T-RackS 3 EQ now available...

[elxsound]

Surprisingly, the standalone app is also included, if you want to run your final 2mix *just* through the EQ

Funny.... I didn't realize the standalone was included. I don't know that I have a use for the standalone version, but I guess, you never know?


Still this is pretty cool, since I've often flirted with the idea of picking up T-RackS 3.

[fanfarecircuit]

"IK's Unprecedented All-Range Buy-One-Get-One Free!"

what a friggin' joke this company is.

[Kim Lajoie]

Even if you already have enough EQs, this is worth the download just for the metering alone. Seriously, this is some of the best metering I've seen in a cross-platform plugin.

Even the spectrum analyser is starting to turn me (and those who follow me know that I'm not a fan of spectrum analysers)!

Also... it's not obvious from the interface, but this EQ can have different settings for left and right... and also different settings for mid and side channels! Independent M/S EQ? Perfect for adding stereo width to the upper mids while collapsing the bass to mono.

-Kim.

[grymmjack]

kim; can you elaborate on the sidechain l/r expansion of the stereo field with this? i chose the free eq too. it's a nice sentiment for them to give away the eq part. i'll use the meters probably myself.

[hibidy]

I think the svx uno sucks, but that is probably because I got mine from a magazine I bought....in other words, I had to pay for it

The volume and stuff at the bottom (master, mix, etc) are the only controls that work. The eq's, limit on off, tweeter control, etc are fixed. IF you move any of those controls you get a nag screen......

[Kim Lajoie]

kim; can you elaborate on the sidechain l/r expansion of the stereo field with this? i chose the free eq too. it's a nice sentiment for them to give away the eq part. i'll use the meters probably myself.

Sure.

Notice the buttons on the left underneath the "RESET" switch[1]. The first row has three buttons "L", "=" and "R". When "=" is selected, the EQ settings apply to both channels. When "L" or "R" are selected, the EQ settings only apply to that channel. So, you can have different EQ for left and right.

Below those buttons are two more buttons "L/R" and "M/S". "L/R" is left/right mode, and selected by default. If you select "M/S" for mid/side mode, the "L" and "R" buttons above (for selecting the left/right channels) change to "M" and "S" (for selecting the mid/side channels). Hence you can apply different EQ to the mid as you do for the side.

For the mid channel, boosting EQ reduces the stereo width by strengthening the centre. Cutting EQ increases the stereo width by weakening the centre.

For the side channel, boosting EQ increases the stereo width by strengthening the side. Cutting EQ reduces the stereo width by weakening the side.

Because this is an EQ instead of just a basic gain control, you can actually apply different amounts and types of stereo field adjustment to different areas of the frequency spectrum. You could, for example, collapse the bass to mono by using a high pass filter on the side channel, make the lead vocals more solid by slightly boosting the mid channel in the upper mids, and enhance the "air" by simultaneously slightly dipping the top with a high shelf in the mid channel and slightly boosting in the side channel. All with one plugin instance. This is quite a flexible tool.

Plus, the CPU is low enough to use on individual tracks in a mix. Just make sure you judge the CPU usage when the plugin GUI is closed. The metering takes up a non-trivial amount of CPU that isn't used when the GUI is closed.

-Kim.

[1] Just for fun, also notice that if you accidentally hit reset you can hit it again and all your settings will be restored!

[lotus2035]

Excellent post Kim, I was wondering about those settings...
I noticed the Opto compressor in T-Racks 3 has the mid/side options too...

[loose snare]

Anyone got any tips for installing this freebie along with the Tracks3 (full) demo on a mac and not have the freebie AU overwrite the demo AU?

Apparently that is what will happen.

I still want to keep the demo even after it runs out because I will be evaluating it alongside the Vienna Suite mastering demo after Xmas sometime when I have the time.

TIA

[grymmjack]

kim; can you elaborate on the sidechain l/r expansion of the stereo field with this? i chose the free eq too. it's a nice sentiment for them to give away the eq part. i'll use the meters probably myself.

Sure.

Notice the buttons on the left underneath the "RESET" switch[1]. The first row has three buttons "L", "=" and "R". When "=" is selected, the EQ settings apply to both channels. When "L" or "R" are selected, the EQ settings only apply to that channel. So, you can have different EQ for left and right.

Below those buttons are two more buttons "L/R" and "M/S". "L/R" is left/right mode, and selected by default. If you select "M/S" for mid/side mode, the "L" and "R" buttons above (for selecting the left/right channels) change to "M" and "S" (for selecting the mid/side channels). Hence you can apply different EQ to the mid as you do for the side.

