What are your go to devices?

[TritoneAddiction]

What are your go to devices that pretty much gets used in every project? This doesn't necessarily mean they're the most fun and exciting devices to work with or even your favorites for that matter. There are many REs that I love but they only work in certain songs.

My go to devices in the last year of making music:

GQ-7
Saturation Knob
Audiomatic
The Echo
FRG-4RE Compressor
RE-2A
Disperser
Carve EQ Ducker
Quadelectra Stereo Splitter
Reasons SSL Master Bus Compressor (if that counts)
TMA-4 Commentator


I can't really name any go to synths because they change for every song, but if I could only pick a few to work with they would be Legend, Expanse, FM4 and Parsec.

[Bumbum]

Gq 7
The echo
Decimort 2 :>

[Zac]

REs:
Synapse reverbs (both)
Softube reverb (the big one)
RE2A
FET
Synapse chorus and ninety phaser
Flower audio meter
Ozone Maximiser
AutoArp
Selig leveler
GQ7
Red Rock Multiband comp
Fxpansion env shaper
Chenille (probably more than synapse chorus now)
Synchronous
... Etc

Worth mentioning I still use native fx a fair bit too.

[aeox]

Synapse Dr-1
RE-2A
GQ-7
Mclass Compressor
Selig Gain
VAC-6

EDIT:

Synths:

eXpanse
VK-2

[motuscott]

Wbl3001 Dispositif Pour Contact Premier
After that I can go anywhere.

[Oquasec]

Surprisingly subtractor now. That thing actually sounds amazing.
Of course rack extensions in general though but damn I've slept on subtractor for too long.

[dvdrtldg]

Little LFO
Shape LFO
various Jiggery Pokery audio splitters/mergers & CV utilities
Quadelectra CV Suite processor
REVolt CV processor
PSQ-1684

Legend synth (I've got a shitload of synths but this is the one that makes it onto every track)
Vecto

Synapse DR-1 reverb

Cakewalk RE-2A compressor
Softube FET compressor
McDSP C670 compressor

Kuassa MP5 EQ
Synapse GQ7 EQ

Selig Gain
Kratos 2 maximizer
Quadelectra stereo splitter

PMS-20 filter
Synapse AF-4 filter
Runciter filter

Steerpike Delay
Elements T-Delay


.... and there are quite a few that used to be go-to devices until Reason started hosting VSTs:

The Echo (replaced by Soundtoys Echoboy)
Etch Red (I used it for distortion/saturation, but now Soundtoys Radiator, Decapitator and Klanghelm SDRR have take over saturation duties)
Decimort 2 (for crazy distortion, replaced by Izotope Trash 2)
Audiomatic (for the tape setting, now I use U-he Satin which is also a really nice flanger)

[millionVALVE]

Hi, everyone—

My inaugural post


EFFECTS:

Numerical Sound

ReStereo (subtly fantastic for short room sounds just a hair above “dry”. a killer.)
Bass/Mid/Treble Tilt Filters (a little catch-as-catch-can, but can be quite useful. Interesting experiments with stereo placement/imaging when 2 are split off using Spiders)

Numerical Sound ReStereo (subtly fantastic for short room sounds just a hair above “dry”. a killer.)

Quadelectra Stereo Splitter

Softube:

Trident A-Range EQ (gorgeous sounding)
TSAR-1R reverb (couldn’t justify the big one—wish I could just Upgrade this!)


Kuassa EVE-AT1 4-band EQ (sounds beautiful and works/sounds the way I think it should—dialing it in just makes sense.)

Selig Leveler (self-explanatory goodness)

Cakewalk RE-2A Leveling Amp

McDSP C670 (simple, effective)

Red Rock C1-L1 Vintage Compressor (channel *and* bus—versatile and fun as hell…plus looks dynamite!)


kiloHearts Faturator (when needed: usually just a touch of growl and judicious “Stereo Turbo” if the phase starts sounding off)


Polar (from widening, to making my guitar sound synth-y)



INSTRUMENTS:

Rob Papen:

PunchBD (versatile! I use from straight-up kicks, to added Ooomph Layering…sorta like DRUMAGOG)
Vecto

not an RE, but I love it…so it’s going on the cool kids list: Scream 4: SO unassumingly versatile. And I own the insane FabFilter Saturn. And a 1961 Gibson tube amp.




