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ssl vocalstrip>does the job, but drag and drop would havebeen simpler and more intuitive. Sections canalso be switched in and out individually, so if youonly need a de-esser, you don’t have to use theother sections. This has no effect on Duende’sinternal processing assignment – Vocalstrip usesa single processor slot no matter how it’s set up.But it may make a difference in the forthcomingDuende 3 update, which uses SSL's Hybridprocessing to share the load between the Duendeand the host machine.Comprehending TheCompounderThe compander has a comprehensive set ofcontrols that include attack, ratio, threshold, andrelease for the compressor section, an expanderwith a variable threshold but preset dynamics,and gain makeup. A ‘drive’ button adds a hintof sweet-sounding distortion that thickens outthe sound. You can also select hard and softknee curves. A ‘bargraph’ display indicates howmuch compression is happening and how openthe expander is. The sound isn’t quite clinical,especially with drive selected, but it’s not asovertly transformed as it is with the Buscompand Channel Strip Duende plug-ins. It’s certainlyeasy to make lines sound thicker and richer, andalso to tame performances so they can bed downin a mix.The EQ section is a three-band design witha low-cut, tight mid parametric and a looserhigh parametric. It’s a basic design, which seemsto have been picked from typical user choicesfor vocal EQ, and it covers the bases. But moreflexibility in return for smaller on-off buttons foreach stage would have been welcome. Arguably ahi-cut or a shelving stage would have been usefulat the high end, and Q control would certainlyhave been appreciated on all of the stages. But it’sstill possible to make both creative and surgicaladjustments, and the sound is fairly smooth andunobtrusive. If you need more versatile EQ youcan always use one of the other Duende plugins.But because this has to happen outside ofVocalstrip’s processing chain, it’s not quite a dropinequivalent. And there isn’t, as yet, any way tocross-route or patch between plug-in subsectionson Duende, or to set up sidechains.Quicker, Quicker..!As a useful extra the display section can be madeto show pre- or post- FFTs, which can help withfine-tuning the EQ. The FFT update rate isn’t quickenough to catch fast transients, but it can displaypotential problem areas on slower vocal elements.There’s also a dynamic amplitude graph, whichcan give you some clues about how aggressivelyyour vocals are being treated. (There isn’t,unfortunately, a self-destruct button that turnsoff all processing when there are no dynamicsleft at all.)The de-esser and de-ploser are more hit andmiss. As always, they’re available to compensatefor the compressor’s tendency to magnifyunwanted consonants, turning a smooth vocalperformance into a hiss, spit, and pop fest.But the active frequency ranges are preset, whichmeans they’re less versatile than a completesidechain. To be fair you get two processors, whichis generous and more than you’ll find on mostconsoles or outboard boxes. And the dynamicsare dynamically calculated, which means that intheory you don’t need to set them by hand.But in practice some vocal lines could betreated effectively, while others were morechallenging. A low and breathy trip hop vocalwith a heavily aspirated ‘You’ fell between thetwo active frequencies and couldn’t be tamed.This might not be a common problem, but atuneable sidechain would have made light workof the problem. On other material, the de-esserseemed to work smoothly, but the de-ploserhad a tendency to click when used moreaggressively, and was perhaps more effectiveon spoken voiceover material than sung vocals.Some fine-tuning of the dynamics might be worthconsidering for the next update.Theory Vs. PracticalOne other limitation is that Vocalstrip is monoonly. In theory this makes sense, but in practiceit means you’re limited to solo vocals, and thesehave to be processed before you add reverb andother effects to them. Compressing a line withreverb already added is sometimes useful, so thisis a limitation. It would have been good to havethe choice.Overall, it’s possible to get an excellent varietyof vocal stylings out of the Vocalstrip, fromtraditional ultra-compressed breathy female bvoxto aggressive male growls and snarls. I’d like tosee a little more versatility and user control insome of the sections, but Vocalstrip is still a fineaddition to the Duende range and an essentialpurchase for anyone who works regularly witheither spoken or sung vocal material. ∫....................................£ GB£199.00 (exc.VAT)INFORMATIONA Solid State LogicW www.solid-state-logic.comA UK Distributor: Sound Technology, LetchworthPoint, Letchworth Garden City, Herts, SG6 1NDT +44 (0) 1462 480000W www.soundtech.co.ukE sales@soundtech.co.ukAUDIO MEDIA JULY 2009 43