Review

Reviews

By George Shilling and Russell Cottier

Klark Teknik Square ONE Splitter Active signal splitter
Dec 23 2011 Active signal splitter
Klark Teknik Square ONE Splitter

Whenever out on a mobile recording job, it has always been reassuring to encounter Klark Teknik splitter units when interfacing with the house system.

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ACME Opticom XLA-3 Leveling Amplifier
Dec 23 2011 Leveling Amplifier
ACME Opticom XLA-3

The Opticom is a 2U mono opto limiter which combines high speed photocells with all-valve circuitry.

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Universal Audio 2-LA-2 Dual optical compressors
Dec 23 2011 Dual optical compressors
Universal Audio 2-LA-2

UA have been at it again. Previously, the 2-1176 packed a pair of mono 1176s into the space usually occupied by just one of them. And UA have performed another magician’s trick with the LA-2A.

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Universal Audio UAD Plugins DSP powered software
Dec 23 2011 DSP powered software
Universal Audio UAD Plugins

Universal Audio are widely respected not only for impressive hardware reissues and original designs, but also for the quality of the ever increasing plugin range available for the UAD range of cards.

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SSL Mynx and E Series Modules EQ and dynamics based on the 4000 E consoles
Dec 23 2009 EQ and dynamics based on the 4000 E consoles
SSL Mynx and E Series Modules

SSL’s XLogic X-Rack system is now well established with a large range of modules with the flexibility to cater for all kinds of application, and boasting the major attractions of mixer configuration possibilities and Total Recall, utilising the excellent sonics of SSL’s SuperAnalogue circuitry.

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SSL X-Desk Rackmountable line mixer
Dec 23 2009 Rackmountable line mixer
SSL X-Desk

No relation to Monty Python’s Ex-Parrot, nor Nissan’s X-Trail (a derivative of the N-Trail?!), the X-Desk is perhaps an SSL for everyone.

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Groove Tubes The Glory Comp Mono valve compressor
Dec 23 2008 Mono valve compressor
Groove Tubes The Glory Comp

The Glory Comp (GC hereon) is a sister product of the ViPre microphone preamp.

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Neumann TLM 103 Large diaphragm condenser microphone
Dec 23 2008 Large diaphragm condenser microphone
Neumann TLM 103

Georg Neumann started making microphones in 1928. His first microphone, the CMV3 condenser was way better in sound quality and noise performance than the recording formats of the time.

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D.W.Fearn VT-7 Stereo valve compressor
Dec 23 2008 Stereo valve compressor
D.W.Fearn VT-7

Such is his perfectionism, Douglas Fearn spent nearly 10 years researching and designing this stereo compressor.

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Apogee Rosetta 200 Stereo A/D & D/A Converter
Dec 23 2008 Stereo A/D & D/A Converter
Apogee Rosetta 200

This high-end stereo converter usefully includes a FireWire option, George Shilling plugs in his red-hot cable. Founded in 1985, Apogee initially designed filters, and later, armed with this expertise, their converters were soon regarded as the best of the breed.

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Audio Ease Speakerphone Speaker simulator plugin
Dec 23 2008 Speaker simulator plugin
Audio Ease Speakerphone

The clever Dutchmen who brought us Altiverb have been beavering away at Speakerphone for some time. It finally arrived proclaiming to be the ultimate speaker simulator plugin, and includes 5GB of background environment samples.

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Ted Fletcher Audio Gear P38 Stereo Mastering Compressor
Dec 23 2008 Stereo Mastering Compressor
Ted Fletcher Audio Gear P38

King Edward is dead. Long Live King Edward the (P)38th, proclaims George Shilling… The P38 “Edward the Compressor” is the latest in a line of designs from Ted Fletcher that officially started with the Joemeek SC2 in 1993.

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Chandler Limited EMI TG Mastering Pack Abbey Road EQ plugin bundle
Dec 23 2008 Abbey Road EQ plugin bundle
Chandler Limited EMI TG Mastering Pack

Whilst Chandler have painstakingly recreated and customised ancient EMI/Abbey Road circuit designs to great effect in hardware form, many DAW users have also been enjoying the TG12413 Limiter plugins. The follow up to those is this pair of EQ plugins.

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Chandler EMI TG12413 Compressor / limiter plugin pack
Dec 23 2008 Compressor / limiter plugin pack
Chandler EMI TG12413

A few years ago I was lucky enough to use an original EMI TG12345 console which was owned by Mike Hedges – seemingly built to military spec, Mike had acquired and restored it for his private studio.

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Chiswick Reach Stereo Valve Compressor
Dec 23 2008 Stereo Valve Compressor
Chiswick Reach

Chiswick Reach Studio has carved out a niche for itself in the London studio market as a provider of vintage recording technology.

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Crane Song STC-8 Stereo compressor / peak limiter
Dec 23 2008 Stereo compressor / peak limiter
Crane Song STC-8

This is a sophisticated US-built stereo compressor, designed with attention to detail in both function and form. The unit's designer David Hill has taken a very scientific approach: the manual is littered with charts and diagrams. But this approach is firmly based on sonic performance.

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