Speakerphone 2

[Gamma-UT]

Can't Plogue's ChipCrusher do most of what Speakerphone can, for a fraction of the price?
https://www.plogue.com/products/chipcrusher.html

Some? Yes, but you'd be better off comparing with something like Audiothing's Fog Convolver or Speakers. Chipcrusher is really aimed at computer, console and DAC emulations.

Most? No.

But Speakerphone is aimed mainly at people doing post-production work ("I need the sound of music playing on a radio in a car with its engine running outside this bedroom"). So unless you're doing post, Speakerphone has a bunch of convenience features you will never really need. For occasional use you might as well lash a sampler and convolution engine together with an EQ and some other bits and bobs and not worry about the cost.

[wvshpr]

2005 prices and software protection in the year 2024.

I'd like some of Audio Ease's hubris.

The fact that they took forever to port their ancient convolution engine to VST3, and Apple Silicon and can't launch the Windows version simultaneously talks volumes of the state of the company.

[whyterabbyt]

Speakerphone is aimed mainly at people doing post-production work ... So unless you're doing post, Speakerphone has a bunch of convenience features you will never really need. For occasional use you might as well lash a sampler and convolution engine together with an EQ and some other bits and bobs and not worry about the cost.

needs repeating. usual hubris for from the bedroom producers to think every single audio tool that comes out needs to be pitched at them.

[revvy]

These fancy new names for people's professions.

Back in the day, a 'bedroom producer' was called a builder.

[noiseboyuk]

Audiothing's Fog Convolver

I picked Fog Convolver 2 up in the VST Buzz closing down sale for $30. It's outstanding, and yes it can do much of what Speakerphone 2 can do (which I also own).It's close to being as convenient, if it doesn't quite the breadth of specific impulses. But it can of course do a lot more besides - I'd say Fog Convolver would be more appropriate for 99.9% of KVRers.

[seangm]

Can't Plogue's ChipCrusher do most of what Speakerphone can, for a fraction of the price?
https://www.plogue.com/products/chipcrusher.html

There's also Audiothing's Speakers for $64.35. I don't know anything about "Speakerphone 2" but it seems to be priced at 2006 prices, no matter how great it is purported to be I'd never drop that much money on a single effects plugin.

https://www.audiothing.net/effects/speakers/

[Effectsworks]

I'd buy it if it was cheaper. But Futzbox and Speakers has been doing the job for me in audio post.

[zerocrossing]

Can't Plogue's ChipCrusher do most of what Speakerphone can, for a fraction of the price?
https://www.plogue.com/products/chipcrusher.html

Some? Yes, but you'd be better off comparing with something like Audiothing's Fog Convolver or Speakers. Chipcrusher is really aimed at computer, console and DAC emulations.

Most? No.

But Speakerphone is aimed mainly at people doing post-production work ("I need the sound of music playing on a radio in a car with its engine running outside this bedroom"). So unless you're doing post, Speakerphone has a bunch of convenience features you will never really need. For occasional use you might as well lash a sampler and convolution engine together with an EQ and some other bits and bobs and not worry about the cost.

Speakerphone is sort of like the Omnisphere of convolution and effects. Could you get what it does out of other plugins? Of course. If you add it all up, would it be cheaper than if you’d just bought Speakerphone? Probably not. Where are you going to get an IR of an answering machine from 1992, or the trunk of a Volvo? Most probably don’t need or want stuff like that, so that’s why it’s expensive. You’re not going to sell a billion licenses of this, so the price ends up being high.

I bought it, and when I did, I didn’t do post production, but I do now and it has some in handy. The game I’m working on has several NPCs that communicate with you via radio. Some are AI, so they don’t sound like they’re coming over radio, but instead have a bit of a robotic sound, but still sound like they’re coming from an earpiece. Speakerphone has been valuable for this work, but I still use it to get nostalgia type effects on guitars and keys.

[mckenic]

79 euros?

Yes.

When I log-in its €198 from V1.
Ah well - it would have been interesting to mess with the GSM modules again But I dont have that kind of money for this kind of effect.

[noiseboyuk]

Speakerphone is sort of like the Omnisphere of convolution and effects. Could you get what it does out of other plugins? Of course. If you add it all up, would it be cheaper than if you’d just bought Speakerphone? Probably not. Where are you going to get an IR of an answering machine from 1992, or the trunk of a Volvo? Most probably don’t need or want stuff like that, so that’s why it’s expensive. You’re not going to sell a billion licenses of this, so the price ends up being high.

Hmm not really. Omnisphere is almost a bottomless very high quality and very broad synth. Speakerphone does just one thing very well.

In fact to correct my earlier post, Fog Convolver is more of an Altiverb rival than Speakerphone. It has mic simulators but not speaker simulators. Audiothing have the appropriately named Speaker plugin for that, so while you can do it you don't have it all under the one roof like you do in Speakerphone.

[machinesworking]

Hmm not really. Omnisphere is almost a bottomless very high quality and very broad synth. Speakerphone does just one thing very well.

I don't see the issue with the comparison. Omnisphere does synth and rompler sampler sounds very well, covers the gamut. Speakerphone does all kinds of degraded speaker emulations along with the artifacts, from the sound of audio from a room over, in an airport, through a toy speaker, etc. etc.

It's expensive, I got it years ago on one of the rare sales they have and I use it all the time. Depends on your music, but mine incorporates these elements often. It would be IMO absolutely indispensable if you were doing film work. Does a tarnce producer need it? probably not.

[c_voltage]

About available replacement - yes here were mentioned cool things, like Plogue Chipcrusher. In general can agree that today SP not so unique how was in end of 2000th. Exactly in processing features separately. But it all about convenience \ usability, by what he stay relevant also today.
And imo even today can partially note his separate fx's as more than just usual, for example "Radio Tuning" (cool texture gen actually) and "Telecom" modules. (Ok there is AudioThing Noises and Goodhertz Lossy). But he have different algo's list \ behavior, and i'm sure it's cool co-existment with novaday plugs, without repeating.

Additionally, i'm not a fan of compressors topic, but anyone noticed how much fun punchy work compressor module in SP ? Wild lol. I was impressed once.

And not forget about built in modulation system, at fun modular (wirement) style (+ with signal enveloping ability). Although yes, today it's difficult to surprising anyone by that, after VCV, Bitwig etc. But not often can met such builtin approach in fx plugs. For me it'a another non-obvious gem in SP.

In general, for me SP primarily as convenient "ambience shop" (with instant generation manner, ie without DAW transport - wha i fan of), due to his samplebay engine. And only after, using as intended, for processing of externals thru IRs etc.

When I log-in its €198 from V1.

Hmm ok i did not knew, seems version does matter.

[Calagan]

Does it bring anything more than AudioThing’s Speakers ?

[noiseboyuk]

Does it bring anything more than AudioThing’s Speakers ?

As mentioned above, Speakerphone does speakers, spaces and ambience all in the one place plus effects. You'd need Speakers, Fog Convolver and separate sound effects to do that with Audio Thing.

[zerocrossing]

Speakerphone is sort of like the Omnisphere of convolution and effects. Could you get what it does out of other plugins? Of course. If you add it all up, would it be cheaper than if you’d just bought Speakerphone? Probably not. Where are you going to get an IR of an answering machine from 1992, or the trunk of a Volvo? Most probably don’t need or want stuff like that, so that’s why it’s expensive. You’re not going to sell a billion licenses of this, so the price ends up being high.

Hmm not really. Omnisphere is almost a bottomless very high quality and very broad synth. Speakerphone does just one thing very well.

I respectfully say that you have your head in your anus and have maybe never used Speakerphone.