New Vintage Multiband Compressor and Free Vinyl Emulator
Tonebytes tells us that Vinylis a free VST effect for Windows that emulates the sounds of old vinyl players. They say that Vinyl recreates the dust noise and frequency response of old recordings. You can adjust intensity, color and amount of dust noise in a wide range. Also you can select the age of vinyl discs.
Main features:
- Adjustable dust emulation
- Frequency responses emulation
- Gentle distortion
In addition, VST automation and full MIDI Learning are supported.
Pricing and Availability:
Free download.
More information:
LSR Audio has released preliminary details of a forthcoming plug-in. They tell us that WARMultipress is a tube multiband compressor for VST and AU hosts on Mac and Windows.
Features
- 3 bands, with adjustable cross-over frequencies
- Pre gain and post gain for each band compressor
- Hybrid peak / RMS level detection
- Optional soft knee compression curve
- Adjustable tube gain, from subtle warming to hot overdrive
- Frequency dependant drive
- Adjustable shape control to add asymmetry and harmonics
- Optional reel to reel tape emulation
- Mono and stereo
Pricing and Availability:
Available summer 2012.
More information:
Plugin Alliance introduces Brainworx bx_saturator
Brainworx’ new bx_saturator is an M/S and multi-band saturation tool that can be used for mastering, mixing, and sound design applications.
“Recording and mixing instruments and vocals using the Mid-Side (M/S) technique is one of the secret weapons that professional audio engineers and producers use when they want to capture a performance in a way described by most listeners as, ‘Natural-sounding,’ ‘Wide,’ and ‘Big.’ Moreover, M/S recordings produce a very mono-compatible sound, and, although bx_saturator brings a mono/multi-mono version of the plug-in to the musical mix, the stereo M/S version of bx_saturator is considered by Brainworx to be the definitive plug-in for thickening or boosting any stereo signal or mix in a more discrete way than ever before.”
As with all other Brainworx bx_ prefixed plug-ins, bx_saturator users can record Mid and Side tracks individually to retain total control over the stereo information until the final stage of production; as implied by name, Brainworx says that it offers a subtle, warm distortion — or saturation — that works wonders on individual audio signals, yet can also be applied to the stereo master channel in the M/S stereo model, while Brainworx’s new ‘True-Split’ crossover technology ensures that Mid and Side channels are always perfectly in phase.
Brainworx tells us that this new plug-in’s creative use knows no bounds: increasing the perceived volume of mixes without them clipping, or bringing delicate signals like acoustic guitars and percussion to the fore in full mixes without increasing their actual level or EQ’ing them in harsh, offensive ways; distorting vocals in full mixes without sacrificing drum-track punchiness or stereo guitar and keyboard clarity, for instance. They say that independently fattening — or even slightly distorting — Mid and Side signals separately for high and low frequencies should serve up a tasty selection of imaginative and inspirational sounds in next to no time… technical excellence for the creative musician and engineer, indeed (And for those needing a helping hand to get them started straight away, bx_saturator handily comes complete with 30 cool presets.)
Pricing and Availability:
Available in 64- and 32-bit versions, Brainworx’s bx_ saturator plug-in can be purchased and downloaded (in all Mac OS X and Windows formats — VST 2.4, VST 2.3, RTAS, AU, AAX) for an introductory price of $179.00 USD (rising to $229.00 USD).
(Note: Plugin Alliance is offering a 30% off list price deal for all bx_ALL 2012 Bundle owners, saving them $69.00 USD — equalling an additional $19.00 USD saving over and above the introductory offer)
More information:
New effect plug-in that turns any sound into melodic material
Sinevibes has announced the release of Reactive, its new AudioUnit effect plug-in that turns any sound into melodic material as previewed a couple of weeks back.
Reactive detects the input signal’s dynamic envelope, and converts it into pitch information via an eight-note keyboard matrix. The pitch and envelope are then simultaneously used to drive three distinct synthesizer engines featuring waveshape modeling, phase modulation, and subtractive with ring modulation. Sinevibes says that all this is easily accessible via a simple color-coded interface, and lets Reactive instantly create amazing new sounds – from synth and bass lines, pulsating drones, and stepped pitch glides, to glitches, blips, wobbles, and noises – which are all lively reacting to the input.
Sinevibes says that Reactive is great for:
- Using any sound’s dynamics to generate melodies, strums and arpeggios.
- Transforming rhythm and percussion parts into synth and bass lines.
- Creating unique instruments and effects in realtime out of vocal beat-boxing or even simple microphone tapping.
Reactive works with Logic, GarageBand, Live, Maschine, Studio One, ReNoise, Reaper, Bidule and other Mac software that supports AudioUnit effect plugins. It comes in 32/64 bit versions for both Intel and PPC, and requires OS X version 10.5 or later.
