Apogee Digital

Vintage Compressor / Limiter

The Apogee Opto-3A is a vintage compressor and limiter plugin that is part of the Apogee FX Rack & ApogeeChannelFX suite of plugins that runs natively in your favourite DAW without any Apogee hardware but also has DualPath™ functionality that allows the plugins to run on Apogee Hardware DSP in Symphony Desktop, Element Series, and Ensemble Thunderbolt audio interfaces.

Features

• Optical Compressor/Limiter
• Reproduces the reactive compression characteristics of modelled hardware
• Extended Hf emphasis functionality
• Sidechain HP filter
• Dry/FX Mix
• Runs natively in your favourite DAW (no Apogee hardware is required)
• Runs on Apogee hardware DSP in Symphony Desktop, Element Series, and Ensemble Thunderbolt audio interfaces

Create your Own Phases, from Mellow to Madness – Authentic plugin emulations of Bob Clearmountain’s Vintage Analog Flanger & Phaser Rack Modules

The trippy, undulating sound of flanging and phasing debuted in the ‘60s and ‘70s with songs like Small Faces’ “Itchycoo Park,” Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir,” and Hendrix’s “Bold as Love.” And it’s made its mark on every decade since, playing key moments on tracks by David Bowie, Roxy Music, The Clash, The Cult, U2, Daft Punk, not to mention dozens of tracks by Van Halen.

Clearmountain’s Phases brings you the sounds of classic flanger and phaser processors used in mixing engineer Bob Clearmountain’s studio, meticulously modelling his rare, vintage flanger and phaser rack modules from the mid-seventies. The plugin adds Expanded settings modules, so you can replicate Bob’s advanced workflow, easily dialling in the distinct, engaging modulation effects heard on songs from the world’s most influential artists.

Clearmountain’s Favourite Flanger at your Fingertips

Originally created through a laborious process requiring two tape machines playing back the same material in sync, but with a slight varispeed on one of the machines, the Flanger effect required a lot of gear, setup and expertise to pull off. Clearmountain’s Phases brings Bob Clearmountain’s favourite hardware Flanger processor to your fingertips, with control over the original manual sweep, sweep oscillator and mix.

With Expanded controls including feedback, LFO Phase, high-pass filters, and polarity reverse controls, you can emulate workflows in the plugin that required external gear with the original modules. The true “zero crossing” Tape Flange mode reproduces the dramatic effect when two tape machines flange perfectly. You can even “swap out” the core bucket-brigade delay (BBD) chip to explore vastly greater sweep ranges. Finally, to really add the grit and flavour of the original hardware to your tracks, dial in your desired amount of distortion and aliasing.

It’s not just a Phase… It’s Feedback, LFO and Vintage Analog

The Phaser offers a gentler modulation that Bob uses to create the quintessential watery, undulating electric piano, the occasional psychedelic drum kit, and more extreme textures in combination with the flanger. You’ll find many of the same Original and Expanded controls as the flanger – feedback, LFO Phase, high-pass filters and polarity reverse controls – for a consistent user experience. With the Stages knob, you can reproduce the sonic characteristics of hardware phasers from stompbox favourites to vintage hardware units to modern plugins. Dial-in feedback to intensify the effect with added resonance, then adjust the Feedback Tap knob for even more sonic variations. Engage the Analog button to more closely model the original hardware’s feedback implementation. Finally, send the plugin back in time with the Age trimpot, to reproduce the mellowing effects of ageing hardware components.

Configuration for your Sonic Imagination

When Bob was looking to create a richer, more extreme texture, he’d send his tracks through both flanger and phaser modules, and you can do the same with the Module Config feature. Flange the phaser, phase the flanger, or apply both and mix – whatever achieves the sound in your imagination!

To add a swirling width that moves across the stereo soundstage, he’d patch in multiple modules, then set different sweep rates for the left and right sides of each module. Listen to Mick’s vocal on the Stones’ “Heaven” track, or Bowie’s “China Girl” recording to hear the result. You can recreate these unique sounds with the Module Config and Sweep Rate Select features.

Access Iconic Presets or Easily Dial-in your Own

When the Clearmountain name is on the box, rest assured that Bob himself pored over every detail, and that includes the presets you get with the plugin. You don’t need an engineering degree to get started – instead, look over the shoulder of a master mixer!

