Since it’s summer, I wanted to take a vacation… away from reviewing the latest digital version of whatever classic piece of gear the internet has deemed their “Grail” (I’m starting to hate internet lingo). Of course, there’s nothing wrong with those plugins; it’s just we get a LOT of those requests.
Anyways, pilfering through Reddit, I took a wrong turn at r/audioengineering and ended up in r/edmproduction. After reading way too many posts on Zomboy and checking the results of a “Do I use a Legit copy of my DAW” poll (that I may or may not have created 😏), I dug into one of their favorite topics, the “OTT Compression” preset of Ableton’s in-house multiband dynamics tool. After scrolling through a cavalcade of “crayon-addled manifestos” about how to re-create it on different plugins, I saw a commenter suggest Aberrant DSP’s Shapeshifter (probably the smartest guy in that whole sub). So I kindly bid the subreddit adieu, went over the Aberrant’s site, and purchased the plugin.
A Lesson in the Up’s and Down’s of Compression
A little backstory before continuing. For those unfamiliar, Ableton’s “OTT” preset uses a combination of “upwards” and “downwards” compression to create a unique sound. Your standard compressor pushes down audio by a certain ratio once audio climbs above the set threshold. This is “downward” compression due to the way the compressor handles the audio – clamping down. “Upwards” compression is the exact opposite. Any audio that falls below the threshold will be brought up. It’s basically expansion. Why are we talking about this? Simple, Aberrant uses both of these techniques in Shapeshifter.
Cliche Intro
The dictionary defines “aberrant” as “departing from an acceptable standard.” I like this company already. When you’ve seen as many “milquetoast” plugins, anything but the ordinary is a breath of fresh air. Sometimes you want a little “strange,” and Shapeshifter fits the bill. Just look at that interface. It looks like my five-year-old niece designed it with construction paper. Of course, I mean that in the most complimentary way (she’s pretty good with a pair of scissors). I absolutely love the look of it. I’m sick of faux wood and aluminum with “randomized patina” (I’m looking your way, Slate). Sleek, cold GUIs are old news. I wish I could skin more of my plugins with Aberrant’s look. While the design may look Spartan, don’t let the exterior fool you. This interface has brains.
Despite the hand-drawn appearance, the controls are very smooth. I even like how the comp bypass and stereo link animate when enabling and disabling. A huge win in my book is having a button for the user manual right in the interface. When you have a plugin with not one but two ratio controls, you’re gonna want to skim a few paragraphs.
So, What Does it Do?
Honestly, Shapeshifter is doing a lot of the heavy lifting behind the scenes. I suspect the upward and downward compression is split into multiple bands, and the controls on the GUI work as the main control for all of them. What I hear just in the compression is similar to the Orban Optimod, a multi-band dynamics tool used by radio stations to cram as much signal in the FM band as possible. Dubbed as the “mix engineer’s nemesis,” you can blame the Optimod for why the same song on the radio sounds different than the album.
While the Optimod is designed to work on the whole tracks for radio, Shapeshifter packages the once “engineer reviled” piece of hardware into a creative tool, perfect for individual tracks, busses, and everything in between. On top of compressing, Shapeshifter also introduces distortion akin to their Sketch Cassette plugin for additional tone shaping.
Digging In the Dirt
Let’s get the easy stuff covered first. When the comp bypass is enabled (the marker scribble is in the circle), only the input volume, output volume, drive, asymmetry, and dry/wet control work. This utilizes Shapeshifters drive stages, which come in type A or B. Type A yields more saturation while B contains more distortion and soft clipping. Obviously, the drive control works to increase the amount while the asymmetry pushes more even-order harmonics as you increase. Think grittier, dirtier distortion as you increase the asymmetry.
Tug of War
Disabling comp bypass brings seven more controls into play. The bigger ratio knob controls both upward and downward compression ratios. Basically, how much you want to give your tracks “the business.” For feedback on which compression Shapeshifter is applying, the horizontal meter at the top makes it easy. If the meter is showing blue, upward compression is happening. If orange, you’re compressing downward. In many cases, you will see these colors swapping quite frequently due to your mischievous audio skirting both sides of the threshold.
Two Ratios?
The threshold control in the transients section is where you dial in where you want both upward and downward compression to occur. Additionally, Shapeshifter gives you an extra ratio. You may be wondering how that works on a compressor, but it’s very simple. The transients ratio is an added control only for the downward compression. This ratio is still linked to the big ratio knob. You’re just given more fine-tuned control over transients.
Upward compression has a similar feature for handling artifacts. The floor control changes any signal under the value to a 1:1 ratio, effectively stopping compression below. In addition, having a floor can wrangle the pumping from more quiet parts being brought up to the threshold.
On top of the attack and release controls, ShapeShifter comes equipped with a wet/dry blend knob and tone knob. While again, not explicitly explaining how it works, the tone control works similar to a tilt EQ. When turned to the right, you increase the high band compression level. Turning to the left will boost the lows. Rounding out the interface is a stereo link knob to unlink the left and right channel’s processing and input and output gain controls.
Use Me Up
Hands down, this plugin is very much a heavy-handed effect. Yes, it can be used subtly, but you’ve got other tools in your belt to do this. You’re going to want to teach your tracks a lesson with Shapeshifter. Even if the controls confuse you a little, the presets are great starter points. Knob turning is encouraged with this plugin. You’re not trying to get surgical with Shapeshifter so go nuts. Push the audio to the brink of disaster, then blend it back in with the dry signal, or leave it fully slammed. Just be careful. It’s one of those “easy to overuse” plugins.
The drive section alone is worth the price of the plugin. I thought I had every flavor of saturation and distortion plugins from years of review, but I was wrong. These guys understand mangling audio masterfully.
You’ve read enough; I’ll give you an example. I placed Shapeshifter on the master bus and switched between plugin bypass and processed. I also soloed each instrument so you can hear individual tracks ran through it. In the end, I combine each element and run everything through Shapeshifter.
Want the preset? We’re generous here at Everything Recording. Here you go!
The “Everything Aberrant” preset
Just Go F**kin Buy It
At the time of publishing this review, it’s $12.00 (usually $20.00). TWELVE DOLLARS. Even though it’s just barely above the first law of physics, this plugin is a blast to use. I can almost guarantee you do not own a plugin quite like Shapeshifter.
It’s like the Oxford Inflator had an illegitimate child with Soundtoys Decapitator.
The Neve 80 Series are some of the most sought-after consoles in existence. While the differences between each model in the series vary, the sentiment remains: There is some form of voodoo between the input and output jacks that transforms audio. For some unexplainable reason, even simply being in the same room as these monoliths creates certain electricity in the air. This could, in part, be due to the parade of music that has passed through the console or documentaries worshiping its mere existence.
Either way, there is something magical about recording through a large format console. I, too, fell under the spell of NRG Recording’s 8068, which led to researching gear and led to me creating Everything Recording.
BEHOLD – NRG’s Neve 8068 in Studio AYours truly tracking guitars in Studio A, NRG Studios
Needless to say, Neve holds a special place in Everything Recording’s history. So when KIT Plugins and Blackbird Studio contacted us about a review of the new BB N105 channel strip, we jumped at the opportunity.
Always a Bridesmaid
The Neve 31105 EQ module is often overlooked in the plugin world. Most manufacturers go for the standard 3 band 1073 / 1084 variant, most likely due to the familiarity. If my recollection serves me correctly, the only plugin similar to the BB N105 is UAD’s 31102 / 31102 SE plugin; but that still only has three bands of EQ. For those who wanted the extra band of EQ, there were virtually no plugin options. That is, until now.
“The” 8078
I’m sure during a Google binge search of gear you only dream of owning, you’ve stumbled upon Blackbird Studio’s website. At the heart of Blackbird Studio A is a Neve 8078. While there are still several 8078 consoles still kicking around, this one is unique. Blackbird Studio owner John McBride took this exemplary specimen and carefully restored it while adding unique modifications to bring it into the modern world.
Ever the humanitarians, John McBride and KIT plugins wanted to share the magic of this console with the world. Hence, they painstakingly researched the board’s schematics and sampled a channel of the 8078 all the way through “master bus b” using John’s favorite A/D converters. This process left no stone unturned. The team went microscopic with sampling and research, breaking down every nuance that gives this console its unmistakable sound and dimension.
The plugin comes in VST3, AU, and AAX versions.
Enter the BB N105
Going off of pure assumption, the “BB” probably stands for Blackbird, “N” for Neve, and “105” most likely alludes to the 31105 EQ strip the console incorporates. While it may look like a standard console plugin, there is more than meets the eye.
A quick overview of the plugin reveals a preamp/line section, saturation, four EQ bands, Hi / Lo-pass filters, and output section. You’re even given the option of adding some good ole’ fashion analog hum with three different volume levels to choose from. Sidebar: isn’t it crazy that what engineers wished was removed from the console finally is, but now it’s realized that these nuances attribute so much to vibe in modern in-the-box production?
Sensitivity Training
Starting at the top section of the GUI, you will see two switches just under the dark blue knob. The switch just under that knob selects between Line or Mic mode. By default, the Line section is selected. This would be just like running through the console’s line amps. If you really want to have some fun, switch over to the “Mic” setting. This engages the preamp section and your two new best friends: the Preamp Sensitivity control (the dark blue knob) and the Saturation switch.
Don’t think of the Sensitivity control as run-of-the-mill gain control. Twisting this knob to the right not only increases volume in 5 dB increments, but it also invites some compression and harmonics to the party – and boy does it. Audio loosens its tie and opens up a little. Flip the Saturation switch to the left and crank the Sensitivity, and the lampshade goes on the head. You’ll hear subtle open dimension in lower quantities, and as you increase, the audio gets some teeth. Although you’ll love the preamp section with the saturation, make sure you’re level matching with that fader on the right.
Bands for Days
Feel free to argue with me in the comments if I’m wrong (spoiler, we don’t have comments), but a three-band EQ sometimes is not enough for modern mixing. Lucky for you, the 31105 EQ module has you covered. I will say, this particular EQ on the 8078 consoles is very flexible. Each of the four band controls has stepped frequencies you can choose. The low and high bands have five frequencies to choose from, while the High-Mid and Low-Mid have ten. Needless to say, options abound. If you can’t work with that many choices, odds are you’re mixing wrong.
The first teal knob is your High Frequency. You have stepped increments of 3.3kHz, 4.7kHz, 6.8kHz, 10kHz, and 15kHz with ±15dB boosts or cuts using the center gain control. This band additionally gives the option between a peak or shelf control.
The High-Mid control works between 1.5kHz, 1.8kHz, 2.2kHz, 2.7kHz, 3.3kHz, 3.9kHz, 4.7kHz, 5.6kHz, 6.8kHz, and 8.2kHz, complete with a Hi-Q control for narrowing the width of the cut or boost. The Low-Mid gives you 220Hz, 270Hz, 330Hz, 390Hz, 470Hz, 560Hz, 680Hz, 820Hz, 1kHz, 1.2Hz with the same Hi-Q control.
The Low control works similarly to the High band with the selection between a shelf or peak with the mode controller. The low band has selectable frequencies of 33Hz, 56Hz, 100Hz, 180Hz, and 330Hz.
