Mike levine

MIX VERDICT: PSP AUDIOWARE WOBBLER PLUG-IN THE TAKEAWAY: PSP Wobbler, created with legendary producer, engineer and musician Alan Parsons, is much more than just an emulation of the Frequency Translator. COMPANY: PSP Audioware • www.pspaudioware.com PRICE: $99 PROS: • Frequency shifter produces a range of modulation effects, both unique and familiar. • Plenty of parameter options. • Easy to use. • 121 presets in well-organized categories. • Reasonably priced. New York, NY (May 27, 2025)—Software developer PSP Audioware has partnered with legendary producer, engineer and musician Alan Parsons to create PSP Wobbler, a unique modulation plug-in largely based on a hardware processor from Abbey Road Studios called the Frequency Translator, which was a frequency shifter. The unit was designed in the early 1970s by an engineer named Keith Adkins and was intended for feedback reduction. During sessions for Pink Floyd’s classic album The Dark Side of the Moon, Parsons experimented with the device and discovered that it also had potential as a creative effect, and he ended up using it on vocal backing tracks on the album. A frequency shifter works differently than a pitch shifter. Whereas the latter moves the entire signal up or down by a specific interval, a frequency shifter only shifts a specific frequency. Depending on how you set it, the results can sound similar to various modulation effects, including phaser, flanger and rotary speaker. It can also produce filter effects like sweeps and auto-wah. But PSP Wobbler is more than just an emulation of the Frequency Translator. The Polish software company built in additional features, including Drive, an analog modeled effect, and Spread, which adjusts the stereo image width. PSP Wobbler. SHIFTY BEHAVIOR The user interface features several parameters that impact the frequency shifting (aka “the Wobble effect”). The two most prominent are the Rate and Feedback knobs, each of which has a numeric display above it. The Rate knob sets the frequency to be shifted and ranges from -25 Hz to +25 Hz. As with a delay, the Feedback parameter causes the signal to modulate itself, which adds more resonance and complexity. A Wobble knob functions as a wet/dry control governing the amount of frequency shifting in the signal. The Wobble effect has three modes governing the speed of the effect: Rate follows the setting of the Rate knob; Note follows the song tempo and can be set to rhythmic divisions. Sync is similar to Rate, except it starts the modulation on the downbeat and, therefore, sounds more rhythmically precise. Several other control knobs are available on the lower row. Drift lets you add frequency fluctuations. Glide impacts how quickly PSP Wobbler transitions when you manually adjust the Rate. Phase allows you to adjust the phase by plus or minus 180 degrees. The Lo and Hi Range controls set upper and lower frequency boundaries for the Wobble effect. DRIVING AGE PSP Wobbler’s Drive circuit adds pleasant, analog-like saturation. You can modify its amount with the Drive knob and change its character with the Age knob—higher Age settings are sharper and brighter. The Wet and Full buttons let you choose whether to apply the Drive and Age to the entire signal or just the processed part. With the Full button on and the Wobble knob turned all the way down, you can even use PSP Wobbler as a standalone saturation processor. In addition, you can adjust the width of the stereo image—plus or minus 180 degrees—using the Spread knob. Even with all that range, you don’t want to exceed 90 degrees in any direction or it might impact mono-compatibility. To alert you when your setting is too extreme, the label and numerical display of the Spread knob turn red. Overall, the GUI is well-designed and intuitive. PSP has also included a whopping 121 factory presets, organized into categories, to help demonstrate PSP Wobbler’s sonic possibilities. On sources like drums, percussion, vocals, guitars and synths— anything I tried it on—I found PSP Wobbler to be easy to use, excellent-sounding and creatively inspiring. Whether I was going for subtle modulation or more extreme effects, it provided a unique and versatile palette. The collaboration between PSP and Parsons was clearly fruitful. Let’s hope they create more plug-ins together in the future.

MIX VERDICT: DAACI Natural Drums THE TAKEAWAY: “Natural Drums facilitates the creation, playback and export of realistic-sounding MIDI and audio drum parts. Compact Mode simplifies the part-creation experience.” COMPANY: DAACI • daaci.com PRICE: $99 PROS: • Intelligent and easy-to-use. • AI implemented ethically. • Works as a virtual instrument or MIDI effect. • Kit sounds are processed and mix-ready. • Easy drag-and-drop export of audio or MIDI. • Can host other instrument plug-ins internally. CONS: • Currently supports only 4/4 time. • Each kit has only 11 drums and cymbals. • Rack toms can sound unnatural, as can some of the generated fills. • No hi-hats or kicks in fills. DAACI Natural Drums is a virtual drum instrument for Mac and Windows that is designed to make it easy to program MIDI drum beats in various styles. Although AI-based, it requires user input for optimal results. The AI, according to the company, has been ethically implemented. DAACI, which stands for Definable Aleatoric Artificial Composition Intelligence, is dedicated to creating AI-based instruments for musicians. The company is affiliated with Queen Mary University in London and Abbey Road Redd (an “incubator” owned by Abbey Road Studios that seeks to nurture music technology innovations), among other organizations. SYNC OR SWIM When you open the Natural Drums plug-in as an instrument insert, it’s automatically synced to the DAW tempo and transport. It loops its active pattern while the DAW is playing. You can load a preset pattern or program your own. With a single button push, you can also turn off its built-in sequencer so that its internal drum sounds only respond to incoming MIDI from your DAW. Another way to use it is as a MIDI effect, where its patterns trigger another virtual instrument and its internal sounds are unavailable. Either way, its GUI is essentially the same and is divided horizontally into two main sections: a programming area at the top and a piano-roll display at the bottom. The display reflects the currently playing four-measure loop. A fill gets created at the end of the fourth measure when the Fill button is activated. The Piano Roll itself is only for editing velocities, not changing the rhythmic placement of notes. You can select and adjust the velocity for groups of snares, hats, etc. (the plug-in determines the groups based on similarity), but not individual hits. It’s helpful but limited. The best part of the Piano Roll is that it provides visual feedback of the changes you make as you adjust the various aspects of the beat. Rudimentary mix controls are provided for changing velocity levels and muting or soloing kit elements. SKELETAL STRUCTURES