Phase and time alignment are essential for punchy, clear mixes—especially when stacking multiple microphones on drums, guitar, bass, or acoustic instruments. In this video, Green Light Sound gives an in-depth tour of Forward Audio’s faTimeAlign and faGuitarAlign plugins, demonstrating their workflow on a variety of real-life recording scenarios.
Plugin Overview: faTimeAlign & faGuitarAlign
faTimeAlign is a utility plugin that lets you nudge, align, and phase-flip tracks with sub-sample precision—ideal for multiple mics on drums or guitars. Its large central knob gives you fine (and even ultra-fine) control, adjustable in samples, time, meters, or feet. Grouping allows you to lock together two or more tracks for phase-accurate mixing across additional elements (like aligning the snare top/bottom pair to overheads).
faGuitarAlign is designed for modern multitrack workflows. It offers smart features like an auto-align mode and a unique XY pad: one axis for blending between paired mics, the other for time alignment. Specialized blend modes (linear, logarithmic, full-gain) prevent level jumps or balance issues as you experiment. Instanced on a bus, you can time- and phase-align two (or more, with clever grouping) mic signals as a stereo feed, instantly improving clarity and heft.
Key Applications & Workflow Steps
- Drums: Precisely align snare top and bottom. Group as a pair, then align both to overheads for punch and mono compatibility.
- Kick Drum: Align inner/outer kick mics for phase coherence and more focused low end. Use the polarity flip for best transient impact.
- Guitar & Bass: Blend and phase-align two mics or DI+mic combos for clear, punchy tone with faGuitarAlign‘s XY pad; cascade the process for multiple mics using group busses.
- Piano & Acoustic: Improved realism and presence when combining spaced mics—manual or auto mode both deliver instant results.
What Sets These Plugins Apart?
- Sub-sample accuracy—align tracks (even between DAW samples) for true phase coherence.
- Multiple units: Dial in delay by time, distance, or sample count—perfect for different workflows.
- Auto-align & intuitive interface—no guesswork, instant results on buses or multi-mic groups.
- Flexible blend types—for seamless mixing between mic flavors without gain surprises.
- Step-by-step group alignment: Align pairs, make a group, then align to overheads or further mic layers.
Results in the Mix
Bass, acoustic, electric, drums—every demo in the video shows clear, instant improvement after phase/time alignment. More body, more attack, true-to-source tone, and no unwanted cancellations or thinness—all with a straightforward workflow. Both plugins can also act as part of a “cascading” setup: use buses to process even more than two sources for large, complex recordings.
About Green Light Sound
Green Light Sound delivers honest reviews, plugin how-tos, mixing guides, and home studio tips on YouTube and their website. Their mission: cut through the noise and help musicians/producers get more out of their gear.
Ready to make your mixes punchier and cleaner? Try faTimeAlign and faGuitarAlign for a serious utility upgrade, and check the Forward Audio site for more in-depth tutorials and deals.