AudioMedia - November 2008 - (Page 27)

ABBEY ROAD plug ins A b b e y R o A d P lu g - i n s M A s t e R i n g PA c k Also recently only available on tdM is the Abbey Road Mastering Pack, now in Au/Vst format based on the tg 12410 transfer console used in countless Abbey Road mastering sessions over the past 30 years. A quite different affair from the brilliance Pack, it features two specific plug-ins. the first is the tg12412 tone control, a four band semi-parametric eQ with frequency, gain, and shape selection in each band. it also offers a master level control, interestingly marked in musical values of half and third-octave intervals centered around the frequency of middle c (256Hz). the five-position shape control for each band can have blunt, medium, and sharp bell curves, but also high and low shelves for each band. As you may expect, this is a very musical sounding eQ that can boost +/- 10db without any of the more common digital eQ problems of harshness or low mid crud, a very smooth push from top to bottom with lovely enhancement to the bass, whilst adding a particular sweetness to the top, but not in the same way as the brilliance Pack can add air and openness. the other mastering plug-in in the pack is the tg12414 Filter, a much simpler eQ with high and low pass filters, a presence section, and another master level control. the central presence section has eight selectable frequencies between 50Hz and 10kHz, and the same +/- 10db gain with a fixed ‘medium’ curve shape as in the tg12412. it’s quicker to use but less forgiving with its fixed curve, and with 18db per octave shelf roll off, it is more of a strong tone shaper than its smoother big brother that can tweak away at musical values. both have that classic quality and 60’s beatles sound about them. it’s great that they are now available in the ever-more popular Au/Vst formats. now, i have been fortunate enough to have worked a few times with the eMi tg12345 desk, and have always admired its build and layout as well as the operational ease and sheer beauty of using the thing when recording or mixing. truth is, i end up feeling a bit of trepidation when using some of these software clones of big name hardware, as i have such fondness of the original. bearing in mind that even with the exceptional circuit modelling that captures every capacitor, resistor and component, it’s still a plug-in and not a funky looking metal box with bakelite dolly switches. nonetheless i really feel that the Abbey Road brilliance Pack is a tremendous representation of this history-making eQ. it probably won’t be your first choice when finding a specific frequency to boost, but for getting transparency with retro character and eQ that can open a mix, it’s irreplaceable. i simply have nothing like it in my plug-in collection, and can’t recommend this one enough. > The unique sound is taken a step further by the green RS127 plug-in version with its added ‘transformer effect’ to the EQ; at high gains the bell or Q sharpens, producing a much larger boost, and its centre frequencies have also moved to 2.9, 4.2, and 11.5 kHz. The green and grey options of the RS127 really helps expand the plug-in’s somewhat limited selections. Combine this with the RS135 coming in at 8kHz, and the same boost control, and you have a lovely combination to help shape your sound. It’s this same combination they would have had in the original Abbey Road Studios to stack up the EQ that works so well. Thank goodness we can create so many insert slots in today’s DAWs! ∫ I N F O R MAT I O N £ US$249.00 (LE/AU/VST), US$499.00 (TDM) A Abbey Road Plug-ins, 3 Abbey Road, St John’s Wood, London, NW8 9AY W www.abbeyroadplugins.com E plugins@abbeyroad.com AUDIO MEDIA nOvEMbEr 2008 27 http://www.merging.com http://www.merging.com http://www.abbeyroadplugins.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of AudioMedia - November 2008

AudioMedia - November 2008 Contents Recording News Post News Broadcast News Geofocus: Italy What's Up UK AES Review For the Record Studio Snapshot: Aquarium Abbey Road Plug-ins Brilliance Pack Neumann TLM67 Mercenary Audio KM-69 IZ Technology ADA Final Cut Special: Bond TC Powercore 6000 EP Productions Nagra VI Product Sampler: Location Tools Video Guide AMSR News Shure KSM9 Big Beach Boutique 4

AudioMedia - November 2008

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