Plug-ins have become a de-facto part of modern mixing, regardless of whether they’re VST, RTAS, AAX or one of the less common flavours. Watch any mixing video and I guarantee you’ll see someone using plug-ins, either the stock plug-ins that come with their DAW of choice or a selection from the bewildering array of third party items. (As an aside, is Cubase the only DAW you can mix in without plug-ins, due to its inbuilt Channel Strip – or is that just a mega plug-in?). However, plug-ins can have an unwanted impact on your mixes, as they can introduce extra level into the signal path and, if you’re not careful, you find that the plug-ins didn’t make your mix sound better, they just made it sound louder.
