Slate Digital The Virtual Console Collection User Manual

Page 23

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Slate  Digital  Virtual  Console  Collection  

I   dragged   Fabrice   to   a   famous   Los   Angeles   recording   studio   so   he   could   do   some  

complex  testing  on  their  vintage  desks.    He  reluctantly  obliged,  and  then  requested  that  

I  get  him  the  schematics  of  the  desks  for  him  to  study.  
Then  I  didn’t  hear  from  him  for  a  week.  I  was  beginning  to  wonder  what  was  happening,  

but  then  got  a  call  sometime  in  the  middle  of  the  night.  
“It  will  be  very,  very  difficult,  but  I  think  it  can  be  done”,  he  said.  
And  thus  was  born  the  Virtual  Console  Collection.  
Over   the   next   six   months,   I   would   travel   around   Los   Angeles   listening   to   dozens   of  

classic  desks,  in  an  attempt  to  find  the  cream  of  the  crop.    Once  found,  Fabrice  would  

come  in  and  do  a  series  of  custom  tests  using  specialized  techniques  that  he  developed  

for  analog  modeling.  
Fabrice’s   Los   Angeles   office   would   soon   become   a   fury   of   schematics,   console  

components,  test  equipment,  and  dozens  of  papers  filled  with  hand  written  algorithms  

and  French  words.  
The   very   first   versions   of   what   would   become   the   Virtual   Console   Collection   were  

already  very  impressive  to  me.    I  would  test  them  by  comparing  the  processed  digital  

files  with  the  same  audio  files  that  went  through  the  actual  desks.    From  start  to  finish,  

Fabrice   and   I   both   would   do   hundreds   of   listening   tests   to   ensure   that   we   were  

replicating   the   exact   sound   of   the   analog   consoles,   dynamically.   Many   analog   desks  

have  a  certain  “sweet  spot,”  a  point  of  gain  structuring  in  the  desk  where  the  console  

would  exude  its  most  pleasing  character.  This  type  of  “sweet  spot”  would  have  to  be  

duplicated  in  the  algorithm  in  order  to  properly  have  the  console  modeled.  
The   goal   was   not   to   simply   claim   that   this   plugin   could   recreate   the   vibe   of   analog  

mixing,  but  to  prove  it  by  showing  how  close  the  sound  of  a  digital  mix  that  had  been  

processed  by  the  VCC  plugins  was  to  the  same  mix  summed  through  the  relative  analog  

desk.  
We   began   to   post   some   of   these   comparison   demos   on   the   web   in   the   spring,   and  

luckily,  we  were  reassured  that  the  Virtual  Console  Collection  was  something  special!  
Months  later,  we  are  proud  to  release  what  is  the  result  of  countless  months  of  hard  

work   and   dedication.   I   must   give   credit   where   it’s   due.   This   project   has   been  

spectacularly  executed  by  the  most  brilliant  and  revolutionary  algorithm  engineer  in  pro  

audio,  Slate  Digital  co-­‐founder  Fabrice  Gabriel.    It  is  Fabrice’s  amazing  skill  and  expertise  
that  has  allowed  this  remarkable  plugin  to  exist.    
Fabrice   and   I   genuinely   hope   that   the   Virtual   Console   Collection   will   help   give   your  

music   that   special   vibe   and   tone   that   is   reminiscent   of   mixing   on   a   classic   vintage  

console.  Thanks  for  your  purchase,  and  we  look  forward  to  you  making  great  music  with  

this,  and  other  Slate  Digital  plugins.  
-­‐  Steven  Slate  

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