1. August 2016 | News | Noizefield
Audified released STA Effects summing tube processing plug-ins (second-generation version)
In response to requests from first-generation users, host application and audio effects developer Audified is proud to announce availability of the second-generation version of STA Effects — an affordable bundle of new and improved summing tube processing plug-ins based around its proprietary Summing Tube Amplifier (STA) technology from which the bundle takes its name.
The namesake STA (Summing Tube Amplifier) technology that the original and second-generation STA Effects bundle of summing tube processing plug-ins both benefit from uses two signal paths, one being processed by modulation or spectral change while the other remains unprocessed. Those two signals are mixed via vacuum tube circuitry models, making more ordinary-sounding effects like flanging or phasing sound exceptionally extraordinary with some unique and warm characteristics like no other!
On that very note, all six second-generation STA Effects plug-ins — including an all-new, self-explanatory STA Delay addition with convenient control over TEMPO, DECAY, STEREO, PING PONG, HPF (Hi-Pass Filter), and LPF (Low-Pass Filter) parameters — perform pleasingly to the ear, thanks to improved algorithms, and also beautifully balance flexibility and familiarity by serving superb-sounding saturation characteristics up to the discerning DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) user at a painless press of one of the following five virtual buttons: P (Presence — higher amount of mid-high frequencies to better cut through the mix), V (Vintage — smoother highs and more even harmonics), B (Brown — an almost flat frequency response with only light high-frequency rolloff and attractive higher harmonic punch), W (White — higher amount of higher frequencies with balanced ratio between the even and odd harmonics), and L (LoFi — less low and high frequencies).
Fortunately for those selective STA Effects plug-in users, the easy-to-use and superb-sounding STA Delay shares a number of STA (Summing Tube Amplifier) controls with (most of) its bundled STA Chorus, STA Enhancer, STA Flanger, STA Phaser, and STA Preamp plug-in partners — namely, LEVEL IN/LEVEL OUT (calibrated to provide saturation at a level of -9 dBFR, corresponding to 0 dBVU on the meters), WET ONLY (mutes the dry signal before the STA circuit), SATURATION (drives the modelled tube circuitry into saturation), Sync (host application tempo-synchronisation settings), METERS (switches between metering the input and output stages of the plug-in), and BYPASS (turns off the effects processing).
Perfectly positioned to tell it like it is, Audified Marketing Director Jakub Turecek reveals the company’s collective thinking behind STA Effects thusly. “The digital audio world tends to be very accurate and overly calculated nowadays,” he begins, before adding: “The lack of technical errors can lead to sterility in contemporary music production, so STA Effects represent the perfect combination of both worlds. They are an exact simulation of vintage valve circuitry’s characteristic behaviour, so bring more life to mixes.”
There you have it, then… beautifully bright mixes are but an ear-opening instance of STA Enhancer away and spacey sounds come courtesy of STA Phaser, yet there’s much in-between and beyond brought to the discerning DAW user when utilising all six second-generation STA Effects plug-ins.
As a new and improved second-generation summing tube processing plug-in suite, STA Effects takes some beating — and all without breaking the bank. Better still, the GUI (Graphical User Interface) has been given a major makeover with Retina support, so users can clearly see and hear what they’re getting… just open your eyes and ears!
All six STA Effects plug-ins are available to purchase as a bundle for $129.00 USD from Audified’s online shop here: https://shop.audified.com/products/sta-effects (STA Delay and STA Preamp can be bought separately for $49.00 USD each.)
STA Effects can be seen and heard in an informative introductory video here:
STA Effects are available to download directly from Audified as 32- and 64-bit AAX-, AU-, VST2-, and VST3-compatible plug-ins for Mac OS X (10.9.5 or newer) and 32- and 64-bit AAX-, VST2-, and VST3-compatible plug-ins for Windows (7 – 10) from here: http://services.audified.com/download/STAEffects