Recording - August 2012 - 58

PLUG-IN OUTLET
Next up we move to SPL’s spot-on, spec-for-spec recreation of the company’s ultra-boutique Passeq equalizer. The original hardware unit is a 4-space passive, Pultec-style eq that offers 3 bands of boost and 3 simultaneous bands of cut. The Passeq’s magic lies in its 12 selectable frequencies per band, namely 36 boost and 36 cut frequencies, none of which are identical, leaving the user with 72 possible filter combinations.

architectures (thankfully rare these days) and might help out users with really old hardware; even in stereo the Passeq is quite efficient—I could get 16 stereo/32 mono instances in Cubase at about 50% power consumption. This is a great tone shaping plug-in for people who hear the words “passive eq” or “Pultec style” and think they’ve heard it all... or perhaps really desire something new under the sun.

Vertigo VSC-2 Compressor

Style and layout As you can see from the screen shot on the previous page, there are two matching channels of small pots that radiate out in a sun pattern around a large central knob. While the styling is modern, controls can be hard to read. The large center knob is the output attenuation knob and goes from zero down to -66 dB. On the right side of the knob are the boost frequencies; on the left are the cut frequencies. Each band has an outer frequency selection knob and an inner boost or cut knob that is the slightly smaller of the two. Only the high-frequency boost offers an actual Q control and the others are all fixed. Great care was taken when choosing the frequency selections and, as mentioned, none of them are duplicated. There are too many to detail them all, but the sections are divided logically by High, LowMid/HighMid and Low. Each section offers different intervals of attenuation. HF boost for instance offers 12.5 dB while the Mid section is only 10 dB and low boost is 17 dB. The cut bands are all different as well at 14.5 dB, 11.5 dB and 22 dB respectively. Like the Brainworx limiter, the Passeq functions in left/right stereo mode, or in Mid/Side mode. Each side can be bypassed and, like on the bx_XL, there are 4 slots for ABCD comparisons. Sound and use Rather than striving for a “vintage thickness”, this ultra clean and intensely smooth sounding unit does not have a vintage bone in its body. For comparison I tried it alongside UA’s Manley Massive Passive, and while they share the Pultec architecture, they have nothing sonically in common, the Massive Passive being much more imposing and tighter. I would describe it as the Massive Passive is better at pushing and pulling tones, while the Passeq is better at massaging them. Thanks to its three overlapping bands, the Passeq is a piece that is very sonically malleable. Functionally it has Pultec characteristics but in a very hi-fi way, rather than vibey like we are used to. I liked it best on the 2-bus, where it did a nice job filling out the low mids and bottom end without getting heavy-handed or boomy. It was equally adept at adding a nice open yet smooth top end sheen, with zero brittleness or bite. A class act! It is worth noting that this plug-in has a mono version, which is just one side of the stereo unit. This will be handy for DAWs that get weird about mono vs. stereo plug-in Delivery: Web-based digital download only Format: Mac OS X 10.5+ (PowerPC or Intel) or Windows XP/Vista/7; AU (Mac only), VST2.4,VST3, AAX, RTAS,TDM (except bx_XL), and AudioSuite formats in 32 and 64 Bits as well as for Avid VENUE systems. Copy Protection and License: Plugin Alliance licensing (see sidebar) Documentation: PDF manuals Price: $888 (vs. $1176 if purchased separately) More from: The Plugin Alliance, www.plugin-alliance.com
58
RECORDING August 2012

And then we have an emulation of the VSC-2 stereo/dual mono VCA compressor from German manufacturer Vertigo Sound! Due in part to a $6,000 price tag these units are rare and about as boutique as they come. The plug-in demonstrates why you’d want one... Simple yet deep The original VSC-2 is built around four custom-made all-discrete VCA circuits of the late ’70s and early ’80s. In the original this was coupled with a mastering-grade signal path for a sound that nicely married that vintage vibe with “modern and clear”. As is the case with the hardware, the plugin has a fairly straightforward design with a 48 dB threshold followed by a 6-position ratio knob with settings of 2:1, 4:1, 8:1 and 10:1 as well as brickwall limiting. There’s also a special ratio mode called “soft” which is variable and, like a vintage compressor, increases from 1:1 to 8:1 based on input level. There are six fixed attack positions (0.1, 0.3, 1, 3, 10 and 30 ms) and six release settings from 0.1, 0.3, 0.6, 0.9 and 1.2 seconds, plus full Auto Mode. The plug-in offers 22 dB of makeup gain that is staged so the first 1 to 6 dB takes up half of the knobs’ throw, while the rest uses the second half. Vertigo Sound calls this response “focus mode.” Lastly the unit has a selectable sidechain filter of 60 or 90 Hz. The unit can run in dual mono mode even on a stereo track, and when inserted on a mono track the bottom channel is grayed out. Sound and function As a VCA-style compressor the VSC-2 can be both fast and punchy, or smooth and even, or all of the above. The more you push it, the fuller and more colored it sounds, and yet it retains clarity that keeps it nicely modern. In many ways it reminds


