for watching dude.

[@zmpfl5044]

Nice video. Where can I get the song (LYP - Sensory Overload)? Couldn't find it.

[@TheCratesMotel]

Thank you for watching. This is his Soundcloud. I have only just mastered it for him recently, so it may be a while before it is released. soundcloud.com/lyp_official

[@zmpfl5044]

@@TheCratesMotel Thanks!

[@michaelmos7497]

Interesting video, well done 🍀👌But you really have to listen very carefully and fully concentrated through good headphones to even notice these subtle optimizations. How is music mostly consumed these days? Besides, when riding a bike, on the bus, on the light rail, on the train, in the gym, in the city while shopping and so on... MP3 compressed file format. The "normal people" get only a small fraction of this fine adjustment, if at all. Especially since in many cases they don't have trained studio/mastering ears and don't walk around with special studio headphones that are linear in terms of frequency response. So we should be aware that in the vast majority of cases we are doing this more or less just for ourselves. And that's nice too 😅

[@TheCratesMotel]

Thanks for watching dude. I guess the consumer doesn’t actually even care generally about how we get the result, just that the result is good. I suppose what I mean is my videos are for nerds like us lol. The end result is what matters. They don’t need to hear the A/B comparisons. Just good results. Thanks again for watching.

[@michaelmos7497]

Yes, you're right. I had already forgotten about this plugin. I've had it too for many, many months. I will work with the plugin again, thanks to your video.

[@THEFUTURESOUNDBEAT]

amazing i did not know you can use this one for master bus thanks i got it now for sure i will give it a try today

[@TheCratesMotel]

Cool man, have fun, and thank you for watching.

[@Blueberrystop]

❤

[@binahtrading8565]

Great up load now I know who to send my tunes to !!

[@TheCratesMotel]

Thanks for watching buddy

[@binahtrading8565]

@@TheCratesMotel Cheers

[@FLAVMEDIA]

Great Video!!

[@TheCratesMotel]

Thank you and thank you for watching.

[@quantika72]

If you find yourself using this plugin often, I recommend you investing on the hardware. The plugin is cool but doesn’t come close to the sound of the real thing. I like the hardware so much that I bought the flagship version of it which is even more incredible. Is called SPL Tube Vitalizer Harmonic Exciter.

[@TheCratesMotel]

I actually owned the hardware for many years and also owned the original version. Thanks for watching.

[@sokoleski]

thanks for doin this one

[@TheCratesMotel]

Thanks for watching dude. It is one of my favourite plugins and I don't feel it gets enough coverage. I think a lot of people push it aside because it is deep and takes some proper learning. No bells and whistles haha

[@marceloribeirosimoes8959]

A voodoo plugin will only get you sounds a lot worse... ;-)) Thank you for the vídeo!

[@TheCratesMotel]

Not this voodoo plugin haha

[@KASmonkeys]

The plugin is so old too! :)

[@realcasper81]

Tools 🔥

[@TheCratesMotel]

You gotta love 'em

[@stevenkish9061]

Ok, we need a video explaining the offside rule in soccer now. PS. Soccer? When did you become American? :)

[@TheCratesMotel]

Haha I’ll make the video!! Ah it’s living in Dubai for 11 years. It’s Soccer here. It’s still football to me though.

[@stevenkish9061]

@@TheCratesMotel As a Yank raised on a superhuman amount of British television, it sounded a bit odd to me. PS. I enjoyed the rest of the video too.

[@chrisosborneband4941]

are you running this on an aux send or inline?

[@TheCratesMotel]

Usually as a channel effect but occasionally as a send effect. It depends on the track.

[@chrisosborneband4941]

@@TheCratesMotel thanks!!

[@JakeyWakey]

I can't make this sound good.

[@TheCratesMotel]

It is definitely a tough plugin/hardware to master, but honestly, keep at it dude. When it happens you will smile for sure. Thank you for watching.

[@JakeyWakey]

@@TheCratesMotel swept through everything. Just sounds like broken high end.

[@TheCratesMotel]

@@JakeyWakey Bear in mind it's not good for every source.

[@JakeyWakey]

@@TheCratesMotel probably just my singing. Lol

[@aiartvids]

100 percent secret weapon saddly you don't go into the expander which is this devices true awesomeness. Th two most important knobs on the entire thing bass and stereo ex pander you did nail the soft part usualy the best place for it. crank that stereo expander to 12....

[@TheCratesMotel]

Yeh I am not keen on the Expander on the plugin. It can create wrird phasing issues in mastering if you are not careful. Maybe it's good on individual instruments, but not in mastering (for me anyway). The hardware I owned did not have that issue. Thanks for watching dude.