Before getting into the plug-in’s options for creating and arranging drum parts, let’s start by looking at how to program a single bar. Natural Drums provides a 16-segment grid where you can select the beats on which each drum or cymbal will play. Instead of programming everything in a single grid, Natural Drums splits up the process. First, you establish the kick and snare pattern, which DAACI refers to as the “Skeleton,” and then, in a different window, you add the cymbals. The smallest rhythmic value you can access is a 16th-note. Hi-hat hits can be open or closed. Ride hits can be on the main part of the cymbal or the bell. Having the hi-hat pedal playing along with the ride is also possible. A third cymbal option is labeled Trapifier. It creates “Trap”-style hi-hat rolls that include many complex ghost-note phrases that use subdivisions as small as 128th-notes. There is no way to generate beats based on a floor-tom pattern. You’d have to create the part without the floor-tom hits, export it as a MIDI pattern, and add them via your DAW’s MIDI editor. VARIETY SHOW One of the strengths of Natural Drums is its ability to create variations. When programming the kick and snare parts, they each have knobs called Busy and Complex. The higher you turn them, the more intricate their patterns become. You can add accents and specify off- or on-beat hits when programming the cymbals. Individual Shuffle buttons are available for each drum and cymbal. They’re designed to create intelligent variations of the “embellishments” of your beat, often adding ghost notes to the snare or cymbal phrases. The results are informed by the AI engine and its “drummer-like” intelligence. There are Swing controls, too, which let you adjust the amount of swing and choose whether it’s based on eighth- or sixteenth notes. In addition, a knob called Humanize Velocities dials in minor variations that make the part feel more natural. FILL ’ER UP If you activate the Fill button at the top of the programming area, Natural Drums places a fill at the end of every four-measure section, and you have significant control over their content. You can adjust their length and turn the toms on or off. Several fill styles are available, including a couple that include ghost notes. Programming MIDI fills that sound like a drummer played them is never an easy task. I’ve found the best ones to be those played on MIDI kits by real drummers. That’s obviously not the case with Natural Drums, which generates its own fills. Depending on the musical context and the type of kit you’re using, they’re usually pretty good, but there were times when they sounded too “programmed” for my taste. Part of the issue is that the fills created can only consist of snares and toms. That’s a shame because some of the coolest fills you hear from real drummers also feature subtly placed hi-hat and kick drum hits. THE COMPACT FACTOR Natural Drums is a powerful tool, whether you’re experienced at programming drums or not. For those in the novice category, it offers a simplified programming interface option called Compact Mode. It eschews the grid for a series of circular control sliders for Kick, Snare, Hats and Fills, which increase their complexity. Above are style buttons for Dance, Funk, Pop, Trap and Swing. Clicking on them creates a new beat variation in the appropriate genre. Another way to access style-specific beats is by opening one of the many patterns provided in the Preset menu. One significant limitation of Natural Drums is that it only supports 4/4 time. On its website, DAACI says, “We are working on adding more time signatures shortly to expand its versatility.” Nothing more definitive has been announced at the time of this writing. GETTING LOOPY Natural Drums allows you to program and play back a four-measure loop. Up to three separately programmed measures, designated A, B and C, can make up that loop. You can select the order in which they play back over the four-bar duration by choosing AAAA, AAAB, ABAC, AABC or ABCC from a drop-down menu. Once you have programmed the measures and chosen the order, you can export your loops to your DAW over MIDI or as audio using an easy drag-and-drop method. What’s more, there are four Snapshot slots into which you can save loops for instant recall. Unlike some drum instruments, Natural Drums doesn’t support the creation of song-length parts. However, it’s easy to construct such a part in four-measure segments. One way would be to create beats for the different song sections using the A, B and C parts. For example, A for verses, B for Choruses and C for the bridge. You could then drop those into your DAW at the appropriate places and generate variations in the fills and subtle changes in dynamics or hit placement to build a natural-sounding part over the course of the song. KIT PIECES DAACI Natural Drums is more than just a drum programming environment; it’s also a MIDI drum instrument with 17 included kits, which are broken down into Acoustic, Electronic, Lo- Fi and Experimental categories. There’s also a link to download additional kits through a collaboration with Spitfire Audio LABS, a sound subscription service. One drawback to the internal kits is that they only have 11 drum sounds in each. For example, each kit only has one snare sound, so there are no cross-sticks or rimshots. Despite that limitation, the included kits sound quite good. They’re not just raw drum samples; they’ve been processed to be mix-ready. Still, lacking a full-fledged mixer with effects is a limitation. One workaround is to solo each drum or cymbal and export each as audio, one at a time. Then, you can mix them in your DAW like multitrack drums. If you want to access sounds beyond what Natural Drums offers, the plug-in lets you host other virtual instruments from within it. The first time you select Plugins from the Kit menu, Natural Drums scans your system for instruments, which then appear in the Kit menu’s Plugins category. Not only can you access other drum instruments with the patterns you’ve created, but also synth or sampler sounds, which can lead to some cool results. If you need to compensate for instruments with different MIDI note-mapping, you can open the Settings window and quickly remap any kit element. EastWest Iconic—A Mix Real-World Review NATURAL WONDERS I’m impressed with Natural Drums and I am sure I’ll use it a lot on future projects. It makes programming beats or extended MIDI drum parts fast and easy. I love that its AI component is ethical and designed to think like a drummer. The ability to create variation in the parts for the different kit elements is helpful and a real time-saver. The lack of support for time signatures other than 4/4 is a limitation that will hopefully be addressed in future versions. I’d also like to see additional mixing features and more creativity in fill generation. With a price tag of under $100, this plug-in should prove a handy addition to the toolkit of anyone who uses MIDI drums in their productions.

