Brainworx bx_console N

Classic Console Tone - Unparalleled Analog Realism

The Brainworx bx_console plugin is a faithful emulation of the rare and coveted Neve VXS console. The specific Neve VXS console emulated has an amazing history involving some truly remarkable projects -- recording orchestras for films during its time at Skywalker Ranch in Marin County California, making hit records during its time in Sweden in an ex-Abba member owned studio, and now, serving as the centerpiece of the Brainworx studio, where it has been used in the development of many of the company’s most popular plugins.

The Neve VXS was something of a bridge between vintage Neve consoles, like the 80 and VR series, and the modern 88RS. Loaded with features like a comprehensive EQ and dynamics section, it still delivers that classic Neve punch and vibe.

The bx_console plugin captures both the features and the tone of this amazing mixer.

About Tolerance Modeling Technology (TMT)
While bx_console’s authentic reproduction of a channel on this classic console would be enough to make it a great plugin, its truly revolutionary development is the inclusion of Brainworx’s new Tolerance Modeling Technology. All analog components have manufacturing tolerances that state an acceptable range of differences between them. These tolerances vary from 1% on some parts up to 20% in many standard electronic components. These changes absolutely do make an audible difference in how one console channel sounds compared to another. 

This variation, when taken across many channels in a mix, is part of what makes an analog console sound the way it does. Especially the tolerances between each of two channels in multiple stereo setups (stereo signals, busses and sub-groups) of a bigger mix session introduce small phase differences, unbalanced center frequencies and center-offsets. 

Nowhere is this unit-to-unit variation in an analog audio system more critical than in a large format mixing console. Any seasoned engineer or producer will tell you that there are audible differences between discrete channels of a high-end mixing console, and yet ALL emulated channel strips currently on the market are based on the exact same channel. The specific nonlinearities and distortions of that particular channel are what create its unique character. However, when you multiply that exact character from one to several dozen channels, what used to sound a lot like the original now starts to diverge, sometimes dramatically.

Using TMT, engineers at Brainworx painstakingly cataloged the manufacturer’s stated tolerances for over 150 components in Dirk’s Neve VXS 72 console. Finding the correct tolerance range to use requires an assessment of not only the tolerance range stated by the component manufacturer, but also the tolerance requirements set by the original analog equipment designer. The resulting variability creates a stunning new realism for in-the-box mixing.

Legal Disclaimer: Neve, VXS, and 88RS are registered trademarks of AMS/Neve, Inc. bx_console was developed by Brainworx Music and Media GmbH based on its own modeling techniques. Neve has not endorsed nor sponsored the bx_console in any manner, nor licensed any intellectual property for use in this product.