Bob has carefully created each preset based on specific instruments and processing from his extensive catalogue of timeless hit mixes. Want to experience the Stones “Heaven” vocal sound described above? Simply load the preset!

Once you’ve unlocked the secrets of the presets, you’ll find it surprisingly easy to conjure your own Phases, from mellow to madness!

Features

• Authentic emulations of Bob Clearmountain’s vintage Flanger and Phaser Rack Modules.
• Phases Presets offers access to Clearmountain’s personal settings for iconic songs and applications.
• Use Module Config to combine the flanger and phaser for complex, evolving soundscapes.
• Expanded Settings Modules offer a universe of possibilities beyond the original units.
• Dial in the distortion, aliasing and component ageing of the hardware units, or keep it clean.

In Apogee’s obsessive quest to reproduce every nuance of the Pultec Program Equalizer…

They have had a worthy partner – Steve Jackson of Pulse Techniques, the current manufacturer of new Pultec hardware.

After careful analysis of several vintages and new Pultec MEQ-5 units, Apogee chose to model their plugin after one of Steve’s new units – it was like unboxing a brand new unit in 1959.

Features

• The Apogee Pultec MEQ-5 Midrange Equalizer plugin precisely recreates the original hardware to sculpt critical midrange frequencies with precision and warmth
• Developed with Pulse Techniques, the current manufacturer of hardware Pultec EQs
• Apogee plugin modelled from brand new Pultec unit
• Officially Licensed and Endorsed by Pulse Techniques
• Run natively in your favourite DAW (no Apogee hardware is required)
• Runs on Apogee hardware DSP in Symphony Desktop, Element Series, and Ensemble Thunderbolt audio interfaces

EQ, Compression and Saturation Plugin

Whether you’re recording basic tracks or adding the final touches on your mix, the Symphony ECS Channel Strip offers a simple but comprehensive EQ, compression and saturation for enhancing your tracks with minimum fuss and maximum results.

EQ – The Channel Strip’s EQ is based on vintage 1970’s hardware EQ that’s simple but potent, so you can dial in your sound with ease. Switch the high pass filter to the compressor sidechain for aggressive compression without pumping.

Compressor – With parameters tuned by legendary mixer Bob Clearmountain, the compressor offers foolproof gain reduction with just the essential controls. Parallel compression is easy using the included Mix knob.

Saturation – Add the finishing touch to your sound with variable levels of saturation, from subtle volume-boosting through crunchy and exciting to full-on crush.

Flexible Workflows with Symphony Desktop – The ECS Channel Strip runs both on Symphony Desktop on-board hardware DSP and as a native plugin in your DAW, opening an array of innovative and flexible workflows. Commit to your processing with Print FX mode or set up DualPath monitoring for zero-latency recording with the ECS Channel Strip.

Features

• Channel Strip format offers multiple effects in one plugin
• Vintage-modelled 3-band EQ
• Clearmountain-tuned Compressor with Auto Makeup
• Saturation from subtle gain to warm crush
• Flexible High-Pass
• DualPath flexibility with Symphony Desktop

Where Your Mix Lives

Bob Clearmountain’s Personalized FX Signal Flow

For decades, engineers, producers, and musicians have marvelled at Bob Clearmountain’s mixes. Recordings by iconic artists like David Bowie, Chic, Roxy Music, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Bryan Adams, INXS, and so many more, are prime examples of how Clearmountain’s work elevated the role of “the mixer” to that of an essential creative partner in the process of making records. Clearmountain’s ability to build a soundscape and atmosphere where voices and instruments seem to effortlessly live in an intimate space but all blend together seamlessly set new standards for mixing. And, his artistry and passion to reveal the true character of the song and highlight the emotion of the music, gets to the heart of what inspired the song from its inception.

While this is a craft honed over a career of many experiences, accomplishments and hit records, there are secrets that can be shared and Clearmountain’s Domain offers one of Bob’s most refined and important techniques in a simple and streamlined plugin.

Apogee’s Clearmountain’s Domain plugin reproduces Bob Clearmountain’s personalized FX signal chain for creating the cohesive spaces, expansive dimensions, and rich atmospheres where his mixes live. Classic presets help you to recreate the sonic environment of your favourite Clearmountain mixes. Advanced views reveal Clearmountain’s decades of expertise and empower you to create your own musical mix domain.

