Newfangled Audio Invigorate is a unique bus compressor and enhancer plugin designed to add character and energy to audio tracks, busses, and full mixes. This versatile tool combines compression, limiting, and saturation capabilities in a single interface, allowing users to seamlessly morph between these processing types. Invigorate features a distinctive RADAR display that provides visual feedback on the plugin’s operation, making it easier for users to understand and control the effect. The plugin also incorporates an intelligent gain compensation engine, ensuring that output levels remain consistent as parameters are adjusted. Invigorate’s three tone controls – Sensitivity, Input Exciter, and Output Tone – offer precise control over the tonal characteristics of compressed signals, enabling users to shape their sound with unprecedented flexibility. With over 200 presets, including some developed by renowned artists, Invigorate caters to a wide range of audio sources and mixing scenarios, from individual tracks to mastering applications.
Pros:
• Unique RADAR display provides intuitive visual feedback
• Seamless morphing between compression, limiting, and saturation
• Intelligent gain compensation for consistent output levels
• Extensive preset library with artist-designed options
• Flexible tone shaping capabilities with three dedicated controls
Cons:
• Limited ability to blend compression and overdrive simultaneously
Invigorate’s feature set is designed to provide users with a comprehensive toolkit for bus compression and enhancement. The plugin’s core functionality revolves around its ability to smoothly transition between compression, limiting, and overdrive, allowing for precise control over the character and energy of the processed audio. This is achieved through the central RADAR display, which serves as both a visual representation of the plugin’s operation and a primary control interface.
The RADAR display is divided into three sections: compression, limiting, and overdrive. Users can adjust the processing type and intensity by manipulating a point within this circular interface. This innovative approach to parameter control allows for intuitive and rapid adjustments, making it easy to find the sweet spot for any given audio material. Complementing the RADAR display are three tone controls that provide further refinement of the processed signal. The Sensitivity control adjusts the plugin’s response to incoming audio, allowing users to fine-tune how Invigorate reacts to different frequency ranges. The Input Exciter adds harmonic content to the signal before compression, enhancing clarity and presence. The Output Tone control shapes the overall frequency balance of the processed audio, offering a final stage of tonal adjustment.
Invigorate also features an intelligent gain compensation engine, which automatically adjusts output levels as parameters are changed. This ensures that users can make objective comparisons between different settings without being influenced by volume differences. The plugin includes a Match Level control, allowing for precise volume matching between the processed and unprocessed signals. In addition to its core compression and enhancement features, Invigorate offers several utility functions to streamline the mixing process. The plugin includes a hard limiter option to catch any stray peaks, though the developers recommend using this feature sparingly and suggest reducing output levels instead when possible. Oversampling options are available to minimize aliasing and improve overall sound quality, particularly when pushing the plugin into more extreme settings.
Invigorate’s preset library is extensive, featuring over 200 starting points for various mixing and mastering scenarios. These presets are organized by audio source type and processing goal, making it easy for users to find appropriate settings quickly. The inclusion of artist-designed presets adds value by providing insights into professional mixing techniques. The plugin’s user interface is clean and modern, with resizable window options and alternative skins to suit different workflows and personal preferences. The layout is intuitive, with all major controls easily accessible and clearly labeled. The RADAR display takes center stage, providing a focal point for the plugin’s operation and offering immediate visual feedback on parameter adjustments.
When compared to similar plugins in the bus compression and enhancement category, Invigorate plugin stands out for its innovative RADAR interface and the seamless integration of compression, limiting, and saturation. While many bus compressors focus solely on traditional compression techniques, Invigorate’s ability to morph between different processing types offers a broader palette of sonic possibilities. In terms of sound quality, Invigorate holds its own against established bus compressors, offering a clean and transparent sound when used subtly, as well as the ability to impart character and energy when pushed harder. The addition of saturation and limiting capabilities within the same interface sets it apart from more traditional bus compressors, potentially reducing the need for additional plugins in a mixing chain. Compared to other all-in-one channel strip or bus processing plugins, Invigorate offers a more focused approach, concentrating on compression, limiting, and saturation rather than attempting to cover every aspect of signal processing. This specialization allows for deeper control and refinement of these specific processes, potentially leading to more precise and tailored results.
This plugin is best for:
• Mix engineers seeking a versatile bus compression tool
• Mastering engineers looking for subtle enhancement and cohesion
• Producers wanting to add energy and character to individual tracks or submixes
• Sound designers in need of creative compression and saturation effects
Newfangled Audio Invigorate represents a fresh approach to bus compression and enhancement, offering a unique combination of features in a single, intuitive interface. Its innovative RADAR display and seamless morphing between compression, limiting, and saturation provide users with a powerful tool for shaping the character and energy of their mixes. The intelligent gain compensation and extensive preset library make it accessible to both novice and experienced users, while the deep tone-shaping capabilities cater to those who demand precise control over their sound. While the plugin excels in many areas, some users may find the inability to blend compression and overdrive simultaneously limiting in certain scenarios. Despite this minor drawback, Invigorate’s overall feature set, sound quality, and ease of use make it a compelling option for mix engineers, mastering professionals, and producers across various genres. Its ability to add life and cohesion to tracks, busses, and full mixes positions it as a valuable addition to any digital audio workstation.