New York, NY (February 21, 2025)—When SPL decided to create a plug-in version of its vaunted but discontinued tape emulation processor, Machine Head, one of its advantages was that the internal processing of the hardware was digital. As a result, the company was able to port its source code into the plug-in, making it an extremely close replication, sonically, of the original. “We brought the core team of the Machine Head developers back together,” says SPL, “to make it possible to transfer the original code into an SPL plugin. One hundred percent original code for 100 percent original sound.” SPL’s Machine Head. The original Machine Head unit, whose tape-emulation capabilities made it a powerful tool for mixing and mastering, was created in 1996 and remained in production until approximately 2008. Since then, it’s become highly sought after and quite expensive on the used market. The red, 1U rackmount processor utilized algorithms created in collaboration with SoundArt and developed using a Lyrec TR-533, a 2-inch, 24-track analog tape machine as a reference. SPL could have simply made the plug-in replicate the hardware processor but decided to add additional digital features that take advantage of today’s faster DSP. As a result, the Machine Head plug-in offers two operation modes. Hit Factory Studios Debut First Plug-In: HitVerb The first, Original, strictly replicates the sound quality and controls of the hardware unit. The second, Ultimate, provides a more precise tape machine emulation and includes another parameter, Low-Frequency Adjust, allowing the user to “calibrate” the processing through over- or under-compensation. The control knobs offer ten times the resolution of those in Original mode. The rest of the features are available in both modes. They include knobs for Input Gain, Drive (called “Drive Level” in Ultimate mode), High Frequency adjust and Output Gain. The High Tape Speed button switches the emulated tape machine response from 15 ips tape speed to 30 ips, subtly changing the sound quality. Four Preset buttons allow you to save and compare settings. For input, output, and drive levels, ladder-style meters with ten levels each are included, making it easy to see the effects of your settings. An information panel provides numerical readouts of key parameter settings and status. SPL Machine Head is available singly ($69) and as part of selected Plugin Alliance bundles. Get more info from Plugin Alliance.

MIX VERDICT: THREE-BODY TECHNOLOGY CENOZOIX COMPRESSOR PLUG-IN THE TAKEAWAY: “If I could have only one compressor plug-in, the Cenozoix Compressor might just be it.” COMPANY: Three-Body Technology (distributed by Plugin Alliance) • www.plugin-alliance.com PRICE: $124.99 PROS: • 24 compressor types including 12 vintage emulations. • Ability to switch types while audio plays. • More adjustable parameters than on most compressors. • Unprecedented control over attack and release parameters. • Fully featured sidechain section. CONS: • Switchable harmonic distortion hardly impacts sound. • Manual vague about using input/output histogram. New York, NY (August 21, 2024)—Engineers use compressors not only for transparently controlling dynamics but also like a sonic spice rack that can imbue a track or mix with the unique sonic characteristics of a particular compressor type. Whether it’s a generic type of compressor design, such as VCA, opto, FET or tube, or the sound of a specific analog unit—1176, LA-2A, Fairchild 670, etc.—it’s useful to have a collection of compressor flavors at your fingertips. That said, assembling an à la carte plug-in collection that covers most of the possibilities, both vintage and modern, can be expensive. An alternative and more affordable approach is to purchase a plug-in that offers multiple compression types. The Cenozoix Compressor from Three-Body Technology (Mac/Win) is perhaps the most comprehensive multi-flavor compressor on the market. It provides 24 different compressor styles, including 12 based on classic analog compressors and 12 TBT originals, many of which are tailored for specific source types. One of its most significant advantages over single-flavor compressor plug-ins is that you can flip through the different compressor styles while listening, making it easy to find the best-sounding choice for a given track. However, that’s not the only impressive aspect. It offers extraordinary control over compression parameters—particularly attack and release. IN CONTROL The GUI offers plentiful visual feedback and is dominated by a large display called the Waveform Panel, which shows scrolling real-time vertical waveforms going from right to left in two shades of gray. Dark gray represents the input level, and light gray the post-compression level. A green line from the top of the display shows gain reduction. A horizontal blue line, which you can drag up and down, represents the Threshold. A Threshold Panel, which can be toggled on and off, sits on the left side. It’s a continuation of the Waveform panel featuring a large, blue, draggable control point and a blue line representing the Threshold curve. The curve changes shape based on the compressor type selected and specific parameter settings. The panel also includes a vertically oriented histogram showing the average levels of the input and output signal. The Level Meter Panel, which features vertically oriented Input, Output and Gain-Reduction meters, is on the far right of the GUI. Input and Output level controls can be accessed by clicking the In/Out button just above the display on the upper right. The Cenozoix Compressor provides multiple compressor types plus unusually deep parameter control. 