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Published on 04/20/12 at 08:29Here we are dealing with a digital effect, specifically a multiband compressor - so with an EQ and a EXPANDER GATE - and based on a technology called "dynamic convolution", ie that Machine aims to "reproduce" the very substance of the prestigious compressors as 670 FAIRCHILD, TLA100A Summit Audio, DBX 160 (3 versions), Manley optical leveler, Tubetech CL 1B, 2A Teletronix LA Tube and a few ot 'again. in other words .. it's a big bet and risky!
Indeed, if it does not ring, it's going to hear live ... because this device "all-in-1" is devoted to the mastering house but seriously, it's got to caress the ears!
rack version is normal 19-inch rack-mount, 1 unit.
connectivity in AES / SPDIF, RCA. I put in AES (XLR) to the tail of a behringer ULTRAMATCH (Digital converter. / Analog cheapest) .. there is a slot for a card that is optional (the 32-bit / 96 khz) but - to my regret - I only have the 24 bit / 44.1 khz. It was not for lack of trying, this was not found on the net! one day, may be ..
UTILIZATION
simple configuration, 5 knobs, a bypass, mini lcd screen. I will return later on.
I did not have with manual, but it is easily findable on the net (although we do find that too little info on this machine) on the manufacturer's website.
editing could not be simpler, it will "see" that everything has been designed to edit quickly enough, there is a very simple menu, and I think it's a little tradition of good machines: the sound before everything
SOUND QUALITY
First, I am a composer. I'm not sound engineer. It is not I who will tell you if this machine sounds better than a Distressor, a chandler, an Avalon or a Focusrite, a joe meek, a UREI, a universal audio, manley one, a alan smart etc. ... All I can say is that it's better than the behringer .... (obviously)
Second, I took the risk by investing in Portuguese (and yes, it's made over there .. original price 2000 euros nine between 1600 and Cygnus 300 euros but it is super rare) and I 'm using it to make "mastering house" .. yes I know, this is a big word, but when you have cleaned the frequencies of all the tracks and adding cx 2000, it "inflates" the sound a nice way (ie without adding to the wrong frequency) .. is better than a dedicated software like Izotope Ozone, there's no photo. By setting the proper way on both sides, I get to have a much better result with the cx 2000 while keeping the same volume. In any case it helps me to optimize my momentum and consistency of my songs just before moving all in a limited (vst) and send my tracks on the net.
But since I'm an egg, I use Ozone Isotope with cx 2000, and it is a treat
nb: this is a treat - and yet, is it an illusion? - It is always compared with that before when I had nothing to finalize my sound, it is day and night. I managed to get close to a punchy sound + and (mostly) homogeneous.
I already had the experience of mastering session in a real recording studio as an artist-who-done-pampering, with the Maselec around me, the pultech, the manley .. sniff .. i miss you .... and I am aware that I'll never get the result of work of an engineer but I like having this side "do-it-yourself" and jack of all .. trying to have ears .. but hey, I train every day ... The hardest thing is to remain neutral in his head when that one prepares his own pieces .... in short, the better it is to have a piece of reference .. it's easier. At first we discover that one is really a big shit, and after approaches the grail without ever reaching it .. so obviously I'm the vinyl, it will be towards mastering studio, but as it is for personal use almost I am content with this device. My config studiste home boils down to a containment foam absorption of 70 mm, a pair of speakers KRK rockit 6, and another pair of mid-range speaker (Sony), connected in mono. (To detect phase bp)
Third, now comes the phase of description: it will take for ages so I make edits from time to time ...
1: EQ
-> Not very visual, it's a 3 band and the graph on the mini lcd is "sore eyes" is too small!, Impossible to check the pixel gain, its slope and its frequency - which is a shame even when compared to the original price - however, the numerical values are shown, not pb, but I like having a visual control on my tapes, it is more fun .... whereas, therefore: what is really in his ear that it's happening, turn the knobs with a focus on the sound (this is what we want eventually, right?) and adjust as you go. .... sudden there's a good sound, we must parameterize the attack really well, its release, its slope with respect to the musical style I think is really subjective, but to sum say it's pretty decent for the digital I presume ..
