Metric Halo – MBSI v4.0.89 for WiN

Modern classics

The MBSI is a meticulous and faithful reproduction of one of the most successful custom-built consoles in the United States. Custom-built by MCI technicians for Studio C at Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida, this console was used to create dozens of hit, million-selling records.

Artists such as the Eagles, Eric Clapton, the Bee Gees, and Grand Funk Railroad chose this room and this console to work with some of the world’s best producers, including Tom Dowd and the legendary Bill Szymczyk.

We’ve teamed up with Make Believe and Bill Szymczyk to bring this legendary console to your DAW for the first time.

“I wanted to sonically recreate the sound of my favorite analog mixing board, and I think we achieved that. The past is not dead; it’s here, now!” Bill Szymczyk is a Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum recording engineer and producer. His credits include BB King, Eagles, The James Gang, Joe Walsh, The J. Geils Band, Bob Seger, The Who, Santana, and many others.

The MBSI is a precise channel strip model of the Criteria Studio C Custom MCI console. It includes a mic/line section, dynamics processing, EQ and fader, and a precise model of the console’s stereo output signal. The original console was extremely analog, with a wonderfully “boxy” sound created simply by the signal passing through the channel, and, like many devices of the era, was distinguished by its originality and distinctiveness. You’ll find (as we did) that the front panel labeling doesn’t correspond to the processor’s actual behavior.

The equalizer module is particularly well-designed. It features a simple design with a limited number of components, using their inherent characteristics to achieve equalization. This means all controls interact, and parameters such as filter Q vary depending on gain and frequency. This may seem (especially today) a drawback or difficult to use, but, like a console, MBSI encourages you to make the right decisions based on what you hear and a limited, yet musical, range of possibilities.

The original console’s dynamics section was a suppressor designed for use with analog tape, which isn’t ideal for today’s production environments. The console’s controls were stepped. The midrange EQ was limited only by gain, and the filter only supported low-pass or high-pass filtering. In other words, the console’s capabilities were limited by the technology and design of the time.

Through discussions with Bill and based on feedback from our beta testers, we came to the conclusion that while we wanted an exact replica of the original console channel strip (Classic mode), it would be great to have a mode that reflected a more modern workflow and represented the modifications we would make to the console when updating it, so we added Modern mode.

In Modern Mode, MBSI replaces the channel compressor, mirroring the types of external compression Bill uses with his console, and provides continuous control (while still retaining the ability to link to the original step values). We’ve also added modifications that allow for midrange cutoff and simultaneous high- and low-pass filtering.

MBSI is re-creating the sound of the 1970s – and now you can too!

Experience the sounds of Miami 1976 right now.

Main characteristics

• World-class signal processing and workflow.
• User-configurable oversampling (up to 16x)
• Accurate tone reproduction of the Line, Mic Pre, Overdrive Mic Pre, Dynamics, and EQ modules.
• The EQ module features a 3-band design with low- and high-pass bell filters, a variable mid-range filter , and high-pass/low-pass filters. All filters have highly interactive controls that allow you to change filter shape, frequency, and gain.
• Shelving control that matches the behavior of the console in Classic Mode.
• Smooth, interpolated control inspired by the original design in Modern Mode (with the ability to snap to Classic shelving values).
• Modern Mode has been updated to allow the mid-range filters to be used with the EQ, and to enable both the low-pass and high-pass filters.
• Incredible new compressor module in a modern mode with simple controls and stunning sound, capturing the dynamic atmosphere of the 1176 and dbx160.
• The sound and feel of one of the greatest consoles in the history of recording.
• Invert polarity
• User control of some Box-Tone elements
• Numerous presets included
• Adjustable user interface size
• MH Preset Manager – provides cross-platform presets.