PRODUCT
TESTS
Newfangled Audio Elevate Mastering Bundle
By Adam Gallant
Newfangled Audio was started by former Eventide engineer Dan Gillespie . After 15 years at Eventide , Gillespie branched out to develop and release cuttingedge products with a unique philosophy that incorporates machine learning and auditory modeling of the human ear . In this issue I ’ m exploring the Elevate Mastering Bundle , which consists of four standalone plug-ins : EQuivocate , Saturate , Punctuate , and Elevate . Elevate is a suite of all the products brilliantly combined along with an intelligent multiband limiter .
EQuivocate EQuivocate is described as a “ precise human ear EQ .” It is a graphic EQ with up to 26 bands based on the mel ( short for melody ) scale . The mel scale is used to express the fact humans perceive pitch in a non-linear way . For example , a difference of 200Hz between 65Hz and 265Hz is close to two octaves , whereas a difference of 200Hz between 1,500Hz and 1,700Hz is close to two semitones . As pitch rises , so do the number of available melodic intervals within an equal Hz range . EQuivocate lets you work within critical EQ points based on this phenomenon as well as switch out of the fixed mel scale and boost / cut any frequency in the audible range . EQuivocate lets users make really drastic cuts and boosts while maintaining a natural sound . In use , cycling through presets is possibly the best way to get a sense of how the mel curve behaves .
Saturate Saturate is a spectral clipper with the unique ability to overdrive a signal without affecting the tonal balance . With conventional clippers , as drive is added , harshness tends to creep in or density in the low end tends to build up — these anomalies are non-existent in Saturate . There is also a “ detail preservation ” parameter that re-introduces lost detail from the clipping process . Much like the EQuivocate , the presets create a great jumping off point to get a feel for the colouration this plugin imparts . From subtle to blitzed out , the colouration is not specific to any genre or instrument type , very usable and very pleasing on drum busses and vocal busses .
Punctuate : Punctuate is a multi-band transient designer based on the same mel scale described above . Punctuate can suppress or emphasize transient information along that same 26-point curve , as well as be shifted to affect any frequency . Use it to pull cymbal bleed out of a snare mic or excite the low end on a kick drum . Well suited for surgical work on instrument tracks containing vital transients that need clarifying .
Elevate : Elevate is marketed as a multiband mastering limiter with a brain . Within Elevate are the three modules , EQuivocate , Saturate and Punctuate , plus a multiband limiter that uses the same mel based filter bank that divides the incoming audio into 26 bands and uses machine learning across the bands to get the loudest output with very little pumping , tonal change , or auditory distortion . The bands ’ attack and release speeds have adaptive lengths , meaning the limiting can be pushed beyond conventional levels with very little compromise in sound or perceived dynamic range .
The User Interface The UI on each of these plug-ins is intuitively laid out with lots of available information that provide feedback at a glance . Meters to the left ( input ) and right ( output ) of the plug-in window show matching Peak , RMS , and Peak Hold data . On the output side there is a very helpful feature that will allow you to automatically compensate for the level change introduced by the processing . This feature is great for making objective decisions that aren ’ t based on having a hotter output . In Elevate , there is a hugely helpful Gain Lock function to avoid jarring jumps in volume when you ’ re cycling through presets or making changes on the fly .
In Use Initially , the tendency was to reach for the limiter and focus my efforts on the master bus . As I gained an understanding of its usability , the individual Saturate , Punctuate , and EQuivocate Plug-ins found their way onto busses and individual tracks within my sessions . With large mix sessions where lots of CPU power was engaged , we have the ability to reduce the number of bands from 26 down to as low as one . This frees up processing power and allows for more instances of the plug-ins to live within a mix .
Newfangled Audio did a great job on this incredibly powerful software package . Elevate has replaced a series of plug-ins that used to live on my master bus and my mixes are coming out louder and clearer . The Elevate Mastering Bundle can be demoed and purchased on the Eventide audio website and more information on Newfangled Audio ( and a free mono synth plug-in ) can be found at the Newfangled audio website .
Adam Gallant has worked in all facets of digital audio production , from music composition to location and post audio for television and film . He currently owns and operates The Hill Sound Studio in Charlottetown , PE .
22 PROFESSIONAL SOUND