Type A is a plugin inspired by a famous vintage tape encoder. The original unit was designed to be a noise reduction system for tape recording (encode stage) and playback (decode stage).
Type A emulates the encode stage, which was often misused as an enhancer, dynamically increasing the top end of a signal without introducing artefacts or altering the harmonic content. The results are similar to a dynamic EQ which adds presence and air to any track in a natural way.
How does it work?
To limit the amount of noise generated by tape recording, early noise reduction systems used what’s called a multi-band compander (compressor/expander). The unit dynamically emphasises the high frequencies during the encoding stage (recording to tape), so that during the decoding stage (playback from tape) the signal is attenuated, along with the typical tape noise. Type A emulates the encode stage only.
The input signal is split into 4 bands (with the highest bands overlapping), dynamically compressed and then summed back with the direct signal. The amount of compression on each band is inversely proportional to the volume of the band. Quieter sounds get brighter while louder sounds remain almost unchanged.
This adds brightness and air without generating any new harmonic content or distortion, resulting in a more pleasant and natural enhancer compared to a typical exciter.
Specifications
- Vintage Enhancer
- Multi-band Compressor with 4 Bands
- Adjustable Unit Noise
- Oversample up to 16x
- Resizable Window
- Preset system with randomizer
Type B is a plugin inspired by a famous vintage exciter effect.
The original unit was designed to add presence and brightness to vocal or instrument tracks. It was often used to enhance dull recordings where the high frequency content was missing due to tape overdubs.
Type B lets you control more aspects of the exciter circuit emulation, giving you access to the internal filter, the harmonic generator and more.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
You can show/hide the drop-down panel by clicking on the arrow icon in the bottom left corner of the interface.
You’ll get access to:
Filter controls: mode (pre/post), type (highpass, bandpass), slope (12/24dB), emphasis
Additional options: direct signal, wet boost, and background noise
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Exciters generate high-frequency content that is not part of the original signal using a combination of filtering and distortion (harmonic generator).
The input signal goes into a filter (usually highpass, but you can also choose bandpass with Type B) before feeding it into the harmonic generator. You have controls over the generated harmonics using the Color parameter. The signal is then mixed back with the dry signal.
EXPENSIVE EXCITER
The original aural exciter algorithm was developed in the mid-1970s by Aphex Systems. At first, it was available to recording studios only to hire (at a cost of $30 per minute of finished recording time in 1975). Eventually, its popularity led to the release of commercially available models like the Type B and Type C.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Vintage Exciter
- HP/BP Filter with Emphasis
- Adjustable Unit Noise
- Oversample up to 16x
- Resizable Window
- Preset system with randomizer
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