Audified STA Enhancer

[kritikon]

Spoke too soon. Power's back on. Some poor sod did a great job out there in the storm. I shall try out this plugin now while I have the chance.

[kritikon]

Bought! Just got the purchase and licensing sorted out before the power went down again. Awesome magic box plug in. Haven't had a chance to check it out in the studio yet, only on the laptop via headphones, but the difference is pretty fkn obvious. Surprised me how much of a huge Eq scoop it is but it works. The saturation seems not too overdone and can be dialled right down, 3 out of 5 modes I can't see me using (maybe for channel manipulation rather than mixing) but the Vintage and Brown modes hit the sweet spot. Bass stands out nicely without swamping mixes and TBH I was happy playing with very low processing levels. Obviously the Eq scoop is the major part of it.

I wouldn't dream of radically Eqing like that on a mix, but f**k me if it doesn't work on everything I threw at it. Had to drastically pull back input/output....6dB on the inputs and 2 dB on the outputs gave an equivalent level but I'll experiment with that.

I put YouLean metering on it...on a track that I'd heavily squashed down to -9 LUFS previously, with STA Enhancer, getting a rough same max peak setting showed the LUFS now at -15! Didn't realize I had so much energy in the mids that were gouged. It still looked like a flat line but double checked and it gave far lower levels when enhanced. Wasn't expecting that at all.

Haven't even checked out the bonus included fx yet. Will do that tomorrow. I need to properly check it in the studio, but f**k me, it really is a magic box. Totally different flavor of enhancer to BBE, but I think it'll be entrenched in my master channel. Brought home to me how fuckin awful my mixing must be though...

Anyway, thanks again Bones. Best $29 I've spent in quite a while.

[BONES]

My pleasure. I agree with every word of your post and the metering thing sounds interesting. I've been reducing the output level until it hits the Limiter after it to about the same level as the unprocessed signa land I find I have to turn it down until it sounds much quieter.

I also realised last week how much of the bottom end I am not hearing in my new Genelecs, when I hooked up my old JBLs as well as the Genelecs. The complement each other very nicely and I've gone back and turned some of the bass enhancement down.

I was very pleased with myself this morning when I put my Underneath the Radar cover on while I was eating breakfast and realised as soon as it started that it didn't have STA on it, just on the way it sounded. The mid range was just so messy! If it was hardware, I'd be soldering it permanently into my Master channel now.

[cprompt]

Is the CM version a cut-down from the full, (as CM’s usually are)? Seems like all the controls are the same at quick glance other than the GUI. I would expect the full version to offer more, sound, etc., yes?

Beside of the missing output level knob it's the same I think.

Dug out my old CM version (which is about 7 years old) and compared it to a demo of the newer version (which is only 6 years old!). Other than missing the output knob and a different UI, they are identical.

If you have the CM version, you're good to go.

[GreyLion]

Thanks for the heads-up on this, Bones! I got CM209 through Zinio and have installed. Total price $4.99.

Incidentally, I've just posted in the Bargains thread about some unexpectedly good deals at Thomann US. FWIW -- They do have the full STA Effects bundle for $24.90.

https://www.thomannmusic.com/audified_sta_effects.htm

[BONES]

I'd rather pay Audified $29 and see them get all the money. I also reckon it's worth paying the $29 to get an Enhancer with an output level knob, otherwise you're going to have to put a gain plugin after it.

[plexuss]

I'd rather save $29. I've spent enough on audio tools. Thanks for the heads-up on the CM - I already had it from a past CM purchase.

[BONES]

Meh, it's a couple of pints and a nachos down the pub, hardly worth worrying about. Think of all the money you've spent on CM.

[Chris-S]

Not so good: the plugin seems to create some DC offset.

Downloaded the recent demo version: This is not affected. So, the CM version (1.5.1) only is showing the DC offset.

[RikkShow]

Double post

[RikkShow]

Not so good: the plugin seems to create some DC offset.

Downloaded the recent demo version: This is not affected. So, the CM version (1.5.1) only is showing the DC offset.

Thanks for confirming. Might have to upgrade once Cubase drops VST2. If there is a VST3 version available in the future.

This thing is the only thing I've found that is close to my old Aphex type C HW. Just need to use the right mode, I prefer lofi or brown.

[El°HYM]

Talking about Exciters and since its seems quite a Niche, there is another interesting one by AudioThing called Type-B.

https://www.audiothing.net/effects/type-b/

[BONES]

Yeah, that's an exciter, it does all it's work on the top end of your signal. STA Enhancer plays with the whole spectrum. It's way less subtle.

[noiseresearch]

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[El°HYM]

Yeah, that's an exciter, it does all it's work on the top end of your signal. STA Enhancer plays with the whole spectrum. It's way less subtle.

Was more @RikkShow as he mentioned the Aphex Aural Exciter Type C above. You are right of course, that Exciters are mostly adding Harmonics to the upper Mids & Highs. Yet, there is a later 'Big Bottom' Aphex and also the famous SPL - Vitalizers, which affect the whole spectrum. Still, all of them slightly different in the end.