Attention Music Producers! If you’re looking to enhance the presence within your mixes, here’s a cool plugin you can add to your arsenal… It’s called Oxygen! If your mixes sound dull and lack clarity, you’ll want to check it out for sure.
What Is Oxygen?
Oxygen is a processing plugin that allows shaping of the upper frequencies using a combination of compression, stereo enhancement, tape saturation, and eq.
These built-in processors give you want you need to polish and enhance the presence of your higher end frequencies, thus breathing life into a dull-sounding mix.
Check Out The Details Here
Oxygen Plugin Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Oxygen Types | Offers three different Oxygen types: BITE, PRESENCE, and AIR, allowing you to enhance the upper frequencies of the mix. |
| Oxygen Knob | The Oxygen knob governs how much of the overall processing effect is blended in with the original source signal. |
| Compressor | The built-in compressor has two modes: PUNCH and SMOOTh. Punch mode emphasizes transients and increases attack. The SMOOTH mode gives a softer dynamic response for a silky high end. |
| Control Knob | The CONTROL knob intelligently sets the compression of the algorithm applied to the overall sound. |
| Saturation Knob | The saturation module adds harmonics and imperfections, resulting in a richer, warmer high-end that can be boosted without causing listener fatigue. |
| Width | Gives you control over the audio signal’s side information. This helps you spread the high-end of tracks, adding extra width and shimmer to stereo busses, vocals, and other sources. |
| Presets | Kickstart your process with over 30 built-in presets from professional producers like Henrik Udd, Max Cameron, Forrester Savell, and more. |
AIR BITE and PRESENCE? What Does It Mean?
Ah, yes, Audio Terminology. This can get confusing and means something different depending on who you ask and the genre you’re working within. That said, the rough idea is generally the same. Here’s a breakdown of the meanings of each.
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BITE: BITE refers to a sharp and aggressive quality in the top end frequencies. It adds a sense of attack, clarity, and edge to the sound.
PRESENCE: PRESENCE refers to the perception of a sound being close, upfront, and well-defined. It pushes forward detail and clarity within the mix or sound.
AIR: AIR can be thought of as an open, spacious type of sound. It adds a light sparkle to your mix that helps it stand out.
These terms vary a bit depending on context and genre, but generally speaking, that’s what mixing engineers and music producers mean.
A Unique Way To Polish Off Your Mixes
Quick Tips On Enhancing Your Mix Getting The Most From This Plugin
Start Off With Presets: Oxygen comes packed with a lot of good presets built in. That being said, experiment with the presets by cycling through them, listening to what each preset is doing to your sound, and then visually looking at the settings.
When you hear something you like, take each setting and dial it back (counterclockwise), turning it off, and then slowly bring it back in (clockwise).
Master Bus: Oxygen is great for bus and individual track use, but to really understand and hear what the plugin is doing, start by using it on your mix and or master bus.
Doing this will allow you to hear how the Oxygen balances higher frequencies collectively across the entire mix. Doing so will also display Oxygen’s usefulness in gelling a mix together.
Smooth Setting: This works particularly well with non-hard transient audio sources such as leads, pads, vocals, and non-plucky sounding synths.
Punch Setting: Use punch for drums, percussion and guitars, and other sounds present transient based sounds. Psst, this also works pretty well with brass hits and impacts.
Trust Your Ears: While the presets are nice, and the plugin’s goal is to enhance the brightness of your music, you must use your ears. Some presets may work perfectly for your mix and or instruments. Others may need a little massaging to work.
The results you get from the plugin will greatly depend on the source sounds you’re pushing through it. As the old adage goes, “Crap In, Crap Out”.
Oxygen FAQ
What’s The Difference Between Oxygen and Low Control?
Low Control handles the low end of the mix, and Oxygen handles the high end. Both plugins can be used together to shape your mix.
Why Use Oxygen…Can’t I Just Boost High Frequences With EQ?
Absolutely, but you won’t get the same results with a single EQ. Remember, Oxygen is a multi-fx processing plugin.
Is Oxygen A Good Plugin?
Oxygen is good in the right hands. It does exactly what it advertises, which is to enhance and manage your mixes’ high frequencies.
Last Tip You Can Use To Enhance Your Mix
Use Oxygen sparingly. Oftentimes, music producers get to new plugins and go crazy adding them to every single channel and bus and wind up with a mix that’s over-processed. That’s very easy to do with Oxygen as we, as music creators, tend to think a big boost in the mid and high end sounds better because it’s louder.
Speaking of loud, high frequencies naturally sound louder and can easily fatigue the ear if breaks aren’t taken. As a result, you might keep pushing the highs to compensate, thus destroying your mix.
So, if you’re going to use Oxygen or any frequency exciting plugins, start subtly and take breaks.
