Tech Tues: Slap Delay Tips and Tricks

In ITL #92 Dave gives some great tips on using slap delay and tells how it was done in the pre DAW days with analog tape machines. The last time I saw it done with tape was over a decade ago when Salaam and I worked with Carlos Santana at Fantasy Studios in San Francisco. Santana's engineer the great Jim Gaines (he engineered Steve Miller's classic album "Fly Like An Eagle" and many others.) used a 1/4 inch 2 track to create a slap delay.

Here are some of my favorite plugins for slap delay. They are all UAD emulations of classic analog machines that were used in many studios in the past.

The effect can be done with other delay plugins including the stock delays in your DAW. The key is to experiment and see what cool sounds you create. Leave me a comment if you have any tips/techniques you would like to share.

The ToneCraft 363 Tube Direct Box

 Tonecraft Audio is a California based company that was formed by "Jon Erickson and Ryan Feves to create handcrafted professional audio equipment for the studio and stage." Jon is a renowned designer with multiple TEC Award nominations and Ryan is a top notch bass player.

Their premiere release is the 363 Tube Direct Box:

"The NEW Tonecraft 363 Tube Direct Box is the professional player’s solution for a consistently great direct sound in the studio and on the stage. The 363 has the ability to aggressively shape tones like a vintage tube amp and function as a full frequency, high performance tube direct box for musicians with an appreciation for the sounds, style and build quality of golden era equipment (50′s-70s) looking to vastly improve their 1/4″ sound. This includes electric and upright bassists, acoustic and electric guitarists, keyboard players and electronic musicians."

The 363 seems to be very solidly built. I'm sure it has great tone/color as well. It has tons of gain (40db) and dual outputs. The 2 band EQ with +/- 20db of boost/cut along with a bypass switch is a nice addition.

SPECIFICATIONS:

• Input: 10 meg, unbalanced.

• Thru: Tube buffered loop of the input signal. Fully isolates input from external loading vs. a standard passive loop. May be connected to an amplifier or tuner.

• Volume: Preamp stage gain control. Variable 0-40db Gain

• Bass and Treble: Classic Baxandall EQ circuit with +/-20db of boost and cut.

• Eq/Bypass: Bypass mode has extended flat frequency response from 5hz to 75k and is ultra hi-fi. EQ mode is more amp-like in character with expanded tonal control.

• Outputs: Dual balanced line level outputs with separate level controls. May be driven simultaneously to full +22dbu output level. Cinemag Hi-Nickel Output transformer.

• Dedicated Ground Lifts for each output

• Frequency Response: 5hz-75k

• Tube Complement: 1 Tung Sol 6SL7 2 Tung Sol 6SN7GT

• Custom Steel chassis

• Handwired, turret construction. Highly serviceable.

• Engraved and illuminated clear front panel. Adjustable brightness. Custom engraving available

• Extremely low noise.

• Handmade in the U.S.A.

• Voltage: 115v/230v 60hz switchable on the exterior

• Dimensions: 13″ x 8.5″ x 3.5″

• Rackmount kits available

Tonecraft Audio said the 363 Tube D.I. will be available in Jan 2014. Price to be announced.

Happy Holidays! from Gobbler.

Gobbler sent me an email stating that they're giving away free online storage space to all those who refer people to their website. The great thing about this offer is that both the inviter and invitee get extra space when the people you invite sign up.
I use Gobbler daily and find it a fast and secure resource for collaborating and transferring files.

Hey Gary, The holidays are here, and we want to give you more free space for your projects. Just refer at least one friend to Gobbler within the next 7 days and both you and everyone you refer will get a coupon for 25GB of extra bonus space, free for an entire 2 months! Invite Friends to Gobbler There's no limit on how many friends you can pass this deal onto, and since every referral gets you both 512MB of lifetime bonus space, there's truly never been a better time to give the gift of Gobbler. Wishing you, your family, and your friends, the happiest of holidays, - Team Gobbler

You can read my previous posts on Gobbler here and sign up here.

NI's Supercharger has nothing to do with a car, and it's free.

Native Instruments new Supercharger Compressor plugin is available as a free download until Dec. 31st. The simple straightforward layout makes it easy to use and it has both side chaining and parallel processing. Not bad for a free plugin. The sound? Download it and try for yourself. The above pic is an actual setting that I used on the drum buss for a Logic Pro session. It took maybe 20 seconds to get a good sound.


