FabFilter has long been known for crafting innovative, complex plug-ins that take common effects to new heights. Their latest release, Timeless 3, is no exception. The plug-in boasts a sleek and intuitive redesign, making it easy to use and allowing for easy modification of the length and gain of any part of the delay tail.
Timeless 3 offers a robust set of parameters that allow users to create intricate and unique delays. It features a versatile modulation engine and improved filters, making it a sound designer’s dream come true. Additionally, the plug-in offers a variety of ways to modulate and affect nearly any parameter on the GUI with LFOs, envelope generators, XY controllers, MIDI sources, and more. It’s no surprise that Timeless 3 has received rave reviews from industry experts, who have praised its sky-high potential for creating spectacular delays.
This review will look closely at Timeless 3, exploring its capabilities and assessing whether it lives up to the hype. We will examine its features, usability, and sound quality to determine whether it’s a must-have for sound designers and music producers.
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What I Loved Most About Timeless 3
Here are the four standout features that caught my attention when using this creative delay plug-in in the studio over the last month or more. With so many different delays hitting the market these days, having a certain X-Factor can make all the difference, and FabFilter Timeless 3 has more than a few defining qualities. So let’s dive in.
It’s More Than A Delay
While Timeless 3 is technically a delay plugin, it’s so much more than that. With the amount of customization, modulation, and numerous other features working randomly together, it has the potential to act almost as an instrument in and of itself. It’s one of the rare plugins you can slap on a sample, loop, or recording, and it can turn and flip it into something completely different.
You can turn one shot into percussive sequences, leads into atmospheric soundbeds, and more. It’s an instrument, creative generation machine, audio manipulator, AND a delay all in one.
It Has Amazing Modulation
The amount of modulation points that the Timeless 3 has is next level. Between its envelope followers, LFOs, envelope generators, and X/Y controllers that you can assign to almost any parameter in the plugin, you can create wildly different movement points in a single sound or delay.
This is one of the many aspects of the plugin that make this plugin more than just a delay point and is a massive X-Factor that sets this plugin apart from the hundreds of other shoddy and easily replicable delay plugins producers can access these days.
Its Presets Are Awesome
The presets that come stock in Timeless 3 are more than just starting points; they are powerful pre-programmed patches that allow you to instantly start getting the most out of the plugin in a matter of a few clicks. All the presets are easily organized into easily-searchable buckets and lists that allow you to get a sound into the vibe quickly and easily.
The real power here is to start applying presets on things it’s not designed for. Adding long delays to percussion samples, drum delays to leads, and more create interesting and irreplicable results that can make your music stand out from the sea of other producers, all relying on conventional delay plugins.
The UI Is Awesome
I used Timeless 2 in my early days of producing, and while that UI was functional and practical, the souped-up and flashy new UI of Timeless 3 is second to none. Sure, the UI of a plugin is probably relatively low on the totem pole of priorities, but the dark, lush, and verdant color palette of the Timeless 3 makes it fun and easy to work with.
What I Didn’t Like About Timeless 3
No plugin is perfect, and Timeless 3 has unique and objective faults. Here are a few things that stood out to me that I could see causing problems, especially for newer producers.
It’s Not Descrite
This plugin is far from subtle, and if you want to get the maximum potential out of it, you will have to drive the plugin hard and make it do some cool stuff. In doing so, the plugin’s sound attracts a lot of attention to itself in the mix. And while I find this to be its shining quality, it can get hard to manage if you are used to how it sounds or are new to mixing.
While the Dry/Wet knob certainly helps tame some of the attention-grabbing and intricate tones that the delay produces, that will only get you so far until you train your ears to mix well and also learn the ins and outs of the plugin, which is the perfect segway to the final point in the review…
It’s Got A Learning Curve
Between all of the features, unique sound, and modulation points, there is a lot to take in with Timeless 3. And while that is undoubtedly one of its most powerful features in the hands of somebody who knows how to use it to its full potential, it can be a bit intimidating.
The presets certainly help curb this learning curve upfront and can help producers of all levels dive right into the sounds and uses of the plugin. Still, I recommend investing a weekend or two upfront to learn how this plugin works so you can use it to the max in all of your productions.
Final Thoughts On Timeless 3
In conclusion, FabFilter’s Timeless 3 is an innovative and influential delay plugin that has received high praise from industry experts for its ability to create intricate and unique delays. Its sleek and intuitive redesign makes it easy to use, while its versatile modulation engine and improved filters make it a sound designer’s dream come true. With various ways to modulate and affect nearly any parameter on the GUI, Timeless 3 is more than just a delay plugin. It’s an instrument, creative generation machine, audio manipulator, and delay.
While the plugin’s attention-grabbing and intricate tones may be its shining quality, it can get hard to manage in the mix for newer producers. Additionally, with so many features, unique sounds, and modulation points, a learning curve exists to utilize the plugin’s potential fully. However, with powerful presets and investing time upfront to learn the plugin’s ins and outs, Timeless 3 can help producers of all levels dive right into the sounds and uses of the plugin, creating spectacular delays that stand out from the sea of other producers relying on conventional delay plugins.
Learn More About This Plugin And Help Support Our Team Of Writers Through Our Affiliate Partnership With Sweetwater Here
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
