| Master Tones The Palette is a new AI-based mastering plug-in that lets you blend various musical “colors” derived from analog mastering gear. Designed for intuitive sound polishing, The Palette supports multi-channel audio up to 7.1.4 and Dolby Atmos. Master Tones The Palette Master Tones says that The Palette uses the developer’s own Ariosa AI technology. The simple interface with a triangular panel lets you blend three different tones “sampled from real-world mastering machines”. In short, the idea is to mix a custom color for your track using any combination of dark, neutral or bright tones, represented by three different colors. If you’d like to know more about the AI techniques used to achieve this, also check out their Behind the Scenes article. Apart from the palette, the rest of the interface is quite simple. Along with input and output level controls, the plug-in offers an auto gain switch. This ensures a consistent sound level while you’re experimenting with the colors. There’s also a mix knob to blend in the desired amount of the processed signal.
According to Master Tones, The Palette supports sampling rates of up to 96 kHz. It uses an internal sampling rate of 192 kHz. In addition to mono, stereo, and quadrophonic signals, the plug-in can handle multi-channel audio in 5.0, 5.1, 7.0, 7.1, and 7.1.4 formats. There’s also a selection of presets that help to achieve quick results. Overall, I think that plug-ins that break down highly complex processes to a few simple adjustments (like blending three colors) tend to be hit or miss. Either you like what the AI does, or you don’t. Even so, The Palette looks like an interesting concept. If you’re looking for a tool that lets you make quick adjustments to stereo and multi-channel mixes, I think it’s worth checking out. Price and compatibility of the plug-in The Palette is now available for an introductory price of USD 69 (the regular price will be USD 99). A 14-day free trial is available. The plug-in runs on macOS 10.9 or higher (including Apple Silicon) and Windows 10 (64 bit). It’s available in VST3, AU and AAX formats. |
