IK Multimedia Total Studio MAX offers more than you need and then some. If you don’t get this deal for anything else, get it for T-RackS 5 Max, Mixbox, and the Tape Machine Collection. These alone are more than worth the price, as well as the Dynamic Discounts that come with future releases.
Check The Bundle Out Here
What’s Included?
It’s a lot, but here is the list! Everything titled MAX, is a large bundle!
- SampleTank 4 MAX
- SampleTron 2
- Syntronik 2
- Hammond B-3X
- Miroslav Philharmonik 2
- MODO BASS 1.5
- MODO DRUM 1.0
- AmpliTube 5 MAX
- T-RackS 5 MAX
- MixBox
- Lurssen Mastering Console
Follow This Link For a Full List Of Features & Specs For Compatability
Total Studio Max Demos: Listen To This!
Here’s a brief overview of some of the goodies inside.
T-RackS 5 MAX: Everything You Need For Mixing and Mastering
This is the Flagship bundle that most people got hooked on. T-RackS, its a mixing and mastering suite comprised of 50+ vintage styled plugins ranging from EQs and Limters to Compressors and Time Based FX Processors.
Each plugin can be used individually or housed within the ‘T-RackS Suite‘. T-RackS can be run as a plugin or in standalone mode for strickly audio mastering purposes.
Here are some of my favorite units within the T-RackS 5 Max Collection.
T-RackS Clipper: Steal These Clipper Settings Below!
The Classic Clipper is a simple but powerful processing unit with two clipping options (introducing saturation) that allows you to control the peaks of your audio signal.
This results in allowing you to easily increase perceived loudness without distorting it in a nasty sounding way.
Use the Clipper individual tracks or sub mixes. Also, experiment with the Clipper within your mastering chain… it works wonders.
Saturator X: I Challenge You To Add This To Your Drum and Mix Bus
Easily one of the most used Saturators I own. It goes on every single track in some aspect. You get 10 different Saturation Algorithms offering different flavors: Depth, Warmth, Harmonics, and stereo imaging to help enhance your mixes.
Take Sat X, place it on your mix bus, and listen to how well it hugs your tracks and controls reverbs that stick out too widely.
Quick Tip: The red light left middle of the Gain and Output knob allows you to enable or disable auto gain compensation.
Black 76: (FET Compressor)
The Black 76 is a FET style compressor that emulates the UA 1176. Use this compressor if you want to add punch and presence to sound, tighten up bass and synth tracks, or manage fast transients that are present in drums, percussion, vocals as well as a sound fx.
You can use it only for individual instruments, buses, or in tandem with other compressors, thus providing more transparent compression and overall control.
Compression Tip: Disable the compressor and use it simply as a leveling tool. This allows you to take advantage of the 76’s sound without compressor your signal.
White 2A: (Opto Compressor)
The White 2A emulates the LA2A (opto compressor), which is similar to the Black 76, given it’s a leveling amplifier, but it works differently. There is no adjustable threshold, and it responds slower to transients in comparison. That being said, it can be used to add color to transient heavy sounds or used together with a FET styled Compressor.
This is known as serial compression. The 76 takes the brunt of the work, taming transients, while the White 2A smoothens everything out and adds a little color.
ONE: All In One Mastering Unit (This Might Be All You Need)
ONE is a beast! No easier way to state it. This device offers you various mastering options, all controllable within one little simple plugin. With it, you can control EQ, Compression, Stereo Image, Overall Volume, and more.
I love the fact that it’s powerful enough to sit on the master bus but also flexible enough to where it can sit on an instrument bus as well as individual channels. The internal transient shaper is a plus as well, making it magical on the drum bus.
Having everything you need in one plugin makes your workflow quick and extremely efficient.
Stealth Limiter: You Wan’t Loud!?
Do you want things loud without nasty artifacts and odd coloration? If so, the Stealth Limiter is the way to go, it offers the right balance between dynamics and loudness, which is what you want at end of your final mix.
Multiple Modes to choose from: Harmonics 1 and 2 (My favorites). Don’t sleep on the Unity Gain Monitor!
Quick Limiter Tip: You can go with this or ONE on the master channel or both. Just make sure you’re compensating for the output.
Master EQ 432: I Don’t Know Of A Better Option
The Master EQ 432 (parametric EQ) is based on the Sonetec MES-432C. You get 3 bands of EQ and two shelving filters, one selectable frequency selector for the Low shelf (50/100 Hz)
It can be dialed in to sound precise or musical, making it a great go-to Mastering EQ. Each band offers a wide range of selectable frequencies along with a flexible Q. The Q setting is what makes the EQ more musical or surgical.
Those options, paired with IK Multimedia’s added processing abilities, where you can process your mids separately from your sides, make it highly versatile.
EQ 432 Tip: Go into M/S (Mid Side) mode and adjust your settings according. This will help you manage your mono and stereo information better, resulting in a more professional sounding mix and master.
MixBox: 500 Series Styled Mixing 72 Modules Of Greatness!
Alight, so MixBox is a kind of a different beast in comparison to T-RackS. Yes, you get some of the same units, for example, the Black 76, Sat X, and White 2A, but you also get many processing units that were included in Sampletank and AmpliTube.
That said, the shared plugins between MixBox and T-RackS are slightly different and can be considered limited versions of the T-RackS units.
This is expected given they are functioning as 500 series racks that are smaller in size, thus making it harder to pack in the same features.
What’s The Difference Between T-RackS and MixBox?
