Reviews
Excerpts from the May 2011 MusicTech Magazine review of the 500 Series Stereo
Toolbox; review by Mark Cousins
Mark Cousins works as a composer, programmer and engineer, as well as being senior
writer for Music Tech Magazine. His professional work includes composing music for
some of the world's largest production music companies. Here are excerpts from Mark's
review.
"The ability to compress a stereo signal in the M/S domain isn't anything new - as any
lucky owner of a vintage Fairchild 670 compressor will testify - but it's certainly
become increasingly popular in recent years. More than just a passing fad, though, the
ability to compress in the M/S domain offers some unique and tangible advantages that
benefit both mixing and mastering. Whether you want a tight and punchy kick and snare
or a little more width to your mix, the answer may well reside in a touch of M/S
trickery.
Safe Sound's Stereo Toolbox is a new 500-series compressor cleverly designed to offer
both stereo and M/S compression. Although some novice users will be initially daunted
by the control set of the Stereo Toolbox and the intricacies of its operation, there's
clearly been plenty of thought applied to understanding its potential practical
applications, from flexible filtering options, through to the relative ease with which you
can move between M/S and stereo operation.
The most intriguing feature of the Stereo Toolbox is the inconspicuous - but crucially
important - high pass filter. In mono mode, the high pass filer works on the sidechain
input to the compressor, potentially negating the bass-end's heavy handed input on the
amount of gain reduction applied.
In Side mode, though, the high pass filter is applied across the actual audio path of the
side component, filtering low end out of the 'stereo' signal. Using a stereo drum buss as
a real world example, this enables you to keep elements like the kick focused in the
centre of the mix while leaving the sides lighter and free from low end clutter.
In keeping with Safe Sound's other products, the Stereo Toolbox has a highly functional
set of controls alongside reassuringly transparent audio performance. Perfect for buss
processing, the Stereo Toolbox provides a level of dynamic control that is hard to find
elsewhere (especially on a 500-series unit) and can even turn its hand to mastering
applications where M/S processing is required."
Verdict: "A well-designed and intriguing combination of stereo and M/S processing.
The Stereo Toolbox delivers transparent and effective gain control, refreshing parts of
the mix that other compressors cannot reach."
Score 9/10
Want to know more about mid/side processing? Download the M/S White Paper here.
Alex Eden of Factory Street Studios reviews the new 500 Series Stereo Toolbox
'The SafeSound dynamics toolbox has for sometime been my "go" to compressor for
vocals and bass while tracking, switching to use it as a master stereo bus comp for
mixes, so I was very excited to get my hands on the latest offering...
The 500 Series Stereo Toolbox is a dramatic departure from their last unit, the standout
feature being the stereo width control, this is an area I'm just discovering due to getting
my hands on a new (old) broadcast desk which has a couple of them built in.
Let's get into the toolbox; so we have width control, great for adding, well width, to
your stereo stems. A nice bit of sparkle can be pulled out of your kit for example, or if
it's taking up too much space... dial in more mono. Simple! In itself this feature is great
and the SafeSound version has great clarity and depth, plenty of headroom too. At this
point it's worth mentioning that whatever SafeSound processor I've used there has
always been headroom aplenty.
The other thing it does, of course, is compress. As I was expecting, the new Stereo
Toolbox sounds great, a bit warmer than the Dynamics Toolbox. It induced in me the
desire to turn things all the way up to find out what you can do to colour the sound;
talking of which all the knobs are a pleasure to operate, smooth indented pots with
metal knobs, it all feels solid. Nice toggle switches too.
I discovered an option on the rear of the unit to select between high and low colour
which, according to Robert Campbell the unit's designer, changes the way the output
transformers are driven. I left it set to high!
The whole unit takes up just 2 spaces in the API lunchbox and is a smart black with
orange and white lettering.
I found the unit in mono operation was not as detailed and controllable as the Dynamics
Toolbox but still sounded great, less of the high end "air", more mojo.
Stereo linked is great, clear but warm with plenty of scope to get things pumping or just
bring things into line without sounding heavily processed.
So where the Stereo Toolbox gets really interesting is when using compression
combined with the width control. In a layman's terms (which is my realm) the unit takes
the centre signal and puts it through one compressor and the side signal through the
other. This opens up some really useful and exciting options; a stereo kit can be either
made to sparkle while taming the snare, or the kick bought forward. On a stereo track it
is possible to move a vocal very effectively. I certainly have a client or two who will
benefit from that. I also have a suspicion that this way of treating stereo signals is going
to get more and more popular when everyone realises just what an amazingly versatile
tool it is.
To sum up, this isn't going to take the place of my Dynamics Toolbox, or any 1176's
there might be lying around the studio, but that’s not the point. It can, and does, do a
great job of tracking but where its real strengths lie are in the combination of stereo
width and buss compression where there is nothing else like it.
This is a fantastic bit of equipment, the sound and build quality are top end, and I can't
think of anything else that does what is does with such class.'
Alex Eden is owner and chief engineer of Factory Street Studios in Bradford UK. The
complex is one of the largest in Yorkshire and features both live performance and
recording studios along with seven large rehearsal rooms, all under one roof. Alex has
recently installed a classic Calrec M-Series mixing console which is a real gem. Check
out the studio complex at www.factorystreet.co.uk
Excerpts from the Nov 2009 MusicTech Magazine Review of the P501 Audio
Processor; review by Mark Cousins
Mark Cousins is a successful composer, programmer, engineer and writer. Mark has had
his works performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the East of England
Orchestra, City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and the Brighton Festival Chorus,
and is currently senior reviewer at MusicTech. Mark writes about the P501:
'The objective of Peakride compression is to provide ultra-transparent gain control minimising unwanted damage to transients through over-compression as well as
avoiding signal distortion due to mismatched attack and release settings. As a result of
the Peakride system, the P501 is a breeze to set up and configure. The auto gain makeup
also makes experimentation far easier enabling you to explore different threshold or
ratio settings without having to constantly re-adjust the output stage.
The quality of the compression itself is remarkably effective, both in its ability to
provide a more even set of dynamics while recording to a DAW and its ability to lock a
part into the mix without it sounding overly squashed.
