Plumb

Plumb is the small tool every mix needs: gain, stereo width, mono bass below a frequency you choose, balance, polarity, left-right swap and mono. Nothing glamorous, all of it essential. Mono bass uses a proper crossover, so the side signal goes only below your frequency.

The controls

Gain

Up to 24 dB up or down.

Width

0% is mono, 100% as it was, 200% extra wide.

Mono Bass

Everything below this frequency goes to the centre (20 Hz is off).

Balance

Left or right.

Polarity

Flip the left, the right or both.

Swap L/R

Swap the two sides.

Mono

Sum to mono, for checking your mix.

Best for

• Mix bus: mono the low end so it's solid on every system
• Stereo synths and keys: control their width
• Phase problems: flip polarity on one side
• Gain staging: set a healthy level into the next unit

Starting points

Load Plumb, set these, then adjust by ear. In the plugin, Level match helps you judge the sound, not the loudness.

Hints and tips

• Mono Bass at 100 to 150 Hz on a mix bus makes the low end hit harder on club and phone speakers.
• Too much Width can sound phasey in mono. Check with the Mono switch.
• Use Gain to set a sensible level into the units that follow: they respond to level.

Chains it works best in

Every Original works in a chain with the others and with members' hardware. These are good places to start.

• Plumb then Lintel: a solid low end before the final limiter
• Plumb then Doublet: narrow the source, then widen it with chorus
• Plumb on every stem: consistent gain staging

Watch out for

• Width above 150% on a whole mix: it can fall apart in mono.