Voxengo TEOTE 1.10 automatic spectral balancer plugin released

[Aleksey Vaneev]

I won't argue about usability of TEOTE, I'll only say I'm happy with its sales and user reception. Can't please everyone anyway. (and why apply it on a finished mix that already sounds great?)

That's quite a diplomatic way of brushing aside what I've tried precisely to explain. And I wasn't "applying" it to finished mixes, but testing it on them as well as other types of material and test signals, to hear or measure what it does to them. Even when it relatively improved spectral balance it degraded transients and overall clarity, which I find more important.

That's quite an interesting experience you have. Something I've not heard of in 1.5 years since TEOTE's release. The user reception is usually the opposite and in tune with my own perception: the plugin does improve transients and clarity. Call it "brushing aside" again, but I can't argue as TEOTE is a finished product. If it does not work, it does not work, I can't make it work for you. So, no arguing on my side. This may sound hard again, but my main benchmark is the sales, otherwise it's not possible to see a bigger picture.

How do you rate Gullfoss, if you ever tried it?

[astralprojection]

I suggest you to check TEOTE in a widely-used PluginDoctor, at FX 30-50 setting, which seems usual, and see how it affects the phase. To put it short: it's almost linear-phase despite being minimum-phase IIR. The reason: its filters are not steep.

I won't argue about usability of TEOTE, I'll only say I'm happy with its sales and user reception. Can't please everyone anyway. (and why apply it on a finished mix that already sounds great?)

If you are not using TEOTE, you may sell its license via KVR, license transfers are free.

You must have misunderstood.. I've not yet tried the plugin. My question was out of curiosity. I was not being critical at all, not sure the hostility? I was simply enquiring about how it worked. That's all. Thanks for explaining it.

I'm not hostile at all. But you'll probably need to use a common tool to understand what's meant by "minor phase issues". You can measure it, and make conclusions. My conclusion is that they are "minor", that's all.

Okay, then I apologize. Thanks for the reply regardless, I never doubted its usability, was just curious how it worked and I look forward to trying it.

[astralprojection]

zero processing latency, i would assume then its not in linear phase mode? what are those minor phase issues you mention btw? from a technical standpoint im curious. usually multiband plugins that are not in lin phase mode are great for shaping and altering phase of your input, but if phase is already where you want it, i would assume this does cause some phase shifts? some people are more in tune with this than others but for mastering applications specifically, a phase shift can be either exactly what you want or the opposite.

Default preset (30 bands)

great, thanks!

[J1000]

Why do I get a condescending and smirky vibe from your replies? There's nothing "quite interesting" in my experience. I can interpret your statement that this plugin "improves transients and clarity" in two ways: either you have different understanding of transients and clarity (or the improvement itself) or it's just marketing talk. In my book, anything multiband that has envelope follower somewhere inside the algorithm (i.e. attack/release) always messes with clarity and transients, without exception. And I didn't expect TEOTE to be different in this regard, only that it's spectral balancing act will sometimes be of greater benefit.

I've tried Gullfoss and I didn't consider buying it, but I did buy TEOTE.

I can't argue with your benchmark, though - buyers know best.

[Michey]

Why do I get a condescending and smirky vibe from your replies? There's nothing "quite interesting" in my experience. I can interpret your statement that this plugin "improves transients and clarity" in two ways: either you have different understanding of transients and clarity (or the improvement itself) or it's just marketing talk.

Ummm.... not marketing. nope.

IN MY VIEW, it indeed "improves transients and clarity" (as *I* interpret that statement). it is subtle,
yet easily perceived (at least to me).

Maybe YOU have different understanding of what transients and clarity ? (not condescending here... after having a talk with seasoned mix and mastering tech who complained that even the term "warm" has become vague, and that there are different meanings for different people, it's hard nowadays - esp. with regards to internet forums - to have a common ground when it comes to defining and articulating sensory experiences).

[Aleksey Vaneev]

Transients is simple: attack phase of the instruments, initial "tick" or "snap".
Clarity is less simple to define, but usually it means hearing playing nuances, especially on bass: instead of "wall of hum" you are starting to hear individual notes, even fret movements. Better audible separation of instruments in a mix, subjectively better "soundstage".

