After I bought it and actually started using it in my mixes, I realized that this plugin is actually a time-saver. If I have a certain tone I'm going for, I put it in the first slot of my chain and shape the tone so that it gets close to what I have in my head. Then, the ensuing eqing and compressing becomes a much easier task because the sound it pretty much there already. I realized that most of my sound sculpting was actually going for certain tones with overtones and this things makes the process a breeze. Of course, the unit sounds good to begin with, but mixing will be more intuitive from now on and that is what I probably would appreciate the most about owing this one. Way to go!
My go to in Buses
★★★★★
by Saturn Voyager
This is one of the most delicious saturations I´ve tried, It´s giving me so good results in all my mixes. this is with no doubt a classic
Awesome
★★★★★
by Delfion
I use it everywhere! It’s like magic
Everything you want!!
★★★★★
by StudioMagic
I gotta be honest, I'm pretty hard on plugs. I've used a ton of them like most engineers who have done this for long as I have, and I've started to get settled in my ways. It's not that I'm being arrogant, it's just that you start to just blow em off in frustration because they don't always live up to their great reviews. But I'm open minded and always looking for great stuff....so after seeing Dave Pensado use the hardware version of this baby in his mixes I figured I would give the software version a shot hoping it would even be half as good...and holy CRAP if it isn't what he claimed it was and more. This Black box HG-2 is a "must have" on my mixbuss now and it gives you that "Record" sound in short order. I liken it to putting wax on your car to make it shine. It's that finishing touch that makes everything gel and shine whether it's only one track for a certain effect or the entire mix. It can give a grunt to the low end, girth to the low mids, phatten up thin tracks. It can add "glow" to the mid range to help it settle into a mix in ways EQ just can't buy itself. It can give you shine on the top end to make things sparkle. And if your top end is too nasty and edgy brittle sounding it can round out and soften those frequencies as well as tame transients with extremely pleasing saturation. It does whatever you want it to really. I must admit that while it is pretty simple to use, it still took me a bit of time to really get a feel for the gain staging of each tube and how each setting effects the sound overall. Alt tube vs regular one, pentode sound vs triode, and the density setting etc. But once you get a feel for how each tube will react to the sound, and dial them into that sweet spot to get a good gain going... it's really a DREAM! This HAS to be one of my top 5 favorite plugs of all time....and that's really saying something. I have the soundtoys stuff and while I like the decapitator...I LOVE This thing. I think you will too. Good luck.
Top !
★★★★★
by Bruno Zucchetti
Top as every product of PluginAlliance ! I use it by HDX Dsp and I've subscrived for Mega Bundle Yearly ,as a Top Recording Studio in a pocket ... i will buy everything waiting the right promotions ! Bruno Zucchetti Italy
HG-2
★★★★★
by TonVE
Its all true below here on the reviews I can not add more but just a big grin and an omg wow factor.. Found some true ears openers overhere
Awesome!!!
★★★★★
by Ben Vincent
This is the plugin I've been searching. The best ever. highly recommended. just put this plugin in any track of your mix. you'll be surprised with the MAGIC
Mix to another level
★★★★★
by Genetic Variation
Tried it on some individual tracks but also to master bus. The mix goes way up to another lever. Warmth, opens the mix and clarify every single detail.
Black Box
★★★★★
by CDTC
Simply amazing!
HG-2
★★★★☆
by Alex
Interesting plugin - I don't own the hardware so I cannot do an A/B, but I'm very pleased with what can be accomplished with this one. Nevertheless, the interface can (and should) be improved, specially because I can't move two knobs at the same time, which is something I can do in plugins from other companies (also not all anyway) with a multi-touch screen where I put the plugins I'm working with - having the ability to move, out of the box, two knobs at the same time when using a touchscreen (eg, for output compensation) is a must have in plugins like this. That's why I only give 4 out of 5 stars.