Product Overview: Sonnox Oxford Inflator
The Sonnox Oxford Inflator is a highly regarded audio processing plugin designed to enhance the loudness and presence of audio mixes and individual tracks without compromising their sonic quality or dynamic range. Here’s a detailed look at what the Oxford Inflator does and its key features:
Primary Function
The Oxford Inflator is engineered to increase the perceived loudness of audio material, addressing the challenges of the “loudness wars” in music production. Unlike traditional compressors and limiters, it achieves this without introducing the unwanted artifacts of pumping, over-saturation, or reducing dynamic range.
Key Features
- Loudness Enhancement: The Inflator increases the apparent loudness of mixes or individual tracks by altering the relative probability of samples, making larger values more probable. This process does not involve compression, thus preserving the full dynamic range of the music.
- Tube-Like Warmth and Presence: The plugin adds power, warmth, and presence to mixes, mimicking the character of analog systems. It generates harmonics that enhance the dynamic impact of instruments and provide a tube-like warmth, even when overdriven.
- Virtual Headroom: The Inflator offers virtual headroom above digital maximum, allowing percussive peaks to pass through without signal overload. This feature is particularly useful for maintaining the integrity of transient signals.
- Flexibility in Modes: The plugin includes Direct and band-split modes, providing maximum flexibility and optimal DSP usage. This allows users to apply the Inflator effect across the entire frequency spectrum or target specific frequency bands.
- Harmonic Generation: The Inflator introduces both odd and even harmonics into the signal, which can be adjusted using the curve control. This harmonic generation enhances the sound by adding richness and depth, making it more engaging and dynamic.
- User-Friendly Interface: The plugin features an intuitive interface with controls such as INPUT and OUTPUT level meters, a CURVE control, and an EFFECT level control. These tools help users set up the plugin to achieve the desired level of loudness enhancement without excessive peak output levels.
Usage and Integration
The Oxford Inflator is often used as a final stage processor in the mastering chain but can also be applied to individual tracks to add musicality and presence. It is commonly placed before the master EQ and after other effects to maximize its impact. Users can also combine it with other plugins, such as limiters, but it is recommended to avoid using the enhance feature of limiters simultaneously to prevent conflicting harmonics.
In summary, the Sonnox Oxford Inflator is a powerful tool for audio engineers and producers looking to enhance the loudness and presence of their mixes without the drawbacks associated with traditional compression and limiting techniques. Its unique approach to loudness enhancement and harmonic generation makes it a valuable addition to any audio processing arsenal.