Software companies are constantly claiming they offer “console-grade” processing, and comparing their effects to the legendary console effects from SSL (Solid State Logic). Well, now SSL themselves are getting into the DAW game, with a software/hardware solution called Duende. SSL has announced Duende is now shipping for Mac, coming to Windows in the fall:

Duende — Console-Grade Processing for your DAW [Solid State Logic]

SSL Duende includes channel and dynamics processing and the Stereo Bus Compressor for mastering. These are not native plug-ins; you connect a sleek, silver DSP hardware rack to your computer via FireWire. It’s too early to say whether the resulting product will live up to the hype, and you certainly shouldn’t ask me, since I’m about as far as you can get from a mastering engineer. Audio Damage’s Chris Randall has developed a minor obsession over the gear at Analog Industries, and points to first impressions at gearslutz.com.

There is reason to be skeptical, as always, about the ability of digital processing to live up to analog processing. Legendary engineer George Massenburg noted in comments earlier this year that digital compressor emulations lose something versus the analog originals, even as EQs are fairly easily emulated digitally. That makes sense given how digital audio processing works, though I’m sure nothing is likely to resolve the analog vs. digital debate in our lifetimes. The big question here to me is really value, and in that category, the SSL offering will have to compete with other DSP platforms. Universal Audio’s UAD-1, TC Electronic’s PowerCore, and, at the higher end, Digidesign’s TDM platform all have a much broader selection of plug-ins, and there’s the affordable new Focusrite Liquid Channel. I’ll be anxious to hear how Duende fits in, though you can’t beat putting the SSL brand on the faceplate.

If you want to win one of these, Music thing gets the scoop on a Peter Gabriel remix contest; the prize is the Duende.

I’m not always jealous of the Pro Tools platform, but here’s a good reason to be: the Massenburg DesignWorks Hi-Res Parametric EQ, version 2.0 of which started shipping this week. George Massenburg needs no introduction: he’s credited as the creator of the parametric EQ, and makes his own superb (hardware, not software) audio gear as George Massenburg Labs. The EQ plug-in for Pro Tools let you bring some of that top-notch sound into the software realm. The upgrade has a slick, new interface with copying and pasting between bands and A/B snapshots, phase invert, 3- and 5-band versions, and better DSP performance so you can stack up more of these plugins. Most interesting to me is a feature called “IsoPeak” which lets you sweep through the frequency spectrum to find the frequency you want. But don’t listen to me: check out Digidesign’s site, where George himself shows off his creation:

Massenburg DesignWorks Hi-Res Parametric EQ 2.0 Now Available

I have to point this one out in case you missed it: none other than George Massenburg chimes in on CDM’s comments on the new Focusrite Liquid Channel (click through to comments on that story for context):

Not sure everyone knows that although digital emulators are quite competent at some chores, others, such as comprehensive dynamics, are a different story; it’s my studied opinion that these devices are less than convincing when emulating analog compressors.

Sometimes it's worth pulling something out of comments to
make sure you don't miss it. Here, legendary innovator and engineer
George Massenburg weighs in on Beatles producer Geoff Emerick (in response to Rian's extended piece on Massenburg, Emerick, and Scheiner last week):

Thanks……to Rian Souleles for taking the time to show up
and listen to the great questions and answers from both sides of the
phone call.
 
It's worth pointing out that Geoff isn't really secretive about what
he's doing. I find that he more just doesn't really remember what he's
done. Like Al Schmitt he kind of "twiddles knobs till it sounds right."

 
What Geoff did reveal was that "Eleanor Rigby" was recorded for the most part with Shure SM56's. . . . an existence-defining moment for me I must tell you.
 
George Massenburg

If that defines Mr. Massenburg's existence, it sure does ours. (The
SM56 was the predecessor to today's still-inexpensive SM57; see the
original Shure SM56 manual. You can pick an SM57 up for about US$75 — proof that great music isn't about pricey gear.)

Berklee student Rian Souleles brings CDM this report on
the state of surround, straight from the mouths of some of the greatest
engineers alive.

Recently, on a Friday afternoon, about a hundred music technology students crammed into the hot sweaty live room of Berklee College of Music's
Studio A just to get a glimpse of the current state of the surround
revolution from three of the most prolific figureheads of the industry.
Comprising this trinity was the greatest living sound engineers today,
Geoff Emerick, Elliot Scheiner and George Massenburg.
George Massenburg was on site, acting as MC, while Emerick and Scheiner
were on a conference call. All of these men have jaw-dropping
discographies and accomplishments. Their importance to the art of
recording is hard to express in words.