12 CLASSICS, 12 NEW Choosing a compressor type is simple. Clicking on the Style Panel opens boxes for selecting each of the 24 choices. The top row features the classic compressor emulations, and the bottom row the TBT originals. For the former, TBT can’t—for intellectual property reasons—say which analog unit each one is based on, but the name and different knob designs offer clues. The 12 TBT-created compressor types are designed as starting points for specific sounds, tasks or sources. They include Clean, Tight, Open, Natural, Vocal, Pluck, Smooth, Drum, Hard, Loud, Bus and Mastering. Like the emulations, they sound quite good and offer even more adjustable parameters. In version 1.1, TBT introduced switchable harmonic distortion to the plug-in. By pressing the Drive button at the bottom of the GUI, you can add it to the signal and adjust it between 50 and 200 percent. By default, the distortion you get matches the compressortype selected. However, you can mix and match as well. The effects of this feature are incredibly subtle. Adjusting the Attack and Release controls to their fastest settings created significantly more (desirable) distortion than turning the Drive on. I also couldn’t hear much difference when switching between the various Drive types. WHAT’S YOUR ALIAS? Overall, though, the sonics on all the compressors in the plug-in are quite good, due in part to the anti-aliasing technology. The compression process generates high harmonics that cause aliasing distortion. Rather than providing conventional oversampling as the default preventative, TBT borrowed a technology called Anti-Derivative Antialiasing (ADAA) from its parent company, Native Instruments, saying that it reduces aliasing with a lower CPU load than oversampling. The plug-in automatically switches to oversampling during the attack/release stage, when ADAA is less effective. Because it uses ADAA at other times, it saves CPU power. If you don’t mind the extra strain on your computer and the added latency, you can switch to the plug-in’s standard oversampling feature, which offers 2, 4, 8 and 16x options. Opening the Style Panel shows the available compressor types. PARAMETERS AND CONTROL The compression controls on the Cenozoix Compressor are unusually deep, with available adjustable parameters changing based on the compressor-type selected. Most compressors in the Modern section have complete or close-tofull parameter sets. Many of the emulative types have some controls grayed out to match the original technology more closely. In addition to common compression parameters like Input Gain, Threshold, Attack and Release time, Makeup (gain, with auto option), Dry Mix (wet/dry control) and Knee, there are quite a few unique ones. A parameter called Range reduces the gainreduction range. For example, if you wanted to severely restrict a track’s dynamic range, you could bring the Range slider down to a specific and relatively low amount, say, -5 dB, and then set the threshold low enough so that every note triggers the compressor. The compression will then be identical on every note. The Odd-Even knob lets you choose or blend odd- and even-order harmonics, the latter providing more of a tube-like sound. Many of the plug-in’s unique adjustments impact the Attack and Release parameters. On the attack side, the Clamp knob dials in a secondary compression pass, which is designed to capture transients that get through the initial compression. The process happens so fast that it doesn’t add any noticeable latency. Clamp is useful when you want to control the transients but prefer not to make the attack time too fast, which can make a track sound more obviously compressed. You can vary the percentage of the Clamp effect to find the setting you like. De-Click is designed to remove the clicky sound of hard transients, such as the snap of a snare drum. It’s more subtle than Clamp, but I found it handy in certain situations. Bettermaker VSPE — A Mix Real-World Review The other attack parameter adjustment is the Punch/Pump slider. It’s like having a transient shaper built into the compressor. Slide it toward Punch to accentuate the transients and toward Pump to soften them and add sustain. In addition to the standard Release time parameter, you get several other valuable, related controls. The Tight knob makes the compressor respond more quickly to low-frequency information. Turning it to the right from its default of 0 percent (12 o’clock) adds tightness and harmonics to the lows. Turning it left does the opposite. The Sensitive knob makes the compressor respond more adaptively to transients, depending on whether they’re short or more sustained. When turned up full, it will function almost like an autorelease control. If you want full auto-release, you can turn that on by pushing the A button. That will override the manual release settings. EVEN MORE OPTIONS The Peak/RMS knob, which is only available on the Modern Style compressors, can significantly change the processing behavior. The closer the knob is to the Peak side, the more transient control; the closer to RMS, the smoother the response. On many of the Modern styles and on the US VCA style is a knob for switching or blending between Feed-Forward and Feedback compression architecture. There is also a fully featured sidechain that offers internal or external sidechain detection. Side Chain Stereo Mode allows you to choose LR (left/right), MS (mid-side), Mid, Side, M to S (mid signal controls processing of sides) and S to M (side signal controls processing of mids). You can also adjust the balance of the compression between Left and Right or Mid and Side. INTO THE CENOZOIX ERA If I could have only one compressor plug-in, the Cenozoix Compressor might just be it. I love its vast range of vintage and modern compressor styles and the ability to switch between and compare them with the audio playing. What’s more, the parameter settings remain the same when you switch. It’s a great way to find the best compression style for a given situation. I am also highly impressed with the vast and creative set of adjustable parameters, which provide more control than most compressors, whether plug-in or hardware.

