Here are some more videos from AES in Amsterdam. These videos were first posted on Gearslutz.

Charteroak. I’m tempted to get the new compressor.

Manley shows the Mastering Backbone.

Universal Audio shows their new 1176ae and 710 (previous post).

The 710 Twin-Finity Single Channel, Tube & Solid-State, Tone-Blending Preamp is a looker (but doesn’t look very UA). The main feature of this unit is the “Tone-Blending” knob which is continually variable from 100% Tube to 100% Solid-State. I got to say that I’m skeptic against these type of units, but who knows? It might be good. It’s supposedly aimed towards DAW users. The UA 710 Twin-Finity is designed and built in the USA, will have an MSRP of US$999, an estimated street price of US$799, and will include a single or dual-unit 19” pro rack mount kit. The 710 Twin-Finity will ship worldwide in July 2008.
Read more →

The VCA VU Compressor/Limiter is a emulation of the first commercially available VCA compressor, the dbx 160. Originally designed and sold by David Blackmer in 1971, this solid-state design set the standard for performance and affordability. “VU” is the common nickname for this widely regarded studio staple, famous for its simple control set and firm compression characteristics. The original unit is still considered the very best VCA compressor ever made. Unlike later monolithic IC units, the “VU” uses a series of discrete components for gain reduction, and therefore has unique nonlinearities not found in other VCA compressors—thus giving it a sonic distinction from later models. The VCA VU captures all the sonic nuances from our “golden” modeling unit and the simple control set of the hardware, including Threshold, Compression (Ratio) and Output Gain. Like with the hardware, LED threshold indicators are provided, as well the Input/Output/Gain Change VU meter for which the unit is famous.

Universal Audio

Universal Audio has announced partnership with Valley People, Sound Performance Lab and Empirical Labs to sign licensing deals with UA to develop future plug-ins for their DSP platform. Expect an Empirical Labs Fatso plug-in in mid-late 2008 and an SPL Transient Designer. More plug-ins from these three are TBA.

Universal Audio today announced that the 5 disc Pro Workshops multi-language DVD series is immediately available for purchase at the UA online store. Developed by Friedemann Tischmeyer in Germany, the series focuses on in-the-box mixing and mastering and is the most complete educational series of its type in existence. To mark this launch, from NAMM until the end of January 2008, UA is offering registered UAD users a $20 promotional coupon that can be used for preferred pricing on the individual DVD’s or special discount bundles at the my.uaudio.com online store.
Read more →

Universal Audio today announced the LA-610 Signature Edition, which is a limited run version of the best-selling LA-610 Channel Strip. Only 500 will be released worldwide of the Signature Edition which features US-made New Old-Stock (NOS) Tubes, CineMag(r) Transformers and a unique “blackface” cosmetic look complete with its own certificate of authenticity from Bill Putnam Jr. The LA-610 Signature Edition will have an MSRP of US$2399 and an estimated street price of US$1999 and is expected to be quickly snapped-up by audiophile enthusiasts when it ships in March 08.
Read more →

As I’m sure you know, NAMM starts soon. NAMM is a place to present new products, and I will of course do my best to report about what’s going on there. So what will be there? I’ve heard about a lot of new basses and guitars (yeah, like that was a surprise!) but as you know I don’t really write much about those kind of instruments here. Here are some of the things that I’ve gathered from around the web, and got told about in emails and press releases that have been sent to me.
Read more →

Universal Audio has announced the web release of v4.9 software for the UAD Family of DSP Card’s & Powered Plug-Ins(tm). Version 4.9 includes 14-day fully functional demos of both the new SPL Transient Designer(r) and new Precision Buss Compressor; a classic center-console mix compressor. Registered UAD customers can purchase full authorizations of each plug-in for US$199. For a limited-time, the new plug-ins will be eligible for discounts via the UA coupons issued to existing UAD users as part of the current store promotion at my.uaudio.com, which expires at the end of December 2007.
Read more →

Universal Audio today announced the web release of v4.8 software for the UAD Family of DSP Card’s & Powered Plug-Ins. Version 4.8 includes 14-day fully functional demos of the new Precision Maximizer and Precision De-Esser. Registered UAD customers can purchase full authorizations of the Precision Maximzer plug-in for US$199 and the Precision De-Esser for $99 at my.uaudio.com. For a limited-time, the new plug-ins will be eligible for discounts via the UA coupons issued to existing UAD users as part of the current promotion at my.uaudio.com, which expires at the end of September 2007.
Read more →

Universal Audio, a manufacturer of high-quality vintage audio hardware and DSP software plug-ins for digital audio workstations, and audio console/modular manufacturer AMS-Neve today jointly announced the new UAD-Nevana X2 for Mac OS X & Windows X64/XP/Vista. The UAD-Nevana X2 includes DUAL PCIe DSP cards and all seven of the UA/Neve Classic Console Plug-ins including the 1073/1073SE EQ, 1081/1081SE EQ, 33609/33609SE Bus Compressor & 88RS Channel Strip in AU, VST & RTAS formats. The UAD-Nevana X2 also includes the standard 14 UA Mix-Essentials plug-ins plus a UAD$200 voucher that can be used against any UAD plug-ins at the my.uaudio.com store. The UAD-Nevana X2 will have an estimated street price of US$1499 and will ship worldwide in August 2007.
Read more →