Signal Processors

Not everyone works with 5.1 mixes, but those who do have been abuzz about the Penteo/RT up-conversion hardware. This box converts stereo audio to 5.1 in real time -- a huge boon to audio post production houses like Post Haste Media in North Hollywood and Smart Post in Burbank, who've already implemented the Penteo/RT into their work-flows. We visited both companies to find out more.  

If you already have an Eventide TimeFactor or ModFactor, head on over to Eventide's Web site to get the free version 2.4 software update. This user-requested update adds a plethora of new factory presets, overall improvements, and enhanced features for both stompboxes.  

With the Eventide FactorLib application, you can manipulate presets from an Eventide stompbox like the TimeFactor, ModFactor, or PitchFactor.  

Pigtronix has made available two out of three of its new analog effects: EP2 Envelope Phaser and Aria. The third, soon-to-be released Philosopher King boasts an envelope generator coupled to an optical compressor / sustainer / distortion, and much more.  

When it's released, OS4 for Access Music's Virus TI series will add new sound design features, stompboxes, effects, and even a taste of Thai or Indian flavors (overdrives) like Mint, Curry, Saffron, Onion, Pepper, and Chili.  

Mike Matthews is betting that, once you get hooked on the Electro-Harmonix Iron Lung Nano Vocoder, there's no pulling the plug.  

Announced and ready to show at NAMM, the JDK Audio R22 Compressor is a two-channel rackmount compressor featuring linkable stereo operation, true RMS power summing, and much more.  

112dB wants to put the grit back into your music, with the new Redline PreAmp vintage console channel / musical grunge machine. Redline PreAmp is said to deliver a customizable combination of even and odd harmonics, saturation, and soft clipping to your otherwise clean audio signals.  

Four Devi Ever pedals will be revamped and reissued by Dwardcraft Devices next year. The Bit Mangler, Synth Mangler, Dream Mangler, and Spectacular Aenima will sport new PCBs, different types of enclosures, and more.  

Add some grit to your guitar tones with the new MXR Black Label Chorus pedal, which was designed expressly to produce the same thick distortion and texture of Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society.  

The Bananalogue Serge VCS universal slope generator is now available as a Eurorack module from Big City Music. Designed by Seth Nemec and Ken Stone with the cooperation of Serge Tcherepnin, the 16hp module offers slew / portamento, an AR envelope generator, sound processing, and more.  

While not necessarily as recognizable a brand as, say Avalon or Neve, the John Hardy Company M-1 is in the same league as those other more storied pre amps. Fact is, there's nary a recording studio in Chicago that doesn't already have an M-1 or four in their rack, and those that don't pine for these amazingly transparent pres. We got the circuit-skinny on the John Hardy Co' gear from the man himself at the 127th AES in New York.  

One would expect the first product offering from a company called Square State Solid State, based in the square state of Colorado, to be square. Luckily for us, the makers were more practical than that and housed the Equalizer model one b in a rackmount-friendly shape.  

The FEA Labs 2-Channel Mixer pedal combines signal paths from the dual output of the sister pedal, the FEA dual-band optical compressor, and offers variable phase control too.  

Dynamics compression is presented in a little blue box, with four simple knobs for level, threshold, attack, and slope. Hit the Engage button and tweak away.  

We chat with EveAnna Manley of Manley Labs about the Manley Backbone Mastering Instert Switcher. The Backbone was the recent winner of the TEC award for "best ancillary equipment," which reminds me of a joke:

Q: What do you call a 2RU signal processor that hangs out with recording gear?

A: Ancillary.

I didn't say it was a good joke.  

Abstract Data has unleashed three new little analog synth and effects units under the Hex Series -- the Synthex, Morphex, and Graphex -- all of which feature simple design and effects.  

Chris Muth is the founder of Dangerous Music, a once-studio that became one of the most celebrated designers of analog routing solutions for digital audio systems. We caught up with Cris Muth at the most recent AES show, where we found him to be a much more affable fellow than his company's moniker would have you believe.  

Here's a good deal: buy a Universal Audio 6176 Vintage Channel Strip and get $200 back. All you have to do is make your purchase by the end of this year and fill out a rebate coupon. Easy!  

Create the best Halloween-themed video with theremin-featured music for the chance to win Moog Music gear. Two lucky winners will get a Moog Music MF-104Z Analog Delay or Moog Music MF-102 Ring Modulator, while all other notable entries will be awarded T-shirts.  

Some a y'all like to read specs. Other a y'all like to have the particular usefulness of those specs read to y'all by an informed individual. That's we're presenting y'all with this video of the new Lexicon PCM92, introduced at this past AES in New York City.  

When two companies meld brains and produce a collaborative EQ, how much of each company is represented in the design? The 32EQ, the lovechild of both Great River and Harrison Consoles, appears to be mostly Harrison. Sorry, Great River.  

Lexicon builds upon its stock of similarly named reverb and effects processors with the PCM92, which touts 28 brand new effects and 700 factory presets. Now you can add that spatial / spacey presence to all your tracks all over again.  

The 527 single-channel module debuted at AES with a modest mention of its coolest asset, the Thrust circuit. Its other, more mundane but necessary features, like controls for variable attack, release, ratio, and output gain, figured more prominently in the announcement.  

What's better than racking one tube-based module? Racking two, of course! The Tube-Tech RM 2 does just that, making room for not one but two totally tubular modules, namely the company's only two modules.  

The silky smooth texture-laden features of Rupert Neve's new rackmount module will knock your plain white cotton socks off.  

Reinvented and better than ever, the "Nevana" plugin collections add to your work the big sound and big dreams associated with Neve analog audio equipment. Powered by the UAD-2 DSP platform, the Neve-Powered plugs won't suck CPU power.  

Here's a cool little gadget: made especially for Line 6's ToneCore line of modular effects pedals and docks, the Muzemazer Chromavoder is a boutique, analog-modeling, polyphonic harmonizer effect. The pedal was built by A. D. Levine, who in the past has designed effects for Tod Rundgren and Luke Skywalker (seriously).  

Your MIDI MuRF just got even MuRFier. The free-to-download Moog Music MIDI MuRF Pattern Editor give you access to many MIDI CC only parameters, and gives you even more control over this out-of-control filter effect.  

Perhaps you're not satisfied with the latest virtual drum instruments out there so you still resort to recording acoustic drums. The trouble with them is that they require a lot of mics. An instant upgrade option to accommodate that is the Focusrite OctoPre MkII.