Also look at Maxxbass if your problem is with hearing the bass on buds. It works wonders for making bass more audible on small speakers, and I've also found that it helps bring the bass out in the mix in general too. Like anything, use in moderation. 

Also look at Maxxbass if your problem is with hearing the bass on buds. It works wonders for making bass more audible on small speakers, and I've also found that it helps bring the bass out in the mix in general too. Like anything, use in moderation. 

sharke
Also look at Maxxbass if your problem is with hearing the bass on buds. It works wonders for making bass more audible on small speakers, and I've also found that it helps bring the bass out in the mix in general too. Like anything, use in moderation. 

There is sub bass function included in CLA Bass and I can tell you: it's really effective. :) Maybe it's MaxxBass, don't know... but take a look:
 
edit: Ok, cannot post that link... for some reason... but google "Waves CLA Signature Collection signal chain diagrams" and you know what I mean. :)

We had one on the master output insert, daisy chained through a 32 band EQ unit on our PA for lord knows how long, don't even know when we stopped using it. First had the original ( 1984?) then the one with "Big Bottom". I was told back then that it achieved it's magic "high end Brightening"  by adding harmonics somewhat like distortion does. It did make the PA shine and was noticeable ( dull)  if you by passed it. 

The Antress Modern Exciter works pretty good and it's free.
 

And wouldn't you know there is a Cakewalk HF Exciter built in as well.
 
Thatsastrat, thanks for the Antress Modern Plugs. They're interesting and I'm having fun checking them all out. Who knew??
 
 

With all due respect all, what does the OP/thread have to do with SONAR X1 or X2?  I believe this should have been posted in the Gear forum.
 
Kind regards,
 
Living Room Rocker

There may be another approach which could interest anyone after some high frequency emphasis. It is free as well.
 
In the MAY issue of Sound on Sound I have just read a rather interesting article under the Cubase Workshops section. Unfortunately it is a little too soon to be able to read the full article on the SOS site so right now the only way is to read the mag if you actually have it. If you wait long enough the full article will be available free for download.
 
It uses the concept of creating a setup within your DAW that emulates what the Dolby A encoder used to do in the old days for tape machines. The original article is based around Cubase but it applies to any DAW of course and can be adapted easily. Apparently they used to feed certain things through the encoding side of a Dolby A noise reduction system in order to create emphasis on the treble part of the spectrum. This approach is nicer than EQ and exciters as well. It creates the HF emphasis using a set complex of filters and compressors. It can be used on mixes and on individual things that may need some HF emphasis. This approach is a single ended system. With Dolby A the tape also played back into the Dolby A decoder to bring things back to normal but this process is only using it one way eg encoding only.
 
I am not a fan of either the Aural Exciter or the BBE as well. They are essentially bad things especially when applied over a whole mix. I think on individual elements of a mix they could work but it all gets back to if you are doing your job properly it could be argued that they are simply not necessary.
 
In the case of the PA and using an exciter over the FOH sound, well if you set up and tune FOH properly to start with, you can get a beautiful top end happening that certainly does not need an exciter to put a whole lot of highs back in. It is unnecessary these days too because the PA's can produce the bottom and top end without any of that stuff going on. Beware running entire mixes through such things. They will simply lower the integrity of your mix and that is not desirable. One should be able to get all the high end you need at the time of your mix.
 
But the Dolby A thing actually looks interesting and it caught my eye and after reading it I am interested to try it myself. It is all a bit tricky to setup and adjust but once all done it could be a nice way to go in terms of brightening either mixes or individual sounds. I see it mainly on individual things like kicks, snares hats etc and maybe voice too. It is supposed to sound much better than either EQ or any form of exciter.
 

Thanks for the tip, Jeff! I'll make a trip to my local Guitar Center at lunch. I know they carry SOS. I'll see if they have a May issue they could sell me. And I also appreciate your comments about the Aphex Aural Exciter and BBE. People were making them sound mission critical and it's clear that they aren't (I've made tons of mixes I was very proud of without either). Still, Exciters are major enough and used by enough big folks that Cake thought to include one. And according to Aphex, there is Delay involved as well as what sounds like side chain compression where the effect is louder when the source is softer. So you are getting harmonics off the original tone in time and frequency where volume is in inverse relation to the source so that one goes down while the other goes up and vice versa. That's why I was thinking tubes for creation of harmonics. Isn't one of the side effects of tubes musical harmonics off the source? Still, as I tried to think about it, it seemed like a pretty hard thing to replicate In the Box. I was imagining lots of busses with inverted polarity and blah blah blah. I would probably create a blurry mess and smear it over the high end and sit back proud like a kid who smeared mud on the wall.

"It is unnecessary these days too because the PA's can produce the bottom and top end without any of that stuff going on."
 
That's why we probably stopped using it. Newer systems are much better, but back then it was terrible with 3 way crossovers and such. These days I don't even use EQ on my PA. Just a little bit on each channel.