For anyone needing an efficient compressor that easy to use, it’s hard not to recommend
the P501. As a combination of both preamp and compressor/limiter, it forms an ideal
front end to a DAW setup.'
Want to read more reviews of the P501? Click here to read some user reviews on the
Gearslutz forum from the official P501 USA Tour 2009.
Czech music and sound magazine 'Music Store' reviews the P1
(excerpt translated from Czech):
'The British Safe Sound Audio's P1 Audio Processor can be unhesitatingly
recommended to everyone who is looking for a high class recording channel with good
sound quality and facilities. The P1 really gives you everything that the manufacturer
promises.
They have made a good job of it (the design). Simple to use and an effective safety
limiter which makes things even easier, especially for musicians who want to record a
clean, high quality sound, without having to think too much about signal levels, decibels
and other technical finesses.
Someone could maybe wonder about rather plain looking front panel design, but from
my point of view designers should focus more on device features and audio quality
rather than eye-catching front panel design with tons of shiny lights and meters. It's
obvious that they (Safe Sound) have focussed very much on high sound quality,
especially with respect to the price. From all the documentation which comes with P1
processor I can see that the manufacturer as well as its local distributor are serious about
P1 service support, so I'm not worried that this interesting piece of sound equipment
would be lacking strong service support.'
The full P1 review (Czech) with photos is avaiable in pdf format here.
Tre Sheppard, front man of the band Onehundredhours reviews the Dynamics
Toolbox
'I got started in recording right at the very beginning of my musical career... mostly
because I couldn't afford studio time and I was always interested in how things were
done. Because it was the '80's and I was young, the best I could do was the typical 4
track Portastudio thing, though I did graduate to a Tascam 8 track somewhere in that
time! As I had very little experience, I was always trying stuff out and I got some great
results and some terrible results from my experimentation. But I did fall in love with
recording and the way that you could push things and work with gear, twisting knobs
and listening, until stuff sounded great.
Years later, and much more recording, producing and performing under my belt... I still
like to work with real outboard. I want knobs to turn and meters to push and edges to
find that sound amazing... Like most guys, I work in Pro Tools now, and though it's a
great tool, I struggle with the digital sound and harshness. Sure, you can work with it,
especially if you have the time. I've got loads of great plugins, but still nothing
compares, in my opinion to really great analogue outboard. So over the past few years,
I've developed a sort of hybrid approach with great pre amps/eq on the way in to Pro
Tools and a console with some choice outboard on the way out during mix.
I'd heard of the Safe Sound Audio Dynamics Toolbox from a few guys who's ears I
trust, so I was keen to try it out, especially for buss duties on mixes but I have to admit
even I was concerned at the number of knobs to turn! Robert and the team sent me out a
Dynamics Toolbox with the optional Lundahl Transformers and I immediately threw it
on a mix I was working on. What I realised pretty quickly was that it sounded good
everywhere! I loved it on the drum buss, I loved it on the guitar buss, and I absolutely
loved it on the main mix buss.
The standard electronic outputs sound great, but after I plugged in the Lundahls, I
haven't really gone back as they sound so amazing. The DT has the ability to just make
things suddenly sound better... that's a very subjective thing of course, but I really love
what happens when I put stuff though it. The wonderful amount of knobs proved to be
quite easy to get around as I worked with it, but I'm still finding new possibilities on
each mix as I work with the unit.
My favourite things are the parallel comp feature and the built in sidechain EQ. I've
always loved parallel comping, but as I only work with 8 busses now on a mixdown, I
sometimes didn't have what I needed. The DT makes this absolutely simple and it just
sounds great... I'm amazed that more stereo comps don't offer this feature as it really
gives you the best of both worlds in a mixing environment. The built in sidechain is also
very easy to use and quite intuitive, so you can easily tailor the response of the
compressor to programme material and create the sound you're looking for. It really
helps with a punchy kick that's ducking the whole mix when it hits! Just dial that
frequency in and you're away.. punchy kick and a "glued" track.... you have to love that!
The DT can really be transparent, but you can push it right into that super squishy thing
too... there's just so many great sounds in that box. Some of my compressors do one
thing really well and I love that, but the DT really hits a lot of bases and doesn't
compromise while doing so. And that's a rare thing. It's an ideal compressor for
someone looking to add some lovely analogue to their two buss mix, but it also works
brilliantly in a tracking scenario, either on stereo or mono sources. So if you've only got
the budget for one outboard compressor, the Safe Sound Dynamics Toolbox is very,
very hard to beat.
Bottom line, I love this box. Robert and his team are brilliant and their approach to their
products is that wonderful blend of great technology with lovely musicality. I'm keen to
hear the other varieties of transformers on the outputs as well... You could easily create
two great stereo comp sounds with a couple of the DT's in a mix environment with
different output transformers I expect!
On a final note, Robert had guaranteed my purchase... I hadn't heard the DT and I was a
little leery about parting with my cash, so he offered me a refund if I wasn't completely
happy.... I'd just need to send the box back. Just to confirm now Robert, that ain't
happening! In fact, we really need to talk transformers very soon'
Tre has kindly shared some audio clips from one of their tracks 'Can't See Myself'
which have been processed using the Dynamics Toolbox. You can hear;
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Original Drums submix unprocessed - Dry Drums
Fully Compressed Drums submix - Wet Drums
Blended Drums submix - Blend Drums
And the final mixed track - Can't See Myself
All audio clips © Tre Sheppard and Onehundredhours.
Tre Sheppard is the front man of the rock 'n' roll adventure that is Onehundredhours.
Onehundredhours are well known in the UK and beyond for their u nique brand of
"faith, hope and rock n roll." Their latest album, 'As Sure As The Stars', named as one
of the 20 best albums of the year by CrossRhythms, is available now on iTunes. As a
songwriter and producer, Tre works out of 'zero hour,' his studio based on the north
coast of Northern Ireland working particularly in artist development and production.
He's signed to Survivor Records and EMI Publishing. You can check out his band at
http://www.myspace.com/onehundredhours
Texas based singer-songwriter Craig Clifford reviews the P1
After trying countless software compressors that didn't get the job done, I realized I
needed to compress and limit before the signal got to the analog to digital converter.
