View other reviews for this product:
songboy « Not as impressive as other offerings »
Published on 08/03/11 at 14:35I have noticed that occasionally it is "hard" to grab the main knob and change it. I don't know what the problem is but sometimes it takes me a few tries to "grab" the knob. That is really the only strange behavior I have found in this plugin. No real need for a manual. Just two knobs, one for frequency range and one to increase or decrease the "brilliance." I don't believe it could get any simpler. Yes the functions are all easily accessible as both reside on the face of the plugin.
SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE
Other than the knob issue (which could be user/my fault) the plugin seems to perform fine. Yes, it is stable. There has been no issues running this on a MBP i7 8gb ram, RME fireface 800 and Logic 9. As for performance, it does what is says it will do, and I respect that, but it doesn't offer enough flexibility for modern applications. I should mention that I am generally biased against these "one knob" style plugins. Of course this has two knobs but essentially the same thing. The thing that bugs me most is the DB knob is not fluid. It simply jumps up or down 2db. What if you want 1db of "brilliance," well too bad. I will say that if you want that old Beatles sound, then this plugin will get you pretty close on its own. I enjoy that aspect but was hoping to get a little more flexibility. I have been using this for a month but it is essentially a one trick pony that I don't often reach for.
OVERALL OPINION
I guess what I like about it most is the EQ curve. It is very specific to that "Beatles" sound which can be quite popular with modern rock/pop/folk bands who want that vintage sound. What I don't like is the fact that it is a one trick pony in my mind. Well, for $125 you get three plugins, not just this one so it's a decent deal. I would only recommend this to studios who get a fair amount of people wanting that particular sound or you yourself love that sound. I feel like a good eq and compressor could probably achieve the same thing and also offer more flexibility. The sound quality is very good, just like all of Abbey Roads' plugins. I have used BBE products for many years and they essentially do the same thing but with much more options. I have to say, I prefer those in most of the situations that brilliance is needed. I should mention that I did use this plugin once for a client who thought the drums were sitting in the mix to "thick" as he described it. I separated the stereo channel into two monos, put one of these on each channel and within a minute, had the sound he wanted. So that was pretty convenient. Had I known the plugin would have come in handy like I mentioned before, I would definitely have bought it again. It pretty much paid for itself with that one situation. Other than that, I guess I wouldn't have though because I am a "got to have lots of options" kinda guy.
SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE
Other than the knob issue (which could be user/my fault) the plugin seems to perform fine. Yes, it is stable. There has been no issues running this on a MBP i7 8gb ram, RME fireface 800 and Logic 9. As for performance, it does what is says it will do, and I respect that, but it doesn't offer enough flexibility for modern applications. I should mention that I am generally biased against these "one knob" style plugins. Of course this has two knobs but essentially the same thing. The thing that bugs me most is the DB knob is not fluid. It simply jumps up or down 2db. What if you want 1db of "brilliance," well too bad. I will say that if you want that old Beatles sound, then this plugin will get you pretty close on its own. I enjoy that aspect but was hoping to get a little more flexibility. I have been using this for a month but it is essentially a one trick pony that I don't often reach for.
OVERALL OPINION
I guess what I like about it most is the EQ curve. It is very specific to that "Beatles" sound which can be quite popular with modern rock/pop/folk bands who want that vintage sound. What I don't like is the fact that it is a one trick pony in my mind. Well, for $125 you get three plugins, not just this one so it's a decent deal. I would only recommend this to studios who get a fair amount of people wanting that particular sound or you yourself love that sound. I feel like a good eq and compressor could probably achieve the same thing and also offer more flexibility. The sound quality is very good, just like all of Abbey Roads' plugins. I have used BBE products for many years and they essentially do the same thing but with much more options. I have to say, I prefer those in most of the situations that brilliance is needed. I should mention that I did use this plugin once for a client who thought the drums were sitting in the mix to "thick" as he described it. I separated the stereo channel into two monos, put one of these on each channel and within a minute, had the sound he wanted. So that was pretty convenient. Had I known the plugin would have come in handy like I mentioned before, I would definitely have bought it again. It pretty much paid for itself with that one situation. Other than that, I guess I wouldn't have though because I am a "got to have lots of options" kinda guy.