Tag Archives: Mastering

Focal Adds to the affordable Alpha Evo monitor line with two new entries

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Focal Releases Two New “Alpha Evo” MonitorsNew affordable Focal monitors offer 5-inch and 6.5-inch drivers


Montreal, Canada — March 25, 2021 — Today Focal has announced that it is shipping the new Alpha Evo monitors, Alpha 50 Evo, and Alpha 65 Evo. These replace the current Focal Alpha 50 and 65 models in that range, while the current Alpha 80 are still available. The two new Focal Alpha Evo products are available at retailers in the US and Canada on March 25, 2021, and have suggested retail prices of Alpha 50 Evo $349. USD each, and Alpha 65 Evo $449. USD each. 

Alpha Evo 6.5

Focal evolves its Alpha range with the newly unveiled Alpha Evo. New features, new technologies, new design: The Alpha 50 Evo and Alpha 65 Evo studio monitors offer high performance at a price unrivaled in their market, providing ultra-powerful, professional tools to more people than ever. With these new products, the French brand showcases once again its sound expertise and its position as a global leader. 

Performance & Versatility
Dedicated to music creation and all reproduction, the Alpha 50 Evo and Alpha 65 Evo offer excellent sound coherence, no matter where a user is listening. For renewed performance, Focal has chosen an aluminum inverted dome tweeter to ensure vast sound dispersion, as well as the Slatefiber cone. This recycled carbon cone, produced exclusively by the French brand at its Saint-Étienne workshops, has been chosen for its neutrality and dynamics. Focal is constantly renewing its offerings, drawing on its acoustics expertise of over 40-years and its innovation capacity. This is demonstrated by the new large laminar port, which limits distortion noise. 

New Features: Evo for Evolution. 
The Alpha Evo monitors boast a new ?-inch (6.35mm) TRS input jack, in addition to the XLR and RCA analog inputs, an automatic standby mode that can now be switched off by the user, and inserts for wall and ceiling fastening. All these new features make Alpha Evo a truly versatile monitor range for Mixing, Mastering, DJs, and Broadcast. In terms of amplification, the monitors are each equipped with two class D amplifiers. The high current capacity of these amplifiers allows full control of the signal dynamics. They also allow high volumes to be reached without distortion. Each of the loudspeakers picks up the smallest details in the mix, across all musical styles. 

Design and Cabinet-Making 
The monitors feature a 5/8-inch (15mm)-thick MDF cabinet and incorporate internal braces to ensure it is highly robust, even at the highest levels of acoustic pressure. The bass-reflex design has been used to ensure easy acoustic integration in even the most cramped spaces. In terms of aesthetics, the traditional cube monitor shape makes way for rounded contours. The side panels create a sophisticated, robust, and modern design which contributes to excellent acoustics and a unique and harmonious signature style across the collections. 

Key features of Focal Alpha Evo monitors: 
* Excellent dynamics 
* Wide dispersion enabling the same sound to be maintained throughout the entire room 
* Slatefiber cone manufactured in France 
* Identical tonal balance at both low and high volume 
* Connect up to 3 audio sources 
* Inserts for wall fastening 
* Automatic standby mode can now be switched off by the user
* Protective grills included 

The new Focal Alpha Evo products are available at retailers in the US and Canada on March 25, 2021, and have suggested retail prices of Alpha 50 Evo $349. USD each, and Alpha 65 Evo $449. USD each. 

Discover Alpha Evo: https://www.focal.com/en/pro-audio/monitoring-speakers/alpha-evo

For more information on Focal Professional: https://www.focal.com/en/pro-audio

About Focal Naim America
Focal Naim America (formerly Audio Plus Services) is a leading North American importer and distributor of premium consumer and professional electronics brands including Focal Professional, SPL of Germany, IsoAcoustics, Zaor Studio Furniture, Vicoustic, and EarSonics. Based in Montreal with U.S. shipping facilities in Champlain, NY, the company has sales personnel located throughout the United States and Canada to professionally service their active roster of more than 350 specialty A/V and Pro Audio dealers. The company specializes in products and services for the professional audio and performing musician markets, as well as the home theater and custom integration (CI) market – both residential and commercial – for North America. 

For more information about Focal Naim America visit their website at https://www.focalnaimamerica.com or call (800) 663-9352.

All trademarks are the property of their respective holders.###
Many more Focal Alpha Evo photos available & high-resolution available, email: pauljdb@gmail.com

New Focal Alpha 50 Evo and Alpha 50 Evo: 

ADPTR AUDIO Streamliner makes streaming mastering easy

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Plugin Alliance announces availability of ADPTR AUDIO Streamliner, making masters ready for streaming 


“I love being able to see at a glance what my dynamic range and loudness levels are in a clear, easy-to-read format, and the ability to audition lossy audio formats and reference all the major streaming platforms is a must nowadays. For all aspiring mastering engineers, the target levels and dynamic ranges — with well-known presets — are gonna be a game changer!” 

