AudioThing Type A - Vintage Enhancer Plugin - Update v1.2

[Halonmusic]

New audio demo:
https://soundcloud.com/audiothing/type- ... ng-dry-wet
https://soundcloud.com/audiothing/type- ... ng-dry-wet

Sounds nice.

[cturner]

ICYMI, a shootout:

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/gear-sh ... thing.html

[audiothing]

ICYMI, a shootout:

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/gear-sh ... thing.html

Cool, thanks for the shootout, I've just replied.

[Local Man]

I'm thinking of getting this with the 50% off coupon from the focusrite plugin collective.
Would anybody who bought this when it first came out care to share their experience with it? I'm curious to see if it is the kind of thing that is exciting at first but then doesn't get much use, or if it has become a go to tool with staying power for some of you.
I'll try the demo but unfortunately I have a really bad cold right now so my hearing is not so good in one of my ears. I remember liking the audio demos I heard before.

[sqigls]

I'm definitely glad it's in my toolbox.
Maybe Carlo can set me straight, but I'm under the impression that it doesn't work with harmonics, so not sure if it's an 'exciter'?
it's more like a fixed multiband dynamic EQ, is this right? Anyway, it's a great tool for when you don't need to change the sound too much, but need it to cut through the mix... adding 'air' or what not. I like it cos it sounds good without messing around too much.
My only gripe is that i wish the controls from the 'back panel' were available permanently on the front.

Switching back and forth on many of the AudioThing plugs is a little bit frustrating. Outer Space is maybe the worst offender, or the Output section on Valve Filter VF-1 where you need to go into the menu to then bring up the I/O pots, grrrrr.
Otherwise, great sounds as per usual

[audiothing]

I'm definitely glad it's in my toolbox.
Maybe Carlo can set me straight, but I'm under the impression that it doesn't work with harmonics, so not sure if it's an 'exciter'?
it's more like a fixed multiband dynamic EQ, is this right? Anyway, it's a great tool for when you don't need to change the sound too much, but need it to cut through the mix... adding 'air' or what not. I like it cos it sounds good without messing around too much.

I would call it just "enhancer" instead of exciter or harmonic enhancer. It may introduce harmonics if you push it too hard, but with normal operations it doesn't introduce new harmonic content. It's definitely closer to a multiband dynamic EQ (due to the overlapping bands pushing the high content) even though it's basically a multiband compressor. The unique feature is the amount of compression on each band is inversely proportional to the volume of the band.
You can read more about it in the manual: https://www.audiothing.net/docs/AudioThing_Type_A.pdf

My only gripe is that i wish the controls from the 'back panel' were available permanently on the front.

Switching back and forth on many of the AudioThing plugs is a little bit frustrating. Outer Space is maybe the worst offender, or the Output section on Valve Filter VF-1 where you need to go into the menu to then bring up the I/O pots, grrrrr.
Otherwise, great sounds as per usual

I hear you. We are working on a solution for a better UX.

[sqigls]

and that's just one of the reasons you're so awesome

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

I hear you. We are working on a solution for a better UX.

[heyheycnv]

Plus one on moving the back controls to like a front menu that drops down. Switching back and forth from front to back is the only negative with this plugin.
I use it on every mix. Why? Because you can't really overpower a track or mix with it. The blending can go from from whisper subtle to eyes wide open. When you have a session of many distorted guitars and loud drums it really helps clear the mix. Delving into more of what it can do and where to put it.
If this and Fog Convolver were the only two plugins Audio Thing did they'd still be in my top 5 vst makers.

[Local Man]

I've been trying the demo and I am pretty sure that I will have to take the plunge. I love that there is a lot of control that you have with this plugin but to be honest I would probably be using it in a very simple manner. Just throwing it on with the default patch brightens things up in a very pleasant way.
I've tried to match what it does to a drum kit with just eq and it is not nearly as nice (I know this is not just an eq, but like I said, I'm looking to just brighten things up a bit which is usually a task I use eq for). It not only adds high end that is no way harsh, but it also adds depth to the high end. And what I love is that you can use it in broad strokes. Like I said I can add this to a whole drum kit and it just works. With eq and compression (and even dynamic eq) it is usually necessary to treat the individual pieces separately. What sounds nice on snare might make the high hats stand out in a bad way and vice versa. With this it just adds a layer of smooth high end evenly.
I just noticed too that plugin collective promo says you can get 50% off any Audio Thing plugins. I wonder if the plural there means you can get the discount on multiple plugins. If so I'd probably pick up that little speaker plugin as well. I already have Outer Space. And though Fog Convolver seems really cool, I don't think I could do anything with it that I can't already do in Logic's Space Designer.
And by the way, thanks sqigls for the heads up on the i/o controls on the Valve Filter. I didn't even know it had those controls and it really bothered me because it's really easy to clip the output when the valve is engaged.

