unofficial:
Mastering/high end converter clipper collection
Gray 8x - PrismSound ADA-8XR
Gray d2 - PrismSound DREAM AD-2
Onyx Ens - Apogee Ensemble (Thunderbolt2 Black Version)
Platinum maker - Bettermaker Mastering Limiter
Yellow k3 - LAVRY ENGINEERING AD122-96 MK3
Yellow X - LAVRY ENGINEERING AD122-96 MX
Yellow S - LAVRY ENGINEERING AD-24-200 Savitr
Stedal Preset Notes:
"All of them have been sampled from real hardware objects, namely some simple (or sometimes not so simple) clipper circuits that I had lying around or made up for this specific occasion. And all of them exploit the behaviour of different electronic components when pushed to their limits.
The LED preset, for instance, takes advantage of the rather sharp clipping that a red light emitting diode produces whenever the input signal rises above its forward voltage (about 1.6 volt, in this case).
The way a FET (field effect transistor) clips is somewhat softer than the former, and even more so the clipper based on a pair of Germanium diodes. Actually, this preset (the infamous Stedal Diode) is maybe the smoothest of them all, even coming closer to a saturator rather than a pure clipper.
The two 'Trafo' presets were created by overdriving a smallish input transformer. In this regard, please note that in Ash you won't get any particular frequency response in any preset. Therefore these two 'Trafo' presets won't give you the classic low frequency saturation of an iron core; they are just meant to apply the clipping shape of an overdriven transformer to the whole frequency range.
Stedal Neon: In this case, the clipping element is a small neon lamp, which usually takes at least about 60 V to conduct. I had built a very aggressive sounding fuzz box based on this principle, so we thought that it could have been a good candidate for some extreme analog clipping. The 'Neon' preset you find in Ash has been sampled from that fuzz box, which, by the way, makes a fine show of itself also in the Aero fuzzbox collection.
The High-End Clipping Monster
Ash is a specialized tool designed to provide maximum loudness and punch. It samples the clipping circuits of the most revered high-end AD converters used in top mastering studios worldwide.
Key Features
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Classic & Modern Circuits: Access a collection of unique clipping behaviors, from the famous "Gold" sound to super-linear modern converters.
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Extreme Oversampling: Offers up to 1024x oversampling with perfect phase response, ensuring the highest possible audio fidelity and zero aliasing.
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Visual Precision (Ultra Version): The Ash Ultra iteration includes real-time waveform displays and an advanced metering system (RMS/LUFS) based on the Aria engine.
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Auto-Gain: A very helpful feature that allows you to hear the effect of the clipper without a massive jump in volume.
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Versatility: Includes the Fire The Ash (one-knob version) for quick results and Ash Mix for use on individual tracks.
Pro Tip: Place Ash before your final limiter. By letting Ash handle the most aggressive peaks via clipping, your limiter doesn't have to work as hard, resulting in a louder, cleaner, and more transparent master.
Company: Acustica Audio