With the end of the year fast upon us, there was still chance to check out some tasty new releases before heading out for a ski, a surf, or whatever Christmas is going to look like for you. Whatever your distraction, here are our favourites from November…

FabFilter Pro-R2 Reverb

Many developers are known for dazzling in a particular area, with Dutch audio alchemists FabFilter well known for their dynamics and equalisation tools. These have found a home with engineers the world over, but of course the Fabs have effects on their roster as well. Around six years ago their Pro-R kicked off the dev’s foray into reverb; November 2023 saw the second incarnation of FabFilter’s only space-maker.

Retaining Fab touches such as folding ER and decay into one simple Distance control, Pro-R2 addresses some of the features and sounds that were previously missing in Pro-R and sets out to expand its user-base. Headline features such as Dolby Atmos support up to 9.1.6, and impulse response import are joined by sweeteners such as Auto Gate and Freeze for greater creative potential. Addressing its predecessor’s singlular flavour, Vintage and Plate now flesh out FabFilter’s presence on your DAW’s return.

McDSP SA-3 Spectral Processor

Some of the best loved tools are those that were developed specifically following industry requests to make the thing that didn’t exist up until that point. Developed for Academy Award winning re-recording mixer Mike Minkler, the Sonic Assault dialogue processor was one such creation. This found its way into the box as McDSP’s SA-2 virtual recreation, which was essentially a 5 band active equaliser/ multi-band compressor designed to improve the overall sound of recorded speech.

The SA-3 represents a substantial advancement from the SA-2, boasting an impressive arsenal of features. With its expansive offering of over 1,000 processing bands, customizable bias curve, and exclusive control parameters like Focus, Range, and Density for spectral processing, SA-3 takes the Sonic Assault concept and turbo-charges it. Paul Maunder was suitably impressed when he took it for a spin, with SA-3 making it into his go-to chain for for smoothing over those pesky spikes in voices for the screen and beyond.

SSL 4K E Channel Strip

Despite all its awesome power, the DAW owes a lot to two things: the tape machine and the console. One of these mixers features more than many in a lot of recorded music: SSL’s 4000E. As one of a small number of boards to make an expander/gate, compressor, EQ, and automatable fader non-negotiable on any mix, any DAW mixer’s lineage is plain to see. So ubiquitous was SSL’s gigantic console, that its image has been immortalised forever as the template to dozens of software strips that promise the E series sound.

One notable absentee from the list of virtual E Series homages was SSL themselves. That changed in November 2023 when the masters of big things to fill your control room with jumped into the mix with the release of their 4K E channel strip audio plugin.

Not surprisingly, this audio plugin sells itself on SSL’s direct access to original examples and circuit designs to get to the beating heart of what makes an E Series tick. Software-only twists such as Orange knob “Passive” shelves, and user configurable auto-makeup offset further round out 4K E’s features to make it a channel to be reckoned with. The Experts seemed to like it too when they gave it Gold in our Expert Review, lauding its sharper-than reality looks, and nifty features to match the sound from the people who started it all.

Steinberg Nuendo 13

With a large following in Europe and beyond, Steinberg’s Nuendo is the stablemate of another well-known industry grandee: Cubase. With many features common to both, Nuendo already wielded an expanded feature-set for post including ADM authoring for Dolby Atmos, integrated Dolby Atmos Renderer, Eucon integration for Avid surfaces, Netflix Loudness Meter and even an Intelligibility Meter.

In its latest iteration, Nuendo 13 brings extra features for post-production. On the Immersive side of things, the software now seamlessly integrates MPEG-H Audio Support, giving mixers advanced interactivity options and different mix versioning. The dialogue recording tools receive a significant boost with the inclusion of the ADR Script Reader. This brings Nuendo’s ADR session manners up to date, facilitating viewing on devices across the LAN.

Nuendo 13’s Dolby Atmos channel count expands to accommodate 9.1.6 speaker configurations for cinematic mixes or for the monitoring of any multichannel content. Enhancements in video track features streamline A-B video edit comparisons, making project workflows notably more efficient. Not forgetting the processing side of things, Steinberg introduces a suite of new vocal processors plug-ins, adding to version 13’s formidable arsenal of tools for music and post.

Universal Audio Sound City Studios Audio Plugin

If you love guitar music you’ve probably already been soaking up Sound City experience for years; this legendary address has produced some of the biggest recordings ever to come out of the US. With its feet planted firmly apart, and guitar strap on 11, its sun-soaked infusions could only be had by going there - until now. Distilling the studio’s tastefully-scorched aesthetic, Sound City Studios strains sounds through the signal paths and vibe that make this facility unique.

Based on Studio A, it features vintage, industry-defining microphones as well as meticulously positioned cabinet setups and mic combinations to help bottle its hallowed sounds. These hit an authentic emulation of a custom British console, complete with its signature 3-band EQ and inline compression modelled specifically on Sound City’s own board. As well as an arsenal of analogue outboard gear, engineers can indulge in the lush reverberation of the studio’s renowned reverb chamber. Adding to its usefulness, UA hardware is not a requirement to get the sound, also just like the real thing…

How About You?

What were the things in November 2023 that rocked your studio world? Maybe there’s an entirely different hidden gem that we’ve missed vying for your studio’s budget. Let us know in the comments.