What are the best audio processing plugins?

Audio engineers, music producers, DJ's, re-mixers, you name it we all rely on software plugins to give us that polished sound. In today's music production environment there are questions we must ask and choices we must make.  What plugin format does my DAW require? What plugins should I invest in? What plugins will compliment my workflow? What plugin does (insertnamehere) producer use to get those phat beats? and the list goes on. Plugins come in many different shapes and sizes. 

The first and probably most important question is what plugin format does my DAW require?  Today's  popular plugin formats include TDM, RTAS, VST, CoreAudio, MAS and DirectX. The majority of my work is performed in Pro Tools on both LE and HD systems so I use TDM, RTAS and VST plugins. I should mention that in order to use a VST plugin with Pro Tools you need the VST>RTAS wrapper from FXpansion. Today I present the top 10 plugins I use on every production session in no particular order. 

	Izotope Ozone 4 Mastering Suite Ozone 4 combines seven essential mastering processors into one complete system, letting you give your mixes a finished, full and professional sound. Ozone's critically acclaimed IRC™ Loudness Maximizer gives you commercial volume and fullness without distorting or coloring your mix. An eight band Paragraphic EQ combines linear phase precision with the warmth and character of analog equalizers and even lets you intelligently match your mix to reference tracks. Innovative Multiband Dynamics, Harmonic Exciter and Stereo Imaging tools add depth and polish.
	Waves Renaissance Bass Renaissance Bass delivers Waves patented MaxxBass® psycho-acoustic technology using simplified controls for quick, intuitive operation. You can specify the frequency cutoff point where the process begins, the Intensity of the artificial harmonics added to the signal, and output attenuation. There's also a button to choose whether the original bass frequencies below the cutoff point are retained or discarded. Again, Renaissance Bass works surprisingly well despite its apparent inflexibility.
	Native Instruments FastFX Native Instruments FastFX is the ultimate effects processor for intense audio annihilation featuring a modular signal path of various effects including granular effects, a freeze looper, slicer, gate, delay and filter. The very cool part is these different effects can be chained in any order. FastFX is part of the Native Instruments Electronic Instruments XT Collection powered by Reaktor.
	Massey Plugins Inc L2007 The L2007 is a free mastering-grade look-ahead brickwall limiter. Don't let the free price tag fool you this is a quality plugin that really provides great results. I use the L2007 on my drum buss and synth buss to keep my levels in check. The L2007 makes mixes sound richer and thicker, effortlessly. Just tweak the threshold knob — It's like magic!
	Air Vintage Filter Pro Tools 8 comes with some exciting new plugins. The Vintage Filter gets used so much in my sessions that i don't know what I would do without it. I use the Vintage Filter plug-in to apply modulating resonant filters to audio signals. I use it for high-passing drums, low-passing kicks and bass, notching and crazy filter effects.
	Image Line FL Studio 9 FL Studio 9 is a complete software music production environment, representing the culmination of more than 10 years of sustained & focused development. FL9 is the fastest way from your brain to your speakers. Yes that's right FL Studio made the top 10. I Re-Wire FL Studio into Pro Tools and use it as a giant effects rack. The routing possibilities in FL are endless.
	Waves SSL 4000 Collection Developed under license from Solid State Logic, The SSL 4000 Collection includes four meticulously modeled plugins based on the legendary SSL 4000 Series: the SSL E-Channel, the SSL G-Master Buss Compressor, the SSL G-Equalizer and the all-new G-Channel. These plugins sound so close to the original consoles, even experts who work with SSL boards day in and day out can’t tell the difference.
	The Elysia Niveau Filter This filter is a specialist in changing the overall sonic character of a signal with ease. It features two comprehensive controllers and is capable of producing convincing results in no time at all. Whenever a classic shelving filter would be too limited and a fully parametric filter would be too much, the niveau filter is the perfect tool.
	Avid Transfuser Avid Transfuser is an innovative, real-time loop, phrase, and groove creation RTAS workstation for Pro Tools that allows you to quickly and easily create, manipulate, and perform loop- and rhythm-based music. I could write a 10 page article on how awesome Transfuser is. One the fly re-mixing, re-sampling, beat creation, sample manipulation and general audio mangling all wrapped up in a nice warm package. I use it on every project. Stay tuned for a complete review including video tutorials.
	Camel Audio Camel Crusher CamelCrusher is a free multi-effect plugin. It offers two characteristically different distortion sounds which can be blended together to create a wide variety of tones and textures. Great for guitars, drums and plenty more! There's also a warm, smooth analogue-style low-pass filter with buckets of resonance. Slap this thing on your drum buss and prepare to be annihilated.

