Sound Radix has released what it regards as ‘a smarter, more natural sounding dynamics processor’ in the Powair two-stage leveller/compressor plug-in.

Powair joins the company’s Auto Align and Drum Leveler to control dynamics and ‘bring a sense of power to vocals, instruments and mixes’. The first stage in Powair is a k-weighted perceived loudness (LKFS) auto-leveller able to deliver tracks to EBU specifications or control the levels of a dynamic performance. Powair uses an innovative gain detection and reduction engine, capable of fast gain changes with minimal distortion and adaptive response to the recorded source signal.

The characteristics of Powair allow powerful dynamics shaping while maintaining the timbre of the source material even when pushed to extremes. Its Punch feature gives control over the transients levels during the attack stage, making it possible to shape transient length while keeping peak levels under control.

Powair also features Adaptive Compression to maintain an average compression action, adding intensity and glue while keeping the natural dynamics in the recording, Sound Radix’ Nir Averbuch explains:

‘A couple of years ago Frank Filipetti pulled us as aside and said, “Listen guys, I work on this vocal track and I get the compressor to work all smooth and nice on this section and then when the loud part comes in, the compressor over-compresses and kills my sound. Now, I could automate the threshold but what I want is a compressor that will keep the sound I did in the soft part, in the loud part as well. Can you do it?”

More: www.soundradix.com