In addition to four EQ bands, BB N105 has a fixed dB per octave stepped high and low pass filter. The high pass filter has increments of 27Hz, 47Hz, 82Hz, 150Hz, and 240Hz. The low pass filter has 3.9kHz, 5.6kHz, 8.2kHz, 12kHz, and 18kHz.
Output
Finishing out BB N105’s controls is a Phase button (the “ph” button at the bottom), and an EQ enable/disable button (eq button at the bottom) as well. On the right side, you have an output gain fader that you’ll definitely be reaching for when using the preamp/saturation section of the plugin. Lastly, you can enable the Analog hum switch and select from three levels of hum.
Let’s Put it to Use
We have used too many Neve-based plugins, and they all sound fairly similar. I can say with confidence that the BB N105 is a whole new monster. Just placing the plugin on an insert causes audio to jump to attention. I particularly like using your typical catchwords, but the plugin adds dimension. Your fader moves in your DAW not only feel like they’re raising or lowering the level, but with BB N105, the track feels like it’s moving backward and forward in the spectrum.
While the line switch does its thing well, the preamp section is where it’s at. At a bare minimum, I add just a pinch of sensitivity to the track. The same goes for EQ – a small move goes a long way. Of course, there’s always the nuclear option, and BB N105 can do that with its hands tied behind its back. Even at moderate amounts (with the fader in play for dialing back the level jumps), you feel in control. The plugin always sounds musical.
Every Rose has its Thorn
Sonically, there are absolutely no issues with BB N105. Functionally, there are a couple of things I’d like to see addressed. I would like to see a rough gain compensation linkage. The Sensitivity knob is, well, sensitive, and you’ll quickly be grabbing for the fader. It gets loud quickly, and a linked knob would be a godsend. Lastly, I’d like an easier way to hear a gain-matched difference between adjusted preamp settings and line amp selection.
Let’s Cut to the Chase
Simply put, if you own one “Neve-based” plugin, make it the BB N105. With multiple plugins released every other day, most can be compared to others, but this plugin, like the actual Neve 8078, does something others just can’t.
BB N105 Rundown:
5 / 5Reviewer
Pros
- Uncanny analog dimension
- Preamp Section and Saturation
- Very smooth "musical" EQ
Cons
- GUI has a little lag
- Needs an input/output volume linkage control for the preamp sensitivity.
Summary
The KIT Blackbird BB N105 plugin is so far, the closest to actual analog I've personally encountered. I'm not sure what KIT and Blackbird have done, but I can't wait to see what's next.
We at Everything Recording understand you’re not made of money. Not everyone can amass racks of outboard gear and collect them like Pogs (remember those things?). So when we review a product in the four-figure price range, we want to make certain it’s either the real deal or market hype. So, in the case of Solid State Logic’s latest brainchild, we obtained one a year ago and vowed not to write a review until after the honeymoon phase of the gear relationship is over and reality sets in. Behold, my year with the SSL Fusion!
Needs No Introduction
Ah, one of the Holy Trinity of pro audio. Solid State Logic is a tentpole in the music industry. Despite being exponentially easier to get audio mixed in the box, some part of nearly every song on the radio (even to this day) still passes through their hallowed “super analogue” circuits. I mean, when countless manufacturers have glommed onto your name to sell their own versions of your products, you’ve done a few things right.
While the bulk of their prestige comes from their EQ and Compression, they haven’t built very many new original audio processing tools. Most of the latest releases are impressive smaller format consoles and control surfaces. That’s great and all, but the world needs another all-new piece of hardware from SSL that audio can pass through. Hardware that brings life back into the populace’s aging eyes who experienced their consoles firsthand and distracts the new generation from their mouse, screen, and piles of plugins. Enter Fusion.
No Con-Fusion
As soon as you pull Solid State Logic’s new “color box” from the packaging, you can tell the Fusion is unquestionably SSL. From the dark faceplate adorned with the signature colorful knobs to the unmistakable metering, the 2-rack-space, 2-channel Fusion maintains the iconic looks of its British royalty.
However, that’s where the familiarity ends. The Solid State Logic Fusion is a whole new animal. It’s no secret that SSL has been steadily modernizing with the changing of the times and know that the majority of today’s studios don’t, won’t, or can’t justify the price tag of a large-format console (to say nothing of the cost of maintenance AND electricity). Yes, they still produce several excellent mid-to-large-size consoles (their AWS Delta certainly deserves a look) – but most of us just need a few channels of that analog shade and color. So, in its place – the Fusion is a piece of hardware that fits in many more spaces and budgets. If you’ve got the extra pair of inputs and outputs on your interface (and a rack, you savages), the Fusion would be a great way to put them to work. On that note, while you can run mono channels through the Fusion, Solid State Logic created this with the intent of stereo channel, busses, and at the end of your mix or mastering chain.
The Solid State Logic Fusion gives you six individual flavors (in series) of “Analogue Colour” (note the prim ‘u’ in ‘colour’) as the end result of decades of seeing what pieces of gear make music sound best. The result is a one-stop shop with harmonics, saturation, EQ, dynamics, stereo imaging, and some transformer magic. Although you’d think that much processing would be a veritable cockpit of controls, Fusion confines each section to no more than two knobs. The “IN” solid-state switches enable each Colour Circuit, giving you complete and instant control of what processing you want on your chain. Additionally, you’ve given a master BYPASS that can work post-input trim or completely bypassed.
The Standards
The operation of Fusion is pretty straightforward. For the basics, you’ve got:
Input and Output trim capable of ±12dB
A 3rd order 18dB per octave High-Pass filter capable of 30, 40, and 50Hz
Six color circuits.
Vintage Drive
Violet EQ
HF Compressor
LMC (Listen Mic Compressor)
Stereo Imager
Transformer
Additionally, Fusion includes a versatile insert point that you can place either pre or post-EQ or in mid/side mode. Note: when using pre/post-eq with mid/side mode, the insert point doesn’t go pre-EQ. It moves before or after the Stereo Image colour circuit. The additional insert gives Fusion even more reason to remain permanently affixed to your stereo bus, with the added ability to patch in, say, an SSL G-Series Bus Compressor.
Circuit City
While most rack mount pieces of gear tackle one main task (compression, EQ, or saturation), Fusion gives you an entire sweet shop of sweet analog ear candy. Of course, these processes are all available as plug-ins, but their origins are based on the circuits below. Everything from their functions to their placement in the signal chain is based on SSL’s legacy of award-winning designs.
Vintage Drive
Saturation can be the difference between a disjointed mix and one where tracks meld together to a cohesive whole. Vintage Drive brings a non-linear saturation akin to pushing a console to gradual analog overload. Like the “VHD” circuit in their Alpha series preamps, Vintage Drive introduces either odd or even order harmonics.
Don’t let Vintage Drive’s two knobs fool you, some things are better left to simplicity. The Drive knob controls how much saturation you want, all while compensating for its gain increase. In true homage to another icon in the music industry (and their quite popular 2/2+ USB interfaces), this knob goes to “11”. Additionally, the tri-color LED indicates just how much saturation you’re applying by changing from green, to orange, to red. Unlike its digital contemporaries, red does not necessarily always mean stop.
The Density knob controls the type of saturation effect. Settings below “3” apply even-order harmonics, and settings past “3” gradually increase odd-order harmonics. Think of the lower settings as more of a subtle “thickener” and higher settings more like a soft compressor. A fun tip is to set the density as its lowest point and increase the drive. Vintage Drive will behave more like a transient designer to bring out the punch and attack of dynamic material.
Violet EQ
SSL has famously had many “colours” of their EQ circuits over their near-fifty years. So if you find yourself wondering why the knobs’ collet knobs are something new, it’s because the Violet EQ circuit is in fact, all new. Violet introduces two new shelving EQs based on minimum-phase shift filters. These were created to quickly add overall weight and shine to tracks via its stepped frequencies. The low shelf steps at 30, 50, 70, and 90Hz at ±9dB while the HFE shelf clocks in at 8, 12, 16, and 20kHz. These EQs have been specifically designed to be mixed into – meaning modest amounts of both Violet’s low and high frequencies should be applied, even before starting the mix.
HF Compressor / LMC
For as often as we hear younger engineers and producers talking in hallowed voices about getting the “magic” of tape onto their tracks, a startling percentage have never really worked that much with the real thing. That’s not admonishment, a quality, restored 2-track machine will run you quite a bit more than the Fusion’s street price. Oh, and like the legacy consoles we talked about? They need to be maintained. Calibrated. And tape stock is a lot harder to find than another hard drive.
Anyways, your friends across the pond know that one of the most desirable traits of tape is the gentle, ever-so-sweet frequency roll-off around 14kHz. The HF (High Frequency) Compressor circuit does just that. Dial in the threshold to engage compression and the X-Over pinpoints the frequency. Like the Vintage Drive to your left, the tri-color LED gives feedback on how hard this block is going to work and again, let your eyes AND your ears be the ultimate judge.
While the Fusion was originally billed as having five “Colour Circuits”, SSL had one more trick “in the air tonight”: The HF Compressor is loosely based on the famed (and often-imitated) Listen Mic Compressor from their 4000 Series consoles – originally designed to prevent a live room’s talkback mic from overloading. However, it’s insanely grabby, gazillion-to-one ratio sound quickly became used for creative purposes by many-a-1980’s savvy engineer. Though it’s a ‘hidden feature’, it’s very much there. Simply hold down the Colour Circuit’s IN button for five seconds and the HF Compressor enters “Full Band LMC” mode. The Threshold still controls when to trigger compression, but the X-Over becomes a Wet/Dry knob. Now you can smash drum tracks to oblivion AND blend them back in with the dry signal. Enjoy!
Stereo Image
Without the right dimension, your mixes are going to have a hard time stacking up. That’s why SSL added the Stereo Image function – bringing true mid/side capabilities to the Fusion. Width controls the level of the sides by ±6dB, giving you the ability to narrow or widen the mix. To sweeten the deal, the Space control adds a broad boost or cut of the low frequency to the sides by ±12dB.
The Width utilizes the “Stereo Shuffling” processing developed by Alan Blumlein. While normally, low end is usually cut from the sides, pushing a little low end into the corners of a mix can add fullness to a mix.
Transformer
Finally, rounding out Fusion is a custom-designed output transformer. Now, a lot has been written about the transformative quality of running your audio through them, it’s actually a quite subtle effect unless driven really hard. So while it’s certainly the most subtle of the Colour Circuits, it still does add a subtle oomph to your mix. In almost every case, it’s best to leave it engaged. It never hurts to add a little more iron in the signal.
Simple, Simon
In true showmanship fashion, Fusion comes with a few tricks that set this unit apart from the pack. Upon pressing the power switch in the rear, the four Colour Circuit switches will rapidly race from one end of the unit to the other, ending with the LEDs dimming and pulsing to life. Sure, this is only a quick self-test, but it sure seems to impress clients if they happen to be in the room when I fire it up.
The clicking sounds you hear at boot up are the Solid State switches’ relays. These switches trigger a single relay which, on top of giving acoustic feedback to the buttons for a more “analog feel,” gives way to a multitude of extra functions, both utility and fun.