Avid announced the completion of Pro Tools 8.0.4 for all versions. The latest update offers Windows 7 support for Pro Tools LE and Pro Tools M-Powered, plus lots of improvements. Enjoy tons of performance enhancements and fixes with Pro Tools® 8.0.4 software, a new free update for all registered Pro Tools HD 8, Pro Tools LE®, and Pro Tools M-Powered™ users. This latest version delivers official Windows 7 support for Pro Tools LE and Pro Tools M-Powered—plus we’ve added new PC drivers for Pro Tools LE 8.0.4, greatly expanding the number of compatible laptop and desktop computers.

Updates and fixes are shown here

Download the update here

Yes that’s right you read that correctly. When you visit your local Musical Instruments equipped Best Buy you will now be able to grab some Waves plugs and beef up your DAW’s processing power. Hat’s off to whoever is pulling the strings at Best Buy to make this happen. It’s most definitely a good look for your Musical Instruments departments street cred!

Waves has grown into the world’s leading developer and supplier of software-based audio signal processing tools, while expanding to meet the demand for Waves processing in hardware-based products. Waves’ current product line has increased to over 60 processors that have been embraced by the audio industry in music production, film, post, and broadcast. In fact, the name Waves itself has become synonymous with top-of-the -line audio processing, and the company’s products are used where superior quality is a pre-requisite: hit records, major motion pictures, and top-selling games worldwide.

Eleven™ Rack is a revolutionary new guitar recording and effects processing system designed to eliminate the challenges guitarists have faced in the studio and on stage. Say goodbye to the lackluster guitar amp “models” of yesteryear: Eleven Rack utilizes a unique tone cloning design and one-of-a-kind, custom-designed True-Z input to re-create the experience of playing through a full guitar rig. By combining studio-standard Pro Tools® software with a DSP-accelerated high-resolution interface, Eleven Rack puts professional recording into the hands of every guitar player. Whether you’re tracking in the studio or playing on stage, Eleven Rack delivers fresh, mind-blowing, hyper-realistic guitar amp and effects tones that will inspire your best performances.

Eleven Rack in the Studio
Eleven Rack combines studio-standard Pro Tools software with a high-resolution, dual DSP-powered audio interface so you’ll never have to worry about latency when recording with its built-in amp/effects tones — nor will your computer have to carry the processing burden. Eleven Rack also takes re-amping to the next level by recording both dry and processed guitar signals simultaneously, allowing you to re-amplify later without patching a single cable. We even found a way to embed the Eleven Rack amp and effects settings into the audio tracks you record, enabling you to automatically recall those settings from your audio files on any Pro Tools system with Eleven Rack.  THAT IS HOTNESS!

Eleven Rack On Stage
Eleven Rack also rocks onstage as a standalone amp tone and effects signal processor — we pulled out all the stops to make sure it sounds and feels just like playing through the real deal. We also included a classic collection of effects, from must-have stompboxes to world-class rackmount studio processors. Eleven Rack has all the I/O flexibility you need to integrate it into your existing rig, and easily incorporate the tones you’ve recorded with into your live setup — closing the gap between studio and stage. Eleven Rack also offers incredibly powerful control options using affordable MIDI controllers and expression pedals, giving you full foot control over everything from vintage wah effects to tempo-driven delays and more.

Eleven Rack combines hyper-realistic guitar amp and effects tones with a dual-DSP-powered interface and studio-standard Pro Tools LE® software to create the ultimate recording solution for guitar players.

