| Plugin Alliance has released LISA, a plug-in recreation of the analog dynamic equalizer by TOMO Audiolabs. With dedicated opto compressors for each band, LISA is a beast of a dynamic EQ for mixing and mastering. On a further note, Plugin Alliance has also announced a new plan called Forever 29, which allows you to buy one plug-in per month at a heavily discounted rate. Great news!
Plugin Alliance TOMO Audiolabs LISA The new LISA plug-in emulates the impressive analog equalizer of the same name by TOMO Audiolabs. Designed primarily for mastering, LISA is a massive two-channel EQ with built-in opto compressors in each band. This gives you precise control not only over the frequency content, but also over the dynamics of your signal. The hardware will set you back around $15k, which means that this new plug-in is as close as most of us will ever get to the real thing. LISA features six bands per channel in a familiar layout with plenty of knobs for quick adjustments. In addition to two parametric mid bands, there are parametric low and high bands with a shelving mode and additional low and high boost bands. A low cut filter per channel helps to keep low-end rumble in check.
TOMO Audiolabs LISA plug-in Furthermore, each band features its own dedicated opto compressor/expander. You can choose between program-dependent, soft-knee compression/expansion that averages around a 3:1 ratio, or a selectable 10:1 ratio for more drastic dynamic shaping. Each band also lets you choose from six different attack and release time settings. Thanks to the built-in compressors, the EQ curve isn’t fixed, but reacts dynamically to the input signal. But that’s not all. LISA also features parallel processing, a “mono maker”, and stereo width and headroom controls. Besides Plugin Alliance’s TMT Tolerance Modeling Technology for precise emulation of the analog characteristics, it offers a new TX Drive control that lets you dial in the desired amount of transformer saturation. In short, LISA looks like a mastering engineer’s wet dream. Price and compatibility Plugin Alliance TOMO Audiolabs LISA is now available for an introductory price of USD 199.99, down from USD 399. It’s also part of the MEGA and MIX & MASTER bundles. Perhaps the best option is Plugin Alliance’s new Forever 29 plan (see below), which is your chance to grab it for just USD 30.99. The plug-in requires macOS 10.11 or higher (all versions except AAX support Apple Silicon) or Windows 8 or higher. It’s available in VST, VST3, AU, AAX Native and AAX AudioSuite formats. Plugin Alliance Forever 29 plan On a further note, Plugin Alliance has announced the new Forever 29 plan. Don’t worry, this isn’t another subscription plan where you have to pay monthly to “rent” plug-ins that stop working when you cancel. Instead, Forever 29 allows you to buy one plug-in per month at a heavily discounted rate. Here’s how it works: You subscribe to Forever 29 for USD 29.99 per month. Each month, you’ll then receive a coupon code that allows you to buy any one plug-in from Plugin Alliance’s extensive portfolio for one dollar. Contrary to typical subscription plans, you get to keep the plug-ins, should you decide to cancel the plan later. Effectively, this gets you one plug-in per month for USD 30.99 – including new releases and even PA’s most expensive plug-ins. Not a bad deal at all, if you ask me. The plan also includes access to the Brainworx Auto Mastering App, as well as the upcoming PA MEGA Sample Player, which allows you to load samples from Native Instruments, among others. New samples will also be included in the plan. This is all part of Plugin Alliance’s new Soundwide joint-venture with Native Instruments and iZotope – exciting stuff! |