After years of haggling with the mega-corporations--being put on hold by an automated
phone system for 45 minutes, talking to technicians who knew less than I did, waiting
months for a part that was promised in weeks--I decided to take the risk and go with the
Safe Sound P1, a compressor/limiter manufactured in England. I live in Stephenville,
Texas, in the United States, so I have to admit that I was apprehensive about what
would happen if I needed service or a part.
First of all, the glowing reviews were dead on. It compresses vocals flawlessly and with
perfect transparency. I'm no Caruso, but the P1 works perfectly to record the
NATURAL sound of my voice. Because a lot of my songs involve a storytelling style
that moves between singing and talking, I want the vocals to sound as natural as
possible, like you're sitting in the same room listening to me tell you the story. As
promised, the P1 guarantees that the recording device (in this case, the Mackie Onyx
400F and the Mackie Onyx 1200F) will not clip. Once I got everything set up--a snap
with the great instructions in the manual--I literally quit worrying about digital clipping.
The P1 also tames the explosive peaks without making them sound conspicuously
processed, and it gives a bit of extra presence. If it colors the sound at all, it adds a hint
of analog-sounding warmth, but with no sacrifice to clarity. That comes from a
combination of a great pre-amp, a transparent compressor, and a flawless limiter.
Mackie Onyx pre-amps are known for clarity; but the P1 pre-amp wins hands down.
Recently, I've started using the P1 to record the bass guitar in our band, and the results
have been very positive. I'm getting a much cleaner sound going in, instead of trying to
clean it up explosive peaks with software compression and limiting after the fact.
What about my concerns about service? A few weeks after I got the P1, the power fuse
blew. I e-mailed Safe Sound late on a Saturday night. Robert Campbell at Safe Sound emailed me back Sunday morning, asked for my phone number, and called me from
England to talk me through what I needed to do. And he spent the next few hours
answering e-mail questions until I had the unit back up and running again. Periodically,
I e-mail him to ask his advice about how to fine tune the settings on the P1 for some
specific purpose, and he has been incredibly generous in sharing his knowledge and
experience. How often do you get a response from the designer of a product when you
ask for technical advice? I cannot think of any manufacturer of music equipment (really,
any manufacturer of anykind) that has given me better service than Safe Sound Audio.'
Craig Clifford is a singer-songwriter living in Stephenville, Texas, in the U.S. He writes
and performs music in the Texas singer-songwriter tradition (Townes Van Zandt, Guy
Clark, David Rodriguez, and company), combining elements of folk and country with a
heavy emphasis on storytelling. He performs regularly in north-central Texas, both solo
and with the Accidental Band, a three-piece band featuring Craig on vocals, acoustic
guitar, and harmonica; Jim Easterling on percussion and vocals; and Nancy Easterling
on fretless electric bass. The band is working on a CD of Craig's songs called "Living
on the County Line", which is scheduled for release in early summer 2009. All of the
vocals and most of the bass tracks have been recorded with the Safe Sound P1. The
band's website is: http://www.libnecktroubadour.com/Accidental_band.htm.
TV and Film music composer Alasdair Reid gives his views on the Toolbox.
Up until a year ago I was working - like the majority of media composers - solely in the
box. But the search for some 2 bus 'glue' led me quickly out of the computer and in the
direction of the Toolbox. It's clean and beautifully transparent sound was what first
hooked me, the offer of 'what you hear going in is what you hear coming back' being a
very attractive one. But it was the addition of the side chain filters and control over
parallel compression that sealed the deal as far as I was concerned.
Transparent equals 'sterile' in some folks minds, but that's one thing this box could
never be accused of - if anything, it's the master of 'invisible' compression, perfectly
capable of knocking up to (in some cases) 6dB off a full mix without any audible side
effects at all. However, I've found it's more than capable of nuking a drum mix for
larger than life results, when required. Parallel compression is, for many people,
reserved exclusively for drums, but it's shockingly effective on classical music too - the
enormous dynamic range in some pieces can be hell on wheels to make usable for a
track destined for broadcast - but the level of control offered by the Toolbox's Blend
knob helps to make a tough job a whole lot easier.
I'm convinced that for a lot of composers like myself who operate mainly in a hybrid
environment (putting 90% of the music together in a DAW with just 2 or 3 bits of
outboard to breathe life into the binary code) the Toolbox is a very attractive
proposition - it covers a huge number of bases, isn't priced into the stratosphere and
(most importantly) gives results that I've yet to hear any plug-in reproduce.
Sample work from Alasdair: HeliWar 'Nam mp3, IWC Watches mp3, Stalin Credits
mp3, Survival Credits mp3.
Alasdair Reid writes music for TV and Film - in 2006 he won the VW Score Prize at the
Berlin Film Festival and 3 of the shorts he's composed for have been BAFTA
nominated. Recent work includes the series 'WW2: Behind Closed Doors' (BBC),
'Survival' (BBC) and 'Big, Bigger, Biggest' (Five) and ads for IWC, Volkswagen and
Deutsche Welle. Check out Alasdair's website at www.alasdairreid.com.
First Polish reviews of the P1 and Toolbox have been published.
Tomasz Wroblewski - chief editor of the 'Estrada i Studio' magazine commented about
Safe Sound Audio (translated from Polish):
'Even though it may seem that everything that is new or different has been already
invented in the pro-audio branch, surprisingly, sometimes we can find real gems that
deny this statement. One of these gems is a British company called Safe Sound Audio.
Even if it seems to be really strange that this company offers only two products, be
assured that their quality, functionality and the precise way in which they were made
definitely makes them an outstanding piece of audio equipment.'
P1 review (Polish) in pdf here.
Dynamics Toolbox (Polish) in pdf here.
Estrada i Studio magazine on-line here.
Christopher B. Thomas reviews the Dynamics Toolbox.
