EXCITERS
Thrill yourself silly with these toasty signal warmers – but which is the most exciting?
Waves Vitamin $249
Easily the most flexible and configurable exciter on this list, Vitamin is a workhorse plugin that can perform precise enhancements. There are five distinct bands that can be manually divided across the spectrum using the crossover controls. Each has an independent gain control (0 to +48) and a stereo width control (0x to 2x) which works well for widening or narrowing sounds. The overall balance between clean and enhanced signals can be changed via the Direct and Enhancement Master settings, while an additional punch control seems to exaggerate the enhancement effect with compression. Vitamin’s ability to manipulate harmonics across the spectrum and stereo field make it a go-to for full range, exciting and polished-sounding mixes. It’s expensive, but the comprehensive level of controls and solid sound quality mean it’s excellent for warming up any signal.