BussColors3

BussColors3Demo has eight models: Dark, Rock, Lush, Vibe, Holo, Punch, Steel and Tube. These originally came from sets of impulse responses by a guy at Noisevault, with his permission and blessing—over the years I’ve doctored the impulses until it’s algorithms building new impulses for every sample, on the fly. Because it runs on impulses, BussColors3 is intended to run at 44.1K (it will still run at any sample rate, but the sound will be different)

All of these come pre-calibrated to work as drop-in replacements for ConsoleChannel, if you run Console on your mix buss. That means not only can you have expanded soundstage depth, you can also have tone color much like the big-name ‘digital simulation’ companies—or better.

BUT.

The way the industry cannibalizes and trades on the reputations of classic hardware designers has started to piss me off, so I’m no longer providing the reference to what ‘brand’ these sounds refer to. If you gotta pirate illicit bit data, let it be the secret identities of what these sounds were. If you’re really good I see no reason why you wouldn’t just recognize them from the sound or description alone, that’s the important thing, right?

Dark acts like an old medium-format console, with unusual midrange articulation and a really solid sound when pushed. It’s a classic 70s sound.

Rock acts like that ‘post-70s hit record sound’. It’s a very big automated console with a particular gloss and sheen to it. Rock can be dialed in for maximum slam short of obvious breakup, using the input trim control.

Lush acts like a big lush large-format console, emphasis on big. It’s an alternate 70s hit record sound, more in the softrock vein- pillowy and fat, with airy highs and large in scale.

Vibe acts like some sort of funky old console, with a liquid organic sound but not as big-budget as Lush or Dark. Could bring an old dub platter sound to a track.

Holo brings a particular sort of three-dimensionality to the sound, and conveys a distinct soundstage where locations of sound sources take on a special holographic quality. Particularly if you run it with extra headroom it might suit classical work.

Punch is another classic rock console, with a gutsy rocking quality that’s loaded with punch and impact. Very recognizable if you have these pres.

Steel is a special effect console—it’s sort of lean and brings a distinct acidic, metallic quality to the sound. It could really accentuate the personality of some electronic/DnB/dubstep work. It cleans up lowmid mud and sounds aggressive, not mellow.

Tube finishes up the set, bringing an airy, electric quality like some of the oldest recording consoles out there. Only low-voltage starved-plate fake-tube designs are dull and rolled-off: real tubes bring a lot of energy and presence to a sound, and this one’s not shy with the highs. You can also use Tube in stereo to convert a ‘digital EQ’ into a much flashier emulated analog EQ. Put BussColors Tube first, then the EQ, then ConsoleBuss. You’ll get the hotrod fancy EQ sound and behavior, it’s ‘expanding’ the ordinary digital EQ calculations like they were a mix buss. It may change the calibrations…

BussColors3 is $50.