SAFETY HARBOR, FLORIDA: In addition to being a prolific editing, mixing, and mastering engineer, Ukraine-based Oleg “Yorshoff” Yershov is an audio software beta-tester and a translator of pro audio books, manuals, and technical documents from English to Russian. He works mainly with rock and metal artists from Ukraine specifically and Europe and Russia generally, and he enthusiastically shares his talents by way of online video tutorials on creating, mixing, and mastering music. Yorshoff is also an ardent user of Metric Halo plug-ins, which help him create the musical and inspired mixes that have earned him a loyal crowd of clients… and which also make it easy for him to visually and aurally demonstrate audio concepts in his video tutorials.

“Editing music is very important for a great finished product, but mixing is more interesting, intriguing, and fun for me,” Yorshoff explained. “I love experimenting with my mixes because I love making music that is unique and unexpected. I have a bunch of great plug-ins from different manufacturers, and I use them a lot. But if you ask me what package of plug-ins I simply cannot do without, I say Metric Halo –especially for the price! Why Metric Halo? The Metric Halo Production Bundle has all of the basic (and not so basic) tools that I need to complete a mix, and they have a consistent and solid sound that combines well.”

Yorshoff makes frequent use of Metric Halo’s flagship plug-in, ChannelStrip3, which includes both equalization and dynamics sections. “ChannelStrip3 is my first choice when I start mixing these days,” he said. “Nothing has the combined simplicity and power of ChannelStrip3. It allows me to work fast as hell! And the built-in compressor is super versatile. I can make soft and accurate compression, but I can also make the most aggressive compression I’ve heard in my life! The editable knee function is unique and absolutely amazing!”

Yorshoff calls up Multiband Dynamics and Multiband Expander when he’s working with drum subgroups, loops, and complex instrument parts. By focusing on different frequency bands, he changes the way kicks, snares, and cymbals fill the space. Even when he has access to individual drum tracks, he still often starts with the Metric Halo Multiband plug-ins because the results are so satisfying and quick. He also calls up Multiband Dynamics and Multiband Expander for mastering and cites their limiter sections as uncommonly useful. “Most people think about limiters and they’re only thinking about loudness,” he said. “It’s so much more than that! It’s about the complexity of the sound material, and Metric Halo’s limiting process can take something average and elevate it to a totally new level of excitement! I love it!”

Yorshoff makes common use of Metric Halo Character to impart analog-like warmth and color to his tracks and to overall mixes. Depending on the situation, he chooses from among Character’s many saturation models.

“Another Metric Halo tool I use a lot is HaloVerb,” he said. “You can work very hard on getting the equalization and dynamics of a mix just right, but if you choose a bad reverb, you effectively destroy all of the earlier work. To me, most reverbs sound dull or flat or both, but not HaloVerb. HaloVerb creates a three-dimensional sound stage, and the large hall and plate-sounding reverbs are especially awesome. The more subtle reverbs in HaloVerb can really add dimension to a mix without adding an obvious reverb sound.”

Yorshoff recently completed an ambitious 14-hour online video course called “Mixing Progressive Metal,” where he demonstrates editing, mixing, and mastering Alexander Kolesnikov’s song “Cryin.” As with the mixes he does “off camera,” Yorshoff used plenty of Metric Halo plug-ins. “I need to show my students and subscribers how things work, and Metric Halo plug-ins are very helpful in this regard,” he said. “Their intuitive graphics make it easy to see what’s happening with compression, equalization, gating, side-chain functions, and so on. The visuals truly relate to what’s happening sonically. In addition, the Metric Halo plug-ins just look good – simple, not oversaturated colors, high-resolution knobs. They’re a pleasure to work with in every respect.”