For the mid channel, boosting EQ reduces the stereo width by strengthening the centre. Cutting EQ increases the stereo width by weakening the centre.

For the side channel, boosting EQ increases the stereo width by strengthening the side. Cutting EQ reduces the stereo width by weakening the side.

Because this is an EQ instead of just a basic gain control, you can actually apply different amounts and types of stereo field adjustment to different areas of the frequency spectrum. You could, for example, collapse the bass to mono by using a high pass filter on the side channel, make the lead vocals more solid by slightly boosting the mid channel in the upper mids, and enhance the "air" by simultaneously slightly dipping the top with a high shelf in the mid channel and slightly boosting in the side channel. All with one plugin instance. This is quite a flexible tool.

Plus, the CPU is low enough to use on individual tracks in a mix. Just make sure you judge the CPU usage when the plugin GUI is closed. The metering takes up a non-trivial amount of CPU that isn't used when the GUI is closed.

-Kim.

[1] Just for fun, also notice that if you accidentally hit reset you can hit it again and all your settings will be restored!

hey cool! thanks for this. and thanks for the tip on the reset undo.

i get what you mean now. this makes it much more compelling to use suddenly. i'll experiment with it.

typically i mono-ize the bass sounds through ozones multiband stereo imaging but maybe i can just insert this instead on a track. also i typically widen up the mid-highs and highs, which sounds like i'd be able to do all with this and not use ozones.. interesting.

am i right thinking doing an inverse cut, killing all frequencies besides the ones i want to mess with and sending that to a aux bus, processing with some verb, and mixing back in, would allow a sort of per freq processing? it's one thing i've always wondered how to do, and assume it's as i think it would be like this. without using a frequency splitter and just mixer sends it's possible?

i'm a newb when it comes to this more complex stuff.

[Kim Lajoie]

am i right thinking doing an inverse cut, killing all frequencies besides the ones i want to mess with and sending that to a aux bus, processing with some verb, and mixing back in, would allow a sort of per freq processing? it's one thing i've always wondered how to do, and assume it's as i think it would be like this. without using a frequency splitter and just mixer sends it's possible?

If by "inverse cut" you're referring to bandpass filter (or in this case, combined low pass and high pass filters), then it sounds like you're on the right track. Best thing to do it try it out and see if it's what you're after.

-Kim.

[BERFAB]

Kim -
Great post. I've asked this on another thread, but no one seems to know the answer: Is the T-3 classic EQ the same under the hood as the original T-Racks EQ? Obviously other than the metering and l/r or m/s differences you discuss above.

Cheers
-B

[lotus2035]

Kim -
Great post. I've asked this on another thread, but no one seems to know the answer: Is the T-3 classic EQ the same under the hood as the original T-Racks EQ? Obviously other than the metering and l/r or m/s differences you discuss above.

Cheers
-B

Keep flogging that horse Berfab!!

[BERFAB]

Kim -
Great post. I've asked this on another thread, but no one seems to know the answer: Is the T-3 classic EQ the same under the hood as the original T-Racks EQ? Obviously other than the metering and l/r or m/s differences you discuss above.

Cheers
-B

Keep flogging that horse Berfab!!

I know, I know...

It's funny, but I feel like we've been circling around this question and no one knows the answer. I mean, sure, it's got this doo dad and that thingamabob attached to it, but is 'it' still the same old same old? No one seems to know...

[Kim Lajoie]

Kim -
Great post. I've asked this on another thread, but no one seems to know the answer: Is the T-3 classic EQ the same under the hood as the original T-Racks EQ? Obviously other than the metering and l/r or m/s differences you discuss above.

Cheers
-B

I don't have any insider knowledge, if that's what you're asking.

There are the obvious feature enhancements such as:
- continuously variable bandwidth on the middle bands
- independent l/r control
- m/s control
- the reset trick
- awesome metering
- massive oversampling

As for the internal EQ algorithms... I don't know. I haven't yet put the classic modules through their paces or compared them with the orignals. I've been too busy exploring the new modules and features!

My guess is that they're the same algorithms, but the oversampling makes them more accurate (less warping) in the higher frequencies. Just a guess though.

-Kim.

[lotus2035]

I mean, sure, it's got this doo dad and that thingamabob attached to it, but is 'it' still the same old same old? No one seems to know...

Now now, there's no need to get so technical!!..