---> In the range of low / infrabasses (30 htz to 220 htz) when you push the gain saturates but it is not necessarily filthy, I do not think it sounds "wrong", it remains "neutral" and cold. the bass does not look "hot" but it might be a pb setup on my part. If you have followed, I have not yet taken over 100% this machine, and I still come back to you later ...
OVERALL OPINION
+ Later ..
Indeed, if it does not ring, it's going to hear live ... because this device "all-in-1" is devoted to the mastering house but seriously, it's got to caress the ears!
rack version is normal 19-inch rack-mount, 1 unit.
connectivity in AES / SPDIF, RCA. I put in AES (XLR) to the tail of a behringer ULTRAMATCH (Digital converter. / Analog cheapest) .. there is a slot for a card that is optional (the 32-bit / 96 khz) but - to my regret - I only have the 24 bit / 44.1 khz. It was not for lack of trying, this was not found on the net! one day, may be ..
UTILIZATION
simple configuration, 5 knobs, a bypass, mini lcd screen. I will return later on.
I did not have with manual, but it is easily findable on the net (although we do find that too little info on this machine) on the manufacturer's website.
editing could not be simpler, it will "see" that everything has been designed to edit quickly enough, there is a very simple menu, and I think it's a little tradition of good machines: the sound before everything
SOUND QUALITY
First, I am a composer. I'm not sound engineer. It is not I who will tell you if this machine sounds better than a Distressor, a chandler, an Avalon or a Focusrite, a joe meek, a UREI, a universal audio, manley one, a alan smart etc. ... All I can say is that it's better than the behringer .... (obviously)
Second, I took the risk by investing in Portuguese
(and yes, it's made over there .. original price 2000 euros nine between 1600 and Cygnus 300 euros but it is super rare) and I 'm using it to make "mastering house" .. yes I know, this is a big word, but when you have cleaned the frequencies of all the tracks and adding cx 2000, it "inflates" the sound a nice way (ie without adding to the wrong frequency) .. is better than a dedicated software like Izotope Ozone, there's no photo. By setting the proper way on both sides, I get to have a much better result with the cx 2000 while keeping the same volume. In any case it helps me to optimize my momentum and consistency of my songs just before moving all in a limited (vst) and send my tracks on the net. But since I'm an egg, I use Ozone Isotope with cx 2000, and it is a treat
nb: this is a treat - and yet, is it an illusion? - It is always compared with that before when I had nothing to finalize my sound, it is day and night. I managed to get close to a punchy sound + and (mostly) homogeneous.
I already had the experience of mastering session in a real recording studio as an artist-who-done-pampering, with the Maselec around me, the pultech, the manley .. sniff .. i miss you .... and I am aware that I'll never get the result of work of an engineer but I like having this side "do-it-yourself" and jack of all .. trying to have ears .. but hey, I train every day ... The hardest thing is to remain neutral in his head when that one prepares his own pieces .... in short, the better it is to have a piece of reference .. it's easier. At first we discover that one is really a big shit, and after approaches the grail without ever reaching it .. so obviously I'm the vinyl, it will be towards mastering studio, but as it is for personal use almost I am content with this device. My config studiste home boils down to a containment foam absorption of 70 mm, a pair of speakers KRK rockit 6, and another pair of mid-range speaker (Sony), connected in mono. (To detect phase bp)
Third, now comes the phase of description: it will take for ages so I make edits from time to time ...
1: EQ
-> Not very visual, it's a 3 band and the graph on the mini lcd is "sore eyes" is too small!, Impossible to check the pixel gain, its slope and its frequency - which is a shame even when compared to the original price - however, the numerical values are shown, not pb, but I like having a visual control on my tapes, it is more fun .... whereas, therefore: what is really in his ear that it's happening, turn the knobs with a focus on the sound (this is what we want eventually, right?) and adjust as you go. .... sudden there's a good sound, we must parameterize the attack really well, its release, its slope with respect to the musical style I think is really subjective, but to sum say it's pretty decent for the digital I presume ..
---> In the range of low / infrabasses (30 htz to 220 htz) when you push the gain saturates but it is not necessarily filthy, I do not think it sounds "wrong", it remains "neutral" and cold. the bass does not look "hot" but it might be a pb setup on my part. If you have followed, I have not yet taken over 100% this machine, and I still come back to you later ...
OVERALL OPINION
+ Later ..