When I first tried the VSM-3 out, I did not understand it at all. I flipped through the presets and tried to work out how to fly this beast. However, once I found a youtube video by Saher Galt, it all made perfect sense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE1Yxv4cPRQ&t=4s Now I literally use the Vertigo VSM-3 on EVERY project. It is in my elite circle of core plugins. It's just so essential to arriving at a highly defined mix with the right amount of warmth and harmonic coloring. I use this just about every time of vocals, guitars, drums, percussion, bass, strings, horns, etc etc. It is like a "magic" sculpting tool, in that you can do things that make certain tracks "pop out" in the mix, via for example using even harmonics in the mid signal, and odd in the side. It's uncanny just how effective this can be. It accumulates too. I use EQ separation to really highlight certain mix tracks to sit in the mix in a way that showcases them, but NOT at the expense of say a lead vocal or instrument. It can help say a snare cut through the mix, or a bass, or anything you can think of. I typically have a master version of the Vertigo VSM-3 sitting on all my master tracks, for a final tweaking of the final mix. It's astounding how subtle yet effective this can be. You can bring up the mids, or the highs, or pick one frequency range for the even harmonics and another for the odds, and specifically apply them to just the mid or the side. All I can say is WOW, what a huge difference this makes if you can master how to effectively utilize this plugin effectively. Personally I LOVE it. It's such a nice tool to have, and I use it all the time. I'm careful to not "overdo" it. I slowly calibrate the levels and the drive to suit. Check out Saher Galt's excellent video on this if the Vertigo VSM-3 isn't making sense. For me, this make it so clear and easy to use this very valuable and sublime plugin. I highly recommend working out how to use this (maybe via Saher's video), and then test driving it. If you're working on vocals in a mix, try the preset that gives even harmonics treatment to the mid, and odd harmonic treatment to the side. Check it out and put this on your lead vocal main bus and A/B the result. This is a major "Go To" Plugin for me now. I use it all the time, and frankly represents a fantastic enhancement capability for my mixes.
Vertigo VSM-3
★★★★★
by Robbie
This one is a gem. Shines at tasty broadband distortion, ranging from meaty to sparky. It’s hard to point weak points, since it works great on most sources and already proved very useful on tracks, groups and even mixbuss. Learning curve is fair, just take a few hours and experiment, fool around tweaking knobs and switches, and you’re good to go. At first it looks a bit intimidating with multitude of knobs and sections, but don’t get fooled by this. It’s superintuitive, logical and you really can’t go wrong if you commit these few hours to tweaking and listening. My favorite functions are Shape knob and the amazing Monitoring section with Distortion Solo three way toggle switch. Shape knob lets you carve color of your distortion from dark to bright. Monitoring/Distortion Solo won me instantly, it lets me listen to the portion of harmonics that I’m just about to apply to the signal and channel it to M, S and M+S. Just brilliant, so useful. I’m in love with this one. I have almost all distortion plugins available, from UAD’s Culture Vulture to all Fab Filter, OhmForce, Waves, 112dB, Klagenhelm, PSP, Unfiltered Audio, etc, etc. and VSM-3 turns out to be the most versatile and colourful of all.
VSM3
★★★★★
by CALEY
Une pure merveille
Incredible saturation options!
★★★★★
by EAS Studios
This has to be the most unsung plugin of so many mixers - theres a lot of control available with this plugin but its offered in a way that is still creative and inspiring to use. Theres only a handful of plugins that will let you balance the relationship between 2nd and 3rd order harmonics, and this one offers some essential controls for filtering/which bands to process/gain staging and how they're blended. Highly recommended!
Special Plugin
★★★★★
by Antifluff
Took me a bit to figure this one out, but it is, without question, a GREAT sounding plugin. Absolutely worth my investment. Was struck by the dimensionality it added to vocals and the way it sits them in the mix. The way in which it can bring out the side details using the M/S capabilities is also extremely useful and effective, I found it unique. -Special Plugin
VSM-3
★★★★★
by Little Cloud
The purchase of this plugin has changed the game of producing for me....it allows me to actually get inside the audio material and splash vibe over it. IM A BIG FAN OF VERTIGO NOW and Id like to let you hear the kind of things I can do with it. I produced a track, a Lana Del Rey song Young and beautiful for a friend...the intro has this beautiful distortion on it..i was able to achieve the same kind of thing with the Vertigo VSM-3 on the timpani and vocal line I used to introduce the track...I put a link up on soundcloud.com so you can actually hear what it did...here it is https://soundcloud.com/littlecloud-artist/youngbeautiful-sc I have never been able to get that kind of nuance before...I think its beautiful and I used both Vertigo units multiple times in the mix. The VSM-2 is on a trial right now but I will save and buy it. ;-)
VSM-3
★★★★★
by Alex Hepting
Before even mixing it is active on my master by now. It is like magic how it brings back balance and transparency. Before I felt it will distort the sound or bringing up to much highs like an exciter would usualy do but it wasn't the case, it delivers a full image, focused mainly on the core sound. Taking presets or tweaking on your own, both will give back presence. The quality is high because if boosting you will hear single nuances from a tape machine, a vinyl or compression artifacts. Together with a bit of OTT upward compression it is just gives you a nice result. I've watched on youtube video with the hardware alternative, where vsm is used with vsc in conjunction. There is only the decision of chaining tone shapers and compression in conventional plugins. This is quite a game changer when using in parallel which can dig deep into stereo field processing. Good job PA!
Great plugin
★★★★★
by Edward Selberie
I have seen some reviews regarding this p/i and decided to give it a try (as mentioned on previeous reviews, brainworx is so good that I just buy plugins and tried them. You NEVER go wrong with Plugin Alliance). I have tried it on kick (separate crushed bus), bass (separate crushed bus) and full mix. I must say, if use correctly this will add very beautfull colour to your mixes and masters. It is always on my mixbus, crushed kick and bass. Sometimes even on other instruments track. The perfect combination for any mixbus (my mixbus) = tape plugin + some kind of console modeling + vertigo compressor + bx digital v3 (awsome eq, the only one you need) + vertigo vsm 3 + bx sub synth + HG 2 blackbox. Your mixes will NEVER sound the same again!!
VSM-3
★★★★★
by Rashrule
The VSM-3 is a great harmonic generator. It adds a very tasteful and pleasing harmonic to your tracks or audio. Great works guys!
extra
★★★★★
by vertigo
when you have weak signal and need aggressive but gentle harmonic distortion, this is what you looking for.