IK Multimedia T-RackS 6

The T‑RackS 6 Mastering Console.

Can one bundle really meet all your mixing and mastering plug‑in needs?

Faced with an absolute plethora of plug‑in choices, there can be something really appealing about the idea of buying one ‘do it all’ bundle from a single manufacturer that can cover most bases. IK Multimedia aren’t the only company to offer such a bundle, but their T‑RackS range is well established, well stocked, well regarded, and available in a single‑purchase, perpetual‑licence format, which will no doubt appeal to those who are uncomfortable with subscription‑based models. IK recently released T‑RackS 6, which adds new processors and new functionality to the package. So, if you’re tempted by the idea of a plug‑in suite, could T‑RackS 6 be a suitable contender?

Back T‑Racking

We’ve reviewed previous versions of T‑RackS on a number of occasions, most recently T‑RackS 5 Max in SOS March 2019. As a brief reminder, T‑RackS has two different forms: there’s a standalone application called the Mastering Console, that’s aimed primarily at mastering duties and lets you build custom signal chains from the suite’s individual processors; but all the individual processors can also be used as separate DAW plug‑ins (AU, VST3 and AAX, all in 64‑bit), so you’re free to use them for mixing or mastering duties in any suitable host. As I’ll explain below, though, the new release makes possible a third approach.

As before, T‑RackS is available in multiple ‘tiers’, whose prices and feature sets are designed to appeal to different users. In v6, these tiers are called Intro (a free taster version with only three plug‑ins), the standard version (just called T‑RackS 6, this includes 19 processing options), Pro (40 processing options) and Max (60 processing options). IK’s website displays a comprehensive list of the processors/plug‑ins offered in each version, but it’s worth pointing out that all of the processors are available for individual purchase too, so should you want to add just one or two extras to a specific tier you can do that. Whichever (paid) package you opt for, you’ll get an interesting combination of IK’s emulations of some classic hardware designs (inspired by outboard from the likes of SSL, Neve, Teletronix and Pultec) and their own original creations (for example, the Classic Compressor, Equalizer, Clipper and Multi‑band Limiter). The latter group sometimes also take their inspiration from hardware, but they also provide modern features made possible by the software format.

Interestingly, since my v5 review, the pricing has been significantly restructured, presumably because the plug‑in market is becoming so competitive, and the revised pricing makes each of the paid tiers far more accessible for first‑time buyers.

Rack ’Em Up

LO‑FI Punch, Bass ONE and Channel Strip X are among the most significant new additions.All the old favourites are still present and correct, of course, and still sound good, but given these have been covered in past SOS reviews, I’ll focus more on the highlights among the new and improved offerings of this latest release. This includes not just new processors, but also a revamp of the standalone Mastering Console. The broad look and workflow of this remain intact, but a new Module Manager panel lets you customise which plug‑ins and plug‑in formats are visible — so, if there are things you don’t use, you can keep them out of your way. When mastering, the lower panel now includes a Master Bus view alongside the Waveform or Chain (the signal chain applied to the currently selected audio file) options. The Master Bus lets you add up to four ‘global’ processors that can be applied to every audio track in your current project. Both the Master Bus and Chain views now also show input/output level...