For instance, say you have a client running late, and you’ve looked at all of Everything Recording’s posts on Instagram (Spoiler: there’s not many). Now you’re bored. Easy. Power up Fusion while holding the four “IN” switches. Fusion instantly transforms into the 70’s hit game “Simon,” where each Colour Circuit “IN” switch is a control, and the master meter shows your score. The right bar meter is x1 points for each bar, and the left is x10. To start a game, press the flashing BYPASS control. Repeat the same sequence as Fusion and progress to the next level. For the record, I played with this for quite a while, and it’s not as easy as you think. Bonus: when your client walks in, you look like you’re calibrating gear, win-win!
A Year in Use
For an entire year, I stapled the SSL Fusion to my mix bus. I quickly found a starter preset that worked on just about any mix and would slightly tweak as needed. From the word “go”, the controls just made sense. Never once did I find myself fumbling around or not understanding exactly what I was doing by turning a knob. Those who have cut their teeth on hardware will love the tactile control – and the digital generation will feel right at home with the almost plug-in-like modular control of each Colour Circuit.
Fusion can be as subtle or overt as you want it. Even in small amounts, you can hear a clear difference – almost always for the better. While I normally kept each Colour Circuit on most of the time, there were a couple I used more heavy-handedly. The Vintage Drive and HF Compressor were the ones I reached for the most. The Vintage Drive would gel the mix together while the HF Compressor would smooth out the top end, allowing me to push the Violet high-frequency shelf a little harder into it. Overcooking the EQ into the HF Compressor yielded a very specific result.
Though it’s often best used subtly, you’ll never notice the Fusion’s effect so much as when you bypass it. Suddenly things just felt uninspired and limp, and missing that magical “it”. The Fusion is often incorrectly thought of as a bus compressor and yes, that is some small part to what it does. The truth of the matter is that for your everyday mix compression, you’ll want to keep your favorite plug-in or hardware unit patched in. And if you’re still looking for a great mix compressor, well, Solid State Logic has a particularly popular one they’d love to show you.
The Price is Right
While I know the $2495 price tag is not something to take lightly, I can confidently say the Solid State Logic Fusion is, in my opinion, worth every penny. If you break the price down to each Colour Circuit, you’re only paying $415 each. If this were parsed out in 500 series modules, you’d need twelve modules, to say nothing of the 500 racks to house them. Plus, having everything in one unit makes life much easier in use. I refuse to mix without it. Even if I happen to have to mix on the road, I will not call a mix complete until I’ve taken it home and run it through Fusion.
Individual tracks will love it too. I often find myself processing busses through Fusion and printing them back into the session. Not only does this practice enhance the sound of a track, but it also encourages committing decisions.
Enough Talk, Let’s Hear It
You’ve read enough – the proof is in the final product. Let’s listen to some before and after of Fusion on a few tracks to see what it’s made of.
First, let’s swing wide with Fusion and push it. We have drums running through the LMC setting. I know this is an extremely smashed track, but a track like this would be used in parallel to add some hype to a drum track.
While I love analog gear, I’m not a purist. I feel both have their place in a modern professional audio workflow. I can genuinely say Fusion does something a plugin simply can’t. The combination of weight, dimension and the tone of the circuits in Fusion add magic I haven’t been able to tease out of working in the box. I’m sure if you really tried hard enough, you could make a plugin chain that could do something similar, but why would you want to go through the trouble? Instead of tabbing between six plug-in windows, it’s all right there in one handsome, “this guy means business” box.
I know the price may be a bit steep to some of our readers, but I assure you – once you bought one, you’d wonder how you ever worked without it. It will change your approach to mixing for the better and make life much easier. How do I know this? Well, I liked it so much, I bought it.
For more information visit Solid State Logic’s Product Page and to purchase, please consider using our affiliate link (here). It doesn’t cost you any extra and helps Everything Recording keep the lights on.
- Extremely easy to use
- Does something a chain of plugins just can't
- Sounds Incredible
Cons
None at all
Summary
Whether you are looking to buy your first piece of outboard gear or wanting to relive your analog days of yore, Fusion is perfect for you. You will not be let down
While Jeff has been in nine other issues of Mix Magazine (and every single “Class of” since 2013), one of Jeff’s TWO “Class of” designs finally (and deservedly) made the cover. Yes, you heard me right. Jeff has TWO designs in this year’s “Class of” features. The article can be found HERE.
In addition to the June 2021 issue, here are the other nine issues Jeff’s work has been featured.
We are proud to have an ongoing series with Jeff and want to offer him the sincerest congratulations! Although Jeff has some insanely mind-blowing room designs, we have do have one studio we have a very special affinity for – our own! Yes, Jeff designed my mixing room and it is simply spectacular in both appearance and sound.
Again, Congrats Jeff on the Cover. It couldn’t have happened to a more deserving person!
For more information on HD Acoustics (Jeff’s Company) and to start a conversation about designing or treating your room, visit http://www.hdacoustics.net/
He doesn’t just design multi-million dollar studios. For less than you think, he could help treat your room.
Last year, we reviewed denise Perfect Room, and it easily lived up to the name. Using the same TXVerb technology, denise has created their version of what they think a plate reverb should be. Of course, a denise plugin will not just spit out an emulated clone of an EMT 140. Perfect Plate takes the concept of reverb and completely deconstructs it, resulting in all-new controls as well as surprises along the way.
The Perfect Plate?
Plate reverbs are a dime a dozen. I’m sure your plugin folder has more than enough. While most plate plugins are one-for-one emulations of famous pieces of gear, sometimes you need more. More than just control over basic aspects that originally came with hardware plate reverbs, but the ability to alter the very facets that make a plate sound the way it does. This is where Perfect Plate comes in. Perfect Plate gives control over the very aspects denise audio feels gives a plate reverb its character.
Perfect Plate comes in a classic and XL version, with the XL version incorporating more effects and fine control. XL gives you six bands of EQ along with three more effects modules for mangling your reverb. This doesn’t mean that the standard version is lacking. You still get the same quality plate reverb, just without the added control and effects. The plugin comes in all standard flavors and features custom presets and a resizeable interface.
Interface
The interface is very similar to all denise plugins with a few controls across the top ribbon, the frequency display in the middle, and the main controls across the bottom. With all of this plugin’s features, you’d need your entire screen to see every control. To keep the interface clean, Perfect Plate has made the bottom section adaptive. As you click a module, the bottom section switches to custom controls. Depending on what function you’re using, the controls change.
Standard Features
The bulk of Perfect Plate’s features are shared between Classic and XL. You’re given the standard input and output, high and low pass filtering, mix, pre-delay, and reverb tail control. Additionally, denise incorporates advanced controls over the plate itself.
The SPEED control changes how slow or fast the dampening filter works. You’re given a choice between SLOW, MEDIUM, and FAST on both versions, with XL having SLOW and FAST XL.
The COLOR control affects the overall tone of the plate. BRIGHT allows more top end in the tail; NATURAL has a more flat setting, and DARK rolls off the top end.
On top of controlling the characteristics of the plate, you are given some extra features that set this reverb apart. FLIP will reverse the reverb tail for a unique, almost expanded delay. SPLIT will take a mono source and “stereoize” it for added space and width. For stereo sources, the WIDTH control can also narrow or widen the reverb.
As far as the Classic version’s added effects, DETUNE adds a “wow,” “speed,” and “shake” control for added movement. Lastly, we have the DUCKER control for the Classic version’s effects that uses a compressor to hide or “duck” the reverb tail behind the initial signal. You can tweak the ducking with standard threshold, attack, release, hold, and ratio controls.
XL Features
In addition to all of the Classic controls, XL packs several more features for fine-tuning and transforming your reverb. On the top left, a Dampening filter lets you change the slope of the dampening control. You have the choice of 12, 24, 36, and 48dB per octave slope.
In the frequency graph, XL adds six EQ bands so you can tame or enhance different frequencies of the reverb tail. When you click on a node, the top ribbon expands to offer a visualization of what frequency you’re adjusting, the gain, as well as the “Q” of each band.
Lastly, Perfect Plate XL has three extra effects modules. You are given RESO, DRIVE, and ROTATE effects complete with expanded controls.
Not Just a Reverb
In most cases, the reverb you hear on a track is more than just reverb. Many mix engineers have a stack of plugins on their reverb bus to add more texture and movement. This is exactly what denise has done with Perfect Plate. Each effect is located just under the frequency display. By clicking and dragging on each effect, the overall level of the module will increase. To expand the controls, left-click on the module, and the expanded controls will appear below. If you want to bypass the effect, click the small dot on the right side of the module.
The Plate
Before we get into each of the effects modules and how they sound, let’s hear how the plate by itself sounds. For reference purposes, the reverb effect is slightly exaggerated.
As far as plate reverbs go, you’ve got a great sound right out of the box.
RESO (XL)
The RESO control gives you three bands of tonal resonance. Each band has a selectable pitch via the “freq” control. For quick reference, the note value of the resonance is just below the “freq” control. The actual resonance control is just to the right of the “freq” selector. Lastly, the gain control starts at 0 and allows you to attenuate the resonance.
I normally dial this effect by first cranking the master and “res” control. From there, I select the note I want from the “freq” control. Below is an example.
What reverb would be complete without overdrive and saturation? Perfect Plate XL has incorporated parts from their acclaimed God Mode plugin to dirty up your signal. You are given the choice of Tape, Buzz, Warp, and Bite. Additionally, you can control where in the signal path (pre or post) the distortion is with the chain control.
Want to add movement to your reverb tails? ROTATE incorporates an LFO along with “vibrato” and “tremelo.” Using the shape, time, and feel, you can tweak the amount, length, and movement of the LFO.
Let’s put it in perspective with more instruments. For the drums, I threw a subtle short plate on the bus. Then I went heavy-handed with ROTATE on the synth bass that appears at the second measure.
Perfect Plate can go from a standard, tame plate reverb to all-out mayhem and everything between. The added effects save a messy chain of plugins and therefore processing power. Plus, there is something about combining effects made for the particular reverb instead of stacking other plugins in front and behind the reverb.
I’ve put Perfect Plate on just about any track, and the results are always spectacular. Reviewing plugins really fills up a hard drive, but I’ve cleared out the majority of the plugins I don’t use as of late. Rest assured, Perfect Plate is staying in my plugin folder. Just like with Perfect Room, I could delete every other plate reverb I own and never look back. It’s that good.
Nobody’s Perfect
While sonically, Perfect Plate is as close to perfect as you get, but I have a couple of qualms with functionality. The plugin needs a bypass button. If you use your DAWs bypass, the delay compensation gets a little confused. Also, I wish the presets could be accessed from the preset name via drop-down and now through a different popup. Lastly, I wish you could still access Perfect Plate Classic when you upgrade. Sometimes you want a cleaner interface to get a basic plate reverb. As it stands, when you own XL, you can’t get back to Classic’s interface.
In Conclusion
The results speak for themselves. Perfect Plate could possibly be the very last plate reverb you ever buy. While the Classic version will suffice, I strongly suggest paying the extra for XL. The added control is everything you’ve ever wanted in a plate reverb plugin.
