Meet the programmers: LVC-Audio

The developer tells us why he loves to program and how an LVC-Audio product is born.

Why did you start LVC-Audio?

"The plugins come from my passion to create. Everyone in this industry has a passion for music. Some are passionate musicians, some are passionate writers/ producers, mixing engineers, or whatever. I'm passionate about designing tools that can be used by amateurs and professionals to make better-sounding music. I get the same feeling when I'm coding an awesome plugin as when I'm playing bass in a band."

Metering features prominently in your plugins. Why are meters so important?

"Proper gain-staging is an important aspect of recording and mixing, even within the digital realm. It's very easy to push plugins and DAWs too hard in an attempt to balance a mix. When values go above 0dBFS, it's really unpredictable what will happen. Some plugins work fine above this level, and others perform erratically. Meters are a constant reminder to ensure appropriate levels."

You mentioned once that vintage-style control knob graphics have nothing to do with software. What are your thoughts now?

"Well, I might have to go back on my previous comments about knobs. Knobs serve a purpose, but they also lock you into concepts that may or may not be relevant in the plugin world.

"Everyone knows what a knob is and how it works: you turn it right to get more of something and left to get less. There's also a trend with plugins to look as old and beaten as possible - as if the older the plugin looks, the more expensive it sounds. This makes no logical sense. I really respect Sean [Costello] from ValhallaDSP. He went completely opposite from the trend to 'look real'."

How did you come up with the concepts for your plugins?

"They came from my own passions, experiments and accidents. For Transector, I started working on the design, and different controls and features started to emerge.

"Then there are the LVC-Audio accidents, like PreAMPed. I was working on a compressor, and I started to add features to make it sound analogue. I played around with the controls within a compressor for about a day before I realised that it was better suited as a separate plugin.

"I also get many ideas from users - emails, forum posts and general suggestions. My upcoming plugin is based partially on a forum post where people were asking for a plugin feature that didn't exactly exist. If you have ideas or feedback, I'm all ears."

What's next from LVC-Audio?

"There will be a new freebie this summer as part of KVR's Developer Challenge 2014. I think many people will find it to be a useful tool for mixing and mastering. I also have plans for some compressor-based plugins. Right now, my plans are to stay with mixing tools. I don't want to rule out a synth, but I can't imagine it anytime soon. Of course, I'm still adding in development time for happy accidents and great user ideas. Just like writing music, I view development as a creative and organic process."