EQ Magazine - July 2008 - (Page 58)

by David Royer CRANE SONG PHOENIX The Crane Song Phoenix translates their hardware expertise into software. Phoenix is Crane Song’s answer to “warmth” plug-ins. Unlike software that models tape alone, Phoenix takes into account the interaction of tape, the machine’s electronics, and set-up equalization curve. The suite contains five plug-ins: Luminescent, Iridescent, Radiant, Dark Essence, and Luster. Luminescent is the most subtle of the five. Iridescent adds a more pronounced bottom/midrange. Radiant brings a more aggressive compression curve, while Dark Essence is even more saturated. Luster covers the widest range, starting more gently than Luminescent, but becoming as hard as Dark Essence when the process is at full scale. Phoenix is TDM-only, but very DSP-efficient. Users can expect to get about 20 instances out of a single HD (non-Accel) chip at 44.1kHz. This efficiency is appreciated because this plug works best when it’s placed on individual tracks. For example, Iridescent on individual drum tracks can provide you that 15 ips gravy that classic rock lovers crave. Overly spashy hihats (and sibilant vocalists) can be tamed with Dark Essence. Luster is a On the MA-100 “How does such a small mic make such a big sound? This Ross Hogarth (Grammy winning Producer/Engineer, Ziggy Marley, Jewel, Keb Mo, Black Crowes, REM) URS CLASSIC CONSOLE STRIP PRO + URS STRIP On the MA-200 “I've tracked great sounding vocals, drums, guitars and bass through these mics, and my clients are consistently blown away by the results. From the moment I first put a pair up, they have continued to impress me with a wide open and balanced The URS Strip Pro uses tape emulation as just one element in a channel strip. Ryan Hewitt (Engineer/Mixer: Red Hot Chili Peppers, blink-182, Alkaline Trio) Visit mojaveaudio.com for studio photos and audio samples. And now for something completely different: a channel strip “construction kit” where you can select from 30 input stage algorithms, 60 compressor/limiter algorithms, and 5 selectable EQ algorithms. Both the input and compressor algorithms include tape emulation options, so if you want, say, an input strip with a Class A transformer-based input stage coming from 1/2" 30 ips tape that goes into tape-type compression with vintage 1951-style EQ, no problem. If you seek hardcore tape crunching, or simulations of different types of tape, look elsewhere—this plug-in is really all about tailoring a channel strip to the sonic qualities you find most appealing. That might involve, say, choosing the 15ips input characteristics to pick up a bit of head bump, and balance out some of the “air” introduced by running the highband 1951-style EQ. Some differences are subtle, and some more obvious; going through all the options to find out what you like is time-consuming, but offers plenty of rewards. With a plug-in this versatile, it’s very helpful that the documentation is both clear and comprehensive, especially with respect to figuring 58 EQ JULY 2008 www.eqmag.com http://mojaveaudio.com http://mojaveaudio.com http://mojaveaudio.com http://www.eqmag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of EQ Magazine - July 2008

EQ Magazine - July 2008 Contents Talk Box Sounding Board Louis XIV, Four TET and Steve Reid, Can Your Record Go Gold in the Digital Age Tool Box Death Cab For Cutie Guitar Trax Bass Management Key Issues Drum Heads Vocal Cords Mix Bus Cheat Sheet Propellerhead Reason 4 Sony Acid Pro 6 EDAX Audio Labs VTP-100 M-Audio Profire 2626 Tape Simulator Shootout Tape Simulators Sounds Room With a VU: Infrasonic Sound Recording Company, Los Angeles, CA.

EQ Magazine - July 2008

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