Recording - June 2011 - 48

PLUG-IN OUTLET
elysia alpha compressor and niveau filter
By Paul Vnuk Jr.
elysia is a German designer of seriously high-end signal processors, all with small letters in their names and non-small price tags, from $5000 for the mpressor and museq to a cool ten grand plus for the mastering-grade alpha compressor. Luckily for us mere mortals, the good folks at elysia have teamed with the circuit-modeling experts at Brainworx to create plug-in versions of their hardware. Let’s check out the software alpha compressor. Features and layout The alpha compressor (both hardware and software) is a stereo compressor that is optimized for mastering purposes, with features like true Mid-Side (M/S) compression, sidechain filters, soft clip limiting, a warmth circuit, parallel compression, and a unique eq section called the niveau filter, which is also available on its own in plug-in format. The plug-in layout mirrors the hardware’s: clean and Euro-stylish. A large round stereo gain reduction meter dominates the center of the unit, which also contains buttons for global bypass, M/S mode, and channel linking for stereo vs. dual mono use. Each of the two channels has three rows of matching controls. The top row has Threshold, Attack, Release, and Ratio, and buttons for choosing feedforward or feedback compression, as well as auto fast attack and release. The second row has controls for the niveau filter and sidechain, and the last row offers controls for Mix, Gain, Soft Clipping, and Warmth. The plug-in package also includes a single-channel version that’s useful for standard channel compression—essentially one half of the mastering version, minus the filter and soft clipping features.

Two sides: the mid one and the chain one! A recent trend in mastering is to use eq and compressors in a Mid/Side mode, applying compression and filtering to the mono/center information independently from the side/stereo information. I used this on a few stereo mixes and it was a realniveau filter ly cool way to tighten up and bring out the stereo field while still sounding natural and controlled. Finally there’s the niveau filter. It’s essentially like the single The alpha compressor’s sidechain filtering is the most full-featured bass/treble knob on an old car stereo: clockwise boosts treble, that I have seen in hardware or software. In most modern comprescounter clockwise highlights bass. This filter’s interesting twist is sors, the sidechain is typically a glorified highpass filter that allows that as one set of frequencies comes up, the opposing frequenlow-end information to pass through the unit without triggering the cies go down. While this idea has been explored in the famous compressor, but the alpha’s sidechain is closer to placing a proper external eq in a compresDelivery: Web download only sor’s sidechain input—it offers a choice of highFormats: VST and RTAS for Windows (2000 or better); same formats plus AU pass or lowpass filtering, so in essence you can for Mac (OS X 10.4+, Universal Binary). TDM and Venue versions compress only the high end of a mix or just the forthcoming. lows. Copy Protection: Pace iLok hardware key (not required for demo version or Compression tricks niveau filter) License: single iLok key, multiple installs The alpha’s compression is mastering and bus-centric, an ultra-fast soft-knee style whose Documentation: PDF download highest ratio is 2:1. Its flexibility is expanded Prices: alpha compressor, $299; niveau filter, free with a number of well-chosen features. More from: elysia, www.elysia.com. First, this compressor offers two modes, feedforward and feedback. Switching from
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the alpha’s default feedback mode to feedforward changes both the compressors’ ratios to almost double, so you can get closer to a 4:1 compression, and alters the attack. To my ears, in this mode the alpha becomes a touch more “grabby and gooey” vs. “smooth and gluey”. (Don’t you love technical terminology?) Both the Attack and Release settings feature a button known as Auto Fast, that engages a semi-automatic program-dependent behavior. On the hardware model there’s a button labeled Transformer, which when pressed adds a custom transformer into the signal chain. The plug-in’s Warmth button adds a slight warm harmonic tone to the sound. It is a subtle effect. Soft clipping is an ultra fast-limiter circuit that smooths out quick transient material much like tape saturation, but again is still clean and subtle; it reminds me of a well-mannered cousin of Universal Audio’s Fatso plug-in.

http://www.elysia.com

Recording - June 2011

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