Avid Pro Compressor
At Winter NAMM, Avid announced the launch of its Pro Series line of AAX Native and AAX DSP plug-ins. The first plug-ins in the series are Pro Compressor, Pro Expander and Pro Limiter, joining an expanding line-up for the AAX platform.
Based on the Avid Channel Strip plug-in, which emulates the dynamics characteristics of the Avid System 5 console, the Pro Compressor AAX plug-in enables users to quickly and easily optimize the compression for mono and multichannel material. Pro Compressor offers four advanced compression detectors, plus a SMART mode to change how the compressor sounds and reacts. The Average detector levels sounds by calculating the average loudness; Peak detector optimizes sounds based on a set threshold; Fast Peak detector smooths transient-heavy tracks (such as drums) using faster attack and release times; RMS detector acts as an “all around” enhancer/optimizer; and the default SMART mode analyzes audio and morph between the four detectors, compressing tracks without distortion or pumping.
Find more information about Avid’s Pro Compressor plug-in.
Avid Pro Expander
Avid’s Pro Expander is likewise based on the Avid Channel Strip plug-in. Pro Expander offers a look-ahead mode; upward mode for increasing the dynamics of the audio signal and use it creatively in combination with steep Q sidechain filter settings or an external key input to selectively modify parts of the frequency spectrum or re-emphasize the rhythm of the composition; and four advanced expansion detectors (Average detector, Peak detector, Fast Peak detector, RMS detector, and default SMART mode.
Find more information about Avid’s Pro Expander plug-in.
Avid Pro Limiter
Developed from the ground up, the Avid Pro Limiter enables users to maximize the loudness of a mix—in up to 7.1 surround—without distortion or harshness. Designed to be completely transparent sounding, the plug-in prevents audio from clipping and pushes the volume of a mix further, while preserving the sonic quality and underlying dynamics of the performances. Pro Limiter offers a Character knob for adding soft saturation to obtain more loudness and a higher amount of gain reduction, without the unwanted digital artifacts of standard brickwall limiters; EBU R128 loudness metering to normalize broadcast audio to EBU specifications using a variety of metering, including True Peak, Integrated Loudness, and Loudness Range; and front/rear linking mode to work with surround sound material more easily and link channels for more greater consistency in level management.