    From the Manual:

"SUPERCHARGER is a superb character compressor with a simple but powerful interface, which makes compression easy to use, even for the inexperienced user.

SUPERCHARGER can be used on a channel or a group of channels (often referred to as a 'bus') within your host software. It contains factory presets that lend themselves to compres- sion scenarios you are likely to encounter in your productions."

From the website:

"SUPERCHARGER adds unique, colorful character to anything it touches. Inspired by a one-of-a-kind boutique tube compressor, its one-knob simplicity lets you sculpt your dynamics at full speed with total focus on the sound. Designed for versatility, SUPERCHARGER is the perfect all-round tool for anything from warming up a vocal to crushing your drums completely."

FEATURES:

• Input Trim:  Adjust so the green indicator is lit for best results
• SideChain:  Selects external side chain input signal.
• Compress Knob:  Adjusts amount of compression. Turn clockwise for more compression. If the input knob is properly set the signal level will remain constant.
• Punch:  Slows the attack to allow more transients if needed.
• Dirt:  Adds saturation to the signal for more character.
• Mix:  Use for parallel signal processing.
• Output:  Adjusts output level of compressor.

Available for both Mac and PC:

Mac: Mac OS X 10.7 or 10.8 (latest update), Intel Core Duo, 2 GB RAM (4 GB recommended)

Windows: Windows 8, Windows 7 (latest Service Pack, 32/64 Bit), Intel Core Duo or AMD Athlon 64 X2, 2 GB RAM (4 GB recommended)

Formats: AU, VST, RTAS, AAX 32- and 64-bit

Download the Native Instrument Supercharger Compressor here.

Tech Tues: Easy ways to transpose Audio and Midi in Protools

Yesterday I had to transpose some audio for a project I was mixing in Protools. By habit I went to the audiosuite menu to use an offline plugin but there's more than one way to do this.

Here's two short videos from ProToolsQwikTips with tips on transposing audio and midi in Protools.




If you have any other tips/methods, let me know and I will add it to the post.

PreAMPed 1.0.1 beta and Free Giveaway Contest

Matt from LVC Audio commented on my previous post on their PreAMPed plugin that they now have a beta 1.01 update with some new features and also a giveaway contest. To enter the giveaway leave them some feedback on the beta here.

Here is a list of the changes in the update:

New Features

Bypass Buttons

PreAMPed 1.0.1 has a new set of bypass buttons. The buttons enable you to bypass some of the major processing sections of PreAMPed. This can be useful in A/B comparisons, or to minimize CPU usage. 

The buttons include:

• Preamp: for bypassing the preamp modeling
• Saturation: for bypassing the additional saturation and high pass controls
• EQ: for bypassing all EQ controls
• Individual EQ: for bypassing any of the 4 EQ sections
• Stereo: for bypassing the Wide and Balance controls
• Revised Oversampling

The original version of PreAMPed included 2X oversampling. This worked well in many cases, but problems occurred when using the Mix control. The original oversampling filters had zero plugin latency, but they were minimal phase filters. When the processed signals were mixed with the original signal, phase cancellation occurred.

PreAMPed 1.0.1 has a new oversampling scheme. The original button has been replaced to allow for 2x, 4x, and 6x oversampling selector. The upsampling and downsampling filters have been converted to be linear phase. The result is some latency at the plugin output (compensated by the host), but there are no more phase cancellation issues when using the Mix control.

Knob A/B Comparison

When any knob is double-clicked, the current value will be reset to the default value. If the knob is double-clicked again, it will return to the previous value. This is a convenient way to A/B different settings. Right-clicking on a knob will change the knob’s default value. Then, when the knob is changed again and double-clicked, the new value can be A/Bed with the new default value.

Please keep in mind that right-clicking the knobs will only change the value for the current plugin instance. Loading another plugin will reset the default values to the “factory” default. Additionally, some DAW programs allow the user to select different options by right-clicking on a plugin. The knob’s default value will be changed, but the DAW my pop-up an additional menu as well.

