Finalist by Tim Exile effects plugin interface with mix presets and controls

Finalist: Automated Mixing Plugin by Tim Exile

Rated 4.7/5 on Plugin Boutique (19 ratings)

Finalist is an effects plugin by Tim Exile that automatically mixes audio stems using 40 mix presets. It runs in Reaktor and is designed to produce a finished mix direction quickly.

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01Overview

Finalist is a multi-effect plugin built in Reaktor. You drop in your stems, choose one of its mix presets, tweak the result and export. The developer describes it as a way to explore different mix directions in minutes rather than hours. Its mix engine analyzes the audio before processing it, and the plugin runs in real time on your own computer, so changes are heard immediately.

Best for

Quick mix directions
Client mix previews
Stem-based mixing
Template-based mix starts
Loudness and limiting
Mix rapid prototyping

Developer: Tim Exile
Category: Multi-Effects
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

40 mix presets with strength and gain controls per group
Module locks to assign different presets to individual modules
Analysis of roughly 300 data points from each audio source
Up to 32 stems processed in one session
Output gain above +3 dB engages limiters at more than 20 nodes
Create Template function to save mixes as DAW template files
Runs in real time on your own machine with no cloud processing

03In depth

How Finalist Shapes a Mix

Finalist analyzes each stem and remaps it toward the targets set in each of its 40 mix presets. The processing chain includes analog warmth emulation, mid-side processing, multiband dynamics, transient shaping and clipper-limiters.

Strength and gain knobs give control over each group of modules, and module locks let you hold individual modules on different presets. Pushing the output gain above +3 dB activates a network of limiters at more than 20 points in the signal chain, which the developer says handles peaks locally to keep loudness without degrading the rest of the signal.

Stems, Templates and Workflow

Finalist works with up to 32 stems. Its Create Template function saves a finished mix as a DAW template file, so you can load new stems into the same setup and start from your preferred settings.

The developer states that output stems sum back to the master without the artefacts of conventional stem separation, which matters if you release stems to stores such as Beatport.

04Specs