Clearmountain’s Hardware FX Workflows Made Accessible in your DAW

Over decades of mixing hit songs, Clearmountain has developed a complex and personalized hardware FX signal chain for creating imaginary soundscapes where musical elements each have their own space and dimension but remain cohesive to the whole. This FX signal chain, developed over decades, involves an entire studio’s worth of hardware gear – live echo chambers, delays, harmonizers, de-essers, EQs and a large format SSL analog mixing console. And lots of patch cords…so many patch cords! Reproducing this complicated interconnection of hardware using individual plugins in a DAW proved to be almost impossible. With Clearmountain’s Domain, it’s refreshingly simple to achieve Bob’s results with a mere click on a preset.

Classic Presets Make it Easy to Access Iconic Clearmountain Sounds and Create your Own

Thanks to the Clearmountain Classic presets, you don’t need an engineering degree to get started – instead, start with the awe-inspiring sounds you know and love from your favourite Clearmountain mix! 

Bob has carefully created each preset based on specific instruments and processing from his extensive catalogue of timeless hit mixes. Looking to nail the Bowie “Let’s Dance” guitar and vocal delay or the Springsteen “Born in the USA” snare sound? Simply load the presets!

Home

It’s easy to get started with Clearmountain’s Domain from the Home page – trim the Input level, then scroll through the Clearmountain-designed presets until you’ve found the ideal domain for your mix.

Sidebar Signal Flow

If you need to tweak a preset, navigate through Advanced views from the Sidebar signal flow diagram. Click anywhere in the diagram to navigate to the specific settings and controls for that part of the signal flow.

Input

“Pre-conditioning” the audio before sending it to reverb and delay is an important aspect of the plugin’s unique character. De-essing and 3-band EQ based on Clearmountain’s original hardware devices are included in this view.

Delay

You’ll find all the settings you expect – and a few you don’t – for configuring the stereo delays. Set delay time according to session tempo or tap tempo; link Spin (feedback) for both sides and alter its routing; EQ each side independently; add Blur (saturation) for a crunchy, lo-fi sound.

Pitch Shift / Reverb

Create subtle or outlandish sounds with up to an octave (+-) Delay Pitch Shift plus Random pitch modulation. Then send the perfect mix of direct, delay and pitched delay to any or all three reverbs. Now we’re deep in the Domain!

Mixer

Create the ideal mix of the five FX processes – delay, pitch-shifted delay, and Bob’s three personalized convolution reverbs, then set the blend between the dry and wet signal.

Features

• Clearmountain’s Personalized FX Signal Flow
  • Pre Delay/Reverb De-esser
  • Pre Delay/Reverb EQ
  • Stereo Delay with Spin Time Compensation
  • Delay Blur (Saturation)
  • Stereo Unison to Octave Pitch-Shift
  • Clearmountain Spaces Convolution Reverbs
  • FX Mixer
• Clearmountain’s Classic Presets
• Clearmountain Spaces, Convolution Reverbs
• Real-Time FX Visualizer

A Simple, Powerful Reverb Plugin

The Apogee Clearmountain’s Spaces plugin reproduces Bob Clearmountain’s personalized workflow for creating the distinctive, rich spaces where his mixes live. With the very same echo chamber profiles and processing he’s used on countless hit records, Clearmountain’s Spaces lets you envelop your tracks in unique and cohesive atmospheres that set your mixes apart.

Even with the simple operation of “adding reverb” to a mix, Clearmountain has developed a highly personalized workflow for creating the distinctive sonic environments that make his mixes stand out. Rather than rely on commonly available reverb effects, Bob has relied on physical rooms and chambers for realistic and unique reverb. Once convolution reverb technology allowed him to “capture” the characteristics of his favourite rooms as digital impulse response files, he was free to use all his favourite spaces no matter their location.

With Clearmountain’s Spaces, you now have access to the very same impulse response room profiles used on countless hit mixes. Equally important to achieving the signature Clearmountain sound is flexible input signal processing for shaping the sound before it hits the Spaces – three-band EQ, easy-to-use de-essing, and pre-delay. The final stage of Bob’s spatial workflow is a technique we call Composite Spaces – mixing and layering Spaces of different timbral characteristics and decay times for a result that’s utterly personalized.

Classic Presets Make it Easy to Add Space to your Mix

Have you ever struggled when adding reverb to your mix? The Clearmountain’s Spaces presets built by Bob, deliver decades of mixing expertise to your fingertips letting you easily add polish, depth and atmosphere to all your tracks.