Pricing and Availability:
Reactive is available immediately for $29.
More information:
Neo Harmonic – new equalizer/exciter hybrid effect plug-in
Sound Magic has released Neo Harmonic, an equalizer/exciter hybrid effect plug-in for Windows featuring a custom shaped filter response curve.
There’s an EQ theory called “Yin and Yang” which says that adjusting one band will automatically influence the others. Neo Harmonic takes this theory to a new level by not only boosting/cutting the selected frequency, but also exciting the harmonic partials of that frequency, extending changes throughout the whole audible frequency band. The result is a unique sound which traditional parametric EQs would be hard pressed to achieve.
Neo Harmonic will give you a fuller sound, with more detail and clarity than is possible with a traditional parametric EQ.
Neo Harmonic features
- Innovative Harmonic Excite Technology.
- Innovative Custom Curve Shape enables users the define their own harmonic curve to achieve unique sound.
- Super Wide Bandwith adjusting range gives users more controls on final sound.
- Sample and hold fuction enables users to analyze an audio signal first, then hold its harmonic information and apply to another audio track.
- Up to 32Bit/384KHz resolution.
Neo Harmonic for Windows (VST/Supreme Piano 2 add-on) is available to purchase for 49 EUR.
Audio demo of the new Subsonic Labs Wolfram VST and Audio Units plugin.
Subsonic Labs has released Wolfram, which they describe as an advanced sound manipulation device. Nice retro video BTW 😀
“This is the device for you who aren’t satisfied with the few options on your average plugin. You wish to take that extra step, to twist that extra knob in order to achieve instant sound processing gratification – Now you can…We took your average plugin, doubled the voltage, drilled (virtual) holes for essential buttons and rewired it beyond recognition.Smoking hot from our Subsonic Laboratories, it can be the subtle, ear tingling touch of Dr. Jekyll…But Wolfram is equally capable being the frequency devastating abomination of Mr. Hyde. All this with a light touch on the well polished user panel.
Get that vintage vibe with a modern twist – Delays, pitch shifting, distortion, chorusing, phasing, panning, filtering, cabinet emulation and all strange combinations in between. Do you need Wolfram today? Well, you will ask yourself why you didn’t buy it yesterday!”
iZotope Iris Synth Plug-in Review
In this video see an extended explanation and review of the amazing Iris synthesizer plug-in from iZotope.
Description:
Unearth a world of sounds you’ve never heard before. Driven by iZotope’s award-winning visual selection technology, iZotope Iris™ is a groundbreaking sample-based synthesizer that harnesses the power of both your eyes and your ears. Fuel your creativity with Iris’s new spin on sound design: a “visual instrument” that’s perfect for musical inspiration and sonic experimentation.
KEY FEATURES
- Discover what’s inside any sound: Load audio into Iris and explore spectral details that a regular waveform locks away.
- Highlight what intrigues you: Extract and isolate the most interesting sonic components with a full suite of visual selection tools.
- Combine the unthinkable: Layer completely diverse sound sources into totally unique combinations… what do a tattoo needle and a swamp bird and a slot machine sound like together?
- Stay musical: Rely on intelligent root note detection to help shape musical material from noise, ambient textures, soundscapes… even mistakes!
- Enhance and invigorate your sound: Apply world-class iZotope reverbs, distortions and delays, then take advantage of extended synth features like amp envelopes and LFOs.
- Get amazing sounds immediately: Spark your imagination with over 500 patches by world-class sound designers, or design your own with Iris’s 4 GB library of diverse sound samples.
Fraunhofer IIS Previews Pro Tools Plug-in From Sonnox For “Mastered For iTunes”
Sonnox and Fraunhofer IIS have announced a new version 2 of the Sonnox Fraunhofer Pro-Codec Plug-in that will come with iTunes Plus codec and multi-channel support. At NAB 2012 in Las Vegas, Fraunhofer IIS is showing a preview of the new version of the Sonnox Fraunhofer Pro-Codec Plug-in.
For the first time, the plug-in enables mastering engineers to use the iTunes Plus codec for real-time auditioning of their mix. This makes the plug-in a tool to mix directly for the “Mastered for iTunes” program, including clipping detection and the possibility for real-time corrections while mixing. For this new functionality, Sonnox has added the Apple versions of the AAC and HE-AAC codecs to the plug-in so that the exact clipping behaviour of the iTunes encoding chain may be monitored.
