For anyone interested...
Got this by e-mail -
"If you thought Har-Bal was controversial within the professional mastering community then be prepared for what we have in store. The next version of Har-Bal will add to the controversy surrounding Har-Bal. We have been working on reference free algorithms to automatically design near optimum equalization filters for any given track and have had good success.
Enter the Har-Bal IntuitQ
After loading your track a single button press will design a Harbalizing filter for your track that is near perfect. If satisfied, leave the design as-is or manually tweak it to taste, then press the IntuitQ button again.
From our experiences with an early prototype on the majority of tracks little or no further tweaking will be required and the production intent in your mix will be preserved. This is possible because the process does not rely on references or curve stealing. It extracts the necessary harbalization scheme from the track itself and nothing more.
Unlike curve stealing, “IntuitQ?” does not attempt to drastically alter the “overall” spectrum shape of your track. It simple works on filling in the holes and dumbing down overemphasized parts in much the same way as a seasoned Har-Bal user would do it. It preserves the dynamics and ambience rather than the often stifling and damped down sound obtained from curve matching. If your track is well mixed you’ll find “IntuitQ” does little to change it. However, the more unbalanced the mix the greater the effect of “ IntuitQ “, as it should be.
Har-Bal continues to be one of the most controversial tools to date and this version will only add to the controversy as it goes part way to tackling the often touted impossible : Automated EQ.
The new version upgrade will be free to all registered users and will be sent out once the beta stage has been completed.
Har-Bal will be asking for hardcore beta testers shortly. We will send out the necessary files.
You will need to be a registered Har-Bal user"
Har Bal Version 2
-
oddbods finger oddbods finger https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=55496
- KVRian
- 779 posts since 21 Jan, 2005 from The Vale of Eden
-
- KVRAF
- 12977 posts since 29 Sep, 2003 from Ottawa, Canada
Veeerrrrrry interesting.
-
- KVRAF
- 4030 posts since 7 Sep, 2002
They are stealing fun. 
-
- AcousticHippie
- 4769 posts since 12 Mar, 2003
yup... this is going to be great.....
I really liked the first version but this one's going to be better
I really liked the first version but this one's going to be better
-
- KVRAF
- 11385 posts since 3 Feb, 2003 from Finland, Espoo
Veeeery sceptical.. but we'll see. The problem with harbal has always been the 'slightly better than average' EQ. If they'd include a top notch, high performance EQ then I might be even tempted at this.
- bManic
- bManic
-
- KVRAF
- 9064 posts since 1 Aug, 2003
Not necessarily. IF this thing does what it says, it's a godsend for musicians who need to master their own stuff. Playing around with mastering tools sure is fun, but it's also something that takes lots of time and effort to get into. And if this thing works, one can still tweak as much as one likes.Aleksey Vaneev wrote:They are stealing fun.
-
- KVRAF
- 12977 posts since 29 Sep, 2003 from Ottawa, Canada
Also, owning it doesn't mean you HAVE to use it in automatic mode. CNC carving of a guitar's top is certainly more time-efficient, consistent, and accurate... but that doesn't stop people from hand-carving their guitars.
-
- KVRian
- 611 posts since 30 May, 2004
Why havent I got this mail, I am a paying user of Harbal, Well it sounds fabulous that it is free to owners of version 1. Calling it a controversal tool, Well I see nothing wrong in using it before. with the new possibility ? as someone pointed out you can allways tweak it further.
-
- KVRist
- 69 posts since 10 Nov, 2004
something about touting it as 'controversial' sounds very hypey to me. i haven't heard any mastering engineers talking about it or being afraid of it. 'the often touted impossible automated eq' .. stuff like that... turn-off. i'd like hear from experienced engineers who've used it. anyone here?
-
- KVRist
- 465 posts since 13 Oct, 2002
Same info also available at http://www.har-bal.com/announcements.php
-
- KVRAF
- 9064 posts since 1 Aug, 2003
I hope you're right, my money is spent (wisely: on Voxengo plugsdrinelli wrote:They are stealing fun. Wink
Well destroying my tracks is not fun in the long run.
)-
- KVRer
- 6 posts since 19 Sep, 2004 from New York City
rSphere wrote:something about touting it as 'controversial' sounds very hypey to me. i haven't heard any mastering engineers talking about it or being afraid of it. 'the often touted impossible automated eq' .. stuff like that... turn-off. i'd like hear from experienced engineers who've used it. anyone here?
I have used it on a few tracks. The result you get is highly dependent upon several (many) factors, not the least of which is what you put into it. It's sort of like FreeFilter in concept, which is to match your tracks to some pre-existing standard. On the tracks I've run through it, it worked wonders for one, and several others only so-so. You really have to try and make some reference files that have almost the EXACT sonic makeup as the tracks you want to Harbalize, in the areas of instrumentation and ambience for it to work effectively.
Let's see what the new version does in this area. In the present version, you have to make the reference files yourself, or use ones that others have made, which are quite limited in their scope.
-
- KVRian
- 769 posts since 2 Apr, 2005
I've been a fan of Har-Bal for a while, but only for spectrum analysis and comparison. If I identify a problem in a mix, I don't like using ANY eq on the wave file. I prefer to go back to the mix, find the track/s that need tweaking and fix it in the mix. That allows more creative control, and teaches me to mix better. For example - if you have too much energy at 100Hz, do you want to cut the kick or the bass? Eq'ing the mix file doesn't give you any choice.