Most modern productions have a bright, polished sheen combined with thick low-end weight - a response you'll likely want to achieve in your own mixes. Often you'll want to add a liberal dose of analogue 'mojo' while brightening up dull top end and adding oomph to lifeless bass. This is where an exciter plugin comes in handy, and we happen to have just the one for you: STA Enhancer CM is a terrific exciter created by clever software developers Audiffex, and it's free to Computer Music readers
Under the hood, phase-shifted bass and mid frequency bands are mixed with a dynamically processed high frequency band, summed together through the Audiffex Summing Tube Amplifier (STA), adding valve-style excitement and subtle non-linear distortion characteristics for vintage-esque tone shifting and shaping. You can select from one of STA Enhancer CM's five modes, each of which changes the plugin's internal tube 'circuitry', frequency response and distortion characteristics. The Low Process and High Process parameters can be used to raise low or high frequencies for tone-tilting enhancement, and the Saturation knob applies more of the plugin's subtle saturation characteristics to your signal.
Features and uses:
- Low Process and High Process knobs - raise and excite low/high frequencies
- Five different modes, each changing the response of the plugin's internal tube circuitry
- Saturation knob to apply more non-linear distortion
- VU-style input and output meters
- Change the UI colour to differentiate between separate plugin instances
- Intuitive, streamlined interface
- 32-/64-bit PC VST
- 32-/64-bit Mac AU/VST
How to get STA Enhancer CM:
Buy Computer Music magazine issue 209 (CM209) and you can download STA Enhancer CM right away.
For more info on CM Plugins, read our FAQ, and find out about our Vault download system.
If you like STA Enhancer CM, head over to the Audiffex website and peruse the huge collection of impressive audio effects on offer, ranging from amp simulators and stompbox emulations to studio effect plugins and the rest of the slick STA Effects range. Click here to head there.
