Pirate VST

Virtual Buss Compressors is a suite of three unique-sounding dynamic processors, all 100% modeled after top analog mastering gear and thus ideal for program material.
Every nuance of real analog compressors has been modeled, including the exact nonlinear characteristics of their transformers, tubes, VCAs, amplifiers, phase distortions, harmonic distortions, and timing.

FG-RED
This compressor is based on the classic RED-faced compressor that has been a favorite of mix legend Chris Lord Alge, who first showed it to me when I visited his studio years ago. I thought it was odd actually: here was this compressor that nobody else seemed to really use, and it was on a setting at 1.5:1 and the attack looked very fast for a Mix-Buss compressor. This was puzzling because I usually associated a faster attack with a loss of transient punch, but if you’ve heard Chris’s mixes you know that they are the exact opposite of that! So being the classic gearslut, I bought one, (I got the unit with both input and output transformers). The first thing I did was put it on my mix in the settings that Chris showed me… 1.5:1, attack around 10/11 o’clock, auto release, compressing just 2-3db tops. And…. WOW! One of the clearest, punchiest sounding rock mixes I’d ever heard come out of my own speakers. This unit was amazing!!!

When Fabrice and I analyzed the RED, we found out that it was indeed a very unique beast. The attack and auto-release work in an interesting way and are very musical, but the real magic we found was in the output section! We found that just pushing the makeup gain a few db did some insane things to the sound! A little push and things got a ton more punchy, fat, and aggressive. After more examination, we realized that this was due to a series of nonlinear reactions caused by the output transformer. Howie Weinberg, the famous mastering engineer who has a studio on our campus, let us in on a little secret: He uses his RED not for compression, but just to use the output gain to get that amazing effect! So I decided to do something that the original unit cannot…I put that output transformer effect on a knob called DRIVE. When you push the DRIVE knob, you get a beautiful punch and articulation of the transients, and you can control just how much you want, regardless of whether or not you use the makeup gain! Famous rock mixer Justin Netbank beta tested the FG-RED and loves the drive, suggesting ‘6.6’ as the magic number. But you can try cranking it all the way for an interesting effect!

FG-GREY
The FG-GREY starts off with a very precise model of the classic British “4000 series console compressor”. I’ve used the hardware model for many years but I never fully appreciated just how magnificent the piece is until studying it during the modeling process. It has a way of being able to tighten and ‘gel’ the components of a mix in ways that can go from fairly transparent in auto-release mode, to very aggressive in manual mode.

We did a small mod to the circuit in our virtual model which I think you’ll really enjoy. We took the classic British discrete transformer and added some of its characteristics to the signal path. This does something amazing to the clarity of the midrange and bottom end, where the hardware unit tends to start sucking out too much bottom as you start to compress more. The hardware unit can also get slightly ‘choked’ in the mids as well, but our virtual transformer stage keeps the bottom big and round and the midrange more open, while still retaining the classic sound of the original unit. You’ll notice that there is a bit less of a drop in the bottom and the rich mids will still be nice and present when you heavily compress with the FG-GREY – I love it in both manual and auto mode, and it’s amazing on drums and guitars too!

FG-MU
I’ve been lucky enough to hear and use some of the most classic and hard-to-find tube buss compressors on the planet (like the Fairchild 670 and Manley Vari Mu), and let me tell you, there is some real magic that happens when your mix goes through a brilliantly-designed piece of tube gear. The midrange thickens, the lows get tighter and rounder, and the top end opens up with a beautiful sparkle… even better, those harsh upper mid overtones seems to get tamed too. For the FG-MU, we put all of these wonderful qualities into the algorithm. To experience FG-MU for the first time you don’t even have to do any compression, as just going through the processor without any gain reduction will reveal a beautiful open sound due to the modeling of the tube circuit path. Even when I’m using the FG-GREY or FG-RED, I love using the VBC Rack just so I can have the audio pass through the FG-MU!

But the FG-MU is an amazing-sounding compressor in its own right. If you scan through the presets, you’ll get a great idea of what its capable of. Smooth rich compression, fat warm compression, and even slightly aggressive compression. Overall, this is a processor that has tons of analog mojo and vibe for days. A sure hit on your ITB mixes!

Digital recording is now the standard for professional music production. But many engineers and musicians long for the days of analog recording, and for good reason.

Analog Tape Machines have a SOUND.

Big, fat, warm, deep, rich and exciting are just some of the terms used to describe what recording onto a piece of magnetic tape sounds like. To those that know, tape is simply more musical.

VIRTUAL TAPE MACHINES

To capture the sound of tape is to capture a living, breathing sound that dynamically reacts to the music going on to it. Slate Digital Chief Technology Officer Fabrice Gabriel utilized his electrical engineering degree as a foundation for a comprehensive study of the physical processes that occur when recording to analog tape through a tape machine. What began with science led to Fabrice’s discovery of the seemingly magical properties of tape, and inspired him to create his most advanced and dynamic algorithms yet. Two industry-standard machines were precisely modeled, after which followed a year of critical listening and algorithm tweaking, with some help from the expert ears of Slate Digital CEO, Steven Slate.

