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Antelope Audio’s new A4-1B is a one-of-a-kind tube optical compressor modeled after a vintage classic and enhanced with next-gen features. On its own, the A4-1B is already a premium analog compressor, but the A4-1B plug-in unlocks advanced capabilities like DAW control, automation support with motorized potentiometers, and an auto-calibrating photocell.
To understand everything the A4-1B can do, we asked Nik Georgiev from Antelope Audio for a rundown of its innovative features and how to take full advantage of them.
The A4-1B is the first product in the A4 range, which stands for Antelope Audio Analog Automation. Unlike other digitally controlled outboard gear, the A4-1B uses real motorized potentiometers to provide the sonic purity and tactile knobs of a 100% analog circuit while offering the convenience of a plug-in. “The whole idea behind the A4 range is that we would like to make this connection between the analog side of things and the modern digital workflows where you need recallability and reliability,” says Georgiev.
Like many of today’s tube optical compressors, the Antelope Audio A4-1B is built around a time-tested circuit derived from a legendary vintage compressor famed for its thick tone and smooth, musical response. The all-analog signal path at the heart of the A4-1B is designed to deliver the same rich character, and the front-panel controls are all real potentiometers and switches, so they feel satisfying to use. And, just like the original, the A4-1B features a real analog VU meter that can display the input level, gain reduction, or output level.
To ensure authentic tone and reliable performance, Antelope Audio puts a lot of effort into their analog circuit design, even down to the power supply. “We spend a lot of time testing and measuring components like valves, transformers, and capacitors,” Georgiev says. “We also put a lot of effort into making the power supply very stable, so that regardless of what kind of voltage comes in, what comes out is very consistent and noise-free.”
The A4-1B plug-in provides remote control inside your DAW, plus the ability to save and recall your settings, switch between A and B settings for comparison, and even automate most of the controls. “If you open a project in ten years’ time, you want to be able to have the exact same settings,” says Georgiev. “That's the idea.”
The plug-in talks to the compressor over a standard USB Type-C connection, and the motorized knobs respond to your software adjustments in real time (and vice versa). When you save your session and open it back up later, the knob positions will automatically be recalled, so all you need to do is flip the switches back to the indicated positions.
One of the coolest features of the A4-1B is its ability to respond to automation data from your DAW. This can be extremely helpful in complex mixes, such as songs that require different compression settings in the verse and chorus. “If you have a more dynamic song, you've got the choice of automating the gain before you go into the compressor, changing the amount of gain reduction, threshold, attack, and release,” explains Georgiev.
Automating the A4-1B works just like any other plug-in: simply write automation in your DAW using the plug-in, and the hardware settings will adjust in real time. (While the motorized knobs may take a second to catch up, the sound changes instantly.) A blue LED below the VU meter lights up when the unit is receiving automation data, so you don’t accidentally try to turn one of the motorized knobs.
Just like the unit that inspired it, the A4-1B has two external sidechain inputs with a toggle switch, but using the plug-in expands this flexibility significantly. The A4-1B plug-in gives you four additional sidechain options: low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, and a de-esser setting. Each setting has two different slope options, and the filter frequency can be set anywhere between 18 Hz and 15 kHz. Together, these options give you tons of control over how the detector circuit reacts to bass-heavy signals, harsh cymbal wash, vocal sibilance, and more.
Although the sidechain circuit uses digital processing to affect the detector input, the actual signal path always remains 100% analog. “We take a feed into the digital circuit, and from there we can modify the behavior of the sidechain in order to control some aspects of the compressor,” Georgiev explains. “Now, you can do things like completely change the slope or the frequency of your sidechain filtering, which you absolutely couldn't do with the original.”
One drawback of vintage opto-compressors is the tendency for the photocell—the component that detects light levels to trigger the compression circuit—to drift out of spec and become less sensitive over time. This can also happen to analog VU meters, making it hard to gauge your input and output levels and tell how much gain reduction is happening.
To avoid this flaw, the A4-1B has an automatic calibration function accessible through the plug-in. A perfectly calibrated unit will give you the exact same sound every time you recall your settings, and a calibrated pair will perform identically when linked in stereo. “When you use analog gear and you work in stereo, it is very important that the left and right channels are identical,” says Georgiev. “The good thing here is that you can actually calibrate that and achieve very accurate behavior in terms of how much gain reduction you get.”
Antelope offers a few different paths to accessing the A4-1B plug-in. First of all, registering your compressor with Antelope gives you access to the plug-in for a full year. “If you're the owner of the compressor, you would register it and get the license for one year; and then there's different options whether you want to go through the membership route or pay for a permanent license.”
After the first year, you can extend your subscription on a yearly basis, purchase a perpetual license, or enroll in a Synergy Core Native membership for even more value. And if you just want to test out the unit, there’s also a fully functional 14-day free trial. Here’s a quick breakdown of the different options:
“Say you buy four of the A4-1B so you can have two tracking units and two in a stereo configuration for mixing,” says Georgiev. “If you pay for membership, you get the license for all four units instead of having to buy four perpetual licenses. You also get all Native plug-ins – and there are quite a few. But if you don't care about any of that, you could just pay for the license. And if you just want to use it like the normal analog unit, you could simply choose not to buy a license.”
If you crave the authentic, old-school sound of a real tube optical compressor but need the flexibility of a plug-in for your workflow, the Antelope Audio A4-1B might be just what you’ve been searching for. Browse our shop to find the right bundle for you, speak with a VK Audio Consultant to learn more about licensing the plug-in, or make an appointment to demo the A4-1B at one of our showrooms—you can even shoot it out against the original!
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