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Hatsubai « Basically a Haas effect »
Published on 06/22/11 at 22:01AIR plugins are part of the set of plugins that come together with Pro Tools. AIR stands for Advanced Instrument Research, and these are highly versatile plugins that really help expand the overall usage of Pro Tools. First of all, there are no compatibility issues with these plugins as they're made exclusively for Pro Tools. That means no unexpected crashing or weird bugs. I never read the manual on this, so I can't really comment on that. These plugins are easy enough to use that you shouldn't really need it.
AIR Ensemble is basically utilizing the Haas effect to help thicken up a mix. For those that don't know what the Haas effect is, it's basically taking the same track, delaying it a touch and panning them. This creates a stereo effect without having that nasty phase cancellation that normally occurs when you simply copy/paste a track to the left and right channels.
SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE
I've only been using Pro Tools for a few months, so my opinions may change in the future. I never experienced any performance issues with these plugins, and the reason is that they're made exclusively for Pro Tools. Because of that, everything is rock solid. I use a Mac Pro Dual Quad Core machine, and while Logic is my main DAW, Pro Tools is what I've been experimenting with lately, and I can see why it's considered the best DAW out there. I never had any issues when it came to RAM or slowdowns, but it could also be because my machine is fairly hefty.
OVERALL OPINION
If I'm going to the do the Haas effect, I normally do it manually. This plugin helps save time, but it's not exactly as useful as certain other plugins that Pro Tools has to offer. It's solid and fun to mess with, and it's great for beginners. I just find it easier to do stuff manually since I've been doing it for years and years. I just wish DigiDesign would sell these for other DAWs out there so other people could experience them outside of the Pro Tools world.
AIR Ensemble is basically utilizing the Haas effect to help thicken up a mix. For those that don't know what the Haas effect is, it's basically taking the same track, delaying it a touch and panning them. This creates a stereo effect without having that nasty phase cancellation that normally occurs when you simply copy/paste a track to the left and right channels.
SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE
I've only been using Pro Tools for a few months, so my opinions may change in the future. I never experienced any performance issues with these plugins, and the reason is that they're made exclusively for Pro Tools. Because of that, everything is rock solid. I use a Mac Pro Dual Quad Core machine, and while Logic is my main DAW, Pro Tools is what I've been experimenting with lately, and I can see why it's considered the best DAW out there. I never had any issues when it came to RAM or slowdowns, but it could also be because my machine is fairly hefty.
OVERALL OPINION
If I'm going to the do the Haas effect, I normally do it manually. This plugin helps save time, but it's not exactly as useful as certain other plugins that Pro Tools has to offer. It's solid and fun to mess with, and it's great for beginners. I just find it easier to do stuff manually since I've been doing it for years and years. I just wish DigiDesign would sell these for other DAWs out there so other people could experience them outside of the Pro Tools world.