- SOFTUBE TAPE REVIEW SOUND ON SOUND FULL
- SOFTUBE TAPE REVIEW SOUND ON SOUND CODE
- SOFTUBE TAPE REVIEW SOUND ON SOUND SERIES
At top right are the original six rotary controls for the non-standard compressor settings, which govern a crucial aspect of the performance of the DS1.
The Softube plug-in actually features slightly more controls than the hardware. Clearly this is intended to recall the experience of using such an iconic piece of kit, but it's risky to ignore the differences between hand and mouse, rack space and screen space, so it's good that Softube have attempted to address this with additional direct-drag modes of control.
SOFTUBE TAPE REVIEW SOUND ON SOUND CODE
And, of course, music engineering is a very human activity.įor the central DS1 plug-in Softube decided not only to port the original code line-by-line, but also to adopt a GUI which hardly deviates from the original in appearance, and which, sadly, is equally resizable. The reason for mentioning this will become much more clear later in the review when I look at the additional plug-ins Softube have derived from the Weiss algorithms, but the point is simply that identical digital code does not yet provide for an identical human response. For example, from a purely sonic point of view I might just be able to replace the analogue mastering chain I have used for over a decade entirely with plug-ins, but both physiologically and psychologically, the difference in operation would very likely have an effect on the result. And ergonomics is not just about comfort, it is also about performance. It seems to me that the user experience was a large part of the appeal of the Weiss units, especially for mastering engineers whose processing chains were predominantly analogue - there are very few other hardware digital devices that come even close. They are very easy to use, and with two banks of 127 numbered saved parameter states, they are easy to recall. The Weiss hardware processors are an ergonomic dream, with nicely weighted, touch-sensitive, switched rotary controls for the main parameters, and square push-buttons for menu items that light when active. Adding to the anticipation is the fact that Softube's DS1 plug-in uses the original code and is endorsed by Daniel Weiss himself, who says that it sounds no different from the original. The current purchase price of the Weiss DS1‑MK3 is still around £8500 - so the announcement of a plug-in version for around 5 percent of that price has understandably aroused attention. The sister unit, a de-esser and broadband compressor, was also on our most wanted list, but the price tag was a barrier when we were starting out, and it remained only an aspirational purchase decision.
SOFTUBE TAPE REVIEW SOUND ON SOUND FULL
My mastering facility at Philosopher's Barn bought a Weiss EQ‑MK2 15 years ago, upgraded it to the full Linear Phase/Dynamic EQ spec a little later, and it is still in regular use. Weiss developed them further over the next decade, and they are still made today.
SOFTUBE TAPE REVIEW SOUND ON SOUND SERIES
When the Weiss Gambit series of mastering processors first went into production in 1998, the EQ equaliser and DS compressor were regarded by many mastering engineers as the pinnacle of digital processing. On any list of classic digital mastering equipment, the name Weiss has to be very near the top. Is it still equally desirable in plug-in format?
Daniel Weiss' hardware helped convert mastering engineers to the joys of digital processing.
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