32C-VIP

The Harrison 32C Vocal Intensity Processor (32C-VIP) is a vocal processing plugin that offers a quick and easy way to enhance the quality of vocals or spoken voice.  It can be used for editing audio recordings or for processing signals in real-time.

32C-VIP contains the following elements:

• A Leveler for controlling the dynamic range of the audio signal
• 32C High and Low-Pass Filters for cleaning up any unwanted frequencies 
• An RTA with pre and post filter displays for visualising the spectral characteristics of the processed signal
• A K-12 Output Meter that displays the level of overall output and helps keep the signal within the target range.
• A built-in limiter that prevents the output signal from clipping.

Processing Elements

Leveler

The Intensity knob controls the overall input level to the plugin. The Intensity level feeds the Leveler which is a compressor with a fixed -24 dB threshold and a very low ratio. Increasing the Intensity level will drive the Leveler harder and cause more compression to occur. The vertical meter to the right of the Intensity knob shows the level of gain reduction in dB. Use the K-12 Output Meter to determine the appropriate Intensity level to stay within the target range.

K-12 Output Meter

The K-12 Output Meter is a “VU-style” meter that shows the average level of the output signal with a -12 dB reference level. This means that the 0 marker on the meter equals -12 dBFS. It is set up this way because -12 dBFS is generally a good target level for podcasts and other forms of spoken voice media, so it’s a good idea to keep your average signal within the “green” zone below the 0 marker.

Filters

The High and Low-Pass Filters are based on the renowned Harrison 32C channel strip filters and can be used to shape the spectral characteristics of the processed signal. Use the HP Freq and LP Freq knobs to adjust the corner frequencies of the filters.

The BUMP button adds a subtle gain boost at the corner frequency of the HP Filter. This allows you to add a low-end boost at the selected frequency while filtering out the frequencies below it. 

The BRIGHT button adds a high shelf boost to brighten up the high-end of the processed signal. Use the LP Filter in conjunction with this to tame any harsh high frequencies at the very top of the register.

RTA Display

The graph at the top of the plugin is the RTA Display which shows a visual representation of the spectral characteristics of the processed signal. Use the RTA IN button below the display to toggle the RTA on or off. When activated, the RTA shows the pre and post filter readings overlayed on top of each other. The pre-filter analyzer shows the signal before any spectral processing in dark grey while the post-filter analyzer shows the signal after spectral processing in a lighter grey colour.

Limiter

32C-VIP has a limiter built-in at the final output stage to prevent clipping. The limiter has a fixed threshold of -1.5 dB so the output signal will never exceed that level no matter how high the Intensity is set. 

Routing Order

The internal routing order between elements is as follows:

1. Leveler

2. Pre-Filter Spectrum Analyzer

3. Filters

4. Post-Filter Spectrum Analyzer

5. Limiter

6. K-12 Output Meter

System Requirements

• macOS 10.9 or higher is required
• Windows 7 or higher required

Plugin Specifications

• AAX, VST, VST3, AU
• MONO only

Host DAW Support:

• ProTools 10.3.5 or newer required (enable AAX format during installation)
• Logic (enable the AU format during installation)
• Cubase (enable the VST and/or VST3 format during installation)
• Most other DAW's (enable the VST format during installation)

Note: This plugin uses lookahead and should not be used for processing signals in real-time.