In addition, Sonnox and Fraunhofer have integrated the latest surround audio codecs MPEG Surround, AAC multi-channel, and HE-AAC multi-channel. These codecs provide improved audio quality for surround music and are used in surround broadcasting and streaming. Of course, the Sonnox Fraunhofer Pro-Codec still includes Fraunhofer implementations of all major MPEG audio codecs, including mp3, AAC, and HE-AAC as well as lossless codecs such as mp3HD and HD-AAC. This makes the Pro-Codec the most powerful codec plug-in available for digital audio workstations.
The upgrade will be available in July for free for all current users of the Sonnox Fraunhofer Pro-Codec.
Reactive – new upcoming AudioUnit plugin
Sinevibes has introduced Reactive, its upcoming AudioUnit plugin developed to turn any audio into melodic material.
Unlike conventional keyboard-controlled synthesizers, Reactive detects the input signal’s dynamic envelope and transforms it into pitch information via a note matrix that has eight switchable patterns. The envelope and pitch are then used to drive three distinct synthesizer engines – waveshape modeling, phase modulation, and subtractive with ring modulation – allowing you to come up with interesting motion sounds, from pulsating drones and melodic strums to fat basses and weird glitch lines. Like all Sinevibes products, Reactive will be simple and fun to use, with a color-coded interface and fast response.
- Use any sound source’s dynamics to generate new melodies.
- Instantly transform vocal beat-boxing or simple microphone tapping into bass and synth lines, glitches, and noises.
- Turn rhythmic audio material into interesting strumming or arpeggiating synthesizer sounds.
Reactive will be available late April or early May 2012, and can be pre-ordered now for $19 USD (regular $29 USD). Customers who purchase the Sinevibes Complete AudioUnit pack starting from today will receive Reactive free of charge. Reactive will come as a 32/64 bit AudioUnit plugin for OS X 10.5 or later.
Extended Review of Universal Audio 1176 Classic Limiter Plug-In Collection
Russ gets his hands on the new 1176 Classic Limiter Plug-In Collection from UA and puts it through an extensive test on several types of material.
Evolved from the popular Universal Audio 175 and 176 tube limiters, the 1176 retained proven qualities of these industry leaders, and set the standard for all limiters to follow. Entries found in Putnam’s design notebook point to his extensive experimentation with the newly developed FET (Field Effect Transistor) in various configurations. Eventually, he found a way of using the FET as the gain-controlling element of a compressor/limiter. While the 1176 has seen a huge number of revisions in its history, the most significant revision was by UREI engineer, Brad Plunkett, in an effort to reduce noise — hence the birth of the 1176LN at Rev C. Numerous design changes have followed since, resulting in at least 13 revisions and variations of the 1176.
Universal Audio released its first 1176 plug-in emulation in 2001. This plug-in single-handedly launched the UAD platform, and inspired a decade of analog emulation software. Today, we’ve circled back to the 1176, and modeled its entire electronic path from stem to stern — including its transformers, FET and bipolar transistor amplifiers, for colorful input/output distortion. The resulting 1176 Classic Limiter Plug-In Collection provides unrivaled emulations of three distinct 1176 units, and is indispensable for any serious engineer or producer.
The 1176 Limiter Plug-Ins Collection provides three distinct 1176 revisions, representing over 40 years of design iterations to the original 1176 — the world’s most recognized compressor. The Rev A “Bluestripe” represents the original Putnam FET limiter design, complete with its higher distortion and unique FET gain amplifier characteristics. The Rev E “Blackface” covers the early 70’s / Brad Plunkett “LN” (Low Noise) era of the 1176 circuit lineage, with variations including a more linear compression response, transistor gain amplification, and a change to the program dependence. The 1176AE provides UA’s rare 1176 40th Anniversary Edition, complete with exclusive “hot-rod” mods — including its lower 2:1 compression ratio, a fixed “super slow” 10ms attack mode, and the program dependence of Rev A.
VSP-330 r2 VST plugin Sound Test (Roland VP-330)
Background data:
http://gstormelectronica.blogspot.com/
For r2.0 I’m re-developing the VSP-330 from the ground up. The VSP-330 VST plugin is based on the vintage Roland VP-330 choirs and strings. This time around my goal IS to provide a faithful emulation replacing the instrument itself.
The difference that sets this emulation apart from all others out there: absolutely no samples are used in this plugin. I have taken great time and effort emulating the exact same synthesis and effects-processing architecture as the original vintage hardware.
The sounds you hear are testing the plugin against a real MKI VP-330. Which is the real one and which is the plugin? You might hear sustaining notes getting robbed….um yeah that would be the MKI (because it is PARAphonic, the whole key range sharing a single envelope) – a problem not encountered on the POLYphonic plugin.
The visuals are frequency spectral analysis and psycho-acoustic spatial imaging provided by Ozone 3. Sorry the spatial imaging is blurry and indistinct….cheap video camera.
DATAMASKIN