'The Dynamic Toolbox is one of the most versatile boxes in my arsenal, and my go-to
compressor for mixbuss duties due to its transparency and versatility. Two key features
stand out on this box; the Hi/Low pass sidechain and the "blend" feature for parallel
processing. The sweepable Hi/Low pass filters enable me to dial in the frequency range
that I want focused on, and is way more powerful than the simple hi-pass switches
found on other units. On a drum buss, for example, I can dial the midrange to be
focused on, while letting the lows and highs of the kit breath a bit more; I prefer this to
just slamming individual drums/mics on their own. On a stereo track of horns, I was
able to focus on one of the sax that was dominating the others (trumpet, flute) and reign
it in without destroying the balance of the performance, just by monitoring the sidechain
and sweeping until it was focused on the sax. And on the mix buss, I'm able to
consistently tighten the mix without having everything respond to the deep lows of a
kick or bass.
The "blend" feature allows me to establish parallel processing without sacrificing mults,
DAW outputs, or mixer inputs. In my hybrid setup this is an exceptionally valuable
resource. Frankly, I'm impressed that more companies don't employ this feature on their
compressors!
While tracking, I've had major success controlling my sources using the Peakride
option. Working with less experienced vocalists can be a hair-pulling experience,
especially if they don't know how to work a mic. The peakride option gives me
colorless control, and allows me to track a more balanced performance. When
monitored, it provides the vocalist with a steadier level, resulting in stronger
performances.
Every engineer that has worked in my studio has commented on how much they
enjoyed experimenting and using the Dynamic Toolbox. Safesound is clearly dedicated
to making devices that service today's logistical engineering requirements without
sacrificing audio quality, and I look forward to the Dynamic Toolbox mastering edition
that I’ve heard rumors about!'
Christopher B. Thomas (not to be confused with the other Chris Thomas!) has been
making records since 1997, and has been producing since 2002. Now based in
Cambridge, MA, Chris mixes primarily at his personal studio and engineers in rooms all
over town. Chris mixes everything from Rock to Hip-Hop, Dance to Orchestral, but
mainly produces indie/hard rock and singer/songwriter material. He is currently
working on the next Piebald Release (Sidehatch/Side One Dummy), The Underberry's
debut LP (and movie soundtrack), and a new record with Kevin Rheulet. He recently
wrapped up the new LP from Barnicle (Bamf!/Sidehatch), an EP 4" Stud (unsigned),
and a charity CD called General Eclectic Vol. 4 (Sidehatch). He is currently in preproduction with three other acts slated for summer '09 releases.
Chris's studio consists of a mix of analogue and digital gear, where he mixes "out of the
box," mainly because it is more fun. He also owns CT Research and Development, and
is currently working on a new type of bone-conducting transducer, among other things.
Chris has kindly put together a short 'showreel' highlighting some of the music he has
mixed using the Toolbox. Available here to download as an MP3.
Excerpts from the Oct 2008 Sound On Sound Magazine Review of the Dynamics
Toolbox, review by Paul White.
'As an audio processor, the Dynamics Toolbox turns out to be extremely versatile and
can certainly be used to lay on a considerable amount of gain reduction without
obtrusive side-effects. In Dynamic [tracking] mode, the unit takes on the role of bus
compressor very effectively, gently knitting together parts of the mix, but with the
added advantage of the Blend control and side-chain EQ for 'bottom up' processing or
indirect tonal tweaking. At modest settings this processor adds the required density
without killing the high end or introducing audible pumping, but when I brought the
threshold right down and turned the ratio right up, I was easily able to get it to kickback
in a way that was musically very useful.
I also achieved some dramatic results when using the Dynamic mode to beef up a
sampled drum kit, where getting the compressor to the edge of pumping added a lot of
excitement and attitude to the sound. Similar benefits were audible on some bass-guitar
tracks.
Peakride really is a powerful compression mode, and I found it particularly useful for
evening out the level of vocals that were recorded with excessive performance
dynamics. Used conventionally, this will often be enough to get around the problem, but
for singers who have a habit of really dropping their level on some phrases, the Blend
mode will also be useful, as you can leave the peak level more or less where they are
and bring up the low-level material underneath.
Wrapping all this up, it seems that the Dynamics Toolbox is very aptly named: it's
certainly flexible enough to meet most compression requirements, from tracking to buss
compression to mastering, yet it is also as easy to use as any standard compressor. It can
control dynamics in a subtle and transparent way, but it's able to stamp its sonic identity
on a signal with the authority of an overweight yeti sporting lead diving-boots. In short,
this is a truly professional compressor and well worth checking out.'
Excerpts from the May 2008 Audio Media Magazine Review, review by Simon
Tillbrook.
'The design of the Dynamics Toolbox may be complex but this does not get in the way
of making it easy to operate. Straight out of the box you can be up and running very
quickly achieving good results, but do spend time understanding the differences in the
modes. The benefits of the Dynamic Toolbox will then make a lot more sense.
With Peakride on both instruments, and in particular vocals, the Dynamics Toolbox
tracks extremely well, applying just enough processing in a smooth and virtually
indistinguishable way - very musical indeed ... the Dynamics Toolbox dealt with all
manner of intensive transient information faultlessly through all the examples I tried.
Dynamic Tracking gives you all the flexibility to bring out some real aggressive
character. When used with the blend control for that 'New York' style of adding in
aggressive compression to dry signal, the rock meter goes all the way to eleven. Great to
have all this control in the box with such a simple functional control.
Easy to use, but so powerful when you learn what the Dynamics Toolbox is really
about. Capable of producing results that are smooth and musical, to hard, aggressive,
and in-your-face, you are never disappointed and will continue to find reasons to widen
that smile'
Excerpts from the March/April 2008 TapeOp Magazine Review, review by Andy
Hong.
'As with the P1, the Dynamics Toolbox's Peakride compression is unbelievably smooth
on vocals. Even with slower attack times and high compression ratios, sibilance was
never a problem as it is with lesser compressors - a tribute to Peakride's ability to track
and compress a signal without distorting the waveform, and this contributes greatly to
the unit's transparency. The compressed vocal never sounded pinched, nor was it
flattened so much that the emotion (in the natural dynamics of the performance) became
indiscernible. With Peakride's multiple sidechains, the release time and the compression
ratio are automatically adjusted to follow the signal in a musical and organic way. With
lesser compressors, too fast of a release time can distort vowels, and too slow of a
release will overly clamp syllables that follow big vocal transients.
