Everybody wants their vocals to shine, right? But most of the time plugins just make your vocal louder, not sparkly. In this video I break down the real “secret” to getting that crisp, professional top-end by testing a few different “air/exciter” style plugins from different brands and showing you the different sound qualities each one brings. I use my vocal from a song I did called “Slide” and I A/B the vibe so you can hear what’s actually happening when you add presence and sparkle. I start with Slate Digital Fresh Air because I know a lot of clients swear it’s the magic button. I explain how I use the High Mids (presence) and High (sparkle), and how linking the knobs can get you there fast. Then I move into a Type A-style exciter and show my method: I turn the mix all the way down, slowly bring it up, and only then I start tweaking bands. After that I test the Universal Audio version and I’ll be real—I prefer the UAD version most of the time, especially when you hit the Air button and build from there. I also show Waves Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter (super simple, presets are solid) and the Maag EQ4 air band for a more surgical, subtle sparkle.