McDSP 6034 Ultimate Multi Band Review ***10/10***

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Mcdsp is one of my favorite plugin manufacturers, and they have created an absolute gem in the form of the 6034 Ultimate Muti Band plugin. It features 4 adjustable bands with 3 different crossover slopes to sculpt any tone under the sun. Each band features a choice of 10 different compressors or a selection of gates and expanders for an incredible amount of tone shaping versatility. Do you want that classic "thrusty" vintage compressor for your low end but prefer the "silky" 70's model for your top end? Want ultra fast "all buttons" compression for your beater attack but a gate for the low end of your kick drum? Want to tame the muddy range on a bass guitar without affecting the attack of the pick? All these and more can be accomplished with one simple "desert island" plugin that I wouldn't be caught dead without on a session. For these reasons, and many many more, this gets a perfect 10/10 from me. Let's dive into the nitty gritty on this bad boy.

Bands and Crossover Slopes


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At the top of the plugin we see the crossover point controls for the 4 bands, as well as the selected crossover slope. Our choices of slope are 6 dB/Oct, 12 dB/Oct, and 24 dB/Oct. The greater the ratio, the cleaner the cut between bands. The 6 and 12 dB crossovers are great for musical tone shaping, while the 24 dB slope works best for critical, clinical sculpting. The low band will consist over all frequencies below the first crossover point, low mid between controls one and two, high mid between controls two and three, and finally the high band above control three. There is also a phase invert switch, useful when combining multiple mics from one source or working with instruments playing in unison.

The Modules



The module for each band is selected on the left hand side of the plugin. At the top we see the target band, which controls which band the module is being selected for, two buttons to select either compressors or gate/expanders, the list of available modules in the selected category, as well as an option for "no module" if we would like the selected band unaltered.


Simple, classic, musical compressor. Excellent for leveling sources smoothly.



Vibe-loaded tube compressor with greater flexibility than the C671. Very useful for softening vocals, guitars, and bass or beefing up digital samples.


Gentle, low ratio compressor excellent for smoothing high ranges where peak taming is not as important as musicality and "sveltness"

                                                       

Classic opto leveling with a slow release time. Excellent for snare and vocals.

 
                                                        

Another excellent opto option, but with a faster release than its red colored cousin.


                                                        

The silky 70's classic. Use it on everything, never be disappointed.


Tried and true ultra fast comp for drums, guitars, and the ultimate de-esser for your vocal tracks. Tame even the most unruly of peaks with this studio staple



Chest rattling punch with the "thrusty" compressor used on countless hits. Great for low frequencies where dynamics need to be contained but not the impact.



Highly versatile compressor from the digital realm. Very useful for taming screeching and muddy frequencies that don't need an added analog style color.


Beautiful easy to use expander. Excellent for any source that needs to carry some weight in a particular band while being more subdued across the rest of the spectrum.


Another highly versitile plugin from the FRG family. Great tone shaping without adding analog style coloration.


Just like the name implies, this is one EZ gate. Excels at controlling the low end on flabby bass tones and shortening legato phrases that extend just a bit too much.


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At the bottom of each module are a set of very useful controls. The highlighted number lets you turn on and off individual bands, while the solo button cuts all other bands to allow you to focus on the task at hand. Lastly, the master assignment button allows one modules controls to affect all the other modules in tandem. This is very useful when getting your newly sculpted track to sit well  with the other instruments.



Last but not least, on the right hand side of the plugin we have our volume meters. In addition to a very useful In/Out comparison, we can see the output levels of each individual band, as selected by our crossover points. This allows us to balance the output gain of each module with greater precision and confidence.



In summation, the Mcdsp 6034 is a plugin that no serious engineer should be without. It is by far the most versatile and musical multi band compressor i have ever used and it has found its way onto every session i have worked on since i acquired it. 10/10

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