I’m sure I forgot something. ;D

cheers,
Nick

[scratchnsnifff]

Synths
Predator
Expanse
Antidote (and recently dune 2)
Malstrom

As for effects
Scream 4
Mclass EQ or rob papens EQ
Air raid audios phaser chorus and distortion, the chorus is by far my favorite i love the ensemble mode and the parallel modes
The echo
And my favorite the F-16 filter or etch red

[FLVZ]

Effects:
Softube Bass Amp
RE2A compressor
C1L1 compressor
Synapse AF4 filter
Synapse VE3 Eq
Itsy audio phase inverter
Synchronous
Kratos 2 (mastering)
Red Queen (mastering)
Futz Box (super handy for filtering and cleaning stuff)

My songs usually start with or feature one of these almost guaranteed:
Redrum
VK2
Vibro (made a kick ass 808 patch via the Softube Bass Amp)
Predator
Mixfood Orange

[Loque]

Tbh, the only things i really use all the time is The Echo and a 14:4 Mixer. I love to make feedback loops with the Mixer and i like The Echo for its simplicity and power, and my favorite is the break-out on the back to manipulate the feedback loop. I just whish, the 14:4 Mixer would also provide PDC like the SSL, than i could completly stay in a Combinator.

[Data_Shrine]

Most of the time I use reason stock devices, but as far as RE goes, I use Softube Saturation and Cakewalk compressor most often. I got Parsec 2 and Expense last spring, but I'm only getting started with them. Nice synths.

[Jagwah]

Euclid
Uhbik A
Subtractor
Kong with King's of Kong Refill
Pulsar
Alligator
Steerpike
Tone Mutation Vocals
Mr Overdrive
M Class EQ
Distributor

[mbfrancis]

Most of my recent stuff is pretty organic:
Selg De-ess (combi de-ess is still great for targeting frequencies)
Selig Gain
Echo
TSAR-1R for rooms (I also like Easy Room combi preset)
Synapse DR-1 for crazy lush stuff
MClass Comp
Softube Saturation Knob
Pulverizer
Pump/Sychronous (for sidechain)

I have the Fet and RE2A but they bog down CPU so I get by with stock (MClass + SSL).

[Sus4]

Synths depend on mood and what I'm going for, but there are definitely some effects and utilities that continually pop up in my projects:

Stock:

Thor - often just for routing and modulating, especially CV
RV7000 - mostly for convolution
DDL-1 - even with The Echo I still constantly reach for this
MClass Compressor
Spider - Spiders everywhere
Line Mixer

Free:

The TMA Commentators (all flavours) - lifesavers in complex combinators
Little LFO
Itsy phase inverter
A/B Audio & CV Switch
Softube Saturation Knob
Effektor - though it would still be nice if Props just gave us a proper expander as a stock RE

Paid:

Polar - I will try this in any effect chain for at least a few seconds
D-Filter - got it for the option to have 192 dB roll-off, but it's a great filter and probably one of the most elegant REs I've used
DR-7 - not-so-secret secret sauce
Compare CV Scope

Honourable mention goes to Charlotte Envelope Generator
...and a handful of VSTs I'm not allowed to talk about here

[Wickline]

Redrum
Kong
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Serum
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Combinator with more Thors inside.

[CaliforniaBurrito]

Synths

u-he Diva
Blamsoft VK-2
Synapse Antidote

Effects

Cakewalk RE-2A
Softube FET
DCAM Dynamics (RE Bundle - ChanComp, BusComp, EnvShaper)
D16 Decimort
Soundtoys (Echoboy, Devil-Loc Deluxe, Decapitator)

Special Mention

Numerical Sound RiVerb (RE) - just a slight drum group reverb send pretty much in every project but the application is almost subliminal.

[svenh]

Redrum
Kong
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Serum
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Thor
Combinator with more Thors inside.

Agreed! After all these years, Thor is indeed still useful! Playing around a bit in Ableton Live lately, I often wanted Thor as a VST.

