Top 5 Template Tools: Tim Palmer

Surgical Yet Musical EQ: The FabFilter Pro-Q3 is my go-to EQ. For me it strikes the perfect balance between musicality and surgical precision. One of its standout features is the ability to EQ just the centre or the edges of a stereo image, offering incredible flexibility. The dynamic EQ functionality is also invaluable – when a frequency peaks too much, Pro-Q3 automatically tames it in real time, acting like a transparent and highly responsive compressor.

The interface is clean and intuitive, making it easy to shape the sound with simple mouse adjustments. The built-in spectrum analyser is particularly useful when something in a mix feels off but isn’t immediately obvious. Whether I need extreme filtering to remove unwanted frequencies or subtle adjustments for clarity, Pro-Q3 delivers pristine results without coloration.

The Ultimate Delay: If you’ve heard my mixes, you know I love delay! The Soundtoys EchoBoy Jr. is my go-to delay plugin, offering the warmth of vintage analogue units, with modern flexibility. I typically roll off the high-end and lean toward more analogue-sounding delay modes to add texture. One of my favourite techniques is offsetting the delay slightly from the track’s tempo – when a delay is perfectly in time, it can blend in too much. By tweaking the timing just a little, I can make it stand out exactly as needed.

Another feature I love is the ping-pong mode, which adds movement and depth. I frequently automate feedback and delay amounts within Pro Tools, allowing for dynamic, evolving effects. And because I prefer my delays to have a bit of character, I often distort the return signal – clean delays don’t excite me unless they’re for a specific effect. EchoBoy Jr. has a beautiful degraded, vintage feel, making it an essential part of my sonic toolkit.

Intelligent Transient Control: A more recent addition to my arsenal, Oeksound Spiff is a game-changer for transient shaping. Whether I’m working on acoustic guitars, vocals, or drum tracks, Spiff allows me to pinpoint and control problematic transients with surgical precision.

The plugin analyses the signal in real time and detects transients, allowing me to either enhance or suppress them as needed. For instance, I can reduce pick noise on an acoustic guitar or tame harsh snare drum frequencies in overhead mics without affecting the overall mix. It’s also great for removing unwanted mouth clicks or subtle imperfections in a vocal take.

What sets Spiff apart is its frequency-specific approach – instead of applying a blanket adjustment, it only affects the problem areas, leaving the rest of the sound untouched. Originally designed for voice processing, it has become an essential tool for shaping and controlling transients across an entire mix.