Introducing True-Z
Among guitar tonehounds, it’s a well-known fact that input impedance — the electronic resistance found in the input circuit of the amp or effect you’re plugged in to — has a huge impact on your guitar tone. We realized that re-creating this electronic relationship was critical in nailing the sound and feel of our emulations. Others have tried to fake this with signal processing but we weren’t satisfied with a one-size-fits-all-approach. Each guitar reacts uniquely with each amp or effect — so we had to come up with a true analog solution that allows your guitar to interact realistically with our amp and effect re-creations.

That’s why we developed True-Z — a unique analog input circuit that replicates the input impedance of classic stompbox pedals and guitar amps, resulting in amazingly realistic sounds. It’s almost as if the True-Z input on Eleven Rack morphs into the 1/4″ input jack of whatever classic stompbox or amplifier you are using. When you plug into Eleven Rack, you get the same response — and same great tone — as when plugging in to a vintage stompbox or guitar amp. You can also manually control the impedance of the True-Z input and set it to a value that suits your playing best.

Eleven Rack Hardware

• Unique True-Z auto-impedance matching guitar input

• Incredible emulations of classic guitar amp tones inspired by Fender®, Vox®, Marshall®, Soldano, and Mesa/Boogie® amps*
• Refined collection of sought-after classic stompbox tones inspired by effects from MXR®, Electro-Harmonix®, Ibanez®, ProCo, Univox®, and more*
• Powerful collection of studio-quality rackmount effects processors
• Convolution-based cabinet emulations deliver unprecedented realism in cabinet tones
• Convolution-based microphone emulations inspired by classic dynamic, condenser, and ribbon mic designs
• Integrated FX loop switchable to incorporate existing mono or stereo rack and stompbox effects
• Controllable via MIDI controllers and expression pedals

• Built-in tuner

• Tap-tempo control of time-based effects
• High-speed USB 2.0 connection
• Supports up to 8 simultaneous channels of high-resolution recording up to 24-bit/96 kHz
• Stereo balanced XLR outputs and dedicated 1/4” outputs
• XLR mic input with 48V phantom power and pad switch
• 2 x 1/4” line-level inputs
• AES/EBU and S/PDIF digital I/O
• Stereo 1/4” headphone jack
• 1 x 1 MIDI I/O

Up until now, amp modeling solutions haven’t really delivered the full depth, dimension, and response of a mic’d up rig. We decided to take this challenge head on to ensure Eleven Rack truly re-creates the experience of playing through the most coveted guitar amps in the world. Check it out:

• We spent years scouting a connoisseur’s collection of vintage and modern amps and cabinets, paying special attention to choosing amps that represented the best of their generation and remained unmodified from their original design. We then painstakingly inspected every component, took detailed measurements, and captured every stage of the signal path — point to point.
• We incorporated nuances like power amp sag, ghost notes, and cabinet resonance that other amp modeling developers overlooked, giving our clones the truly multi-dimensional tone and hyper-realistic response previously only achievable by mic’ing a real amp.
• We set out to invent an input circuit that re-creates the electronic relationship between your guitar and an actual amp or effect. This can’t be done digitally — so we developed a unique True-Z direct input that automatically adjusts the input impedance to match that of the particular amp/effects rig signal chain. Thanks to the True-Z input, plugging into Eleven Rack sounds and feels just like plugging into a real amp or effect.
• Using convolution processing, we captured the exact sound of the cabinets and mics used to create the tone of a mic’d combo — instead of using EQ filters to “fake” this sound the way other amp modeling solutions have done.
• We enlisted guitar recording expert John Cuniberti (Platinum and Gold recording engineer/producer and inventor of the Reamp® box) to ensure the mic’ing techniques used during development were absolutely top notch.
• We also emulated an assortment of vintage and classic effects processors — from must-have stompbox effects to high-end studio processors culled from our coveted Pro Tools|HD® TDM plug-ins used in pro studios around the world.

The new Pro Tools® 8 software is a HUGE leap forward for the industry standard DAW. Pro Tools® 8 is the most advanced audio creation and production software, featuring a gorgeous new interface, dozens of new virtual instruments and plug-ins, exciting new scoring and MIDI features, amazing new workflows, better ease of use, deeper controller integration, and much, much more. You’ll never work with sound the same way again.