MixBox is meant to serve as a channel strip for mixing purposes, and it excels in this realm both in live sound and studio settings. T-RackS is the flagship Mixing and Mastering Suite. This isn’t to say that mixing and mastering isn’t capable with either, but they were created with different purposes in mind.
Tape Machine Collection: Depth, Glue, Warmth, Saturation
4 Classic Tape Machine emulations that take advantage of IK’s convolution and modeling techniques. They’re giving you everything but the noise with these units:
Tape Machine 440: Ampex 440B, known for having a rich/warm sound
Tape Machine 80: Studer 24-track, known for its overall sound quality
Tape Machine 24: MCI JH24, has a punchy/aggressive tone to it while still being warm
Tape Machine 99: Revox PR99, smooth top end and low end
Each machine has its own sound, but they all give you that depth like tape sound that’s sought after.
Recommendation: Start with the 80 and 24, and use them on the bus!
ARC System 3: Tune Your Mixing Environment, Improve Your Mixes
Obtaining a good mix can be easier if you are in a good listening environment. No need to worry, though. There are a lot of music producers and budding mixing engineers who work in less than ideal spaces. In fact, most operate right from the confines of their homes, bedrooms, dorms, etc.
Luckily, IK Multimedia has made this process a lot easier with ARC.
ARC stands for Advanced Room Correction. It’s a system that finds the problem spots in your room and helps you correct them. This way, you’re able to deliver the best mix possible, given your personal living situation.
What Happens
ARC takes multiple snapshots (test recordings) of your current room and listening position and makes adjustments (based on your room) to compensate. From there, the profile or profile is saved, depending on how many you make.
Load ARC 3 onto your master bus, load in your profile, and you’re in business!
This saves a ton of time and allows you to hear and make better mix decisions without tearing out your walls and or hanging up expensive acoustic treatment that you probably don’t have the budget for anyway.
Small Tip: Very Beneficial Though
Definitely consider making multiple listening profiles within your workspace. This way, you don’t have to be fixed in a specific position or if you’re a person who rearranges acoustic properties within the room. This could be as simple as moving a couch or bringing in props for a photoshoot. Many of us where lots of hats these days.
Or…Let’s say you have to move something into your room temporarily: Kid’s bike, presents, a new workstation that’s still in its box that you don’t plan on using yet and don’t have any other place to store…Doesn’t matter, just load up a new profile to manage those changes, and you’re set!
Miroslav Philharmonik 2: Orchestral Library At Your Fingertips
IK’s Orchestral Library is an excellent choice for music producers and composers alike. The library contains over 2,700 instruments, including strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion, keyboards, and choirs, and includes multiple articulations and playing techniques for added realism.
Breakdown Of Instrument Families:
- Strings: Violins, violas, cellos, and double basses
- Brass: Trumpets, trombones, French horns, and tubas
- Woodwinds: Flutes, clarinets, oboes, and bassoons.
- Percussion: Timpani, snare drums, cymbals, and other perc instruments.
- Keyboards: Pianos, harpsichords, and organs.
- Choirs: Male and female choir ensembles
Though Miroslav Philharmonik 2 is an orchestral library, it can be used for a variety of music genres: From classical and film scoring to pop, Hiphop, and other electronic music styles.
Syntronik 2: I Don’t Think You’ll Need Another Vintage Synth For A While
Syntronik 2 is a massive collection of vintage synthesizers that have been carefully sampled from their original hardware counterparts. This is a dream for music producers and composers who wish to infuse classic sounds into their music production without the expensive price tag.
Some of the synths included:
- Roland Jupiter Series = (Syntronik 2 – J-8)
- Oberheim OB-X/OB-Xa = (Syntronik 2 – OXa)
- Yamaha CS-80 = (Syntronik 2 – V-80)
- Prophet V/10 = (Syntronik 2 – Pro-V)
Stock Presets:
There are easily over 5000 presets crafted by experienced sound designers. This will help you get stay inspired and give your ideas a running start.
70 Plus Effects:
Reverb, Modulation, Reverb, Chorus, Stereo Imager, Analog Styled Filters, Distortion…There’s a lot packed into this collection. You’ll recognize more than a few shared within the MixBox series.
Try strapping on the Saturator X, White 2A, and EQ of your choice as processing units to further incorporate an analog sound.
Total Studio Max FAQ
Some questions you may have in regard to this insanely large IK Bundle!
How Big Is The Entire Bundle?
A lot! Easily over 400 gigs of data within this bundle. This doesn’t include custom, easier presets (option downloads).
Can I Host Syntronik Libraries On An External Harddrive?
Yes, absolutely. In fact, it’s encouraged and a great file management practice. Keep plugins on the internal drive and all sound library content (Syntronik, SampleTank, Miroslav, SampleTron, etc) on a separate drive. 7200 rpm spinners or, even better SSDs (they’re fast).
Is Total Studio Max All I Need To Make Music?
Yes, this is a complete music production and mixing and master bundle that’ll keep you busy for years to come.
Are The TASCAM Tape Machines Included?
Yes, both Tape Machine Collections are included in the Total Studio Max Bundle. I chose the original collection to highlight in the post because that’s what I’m most familiar with and use often. Both sound great btw.
Can You Share Presets Between T-RackS & MixBox?
Not yet, but this is a request that IK is aware of, so it wouldn’t surprise me if they made this possible in the future.
Total Studio Max: Nothing To Lose, Everything To Gain
If you’re looking for a great software bundle with ALOT of top of the line mixing and mastering plugins, instruments, synths, and an *** load of other cool things, then you won’t want to pass on this IK Multimedia Total Studio Max offer.
Please let us know if you’d like custom presets for these units!
