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PLUG-IN OUTLET
Softube Emulations:
By Paul Vnuk Jr.
This trio of plug-ins from Swedish software maker Softube continues its tradition of spot-on recreations of both classic and boutique hardware. On test this time: the Trident A-Range EQ, The Tonelux Tilt EQ and the Summit TLA-100A. cut. Interestingly, you can engage any combination of the three, including an all-buttons-in mode, each of which will alter and extend the cut-off range. The middle section contains the four frequency bands, each with the aforementioned faders, as well as a frequency selector knob. Each band has four preset frequency choices, chosen strictly for their sound and musicality, according to an online interview with Malcolm Toft. Each frequency can be boosted or cut 15 dB. The high band is a shelf with a choice of 15, 12, 10 or 8 kHz. Both mid bands are bell filters with choices of 9, 7, 5 or 3 kHz and 2 kHz, 1 kHz, 500 Hz and 250 Hz. The Low band is another shelving band and can be set to 150, 100, 80 or 50 Hz. This is followed by a highpass filter section that is functionally just like the lowpass, with buttons set to 100, 50 and 25 Hz. The plug-in also contains a phase invert switch and a large silver output volume knob for gain compensation, just like the original hardware. Lastly there is a small black knob with an amber LED light labeled Saturation; while this control was not found on the original module, its function was found inside the original hardware. Since the original was part of a channel strip coupled to a mic pre, you could drive the eq hard and produce a saturated distortion; this control on the Softube plug-in gives you back this option and produces a warm overdriven clipping that can be used to great effect on many sources, from snare bite, vocal growl and even full-on bass overdrive. Sound and use The sound of this plug-in is best described as clean, but with a nice bloom and weight. I can’t take credit for the term, but the word ‘musical’ is most often used when describing this eq, and I cannot disagree. It has smoothness and sonic width along with a great top end that is useful on pretty much everything. This eq is best known for use on electric guitars, as it can both seat them in or pop them out of a mix with ease; but to leave it there would sell this eq drastically short. While it started out as my guitar eq, it eventually worked its way up to the point where I set it up in my DAW as if I had my own A-Range console... with one on every channel! It has essentially become my in-the-box eq. This also speaks to its CPU efficiency—in Cubase 6 on a 17” MacBook Pro with 8 GHz of RAM, 32 mono instances of the Trident A-Range only hit 50% CPU load, and that’s impressive. Lastly, the saturation is really nice and adds a great sense of analog irregularity, although a little goes a long way; I found that the bass and low-frequency signals will distort easily if pushed too hard, so subtle use is advised. All in all, this is my current favorite in-the-box eq, hands down, ’nuff said!

Trident A-Range EQ, Tonelux Tilt EQ and Summit TLA-100A Compressor

Trident A-Range EQ

The original A-Range EQ was part of the A-Range console designed by Malcolm Toft and Barry Porter and built for Trident Studios in London in the early ‘70s. This was before you could walk down to your local music pro shop and purchase a mass-produced console for your studio. Back then a studio’s appeal was not only its rooms, but also its console, and as word spread about the A-Range, other studios around the world wanted one too. In the end only 13 original A-Range boards were ever built, and one main appeal was the sound of their eq. Like other vintage consoles from that era, many were parted out into outboard stand-alone pieces, and due to limited production runs, A-Range modules are some of the rarest. Lucky for us, the eq lives again, as hardware, reissued by Malcolm Toft’s resurrected company Trident Audio Designs, and as software (both native and for the Universal Audio UAD-2 platform) from Softube. Famous channels The Softube plug-in was modeled from channels 15 and 18 of the A-Range desk owned by Flemming Rasmussen at Sweet Silence Studio ‘B’ in Denmark. Metallica’s Ride The Lightning and Master Of Puppets were tracked on this board, as well some Cat Stevens, Ringo Starr and Rainbow. At Softube’s site you can see photos of the original channel modules. The A-Range EQ sports a unique look and design. While the original modules ran (and were labeled) vertically, the plug-in is made to mimic the horizontal layout of Trident Audio Design’s reissue hardware. It also makes it more efficient and easier to read in your DAW. Unlike most modern eq designs, the Trident makes use of 4 faders rather than pots for gain adjustment. While this takes a bit of getting used to, I find it easier and more accurate to see and set boosts and cuts. 4 bands and then some The A-Range EQ is made up of 4 fully adjustable frequency bands along with low- and highpass filter sections. Starting on the left is the 3-button lowpass filter set to 15, 12 & 9 kHz at about a 12 dB per octave
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RECORDING August 2012

Tonelux Tilt

Recording - August 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - August 2012