Crane Song Phoenix II

The Phoenix II is an enhanced version of Crane Song's TDM plug - ins. It emulates the distinct qualities of a magnetic tape machine. This plug - in runs both NATIVE and DSP on Avid's AAX format. Using 32 - bit floating point math, it has a lower noise floor than the original release. There's also a Beta version for AU and VST3 formats, along with Apple Silicon support. Designer Dave Hill crafted this software with great attention to detail, similar to his work on ATR Service's 'Aria' tape recorders. His knowledge of analog electronics and recording experience make this a very useful and musical suite of plug - ins. The Phoenix II process includes nonlinear saturation from magnetic tape and the interrelation of analog tape recorder electronics and equalization curves. It's based on HEDD technology and optimized for Avid's AAX architecture. It offers five different tape analog characteristics. You can easily switch between types for comparison and also select brightness. Gold has a flat frequency response, Sapphire is brighter, and Opal has a warmer tone. A level control adjusts the amount of the Phoenix II process in the audio signal, and an input trim decides how hard the tape is hit. The input and output trim controls have been improved. The input trim can prevent clipping and boost track color. When both trim controls are at 0dB and no tape process is added, the plug - in is bit - accurate. The Phoenix II comes in five flavors: Luminescent is the most neutral, Iridescent has a fatter bottom and midrange like the HEDD - 192 tape knob, Radiant has an aggressive compression curve, Dark Essence is even more aggressive and can reduce sibilance on vocals, and Luster starts gently but gets as aggressive as Dark Essence at full scale.

Using the Phoenix II is quite straightforward. First, select the tape analog characteristic you like by using the switch. You can choose between Gold, Sapphire, and Opal based on the frequency response and tonality you prefer. Then, use the level control to decide how much of the Phoenix II process you want to integrate into your audio signal. The input trim is important as it determines how hard you 'hit the tape'. You can use it to prevent clipping and increase the color of a track, especially useful for tracks close to digital zero or with a low recorded level. When you're not using the tape process and set both the input and output trim controls to 0dB, the output will exactly match the input. As for maintenance, since it's software, make sure to keep it updated to the latest version to ensure the best performance and compatibility. When switching between different flavors, take your time to listen carefully to the differences and find the one that suits your audio project the most.