On vocals, I also found the limiter to be surprisingly usable for controlling sudden
consonants (and some plosives) with very little scooping of the vocal (what you hear
when a limiter recovers from a big hit). It was the first time that I was able to use an
analog limiter on vocals in this manner successfully.
On drum submixes, in Dynamic Tracking mode, I could set attack and release times for
a squashed, pumping sound, which I could then blend with the uncompressed signal to
get a nice, driving beat. Or using auto-release, I had no problem getting a subtlythickened drum submix with very little evidence of compression. For this kind of task,
the sidechain EQ is crucial in preventing the kick drum from punching holes in the mix.
...I have purchased a Dynamics Toolbox (with Lundahl transformers) for myself. I'm
loving it for tracking and mixing, and it's definitely the most flexible compressor in my
arsenal. This do-it-all compressor/limiter warrants a serious look, especially if you're a
DAW user, not only because of its wide range of capability during all stages of
recording, mixing, and even mastering, but also because its Blend feature is crucial for
implementing parallel compression without an analog mixer (or two sets of converters)
to circumvent latency issues.'
Bob Katz shares his first impressions of the "Dynamics Toolbox"
Bob Katz is a world renowned recording and mastering engineer located in Florida
USA, and founder of Digital Domain which provides mixing & mastering services for
records produced around the globe. Bob's wife (and partner) Mary Kent provides full
graphic design and replication services there as well. His book "Mastering Audio: The
Art and the Science" is a must read for audio engineers, and he has written numerous
articles for major trade magazines. His record credits are a testimony to his passion for
mastering and improving the process at every step of the way. His patented processes
are in use around the world in better mastering rooms.
Even though the Dynamics Toolbox wasn't designed primarily as a mastering
compressor we were very interested in Bob's opinions about how the unit matched up to
his very exacting standards;
Bob Katz:
"So, here we go. Tomorrow I'm mastering a very high quality jazz ensemble that was
recorded and mixed in a relatively purist manner, so that's what I put through the
Dynamics Toolbox. Probably better to see whether it can pass the transparency test first.
First thing I did was patch it into a very transparent D/A/D chain with the latest
Cranesong HEDD converters, source is at 96 kHz, then D/A, then A/D into my digital
chain and monitor. After setting the output controls to unity gain, I found the sonics of
the Dynamics Toolbox to be VERY transparent without compression, even with the
Lundahl transformers. I felt that the electronic output sounds less clear, a hair less
"transparent" than the Lundahls in this environment. Very subtly. This is puzzling, of
course, since less is usually more, but perhaps you are driving the Lundahls from a
different active stage and perhaps I hear the slight loss of transparency of the active
driver stage. But it is extremely subtle and I had to match gains by ear very carefully.
Let's see if others hear the same difference. So, let's say tentatively I prefer the
transformer output, marginally.
I LOVE the blend control. On this nearly-audiophile production, I was able to get an
extremely subtle effect, just the sort of "fattening without losing transients and impact"
that I was looking for. But in addition, the continuous ratio that goes all the way down
to 1:1 is an innovative feature, because even with the blend OFF (or fully wet) I was
able to find a very low ratio setting (probably less than 1.5:1) which can be extremely
subtle (desirable in mastering).
It was nice to arrive to a setting with this music, which was too dynamic a source, where
the OUTPUT SOUNDS BETTER THAN THE INPUT! That's the sign of a good
compressor. The Dynamics Toolbox sweetened and fattened the sound without adding
any objectionable distortion of its own. It is possible to warm up the sound subtly and to
arrive at a subtle result with ratio near unity and blend set to full wet or OFF.
The sidechain eq works VERY nicely and this is a BIG plus. I was able to use the high
pass filter to keep the acoustic bass from driving the compressor too hard. I would not
have been able to achieve the sound I wanted without the sidechain EQ.
Now I have to read the manual. (Oh, you passed the test that the box was operable
without the manual. Though there are some features I have not figured out without the
manual ("peak ride") but I'll check 'em out tonight from the book in bed, wife
cooperating :-).
I got a chance to test the Safe Sound [Dynamics Toolbox] on a rock and roll mastering
that I completed yesterday. Yes, it rocks!"
Bob is currently submitting his thoughts to us for a mastering version of the Dynamics
Toolbox and he's already given us some great suggestions on control panel layout and
labeling which we'll incorporate into a dedicated mastering version some time in the
future.
But back to the present! The current model was designed as a do-all compressor /
limiter for tracking ("Peakride" mode) to submixing and final mix glue ("Dynamics
Tracking" mode) and even project studio mastering situations but to have found it to
excel in hi-end mastering situations at least on a sonic level gives us confidence that the
Dynamics Toolbox has a great future.
Excerpts from the summer 2006 TapeOp Magazine Review, review by Andy Hong.
'The unit is built exceptionally well with high-quality components, and there's a real
power supply inside... The compressor really shines on vocals. Even with ratios greater
than 4:1, I was able to smooth out some fairly dynamic vocal tracks without any hint of
overcompression or unnatural "pinching" in the upper mids. I've never been a fan of the
RNC, mostly because everything I send to it sounds smaller, even when it's supposedly
compressing 'transparently'. On the other hand, the P1 seems to fulfill on its promise of
transparent compression. Whether I sent it syllables sung staccato or layered oohs and
ahhs, post-compression levels were solid, and the vocals sounded up front even when
the compressor was clamping down to -15 dB. Also, any initial transients in the vocal
that made it past slower attack settings didn't sound overly sibilant-another reason why
the P1 sounds so transparent...'
'Dang if the P1 is't the easiest to use Bass DI and recording chain out there. Unless you
hit the limiter, which adds a bit of distortion to the attack (which could be a good thing
if you're looking for an agressive, picked sound), it's pretty hard to screw up the sound
of a bass with this thing. In fact, I was able to dial in some of the best DI'ed bass sounds
with the P1 that I've ever gotten... The P1 also seems to excel at capturing acoustic
guitar, an instrument that I consider to be one of the hardest tests on a recording chain...
