Endorphin.es Golden Master review

Endorphin.es Golden Master: What is it?

Many modular synth users have a mixer in their rig, allowing them to balance levels of the various parts of their patches but there are limits to what can be achieved. To really glue all the parts of a mix together, some mastering is best and Endorphin.es has come up with a spectacular solution in the form of the Golden Master (also available as a guitar-pedal-style stompbox).

The diminutive 6hp module is well made and looks classy with its black and gold livery, like the rest of the range. It’s 30mm deep so will fit in all but the very shallowest of skiffs. The layout is simple, although its capabilities would have you think otherwise. Essentially you have three modes of operation, each with three bands. First up is the compressor, with the mode LED signifying such with colour coding, as with the other two modes. The mode switch lives at the bottom of the module, enabling easy, fast switching in a live situation.

Endorphin.es Golden Master: Performance and verdict

The compressor has three bands, each with a control knob and a button for activating and muting the effect. Compression is often seen as a bit of a dark art but can help elements of your audio sit together nicely, controlling the dynamics and adding apparent loudness. Having a small module do this is excellent news, both in the studio, or live. Being able to activate the bands separately is also a stroke of genius and can make it easy to build to a big drop, or tame portions of a track.

Next up, using the same controls, is the EQ section, accessed using the mode button again. The three-band EQ starts with the control knobs at 12 o’clock. Turning it counter-clockwise reduces that band by up to -20dB, while turning it clockwise boosts the frequencies by up to 7dB, a significant range, which will suit most users.

The third mode, activated by a further press of the mode button is the stereo field enhancer, which works the same way, using the same controls. Golden Master has twin inputs and outputs and a stereo input is needed for this mode to work. It won’t do much with a single input but the results of the stereo enhancement are wonderful, adding width and ‘air’ to the final stage of a patch.

Finally there’s a built-in limiter, which can be hit hard by increasing levels using the gain control.

All in all, the Golden Master is a triumph. It helps control various elements of a patch, can add punch, width, loudness and dynamics, which ordinarily would be done via the desk or DAW. Having these capabilities in a small module would benefit most users but especially those playing live. For those with limited space, the stompbox version does the same job, albeit with less of a hands-on workflow. 

MusicRadar verdict: It excels at glueing a mix together in a live context, and is also a fun module for shaping tone, adding some punch and experimenting.

Endorphin.es Golden Master: Hands-on demos

Endorphin.es

Endorphin.es Golden Master: Specifications

• KEY FEATURES: Compressor, EQ and stereo enhancer in one, Mute controls, 6HP and 30mm deep.
• CONTACT: Endorphin.es