For more information and to purchase, please consider using our affiliate link (here). It doesn’t cost any extra and helps support Everything Recording.
- Immense sound and imaging
- Include technology initially only available in very expensive speakers
- Small footprint lets you bring them anywhere
- Incorporate the ARC mic to help with common room issues.
Cons
- Power button in rear blends in when powered on
- Not a con, but I wish they would push the DSP technology to model different speaker types
Summary
If you're finally looking for a review that has anything bad to say about these monitors, you've come to the wrong place. IK Multimedia has created a frontrunner in the studio monitor space. The amount of tech packed in these speakers rival monitors multiple times more expensive.
Rating
We’ve heard a great deal of hoopla surrounding IK Multimedia’s second edition in the iLoud series. Because seeing (hearing in this case) is believing, we wanted to know for ourselves if these studio monitors held up to the hype. The kind folks at IK Multimedia offered us a pair, and we quickly jumped at the opportunity. Let’s get to it.
Mobile
Although IK Multimedia began creating software, they quickly cornered the market on tools for the emerging mobile revolution. The iPad envisioned a world of compact portable recording and mixing – IK Multimedia brought it to life. Tools like the iRig series gave the musician on-the-go a link to interface instruments and mics to tablets. Shortly after the iRig series launched, IK discovered a missing link in the mobile experience – getting the music to your ears. Enter the iLoud, a Bluetooth speaker complete with a built-in iRig circuit for recording in the wild.
Micro
Ever the adventurous company, IK Multimedia created the iLoud Micro Monitor. These small desktop speakers introduce an additional reference to mix at home or abroad, all with a manageable footprint. Tackling the pitfalls of less-than-ideal mixing environments requires other solutions. The iLoud Micro Monitor features both an adjustable base and a threaded receptacle for mic stand mounting.
On top of the Bluetooth connection, this pair of compact desktop speakers adds RCA inputs, a 1/8th inch connection, and “Positioning EQs.” This series of buttons adds selectable high-frequency boosts, low-frequency dips, and a “Desk” mode which dips the mids to accommodate reflections from a desk and console.
MTM
The iLoud MTM (Midwoofer-Tweeter-Midwoofer) expands on the Micro’s practical use with a more sophisticated and robust design. IK Multimedia based the configuration on the D’Appolito design, where the tweeter is sandwiched between a pair of mid-woofers. The design is incorporated into many high-end speakers, and for the life of me, I don’t know why we don’t see more of this configuration. Bravo, IK Multimedia, for bringing it into a pair of monitors that I don’t have to sell my firstborn to buy.
What’s in the Box?
IK Multimedia realize there is no perfect setup. In the box, they’ve included most things to get you set up and calibrated. For positioning, you have the choice of orientation to fit your configuration. While IK recommends mounting vertically to utilize the controlled vertical dispersion, you can mount MTMs horizontally if space doesn’t allow it. For vertical mounting, you have an isolation base complete with angle marks on the bottom. These marks make setting both monitors to the same angle much less of a chore. If horizontal is your only option, the TPU bases supply isolation and stability to the rounded edges.
Using the gripped vertical base, upright mounting provides the best vertical dispersionAdditionally, IK Multimedia provides a vertical base in case you can’t horizontally mount the iLouds
The box also includes the ARC Mic, complete with a mic clip and cable. In addition to the power cable, you have the registration card, complete with QR codes to get you where you need to be with registration and downloads.
Exterior
Of course, a bigger sound usually equals a bigger footprint, but the MTM still retains most of the same portability that made the Micros so appealing. You can even get a nice carrying case to bring them to other studios or that temporary mix area when the upstairs neighbors have finally had enough.
A perfect fit!
With portability being part of the charm, IK Multimedia knew they needed to balance weight and durability. They decided to go with molded plastic for the design, resulting in a sturdy feel, able to take the occasional ‘oopsie.’ We took them to several sessions (where people’s initial reaction was, “are those Genelecs?”), and they held up to the job with no issues. The exterior finish remained relatively unscathed, even without the use of a case or gig bag.
On the subject of finish, the MTMs have recently released a new sleek and stylish white edition. The bright glossy finish is perfect for breaking the monotony of space gray and black in the studio. While the look is eye-catching, I would recommend either the regular darker finish or the custom iLoud MTM travel bag if planning to travel with them. White tends to bring out the battle scars. Don’t believe me? Look at any MacBook charger after just a week with the plastic off.
One of These Things is Not Like the Other
Upgrades abound from the Micro Monitor’s original design. Expanding on Micro’s Ported 3″ woofer and 3/4″ tweeter, MTM adds two 3.5″ composite woofers with a 1″ back chambered loaded tweeter. This symmetrical stacked design creates controlled dispersion, which can help with poor room acoustics and imaging. To make heads bob harder, MTM ups the Micro’s 50W RMS to 100W, with 70w going to the LF and 30w going to HF. Combine these clean Class D amplifiers with IK Multimedia’s new Physical Response Linearization (PRL) and iLoud MTM claims to rival speakers twice MTM’s size.
A Trip Around back
Not only does iLoud MTM utilize more speakers and power, but it also has more options. IK Multimedia have supercharged the back panel with more buttons to make your mixes translate to the fullest.
Drop it. Drop it Low
While IK Multimedia stays pretty tight-lipped about the LF Extension button’s inner-workings, we suspect this button calls on their new “Physical Response Linearization” along with real-life measurements to model the enclosure’s impulse response. With a precise representation of sonic behavior inside the enclosure, IK Multimedia can utilize the internal DSP to enhance a particular frequency’s properties, all in real-time. LF Extension has three settings, 40Hz, 50Hz, and 60Hz.
Instead of solely offering a boost for the highs and a cut for the lows, MTM assumes you know what you want. In addition to the flat setting, the LF button offers either a +2dB boost or a -3dB cut from 100Hz down. Similarly, the HF does the same thing, supplying a +2db boost and a -2dB cut from 8kHz up.
Curves for Days
Improving on iLoud Micro Monitor’s “Positioning EQs,” MTM adds a CAL option. Utilizing the included ARC microphone and the ARC Mic input on the back, you can individually calibrate speakers to their position in the room. This feature borrows on IK Multimedia’s ARC System, but instead of applying a correction to the speakers externally, iLoud MTM stores the calibration onboard. While this is not a new feature in studio monitors, it certainly is in monitors at this price point.
This is a Setup
Installation is as simple as it gets – and if you can’t figure this out, it might be time to re-evaluate your goals! For input options, iLoud MTM swaps the Bluetooth, RCA, and 1/8″ connections for a more-assuring 1/4″ / XLR combo input. IK Multimedia recommends initially updating the firmware when installing. This could be a problem if you don’t have a USB cable because the box doesn’t include one. On a side note, I don’t quite understand why these are sold as single units instead of by the pair, and instead of being stuck with two mics from buying individually, you get a USB cable. I would bet a USB cable is much cheaper than an ARC mic, so… win-win.
Positioning is vital with these monitors, and IK Multimedia stresses that you should point the tweeter at a straight line to your ears. Whether you use the tilt bases, mic stand mounts, or horizontal mounts, you must do everything you can to line the tweeter up with your listening position. Additionally, you will want to keep the speakers around eight inches from the wall and angled in the typical equilateral triangle configuration from the listening position to your ears. For the angle issue, I recommend the AudioApps Speaker Angle app.
Stop, Recalibrate, and Listen
Now, you have cables attached and monitors precisely facing those moneymakers on the side of your head. What now? Well, now we get to calibrate. Locate the power button on the rear and turn on the speakers (without moving them from their set positions). Carefully insert the ARC mic cable into the back of one of the speakers (again, without moving them from their set position) and place the ARC mic right at the tip of the triangle you’ve made between you and your speakers. Make sure you orientate the mic correctly (as seen in the picture below) and place it level with the tweeters. Now, (you guessed it, without moving the speakers), find the CAL/PRESET button and press it for two seconds.
By now, you’ve seen a recurring pattern. I wish IK Multimedia would have placed the crucial buttons on the side for easier access. If you’re setting up in your studio permanently, this won’t be as much of a problem. If you take the monitors on the go, you can avoid the “studio yoga” of contorting around the desk by gently tilting the monitors forward to access the back panel. The grip of the vertical base will stay in place, keeping your precise position.
Once you’ve held the CAL/PRESET button for two seconds, you have five seconds to get your human-bass-trapping-self out the way of the speakers and let the iLoud MTM do its thing. Calibration is quick, only taking around 5 seconds for a tone sweep. The LEDs on the front of the speaker will flash blue during calibration and green once complete. Don’t forget, that’s just one monitor done; you’ll need to repeat the same steps for the other speaker.
Up and at ‘Em
The setup and calibration were surprisingly quick and easy. I was honestly expecting a more time-consuming room measurement process as we had during the Sonarworks review. Still, IK Multimedia has made this easy enough for my wife to do (which I then had her repeat after I returned from using them in another studio). So, if my wife, who wants nothing to do with technology, can do it, anyone can.
So, How Do They Sound?
I knew that there was a lot of hype to these speakers going into this review, which naturally makes this beleaguered journalist very skeptical. I read thousands of press releases and hundreds of manuals every year. Certain words and repetitions of praise send my spidey sense tingling. I know some of these words are inevitable when describing products, but when you see the same old “consumerspeak” trotted out, it puts your guard up. Also, being ever the stodgy “older guard,” I don’t really want an extra layer of A/D conversion and silicon between my output and ears. Call it placebo, but I suspect I can usually “hear” processing in speakers with this technology.
In the case of the iLoud MTM, the marketing rings true. These speakers are everything IK Multimedia claims. I welcome the processing and can accept the DSP as a necessary evil in coaxing out the most performance from these admittedly tiny dancers. I’m not sure if I can hear what I usually think I hear, but I don’t care even if I did. I absolutely love these speakers.
In Use
When first throwing my usual cavalcade of “old faithfuls” through the iLoud MTMs, I was blown away at the dimension in these smaller speakers. The low end of these monitors will have you looking under the desk, looking for where IK Multimedia snuck a subwoofer in while you weren’t looking. The bass extension presents bass, not only in an enjoyable way but in an informative way. I switched between the calibration and flat and instantly noticed a precision in the stereo field. I repeated this in both treated and untreated environments, and the results were the same each time.
You can make decisions much quicker due to iLoud MTM’s pristine sound. Vocals instantly reveal their shortcomings due to the clarity in the mids and highs. I especially like the low-mid capacity these speakers have. I found my mixes’ fullness coming out more due to having the right information at my fingertips. As for the low-end, I’m thoroughly impressed. While I liked the 40Hz bass extension for listening, I found 50Hz to be a better fit as it seemed quicker in response.
Perfection – The Ultimate Myth
I have very few issues with the iLoud MTMs. Already having the power button in the rear is an inconvenience, especially given that monitors are the “last on, first off” in the studio, but the button blends with the speaker’s back when in the “on” position. This tactile camouflage makes powering off an affair of blindly swiping your finger around the rear of the speaker, risking moving your monitors from their configured place. The same goes for using the ARC mic and calibrating the speakers to the room. I wish the more used buttons and ARC mic connection were in an easier-to-find spot. I entirely understand maintaining a sleek design, and IK has mitigated this as best as possible with the base’s design – allowing the speaker to tilt forward without disturbing the position too much.