The expander also worked well on a guitar track with a noisy amp. And on vocals, it
was easy to set up the expander so it decayed naturally even on quiet syllables. No
matter what instrument I threw at the expander, I never got it to chatter... a greatsounding, do-it-all recording strip that's super easy to use. Give the P1 a shot. You can't
lose.'
Extract from the P1 Review in the September 2005 edition of 'Recording
Magazine' by Paul Stamler
'Darned good. Very, very clean, with no hint of harshness, and I see the word
"beautiful" is in my listening notes... the P1 is clean, clean, clean... I tried some a
capella choral music... through the P1; it kept the power and the punch while managing
her wide dynamic range very nicely. I also tried it on other vocals, including the long,
drawn-out notes of the eerie "Been in the Storm So Long," and it handled the music
with aplomb. Likewise some narration voice-overs sitting in the computer from a few
months ago. My conclusion: This compressor really likes vocals.'
Check out the full review in the September 2005 'Recording Magazine'
Review of the P1 in the 11 Sept 04 edition of UK 'The Radio Magazine' by Andy
Bantock
'It's not big but it is clever'
'From the point of view of the user, Nirvana lies in the highest quality, lowest price item
of equipment. This, of course, is a difficult thing to achieve as everyone down the chain
from component manufacturer to the person that delivers it has to make a living. This is
the reason why the likes of Behringer do so well; they build everything in China and cut
down their costs considerably. Even Soundcraft now make some of their equipment in
the Far East'
'So you can imagine my joy when I came across the P1 from Safe Sound Audio. The P1
is an all analogue compressor/limiter with a built-in headphone monitoring section
which is reasonably priced (£350 plus £10 for the optional rackmount) and, more
importantly MADE IN BRITAIN!'
'The front end has a low noise microphone amplifier with 70dB of gain, a high
impedance instrument input and a balanced line input which all share a single gain
knob. There is a simple expander section and a compressor of which Safe Sound are
rightfully proud. It's extremely smooth in operation with fully adjustable threshold, ratio
and attack. The limiter section is touted as "the most sophisticated 100% analogue
limiter on sale today" which is a fairly bold claim but it does sound very nice and it
features true 'look ahead' limiting which allows potential overloads to be caught before
they occur. The output is balanced output with the capability of driving up to +21dBu.'
'The monitoring section is one of the most interesting features from the point of the
radio user as its addition to this unit makes it an ideal front end for an ISDN
contribution system. The P1's monitoring section allows a personal mix between output
and an external input. In ISDN terms the external input would be the clean feed send
from the other end.'
'The P1 is certainly a very nice piece of equipment. I wasn't able to give it a really
thorough test but my initial listening experiments with an audio-technica ATM61HE
dynamic mic and then a Behringer B1 large diaphragm condenser mic listening on a
pair of Beyerdynamic DT250 headphones proved very successful'
'The P1 (pictured below) is available directly from Safe Sound Audio in the UK on
07866 574522 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting
07866
574522 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or www.safesoundaudio.com.'
© Andy Bantock 2004
Review of the P1 in the June/July 2004 edition of the UK broadcast magazine
LINE UP by Gerry Fursden
'The P1 Audio Processor is certainly very easy to configure and use, and sounds
acceptable almost regardless of settings - such is the sophistication of its dynamic
control side chains. With all the dynamics processing bypassed (except the output
limiter), the input stage sounded neutral and pretty transparent with a low noise floor.
The output stage was able to drive substantial peak levels without difficulty and showed
no signs of stress driving +18dBu into my Apogee A-D converters, for example.'
'The compressor is a subtle and transparent design, levelling signals in an unobtrusive
and musically flattering way, without making them dull or lifeless. I couldn't find
anything to catch the compressor out - it always coped in an effortless way and without
drawing attention to itself. The expander is intended to help clean up a signal by
pushing unwanted background noise or spill further down in the absence of the masking
source. Its attack time is fast enough to open cleanly without damaging the transients or
adding a click, and the release time automatically matches the envelope of the audio
signal so that the expansion is, once again, subtle and unobtrusive. The fixed 20dB
range is enough to provide useful noise reduction without killing the background noise
completely, which often sounds very false.'
'The limiter is just as unobtrusive and subtle as everything else - deliberately crashing
signal into the end stops resulted in no drama at all - it's actually quite hard to hear the
limiter working and only the flash of the red LED gives the game away! This limiter
must rate among the best analogue designs you are ever likely to hear...'
'If you require a bomb proof but high quality preamp with built-in dynamic control, you
really need to hear this!'
© Institute of Broadcast Sound 2004
The full review can be found on page 30 of the June/July 2004 edition of LINE UP
magazine.
Please note that the price quoted in LINE UP magazine is incorrect. Check the where to
buy page for correct pricing.
Review of the P1 by Matthew Sigmon of Sigmon Anderson Studios in the USA.
'There's salvation in simplicity with the Safe Sound P1'
'Over the last decade, technology has been extremely kind to music-makers. Serious
project and home studios are viable realities today thanks to amazing advancements in
digital recording that have essentially leveled the technical playing field between
"enthusiasts" and "pros." While things like "tape hiss" and "wow and flutter" are now
problems of the past, a new perilous territory for consumer-level recordists has
emerged: the affordable, front-end creation of pro-quality sound to put into your PC or
hard disk recorder.'
'Enter the Safe Sound P1.'
'The P1 is a brilliant single channel mic preamp with integrated expander, "peakride"
compressor, and dynamic threshold control (dtc) limiter that sets a genuinely new
standard for performance vs. cost in the front end unit field. The quality and features
packed into this deceptively humble looking, half-rack space unit are quite unlike
anything I've seen, and with a street price of $599 USD, the P1 may well be on its way
to legend.'
'Don't let the P1's simplistic appearance fool you. As it turns out, simplicity is at the
core of the unit's strength. The Safe Sound folks have mercifully spent their design and
research time determining what operating characteristics provide for the most natural
capture of audio sources of any dynamic range. They then attempted to build these
"tendencies" into a circuit design that doesn't just indiscriminately treat your audio, but
actually makes decisions about the source material and responds differently depending
on what you're sending it. The end result is full, organically dynamic recordings that
have depth and transparency, along with that warm, analog character that is the Holy
Grail so many digital boxes and plug-ins claim to posses.'
