If you are a Pro Tools user with an active subscription or support plan you qualify for the Pro Tools Inner Circle rewards scheme, if you haven’t previously engaged with this scheme this month would be a good time to start because, as previously reported on the site, all people who benefit from the Inner Circle scheme can get a Plugin Alliance plugin of their choice for free.

Plugin Alliance make some of the most desirable premium plugins out there and their range is huge so there will definitely be something of interest to you. It should be pointed out straight away that the choice is from a curated list of over 130 plugins. Not all the plugins in the Plugin Alliance range are available but the choice is still wide and there are some very desirable titles there. Check out the full list using the button below.

Of course the beauty of this offer is that exactly which plugin you get is up to you but here is our list of five suggestions you might consider. We know the range well, having featured demos of many of them on the site.

ADPTR Metric AB

Top of the list is the single plugin which is more likely to improve your mixes than any other. We all know that using reference tracks is a good idea but many of us still don't always do it. Metric AB uses its AB button as a convenient way to switch between DAW playback and reference material. It has a one button loudness matching facility to match the level of your reference material to your DAW playback and comprehensive playback controls allowing playback to be synced to the DAW timeline or playback from cue points or loops. Find out everything you need to know in the extended tutorial below. Since this video was made there has been an update, find out everything which is new in version 1.1 here.

Vertigo VSM 3

The VSM-3, an emulation of the hardware unit from Vertigo, can do anything from gentle sweetening, to adding body to a specific area of the spectrum, through M/S processing for mastering all the way to square wave filth. Using two complementary but very different sounding harmonic generator sections which can be arranged in series or parallel and can process both left and right channels or the mid or sides channels gives a bewildering number of options.

When I tried it I found it to be far more than just another saturation plugin. Very analog sounding, super-flexible with its two generators and being able to focus different sounds on different areas of the spectrum with M/S options this is an inspiring plugin.

SPL Iron

The SPL Iron Mastering compressor is a transparent compressor, inspired by vintage compressors. That might sound like a contradiction but if you try it you’ll see. There are a lot of compressors in the Plugin Alliance catalogue and there are some great options but when I tried it this one stuck in my mind. You can really feel what’s happening to the audio when you use this plugin. It’s an unusual design but easy enough to get around once you get acquainted with it.

In the video below I look at the unfamiliar Rectifier control which emulates the different rectifiers available in the hardware unit. Each choice of rectifier introduces different attack and release time choices. Hear this demonstrated on vocals and drums in a session.

Brainworx Bassdude

Brainworx, the biggest contributor to the Plugin Alliance catalogue, are well known for their amp simulations. Lots of boutique options and plenty of high gain amps. However amplifier choice is very personal and for someone who doesn’t really play electric guitar I’m surprisingly fussy. Amp sims I like are few and far between. I’ve got a short list of preferred options but the very top of my list is Bassdude. There’s just something about how it breaks up which is just ‘right’ to my ears.

Bassdude is a software rendering of an early 60s Bassman. This amp, though originally designed for use with bass guitar, quickly gained a reputation as an excellent guitar amp and it is in this use that I demonstrate how it overdrives so beautifully. 

As guitar tones are as divisive as they are you might well disagree but check it out. I think it’s wonderful.

The secret to getting the tones you want from a simple amp design like this is to hit the circuit with the right level, made considerably easier with the inclusion of an additional input gain in the FX rack and a corresponding Power Soak control to bring levels back under control for their onward journey through your DAW. 

Maag EQ4

For ‘housekeeping’ duties your DAW’s stock EQ is probably all you need but there is still a place in everyone’s plugin folder for EQs which, rather than fixing sounds just make them sound better. First call is probably going to be a Pultec emulation but after that you might consider a Maag EQ.

The Maag EQ is rightly famous for its Air band. Just put it across a mix, put the Air band to 40KHz (yes, I said 40K…) and turn it up and you’ll see why people love this band. It’s kind of unique and Maag could easily sell a product with just this band but if you explore the rest of this EQ you’ll find there’s loads more to it.

For a long time I'd fallen into the trap of thinking of the EQ4 as "the one with the Air band" and only using it for that. While it’s true that I can't think of another EQ which does what the Air band does, the rest of it is a very capable EQ too!

If you look over the 130+ plugin in the Inner Circle bundle you’ll see that there are loads of quality options. This selection of 5 is just some of the plugins on that list which I’ve used and have stuck in my mind as plugins which are just that bit better than most. You might choose something else. There are Neve and SSL channel strips, the Bettermaker EQ, or maybe you’re a synth person in which case bx-oberhausen or DS Audio’s Thorn might be more to your liking. I’m sure I’ll get shouted down for saying this but the reason the Black Box HG-2 isn’t on this list is because I’ve never thought much of it - there, I said it! But that’s the appeal of this offer, you get to decide yourself.

If you are a qualifying Pro Tools user share what you got in the comments and if you’re not, what would you have chosen?