Fixes and Enhancements

• made demo bypass less annoying (shorter duration of bypassed sound, and longer intervals between bypassed sound)
• improved waveform display
• fixed VST3 format error that prevented audio output
• fixed Clip LED from remaining stuck on when knob was adjusted
• fixed overlapping text on OSX and Windows 8 (increased GUI size)
• General GUI enhancements (improved preamp model buttons, improved knob position indicators on small knobs, and removed drop shadows on some GUI elements)

You won't mind having this Hippo in your studio.

Alta Moda's Hippo is a VCA based 500 series stereo compressor with some additional touches. I first heard about this unit a few years ago but never had the opportunity to use it.

"The Alta Moda Audio Hippo is a high-performance bus compressor designed for the 500-series compatible rack systems. The Hippo is based on a VCA topology made popular in highly successful recording consoles of the 1980's, but includes many modern features not found on typical bus compressors."

It seems like a solidly built unit and from the online feedback the sonics match the appearance. I think it would be great not only for mixing purposes but tracking as well.

Here are excerpts from an article by Russ Long in  Pro Audio Review Magazine:

"The Alta Moda HIPPO is a fantastic two-mix compressor that works well on virtually any audio source."
"After several months of use I came to the conclusion that there isn't anything this wonder module doesn't sound good on. The box performs flawlessly on bus compression duties. I think this is its true strength.
When tracking drums.... it performed well in every instance. It performed brilliantly on piano and acoustic guitar...... I found the Soft Link mode indispensable.... It also does a stellar job with bass and lead vocals...."

FEATURES:

• The Hippo features extended attack, release and ratio settings for wider control ranges. Selected controls are continuously-variable for enhanced resolution and versatility.
• Six-position High Pass Filter on side chain for better control of bass-heavy material.
• Six-position Warmth control adds rich harmonic distortion to fatten tracks.
• Unique channel linking options allow for better control of stereo imaging, including the ability to run the channel detectors independently of one another (Dual mode).
• Dual, 20-segment gain-reduction meters monitor both detectors with 1dB resolution.
• Blend control allows varying the output between dry and compressed signal for more subtle compression effects.
• Gold-contact relays completely remove unit from signal path when bypassed.

Price $1250 at Little Fish Audio

The WA76 Discrete Compressor and the Original Urei 1176 Peak Limiter.

Warm Audio said they're close to releasing their rendition of the famous 1176 Compressor. I've been hearing good things about Warm Audio's products and I'm curious to hear what their WA76 sounds like. I'm a longtime user of the 1176 and even though I use the UA 1176 plugin more often these days I'm still interested in any new hardware that companies have to offer.

From the website:

"The WA76 Limiting Amplifier is a modern reproduction of the Classic 1176 Revision D. Every effort was made to remain faithful to the original designs including the use of Reichenbach Engineering’s (now CineMag) transformer designs that were used in the original. The classic 1176 was a major breakthrough in limiter technology — the first true peak limiter with all transistor circuitry offering superior performance with a signature sound — and set the standard for all limiters to follow. The ultra-fast attack time and trademark sound have lured legendary artists and studio moguls alike to the 1176 — Peter Frampton, Joe Satriani, Joe Chiccarelli, Vance Powell, and Mike Elizondo are just a few names on a list that’s continued to grow, for nearly 50 years. "

SPECIFICATIONS:

• True to the Classic 1176 compressor in design and performance
• Completely discrete signal path
• Modeled after the D revision
• Utilizes USA made CINEMAG input and output transformers
• Supports the famous “all buttons in” ratio setting
• Ultra fast attack time
• Class A line level output amplifier
• Input impedance - 600 ohms, bridges-T control (floating) 
• Frequency Response ± 1 dB 20 Hz to 20kHz
• XLR and TRS inputs. XLR and TRS outputs
• 55db of gain
• Less than 0.4% total harmonic distortion from 50 Hz to 20 kHz with limiting
• Signal to noise ratio is greater than 74 dB at +25 dBm
• EIN -104.1 dbm
• Attack time, 20 microseconds to 800 microseconds
• Release time, 50 milliseconds to 1 second
• Meter provides dB gain reduction and dB output
• Internal power supply, external 24v AC power transformer
• 19″ Rackmount chassis, 2U
• 1-year warranty

The WA76 should be available in February or March 2014 for $599.