'Safe Sound has a "white paper" posted on their site (read it here) that explains in
technical detail what I'm describing in essence, and it's definitely worth a read, as it's
this design philosophy that is at the root of the P1's uniqueness.'
'The rear panel is at once compact and comprehensive, with all of the connections you'll
want. There are balanced mic and line level inputs as well as an unbalanced instrument
jack. There is also the clever inclusion of inputs for both balanced and unbalanced
monitoring of your stereo mix as you record.'
'At first the front panel of the P1 seems to lack a few controls you may be accustomed
to seeing, like a discreet knob for the expander attack time, or compressor release time.
But Safe Sound has designed these and other responses into the unit, with their
ensemble "behavior" being the defining characteristic of this unique piece of gear.'
'The small but solid front panel starts with controls for input gain, +48V phantom power
and an 80Hz hi pass filter. Next is a single knob and pushbutton on/off switch for the
expander, followed by the three adjustable compressor parameters; ratio, attack and
threshold. The compressor, too, can be switched in or out. Finally, the P1 includes a
headphone monitor jack for those who are recording to disk without an additional
mixer.'
'Conspicuously lacking are any user controls for the P1's dtc limiter, except for a front
panel set screw! The limiter functions as an "always on" component in the P1, with a
non-adjustable threshold. However, there is an output calibration procedure described in
the manual that will allow you to set the unit up so digital clipping is also rendered a
thing of the past.'
'The behavior of the limiter, again, is built into its circuit design, using triple control
sidechains that Safe Sound claims allow it to anticipate and respond to audio peaks in a
tremendously musical and natural way.'
'The apparent lack of user controls for the limiter, and to a lesser extent the expander
and compressor, would seem to indicate a less functional unit, but in actual use, I found
this design to be pure liberation. The P1 sounds great and responds musically because it
is designed to. It's as simple as that. And the user controls that are available turned out
to be the only ones necessary.'
'The P1 has received some tremendously favorable reviews already from producers and
engineers with access to top-notch equipment. It's been compared very favorably with
Neve and Manley units costing many times what the P1 does. But the reality for home
studios is that many of us don't have a $3000 Manley stashed in the rack, so the
comparisons are impressive but practically intangible. And besides, isn't road testing the
P1 against gear that goes for six times its price kind of like running a Ford against a
Ferrari?'
'To bring the evaluation home, so to speak, I chose to compare the P1 with a very
typical, home studio front end piece that has received a lot of favorable attention: the
Focusrite Platinum Trackmaster. Hovering near the same general price point I thought
this duel would provide a more realistic gauge for those of us in the technically great
unwashed!'
'I started out with the P1 and a Shure KSM32, and did some vocal work on a new track.
I did a duplicate run using the Focusrite. The song has a dynamic vocal line, so on both
units I used compression of about 4:1 ratio, with the hottest peaks resulting in 6 to10dB
of gain reduction. The Focusrite has a three band EQ section while the P1 has no EQ at
all, so I left the equalizer disengaged. In fact, the P1's lack of EQ was something I was
sure I would miss, but we'll get to that in a moment!'
'Keep in mind, I appreciate the different characters that various pieces of gear can
impart, and I don't have a particular "ideal" way that I think raw, recorded vocals should
always sound. Anyone who has spent years working to coax professional results from
low-cost gear has to develop creative tolerance for what's possible!'
'But in playback the difference was amazing, and far more pronounced than I had
expected. The P1 had tremendously greater depth and dynamic realism, with the peaks
and valleys retaining a smooth but solid presence. The Focusrite vocal sounded midheavy and opaque by comparison, lacking definition in both the high and low ends.'
'The P1's lack of equalization quickly became a non-issue, as it captured a breathy
presence that was lacking altogether in the Focusrite track, and I found couldn't be
smoothly duplicated with the Trackmaster's EQ section. The compressor in the P1
seemed to work more, but was far less evident in the track, and not remotely harsh. I'm
not one to go head over heels for "invisible" sounding treatments, and I do like the
sound of a compressor doing what itdoes. After reading some of the other P1 reviews, I
thought I might miss that, but the unit is far from lacking in personality. My tendency to
describe it as transparent comes from the fact that it can't be heard so much "on" the
vocal, but rather "in" it, and leaves the impression that it obscures nothing of the
performance, but only enhances it.'
'The limiter kept my levels in check, and I did get into it on the dynamic peaks, with the
limiting effect remaining as smoothly musical as the compression did.'
'The expander, something the Trackmaster doesn't have, worked both simply and
perfectly, and under normal conditions could easily be left on constantly while tracking.'
'I found that by pushing the P1 harder, it progressively displayed more color giving
things a very analog character that could be great as a more obvious effect.'
'Sonically, the P1 stomped the Focusrite Trackmaster, clearly representing a different
league of audio gear at a remarkably similar price.'
'So if you're thinking about buying a new front end piece for your home studio, and
you've been pouring over the endless articles and ads that cover gear in the $500 to
$600 range while your eye wistfully wanders over to the legends with the extra zeros in
their price, you absolutely must do yourself a favor and check out the Safe Sound P1. It
may be the first piece of gear you'll buy that sounds every bit as good as you hope it
will.'
© Matthew Sigmon - Sigmon Anderson Studios - www.sastudios.com
Extract from the new review of the P1 by Grammy nominated producer and
engineer Bill Drescher
Bill Drescher is a Grammy nominated producer and engineer with credits from such
diverse recording artists as Rick Springfield, Richard Marx, INXS, Bangles, Ringo
Starr, Shawn Colvin, and Los Lobos. Bill recently had the chance to use a pair of P1's
on a project. Here is what he had to say:
'I recently got to try a pair of P1s on a Christmas medley that I was producing for the
Alien Cowboys, a rock instrumental band from the San Francisco area... We compared
the P1s to Neve 1073s, which were rounted into a Neve 33609 stereo
limiter/compressor. Obviously, with the USA price of the P1 being $599, there was
quite a price difference between the P1 and the Neves.'
'In this comparison the P1 seemed to have a more 'in your face' presence than the Neve
chain. The P1 also put across a sense of warmth similar to going to analog tape first...
