A one-stop podcasting and streaming box that can run in multiple modes, Mackie’s DLZ Creator is an all-in-one podcast mixer that makes things easy for beginners but can also be configured for pros.
Mackie highlights the podcasting game with the DLZ Creator, an all-in-one mixer that is designed for recording and streaming your conversational content. It can be used either standalone or with a computer.
Designed for both new and more experienced users, the DLZ Creator includes a 10.1-inch touch display, four discrete XLR/TRS combo inputs and Onyx80 mic preamps with up to 80dB of gain. You can make multitrack recordings directly to SD card or a thumb drive, and the DLZ Creator can also function as a 14×4 USB-C audio interface.
Mackie is keen to stress that the DLZ is suitable for both beginners and more experienced creators. It offers three control modes (Easy, Enhanced and Pro) that can be used to make the display show everything from a simplified control set to an in-depth interface with a full range of options.
Other highlights include the Mix Agent setup assistant, which is designed to get you up and recording in no time, and AutoMix, which manages the levels for up to four mics. You can set up multiple headphone mixes, and it’s also possible to bring in further audio sources – an external caller, for example – with the additional inputs or via Bluetooth.
“We challenged ourselves in designing a product that would meet the needs of today’s modern creators, so any user – beginner or pro – can create on their own terms,” said Alex Nelson, CEO of Mackie. “The DLZ Creator accomplishes this with its robust feature set, easy set-up process, and modes that adapt to the needs or experience level of the user.”
Soundtoys has released SuperPlate, a new plugin that emulates the unique tonal character of five classic electromechanical plate reverbs, plus extra classic saturation and a few modern twists.
The company says that SuperPlate’s algorithms capture “a level of unmatched realism and versatility and create luscious, immersive effects”.
SuperPlate is built around meticulous models of the EMT 140, EMT 240, Audicon, EcoPlate III, and Stocktronics RX4000 plate reverb units. It also features three different flavors of analog coloration – Tube, Solid-State, and Clean. The Tube and Solid-State modes are modeled on the EMT V54 preamp for tube saturation and the EMT 162 preamp which has a built-in compressor to help tame transients.
SuperPlate also includes a range of modern digital features, including:
Infinite decay time,
Built-in pre-delay,
Expanded modulation controls,
Full-featured EQ for detailed tonal shaping, and
A unique decay ducking option that adjusts decay time to avoid overlap or masking.
“We love the sound of real plate reverb and wanted to bring the distinctive sound of our vintage plate collection into the world of modern audio,” says CEO and lead designer Ken Bogdanowicz. “After analyzing and living with these devices for several years our team captured the true essence and variety of tones from the five different plate reverbs that we modeled for SuperPlate. We always try to take our effects beyond ‘simple emulations’ and with SuperPlate I feel like we found the perfect balance – switchable modeled preamp styles, built-in parametric EQ, and extended and dynamic decay time – to make SuperPlate a versatile go-to reverb effect. It sounds great and it’s fun and easy to use.”
SuperPlate with Vocals:
SuperPlate with Drums:
SuperPlate with Electric Piano:
SuperPlate is available individually, or as part of Soundtoys V5.4 bundle, which brings together 22 audio effects, with the following introductory pricing through June 14, 2023:
SuperPlate is available individually for $79 (reg $149)
Soundtoys 5, now including SuperPlate, is available for $499
Upgrade/crossgrade pricing is also available. Find out more on the Soundtoys website.
Spectrasonics has released a newly expanded edition of the Keyscape Creative library, expanding it to over 1500 Omnisphere patches, specially designed for users who also own Keyscape.
The vast library of sounds was produced by sound designer and Spectrasonics head Eric Persing, featuring the creative work of the award-winning Spectrasonics Sound Development team.
The expanded library features a wide variety of new patches, showcasing the power of combining the latest features of Keyscape and Omnisphere. Keyscape’s keyboard sounds, including the new Double Felt Grand, are dramatically transformed using Omnisphere’s deep synthesis capabilities and effects.
The Keyscape Creative Library v1.6 update is available now as a free update for registered users of both Omnisphere 2 and Keyscape. All existing users can get the new library by clicking the “Get Updates” button on the splash screen of the user interface. After installation, the patches will appear as a new Omnisphere directory the next time it is opened.
