New York, NY (August 31, 2023)—Kit Plugins has an ongoing collaboration with Blackbird Studio owner John McBride to produce digital emulations of iconic hardware from the esteemed Nashville facility. The latest is BB A5, which emulates the preamp and EQ sections of the API Legacy consoles located in Studios B and D. Highlighting the plug-in are models of three different EQs from those consoles.
The plug-in’s signal flow starts with an input section featuring a model of the API Legacy’s channel preamp that recreates its gain staging. You can choose between Mic and Line input levels, turn on a -20 dB Pad and flip the polarity. In addition, it sports Hi- and Lo-Pass filters and an LED ladder-style VU input meter.
The signal next goes to the EQ section where a button lets you select which of the three EQ models to make active.
The default is the 55A, a three-band EQ featuring frequency select and boost/cut controls per band. Each band offers seven fixed frequencies. The High and Low Bands let you choose bell or shelf filters. The Mid Band features a bell filter. A switch activates a Band-Pass filter that cuts frequencies under 50 Hz and over 15 kHz.
The second EQ choice is the 55L, a four-band EQ with similar architecture, except it has High, High-Mid, Low-Mid and Low Bands. It features a Stepped EQ Toggle button that toggles between the stepped EQ gain values that are standard on the console or continuous gain.
The third EQ is a 10-band graphic EQ. It offers plus or minus 12dB of gain for the following frequencies: 31 Hz, 63 Hz, 125 Hz, 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1 kHz, 4 kHz, 8 kHz and 16 kHz.
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The next stop in the signal chain is the output Fader, which has its own dedicated meter. Above that is the Master Buss button, which turns on a replication of the amp on the master bus of the Legacy console. When activated, it adds subtle saturation and compression.
For additional analog realism, you can turn on simulated analog hum. If you have multiple instances of the plug-in, turning on or off the Analog Hum on one will also switch it on the others.
The Blackbird A5 is available individually for an intro price of $150 (regularly $200). You can also get it as part of the Blackbird Bundle, which is on sale for $275 (regularly $350). The Blackbird Bundle is also available, along with additional content, in a subscription plan. Find out more at their site.