The only other recommendation is to push the Physical Response Linearization. If you’ve put DSP in a speaker that can apply impulse response to extend the bass, it seems you could easily incorporate different types of speakers for reference. Something similar to the Barefoot Footprint’s MEME technology. It would be great to have the ability to emulate a pair of NS10’s or even a cell phone speaker.
In Conclusion
I can’t say enough about how much I love these monitors. The stereo imaging is excellent, mixes translate much better, and music (whether referencing or only experiencing) is genuinely more enjoyable through them. The amount of informative low-end iLoud MTMs put out is staggering. These speakers translate audio better than just about any monitor in its price range and even beyond. Everything Recording HQ has a pair of Focal Solo 6 Be speakers, and as time went on, I found myself leaning more on the iLoud MTMs. Don’t get me wrong, I love pulling the top back and cranking the Focals toward the end of a session, but the iLouds feel more utilitarian, exposing flaws in tracks.
Combine the portability, built-in calibration, and extraordinary translation, iLoud MTM just might quickly become your desert island studio monitor.
It's like visiting the Swiss Synthesizer Museum. With MIDI.
In Douglas Adams’ “Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy“, the titular guidebook explains the endless expanse of outer space as follows: “Space is big. You just won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is.” For the DAW-based keyboard and synthesizer enthusiast, Arturia’s V Collection, now in it’s 8th edition, represents a collection of instruments that seeks to answer just how endless a concept like “endless” is.
V Collection 8 is, put another way, a buffet of keyboard instruments ranging far and wide – expertly modeled, infintesimally configurable and stunningly rendered. I first approached this review assuming that V Collection 8 was focused largely on analog synthesizer emulation with a few curiosities tossed in for good measure. Once I loaded the AnalogLab front-end, the realization came over me quickly.
This does just about everything – including things the original instruments could never dream of. And again – it’s really big. Like, 28 different instruments and a gazillion patches big. As in, this could be the only software instrument you ever need big.
A CAREER IN MODELING
French developers Arturia cut their teeth at the start of the physical modeling gold rush. Prior to the mid 1990’s, most everything being released was based on PCM technology (yes, with a few notable exceptions). PCM (or “Pulse Code Modulation“) was a gimmicky way of saying “these are samples”. Incoming signal, represented as voltage is then hacked up into… well, just read the link if you don’t know how this works. At the time, the average synthesizer or workstation could only store so much information in its onboard ROM. Many manufacturers developed their own add-on ROM cards but the technology was still limited by the amount of memory you could physically fit into a small card, to say nothing of the fact even a paltry 8MB of memory still commanded a hefty price tag. This same approach applied to samplers, loaded into RAM from floppies or a hard drive. The more realistic you wanted it to sound, the more individual samples were necessary. Again, that space was limited and costly.
How it started. Propellorheads ReBirth.
Two pivotal things would happen in this same era. For one, engineers began talking in hushed tones about a new approach to recreating the way sound was created called “physical modeling“. Physical modeling (or “Virtual Analog”) wasn’t playing back previously recorded sounds, it used complex DSP algorithms to recreate the way the sounds themselves were actually created and processed.
It was also during this time that the music world was rekindling its dormant love affair with the analog synthesizer – particularly in the form of what was then (and for many of us still…) called “techno”. Though the Clavia Nord Lead would be the first to market in the form of an actual keyboard, personal computer CPU’s were now just reaching the speeds to crunch the numbers themselves. For something like the now-very-in-demand Roland TB-303, TR-808 and 909, this proved do-able with the release of Propellerheads RB-338 “Rebirth” software. Fitting entirely on a standard 1.4MB floppy disk, it offered the hallowed yippity-yerpity-byow-byow-boom-tish-boom-tish sound of acid techno right out of the box – taking bedroom producers to their very own higher state of consciousness.
FROM RECREATION TO EMULATION TO INSPIRATION
From the primitive sines, saws and squares of subtractive synthesis, the race to recreate other classics from the vault with this technology was quickly on. Arturia was one of the first – arriving in 1999 with their flagship Storm – a suite of retro-influenced software instruments. Storm was not unlike Propellerhead’s follow-up, Reason, which gave the user over a dozen synthesizers and effects along its own proprietary DAW system. You could compose entire tracks within Storm or slave to the host application of your choosing. And though it looks primordial by today’s standards, we can’t overstate what a mammoth step forward this represented – especially compared to that Roland D-50 and it’s pithy “Stage Piano” preset gathering dust in the corner.
Arturia’s flagship software: Storm (circa 2000)
Not one to rest on their laurels, Arturia went on to partner with none other than the architect of all-things-analog, Bob Moog(one last time, it rhymes with “toad”) to create the Modular V and their own TAE (true analog emulation) algorithm. And ever since, their remarkably true-to-form emulations of formidable classics – the ARP 2600, the MiniMoog, and the Jupiter 8 to name just a few – have continued to diversify further and further from “just synthesizers”.
Now some twenty years later, Arturia continues to lead the music production world with not only their fantastic synthesizer emulations (see our glowing praise of the OB-Xa and Casio CZ-1 here), but literally anything with black and white keys attached. Every subsequent release of their V Collection has added not only new synthesizers, but acoustic and electric pianos, organs of every shape and size and early digital machines (my how we’ve come full circle, we’re now emulating the PCM technology we’ve replaced).
TESTING TWO INDUSTRY TITANS
Though neither our site nor your attention span have the bandwidth for a piece-by-piece run down, I feel compelled to talk a bit about the Jun-V6 and Jup-8 synths – as I have at one point owned (and very much loved) working on both. The originals need absolutely no introduction and have cemented their rightful place in the highest echelons of synthesis history. Sure, it’s been a while since I’ve had either – but having spent years with them both I was foaming at the mouth to hear them roar again. And not to give away the ending, but Arturia delivers that unmistakable Roland “thing”.
The Juno 106 was actually a bit of a first for Roland, as the oscillators and filters themselves were analog, but the actual control of them was digital. This made for a slightly different and more linear response curve on the instrument’s sliders. After mapping my MIDI controller to a few of the ‘usual suspect’ parameters like VCF cutoff and resonance, the instrument responded in kind. Everything that there is to love about the Juno – the dense pads, the rumbling lows and the clutter-cutting leads.
VESA Mounting your JP8 is much easier than whatever the heck Journey is trying to do here.
And as for the Jupiter 8 rendition well, let me just say that this particular instrument in its original form gave you an ability to stack voices to create a multi-timbral (but mono-behaving) bass synthesizer that could rattle out your teeth. Given the nature of analog oscillators and their tendency to always be drifting in just the slightest of near-imperceptible ways, putting eight voices into a single note resulted in an electronic earthquake. More importantly, these sorts of quirks and curiosities are extremely well-represented in their virtual likeness.
Of course, a good lot of what made “performing” on their hardware forefathers was having a gigantic fascia populated with knobs, switches and sliders and, to be honest, that is one thing the user will need to address. Luckily, as is the fashion with Arturia’s software instruments, mapping continuous controllers is as simple an affair as possible. And yes, they do offer their own line of USB controllers should you wish to keep it in the family. Bear in mind, fully mapping out something like the top panel of a Jupiter is going to take some serious ingenuity. For me, personally, I was happy to create individual maps for each new patch.
On that subject, while every instrument in V Collection 8 is brimming with hundreds of presets, new patch creation is simple, intuitive and – at least in this writer’s opinion – the “real” way to squeeze out each and every quirk from these (and all) of the synths on display. That’s what has always made performing on these machines so unique – you can approach it with a nine-year-old’s intellectual curiosity, twisting and turning through the interface until inspiration finds you.
The Jun-6v absolutely nails Roland’s half-a-log 106.
Like the other synths in the modern-day Arturia line-up, there is an additional layer of available windows and modifiers. Not limited to the simple shapes of traditional LFO-types (but certainly not as whacked out as the whole ‘import teddybear.gif and make a wavetable world that Serum lives in), you can draw, bend, twist and step additional envelopes and turn them loose on virtually any parameter you darn well please, be it pitch, filter or the amount of reverb time). And yes, Virginia, these of course, synch to tempo or ms. Ah, yes. Better living through technology.
AND NOW, FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
From the patch-cabled ARP and Moog Modular to the hulking Matrix 12, you’ll be knee deep in the hum of analog oscillators. But that’s becoming more and more just half of what the V Collection is all about. And one could begin to think after an hour or two of tinkering that, perhaps, you don’t necessarily need THAT many subtractive analog synth options. And that’s where the buffet of keyboards truly begins.
Mid-century aesthetics for the modern world. The VOX Continental.
The rest of V Collection is like going to a museum exhibit of keyboard instruments, except that everything works, is plugged in and you’re allowed to touch them. Let’s start with some greatest hits here, rightly with Arturia Piano V. From uprights to concert grands, you can tickle the ivory of nine different and breathtakingly realistic pianos, all while moving microphones, changing the environment, adjusting damping and more. And for the funk and soft-rock jet set, you’ve got the aforementioned Stage 73, an impeccably modeled Wurlitzer 200A and very-superstitious Clavinet. Sporting options like amplifiers and speaker cabinets (including a faithful Leslie-type rotating effect), it’s hard to imagine not finding the exact sound you’re looking for (having such a robust library of presets certainly doesn’t hurt).
Organs such as the Vox Continental, the Hammond B-3, Farfisa and even the iconic Mellotron are all very well-represented (you have to file the Mellotron somewhere). Church it up with big rock arena bombast, or disappear into the Strawberry Fields (then switch to the Farfisa when those strawberries kick in). I’m running out of places and ways to say just how much realism is packed into these instruments. If anything, they sound a little too clean and well-maintained, as anyone who’s owned these things will tell you that it takes a little more than elbow grease to keep the real editions running.
Scouring through all there was to be scoured, I did have to stop and play with the Mellotron for a while. If you’re not familiar – the Mellotron is an amazing invention considering what it was trying to do for the time. In 1963, there was no such animal as “looping that” unless you literally wound a spliced loop of tape around a few extra mic stands (and now you know why it’s called “looping”.
The very-analog inner workings of the iconic Mellotron.
The Mellotron quite literally had several octaves of running tape loops, using tape playback heads as piano hammers. It’s mechanical fluctuations gave the sound an ethereal “something” that you will not get from a sampler. Just playing the Arturia version kicks off a deep dig of 60’s psychedelia and rock – and while you can certainly join a Beatles cover band, the possibilities are endless for creating multi textured dreampop and shoegaze ambience.
Lastly, the Vocoder V is ready to indulge your creative vocal-processing whims – be they going around the world with Daft Punk or saying hello to Mr. Roboto in proper Japanese. Between us, I could live without hearing another vocal ever treated in such a way, but I also admit that I’m A) in the minority and B) still impressed with just how incredibly well Arturia’s digitally-modeled rendition captures the quirks and eccentricities of the original hardware.
