Mikael Eldridge: Crafting Unique Sounds with Sonnox Envolution
Mikael Eldridge, better known as ‘Count’, is a producer, engineer, mixer, and remixer who has followed his instincts to work with a wide range of artists, including Radiohead, No Doubt, DJ Shadow, Galactic, and even The Rolling Stones. Recently, he was part of a Grammy-winning project with the legendary Mavis Staples. We caught up with him in his home studio in northern California to talk about his approach to mixing and how Sonnox plug-ins play a crucial role in his workflow.
Discovering Sonnox Plug-ins
How did you first learn about Sonnox?
I was an early adopter of plug-ins, almost collecting them out of necessity because of the cost and space limitations of vintage analog gear. In the early days, plug-ins weren’t what they are now, so I often layered different effects to achieve the results I wanted. Even then, I knew there was room for improvement.
I stumbled upon the Sony plug-ins, which later became Sonnox, and decided to test which limiter sounded best in a blind test. I gathered a few people in the studio, and we all closed our eyes to listen. The Sonnox Limiter definitely stood out as the best. From there, I started exploring the rest of their plug-ins and realized how great they were. Most recently, I’ve been really impressed with the Envolution plug-in—it’s taken my workflow to a whole new level.
The Game-Changing Power of Envolution
Tell us about how you use Envolution.
When I first tried Envolution, I noticed how naturally it handled attacks and decays, especially compared to traditional gates. I’ve always struggled with making gated sounds feel natural; attacks and decays often didn’t sit right, and things would pop up where they shouldn’t. I used to go through multiple steps in Pro Tools to make these elements sound better, but it was a lot of extra time and effort.
When I first tried Envolution, I noticed how naturally it handled attacks and decays, especially compared to traditional gates.
Certain transient plug-ins also didn’t quite deliver what I needed. Managing attack and decay, particularly on drums, became a multi-step process, and I’d end up layering additional effects afterward. Envolution changed all that—it’s now a single plug-in that handles all those steps seamlessly.
How do you use Envolution in your workflow?
I use Envolution in many different ways. Some might think they already have a transient plug-in that works for them, but Envolution does something different—it sounds more natural and offers capabilities beyond typical transient plug-ins.
For instance, I often use Envolution as a replacement for a gate to eliminate unnecessary decay. It sounds more natural than a traditional gate and can do things a gate simply can’t. For example, if you’re working with an 808 kick drum that has a long, boomy decay, it’s often a challenge to gate it without getting that choppy gate ‘chatter’. With Envolution, I can easily and naturally truncate the decay, solving a long-standing issue with a simple solution.
Sculpting Sound with Precision
Can you share a specific example of how you use Envolution?
One of my favorite uses for Envolution is on acoustic guitars, which can be tricky to fit into dense mixes. Acoustic guitars often add great texture, but they can poke out awkwardly due to the attack, especially when recorded too close. This results in a plucky, unnatural sound, like someone strumming right next to your ear rather than in a room. Many try to compress these tracks heavily, which can make the attack even worse depending on the compressor.
What you really need is to soften the attack without compromising the dynamics, and Envolution is perfect for that. It allows me to take the edge off the attack and make the acoustic guitar sit better in the mix. Plus, I can apply the effect only to the high frequencies if needed, without altering the mids or lower mids. It’s an incredibly precise and powerful tool.
More Applications of Envolution
How else do you use Envolution in your mixes?
While most people think of transient plug-ins as a way to enhance attack, I’ve found that softening attacks can be just as important. Envolution lets me sculpt transients and attacks with a level of control that’s hard to find elsewhere. It’s frequency-dependent, so I can tweak only what I need, whether it’s the highs, mids, or lows, giving me the flexibility to tailor the sound precisely.
Envolution has become a key part of my toolkit—it replaces multiple steps and plug-ins I used to rely on, streamlining my workflow and allowing me to focus on the creative aspects of mixing. It’s truly a game-changer in terms of sound shaping and efficiency.