Tone Projects – Michelangelo v1.0.3

Michelangelo

is an all-tube stereo equalizer and harmonic generator designed and handcrafted by Chris Henderson of Hendyamps. It is awe-inspiring in its sonic beauty and inspiring ease of use, and is one of the most remarkable equalizers available today.

Created in close collaboration with Hendyamps, the officially endorsed Michelangelo plug-in features the same signature sound and intuitive, “right-brain” workflow, but goes far beyond the hardware’s capabilities. You get instant tube vibe and effortless tone control, combined with precise range control, musical dynamic EQ with transient and body separation, soundstage enhancements, and deep tube circuit tuning – all thanks to the Michelangelo sound.

Highlights

• Create tracks and mixes with a meticulous simulation of Hendyamps Michelangelo EQ
• Add incredibly attractive, wide-sweeping EQ and rich tube color with complete ease of use
• Add movement and energy with analog dynamic EQ and per-band saturation control
• Combine signature analog ambience with digital flexibility for a unique creative process
• Focus bands on mids/sides or transients/body for selective equalization and creative shaping
• Adjust tube color and combine warm triode and punchy pentode topologies
  

Key Features

Broad strokes of magic

Engineers who use Michelangelo often claim that it feels like cheating, because it’s not easy to get mixes to sound that good. The plugin mimics this with a frankly ridiculous level of detail. We spent over a year developing the unique EQ curves, the interaction of bands, features and tolerances, and not least the tube stages and their interaction with the EQ bands. The result is a plugin that responds and sounds as close to the hardware as possible.

Reimagined for Digital

With the Michelangelo plug-in, hardware is just the starting point. Get complete control over each band by adjusting frequency, mid/side panning, tube drive and more. By adding HP/LP filters and additional parameter ranges to the tube EQ circuit, the module greatly increases versatility and provides precision beyond the capabilities of a typical color EQ. Combined with modern features like automatic gain, group solo and gain scaling, you get a unique creative workflow that combines analog and digital quality.

Transient/Body EQ

Michelangelo splits transients and body frequencies into bands, allowing you to switch the EQ between transients and sustained portions of the signal. This is a powerful feature for both targeted EQ enhancements and creative enhancements. Add presence and sparkle without harsh transients by removing high gains from transients. Add bite by boosting only transients, or remove mud from sustained portions without losing impact. There are many ways to use this feature when processing music without using FFT, all without distorting the sound.

Dynamics with tone retention for days

Michelangelo includes a carefully tuned compressor/expander with music recognition and smooth non-linear curves. You can use it with any of Michelangelo’s bands for an adaptive dynamic EQ with a higher/lower threshold and fully adjustable attack/release. You can also use it across all bands to turn Michelangelo into a full-fledged multi-band dynamics processor, adding movement and energy with a tube-like flavor.

Deep Circuit Tuning

Aggressiveness and calibration controls provide a wide range for both subtle mastering and mojo-infused drive. The plug-in also offers even deeper controls for fine-tuning the sound character and exploring entirely new sonic shades. Adjust the natural compression that occurs in the tube circuit. Combine the superior hardware triode with the new pentode tube topology. Increase channel spread and crosstalk to perfectly combine purely digital and authentic analog soundstages.

Possibilities

• Accurate simulation of the coveted Hendyamps Michelangelo all-tube EQ
  
• Created in close collaboration with hardware designer Chris Henderson of Hendyamps
  
• 4 highly interactive bands (Low, Mid, High, Air) providing colorful, wide-sweeping EQ and harmonic generation
  
• 2 additional bands that can be switched between narrow/wide bell, low/high shelf for precise EQ adjustments
  
• Transient/Big mix to focus the EQ on transient and sustained parts of he signal
  
• Mid/Side mix to focus the EQ on mid and side frequencies
  
• Analog-style RMS-based dynamic EQ with over/under threshold and adjustable on/off frequency
  
• Tube drive control for each band providing saturation at a specific frequency regardless of the gain in the band
  
• Detailed model of the tube stages, their dynamics and interaction with the EQ bands
  
• Gain and calibration controls for different ways to amplify sound in a tube circuit
  
• Unique control over the natural compression effect that occurs in a tube circuit
  
• Tube connection between a hardware-matched triode and a new custom pentode configuration
  
• Low- and high-pass filtering with 6/12/18 dB/octave or smooth shelving slopes
  
• Transformer emulation for subtle improvements in low-frequency articulation
  
• Adjustable crosstalk and channel bandwidth for a clean, authentic analog sound
  
• Fixed frequency bands for fast workflow, but freely adjustable if needed
  
• Automatic gain with real-time or meter-based loudness compensation
  
• Adjustable EQ gain scale for easy adjustment of overall EQ gain
  
• 4 quality modes, from low latency to flawless linear phase oversampling, with the option to always use the highest quality for offline rendering
  
• Undo, redo and preset switching A/B
  
• Built-in reference level system to automatically adjust input signal level according to loaded presets
  
• Presets created by experienced artists and engineers
  
• Built-in support for Intel and Apple silicon processors