- Mastering engineer and musician Maor Appelbaum (Faith No More, Meatloaf, Yes), 2020
SANTA CRUZ, CA, USA: Plugin Alliance, supporting all major plugin formats and uniting some of the best-known international audio companies under one virtual roof, is proud to announce a partnership with mastering engineer extraordinaire Maor Appelbaum and hand-wired studio gear creator HendyAmps to create a licensed plugin version of their collaborative stereo tube and solid-state multi-band saturation monster THE OVEN — itself a high-end hardware tool that can seriously enhance any track it processes — readying for release in 2021.As alluded to by its intriguingly-titled Temp, Cook, Burners, Sizzle, and Flow controls, THE OVEN is far from a typical EQ, but rather a vibe/ coloration/mojo box with tonal-shaping options. It is the stunning-sounding result of what happens when internationally-acclaimed mastering engineer Maor Appelbaum teams up with hand-wired studio gear creator HendyAmps.
Happily, Dirk Ulrich, CEO of both Plugin Alliance and its developmental partner brand Brainworx Audio — himself no stranger to the virtues of high-quality audio innovation, is especially excited by the partnership prospect: “I am stoked to announce that my LA-based friend, mastering wizard, and hardware developer Maor Appelbaum has signed with Brainworx and Plugin Alliance. Together we’ll create a licensed plugin version of his $6,400.00 USD THE OVEN, an amazing cooperation with HendyAmps!"
His not inconsiderable part in the proceedings notwithstanding, Maor Appelbaum responds in kind by announcing, “As a mastering engineer I am always looking to the cutting edge of what can make my sound and workflow better. Brainworx and Plugin Alliance are the go-to companies for engineers who want amazing emulations of awesome analog hardware gear. Once we had created THE OVEN and decided to get it modeled, we knew there is only one company for the job that we wanted to use, and that is Brainworx. By partnering with them, we hope that users will enjoy using the plugin version of THE OVEN on their sessions as much as we enjoy using the hardware on ours... in-the-box vibes and mojo will soon be available for the DAW world to consume!"
Continuing to sing the announced partnership’s praises, Maor Appelbaum adds, “The community surrounding Plugin Alliance is one of a kind, and we are excited to be part of it for many years to come!”
Plugin Alliance is also proud to announce that innovative Polish pro audio manufacturer Looptrotter Audio Engineering — encompassing passion, pursuit of music, and high-quality tone, as well as versatile knowledge and expertise in handling sound with a singleness of purpose when it comes to research and experiments in the creation of original pro audio studio gear giving sound an analogue touch, warmth, and saturation so pleasing to both ears and soul — has signed up as its latest partner brand, as of December 21…
In the welcoming words of Dirk Ulrich, CEO of both Plugin Alliance and its developmental partner brand Brainworx Audio — himself no stranger to the virtues of high-quality audio innovation, yellow-colored or otherwise: “Welcome, Looptrotter, who have signed with Brainworx and Plugin Alliance. Who needs some ‘yellow love’ in their DAW?"
What’s with the yellow? “Because in chromotherapy the color yellow has a particular, positive influence on the human brain,” Looptrotter Founder | CEO Andrzej ‘Looptrotter’ Starzyk states. “It is believed to awaken and stimulate the mind, enhance creative thinking, and boost imagination. It helps to break through fixed notions and ideas. I’m confident that this color best represents the objectives of the Looptrotter company.”
Clearly, then, those objectives — creating original pro audio studio gear giving sound an analogue touch, warmth, and saturation so pleasing to both ears and soul as the most versatile yet creative and easy-to-use devices by combining the best solutions provided by all electronic technologies, including electron tubes, discrete semiconductors, integrated circuits, and microcontrollers, and optimizing the signal path with the most meticulous selection of components to target the best possible sound — have served Looptrotter Audio Engineering well since it was founded 10 years ago in Warsaw by Andrzej Starzyk.
Surely all the more reason to celebrate signing up as Plugin Alliance’s latest partner brand? “In honor of Looptrotter’s tenth anniversary, we wanted to create something extra special, so, with that in mind, we are beyond thrilled to announce that we have partnered with Brainworx and Plugin Alliance to bring our unique sonic signature into the digital world,” affirms Andrzej Starzyk, before ending on a high note: “Many have asked for emulations of the Sa2Rate dual-channel saturator, with Looptrotter’s famed solid-state saturation circuit, and the Monster Compressor... well, guess what? They are now in the works!”
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