The Score Magazine December 2018 issue! | Page 39

IGS Springtime Reverb Unit Four-channel Spring Reverb FULL OF SURPRISES! Sound theory Gulfoss Intelligent Equaliser plug-in CALL IT MAGIC, CALL IT TRUE! Continuing the theme of intelligent plugins, we get to Gulfoss. The first time we heard of this plugin, it seemed too good to be true. It claims to use sophisticated algorithms modelled on what the human ear likes to hear. It uses these algorithms to use EQ decisions (up to 100 times a second) to increase the clarity and space of the mix without altering phase relationships, causing artefacts or latency. It sounds like absolute voodoo. It sounds like some Artificial intelligence magic put to work but its creator, an Icelandic man, insists that it was developed using quantum physics, mathematical theorems, and psychoacoustics. RABBIT’S OUT OF THE HAT! The controls are also quite new and although its just 4 parameters, it takes some time to understand what's happening with each one. Recover - finds elements in the mix, corrects eq and phase relationships to bring them to the front ; Tame - finds prominent elements in the mix and subdues them if needed ; Bias - lets you choose if there should be more re-covering or taming; Brightness - More top end; Boost - Tailors loudness response curve, mostly giving the mix more body. We took a mix that we were happy with and used Gulfoss on the master. We were completely blown away at how much it had improved the mix. Its unlike anything else out there. Taming harsh transients, taking out muddy resonances and adding a super smooth high end. All this helped the mix translate extremely well on different mediums. It works extremely well on cleaning up and adding life to individual elements as well. This plugin truly defies logic, its almost like magic and points to a new direction in audio processing It’s been long since we had something new with hardware. IGS is a company doing pretty interesting things including their multi band compressor and other rack mount units. The springtime is quite a quirky piece at first glance. Spring reverbs, in general, are not known for being the most versatile of verbs. They add a certain distinct character to the signal with its modulation and sound. So, spending a rather generous amount on an analog spring verb unit might seem silly. But this unit will surprise you. FOR THE MIX ENGINEER, PREPARED TO GO AN EXTRA MILE Sporting a bit of a vintage look with its large VU meter, distinct mustard colour face and big black knobs, the Springtime looks striking and salient. Inside are two pairs of physical springs, a long one and a short one. They are each independently configurable, so you could have 2 stereo verbs or 4 mono channels. Each channel has its own wet/dry controls, 3 band EQs and bypass switches. Software verbs are dime a dozen and offer flexibility and options like never before but this unit sounds quite different. When you add a bit of springtime, everything sticks together beautifully. The verb blends into the signal rather than sounding like something added on top and adds a sense of space and liveliness to the signal without a cloud of mud washing out the mix. It can be used in small amounts just to glue the elements or it can be pushed for some lovely spring character. It may not work for every application but on the right guitar tone or vocals, it sounds quite distinct and interesting. This unit encourages some experimenting and innovation with effect work in your mixes. This is something not many units can do for a mix engineer. It is a bit pricey , but definitely worth it for engineers looking for some unique additions to their effect racks. The Score Magazine highonscore.com 37