REDISCOVERING DIGITAL’S PRIMITIVE ORIGINS
After twenty-five years of producing electronic music in its many forms, I honestly wasn’t bowled over by having so many fantastically-modeled analog supersynths. That’s not to say they don’t sound great – they do. It’s just, well, I’ve been at this a while and, for that matter, so has Arturia. What I wanted to get into was this third column – the digital boneyard. Today’s fledgling producer might not even be able to envision just what incredible achievements the digital machines of yore were for their time.
Lots of jolly, cherry-candy buttons. The original Synclavier II.
Being able to dive into enjoying their inimitable sound of the Synclavier II – a pivotal, computer-assisted additive and FM beast of a machine without so much as cracking a manual is a gift from the synthesis heaven. To say nothing of the fact these workstations having configurations costing in the hundreds of thousands, simply programming one was reserved for the pocket-protector crowd. But not for the V Collector – you’ll be able to dive into the far corners of this 80’s hitmaker (and the presets certainly take us aging Gen X types back to our neon-colored youth).
Next up, the Emu V puts the user into the John Hughes movie soundtrack of their choosing. The EMU Emulator II, a damn-near-iconic sampler of the era, enabled scores of pop hits, hip-hop breakthroughs and dog-barking-renditions of “Jingle Bells”. Now, as digital technology of the time tended to go, your meager sampling rate and bit depth, combined with the analog architecture to try and smooth it over, lent itself to a quite unique sound – one that you won’t just get from the average bitcrusher. Combined with an updated rendition of the Emu’s internal sequencer and (as to be expected) a layer of Arturia’s modern niceties, this just might become your favorite soft sampler – and down-rez effect. That lightly-toasted 33kHz sampling rate and 12-bit depth, buttered with a 4-pole analog filter is “the sound” of hundreds of timeless recordings and, as you’re likely unsurprised to read by this point, nailed handily by Arturia’s modeling algorithms.
The Emulator II – as played famously by Ferris Bueller.
And lastly, it just bears mentioning that the classic FM (and similar) machines like the Yamaha DX7 and Casio CZ offer something that’s equal parts dead-ringer 80’s machine as it is creatively inspiring tool for virtually any genre of music, whether that means Biosphere-esque synthetic new age ambience or the groundwork for a whole new genre of your devising. Having not only ready access to “that preset” and “that other preset” from “that one song” is great – but these early FM synthesizers can be contorted into a world of beyond-the-point-of-origin sound design, once you learn to do things on its terms.
At the risk of repeating ourselves here, having Arturia’s modulation matrix and pivotal controller abilities launches these vintage beasts into levels of control and that the original engineers likely never once deemed possible. Or maybe they did, but there was no way you were getting there in 1983. These truly are enlightened times, sound designers and musicians are standing on the shoulders of giants with this amount of raw sound and near-myopic levels of control.
THE MAD SCIENTIST’S LIBRARY
To literally own and operate a collection of instruments on this barely-fathomable scale (where do you plan on keeping nine pianos stored and in tune, much less miked up with a piano tech on staff?) is obviously the sort of thing that would have been a pipe dream to all but the most ridiculously well-moneyed artists at the turn of the century. But now – now that anyone with $600 and a computer has this same kind of access? You’re going to need some way to access them all. And for that, my discerning ebony-and-ivory fiends, I welcome you to the world of Arturia’s front end AnalogLab.
A librarian that won’t ever tell you to keep it down. Analog Lab V.
AnalogLab is the (and I hate LOTR references) “one plugin to control them all”. Put simply, it’s the front-end to all of the V Collection’s instruments and presets in a handy uber-librarian. Search by instrument, keyword, patch name, creator, year, whatever… the patches themselves appear to have a lot of tag data embedded in them. You pick the sound, AnalogLab loads it up and voila. Run it as is, or open the instrument and tweak it to perfection. And though we are a recording-focused website (as the title would imply), I certainly see AnalogLab being a massive boon to live performances (assuming we ever start doing that again).
This software alone could occupy a complete review, especially when you realize the bundled PatchWorks contains enough creative inspiration to power Manhattan. Admittedly? I’m not a presets guy. Never have been. But that’s just me – and I can certainly appreciate that using these as a jumping-off (or landing) point is capable of taking the perspiration out of inspiration. Musicians who want the shortest distance between “I have an idea” and “got it” will rejoice – as are those who want to preserve and share their own creations.
Let’s just say you’re composing your latest creation and have written an eight bar chord progression. You’re not sure though – at first the intention was an acoustic piano, but that curiosity bug is biting. Maybe an electric piano? An organ? Wait, what if we split the chords and let a monosynth tackle the root and then play out the rest with a cheap-and-cheesy 80’s PCM synth? Loading and unloading all the options is going to run afoul of your creativity’s speed and desire. That’s where AnalogLab shines. With almost forty instruments to choose from, shortening the distance between inspiration and it coming out of your monitors makes this indispensable.
SO, WHAT’S TO DISLIKE?
To be honest, not much. V Collection 8 isn’t so much a revolution as it is an evolution at this point. Arturia has continued to simultaneously hone the process by which these instruments are created and expand their already enormous bench of keyboard heavyweights. There’s quite literally something for everyone – though those with quite specific tastes will likely want to buttress their particular niche. For the rest of us, the generalists, being able to choose from nine pianos or however many analog synths is more than plenty – if not even a tad bit overboard.
It’s my sincerest hope that, as Arturia scans the classifieds and pawn shops for more vintage instruments to do “that bodysnatcher thing” on, we will get to see some a few more off-the-beaten-path-type synths and keys from decades ago. Oh… you want examples? I would love to see a dead on recreation of the OSC OSCar in the lineup – it’s not nearly as well known but truly has a sound all its own. How about Elektron’s original SIDStation, an instrument created around the internal Commodore 64 SID chip? And as long as we’re still talking, Kurzweil’s V.A.S.T. synth architecture, featured in the k2000 and k2500 synth and sampler workstations? We’d be just in time for that big 90’s industrial rock revival.
I’d also like to see a bit more in the way of vintage drum machine sounds in coming updates. Not just the easily-made-from-synthesizer “pyoo pyoo” toms, pink noise snares and sine wave kicks, but full modules like the Simmons SDS-1, Linn Drum and percussion sounds from those early samplers. Yes, I know, this is a keyboard collection, but I’ll take a Roland CR-5000 happily to sit atop my Oberheim.
THE WHOLE ENCHILADA
It should be said here that Arturia is not just another pretty face in the emulation game – they have a quite handsome line of their own hardware synthesizers, audio and keyboard interfaces (and the criminally underlooked “Pigments” softsynth). They’ve by now extended their product range to become electronic music’s one-stop-shop – you could outfit almost an entire studio with their gear – just add computer and monitors.
Point being, this is a company that has not only planted their flag for the synthesizer revolution’s second act, but are continuing to light a path ahead while giving today’s keyboardists unprecedented access to instruments of a bygone era. These relics of a bygone era are, above all else, instruments. And while you may not be reaching out and touching the keys and knobs of the real thing, I can’t fathom a way Arturia could get you any closer.
ARTURIA V COLLECTION 8
4.5 / 5Reviewer
Pros
Astoundingly faithful, sonically-impeccable recreations of virtually every instrument.
AnalogLab and Patchworks make easy work of finding, creating and organizing presets.
The widest possible range of keyboard instruments from synths to pianos and onward.
Cons
Purists will likely want to add back the impurities a bit with effects, it's "clean".
Beware the "option anxiety". There's such a thing as too many choices.
Can you tell I'm reaching here? This software collection is damn impressive in every way.
Summary
With a seemingly unlimited box of tricks, keyboard magicians have a new lovely assistant. Arturia V Collection 8 is hands down the largest, most comprehensive collection of ebony-and-ivory-festooned software instruments available under one roof.
“Mojo.” “Warmth.” “Punchy.” “Forward.” Few professions trade in the glut of buzzwords, idioms and analogies quite like audio production. These pieces of hazy phraseology serve not only to describe the seemingly indescribable, but force others to nod along knowingly, lest you discover they have no idea what the hell you’re talking about.
But this year, EverythingRecording is turning the tables. There’s no better buzzword than the one you create yourself and then unleash upon your preferred online forum or user group. Whether you’re describing your latest mix, plug-in patch or mysterious piece of audio outboard, these promise to keep you one step ahead of the trend curve.
Let’s meet back in a year and marvel at how much these wind up being appropriated or somehow misused from their (my) original intent, shall we?
“HASHED”
(Granular. Pixelated. Bitcrushed. Harsh.)
“Man, I listened back to those drum stems and they’re completely hashed from all that limiting. Can we bounce them again through a summing mixer?”
Is it art, or is it just hashed?
While most audio processes seem to be fixated on doing the reverse, “hashed” could best be described as audio that has clearly been down the digital rabbit hole. Listen to a bad mp3 encoding, an overly bit-crushed sample or a mix that’s been crunched into unpleasant realms of digital distortion. That’s “hashed”. Your buttery smooth tube compressor is no match for audio that’s become hashed by too many conversions, bad recordings, re-re-encodings or brickwall limiting algorithms. Unless you’re doing it intentionally, it’s not good. Oftentimes, hashed is best used to describe the early use of digital conversion in products like the Adat. But get that same sound out of an SP-1200 drum machine and it’s magically good again. Use to taste.
“DISNEY”
(Trendy. Contemporary. Overused.)
“Were you serious with that Disney-ass vocal effect? C’mon, lay off the Auto-Tune, this is folk music.”
Mickey says “‘F’ is for fuck-around-and-find-out, kids.”
Whether it was done intentionally or not the first time, the audio production world often creates new and interesting bits of trickery. Reversed reverbs. The LMC drum smash. Cher’s “Believe” or Britney Spears’ aggressive notch filtered vocals. The first time you heard them you said, “Oh, wow, cool. Good turn.” The second time you said, “Hey, that’s kind of a ripoff of the first time.” And six months later, four new plugins are released with the singular purpose of doing that Disney effect. Use at your own risk, lest you be accused of doing it to your own productions. Can be used to your advantage with clients who want to sound “just like…” another artist quite easily.
“MOIST”
(Dense. Lush. Thick. Drenched.)
“When that goes into the last hook from the bridge, the mix gets so moist you could dip your finger in it!”
Let them hear cake.
If effects are all mixed on a level from dry to wet, then what do we call the result? That’s right – the word everyone loves to hate, the Nickelback of adjectives itself. The term “moist”, normally reserved for cake mixes and Harlequin romance novels, indicates the result of that mixing wetness. It’s thick, it’s plushy, there’s a lot of sponginess to it. It’s uh… it’s moist. What’s interesting here is that the word can be used to praise or denigrate ones’ efforts. Moist, great for shoegazey dream pop, not so much for Brutal Dethcore.
“GLAMPLED”
(Derivative sounds. Constructed from existing, popular productions.)
“It’s a good song, but those glampled kicks and guitars make it sound like everything else out there.”
With retriggering cementing its way as a go-to method of music production, it’s quite possible to produce a song entirely from patches and samples from your influences. One could license the drums, guitar tones and vocal settings from an artist or producer and create a song that, to the untrained ear, would sound like it was from the same album. In an industry that claims to favor originality but often rewards mimicry, “glampled” is far more the latter. Go mike up your own kick and snare for once and lay off the SSD, ferchrissakes.
“THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS”
(Syn: Low end. E0-E1. The register containing all the sub-40hz frequencies)
“You might want to check your bus compression there, the people under the stairs are banging on the floor.”
Beware the basement dwellers in your mix.
The TR-808 drum machine’s bass drum sound has created more music sub-genres than the electric guitar. Starting with 80’s rap and funk, the monolithic “DUMMMMMMMM” of a simple sine-wave has worked its way into the collective music listening consciousness. Still, to this day, EDM production-types talk endlessly about “mUh 8o8’s”, which now includes any sub-bass sounds, regardless of origin. This is also a notoriously unwieldy octave to record, mix and reproduce as it brings your equipment and its ability to process it alongside the rest to its knees. So careful with “the people under the stairs”, okay? That’s why compressors with high-pass filters are a godsend.
“BONKING”
(Over-perfecting. Losing sight of the big picture.)
“Why are we pulling that session back up? We’re just bonking now. Bounce it down and send it to the client.”
There’s no traffic on the extra mile. But there’s no McDonald’s either.
Time it was, you had until the end of your time in the studio to get a project done. At 12:01, your mix turned into a pumpkin, the patchbays were pulled and your finished work existed solely on a tiny little DAT tape. Well, that was then – and the DAW brought about an era where you never had to be “done” done. Being able to go back and fix “that one little thing” is great, but it’s ushered in the ability to endlessly go back and tweak and tweak and tweak some more. At a certain point? You’re just bonking. It’s not getting better, it’s just getting different-er. Those little imperfections can sometimes be the very thing that gives a song its character – so don’t bonk them out of existence. FYI: “Bonking” is borrowed from road bike parlance, where the rider simply runs out of energy and can’t push one more mile.
“Ü-GÜBER”
(The byproduct too much online learning and not enough doing.)
“The last thing I need is read one more Ü-GÜBER on Reddit going on about gain staging for his db lufs levels.”
The latest graduate from YouTube’s Audio Academy. At your service.
The internet was initially conceived not as a haven for free pornography or political arguments, but as a centralized hub to exchange information. Online channels and sites abound, where newcomers and enthusiasts can learn tools and techniques from industry professionals. That’s great and all, until said newcomers and enthusiasts declare themselves authorities themselves, buoyed by knowledge but never applying it on anything beyond their latest SoundCloud hit. You know the type (and if you’re getting ready to flame me for gatekeeping, you ARE the type) – they’re graduates of YouTube Audio Engineering Society and ready to share their forum-informed mastery with you, the lowly hack. Able to talk in long strings of syntax about sidechaining this and saturating that, but without the practical experience of having mastered it themselves. And while it’s true, knowledge is power – so is turning off YouTube for a while and experimenting. When they snort, cross their arms and inform you Dave Pensado alwayshi-passes the snare at 80hz, just ignore them and carry on.
“CLINK”
(The weakest link. The bad apple that spoils the bushel.)
“You’ve got this $3000 microphone plugged into a $50 interface. You don’t see THE clink there?”
She’d like to talk to you about your weakest link…
Signal flow is a crucial building block for quality production work. People spend ungodly sums on microphones, processors, monitors, converters… all in search of a holy grail signal path that spins lead into gold. A mistake many mortals make? Not seeing that quality all the way through from end to end. You might have dropped hundreds (if not thousands) on a beautiful preamp, only to plug a garden variety Chineumann from Guitar Center into it. Or investing in a truly professional set of monitors, then installing them against the wall of an untreated room (no, egg crate foam doesn’t count). The “clink” is the thing that drags down all of the niceties before and after – a $10 cable can destroy the sound of a $2000 guitar and amp, no problemo.
“WACKY NEIGHBOR”
(Cousin Oliver. A pointless or unwanted addition to an otherwise solid piece of work.)
“I loved where that track was going until they dropped that WACKY neighbor in on the hook. Who puts banjo in dubstep?”
Get out of my mix, you adorable little bastard.
Eons ago, when television sitcoms were commonplace, writers would attempt to freshen a sagging series with the addition of an ancillary character. We may not be watching The Brady Bunch these days, but the idea of adding an unexpected “something new” is still very much a thing. And sometimes? Sometimes it’s just what the doctor ordered, even if the doctor never thought to order it in the first place. Other times? Holy hell, your listeners are left scratching their heads why someone would add a Mellotron to black metal or a castrati choir to their mixtape. We’re not saying “don’t take chances” here, that’s a big part of the fun. But learn to filter out those ill-advised “different for the sake of being different” type additions. Lots of things “seemed like a good idea at the time”, you know.
“THE ANAL LOG”
(Staunch traditionalist. Anti-digital. Fixated on the past.)
“Don’t worry about him, he’s just an Anal Log when it comes to using digital compression on the mix bus.”
The Anal Log in his natural habitat – the year 1958.
The “less filling/tastes great” wars of Mac vs. PC, Pepsi vs. Coke, and Crips vs. Bloods aren’t exempt from the audio production world. The Anal Log is a purist to the point of pure annoyance, citing arcane figures and myopic formulas as a reason to why “real engineers” would never dream to use in-the-box processing… or even be in said box in the first place. Despite the costs of maintenance, the practical limitations or the sheer impossibilities that tape, consoles and outboard present, the Anal Log will insist until his dying breath that his way is not only better, but that anyone who disagrees is deaf or dumb. You can find him in his workshop, trying to source suitable replacement TL072 IC’s for the channel that just went out on his console (again).
“THE DS PENIS”
(Techno-fetishist. Ageist. Says “OK Boomer” a lot.)
“We’ve got a 40-piece orchestra in here and this DS Penis thinks we’ve got everything we need to record it on his MacBook.”
“My Neve 2254 plugin sounds better than my daddy’s hardware.”
The Anal Log’s natural enemy in the wild. Equally as aggravating but from precisely the opposite direction. The DS Penis will swear to you up and down that their software sounds exactly like the hardware (if not better), though they will often eventually admit that they’ve never actually worked with whatever’s being emulated. Whether it’s for recording, mixing, mastering or even monitoring, they’ll claim that an SM57 and a pair of headphones will magically put you in Abbey Road’s control room with an entire locker of microphones and preamps. The DS Penis is also referred to in software marketing groups as “a soft target”. (“Just tell them “it’s better” along with some advertising gibberish about 128x oversampled 64-bit algorithms. It’s not like they’re going to ever touch the real gear anyways.”)
Anyways, like any other time I write my opinions down, somebody’s going to get offended and email Brian. I’d hope that this, like any of my other musings, are taken with the appropriate grain of salt. Happy New Year and I’ll try to be nice in 2021.
Before you press the BUY button on whatever newfangled piece of signal chain you think is going to “up your mix game,” give Part 1 of this series a read. You may find the source of your woes has nothing to do with the voltage and “1’s” and “0’s” coming out of your speakers.
Does This Next Part Sound Familiar?
Let me lay out a scenario for you. You’ve reached the “consciously incompetent” phase of mixing, where you know your mixes don’t sound like whatever flavor of the month is appearing on the Youtube/podcast/plugin email newsletter circuit. Granted, all of your friends and family tell you that your mixes sound just “like what is on the radio,” but you know the truth.
You trudge down the logical path – at the beginning of your signal chain. You start posting on forums and Reddit. It probably goes a lot like this: “Hey guys, I saved up, bought a (budget interface) and (decent mic). My mixes don’t sound right. Should I get a new mic, preamp, or interface”?
After a few hours and too many opinions from “Grammy-Award Watching producers,” you are more confused than when you start. While there probably are some excellent suggestions buried in the sea of “get this $200 Neve Slayer”, you ditch all of the help and go with your heart. After too much time on YouTube and Guitarget, you spend every extra dollar you have on a boutique channel strip. You get it, and your mixes sound the same.
The Aftermath
Five figures worth of mic, monitors, preamps, interfaces, Mix with the Masters subscriptions, and yes, cables, your mixes somehow sound worse! You finally heed the better advice you had received on the forums and plug your room dimensions into a generic calculator, and it spits out suggestions for room treatment. You drop a grand or two on a lot of foam, and your mixes improve slightly. After all of this money, you’re left dejected and to the point of quitting because you feel you’ll never like your own mixes.
How am I so sure this may sound familiar? Well, that was my path. What stage are you at right now? Have you quit yet? Before listing all of your gear on Craigslist, keep reading.
Sonics and Sanity
Whatever stage you’re at doesn’t matter. Everything you’ve bought up until this point will help. Knowledge is always power, but internet research can only go so far —especially a problem so technical and convoluted.
While production and mixing training is relatively easy to learn, acoustics can be a whole different monster. Of course, knowing the basics of how sound behaves is a must, but why not bring in a ringer when it comes to designing your room? Sure it may cost some money, but it will save you way more in the long run.
Acoustics and Accoutrements
I’ll be honest with you; I thought I could do it myself. I decided to go the “online calculator” route, and the results weren’t terrible. However, I still had a lot of trouble with my tracks not translating to any other set of speakers. So when we bought a new house, I went to a different approach.
I knew I had all of the same gear every studio this side of Nashville had. I also knew I could answer just about any technical mixing question any kid that just stumbled out of Full Sail could explain. Despite those two things, I knew my mixes were suffering, and I wanted to do things right. I contacted a trusted friend, Gregory Scott (Kush Audio, Sly-Fi, UBK Happy Funtime Hour), and asked for a referral for an acoustician. I wanted someone who had similar sensibilities to a “UBK.” Someone who doesn’t just see room treatment as complex equations and rigid rules. Enter Jeff Hedback.
Audio Sherpa
Like most of you, the word acoustician harkens to the sonic equivalent of a Shaman, parting the proverbial “waves” and bending a room to his submission. We’re not entirely sure what they do, but whatever it is, it works. The art of treating a space can be intimidating for some, often feeling like an exact science (if one millimeter is not accounted for, you’ve blown the whole room). While this couldn’t be further from the truth, having someone to guide you takes the “woo” out of the entire process. An “Audio Sherpa,” if you will.
Jeff Hedback
Jeff Hedback is the owner of HD Acoustics, a firm that handles everything from private listening rooms to commercial studios. Being an acoustician, Berklee trained recording engineer, and session bass player, Jeff brings a more “holistic” approach to room design, scaling the project to fit the client’s needs and limitations. Want to learn what’s going on during the entire process down to the minute detail? Jeff will show you. Want to stay back and let him do his thing? That works too. One of the most significant benefits of HD Acoustics’ services is that Jeff specializes in small room design (rooms under 10,000 cubic feet). Most of us aren’t working in ideal places, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make the best of it.
The Reputation Speaks for Itself
Obviously, this way of working has brought enormous success. His rooms have made the last eight years of Mix Magazine’s “Class of” list. He’s designed rooms for Ozzy Osbourne, Christina Aguilera, Aaron Dessner from The National, and many others. Don’t let all of this mislead you. Jeff is one of the most down-to-earth and friendly people you’ve met. This can be a little uncommon with people in this industry. Sometimes vast technical knowledge comes at the cost of interpersonal skills, but Jeff has both.
