Slate Digital FG-X Virtual Mastering Processor

The FG-X does a great job with my mixes and helps me make them “loud” like you hear songs on the radio which was a huge quest of mine. When I was first starting out trying to get into mastering songs it took me a while to figure out how the pros did it. They do it with plug ins like the FG-X. The interface of the FG-X is very easy to understand it only has a few knobs to tweak on it. I recommend looking into the manual to fully understand the ins and outs of this plug in.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

When I was installing FG-X it didn’t take long at all but in some programs it would not load correctly the first time but that could have been an issue with my system or some other reason I do not think it was Slate Digital’s issue. I love using FG-X has a main compressor for almost anything that I need compressed because it was a lot better than most of the compressions that came in my DAW. I have used it with Cubase, Reason, and Pro Tools. Pro Tools is where it gets used the most and for the price, I do not own a better mastering plug in.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it on my studio Mac computer that is running OS X 10.6 with 2 GB of RAM and it runs great and has not crashed or froze up at all. As I stated, I run it on multiple channels at the same time and it has never gave me any problems. I probably use it in every single session that I have created in the last year. The other limiter that I use a lot is the T Racks limiter and I really like that one but I still feel the limiter by FG-X is better even though they are priced the same.

Installing Slate Digital FG-X was quick and easy, it only took a few minutes and I had it up and running in a few different Digital Audio Workstations very easy. The interface is very basic, it takes little to no time to learn how to use it and understand its functions. It uses very little CPU and you can use many instances of it simultaneously at the same time on different channels and not have to worry about it freezing or slowing down your PC. Mastering your mixes comes easy with FG-X because of the compression capabilities.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

This software runs great on a PC and my Macbook as a VST in Cubase and FL Studio. I just recently started using it in Reason and it works fine there too though it does take up a little more CPU in Reason than it does in FL Studio and Cubase but this is an issue with Reason not with Slate Digital FG-X.

OVERALL OPINION

One thing to keep in mind is that the FG-X does require you to have iLok to work it. This mastering plug-in only cost 249 dollars, if I were to compare this and iZotope mastering suite I would still say that iZotope is better because you get more flexibility but the compression in FG-X is second to none.

FG-X is a digital limiter plug-in from Slate Digital. It also includes a compressor module as part of the effects chain. The software can be purchased and downloaded from the Slate Digital webpage. Authorization is completed using an iLok2. Getting started with the plug-in is easy. There are even presets included if you aren't sure how to set all the parameters like 'attack', 'release', 'ratio' for a style of music.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

FG-X includes a decent metering GUI to help you limit your mix. I am not a professional mastering engineer by any means, but this plug-in makes it really easy to get my mixes loud. Some of the features like 'ITP' and 'Dynamic Perception' should only be used subtly. Steven Slate made a video after the plug-in had been out for a while and recommended that the ITP slider never be moved. Apparently he thinks this feature wasn't really that important after all.

OVERALL OPINION

The limiter on FG-X is the selling point for me. It will really make your mix loud. The compressor is really transparent, which is something many people like. My preference is to use a bus compressor that adds some 'color' to my mix. I either use an SSL Bus Comp plug-in or a Fairchild plug-in. Occasionally, I will use the FG-Comp for 1-2 dB of gain reduction, but most of the time I leave it in bypass.
The FG-X has some unique features to shape the transients of a mix. It has settings to help increase the attack of snare and bass drums. I was originally interested in FG-X because of this. I had originally found that most limiters cause these instruments to almost 'disappear' in my mix. Therefore, I had been over compensating the level of the snare and bass drums to make sure they stood out in the mix. I thought FG-X would solve this problem. Don't get me wrong, it can definitely boost the snare and bass drums of your mix, however I think it sounds artificial many times. I've found that if you want your drums to punch in your final mix, it is best to mix them properly long before they hit the final mix-down limiter.