The compressor/limiter sounded great. It gave the performance a new energy while
remaining transparent and not sounding overly effected.'
'The P1s had the same result on the drum mix... breathing more energy into not only the
sound but the performance too. The P1 performed exceptionally well in all applications,
and with so many features, is a great value for the money.'
'You can hear the Alien Cowboy's 'Xmasong' and the P1s as a free download at the
Alien Cowboys website.'
'The Bottom Line: A buzzworthy recording channel that performs exceptionally well as
a mic pre, compressor, expander and peak limiter.'
The full review can be found here at Mojopie.com
© Bill Drescher 2003
Extract from the review of the P1 in the December 2003 edition of Future Music by
Steve Evans
In use: 'Plugging a condenser microphone into the P1 revealed a quiet and detailed
sounding mic amp that more than stood-up sonically to the built-in amps that I have on
my good quality 16 channel mixer.
I followed the set-up routine in the manual that calibrates the P1's "hard limited" output
level to the desired input level of the destination soundcard. But as I was using a MOTU
interface with variable input gains it didn't matter as much as it would if I had been
using an Audiowerk8 card, for example. It's reassuring to know that whatever you are
hearing is going to disk with no digital clipping, one less thing to keep an eye on.
Using a hand-held dynamic microphone gave a good opportunity to check the
effectiveness of the hi-pass filter, which worked well and stopped the expander
responding to the unwanted low frequency energy that is transmitted through the mic.
The expander gate works very well, yet quite robustly even at its lowest threshold.
Initially I thought I may not be able to take the threshold down low enough, but the
expansion doesn't give unpleasant side effects, even when it's working frequently - even
in between words. Safe Sound recommend that you do not record with the expander in
circuit, but it responds so sensitively that you may find that you forget you have it in. At
the other end of the spectrum there is enough leeway to make the expander effective as
an effect on playback - with gating toms for example.
Winding in the compressor gives you a taste of the P1's character - or lack of it even.
What I mean is that the P1 compresses without sounding like it is compressing. You can
obviously tell that loud singing is being recorded at the same level as quiet singing, but
there is no pumping or sucking happening to the sound and the auto-release functions of
the compressor adapt well to anything you care to throw in its general direction. Having
said that, taking things to their extremes reveals a capability for some traditional
compression effects that will certainly work many wonders for drum sounds and loops.'
Conclusion: 'Despite being an affordable, reliable and attractive prospect for hassle-free
tracking, the P1 has teeth enough to be more than that. It has got a bite and crispness
that would have you using it in mixes as well as for recording. The enormous input
headroom and hard limiter make the P1 a great tool for "holding" all the elements in
your mix without losing top-end detail and crispness, and its comprehensive range of
connectivity options allows it to sit very happily in balanced signal paths if this is
necessary.
I miss the inclusion of traditional gain make-up and release time controls, but Safe
Sound have been clear in their intentions for the use of the P1, and provided a quick and
intuitive input compressor that does what the manual says it does very well. I hope a
stereo version will appear soon.'
Verdict: 'A fine sounding and intelligent analogue mono compressor/mic/instrument
preamp designed to maximise your digital recordings'
© Future Music 2003
The full review can be found on page 66 of the December 2003 edition of Future Music
Review of the P1 by David Young a recording engineer based in London
This comparison was made during a recent studio session in Berlin, recording the music
for The Berliner Ensemble's theatre production of Shakespeare's 'The Tempest'.
'I recently had a chance to compare a Safe Sound Audio P1 with a Manley mono mic
pre costing (and weighing) about six times as much as the P1. I had two brand new
AKG 414s placed side by side about 20 inches in front of an acoustic guitar - a Martin
D28 - with a good player. Each mic ran through one of the units, set flat, and on through
Teac converters into a hard disc setup using Logic Audio.'
'In both cases the solo instrument sounded rich and detailed, with a blind test initially
failing to tell the difference between the two units - both sounded great. A different kind
of listening showed up differences between the units: I don't know the term (if there is
one) for the aural equivalent of peripheral vision, but imagine kind of half listening to
something while the conscious and analytical bit of your brain is otherwise occupied
(say rooting around in a patchbay). Heard 'out of the corner of your ear' the Manley unit
sounded a bit more upfront, or present, than the P1. Closer examination seemed to show
that this was a slight lift at the top and bottom of the frequency response - a subtle
'BoomTsing' curve of the kind of the kind so often used by mastering engineers.'
'Listening to the guitar in the context of a track with other instruments - drums, bass,
vocal - confirmed this: the Manley comes (slightly) pre-emphasised and pre-mixed
while the P1 is more neutral. If I were recording classical music I would take the P1 any
time; its even and unforced sound would 'last longer' and be less tiring than the more
upfront Manley. For multitracked studio music it would be a matter of taste: do you
want to print your sounds as they will appear later, or do you like to do all that stuff in
the mix?'
'In fact the two devices were not all that different in terms of the expensiveness and
quality of the sound. I prefer the flatness of the P1 (being a mixing kind of guy), and I
most certainly like the idea of getting six of them for the price of a single Manley.'
'I'm not sure about those little rubber feet though...'
© David Young, November 2003
Review of the P1 in the October 2003 edition of Sound On Sound by Paul White 'Safe As Houses'
Paul writes, 'During testing, the P1 Audio Processor lived up to its technical claims by
being almost impossible to make sound bad! It's input stages are very clean and free of
added colour, while the compressor evens out the levels in a very musical way without
robbing the sound of life ... It sounds good in the same effortless way a nice tube mic
does'
'Used anywhere close to sensibly, the limiter is effective and as transparent as any
analogue limiter I've heard'
'I was impressed by the smoothness of the expander circuit ... It responded naturally to
both guitar and voice, the release time seeming to 'mould' itself into the audio'
'It's good to see designers going back to first principles in an attempt to find ways to
improve upon existing paradigms, and the P1 has certainly benefited from this
approach. It's sound quality, both technically and subjectively, is way beyond what
you'd expect from its modest appearance, and every stage works extremely well'
© Sound On Sound
The full review can be found on page 164 of the October 2003 edition of Sound On
Sound magazine or on-line here.