Referencing your mixes against releases in similar genres is a great way to compare RMS levels, brightness, overall tonality, and general balance between vocals and instruments in your mix.
Here are two great AB reference plugins you can use on your master chain to compare your mixes and masters against reference tracks.
Check out Dave Pensado from Pensado’s Place on New Ways To Use Reference Mixes
“Nugen Audio AB” (free)
“A|B Assist is an essential plug-in that provides robust and customizable AB and XY testing, giving you solid backup for your listening instinct, keeping hardworking ears honest and objective even after listener fatigue or over-familiarity kicks in. And now NUGEN Audio is giving A|B Assist to all Pro Tools 11 and 12 users exclusively for free!
Rapid A|B referencing A|B Assist makes referencing and testing within your DAW environment fast and convenient – receive two audio sources and switch easily between them for instant comparisons between your current production and any reference material.
X|Y Blind comparison Compare different mixes or processing chains with blind testing, hiding sources to allow impartial comparison tests. Pick the best, without bias from what is known about the signals. Easily include automated statistical measurement if required to back up your ears with a bit of science – vote to see if you can consistently identify a favored version or mix, or even straw poll a number of different listeners. A|B Assist helps you work quicker and more accurately – versatile enough become an essential part of your mix or mastering process.”
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“Magic AB“
“The concept behind Magic AB is simplicity itself – an easy-to-use but powerful utility plugin that allows you to switch between the audio you are working on in your DAW and up to nine reference tracks at the click of a mouse.
With A/B referencing playing an essential part in production, mixing and mastering, AB offers an infinitely faster, easier and more accurate method to compare multiple audio streams to those currently available in any DAW.
Magic AB v2 sits on your mix bus (or individual channels), allowing instant switching between your current project and the reference material in pristine, transparent quality, regardless of the processes already on the mix bus. If required, plugins can be added post Magic AB to provide a sounding-point for programme material with or without additional processing.
With Version 2 (Dec 2015), Magic AB includes a host of new features and powerful workflow improvements including two new referencing modes, up to four programmable Cue and Loop points per track, RAM-bypass mode, drag and drop files, Mono/Stereo switching and much more.”
FEATURES
Magic AB is both an indispensable mixing tool and a workflow improver that allows the producer to:
- Perform instant AB references: compare the track you are working on in your DAW with any commercially produced reference track in a variety of audio formats (mp3, Aiff, Wav, m4a, AAC).
- Like the sound of a reference? No problems – drag/drop your chosen reference track/s into Magic AB then flick between them and your mix with a single mouse click.
- New in Version 2: three unique referencing modes: Sync to compare your current mix with older versions – a mastering must; Latch to follow the DAW timeline; and Manual for freeform referencing.
- Hone in on the details: cue the reference track from the precise point you want to hear and loop the section you want to focus on. New with V2: save up to four cue/loop points per track and work in detail with the all-new zoom.
- Compare multiple mixes quickly and simply: create and save ‘go-to’ playlists to radically speed up mixing and mastering.
- Balance the relative volume of mixes with extensive, accurate, easy-to-read metering (peak, RMS and crest values with adjustable peak fall time). The clear, ergonomically designed GUI with bold waveform display means you’re always comparing like with like.
- Compare stereo mixes or flip to mono to check mono compatibility.
- Give your ears a chance to recalibrate with manually changeable crossfade times. Flip in an instant, or allow a transitions of up to 2000ms.
- Do it all ‘in mini’ with Mini AB – the same powerful feature set at a tenth of the size: ideal for those using smaller screens.
All but invisible on processor power, and with RAM-bypass mode for processor-heavy projects, Magic AB v2’s light, refined design means setting it up as a default on your mix bus is a breeze without draining resources.
Working on virtually all DAWs, with a patented-ease of use, Magic AB represents a second-to-none mix and workflow improver for all producers, regardless of genre.