[audiothing]

Plus one on moving the back controls to like a front menu that drops down. Switching back and forth from front to back is the only negative with this plugin.
I use it on every mix. Why? Because you can't really overpower a track or mix with it. The blending can go from from whisper subtle to eyes wide open. When you have a session of many distorted guitars and loud drums it really helps clear the mix. Delving into more of what it can do and where to put it.
If this and Fog Convolver were the only two plugins Audio Thing did they'd still be in my top 5 vst makers.

Thank you! Yes, a drop down section is what I'm trying to achive.

[audiothing]

I've been trying the demo and I am pretty sure that I will have to take the plunge. I love that there is a lot of control that you have with this plugin but to be honest I would probably be using it in a very simple manner. Just throwing it on with the default patch brightens things up in a very pleasant way.
I've tried to match what it does to a drum kit with just eq and it is not nearly as nice (I know this is not just an eq, but like I said, I'm looking to just brighten things up a bit which is usually a task I use eq for). It not only adds high end that is no way harsh, but it also adds depth to the high end. And what I love is that you can use it in broad strokes. Like I said I can add this to a whole drum kit and it just works. With eq and compression (and even dynamic eq) it is usually necessary to treat the individual pieces separately. What sounds nice on snare might make the high hats stand out in a bad way and vice versa. With this it just adds a layer of smooth high end evenly.

I've spent almost 2 years on this plugin (not full time of course...but still!) and I've tried everything I could to replicate it with other plugins (stock and commercial EQs, Compressors etc...) but it looks like it's impossible with standard tools. The key is in the way the compressor circuit works. Among all things, I think the key element is the ratio that is dynamic instead of "fixed" like a standard compressor.
Anyway, yes, I also use it 99% of the time with just the default patch (which I prefer over the various "mods"). It just works.

I just noticed too that plugin collective promo says you can get 50% off any Audio Thing plugins. I wonder if the plural there means you can get the discount on multiple plugins. If so I'd probably pick up that little speaker plugin as well. I already have Outer Space. And though Fog Convolver seems really cool, I don't think I could do anything with it that I can't already do in Logic's Space Designer.

Yes, you can use the Plugin Collective code to buy multiple plugins, just make sure to do one order, as it can only be used once. Also, the offer will expire soon (29th March) but I'll probably extend it for a few more days.

[Local Man]

I've been trying the demo and I am pretty sure that I will have to take the plunge. I love that there is a lot of control that you have with this plugin but to be honest I would probably be using it in a very simple manner. Just throwing it on with the default patch brightens things up in a very pleasant way.
I've tried to match what it does to a drum kit with just eq and it is not nearly as nice (I know this is not just an eq, but like I said, I'm looking to just brighten things up a bit which is usually a task I use eq for). It not only adds high end that is no way harsh, but it also adds depth to the high end. And what I love is that you can use it in broad strokes. Like I said I can add this to a whole drum kit and it just works. With eq and compression (and even dynamic eq) it is usually necessary to treat the individual pieces separately. What sounds nice on snare might make the high hats stand out in a bad way and vice versa. With this it just adds a layer of smooth high end evenly.

I've spent almost 2 years on this plugin (not full time of course...but still!) and I've tried everything I could to replicate it with other plugins (stock and commercial EQs, Compressors etc...) but it looks like it's impossible with standard tools. The key is in the way the compressor circuit works. Among all things, I think the key element is the ratio that is dynamic instead of "fixed" like a standard compressor.
Anyway, yes, I also use it 99% of the time with just the default patch (which I prefer over the various "mods"). It just works.

I just noticed too that plugin collective promo says you can get 50% off any Audio Thing plugins. I wonder if the plural there means you can get the discount on multiple plugins. If so I'd probably pick up that little speaker plugin as well. I already have Outer Space. And though Fog Convolver seems really cool, I don't think I could do anything with it that I can't already do in Logic's Space Designer.

Yes, you can use the Plugin Collective code to buy multiple plugins, just make sure to do one order, as it can only be used once. Also, the offer will expire soon (29th March) but I'll probably extend it for a few more days.

Thanks for the reply and thanks for the excellent plugins!
I ended up going with Type A and Speaker. These are the kind of plugins I love because they are not about fixing problems or other clinical tasks, they are about adding a unique kind of charm to the signal that really makes a mix come alive.
Your plugin collection is more extensive than I realized so I had to use some self control to not spend any more money that I don't have. That said, and as a testament to your work, this is the first time I was actually compelled to use one of the plugin collective coupons to actually buy something. (I don't mean to sound like a cheapskate but as a father of two small children it is somewhat irresponsible of me to spend any significant money on myself. I only say that because I don't want to imply that plugins aren't worth paying for like some around here do.)

[zerocrossing]

Quick question. Does this plugin add any latency or will it work well in a real time situation?

[sqigls]

0x, 2x, 4x,8x and 16x oversampling modes all report 0ms latency in Ableton Live 9