Custom Impulse Responses of Clearmountain’s Reverb Spaces

Earlier in his career, Bob leaned heavily on physical rooms and chambers for realistic and unique reverb – for example, the custom-designed echo chambers at his MixThis studios in Los Angeles. Once convolution reverb technology allowed him to “capture” the characteristics of his favourite rooms as digital impulse response files, he was free to use all his favourite spaces no matter their location. With Clearmountain’s Domain, you now have access to these spaces, the very ones used on countless hit mixes.

Product Tour

Flexible Input Processing

• 1) Easy-to-use De-esser removes distracting sibilance for smooth and consistent Spaces
• 2) Pre-delay separates the dry signal from the Spaces signal for greater clarity and rhythmic interest
• 3) Three-band EQ gently de-clutters or radically alters the character of Spaces

Realtime Spaces Visualizer

• 4) See the sonic effect of your reverb with the captivating display of Spaces as they evolve through time & space

Three Customized Spaces you can Combine

• 5) Apogee Studio – A short and warm ambience from Apogee’s in-house recording studio and development lab
• 6) Mix This! – A medium length, bright reverb from the physical echo chambers at Clearmountain’s Mix This! studio in Los Angeles
• 7) Roscoe – An extra-long, rich-sounding reverb captured in Clearmountain’s friend’s studio with AEA ribbon mics for a super-warm sound

Features

• Three Customized, Clearmountain Spaces
• Clearmountain Expert Presets
• Composite Spaces Mixer
• Input Processing with 3 – Band EQ, De-esser
• Pre-Delay
• Real-Time Spaces Visualizer
• Flexible Plugin Window Resizing

Pultec Modeled Equalizer

In Apogee’s obsessive quest to reproduce every nuance of the Pultec Program Equalizer, they have had a worthy partner – Steve Jackson of Pulse Techniques, the current manufacturer of new Pultec hardware.

After careful analysis of several vintages and new Pultec EQP-1A units, Apogee chose to model their plugin after one of Steve’s new units – it was like unboxing a brand new unit in 1959.

FEATURES

• Precisely recreates the Pultec EQP-1A’s unique characteristics
• Broad EQ curves, to gently but powerfully shape your sounds while maintaining their integrity
• Interaction of Bands, to create characteristic EQ curves used by engineers for decades
• Circuit Non-Linearites, to add the “magic” that hardware units are renowned for
• Developed with Pulse Technologies, the current manufacturer of hardware Pultec EQs
• Apogee plugin modelled from brand new Pultec unit
• Officially Licensed and Endorsed by Pulse Techniques
• Run natively in your favourite DAW (no Apogee hardware is required)
• Runs on Apogee hardware DSP in Symphony Desktop, Element Series, and Ensemble Thunderbolt audio interfaces

No Apogee Hardware Required!

The Apogee ModEQ 6 is a modern 6 band equalizer plugin that is part of the Apogee FX Rack & ApogeeChannelFX suite of plugins that runs natively in your favourite DAW without any Apogee hardware but also has DualPath™ functionality that allows the plugins to run on Apogee Hardware DSP in Symphony Desktop, Element Series, and Ensemble Thunderbolt audio interfaces.

Features

• 6 Band Parametric EQ
• Lo Pass, Hi-Pass
• 2 Peak/Shelf
• 2 Peak/Notch
• Visual user interface
• Spectrum Analyzer
• Band Solo
• Proportional/Constant Q
• Runs natively in your favourite DAW (no Apogee hardware is required)
• Runs on Apogee hardware DSP in Symphony Desktop, Element Series, and Ensemble Thunderbolt audio interfaces

Modern Visual Compressor / Limiter

ModComp is a modern visual compressor and limiter plugin that is part of the Apogee FX Rack & ApogeeChannelFX suite of plugins that runs natively in your favourite DAW without any Apogee hardware but also has DualPath™ functionality that allows the plugins to run on Apogee Hardware DSP in Symphony Desktop, Element Series, and Ensemble Thunderbolt audio interfaces.

Features

• Modern Compressor/Limiter
• Visual user interface
• 3 User Selectable Styles, Punch, Easy and Level
• 2- Band Sidechain EQ
• Auto Makeup
• Dry/FX Mix
• Runs natively in your favourite DAW (no Apogee hardware is required)
• Runs on Apogee hardware DSP in Symphony Desktop, Element Series, and Ensemble Thunderbolt audio interfaces