Great question! I was thinking of asking exactly the same thing. I usually record live performances in one take using the Nysthi Mater Recorder, although I might start going multichannel into Reaper via ReaRoute. I spend weeks tweaking patches before I record, so the levels and EQ are where I want them, then I tidy it up in Audacity - I just need a decent mastering compressor. All my recordings sound so quiet compared with ‘proper’ releases. I signed up with Plugin Alliance recently, and although they have some great deals, the array of channel strips, EQs and compressors is totally baffling. I actually studied sound recording many years ago, and seem to have forgotten more than I know! Ozone looks a good shout, and it’s on offer at the moment for $99 (their free Imager v2 is great for stereo width by the way). I’ve spent a fortune recently so I think I’ll have to research free ones and start learning before I weigh out for more plugins yet again.
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