New York, NY (June 3, 2024)—Universal Audio’s latest plug-in is based on its vintage 6176 tube channel strip, which featured both the 610 mic preamp/EQ and the 1176, a classic, aggressive-sounding FET compressor. The plug-in version ups the ante by including a model of a second iconic compressor, the tube-based, opto-driven LA-2A, and gives users the ability to switch between the two. The LA-6176 is available in UADx (Native) and UAD-2/Apollo formats. The UAD-2 version of the plug-in is “Unison Enabled,” meaning when you use it with an Apollo interface, the hardware adjusts the mic input impedance and gain staging to match the original hardware. The preamp section of the LA-6176 contains a five-position stepped Gain knob that provides plus-minus 10 dB of gain. The impedance can be switched from Line to Mic level, with the latter offering impedance choices of 500 Ohms or 2K Ohms. Switching to one of the Mic-level settings on a line-level source makes it possible to overdrive the input. Sound Devices Astral Wireless Guitar System — A Mix Product of the Week When using the UAD2 version with an Apollo interface, you can access the Hi-Z input setting, which gives you a choice of 47K Ohms or 2.2M Ohms impedance. A 75 Hz high-pass filter, polarity reverse and a -15 dB pad are all available via switches. At the end of the preamp’s signal chain is a large knob controlling the Output level. How you set the knob is critical because it impacts the level going into the compressor section and thus governs how hard you hit either the 1176 or LA-2A. Universal Audio LA-6176. Before the compressor section is the two-band EQ, with the High and Low bands providing boosts or cuts of up to 9 dB, and each offering three frequency choices. The high band settings are 4.5 kHz, 7 kHz or 10 kHz, and the Low band 70 Hz, 100 Hz or 200 Hz. Despite it having only two bands, the EQ’s frequencies are well-chosen and provide significant control for sound sculpting. The EQ and Compressor sections each have their own Bypass switch, which is handy for comparing settings with and without processing. A global bypass switch resides in the middle of the GUI. Next in the signal chain is the compressor section. A small switch under the VU-style meter (switchable between showing Input, Output or Gain Reduction) toggles the plug-in between the 1176 and LA-2A modes. The faceplate’s color changes depending on the mode: silver for the 1176 and black for the LA-2A. Each compressor provides a control set similar to the original unit. The 1176 offers knobs for Attack, Release, Ratio, Input and Output. Supplementing what’s in the hardware version, it also sports a Mix knob, allowing for parallel compression. The LA-2A mode features Peak Reduction and Gain knobs and a switch to toggle from Comp to Limit. The LA-6176 is on sale for $99 through June 30, after which it rises to its regular price of $299. The native version of the plug-in is also included in the UAD Spark subscription program. Find out more at the UAD website.

MIX VERDICT: IZOTOPE TRASH THE TAKEAWAY: “Trash will be a boon to anyone who uses distortion creatively. Sonically, it’s particularly well-suited for producers of hip-hop and electronic dance music.” COMPANY: iZotope • www.izotope.com PRICE: Desktop version: $79 ($29 upgrade for Trash 2 owners); iPad version: $79 PROS: • Excellent sound. • Huge selection of distortion varieties. • XY pads allow unlimited sonic blending. CONS: • Many distortion types have non-descriptive names. • Trash 2 owners won’t like exclusion of Dynamics, EQ and Delay modules. • Mic choices for IRs offer little difference. IZotope recently released Trash, a brand-new incarnation of its iconic distortion plug-in, which came out in 2003 and last had a major update—to Trash 2—in 2012. Since then, Trash 2 has retained an enthusiastic following, but the code it runs on is outdated, and iZotope officially discontinued it in 2022. It still works on many systems (I can launch Trash 2 on my M2 Pro Mac), but there’s no guarantee for how long as it’s not receiving maintenance updates. The new Trash was rewritten from the ground up but, a bit confusingly, shares the same name as the original. An iZotope spokesperson told me that the company decided not to call it Trash 3 because it’s not an update of Trash 2; it’s a full reimagining of Trash. Despite many similarities, its code has been completely rewritten and its architecture has changed significantly. One of the major differences is a redesigned user interface with a modern, dark look and an integrated, single-screen design. The latter makes navigation easier than in Trash 2, which requires moving between multiple screens and menus. iZotope also streamlined the features to focus on the plug-in’s core functions of distortion and convolution. Gone are the Dynamics, EQ and Delay modules, along with one of the filters from Trash 2—but I wouldn’t call the new Trash stripped down. It adds powerful XY Pads that let you morph between multiple distortion types or impulse responses, and introduces randomization into the workflow. iZotope also offers a fully featured iPad version of Trash, which is compatible with Logic Pro for iPad. It’s a separate purchase at the iOS App Store. For this review, I used the desktop version. Trash provides an intuitive one-screen GUI that’s easy and fast to navigate. SLEEK AND SLICK The new interface is centered around the large Trash and Convolve modules. Additional control sections reside across the top and bottom, including those for the Multiband display, Envelope (follower), Filter and more. The Trash module features a square-shaped XY Pad that simultaneously holds four different distortion types, one in each corner, which can be selected from a dropdown menu of nearly 70 varieties. iZotope organized the distortion types into descriptively named categories: Distort, Drive, Faulty, Fuzz, Heavy, Retro, and Saturate. Each category offers multiple choices. Some have obvious names, such as Tape, Blues Driver, Amperical, and Triangle Clipper, that give you an idea of what you’re getting. Others, like Citrus Pulp, Soft Taco and Cracked Actor, are more ambiguous, though you can audition them for a taste of what they sound like. The XY Pad, then, changes the balance between the four types based on the positioning of the large red node. The closer it moves to one of the corners, the more that distortion type gets emphasized. By blending