Brainworx SPL Attacker Plus is a digital audio plugin that emulates the renowned SPL Transient Designer hardware unit, offering enhanced functionality and flexibility in the digital realm. This plugin is designed to shape the transient response of audio signals, allowing users to manipulate the attack and sustain characteristics of individual tracks or entire mixes. The Attacker Plus builds upon the original SPL Transient Designer concept, incorporating additional features and controls to provide even greater sonic manipulation capabilities.
At its heart, the Attacker Plus utilizes envelope detection and dynamic processing to identify and modify the initial transient and subsequent sustain portions of audio signals. This allows users to increase or decrease the perceived punch, clarity, and presence of various sound sources without resorting to traditional dynamics processors like compressors or limiters. The plugin’s intuitive interface presents users with straightforward controls for attack and sustain adjustment, making it accessible to both novice and experienced audio engineers.
Pros:
• Intuitive and user-friendly interface
• Powerful transient shaping capabilities
• Versatile applications across various genres and instruments
• Mid-side processing for enhanced stereo manipulation
Cons:
• CPU-intensive, especially when used on multiple tracks simultaneously
The Brainworx SPL Attacker Plus boasts an impressive array of features that set it apart from its predecessors and competitors. The plugin’s core functionality revolves around its attack and sustain controls, which allow users to boost or attenuate the initial transient and decay portions of audio signals respectively. These controls operate independently, providing precise control over the dynamic envelope of the processed audio. SPL Attacker Plus Plugin also features a range of factory presets designed by professional engineers, providing users with excellent starting points for various instruments and mix scenarios. These presets can be particularly helpful for those new to transient shaping, offering insight into the plugin’s capabilities and potential applications.
Attacker Plus has mid-side processing capability. This feature enables users to apply different transient shaping to the center and sides of a stereo signal, opening up new possibilities for stereo enhancement and spatial manipulation. The mid-side processing can be particularly effective when working with full mixes or stereo instruments, allowing for targeted transient shaping that can enhance the perceived width and depth of the audio.
The plugin also incorporates a soft clipper on its output stage, which helps to tame any potential overs resulting from aggressive transient shaping. This feature adds a subtle layer of analog-style saturation to the processed audio, contributing to a more polished and cohesive sound. A notable inclusion in the Attacker Plus is the mix control, which allows for parallel processing directly within the plugin. This enables users to blend the dry and processed signals to taste, facilitating more subtle and natural-sounding transient shaping when desired.
When compared to similar products on the market, the Brainworx SPL Attacker Plus holds its own in terms of sound quality and functionality. While plugins like the Sonnox Oxford Envolution and the Waves TransX offer comparable transient shaping capabilities, the Attacker Plus distinguishes itself through its mid-side processing and soft clipping features. The plugin’s interface is generally more straightforward and intuitive than some of its competitors, making it accessible to a wider range of users.
However, the Attacker Plus does face stiff competition from newer entrants in the transient shaping market, such as the Kilohearts Transient Shaper and the FabFilter Pro-T. These plugins offer more advanced modulation options and visual feedback, which some users may find advantageous in certain scenarios. Nevertheless, the Attacker Plus remains a strong contender, particularly for those seeking a plugin that closely emulates the sound and behavior of the original SPL hardware unit.
This plugin is for:
• Mix engineers looking to enhance the punch and clarity of individual tracks or full mixes
• Producers working in electronic music genres where precise transient control is crucial
• Mastering engineers seeking subtle ways to manipulate the dynamic content of a mix
• Sound designers who require precise control over the attack and decay characteristics of various sound elements
SPL Attacker Plus is a powerful and versatile transient shaping tool that builds upon the legacy of the original SPL Transient Designer. Its intuitive interface and straightforward controls make it accessible to users of all experience levels, while its advanced features like mid-side processing and soft clipping provide the depth and flexibility required by professional audio engineers. The plugin excels in a wide range of applications, from subtle enhancement of individual instruments to dramatic reshaping of entire mixes. While it may be more CPU-intensive than some of its competitors, the sound quality and functionality it offers more than justify its resource usage for many users. Whether you’re looking to add punch to a drum track, control the decay of a reverb tail, or enhance the stereo image of a full mix, the Attacker Plus proves to be a valuable addition to any digital audio workstation. Its ability to manipulate the dynamic envelope of audio signals in a way that traditional dynamics processors cannot makes it an indispensable tool for many modern production and mixing scenarios.