Jeff’s work stands on its own, making its way into every “Class Of” edition of Mix Magazine. That is no small feat.
The Plan
It’s this combination of know-how and sensibility that makes Jeff an ideal partner for this series. Jeff will assist us in designing the treatment for Everything Recording’s new space and explain everything along the way in terms we all can understand. We will do our absolute best in this series to help cut through the equations and break things down in a way that you can incorporate into your own spaces. Jeff will also explain his process of how he goes about treating your room remotely and the steps you would take should you decide to utilize his services.
Join us soon for part 2, where we start diving into our new space, the initial legwork for design, and Jeff’s take on some areas you may not even know are affecting your mix.
If you came here just for the Travis Scott Preset, the image above is how you should set it up.
BABY Audio has been on a tear this year, first with COMEBACK KID, then PARALLEL AGGRESSOR. Today, they’ve released their most ambitious plugin yet with SPACED OUT. This delay and reverb plugin combines modulation FX into a chain that would rival Travis Scott’s entire FX Chain, all in one window. We got an advanced copy and have a review ready on release day – and as a bonus, we have made a custom preset to get that ASTROTHUNDER “Sample and Hold” Delay Travis uses on a ton of his tracks.
Getting Spacey
Like every other BABY Audio plugin, SPACED OUT isn’t a one-for-one digital replica of a particular piece of vintage hardware, but it retains the best parts of gear they like. The folks at BABY Audio set out to make their ideal version of the infamous Space Echo. Of course, just a delay plugin wasn’t enough and somehow, over 50 effects ended up in the mix. The result is a boundless playground of modulated delays and chaotic reverbs.
Interface
Don’t let the crazy knobs fool you. This is actually a low-maintenance plugin
With a plugin pushing over 50 effects, you’d expect the interface to be a complete disaster of sub-menus, dropdowns, and a manual that would give Microsoft’s Terms of Service a run for its money. Don’t worry, SPACED OUT knows you don’t have time to take a college course on a plugin so they’ve integrated all controls into three main sections of the interface. Everything is right where you need it, with most controls combined into logical combinations.
From the looks of the GUI, it’s obvious that BABY Audio keeps pushing the envelope on the design aspect. We at Everything Recording understand a pretty interface doesn’t make for good mixes, but the paint on a race car doesn’t make it faster. Yet Formula One and NASCAR sink millions into how the cars look and we still ogle pics each year. Along the same vein, SPACED OUT looks incredible. Like PARALLEL AGGRESSOR and COMEBACK KID, this GUI comes in a Light and Dark theme, with each looking as good as the other.
Day Mode or Night Mode, this plugin looks sleek.
While I know this plugin does not look conventional by any stretch of the words, an open mind is key. With a few pointers from yours truly, you’ll have it mastered in no time. We will demystify the interface and soon every one of your tracks will have stepped delays with flanged long reverb tails that pump with the music. For starters, we found it useful to utilize the ON / OFF buttons on the inner edges of the ECHOES and SPACE Engines. Start by using each engine individually while turning the other off.
ECHOES ENGINE
Starting on the left side of the plugin is the delay module. Don’t let the unorthodox controls scare you. Everything will all make sense by the end of this review. The delay section is by default, synced to your DAW’s tempo. The MODE selector at the top offers STRAIGHT, 2x (which is two times faster than STRAIGHT), DOTTED, and TRIPLET.
A Delay That Would Bring A Tear to Travis Scott’s Eye
With the timing of the delay repeats set, the echo matrix starts to come into play. Instead of simple boring repeats, SPACED OUT’s ECHOES section lets you control precisely when and how intense the repeats are. For an unfiltered, exact repeat, click once on a square in the grid. If you want the repeat filtered (of low accented), click again. The circle will appear smaller. Only want one delay repeat on the up-beat? Simple, click the first square of the second row with the MODE set to straight. If Travis Scott’s “Sample and Hold” delay is what you’re going for, click them all. Congrats, your track is “LIT” as they say.
To clear all of the repeats quickly select the “X” to the left of the matrix. For the more adventurous, the Dice icon beckons. This control will randomly repopulate the grid with both regular and filtered repeats. Click as many times as you want, SPACED OUT will provide a different result each time.
Fine-Tune Those Repeats
Further control of the repeats and texture of the delay comes with the bottom controls. The INTENSITY control actually houses two features in one. Click the left side of the circle outline to tailor the SUSTAIN of the later steps in the delay. The right side tweaks the FEEDBACK of the delay repeats.
DIMENSION works to add stereo effects to your delays. OFF leaves the delays unaffected, clicking once will widen the stereo field with ULTRA WIDE, and another click will auto pan with the MOTION setting. To spice up the repeats, the TEXTURE module has three additional modes that incorporate various filters, modulation, saturation, and bit crushing. Rounding out the delay controls is a REVERSE button for repeats and a High and Low-pass filter.
SPACE ENGINE
The right side of the plugin is all about reverb. At its core is an algorithmic reverb with four different PROGRAMS: Vacuum, Small Space, Medium Space, and Outer Space. Additionally, the SPACE ENGINE has four modulation effects baked into the algorithm. What exactly are the modulation effects? Well, we’re not explicitly told, but our assumption based on a quick listen is ALIEN incorporates a Flange, COSMIC has a Vibrato feel, LUSH sounds like a Chorus / Flange, and TRIPPY is very phaser heavy.
Once you select the reverb mode you want via PROGRAM, use the circle matrix to blend the length of the reverb with the modulation effect. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, we’ve made a graph showing what each position of the circle matrix represents.
Here you see how moving the control around will affect your reverb.
Just like the ECHOES ENGINE, the SPACE ENGINE has additional tools to shape your reverb. PRE-DELAY does exactly what any other reverb does and is adjusted by dragging the small circle outward. STARDUST adds a shimmer effect to the reverb tails. Mellow works just like the ECHOES ENGINE’S High and Low-Pass Filter with the left side being the Low-Pass and the right side being High-Pass. CLEAN UP works like a density setting, and WIDTH will adjust the stereo width from mono to full stereo.
MIXER
Tying all of this in is the MIXER section in the center. The X/Y Joystick gives you total control over the blend of the individual engines as well as an overall wet/dry control. The DUCKER control lets the source audio cut through before your SPACED OUT takes over. You can also use the DUCKER/SYNC to pulse the ducker for rhythmic movement of your effect. LIFT OFF does some proprietary “sound-bettering” incorporating compression, Mid/Side, and EQ and the OUTPUT controls the level of the entire effect.
Lastly, we have the GENERATE (Dice) button. While BABY Audio has a ton of incredible curated presets to start with, the GENERATE control randomly creates a new effect configuration each time you click the icon. Using this button can get quick inspiration or at the least, a starting point to begin your custom preset.
What We Liked
Taking loads of effects and stuffing them into one window could have easily gone wrong and sounded very wrong, but BABY Audio has found the blueprint. Once you learn the interface, you can create effect combinations that would take massive chains of plugins and busses, saving you time, countless faders, and plugin windows.
Sonically, SPACED OUT is spectacular. You’d think this much reverb and delay on a track would completely wash the source audio out, but BABY Audio has performed a lot of behind-the-scenes trickery to keep the effects perfectly seated in the track. The ECHOES ENGINE fills a huge void missing in the delay plugin space. They’ve accomplished what usually would take a delay plugin and a lot of automation. There is a layer of magic that combining delay and reverb in one plugin can only accomplish and SPACED OUT has it in spades.
What I’d Like to See
While there isn’t anything sonically wrong at all with SPACED OUT, I feel there are a few little functional additions I’d like to see. I don’t like that you have to click and drag the dot in the reverb matrix and mixer X/Y. I’d like to be able to click a random area in the circle and the dot move there. I’d also like a way to easily automate the position of the reverb matrix and the mixer X/Y. You could create some even crazier FX if you could randomly change the blend of each element. I’d even take a button that randomly moved the controls around on its own.
In Conclusion
SPACED OUT is easily my favorite plugin of 2020. I don’t have much else to say because I want to get back to see how this can bring new life into tracks. Bye!
Price: (Intro) $39 (Regular) $69
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- Combines over 50 FX into the perfect delay and reverb plugin.
- The Delay Matrix makes getting those old school sample and hold delays (ala Travis Scott) fast and easy
- Blends perfectly with the source audio without washing it out.
Cons
No cons
Summary
Are your tracks boring and lifeless? Are you tired of setting up complex routing chains to get the perfect reverb and delay? Is the Waves CLA Delay Reverb thing too boring for you? Just go buy this plugin.
Let’s get the easy stuff covered first. When the comp bypass is enabled (the marker scribble is in the circle), only the input volume, output volume, drive, asymmetry, and dry/wet control work. This utilizes Shapeshifters drive stages, which come in type A or B. Type A yields more saturation while B contains more distortion and soft clipping. Obviously, the drive control works to increase the amount while the asymmetry pushes more even-order harmonics as you increase. Think grittier, dirtier distortion as you increase the asymmetry.
Disabling comp bypass brings seven more controls into play. The bigger ratio knob controls both upward and downward compression ratios. Basically, how much you want to give your tracks “the business.” For feedback on which compression Shapeshifter is applying, the horizontal meter at the top makes it easy. If the meter is showing blue, upward compression is happening. If orange, you’re compressing downward. In many cases, you will see these colors swapping quite frequently due to your mischievous audio skirting both sides of the threshold.
What reverb would be complete without overdrive and saturation? Perfect Plate XL has incorporated parts from their acclaimed 
With retriggering cementing its way as a go-to method of music production, it’s quite possible to produce a song entirely from patches and samples from your influences. One could license the drums, guitar tones and vocal settings from an artist or producer and create a song that, to the untrained ear, would sound like it was from the same album. In an industry that claims to favor originality but often rewards mimicry, “glampled” is far more the latter. Go mike up your own kick and snare for once and lay off the SSD, ferchrissakes. 
Starting on the left side of the plugin is the delay module. Don’t let the unorthodox controls scare you. Everything will all make sense by the end of this review. The delay section is by default, synced to your DAW’s tempo. The MODE selector at the top offers STRAIGHT, 2x (which is two times faster than STRAIGHT), DOTTED, and TRIPLET.
The right side of the plugin is all about reverb. At its core is an algorithmic reverb with four different PROGRAMS: Vacuum, Small Space, Medium Space, and Outer Space. Additionally, the SPACE ENGINE has four modulation effects baked into the algorithm. What exactly are the modulation effects? Well, we’re not explicitly told, but our assumption based on a quick listen is ALIEN incorporates a Flange, COSMIC has a Vibrato feel, LUSH sounds like a Chorus / Flange, and TRIPPY is very phaser heavy.
Tying all of this in is the MIXER section in the center. The X/Y Joystick gives you total control over the blend of the individual engines as well as an overall wet/dry control. The DUCKER control lets the source audio cut through before your SPACED OUT takes over. You can also use the DUCKER/SYNC to pulse the ducker for rhythmic movement of your effect. LIFT OFF does some proprietary “sound-bettering” incorporating compression, Mid/Side, and EQ and the OUTPUT controls the level of the entire effect.
