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Only one of T-RackS' large effects can be viewed at any one time.

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T-RackS 3 can run as a plug-in suite inside your DAW, but you can't load individual processors as single VST plug-ins (as you could with older versions). It uses a 'shell' system, a bit like IK's AmpliTube range.

The software also works as a standalone audio mastering solution, which differs only in that it has a simple audio editor for adding fades and automated mastering changes, and lets you render out to audio files.

If you buy the Classic version of T-RackS 3, you get the same four processors as the original, albeit in spruced-up form. These are the Equalizer, Compressor, Multiband Limiter and Clipper. They're functionally identical to previous releases, but have apparently undergone an audio path update to bring them up to v3's standards.

The real excitement, though, concerns the Deluxe edition, which we're focusing on here. This boasts five additional, brand-new processors.

There are three new 'analogue' modules: the Vintage Tube Compressor, Vintage Tube Program Equaliser and Opto Compressor. These are based on the legendary Fairchild 670 tube compressor, the similarly illustrious Pultec EQP-1A equaliser, and an unspecified optical compression design respectively.

Rounding things off in thoroughly digital style are the Brickwall Limiter and Linear Phase Equaliser.

In detail

The familiar T-RackS GUI has been overhauled: what was previously a fixed rack of effects is now a more complex and versatile modular affair. You can only see one module at a time in the main window (the interfaces are rather hefty), while the metering section sits at the bottom and is ever-present.

Up top, there are 12 processing slots, arranged as two parallel four-slot chains, followed by a final serial chain of four. This gives plenty of parallel processing potential - using two types of compression at once, or applying frequency-dependent compression/limiting, for example. The new Linear Phase EQ comes in handy for the latter application, helping to avoid phasing issues that can arise with regular EQs.

While you can view the processing chain in schematic format, it's a real disappointment – quite a surprise, in fact – that you can't drag and drop effects to reorder them. IK Multimedia tells us that this functionality will be added in an update.

More well-conceived is the Compare section, which balances the volume of the original and mastered audio. This enables you to make comparisons without being blindsided by differing volume levels. The A/B/C/D compare panel is another winner, enabling you to set up four mastering chains and flip between them instantly.

As for the metering, it's a welcome addition, but it's annoying that you can't switch it off or hide it away, as it's not always useful and takes up a fair bit of screen space. However, it is extremely customisable, with the perceived loudness meter very helpful when trying to maintain a consistent-sounding level.

The stereo phase meter is slightly redundant considering there's no dedicated stereo imaging module. The new EQs and compressors have mid/side modes, though, which can be used to manipulate the stereo image, and the Classic Compressor has a stereo-tweaking function.

IK says that it intends to add further modules in the future – a stereo tool wouldn't go amiss.