– GRAMMY® Award-winning mastering engineer Glenn Schick (Future, J. Cole, Missy Elliot), 2020 


SANTA CRUZ, CA, USA: Plugin Alliance, supporting all major plugin formats and uniting some of the best-known international audio companies under one virtual roof, is proud to announce availability of ADPTR AUDIO Streamliner — a perfectly positioned plugin that eliminates guesswork and allows anyone to finally find out how their masters will sound on all the major streaming services — as of October 7…

ADPTR AUDIO Streamliner’s simple and comprehensive codec auditioning feature allows anyone to easily preview audio through the very same algorithms used by Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, YouTube, and many more streaming platforms besides. But the plugin itself does much more than simply let its users quickly hear how audio will sound through streaming and download codecs. Indeed, it also serves as an intuitive and powerful metering suite, combining state-of-the-art meters for LOUDNESS, DYNAMIC RANGE, and TRUE PEAK levels — complete with Target levels.
Additional features well worth highlighting here include loading, comparing, and level-matching reference tracks using ADPTR AUDIO Streamliner’s integrated A B REFERENCE switching system, as well as instantly exporting tracks at all the bitrates used by each major platform so users — and clients — can preview them on a variety of listening systems.
Comprehensive codec selection is instantly available, including those used by Apple Music, Bandcamp, Beatport Pro, Deezer, Facebook Video, Gaana, Instagram, Mixcloud, Napster, Pandora, Primephonic, Soundcloud, Spotify, Tidal, Twitch, and YouTube Music — hear how mixes will sound to end listeners and discover how much loudness normalization will affect a master when it is featured in playlists alongside other tracks with ADPTR AUDIO Streamliner, a perfectly positioned plugin that eliminates guesswork and allows anyone to finally find out how their masters will sound on all the major streaming services. 

ADPTR AUDIO Streamliner is available for purchase (as an AAX AudioSuite-, AAX Native-, AU-, VST2-, and VST3-supporting effect plugin for macOS 10.9 through 10.15 and Windows 7 through 10) at an attractive introductory price of $169.99 USD until November 1, 2020 — rising thereafter to an MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) of $199.00 USD — from here: https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/products/adptr_streamliner.html

A fully-functional, 14-day trial of ADPTR AUDIO Streamliner is available to anyone registering for a free Plugin Alliance account here: https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/registration.html
ADPTR AUDIO Streamliner is included in PA’s monthly MEGA Bundle (https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/products/pa-mega-bundle-monthly.html) and annual MEGA Bundle (https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/products/pa-mega-bundle.html) subscription services, and also its monthly MIX & MASTER Bundle (https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/products/pa-mix-master-bundle-monthly.html) and annual MIX & MASTER Bundle (https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/products/pa-mix-master-bundle-yearly.html) subscription services at no extra cost!
Note that the proprietary Plugin Alliance Installation Manager means users can select, download, and install only the products and formats needed for their system. For more in-depth info, including several superb-sounding audio demos, please visit Plugin Alliance’s dedicated ADPTR AUDIO Streamliner webpage here:https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/products/adptr_streamliner.html
See and hear ADPTR AUDIO Founder Marc Adamo introducing Streamliner in Plugin Alliance’s talkative trailer video here: https://youtu.be/tI5n0HWxNQ8 

SPL ships Gemini M/S processor

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SPL of Germany Ships New “Gemini” M/S Processor“Mid-Side” encoder and decoder processor integrates with SPL 120-volt Mastering Series
Montreal, Canada – May 1, 2019 – SPL of Germany has announced the release of Gemini, a “Mid-Side” (M/S) encoder and decoder processor that integrates with SPL’s other 120-volt Mastering Series components to offer even deeper sonic control for the mastering engineer. Using Gemini, mid signals in the center of the stereo field-such as voice, snare, or bass-can clearly be separated from the left and right side signals (often featuring guitar, keyboards or spatial sounds like cymbals), and can be individually processed. When working on the sum signal, M/S coding is often the best way to specifically get access to process individual elements within a stereo mix. Gemini has a street price of $2,799.00 USD and is available now from dealers in the US and Canada through its distributor Focal Naim America (formerly Audio Plus Services).

“Our new Gemini M/S processor adds even more access for mastering engineers to enhance a stereo recording,” says HermannGier, Managing Director at SPL. “Combined with other SPL components, such as the Hermes router, Gemini Mid-Side encoding and decoding becomes a powerful new tool for engineers to make the best sounding audio masters for their clients.”

The Gemini M/S processor also works on the stereo panorama using several front panel controls. With the ‘Balance’ control the user can position the mid signal within the stereo panorama. With the ‘Trim’ control users can adjust the level of the mid signal in relation to the side signal, and with the ‘Stereo Width’ control, the mixing ratio of both channels can be adjusted simultaneously. Gemini also features an ‘Elliptical Filter’ that moves low-frequency content from the Side into the Mid.

A pairing of Gemini and the SPL Hermes Mastering Router enables further possibilities. If the M/S encoder and decoder stages of Gemini are each paired with an insert on Hermes, the user can freely choose a position for the M/S encoder and decoder within the processing chain. For example, placing the M/S Encoder on the third position and an equalizer on the fourth insert allows for separate processing of the mid and side signal, and then  placing the M/S Decoder stage of the Gemini on the fifth position generates a L/R stereo signal. If the user wants to add a compressor as a further device for M/S processing, they can place it on position 5 of the Hermes-the M/S Decoder stage would then move to position 6.

Gemini is another mastering product with SPL’s unique 120V audio rail technology, which offers increased headroom of up to +34dB and a dynamic range of over 141dB. Find out more about SPL’s technology at: https://spl.audio/120v-technologie/?lang=en

The new Gemini M/S processor is available now from dealers in the US and Canada, the retail street price is $2,799.00 USD. Visit the Gemini product page on SPL’s website for more information on using Gemini with the Hermes router: https://spl.audio/mastering/gemini/?lang=en

Watch the SPL Mastering Devices Overview video at: https://youtu.be/agJl2GGkkdM