About Boogex
Boogex is a freeware effects plug-in with several sound shaping features. There is cabinet simulation with impulse responses, EQ, amp saturation and reverb. You can download it from the Voxengo website.
Features:
- emphasis EQ
- built-in reverb
- preset manager
- zero processing latency
- 10 amplifier modes
- stereo processing
- undo/redo history
- 61 built-in cabinet impulse responses
- 64-bit floating point processing
- all sample rates support
Project Settings
I used these settings and key for the electronic composition and I also created a section in the project using a vocal and piano song made by Snowflake on CC Mixter. The song is released as Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0).
- tempo 120 BPM
- time signature 4/4
- key C-minor for the electronic composition
Kick and Snares
The sounds are coming from a programmed MIDI beat using drum rack. I made the kick and the snares a bit dense and darker sounding with Boogex. I also used compression for fattening and EQ to clean up the low and high end.
Boogex:
- preEQ low 6.1 mid 3.3 high 0,
- amp drive 16 dry mix 68 warm,
- cabinet cab8 md441 on axis.
Group effects:
- Parallel compression -5 dB (rack effect)
- Utility, +2 dB gain
- EQ Eight, 40 Hz low cut, 18 kHz high cut
- Limiter, default settings
Hats
The hats are programmed with 1/8 notes in drum rack. To give them a sound that comes more from the mid range I used the Boogex with a ribbon and a very short reverb.
Boogex:
- preEQ high 10
- cabinet cab 6 ribbon edge
- reverb space 15 time 433
Effects:
- Simple Delay, sync 4 left, sync 6 right, 23% feedback, 37% dry wet
- EQ Eight, 1.2 kHz low cut, 15 kHz high cut
Bass
This instrument is programmed in MIDI piano roll using Charlatan as the VST plugin. It uses varied length to be more interesting listening to.
Boogex is used to make it a bit nasal sounding and weaken the middle frequencies. I used a sidechain Compressor to duck its volume when the beats are going.
Finally I removed some unnecessary parts with EQ.
Boogex: cabinet cab 1 AT 4050, dry mix 35
Effects:
- Compressor sidechained to the beats, ratio 1.7:1, medium attack, short release
- EQ Eight, 40 Hz low cut, 2 kHz high cut
Lead
The lead channel is a bit similar to the bass regarding the notes, but they are used three octaves higher. I used Boogex to give a bit different feel to it.
Using the Beta 52 cabinet the sound is a bit duller and less fatiguing to the ears, but still sounds good.
Boogex:
- cab B Beta 52 dry mix 46
- amp drive 17 dry mix 24 debass
Effects: EQ Eight 370 Hz low cut
Pad
The pad is using two voices for the whole pattern an octave apart. In order these are: C, A#, C, D# and F.
With Boogex I made it sounding like an old metallic physical instrument. A big part of it is using the right distortion.
Boogex:
- amp drive 43 dry mix 58 medium
- cabinet cab 8 ribbon center
Effects: EQ Eight 300 Hz low cut, 4.2 kHz high cut.
Vocal
To give the vocal a little bit more mid range and remove some top I used Boogex with a U87 and overdrove the amp slightly in warm saturation mode. I made a low and high cut with the EQ to help sit in the mix.
Boogex:
- amp warm drive 19
- cab B U 87
Effects: EQ Eight 220 Hz low cut, 12 kHz high cut
Piano
I gave the piano more weight and color using Boogex with the MD441 cab and a bit of soft saturation. At the end of the chain I removed some unnecessary low end with EQ Eight.
Boogex:
- amp soft drive 19 dry mix 58
- cab 7 MD441 center drym mix 68
Effects: EQ Eight 80 Hz low cut
Send Channels
I made a send channel using Boogex for reverbing (mid space, mid time, mid pre delay) duties. And made another one using a Simple Delay with different timing on each sides.
The lead and pad channels using varying amounts of both sends and the vocal and the piano are using only the reverb send channel.
Listening to the songs
You can listen to the first composition here.
The acoustic song with the vocal and piano is here.
Master Channel
The EQ is cutting out unnecessary low and high and in stereo mode. The Utility is turned off, because I used it only to check mono compatibility.
The Limiter is always the last in the master chain and is used for catching peaks, I didn’t add any gain on it, because the mix was already loud enough.
The chain I used:
- EQ Eight, 35 Hz low cut, 17 kHz high cut in stereo
- Utility, 0% stereo width, switched off, after checking in mono
- Limiter, 0 dB gain, -0.3 dB ceiling, default settings
Conclusion
So this was my session of coloring instruments using Voxengo Boogex. I used it on the bass, leads, pad, drums, vocal and piano tracks.
There is a lot more to explore with Boogex as it has got a lot of saturation and cabinet types to choose from.
