Newfangled Audio Invigorate

Newfangled Audio's Invigorate, available from Eventide Audio, is much more than a stereo compressor/ limiter. It is for "coloring up" any stereo or mono track by applying carefully sculpted, pumping compression, distortion or limiting in any combination using an intuitive collection of controls. These changes are made possible using a resizable radar screen-style interface that resembles a "birds-eye view" above a baseball diamond.

Running as an AAX, VST3 or AU plug-in, Invigorate is best used as an insert processor, as a single Radar Dot can be moved around with your mouse between Compress, Limit and Overdrive signals, with the Mix control then working as a Wet/Dry. There are conventional compressor controls such as Attack, Release and Curve, along with an Anti-Pump filter--a high-pass filter in the side-chain.

I liked the Compensate Gain feature that sets the level of the processed signal; also clever were the Nominal and Learn controls to dial in the operating level for the compensation engine. Likewise noteworthy are the Tone Controls--three adjustable three-band EQs you can set separately for the side-chain path or the Input and the Output signals.

With all these controls available in one plug-in, I had to try it on one of my most difficult recent mixes, with problematic instrument tracks. I had a stereo synth pad that was not always "hearable" when placed at a proper, soft level. (For me pads, when too hearable, seem to flood out all the transparency and air of the mix itself.)

I put Invigorate across the pad to try to add a layer of compression with some distortion mixed in. Worked great and better than EQ or anything else I tried. The pad was more "transparent," and I heard it clearly without clogging up all the space in the track.

Barry Rudolph  Barry Rudolph is a recording engineer/mixer who has worked on over 30 gold and platinum award-winning records. He has recorded and/or mixed Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hall & Oates, Pat Benatar, Rod Stewart, The Corrs, Mick Jagger and Rick Rubin. A three-time Grammy-nominated engineer, Barry has his own futuristic music mixing facility called Tones 4 $ Studios. He is a lifetime Grammy-voting member of NARAS, the 'New Toys' columnist for LA's Music Connection Magazine and Contributing editor for Mix Magazine. Check out: www.barryrudolph.com     www.gearlust.com

NewFangled Audio invigorate  Web: NewFangled Audio Product: Newfangled Audio Invigorate Price: $99 MSRP Pros: Tons Of Control in a single plug-in Cons: None

Barry Rudolph is an L.A.-based recording engineer. Visit his Web site at: WWW.BARRYRUDOLPH.COM

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