Here's an updated Facebook post I did a few years ago on the original Urei 1176 Peak Limiter:

Urei 1176 Peak Limiter

The Urei 1176 Peak Limiter was used on The Fugees "Nappy Heads (Mona Lisa)" remix produced by Salaam Remi (@SaLaAMReMi). The 1176 is one of Urei's most well known units (now manufactured by Universal Audio as both hardware and software). The controls are pretty simple. There is an input and output, attack and release and 4 ratio buttons. There are also meter display select buttons and an off switch. The input knob adjusts the input signal level and also acts as a threshold for the limiter circuit. The output knob adjusts the output level of the unit so you can apply make-up gain to the signal after limiting. The 4 ratio buttons are 4:1, 8:1, 12:1, 20:1 which might seem like a limitation but when used in conjunction with the input knob is actually quite versatile (to really squash the signal try pressing down all 4 buttons at once.). The attack ranges from 20 to 800 microseconds which is very fast (great for drums) and the release varies from 50 milliseconds to 1.1 secs. which gives you extensive control over the signal. The attack knob also serves as the limiter switch (notice the word off under the knob. When the attack knob is turned completely counter clockwise limiting is disabled. For both the attack and release knobs fastest settings are when the knob is turned completely clockwise. The meter select switches allow you to view the amount of gain reduction (GR) or the output level at +4 or +8 reference level which is important to maintain proper gain structure. The OFF switch turns off the unit. The little box sitting on top of the pair of 1176's in the pic is called an 1176 SA and is basically a Stereo Adapter (SA) which allows you to link 2 1176's together as a stereo unit. The connectors are the barrier strip type and are found on the rear of the 1176 along with the rca connector for the 1176 SA. There are many revisions of the 1176 (A thru H) with the original being a silverface with blue paint around the meter section. 

Here are some short video clips featuring the 1176:

 

Here's a link to a page with descriptions of the different revisions

http://www.dancetech.com/item.cfm?threadid=4219 

Here's an Ebay page with a list of current auctions

 http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=m570&_nkw=Urei+1176 

For more info on the UA reissue of the 1176 go to

http://www.uaudio.com/hardware/compressors/1176LN.html 

and for the UAD software 1176 Classic Limiter Plug-In Collection ($199) which requires a UAD card or firewire accelerator,
Visit http://www.uaudio.com/store/compressors-limiters/1176-collection.html

The UA 1176 reissue ($1999) can be purchased at B&H Photo, Video and Pro Audio (@BHPhotoVideo)

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/342384-REG/Universal_Audio_1176LN_1176LN_Dynamics_Processor.html

Here's the iTunes (@iTunesMusic) link to the "Nappy Heads(Mona Lisa)" remix
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/nappy-heads-remix/id169704381?i=169705241

Tech Tues: Mix Engineer Phil Tan Made Rihanna's "Diamonds" Shine Bright

Here's a video of "Full Sail Recording Arts graduate/Hall of Fame inductee Phil Tan as he walks through his mix session for Rihanna's chart-topping hit single, "Diamonds," talks about his career, and answers questions about his mixing techniques." He gives some honest, realistic insights into the music industry.

Two 500 series LA-2A style compressors from IGS Audio.

IGS Audio has announced their One LA 500 compressor for the 500 series market. The unit is a dual slot mono module with the original Teletronix audio path with tubes on both input and output. It's a simple but impressive looking unit with easily read and operated controls. The large VU meter is a definite plus. Anyone familiar with the LA-2A will be  right at home with this unit.

SPECIFICATIONS:

• 500-series double module, mono unit,
• +4dB operating level,
• the original Teletronix 68. audio path,
• tubes powered by 250V DC,
• JJ 12AX7 input and RFT 12AU7 output tubes,
• Sowter input transformer,
• Edcor output transformer,
• OEP sidechain transformer,
• T4B replaceable photocell,
• Power consumption: max 180mA per slot,
• Input impedance: 10k Ohm,
• Maximum output: +21dBU,
• Amplification: 36dB,
• Gain reduction: 36dB,
• Frequency response: 20Hz – 20kHz, +/-0.1 dB,
• Potentiometers manipulators,
• Hard wire bypass,
• Compressor/Limiter mode,
• Large VU meter,
• 3 years warranty,
• Shipping weight: 3kg.