four different distortion varieties, you are able to create unique combinations efficiently. If you only want one kind of distortion, just move the node fully into the corresponding corner of the XY Pad. Several adjustable parameters are available within the Trash module: The Drive knob governs the intensity of the distortion by increasing or decreasing the input gain. The Mix knob is a dry/wet control, which also impacts the intensity. Oeksound Bloom — A Mix Real-World Review The display in the Trash XY Pad offers visual feedback in the form of a transfer curve, a line that the manual (which is well-written and comprehensive) defines as representing “the relationship between the input level (X-axis) and the output level (Y-axis).” It changes shape in real-time as you drag the node around the pad or adjust the input gain. The Tilt equalizer lets you adjust the center frequency and boost or cut the gain at the module’s output. Trash 2 fans will likely miss the dedicated EQ module, but the Tilt EQ is effective, although it’s more like a blunt instrument than a surgical tool. The Trash module interacts directly with the Envelope (modulation) section, which features an envelope follower that you can assign to the Trash (input gain), the XY pad and the frequency control of the (low-pass) Filter section. The modulation can create everything from subtle movement to wild effects, depending on the settings. Controls include Modulation, Attack and Release. When you assign modulation to the XY Pad, a visible path (a dotted line) is created between the primary node and a smaller blue one—also movable—that appears. The path depicts the modulation speed and behavior in real-time. The Filter section features a low-pass filter with Frequency, Scream (resonance amount) and a parameter called Heat, which boosts the input gain and causes the Filter to saturate. The Heat slider quickly became my go-to because it almost always improved the distortion and added excitement. If you use high Heat settings, it’s prudent to turn on the Auto Gain and Limiter switches, located between the Input and Output sliders. Otherwise, you could experience sudden jumps in volume and clip the output. Another way to tame an overly distorted setting is to use the global Mix slider near the top of the GUI, which allows you to blend dry audio with the post-effects signal at Trash’s output. BE IMPULSIVE When a new plug-in instance is opened, Convolve comes after Trash in the signal chain, but you can instantly reverse their order with a press of the aptly named Swap button in the center of the GUI. Flipping their positions can significantly change the sound. Convolve is first in many of Trash’s factory presets. Like the Trash module, Convolve features an XY Pad to load and blend four choices, except here it loads impulse responses. iZotope equipped Trash with a generous collection of nearly 300 IRs sorted into 14 categories, with names such as Amps, FX, Body, Animals, Vowels, Textures, Reverb and Water. The overall collection offers a vast array of sounds from an extensive range of sources, including a guitar amp, a barking dog, a metal bowl and a cheap radio. Blending the IRs in with the distortion from the Trash module can add significant depth and color. For most IRs, you can choose between a version recorded with a condenser, dynamic or ribbon mic. The differences were much more subtle than I expected, so I never felt a need to change between mic types. A category called Custom is provided so that you can load your own IRs, using any audio file. The manual recommends keeping the files to one second or shorter. From a control standpoint, the Convolve module is simple. The large Mix knob brings the sound of the IRs into the signal path. Also available are utilities for stereo-izing mono IRs and adjusting stereo width. The multiband display across the top allows you to create three frequency zones with independent distortion settings. CREATING CHARACTER If you’re not into creating settings from scratch, Trash features plenty of factory presets organized into categories by source type (Guitar, Drums, Vocals, etc.) and other factors. For quickly changing a sound’s character, iZotope included Randomize buttons that look like dice in the Trash and Convolve modules and the Preset selector. Pressing the one in Trash randomly changes the distortion types loaded into the XY Pad. In Convolve, the IRs get switched. For the presets, it randomly selects and loads another. I initially thought the randomization buttons were a bit gimmicky, but I’ve since come around. With so many distortion types and IRs to choose from—and with four slots to load in each module—it’s sometimes quicker to keep hitting the Randomize buttons until you find a setting you like. A Multiband feature, accessed from the Multiband display that runs across the top, adds a lot of power by allowing users to globally split the processing into three user-adjustable frequency bands, each with entirely different settings. With Trash’s ability to load four distinct distortion types and four IRs in each frequency band, that opens up a lot of tweakable territory. To create a frequency band, you drag the Crossover Frequency handles on the left and right of the Multiband display to whatever frequencies you want as crossover points. Each Band has an adjustable Gain control. Solo buttons are included per band for auditioning. Some Trash 2 users have expressed their disappointment that the new Trash isn’t a conventional update that brings back the legacy features and adds new ones. That was to be expected. Although Trash’s feature set isn’t as broad as the one in Trash 2, it’s more focused on its prime objective: creating distortion. Plus, it’s intuitive enough for studio novices but offers plenty of settings depth for those who like to geek out. Trash will be a boon to anyone who uses distortion creatively. Sonically, it’s particularly well-suited for producers of hip-hop and electronic dance music. With its ability to load and morph between IRs, it will also be a potent sound design tool. Trash has something even more important going for it: It sounds massive. Whether you’re livening up a boring drum loop, creating a cool vocal effect, bathing an electric piano in warm overdrive or using a combination of distortion and amp IRs for an electric guitar track, I predict you’ll find the new Trash a potent and creative distortion tool.

