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The Euphonia is a professional rotary mixer from AlphaTheta that combines the clarity of digital with the richness of analog sound, promising an immersive musical experience for both DJs and their audiences.

AlphaTheta, the parent brand that owns Pioneer DJ, has announced the release of its first ever mixer. Euphonia is a rotary mixer, meaning that it uses rotary dials to mix between channels instead of faders.

Euphonia is a hybrid digitial/analogue 4-channel mixer built around a transformer circuit developed in collaboration with Rupert Neve Designs, which AlphaTheta tells us is tuned specifically for the unit, adding harmonics and culminating in a “glossy and energetic” sound.

The mixer is equipped with high-quality 32-bit A/D and D/A converters and uses 96kHz/64bit floating point processing in its DSP, which powers a number of digital effects including reverb, tape echo, and delay. External effects can be hooked up via the Send/Return section.

AlphaTheta is making a big deal of the mixer’s elastomer-coated rotary dials, which have been specially designed to provide intuitive and precise control, and will vary in resistance depending on how fast you turn them; their volume curves have also been fine-tuned in response to feedback from DJs.

Euphonia’s interface is split-level, with the top of the unit featuring a 3-band master isolator section with Boost Send buttons for applying effects, alongside a display AlphaTheta has dubbed the Energy Visualizer. Unlike a traditional VU meter, the display features a needle for each of the mixer’s channels and a spectrum analyzer for the master channel.

The remainder of the unit is taken up by controls for the mixer’s 4 channels, which showcase a design closer to that of Pioneer’s DJM mixers than a traditional rotary mixer.

Connectivity-wise, Euphonia is well-equipped, with four RCA outputs at both line and phono level, four coaxial digital inputs, and XLR and 1/4″ TRS mic inputs. We have an XLR master output, 1/4″ TRS booth output, and RCA output for recording, along with two headphone outputs, 1/4″ and 3.5mm. There’s also two 1/4″ TRS sends and returns and a USB-C port for hooking up with Rekordbox, Traktor and Serato.

Features:

• Enhanced harmonics in your music, thanks to a Rupert Neve Designs transformer.
• Specially developed rotary faders, designed to make you feel at one with the music.
• Energy Visualizer for understanding overall sound at first glance.
• Next-generation 3Band Master Isolator.
• Built-in Send FX to bring depth and breadth to your sound.
• Design that embodies a new era of rotary mixer.

Euphonia is priced at $3799/£3249. Find out more on AlphaTheta website.

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Softube VCA Compressor plugin has serious dbx appeal and is free for a limited time. This emulation of a classic ‘70s dynamics processor can currently be yours for nothing till end of March.

You may well be all sorted for classic compressor emulations – it’s not like there aren’t many of them – but if you’re not, Softube is currently letting you download its dbx-inspired VCA Compressor plugin for free.

Promising to deliver the punch of the 1970s model that it emulates, this can be used to give your sounds an audible, characterful boost, thanks to its hard knee compression curve and ability to add harmonic content in the gain stages.

The plugin version promises all the tone and features of the original, plus new ratios, parallel compression and detector filtering. There’s now a sidechain section, a dry/wet control and an output drive knob for dialling in even more special sauce. Other enhancements include a stereo link mode and a high frequency make-up feature.

Features:

• VCA Compressor faithfully emulates a coveted compressor renowned for its signature snappy sound.
• Versatile for adding warmth, weight, and cohesion to bass, guitars, and vocals, as well as achieving impactful, snappy snares or bold room channels.
• Modern features include Drive, a Sidechain section, Stereo Link, High Frequency Make-up, and Dry/Wet controls.
• Console 1-ready.
• Included in the Icons: The Compressor Collection suite.

It runs on PC and Mac in VST/AU/AAX formats, and is also included in the company’s Icons: The Compressor Collection bundle.

The VCA Compressor is free until March 31, 2024 (normally $149) and can be downloaded now via the Softube website.

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iZotope relaunches fan-favourite distortion plugin with free Lite version. The new version of Trash has been equipped with an envelope follower and a “scream filter”, along with a redesigned interface and parameter randomization.

iZotope has announced a relaunch of its popular distortion plugin Trash. Arriving with a redesigned interface, new features, and support for AUv3, Trash is also available as a free version with limited features, Trash Lite.

Originally released in 2003, Trash was a multiband distortion plugin that was later upgraded to Trash 2 in 2012 before being discontinued in 2022. iZotope tells us that the new version combines the “most popular features” of the original with a “modern design”.

Trash’s interface is based around two modules; on the left-hand side you’ll find the Trash module, which offers 60 distortion types covering everything from subtle saturation to all-out sonic destruction. Above this is the multiband display, where you’re able to select different distortion settings for customizable frequency bands.

On the right, you can control Trash’s convolution reverb, which comes with over 600 impulse responses spanning everything from piano cabinets to reversed reverbs and underwater recordings. You’re able to load in your own impulse responses too.

Both modules feature an XY pad that can be used to blend between four distortion algorithms or four impulse responses. The new version of Trash also features an envelope follower, which can be used to modulate distortion parameters, and a resonant “scream filter”. You’ll also find a Dice Roll button for parameter randomization.

iZotope has also announced a free version of Trash. Trash Lite features the Trash module and the randomization function, along with the intelligent auto-gain and limiter settings found in the paid-for version.

Trash is available as an AUv3 plugin for iPad, along with a desktop version for macOS and Windows in VST3/AU/AAX. It’s priced at $99/€109/£95 but is available for a limited time at an introductory price of $79. Owners of the previous versions will not receive a free upgrade, but will be able to upgrade for a discounted price.

Find out more on iZotope website.

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