REQ: Plugin Alliance - bx_subsynth
bx_subsynth is the Holy Grail for bass fanatics. Integrating a mix of classic and modern processing, this 10-ton beast gives music tracks, cinematic special FX and DJs’ sound systems a bottom end that goes all the way to the Earth’s core!
In developing bx_subsynth, Brainworx initially made a meticulous model of the legendary dbx 120XP Subharmonic Synthesizer’s Waveform Modeling™ engine, which generates discrete bass frequencies one octave below what you feed in to it. They then supersized the 120XP’s feature set to create much tighter, clearer, bigger and resonant bass.
For starters, bx_subsynth generates subharmonics in up to three discrete frequency bands versus the 120XP’s two—the addition of a higher bass band for resynthesis lets you capture and nosedive the fundamental frequencies of a much wider variety of instruments, including snare drum and acoustic guitar. The Tight Punch control creates crystal-clear, body-thumping bass by adding a resonant sub-bass peak and filtering out unwanted lows below its cutoff frequency. Powerful Edge processing lets you select from two modes of operation—Smooth and Harsh—that compress and saturate your tracks, alternately delivering super-compact or explosively trashy drums and throbbing, in-your-face bass guitar. And of course, being a Brainworx plugin, bx_subsynth is a surgeon’s knife for stereo imaging: On stereo tracks, you can choose to process only the mid channel or both left and right channels, collapse the processed bass to super-tight mono, and stretch the stereo image a mile wide.
Let’s Be Clear
Bass EQ can’t do what bx_subsynth does. The discrete frequencies bx_subsynth generates leave more space across the bass-frequency band for other instruments, letting you jack up subsynth’s bass without muddying your mix. Plus, EQs can’t boost bass in a thin track that doesn’t have any bottom to begin with. bx_subsynth doesn’t just boost—it adds new bottom! And whereas psychoacoustic bass processors trick your brain into hearing phantom subharmonics that don’t actually exist—and which you can’t feel—bx_subsynth adds real sub-bass that will shake your body like an earthquake!
The applications are limitless. Retune your drum tracks: Dial in higher subharmonics for rack toms and lower ones for the floor tom for colossal, pounding drum fills. Boost different subharmonics on a kick drum and bass guitar to separate their sounds in the mix, for increased clarity and punch. Add subterranean thunder to sustained left-hand octaves on piano tracks. Automatically generate a perfectly synchronized bassline from the bottom strings played on an arpeggiated acoustic guitar track; two knob twists are all it takes to focus the bassline’s image dead-center and massively widen the guitar’s stereo image up to 400%.
Remastering engineers can use bx_subsynth to add a fat bottom end to thin vinyl masters and old recordings made on narrow-gauge multitrack tape recorders. Sound designers can pump up weak cinematic FX with terrifying lows. DJs can turbocharge their sound systems’ low end to woofer-shattering extremes. This is bottom end you can feel in your rattling bones.
In developing bx_subsynth, Brainworx initially made a meticulous model of the legendary dbx 120XP Subharmonic Synthesizer’s Waveform Modeling™ engine, which generates discrete bass frequencies one octave below what you feed in to it. They then supersized the 120XP’s feature set to create much tighter, clearer, bigger and resonant bass.
For starters, bx_subsynth generates subharmonics in up to three discrete frequency bands versus the 120XP’s two—the addition of a higher bass band for resynthesis lets you capture and nosedive the fundamental frequencies of a much wider variety of instruments, including snare drum and acoustic guitar. The Tight Punch control creates crystal-clear, body-thumping bass by adding a resonant sub-bass peak and filtering out unwanted lows below its cutoff frequency. Powerful Edge processing lets you select from two modes of operation—Smooth and Harsh—that compress and saturate your tracks, alternately delivering super-compact or explosively trashy drums and throbbing, in-your-face bass guitar. And of course, being a Brainworx plugin, bx_subsynth is a surgeon’s knife for stereo imaging: On stereo tracks, you can choose to process only the mid channel or both left and right channels, collapse the processed bass to super-tight mono, and stretch the stereo image a mile wide.
Let’s Be Clear
Bass EQ can’t do what bx_subsynth does. The discrete frequencies bx_subsynth generates leave more space across the bass-frequency band for other instruments, letting you jack up subsynth’s bass without muddying your mix. Plus, EQs can’t boost bass in a thin track that doesn’t have any bottom to begin with. bx_subsynth doesn’t just boost—it adds new bottom! And whereas psychoacoustic bass processors trick your brain into hearing phantom subharmonics that don’t actually exist—and which you can’t feel—bx_subsynth adds real sub-bass that will shake your body like an earthquake!
The applications are limitless. Retune your drum tracks: Dial in higher subharmonics for rack toms and lower ones for the floor tom for colossal, pounding drum fills. Boost different subharmonics on a kick drum and bass guitar to separate their sounds in the mix, for increased clarity and punch. Add subterranean thunder to sustained left-hand octaves on piano tracks. Automatically generate a perfectly synchronized bassline from the bottom strings played on an arpeggiated acoustic guitar track; two knob twists are all it takes to focus the bassline’s image dead-center and massively widen the guitar’s stereo image up to 400%.
Remastering engineers can use bx_subsynth to add a fat bottom end to thin vinyl masters and old recordings made on narrow-gauge multitrack tape recorders. Sound designers can pump up weak cinematic FX with terrifying lows. DJs can turbocharge their sound systems’ low end to woofer-shattering extremes. This is bottom end you can feel in your rattling bones.