Apogee Clearmountain's Domain $349

This new multi-effects plugin promises to bless your tracks with its divine mixing touch, but you’ll need to be seriously committed to the cause…

One of the greatest mix engineers in the history of rock and pop, Bob Clearmountain is known for – amongst other things – his mastery of evocative spatialising treatments. With a body of work that takes in the likes of Springsteen’s Born In The USA, Brian Adams’ Run To You, Bowie’s Let’s Dance, Chic’s C’est Chic, Roxy Music’s Avalon and Tears For Fears’ The Seeds of Love, Clearmountain’s big, lustrous sound is instantly recognisable, and a lot of that comes down to his imaginative collective deployment of reverb, delay, and pitch-shifting.

Now, thanks to a collaboration with high-end hardware manufacturing and software development outfit Apogee Electronics, you can call up the great man’s “personalized” effects chain – as used on countless hits – in your Mac or PC DAW. Described by Bob himself as a tool for creating the space “where your mix lives”, Clearmountain’s Domain (VST/AU/AAX) is a multi-effects plugin that aims to keep the workflow fast and the results spectacular.

Clear-headed