Things in life aren’t that black and white, you expect to get 'one' thing right, and you quickly realize you need a 'second part' to complete the equation.
This situation is similar in the music production world, you would never be satisfied with the tools you have in your music production toolbox, you always need that perfect plugin, and or gear, well, I’ll stop beating around the bush, and get to the review.
So, in this guide, you would learn…
- The Features of Mic Mod EFX by Antares
- If it is worth using at all
- Prices
- and more, let’s dive in…
Mic Mod is a microphone modeling plugin by the maker of the renowned Autotune plugin, that simulates the sound of over 120 microphones model, yes, it is possible, and it would save you a shit load of cash if you don’t want to invest in buying tons of mic.
The way Mic Mod works is by analyzing the mic you are using or used during your original recordings (that is the source mic), and then you simply select the mic model of your choice i.e, the mic you want the recording to sound like (modeled mic).
Sound easy right? Yh, but it’s also worth mentioning that doing apple for oranges wouldn't provide any realistic expectations, this is what I mean:
You need to start with a studio-quality microphone, so, buying 20 bucks mic, and expecting to sound like AKG isn’t gonna cut it, start with something good.
Another worth mentioning factor is your microphone techniques, you need to get the best possible recorded sound; e.g, mic placement, recording room, etc.
You don't need expensive acoustic panels but at least try making your room noise-free, and also eliminating any possible interference. At the end of the day, the results don’t come from the tools you are using, but from the person behind the tools/gear.
With Mic Mod EFX, you can model expensive mics for use in live performances to get the sound of mics you’d never consider using on stage. You can even use it during a mixdown to effectively change the mic on an already recorded track.
Not only would Mic mod be able to reproduce all the subtle sonic characteristics that make each microphone distinct, but you can also:
- Control of each mic’s specific options. i.e, Close or far placement, windscreen on/off, and more
All this is made possible by Antares patented Spectral Shaping Tool™ technology, which is a precise digital model of a wide variety of historical classic and exotic microphones. Simply tell Mic Mod EFX what microphone you are actually using and what microphone you'd like it to sound like.
Key Features
- Source Mic and Modeled Mic: Simply select the mic you're using (source) and the mic you want it to sound like (modeled).
- Proximity: This is a bass boost that results from placing a directional mic in close proximity to a signal source (e.g., a singer's lips).
- Low Cut Filter: If your source mic has a low cut filter, enter its setting in the Source Mic Low Cut menu. If your selected modeled mic has a low-cut filter, you can model the effects of any of its settings with the Modeled Mic Low Cut menu.
- Pickup Pattern: If your source mic has variable pickup patterns, enter the selected pattern in the Source Mic Pattern menu. If your selected modeled mic has variable pickup patterns, you can experiment with the effects of any of its patterns with the Modeled Mic Pattern menu.
- Tube Saturation: Based on the same technology as Antares' famed WARM Tube Saturation Generator, the Tube Saturation control lets you give your track the warmth of a high-quality tube pre-amp.
System Requirements:
- Mic Mod EFX is available as a plug-in for RTAS (Mac & PC), VST (Mac & PC), and Audio Units.
Video SneakPeek
Microphone Models:
- AEA R44C
- AKG C12A; C414; C414B/ULS Limited Edition Gold; C414B/ULS Modified by Audio Upgrades;
460B/CK61-ULS; D112; C1000S; D790; C3000; C4000B; C 12 VR; C414 EB; C535 EB; The
Tube; D1; Solidtube; D5; Perception 120; Perception 220 - Alesis AM61
- Audio-Technica ATM11; AMT25; ATM31; AT813A; AT853Rx; AT3525; AT4047/SV;
AT4033a/SM; AT4050; AT4055; AT4060; AT4051; AT2020; - Audix D4; OM2; OM3-xb; OM5; SCX1; CX111; OM-6; D-1; SCX-one
- B&K 4007
- Behringer Ultravoice ECM 8000; Ultravoice XM8500
- Beyerdynamic M-500; M-500 Limited Edition Classic; MC-834; CK-703
- Blue Bluebird; Blueberry; Mouse; The Bottle
- Brauner VM1; Valvet
- CAD Equitek E100; Equitek E200; Equitek E350; C400s; VSM1; 95Ni
- Coles 4038
- Earthworks Z30x; TC30K; QTC1
- ElectroVoice N/D357; PL20 RE55; RE15; N/D868; N/D767A
- Groove Tubes MD-1
- Langevin CR-3A
- Lawson L47MP
- Manley Labs Reference Gold
- Marshall MXL 2001P; MXL 2003
- MicroTech Gefell UM 800
- Neumann U47; U 87; U 87 70th Anniversary Gold Edition; M 149; TLM 193; KM 184; TLM103; U 89i
- Oktava MC-012; MK-219; MK-319
- RCA BK5A
- Rode NT1; NT2; NTV
- Royer R-121
- Sennheiser MD421; MD441; E609; E835S; K6-ME64
- Shure Beta 52; Beta 57A; Beta 58; Beta 87A; Beta 98D/S; SM7A; SM57; SM58; SM81; SM98A; KSM32; VP88
- Sony C37P; C48; C800G
- Soundelux U95S
- Tannoy Large Vintage Ribbon; Small Vintage Ribbon
- Telefunken U-47 (Original Tube)
Mic Mod EFX Pricing
It is priced at $129.00 at the time of writing this review!
Is Mic Mod EFX Worth Using?
This would depend on several factors, if you are just getting started with recording, I would advise you to steer clear, as this won’t probably help, but if you know what you are doing, it would save you a lot, some useful scenarios are as follows:
- A client comes into your studio and wants its recording to sound like a specific model
- You want to use it for live performance, or perhaps want that certain characteristic of your dream mic
- You want to sound distinct, and test the possibilities of great models,
- and more.