Tube-Tech SMC 2B

Fidelity, flexibility & multiband magic

• The iconic three-band opto compressor used by top engineers, producers, studios & mastering houses
• Mastering-grade Tube-Tech fidelity and extreme multiband versatility
• Excellent for dynamic processing tasks, mix buses, and vocal, drum &bass buses

From the company that brought you Tube-Tech CL 1B, PE 1C, and ME 1B plug-ins, ladies and gentlemen, feast your eyes and ears on the one-and-only Tube-Tech SMC 2B Multiband Compressor. Well-known for its remarkable high fidelity and extreme versatility, the SMC 2B is the choice of  top engineers, producers, studios, and mastering houses worldwide. Softube have accurately modeled every component and stage of this supernatural three-band opto compressor and outfitted it with modern features. Get the  flexibility and fidelity you've been missing for your dynamic processing tasks, mix buses, and vocal, drum, and bass buses. It's not an illusion. It’s the magic of the Tube-Tech SMC 2B Multiband Compressor.

The Dark Art of Modeling

Softube Research & Development DSP Electronics Expert Kim Larsson and DSP Framework Developer Thomas Andersson are modeling magicians. It’s their wizardry behind popular plug-ins such as Tape, Model 80 Five Voice Synthesizer, American Class A, and others. When Larsson and Andersson began work on Tube-Tech SMC 2B, they knew that to get this iconic opto compressor in the box, they would have to think outside the box. That’s because, for the most accurate measurements possible, the modeling of the SMC 2B compressor needed to be done in the dark.

The SMC 2B’s photosensitive components that cause the optical compression – and dynamically affect the responsiveness of the gain reduction – are highly sensitive to ambient rays. So, it was lights out in the laboratory in the heart of Softube headquarters. And the pitch-black magic of precisely modeling this extremely non-linear compressor commenced. The results are clear to see. Softube's Tube-Tech SMC 2B Multiband Compressor offers sound and behavior that perfectly captures the iconic hi-fi hardware.

Why Multiband Compression?

Multiband compression allows you to address compression across specific frequency ranges. You can use it to control transients on acoustic guitar picking or manage specific vocal frequencies to get them to sit flawlessly in a mix. Multiband compression is an ideal tool for targeting drum bus problem areas. It works amazingly to isolate the snap and crack of a snare drum, for instance. A well-known use is for control of bass frequencies on a vocal, bass, guitar, or drum bus. It can even help you rebalance a full stereo mix. The flexibility and versatility of multiband compression is second to none. It gives you control that conventional single-band stereo compression just can't muster.

Bewitching Blue Authenticity

The SMC 2B's iconic blue color, musical tube sound qualities, and low distortion make it a staple of the most esteemed studios. Softube have modeled every component and stage of this famed three-band optical stereo comp, and the result is software that is indistinguishable from the hardware in our tests. This Tube-Tech SMC 2B Multiband Compressor plug-in gives you the authentic interaction of 6 dB/octave filters that determine the crossover points. It gives you the Tube-Tech-designed interface so you can adjust parameters just as prominent pro engineers do. Tube-Tech SMC 2B Multiband Compressor offers you genuine mastering-grade Tube-Tech fidelity that’s DAW-ready

Enchanting Control & Flexibility

The SMC 2B's three independent optical stereo compressors offer total control over mix, vocal, bass, and drum buses. Start by choosing which frequencies to treat with compression, then adjust the level of those frequency ranges to rebalance sections of the audio. In addition to that, the sides and mid of a stereo width can be influenced independently. With added features, like unlinked Dual Mono operation, Mid/Side Processing, Parallel Compression via the Dry/Wet Knob, Sidechain input, and mute switches, our SMC 2B compressor gives you even more versatility and control than the storied original. Abracadabra!

Designed by Experts, Built on Legacy

Softube has a long history of emulating professional audio gear. After two decades collaborating with premium brands like Tube-Tech, Weiss Engineering, Solid State Logic, and Chandler Limited, Softube have a rock-solid reputation for recreating classics in software form that sound exactly like their hardware counterparts.

Tube-Tech SMC 2B Multiband Compressor is built on this legacy. Their meticulous approach to component modeling ensures that Tube-Tech SMC 2B Multiband Compressor precisely captures the fidelity and flexibility of the celebrated three-band opto original with stunning Softube sound quality. And nothing less.

Features

• A precise model of the world-renowned Tube-Tech SMC 2B hardware
• The authentically captured behavior and tube sound
• Control and flexibility with added modern features
• Low, Mid, and High bands determined by 6 dB/octave crossover filters with variable frequencies 
• 60-1200 Hz set the point for the Low/Mid bands
• 1.2-6 kHz set the point for the Mid/High bands
• Per-band parameters for Threshold, Ratios of 1.5:1 to 10:1, Attack, Release, and Gain
• Stereo processing via linked or selectable Dual Mono operation
• Mid/Side processing
• Parallel Compression via the Dry/Wet knob
• Sidechain input
• Mute switches for each band

System Requirements

• macOS Big Sur 11, Monterey 12, Ventura 13
• Windows 10 (64-bit), Windows 11
• Softube account
• iLok account
• Computer with AU, VST, VST3 and/or AAX compatible DAW host software
• Internet access (for downloading installers and managing licenses)