[plexuss]

Why do I get a condescending and smirky vibe from your replies?

I'll take some guesses: Because you are projecting? Because you are an over sensitive snowflake? Because you dont know how to use the internet? I've sensed no condescension from Aleksey in his replies. He was generous to even respond to you. your mileage does vary of course -hope it gets you where you want to go.

[Lesha]

A new update is available

Voxengo TEOTE 1.11

This update includes the following changes:

* Added the "CS" topology mode, it is now the default mode. It is
similar to the "S" topology, but with softer higher frequencies,
similar to the classic "C" mode: more "vintage", less "modern".

[Erik_Lucas]

Trying out 1.11. Thanks Aleksey!

[crickey13]

I suggest experimenting with 4 different transient responses that are located above the FX knob. I remember the third one being quite interesting.

I hope Aleksey adds more of these, they're very useful when you want to bring out an alternative flavor in the transient response and when the default mode doesn't quite cut it.

[LeVzi]

As much as generally like Voxengo plugins and have bought TEOTE right after it's release, I'm not using it at all.

First, whichever material I put into it that already sounds great to my ear i.e. already being fully polished, EQ-ed, compressed etc., TEOTE always does the same thing to it - dynamically reduces (lower) midrange and boosts highs. That doesn't sound "easy on the ear", but bright and flimsy. Some resonances should occur in that frequency range and it's one of most pleasing musical aspects of any acoustic or even electronic instrument. I don't want it flattened so that overall curve responds closely to some noise profile, even if it's corrected to equal loudness contour. Music shouldn't be corrected to be more noise-like.

Second, the nature of multiband splitting introduces problems of it's own, the most crucial of them being overlapping ranges. No matter how many bands you choose, sine signal will activate adjacent bands and always produces V-shaped response. You just can't engage single band without activating (many) bands beside it. So, whether it's sine-like signal, noise or anything in between, multiband compressors (which TEOTE technically is) act the same way in terms of produced curvature. This is just inherent drawback of this approach. I choose ReaFIR for any surgical resonance-taming tasks and use regular EQ to get the overall mix balance. That sounds best to my ear.

So let me try to understand this.

The material you used already sounds great.

What do you want to happen with TEOTE then ? There is no compulsion to use TEOTE if the mix is already bang on, you are trying over polish something. Maybe find something that isn't quite as polished and use it on that.

I few times i've taken it off after using it, because it didn't add anything, and I don't like leaving things on the mastering chain that really aren't helping.

[bmanic]

.. also, you can limit the range of operation in TEOTE with the filters, precisely targeting the area you want it to affect. I think this is a case of user error/inexperience.

[Unaspected]

.. also, you can limit the range of operation in TEOTE with the filters, precisely targeting the area you want it to affect. I think this is a case of user error/inexperience.

Can the width be adjusted and cutoffs shifted? Because that could help to negate any phase smearing that might take place around the cutoff frequencies.

I love Voxengo plugins but this isn't the kind of plugin that I feel I need so I didn't demo it.

[bmanic]

No, the bands are always a predefined width and position, divided by the number of bands chosen. You can't choose the width. However, there is ZERO phase shift as long as the band isn't doing any gain movement (up or down). It's completely flat. Thus, by limiting the range with the 'Apply to range' button of the filters, you get to choose where the phase shift happens and with the main FX knob you get to determine how severe it is.

TEOTE is remarkably phase coherent, even with rather heavy processing. You can easily use it as a parallel process without a big penalty.

[Unaspected]

No, the bands are always a predefined width and position, divided by the number of bands chosen. You can't choose the width. However, there is ZERO phase shift as long as the band isn't doing any gain movement (up or down). It's completely flat. Thus, by limiting the range with the 'Apply to range' button of the filters, you get to choose where the phase shift happens and with the main FX knob you get to determine how severe it is.

TEOTE is remarkably phase coherent, even with rather heavy processing. You can easily use it as a parallel process without a big penalty.

Reducing the number of bands and limiting their range should be enough to avoid smearing of the transients then.

Sounds like a well designed product.