If you thought December 2023 flew past quicker than the months before it, at least there were some tempting new creations to mark its passing. As many rev back up for a shiny fresh new year, here is our pick of its audio production offerings...

1 - Gainlab Audio The Governor

We may be living through a golden age of audio innovation, but that doesn’t mean that the Old Ways are redundant. Levels are levels, and when it comes to a bit of pleasing broad-brush compression there are a number of classic designs that spring to mind, such as the lightning-fast 1176 and its like, or the chunkiness offered by the legendary valve-opto LA2A. With specific traits, these can be heard in tandem on countless cuts, often with one patched into the other for some dual-stage loveliness.

What better way to start the New Year than by rolling up the sleeves and getting hands-on with Gainlab Audio’s latest box: The Governor. Bringing the company’s EQ’s Tube Boost signature to a dual channel compressor, this box can do the work of two devices thanks to its dual-slope topology on each channel. This can be used replicate a technique where two serial processes are used to compress twice; this can smooth the overall dynamic signature before using a steeper second stage replicating that of a classic limiting amp downstream. Although doing this in software is kids’ play, doing it with electrons can get expensive! In a world of clones, Gainlab Audio’s two-in-one character comp should be able to scratch that itch in a box that does its own thing.

2 - Sonible smart:EQ 4

Whether bringing a welcome aesthetic twist, or corrective fix to audio, EQ has been massaging sounds’ appeal for nearly a century. Few can work without a bit of filtering or shelving here and there, and for most, the EQ has evolved into an essential artistic or corrective fixer that plays a part on virtually every source. From the earliest passive filters, right through to the latest linear-phase or machine learning marvel, equalisation as we know it is an immovable member of the engineer’s toolkit.

Many engineers know what they want to dial in unassisted, but for those just starting out, or even seasoned pros who want an easier life, smart:EQ 4 could be well worth a look. Sonible smart:EQ 4 is the latest incarnation of the dev’s impressive lineup of forward-looking audio helpers. By using drag and drop within the GUI, users can create an ‘Unmasking Hierarchy’ to overcome overlaps or give precedence to one source over another. This is all done using multiple instances that are linked and accessible from any one window. Smart:EQ 4 also features the ability to import instrument and even genre profiles for spectral matching by those who need a helping hand. Intelligent parametrisation of other controls and a fresh new look also promise a new take on equalisation as we hit the middle of the decade.

3 - Kemper Profiler Player

Up until fairly recently getting the visceral sound of moving air for guitars was easy: get a great amp into a great room, crank it up and add mics. For some, however, factors such as noise, space, and of course access to more than one or two flavours of amp made it harder to get to a specific sound to fit the song. Over time, various solutions cropped up to try and alleviate some or all of these barriers. Following on from power-soaking devices or dummy loaded direct box/speaker sims to tame levels, the perennial problem was getting a variety of tones.

Kemper changed that with the introduction of their Profiler head that allows IR-based sounds to be freely stored and shared, making limitless sounds available to owners. The Profiler Player isn’t the company’s first floor unit, but it is the closest thing yet to having any sound you like in a compact stompbox with the highly-regarded Kemper sound. This is compared to owning and housing a collection of dusty cabs and heads that don’t like being moved, or the kind of pedal rig that looks like it needs planning permission to be laid out across the stage…

4 - Avantone CLA-10A Limited Edition

Many reading this will be aware of two classic studio loudspeaker designs. The first is the single driver Auratone 5C ‘Horrortone’ and the second are the white mid/bass drivers of Yamaha’s NS10 studio staples. Originally conceived as speakers for the hi-fi market, the NS10 gained popularity in studios less for how nice they sound, and more for an uncompromising voice that tells it like it is. With a distinctive mid-forward sound, it wasn’t unheard of for engineers to try and address their perceived toppiness as well with some of the lowest tech known to humankind: tissue paper.

Along with their MixCube C5 homage on ‘grotbox’ duties, Avantone’s CLA-10As set out to recreate the NS10 signature including some of the vagarities in its sound and rarity of replacement components. This includes a “VTPC” knob (Variable Tissue Paper Control) allowing you to simulate the high-frequency dampening trick used on the original speaker (covering the tweeters with tissue paper). You read that right. Avantone describe this as allowing “you to simulate anything from the Vertical “m” model to the horizontal “Studio” model and everything in between”. With a natural finish that allows a more relaxed cleaning regime as compared to the black-ash originals, who’s to say that the CLA-10A’s won’t become a classic in their own right?

5 - XLN Audio Life

Although sampling arguably started with the Mellotron and some other curiosities, when it comes to using audio snippets to make music, most will think of VIs or even the beige or black rack-dwellers that came before them. However you get your sampling done, things have come a long way since the days of trying to use whatever tapes or discs could be fitted into a box with keys or MIDI ports.

If you thought the VI sampler was approaching its logical conclusion, the release of Life from XLN Audio suggests they didn’t get that memo. This sampler and beatmaking tool sits on an insert and lets you record audio from the DAW for sonic genesis using its included DAW Recorder app. Very cool, however what’s really groundbreaking is its Field Recorder mobile app… This turns your Android or iOS device into a handy ‘butterfly net’ to catch anything that takes your fancy, but better still it syncs with Life wirelessly, making your phone recordings available right there in your project. Genius!

How About You?

What were the things in December 2023 that rocked your studio world? It could be one of our favourites here, or maybe there’s an entirely different hidden gem that we’ve missed vying for your studio’s budget. Let us know in the comments.