With models of both a 2 inch 16 track from NRG Recording, and a ½ inch 2 track machine from Howie Weinberg Mastering, the VTM will give your mixes an absolutely authentic analog vibe that will take your mixes to the next level. With added dimension, fatness, depth, and warmth, you’ll wonder how you ever mixed without it!

Features

– Two tape machine types:
– 2″ 16 track
– 1/2″ mastering deck
– Two tape formulations
– Two speeds: 15 ips and 30 ips
– Noise reduction control and auto mute
– Wow & Flutter control
– Bass alignment control
– Normal, Low & High Bias settings
– Level Calibration
– VU ballistics
– Grouping control
– Settings global or per channel
– Tape reels start and stop in sync with DAW transport

FG-X Virtual Mastering Console Dynamics Module is the initial plug-in in Slate Digital’s mastering line.

The Concept
Imagine mastering your mixes without causing the lifeless, squashed, and over compressed sound that has become so common in modern music. We have all been at the mercy of the “loudness wars” for over ten years now. Masters have become louder and louder, at the expense of the music becoming harsh and lacking punch and dynamics. One of the main causes of this epidemic is the use of the Peak Limiter to achieve increased levels in the mastering stage. Peak limiters attenuate transients and often reduce punch, stereo imaging, can greatly alter mix balances, and cause a fatiguing result to the ears.

Some of the top mastering engineers have found ways to combat this sonic degradation by using techniques other then Peak Limiting. One of the more popular techniques is the use of saturation in both the analog and digital domain. Another popular method is clipping the front end of expensive A/D converters.

However, both of these methods, while usually more unobtrusive then peak limiting, have their downfalls. Static saturation curves are not universal in their ability to sound good on all transients. Clipping greatly reduces low end punch and is very poor at retaining sub bass. Both static saturation and clipping have a small window of gain maximizing before audible distortion. Enter Slate Digital.

FG-X Dynamics Rack
Two years ago Steven Slate and expert algorithm engineer Fabrice Gabriel started working out the concept for a digital audio process that could increase the level of a mix without altering the punch and dynamic feel, or make the mix sound squashed and lifeless. They started by researching saturation curves and their effect on various types of transient material. After several months of study and hundreds of listening tests, they made some fascinating discoveries. What they found, was that in order to transparently add level to a mix, a dynamic and intelligent transient saturation system would have to be developed.

New Advanced Algorithms were created to execute the extremely complex communication system that would be needed to properly perform the new dynamic operations. A new algorithm was formed, and the process was named “Intelligent Transient Preservation”, or ITP.

ITP – Intelligent Transient Preservation
The ITP process uses a complex lookahead detection algorithm to analyze oncoming transients and groups of transients. It then optimizes a specialized set of saturation curves for that specific transient. For example, if the ITP algorithm’s lookahead identifies a kick drum transient, it will optimize the algorithm so that it preserves low frequency energy. For a snare drum transient, it will optimize the algorithm to preserve upper mid range punch. The result is the most transparent means of level maximization the industry has ever heard, with extreme transparency, and no degrading artifacts common to peak limiters.

Control
The FG Level maximization plug-in offers the user complete control of their mix, before and after the level maximization process. The Transient function contains two controls to fine tune mix transients. Enhance allows you to transparently increase the level of the transients in a mix, increasing the punch and dynamics without altering other elements of the mix. Detail adds more clarity and focus to the transients, perfect for buried snares or kicks. You will find the Transient functions not only ideal for mastering, but as great tools for the mixbuss and even drumbuss.

After the ITP powered Gain maximizer, there is a function called Impact. This new process can make even the loudest masters sound more dynamic, open, and punchy, even though the master has much more limited dynamic range then the mix.

Be Safe
In the rare case that a mix has poor frequency balance or small bursts of low frequency energy (such as a quick floor tom hit), the Safety slider prevents unwanted distortions or crackles, that until now have been extremely hard to prevent or tame. The dynamic multiband Safety algorithm reacts quickly and backs off quickly, allowing the FG Level to remain transparent and create worry free masters without artifacts.

Mastering Quality Compression
Some mastering compressor plug-ins try to emulate vintage analog units and add color, harmonics, and different filters that change the way your mix sounds. Most top mastering engineers use very little or no compression. When they do use compression, they use only the most transparent compressors that will not alter the tone or balance of the mix.

Slate Digital says the FG Dynamics plug-in is a true mastering quality compressor meant to control the dynamics of your mix in the most transparent way possible, not to color it with digitally modeled harmonics or distortions. The FG Dynamics compressor assumes that you have used your favorite color or tone compressor to achieve the sound on your final mix. It is the job of the FG Dynamics compressor to maintain that quality, not alter it. The advanced dynamics algorithm is claimed to be so transparent, you’ll wonder if its on.