MIX VERDICT: CENTRANCE THE ENGLISH CHANNEL THE TAKEAWAY: “If the goal of CEntrance was to provide the equivalent of a console channel, they succeeded. However, it’s a powerful tool for live streaming and other online audio projects.” COMPANY: CEntrance • www.centrance.com PRICE: $1,499.99 PROS: • Analog signal chain and processing optimized for voice recording and online streaming. • All controls on knobs and switches. • Impressive sound quality. • Small footprint. • Mix-minus feature facilitates phone interviews. • Limiter on both channels. • SoapBox offers plentiful gain. • Two additional mic preamps in PortCaster. • Easy to use and powerful Compressor, De-Esser and Gate. • Three-band analog parametric EQ. • Protective case included. CONS: • Only one input at a time through the channel processing. • Some might not like the look of the plentiful external cabling. • Recessed switches can’t be operated with your fingers. • Pricey. New York, NY (February 12, 2024)—CEntrance is known for making small-sized, high-quality audio interfaces, processors and converters, among other products. Its most recent release, the English Channel, is a conglomeration of three units: the PortCaster R4S, a streaming USB interface with a MicroSD recorder; BlackCab, an EQ; and SoapBox, a preamp/compressor/de-esser/gate. The three units connect to produce a quality channel strip with all-analog processing. CEntrance says the English Channel earned its name because its components feature “proven British console technology.” Its signal path is all-analog, except for the USB output and the MicroSD recorder in the PortCaster, for which the signal requires conversion. If you want to tap the signal before it’s converted, the PortCaster also has a 3.5mm TRS output. The English Channel can support up to three mic inputs at once plus a stereo auxiliary input, but it outputs a maximum of two channels. Only one input, which connects through the SoapBox, can go through the dynamics processing and EQ at a time. The other sources get plugged in through the PortCaster at the end of the chain. CEntrance designed this product with spoken-word recording in mind. It’s aimed at podcasters, YouTubers, voice-over artists, audiobook narrators and anyone looking for a quality setup that’s portable. The PortCaster offers features and I/O that facilitate live streaming and podcast production. You can also get excellent results using the English Channel as an interface for music recording, assuming you don’t need more than two channels in and out. OUT OF THE BOX The English Channel comes in a sturdy plastic carrying case with a fold-out handle and latches on three sides. Everything fits inside the case, including hardware and cabling. All three processors—each approximately 2.75 inches wide, 4.75 inches deep and 1.25 inches in height—come attached to a sturdy plastic frame that CEntrance calls the “Commander Console.” The component units can also be used individually and are not permanently attached to the console. You can remove them by loosening the set screws on the bottom of the frame. You can choose from one of eight colors for the Commander Console when you order your English Channel. Among the included cables are a pair of XLR-to-XLR jumpers for connecting the audio from the SoapBox—the first unit in the chain—to the BlackCab and then to the PortCaster. Power comes from a 5V USB-A power block, which you plug into the SoapBox with an included USB-C cable, which connects to a USB-C to-A adapter and a USB-A 5V power block. To get the power from the SoapBox to the BlackCab and PortCaster, two more USB-C cables are included, and they plug into ports on the lower front panels of the BlackCab and PortCaster. When the power cables are connected, a single switch on the SoapBox turns all three units on or off. One of the big selling points of the English Channel is that all of its controls are tactile—there are no screens or menus to navigate like there would be on a digital device. This allows for faster adjustments during a live production, where there isn’t time to sift through menus. Like other CEntrance products, such as the MixerFace, the controls are small. The knobs are about 1/4-inch in diameter, and virtually all the others are recessed dip switches. SOAPBOX AND EQ The first unit in the chain is SoapBox. It features a mic preamp and three analog dynamics processors: a VCA compressor, a gate and a de-esser. It has one XLR/1/4- inch combo input that can handle mic, line and instrument signals and one XLR output. Using its recessed switches, you can switch on and off 48V phantom power, a High-Pass Filter and a -28 dB Pad. The SoapBox’s mic preamp offers impressive specs: 70 dB of gain and an EIN of -130 dB. Anecdotally, I found the gain plentiful, even when using dynamic or ribbon mics. Keeping track of levels is easy, thanks to a large, eightstep, LED ladder-style meter with columns for input and output. The compressor features a dedicated ratio knob labeled Comp and a Gain knob that’s also a threshold control. It sounds quite good, and its ability to control levels is handy for live streaming. You control the Gate with a single knob, which adjusts its threshold. There are no controls for attack, release or hold, but CEntrance did a solid job setting the fixed values for those time constants. The Gate is quite effective for removing background noise, which is useful when recording spoken-word audio. The De-Esser controls include a Frequency knob (5 kHz to 8 kHz) and a De-Ess knob that controls the threshold. I found it easy to dial in effective settings by turning up the threshold and sweeping the Frequency knob. The SoapBox also sports a Dry/Wet knob, which affects all three of its dynamics processors, allowing you to add a little unprocessed audio if your voice or other source is sounding too dry or sterile. The BlackCab provides a single XLR input and output. The former is for bringing in the signal from the SoapBox, and the latter is for sending it to the PortCaster. The EQ on the BlackCab is a three-band parametric configuration with bell filters. Controls on each band include Frequency, Q and Gain. Four recessed switches toggle on and off a High-Pass Filter, a -20 dB Pad, a Bypass and one called Air. The latter switches in a high-shelving filter to add subtle top-end sparkle. The EQ is clean-sounding and capable. DREAMING OF STREAMING The third and most consequential unit in the English Channel audio chain is the PortCaster R4S, which is based on the CEntrance PortCaster R4D. The latter has similar features but is battery-powered. The R4S combines a pair of mic preamps, rudimentary mix controls, a standalone recorder and a USB-C audio interface. The unit offers Gain knobs for each channel and a Monitor knob that governs the level of the unit’s 3.5 mm Headphone output. The XLR Input 1 on the PortCaster