Price: 725 EUR/$994 USD

The Photon 500 is their other LA-2A based unit;

From the website:

"The PHOTON 500 is an optical compressor, based on technology from the 60's, first used in the UREI LA-2A limiter and later in the LA4. As homage to these legendary products, we packed this technology into a 500-series module. The PHOTON 500 uses an opto-coupler, which introduces negative feedback in the audio path, taking care of gain reduction. It also has an electronically balanced input with 2520 compatible op-amp in the gain stage and a Carnhill transformer balanced output."

 FEATURES:

• Peak Reduction: controls the gain of the side-chain circuit,
• Hard wire Bypass,
• Ratio: 2:1, 4:1, 12:1,
• Sidechain Hi-Pass filter: Flat, 60, 120Hz,
• London/New York: Advanced compression curve modeling, like SLAM.
• Output: 12-pole stepped makeup gain.

SPECIFICATIONS:

• 500-series module, 
• Input impedance: 10kOhm, 
• Max input level: +24 dBu,
• Output impedance: 600Ω by Carnhill,
• Maximum Output Level: +32 dBu,
• Total Harmonic Distortion: max 0.5%,
• Frequency response: +/- 0.2 dB 8Hz to 20kHz,
• Gain: 30dB,
• HPF: Off, 60Hz, 120Hz,
• Signal to noise ratio: more than 99 dB,
• Power supply: +/- 16V,
• Power consumption: 110mA,
• Dimensions: 133x37x180mm,
• Weight: 700g,
• 3 year warranty.

Here's a quick demo of a pair of PHOTONs being used on a drum loop:

Price 525 EUR/$720 USD

IGS products can be purchased in the US at Atlas Pro Audio.

See my previous posts on IGS Audio gear here.

Have you seen/used any of this gear before?

Gaumont-Kalee limiting amplifier type 516

I came across this Youtube clip of some very unique pieces. I would really like to hear from anyone who owns or has access to any of the gear featured here. The pieces that immediately caught my eye are the Gaumont-Kalee limiting amplifier (see pic above),

The Philips LDC compressor,

Philips LDC compressor (bigger)

and the Sela PT8 tube mic.

Sela PT8 tube mic w/ Neumann M7 capsule

Here's the clip:

Gear featured in video:

Phiilps LDC25 discrete console
Philips LDC compressor (smaller)
Philips LDC filter
Philips LDC parametric equalizer
WSW tube limiter
Maihak W49 filter
Gaumont-Kalee limiting amplifier type 516
Philips LDC compressor (bigger)
Sela PT8 tube mic w/ Neumann M7 capsule
Philips MD8RF console with passive equalizers

Mix Engineer "Senator" Jimmy Douglass - Pensado's Place #140

This weeks episode of Pensado's Place features "Senator" Jimmy Douglas whose work as a Mix Engineer speaks for itself. Dave and Herb speak on their new affiliation with The Blackbird Academy Audio School and their own Pensado Awards. There's also an ITL on parallel processing Vocals with various plugins. 

A great 500 series preamp for only 259€?!!

G.S.A which is a brand of Sachetti Audio has a new 500 series Mic Pre called the Vitrum 501. It doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles but it's said to offer pristine sound and at a very reasonable 259€. Definitely worth investigating at this price.

From the website:

"The Vitrum 501 is a microphone preamplifier in standard API 500format, hand-assembled with the highest quality components.The name, Vitrum (Latin for glass), indicates the incredible cleanliness and transparency that this preamp has, with very low harmonic distortion even at high gains. Use whenever clean, dynamic sound is required, such as acoustic instruments and voices. Each component of the circuit has been carefully chosen to ensure the best performances from the input /preamp section (using the finest Op-Amp specifically designed for audio) to the output section, characterized by a special circuitry that allows the typical character given by an audio transformer….."

FEATURES

• Hand-Made in Italy;
• Standard API 500 series;
  
• Solid state circuitry with high quality components;
• Transformer-like floating output;
  
• Ultra clean sound;
• Very low distortion, high headroom;
• Phantom, Phase Reversal, Pad;
• Maximum overall gain 66dB.

Price 259€/351.91 USD

Vitrum 501

Cyber Monday deals

There's still a few hours left to to take advantage of the many Cyber Monday Deals.

Some of which are for the entire month of December. Here are a few links to get you started.