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Recording - August 2012

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

Recording - August 2012
Fade In
Contents
Talkback
Fast Forward
Sibelius 7 As A Tool For Sample Playback. Part 1: The Sibelius Sounds and Mixer
AEA RPQ500
The Player’s The Thing
Plug-in Outlet: Softube’s Newest Emulations
Peavey MuseBox
Computer Composition—A Workflow Report
PreSonus AudioBox 44VSL
Recording Fundamentals. Chapter 8: The Music Production Process—Who Does What
Reviewed and Revisited: Universal Audio 1176 Classic Limiter Plug-In Collection
Plug-in Outlet: Zynaptiq UNVEIL
Plugin Alliance BIG 4 Bundle
The Making of Quartet
Readers' Tapes
Advertiser Index
Fade Out
Recording - August 2012 - Recording - August 2012
Recording - August 2012 - Cover2
Recording - August 2012 - 1
Recording - August 2012 - 2
Recording - August 2012 - 3
Recording - August 2012 - Fade In
Recording - August 2012 - 5
Recording - August 2012 - Contents
Recording - August 2012 - 7
Recording - August 2012 - Talkback
Recording - August 2012 - 9
Recording - August 2012 - Fast Forward
Recording - August 2012 - 11
Recording - August 2012 - Sibelius 7 As A Tool For Sample Playback. Part 1: The Sibelius Sounds and Mixer
Recording - August 2012 - 13
Recording - August 2012 - 14
Recording - August 2012 - 15
Recording - August 2012 - 16
Recording - August 2012 - 17
Recording - August 2012 - 18
Recording - August 2012 - 19
Recording - August 2012 - AEA RPQ500
Recording - August 2012 - 21
Recording - August 2012 - The Player’s The Thing
Recording - August 2012 - 23
Recording - August 2012 - 24
Recording - August 2012 - 25
Recording - August 2012 - 26
Recording - August 2012 - 27
Recording - August 2012 - Plug-in Outlet: Softube’s Newest Emulations
Recording - August 2012 - 29
Recording - August 2012 - 30
Recording - August 2012 - 31
Recording - August 2012 - Peavey MuseBox
Recording - August 2012 - 33
Recording - August 2012 - 34
Recording - August 2012 - 35
Recording - August 2012 - Computer Composition—A Workflow Report
Recording - August 2012 - 37
Recording - August 2012 - 38
Recording - August 2012 - 39
Recording - August 2012 - PreSonus AudioBox 44VSL
Recording - August 2012 - 41
Recording - August 2012 - Recording Fundamentals. Chapter 8: The Music Production Process—Who Does What
Recording - August 2012 - 43
Recording - August 2012 - 44
Recording - August 2012 - 45
Recording - August 2012 - Reviewed and Revisited: Universal Audio 1176 Classic Limiter Plug-In Collection
Recording - August 2012 - 47
Recording - August 2012 - Plug-in Outlet: Zynaptiq UNVEIL
Recording - August 2012 - 49
Recording - August 2012 - 50
Recording - August 2012 - 51
Recording - August 2012 - 52
Recording - August 2012 - 53
Recording - August 2012 - 54
Recording - August 2012 - 55
Recording - August 2012 - Plugin Alliance BIG 4 Bundle
Recording - August 2012 - 57
Recording - August 2012 - 58
Recording - August 2012 - 59
Recording - August 2012 - The Making of Quartet
Recording - August 2012 - 61
Recording - August 2012 - 62
Recording - August 2012 - 63
Recording - August 2012 - Readers' Tapes
Recording - August 2012 - Advertiser Index
Recording - August 2012 - 66
Recording - August 2012 - 67
Recording - August 2012 - 68
Recording - August 2012 - 69
Recording - August 2012 - 70
Recording - August 2012 - 71
Recording - August 2012 - Fade Out
Recording - August 2012 - Cover3
Recording - August 2012 - Cover4
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