BIAS first released the Master Perfection Suite last month as part of Peak Pro XT 5, an extended technology edition of Peak Pro 5 that also includes the SoundSoap and SoundSoap Pro audio restoration tools. While currently compatible within Peak Pro 5, the Master Perfection Suite will soon be offered as a separate product with universal plug-in host compatibility on Mac OS X and Windows XP.
The Master Perfection Suite includes:
- Repli-Q (spectral / EQ matching).
- PitchCraft (pitch correction/manipulation).
- Reveal (seven tool analysis suite).
- Sqweez-3 & -5 (linear phase multi-band compressor / limiter / expander).
- SuperFreq (new edition of the 4,6,8, and 10-band parametric equalizer suite).
- GateEx (gate/downward expander).
Power and Precision of Linear Phase
Several plug-ins included in The Master Perfection Suite utilize advanced linear phase equalization algorithms. By retaining the relative phase of the frequency components (partials), waveforms are preserved with high precision — resulting in a much more transparent, and faithful reproduction of the original material. Linear Phase filtering is especially important for preserving the sharpness of attacks — typically present in percussive content — but all material benefits dramatically.
EQ Matching with Repli-Q
As the name implies, Repli-Q's primary function is to match the spectral characteristics of one source to another target signal, but the flexibility offered in the plug-in allows even more. By learning the spectral profiles of the source and target signal, Repli-Q allows the degree of matching and smoothing to be manipulated. In addition, EQ profiles may be easily edited, allowing greater customization and flexibility.
Repli-Q not only provides a spectral matching function, but also the ability to improve an improperly equalized track. Users can also rely on Repli-Q to assist with mastering for different delivery targets. With a stereo mix equalized for delivery in a compressed file format such as MP4 (AAC), Repli-Q can help repurpose it for CD or DVD and can also help ensure equally optimized playback in multiple listening environments. Other applications include voice-over matching where an original take recorded in one environment and an overdub recorded in a different environment need to match.
Repli-Q employs a linear phase equalization algorithm to ensure optimum results. A gain compensation feature compensates for loudness variations through equalization, and a soft clip button offers limiting to avoid signal clipping.
Multi-band Compression with Sqweez-3 and Sqweez-5
The Master Perfection Suite includes two powerful multi-band compressor/limiter/expander plug-ins — Sqweez-3 (3 band) and Sqweez-5 (5 band). Like Repli-Q, both Sqweez-3 and Sqweez-5 incorporate advanced new linear phase equalization algorithms from BIAS. Sqweez-3 and Sqweez-5 both offer graphic per-band viewing/editing of threshold and EQ. Each band may be soloed and/or bypassed individually, and a convenient "auto gain" button compensates for loudness variations due to compression. Additionally, a variable "digital ceiling" slider controls the clipping headroom of the integrated soft clip function.
Advanced Pitch Correction and More with PitchCraft
PitchCraft is a real-time pitch correction/transposition plug-in that also offers the ability to manipulate the signal to achieve creative effects. Professionals can rely on PitchCraft to fix out-of-tune vocals or other single voice instruments easily and with minimal artifacts, thanks to a powerful new pitch-shifting algorithm. The user interface offers intuitive controls with a useful graph that displays the original pitch over time against the corrected signal. Tuning, scale, and key can be tailored for specific needs. Custom scales may be entered directly or via a MIDI controller keyboard, and a handy tuning meter helps provide feedback during parameter adjustment. Transposition can be made independently of correction, and an independent formant shifting slider is also included. Using a combination of transposition and pitch correction by scale type, users can create harmony parts from a single melody line, and independent formant shifting is offered to transform voice genders with or without pitch shifting. Using other combinations of controls, humorous, eerie, and even supernatural effects can be obtained, making PitchCraft a great sound design tool as well.
Professional Audio Analysis with Reveal
Reveal combines seven powerful tools in a single plug-in interface - Oscilloscope, Peak and RMS Power History, Spectrogram, Pan Power, Spectral Analysis, Lissajous Phase Scope and Peak and RMS Level Meters. An "all" view displays every tool in a single window. Additionally, users can select any tool as desired via a tab style interface, or simply click on a tool to expand its view. Users can enable or disable individual tools as desired, and a global freeze display feature is also included.
Gate and Downward Expand with GateEx
GateEx is a Gate/Expander plug-in. Featuring waveform and graph displays and a suite of advanced parameter controls, GateEx effectively removes signals below an assignable threshold while the integrated downward expander helps reduce residual unwanted content. For anything from gating snare drum hits, or areas of near silence between vocal or instrument passages, GateEx is an excellent compliment to the high-end Master Perfection Suite.
Pricing & Availability
Peak Pro XT 5, which includes Peak Pro 5, the Master Perfection Suite plus SoundSoap and SoundSoap Pro, is available now through authorized BIAS dealers and distributors worldwide for $1199 MSRP. The Master Perfection Suite will be available separately in Q1 2006 and pricing will be announced upon release. Upgrades from Peak Pro XT 5 to the Master Perfection Suite with AU, DirectX, RTAS, and third party VST host compatibility will be free of charge when available. Cross-grades to Peak Pro XT 5 from other editions of Peak are also available.
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