 

http://news.waves-audio.com/HM?a=FtX7CqkqujIk8SA9MKJF38HnGHxKLJ3xLwjtS5kGaPGA0bBhOG5mpqVsje_HhdAlWUgI

http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=5060502&msgid=694774&act=6RO6&c=154216&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.antarestech.com%2Femail%2F2013Archive%2F2013_Dec_CyberMonday.html

http://enews.vintageking.com/q/eCUyq5h4Cho1ODiwKAW9AxZ63vSqPgVhUAg7XJ785zcl4ipQKh0hfPYi0

http://www.zenproaudio.com/black-friday-2013.aspx 

http://www.littlefishaudio.com

Tech Tues: Going green never sounded so good.

Myrtle is the latest handcrafted microphone from Ear Trumpet Labs. It has the look of a vintage broadcast microphone and if their other microphones are any indication of sound quality, I'm sure Myrtle offers impeccable sound. Ear Trumpet Labs is based in Portland, Oregon and specializes in making great sounding microphones by hand from everyday objects and common hardware. The microphones work well in the studio or at live shows.

From the website:

"Myrtle is stunning sounding and a visual treat. A perfect live mic for old-school stage vocal technique, she's tuned to sound ideal from three inches to a foot away. She has a natural warmth of tone and crisp clarity that combine to make an extraordinarily natural sounding live mic. Cardioid pickup pattern (directional) with great rejection of off-pattern sound and integrated pop filter makes for easy use in a live mix."

FEATURES:

• Hand made microphone with the looks of classic early broadcast mics.
• Large (26mm) diaphragm condenser capsule with a cardioid pickup pattern.
• Unique headbasket with eight-spring suspension.
• Pivoting joint between ring and body allows convenient positioning.
• Internal multilayer silk pop filter, for plosive protection without sacrificing clarity.
• Transformerless FET fully balanced electronics - very quiet and clean.
• Highest quality hand-wired electronic components - film caps, precision resistors, hand tested and matched transistors, with component values tuned for the individual circuit.
• Body fits standard microphone clips.
• Dimensions: 12" x 6" x 2 3/8"
• Metal tool case with foam padding included, 15" x 10" x 4 1/2".
• Requires 48V phantom power.

Price $599

Read reviews of their Edwina microphone on Sound and Sound and TapeOp.

Here are some videos of Ear Trumpet Labs Microphones including a short of owner Philip Graham showing the philosophy behind their design.

There's many more videos to be found on their gallery page. I'm adding the Myrtle to my Christmas list.

Have you tried this plugin?

Zynaptiq who makes unique plugins such as Unveil and Unfilter has released a 1.50 update for their PITCHMAP plugin.

I think PITCHMAP a great tool for producers/remixers/DJs. What do you think?

"PITCHMAP is a demixing-based plug-in that allows changing melodies and harmonies of any mixed musical recording in real-time, either by transforming them to new ones played on a MIDI keyboard, or by setting freely defined target scales. Based on Zynaptiqʼs proprietary MAP (Mixed-Signal Audio Processing) artificial intelligence technology, PITCHMAP can be applied to a wide variety of tasks, including original music production, remix work, correction of tuning issues and creative manipulation of existing recordings."

FEATURES: 

• Automatic correction of pitch inaccuracies in polyphonic and mixed signals
• Mapping of source to destination pitches via the GUI
• Definition of destination pitch grid via live MIDI
• Process bypass on arbitrary notes selected by their fundamental pitch
• all of which leaves non-pitched signals like drums virtually untouched
• Suppression & Extraction of mix elements based on their pitch using Mute Filters via GUI or MIDI control
• Continuously variable unique synthetic coloration options via parameters Electrify and Purify
• Polyphonic portamento/glides using the Glide parameter
• High-speed workflow: options to rapidly generate complex pitch maps using macro controls
• Snapshot functionality to allow rapid creation of automation
• Mono/Stereo plug-in supporting 44.1kHz and 48kHz sampling rates (higher rates being worked on)

1.50 update adds the following:

• Now also supports VST (32/64bit), RTAS and AAX Native (32/64bit) on Mac and Windows, in addition to AudioUnits on the Mac.
• Improved algorithm.
• New preset management functionality accessible from within the plug-in GUI allows user presets to be used across all plug-in formats on all platforms.
• New factory presets organized by application.
• Completely re-designed automation system for improved automation workflow.
• New option to enter values numerically by double-clicking controls.
• Snapshots now contain Sliders and Keyboard states only for better workflow.
• Enhanced compatibility with Mac OS X Sandboxing.
• New authorization app for a more streamlined user experience.

