Telos - Drums
by Black Salt Audio · Channel Strip · All-in-one drum processor
Not rated yet
Telos - Drums is a one-plugin drum chain with mode selection per drum, tone and clarity controls, one-knob compression, clipping and saturation.
A SLAM option adds extra punch in Room mode, and it costs $99.
Best for: Drums, Drum Bus. Genres: Rock & Indie, Metal, Pop, Hip-Hop & Trap.
Keywords: drums, punchy, room mics, heavy, kick, snare, enhancement, minimal controls, mixing, single knob, bus processing, subscription, aggressive, beginner-friendly, corrective, cymbals, drum bus, oversampling, perpetual licence, tight.
What it does
Telos - Drums is Black Salt Audio's all-in-one drum mixing plugin. The idea is to replace a chain of EQ, compressor, saturator and clipper with one plugin and a few knobs, so you can "dial it in" and move on.
- Drum modes: you pick the drum type and the plugin changes its processing under the hood for that part of the kit. A review lists Kick, Snare, Overhead, Room and Cymbals among them.
- Low, Mid and High: three tone knobs, with a Mid Freq slider to choose where the midrange control works.
- Tight and Smooth: two clean-up controls, each with its own frequency selector, for taking out mud and boxiness.
- Punch: one-knob compression; attack and release are set for you.
- SLAM: a button in Room mode that makes the compressor much more aggressive.
- Drive: saturation for extra edge and density.
- Output and clipping: a hard-ceiling clipping stage controls peaks at the output, with oversampling built in.
KVR lists version 1.1.9. A perpetual license includes free updates and support, a 14-day free trial is available, and it is also part of the Artist Pass subscription (covering all 18 Black Salt Audio plugins).
Source: Black Salt Audio product page
When to use it
Telos - Drums gives you per-drum modes and a handful of unlabelled knobs, so a kick, snare or room mic gets punchy in seconds rather than minutes. Rated channel strips such as Scheps Omni Channel and Neutron 5 can do everything it does, with full EQ, dynamics and metering, and Neutron adds an assistant on top; the SSL Native Channel Strip 2, unlike Telos, gives a classic console strip with real frequency and ratio controls. Telos - Drums is the better pick when speed matters more than precise control, or when you don't want to learn which frequencies to cut. It costs less than most full channel strips, and the subscription makes it cheaper still if you use other Black Salt plugins.
- Best for: quick punch and clarity on individual kick, snare, tom, overhead and room tracks, live or programmed.
- Genres: rock, metal, pop and hip-hop.
- Look elsewhere if: you want to see and set exact frequencies, ratios and times; Scheps Omni Channel, Neutron 5 or SSL Native Channel Strip 2 suit that.
- Tip: treat each mic on its own before blending, and use SLAM on the room mic for a parallel-compression feel.
What producers say
Early reviews are positive about the speed and sound, with the usual reservations about hidden settings.
- Home Recording Made Easy said it "actually delivers" and that drums sound alive and finished even before bus processing, praising its no-learning-curve workflow.
- Criticisms: the same review noted there are no labelled frequency values, and that it is less flexible for extreme or highly customised sounds.
- KVR users have not rated it yet (0 reviews at the time of writing).
Where to buy
- Black Salt Audio: $99
- Plugin Boutique: $99
Tutorials and reviews
- How Fast Can You Mix Drums With This Plugin? Review of Black Salt Audio Telos Drums
- Black Salt Audio Telos Drums Plugin
- BSA Telos = INSTANT Drum Mix Magic!
- The SECRET Weapon for DRUM MIXING? - Telos Drums by BSA
- Black Salt Audio Telos Drums -Revisión Oficial en Español-
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