[Deep Schulzz]

Pump
Carve
Scream
Pulverizer
RE2A Leveling Amplifier
Etch Red Dual Filter
Cerberus Bass Amp
Audiomatic
PunchBD
GSX Graphic Shaper
Synchronus
Scales & Chords

[scratchnsnifff]

Been recently digging the granular effects In Reason, Mr. Bill had a video called exponential rhythms where he uses abletons grain features to make a sort of snare roll sound out of blips of percussion. The way he did it seemed like a lot of work and lately Iv found that the grain delay by air raid works perfectly or distillery has that exact feature with its pitch env, the grain delay is cool on a percussion loop and automating the dry wet, semitones, and feedback is extra fun. u-he's granular device can achieve similar results but I'd like to add the granular stuff to my most used items now

[tibah]

I rarely use Reason and if I do it's Essentials 2 to run some REs that I appreciate.

Synths
u-he Bazille
Nostromo
NI Massive
NI Absynth
Probably something weird coming out of Reaktor via Form or Prism and the occasional real instrument via Kontakt.

Effects
Echobode
Valhalla DSP ValhallaRoom
Synchronous / Looperator
Surreal Machines Modnetic & Diffuse
Izotope Neutron

[Hazel]

Besides of course the built in devices, these are the rack extensions I've probably used a lot recently...

Saturation Knob
TMA-1 Commentator
RE-2A
Ochen K Glitch Effect
Mono/Poly
Aurora
Little LFO

[Mr. Watts]

Instruments:

Radical Keys: I use this as my main E. Piano. Before I got into the rack extension game I would use the Electromechanical refill for most E. Piano applications but I definitely like the Radical Keys better these days. I like to throw a Synapse Ninety Vintage Phaser on it to get some really wide, shiny/liquidy type sounds from it if that makes any sense.

Viking VK-1: This thing is a lead synth gorilla for west coast sounds, as well as producing some really funky and gritty bass. For lead synths I've been getting a killer sound by adding the Chenille BBD Chorus Ensemble and a little reverb from the Rob Papen RPVerb. The VK-1 really has some great portamento/glide settings that I'm unable to attain with the Subtractor. Definitely grab the Soundcells refill for this RE, between that and the factory presets, theres a lot of great sounds to work with.

Antidote: This was my first RE purchase a year and a half ago, I trialed it and instantly fell in love with it. If your a Reason user looking for that industry synth sound, this device is it. Works great for just about everything and sounds amazing.

Honorable Mentions: Monopoly/Polysix, Predator, Revival

Effects:

Kuassa EVE MP5: This thing lives in my mastering bus, I like it because it makes me use my ears and I tend to not over think as much as if I were to use a graphical equalizer. It is really easy to get a good sound that is both clear and warm. The MP5 can really bring the low end to life as well as having the ability to add that extra sparkle in the higher frequencies.

Ozone Maximizer: So the MP5 lives in my mastering bus right.. and the Ozone Maximizer happens to be its room mate. Between this and the SSL Master compressor, you can do great things in the dynamics/loudness category.

Rob Papen RPVerb: Personally, I love the sound of this device and use it in most reverb applications whether it be for vocals, synths, or guitars. As with all RP devices you get a huge number of presets that cover a lot of ground.

Buffre Beat Repeater: Definitely the most fun to use effect that I have. It opened a lot of new doors that I may have never entered had I not gotten this device. I like to use it for subtle glitch effects most of the time. I may throw it on the Drum/808 bus for some really heavy confusion.

Honorable mentions: Kuassa EVERYTHING, Synapse EVERYTHING, McDSP compressors, Chenille BBD Chorus Ensemble, Polar

[Ixus]

RV7 baby, i love it, I use it for all my projects.

RE2A is nice too.

[O1B]

I Can't break the habit:
M Class EQ: I understand the Graph. PINA to learn new ones.
M Class Comp: Barely any GAIN so no distortion ... the reduction window is easy to Read/Control.
M Class Stereo Imager -quick combi away from better dynamic range.
YOKO - when i want three Bands instead of two.

Most REs are just too damned BIG and can't be resized, so i try to keep it to 1U.
RV 7000 AllfilmScore, Plate, Room, etc. DDL-1 for Lots of things.
Quadelectra Stereo Splitter - BOSS RE for imaging.

Flower Loudness Meter - 16.5RMS -1Peak is the Goal, for now.
Reason's SSL Gate - Compressor not so much.
Selig Gain - Proper Left/Right Pan Control. Wish it TWO linkable stereo Faders in the middle.

Subtractor - Easily tunable - Nice Bass.
Propellerhead's Polar - for all those resampled - now 'out of tune' songs i play around/along with.

247.... for the early stages of the mix. "Go to devices" for the final press is a different ballgame.