Check out these videos showing PITCHMAP being used to manipulate entire songs:

The first one is a quick demo by Protools expert.com's Russ Hughes using Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" and the second is by Zynaptiq themselves demonstrating how they remixed a song with PITCHMAP.

Price USD 399/EUR 369

There is also a side grade offer for USD 199/EUR 179 if you own any of the following software:

1. Celemony Melodyne Editor, Studio or Assistant
2. Antares Auto Tune 7, Auto Tune Live
3. iZotope Nectar
4. Waves Tune, Tune LT

Tech Tues.: UAD v.7.4 with Fairchild Limiter Collection and Maag EQ4.

UA has announced the release of the Fairchild Tube Limiter Collection with their v7.4 software update. I use their legacy Fairchild plugin often and look forward to hearing what the new version has to offer. The Side-Chain Filter, Headroom Adjustment and Wet/Dry Mix knob are all welcome additions.
The Fairchild is one of the most sought after compressor/limiters and has been used on many classic records over the years.

Here's a little background on the Fairchild from the UA website:

"The very first Fairchild limiter that audio genius Rein Narma created on Les Paul’s kitchen table transformed the sound of recording forever. Soon, these 20-tube, 14-transformer, 67-pound behemoths were embraced by world-class studios, many of which still employ their vintage Fairchilds despite the increasing difficulty in maintaining these tube-driven tone machines.
For a half-century, the Fairchild 670 — and its aggressive little brother, the Fairchild 660 — have defined popular music’s most revered vocal and drum sounds. In fact, the world’s elite mixers often employ a 670 simply for the “glow” it brings to their final mixes, even without the compression circuitry engaged."

Read my previous post on the UAD Fairchild 670 plugin where I share info and settings I used on a song I mixed for Ricky Martin.

I also used the Fairchild on Mack Wilds debut album "New York: A Love Story."

FEATURES

• Includes the mono 660 and stereo 670, each with their own sonic attributes and feature sets
• Models entire electronic path, including tube amplifiers and transformers for complete analog color and behavior
• Modeled after Ocean Way’s famous, meticulously maintained golden Fairchild channels
• Lateral-Vertical mode for stereo imaging and balance control
• Includes custom hardware Stereo Sidechain Link mod 
• Six attack and release Time Constants (plus additional Time Constant variations with Sidechain Link)
• Includes all-new “digital only” features: Sidechain filtering, Dry/Wet parallel blend and Headroom
• Includes artist presets from Darrell Thorp, Michael Brauer, Ryan West, and more
• Requires a UAD-2 DSP Accelerator or Apollo Interface available from authorized dealers worldwide

>

The 7.4 software update also includes the Maag EQ4 plugin which is known for its amazing top end response.

The words "airy, silky and transparent" are often used to describe the EQ4.

"In a quest for “audio perfection,” Cliff Maag designed the EQ4 to provide unparalleled transparency and top-end presence while maintaining a true, natural sound. Based on his classic — and long-discontinued — NTI EQ3 from the ’80s (which I've used in the past), the EQ4 features Maag’s legendary Air Band control, a major component to the vocal mix chain on Madonna’s Ray of Light as well as Celine Dion’s Taking Chances.
Designed in conjunction with Brainworx, the Maag EQ4 Plug-In is an expertly rendered emulation of this modern classic EQ for your UAD-2 DSP Accelerator or Apollo-equipped workstation."

FEATURES 

• Exacting emulation of the Maag EQ4®
• Six bands of equalization, including the famous AIR BAND®
• Provides unparalleled transparency and top end presence while maintaining the true natural sound of the original signal
• The vocal sound of Madonna, Celine Dion, Snoop Dogg, and the Black Eyed Peas
• Endorsing producers include David Reitzas, Dave Pensado, and Dylan Dresdow 
• EQ adjustments are obtained with minimal phase shift
• Additional Trim Control (not found on the hardware), for easier level control
• Constructed for demanding professional applications
• The interaction of the band passes of the hardware has been fully captured in the plug-in version

Visit UA's website for more info on their latest software update and plugins.