can be switched via a bank system. There are also four
effect footswitches, which can be assigned individually
per Rig, and used to toggle pre- and post-amp FX, plus
Action and Freeze functions. Other dedicated switches
are onboard for tuner mode and looper, plus tap tempo.
You can also plug in up to four expression pedals or
external switches, while the unit’s display is sunlight-proof,
according to Kemper. Outputs include dedicated Stereo
Monitor Outputs for driving two full-range or standard
guitar cabs independently from the direct stereo feed,
while there are also two stereo effects send/returns.
The unit looks very promising, while it is quite expensive,
it has the power and immense flexibility of the standalone/
rack units in a form that is ultra-portable, rugged and
stage ready. It should be interesting to see how it does
compare to the Fractal Audio and Line 6 units.
SONIBLE SMART
COMPRESSOR
Plug-in
DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR!
Keeping in line with our general liking for ‘smart’ plugins,
we have found another one for us to take a look at. We
previously reviewed the Smart EQ by Sonible and now
they’ve released a brand new Smart compressor. While EQ is
something most of us pick up fairly easily, compression takes
quite a while to crack. This might be a nice way to develop
an ear for compression and for those of us that feel like we’ve
understood it enough, it can be a way to greatly speed up
workflow. A lot of plugins these days promise some level of
AI or machine learning process to help achieve compression
and they work fairly well but struggle to perform well across
a wide range of different mix applications. Sonible, the
makers of smartEQ and other intelligent EQ plug-ins has just
released their latest plug-in smartComp, which promises to
dial in automatic compression with results that thy claim
sound transparent.
It works based on something called Spectral compression
which as Sonible says- is all about giving a track the
best possible definition and maximum transparency. By
continuously analyzing the input signal across more than
2000 bands, smart:comp acts like an intelligent, ultra-high-
resolution multiband compressor that dynamically smoothes
out tonal imbalances. Sonible claim that once you have
experienced the power of the spectral compressor, which
only applies compression when the AI believes it is needed,
you wouldn't want to mix without it. Hearing is believing,
with the sensitivity dial set to around 50% we could hear
the effect of compression back off in a pleasant way while
still achieving ample gain reduction. It seems to work on
most sources like guitars, vocals and drums without much
artefacts as long as it is not set to 100% attack mode.
The features are fairly common and bare bone, the ones
that you will end up using time and again when dialing in
compressor values. There's not much character or saturation
that you get from this. It's more of a technical mix tool. It's
ultra-clean and transparent. But the smart comps party
piece is the learning mode, which is very similar to what you
find in Sonible’s other EQ plug-ins. To set up you first need
to select the appropriate profile from the dropdown menu,
hit the learn button, start playback in your DAW, wait a
few seconds for the process to complete and as if my magic
instant compressor values appear.
Some AI compressor plug-ins can be a bit hit and miss.
This certainly isn’t the case in Sonible’s smart comp. It’s
undoubtedly smart, quick and easy to use while it produces
compression effects that sound effortless and open across
a wide range of track types. Make no mistake, while smart
comp can do a lot of the heavy dynamics lifting for you it isn’t
for those who haven’t a clue how to set compression values
tastefully. A basic understanding of compression is still
required to get the most out of the UI. It's still very indicative
of the sort of plugins that we will be seeing in time to come.
Tools that enhance workflow, speed and efficiency but
nothing truly replaces a well-trained ear.
The
Score Magazine
highonscore.com
47