Plugins and Processing - Posted on 2015-03-31 by Alexander Schug

Plugins are pretty much smaller softwares that you can add to your main software(DAW). You can get Dynamic Processor plugs, effect plugins, sound design plugins, and it goes on. Plugins come in several different formats simply because certain DAWs use to require a specific format. Now most DAWs can accept several formats. A popular plugin format is AAX(Avidsaudioexstension) which now has to be used if you have Protools 11. It is the most effecient and recomended format. RTAS is another plugin format  made by Avid and its very widely accepted. It was the format used before Protools 11. TDM(TimeDivisionMultiplexing) is made specifically for HD systems but can't be used on Protools 11. VST plugins were released in 1996 by Steinburg. It is accepted by alot of DAWs except Protools. Apple has its own format called AU. Only Logic accepts this format. There are two different kinds of protools which are Protools Native systems(notHD) and Protools HD systems. The difference between them is the processing. Non HD systems rely on the computers resources and HD systems processing works with DSP cards that are installed inside of the computer or it can be a seperate piece. With an HD system you can have higher samples rates and just bigger session in general. There is another way that you can use plugins and its with the Audiosuite. This allows offline processing and you can target a more specific section of your track by processing that selected section and rendering it. This way you can save alot of space in your session. One last good thing too know is use your dynamic processor plugins on your inserts and your effects plugins on your sends.