would typically receive the audio signal from the BlackCab, leaving one open input, but there’s a workaround: the BlackCab has a 3.5mm output, and the PortCaster has a matching input. If you connect the processed signal that way, you keep both XLR inputs available for mics. The Input/USB control lets you change the balance between the signal coming from the analog input (or inputs) and that returning from the computer, so that you can minimize any latency. If you create any live-streamed audio, the PortCaster offers several appropriate features. It has a TRS aux input jack (mono, cable not included) that you can use as an analog input for a phone signal to do phone interviews for a podcast or other production. Moreover, one of the recessed switches on the front panel turns on and off what’s referred to as the “mixminus” feature, which is critical for phone interviews. When it’s on, the caller connected through the TRRS port will hear the monitor output minus the return of their voice. Also, each channel has a soft-knee limiter that can be switched in and out of the circuit. If you’re live-streaming, using the limiter reduces the chance of clipping during your program. The Aux Input on the PortCaster can also bring in external audio from a laptop, mobile device or any source on a 3.5mm cable. You could use that input for music, sound effects, or whatever incidental audio you need. The Aux 3/4 knob makes it easy to adjust the level of that external audio. Because some streaming apps require a mono signal, the PortCaster features a Mono/Stereo knob that affects both the USB and 3.5mm outputs. The unit also has a Mono/Stereo switch on the lower front panel for the headphone feed, which is nice when you don’t want to hear the inputs hard-panned. And if all that wasn’t enough, the PortCaster contains a built-in, 24-bit, 48KHz MicroSD recorder. The card slot and the recorder controls, including a one-touch record function, are on the lower front panel. SWIMMING THE ENGLISH CHANNEL I used the English Channel for various recordings, both to the MicroSD card and into Logic. I recorded my voice, both speaking and singing and DI electric guitar and bass. I tried condenser, dynamic and ribbon mics. The sound quality was clear and clean, and the processors were effective. If the goal of CEntrance was to provide the equivalent of a console channel, they succeeded. However, with its mix-minus capability, built-in recorder, physical knobs for critical parameters and flexible I/O, it’s a powerful tool for live streaming and other online audio projects. Some might find its price an impediment, especially when considered on a per-channel basis, but remember that you’re getting three processors for that price rather than just one. If a portable, high-quality, analog signal chain with compression, de-essing, gating, EQ and limiting appeals to you, particularly if you’re creating professional spoken-word content, you’ll find the English Channel a worthy investment.

MIX VERDICT: SONIBLE SMART:GATE THE TAKEAWAY: “The “content aware” processing in Smart:Gate makes it a game-changer.” COMPANY: Sonible • www.Sonible.com PRICE: $129 PROS: • “Content Aware” gating allows for fast and accurate settings. • Plenty of user-adjustable parameters. • Band Suppression feature. • Ducking option. • Mid/Side option CONS: • Target profile list needs more instruments. Smart:Gate is the latest offering from Sonible, a software developer at the forefront of integrating AI into processing plug-ins. The company describes Smart:Gate as “content aware” because it can identify common instrument or vocal characteristics in audio and keeps the gate open only when it detects a targeted source. It’s remarkably easy to set. Insert it on a track, open the pulldown menu, then choose the appropriate Target Profile from a list that includes Vocals, Speech, Guitar Acoustic, Guitar Electric, Bass, Keys, Kick, Snare, Toms and Hi-Hat. (You can also choose “No Target” and use the plug-in as a conventional gate.) Assuming that you select one of the instrument or voice Target Profiles, you then play a section of the track to allow Smart:Gate to recognize the source and create a setting for you. For example, say you’re gating a kick drum track and trying to remove the bleed from the snare and other kit elements: Simply select Kick as your Target Profile, and after playing some of the track, Smart:Gate will open only for the kick components in the signal, ignoring the others. Once it creates a setting, you get plenty of adjustable parameters to tweak further if needed. Some are standard, including Attack, Release, Threshold and Hold. Others are not, such as the Band Suppression feature, which splits the signal into three adjustable frequency bands and lets you set how much or little the signal gets gated in each. After watching Sonible videos, I decided to see if Smart:Gate is as easy to use as the company claims. First, I tried isolating a kick drum track with a lot of snare bleed. Smart:Gate listened to the source track and created an almost perfect setting. Next, I used it to clean up the bleed on the snare track. I had to tweak Smart:Gate’s setting slightly this time, but I soon had the snare in the clear. Next, I thought I’d replicate something I saw in one of the videos—separating individual drums from a drum loop. The loop had kick, snare and hi-hat. Leapwing StageOne2 — A Mix Real-World Review First, I set the plug-in to isolate the kick, and it did so, only requiring minor subsequent adjustments on my part. After bouncing the kick to a new track, I repeated the process with the snare with similar success. I couldn’t get Smart:Gate to completely isolate the hi-hat, which was relatively quiet in comparison and played on the same beat as some of the kick and snare hits. However, there was about half a measure where Smart:Gate did isolate the hi-hat, and I copied and pasted it to fill out the rest of the loop. Smart:Gate also removed hum and buzz from an electric guitar track. I had to do a bit of additional tweaking because the notes were a little chopped off, but it was easy. Smart:Gate also has a sidechain feature that makes triggering the gate from an external source simple and fast. For example, the common practice of gating the bass with the kick drum in the sidechain was a snap to configure and execute. You can switch the detection and processing from Mono/ Mid (the default setting for analyzing and processing mono or stereo signals) to Side for more specialized applications. The plug-in can also be changed from a gate to a ducker. The “content aware” processing in Smart:Gate makes it a game-changer. While it doesn’t have Target Profiles for every instrument, it has the most common ones and offers the option of manual setting, if needed. This may be Sonible’s most impressive plug-in yet, and that’s saying a lot.