- Brainworx is a German plug-in company whose reputation for creating quality mastering tools began with the release of their bx_digital EQ back in 2006. Marked by their specific focus on mid-side processing, Brainworx has since pushed out a spate of plug-ins that has seen their audience shift beyond the mastering niche into the broader realm of engineers and producers. Fast-forward to 2016 and their range includes a diverse set of tools including saturation, amp emulation and limiting. Although many of their plug-ins hint at the classics or rarities on which they are modelled, none of their products have directly referenced their analogue predecessors, until now.
Bx_console is an attempt to faithfully recreate an actual mixer that lives in the Brainworx studio, a Neve VXS. In the most basic sense, it’s a channel strip plug-in featuring high- and low-pass filters, a dynamics section with compressor, noise gate and expander and a four-band EQ. Apart from individually modelling all 72 channels of the desk, Brainworx have also introduced a new feature called Tolerance Modeling Technology (TMT) that aims to recreate the non-linearity that makes high-end consoles like the Neve so desirable. Analogue components have a margin of variation when it comes to tolerance—generally between 1 and 20%. While these inconsistencies might seem subtle, it’s this variation between channels, groups and busses that gives an analogue console its sound. Soundworx claim that TMT models individual components and their varied responses, theoretically recreating the ever-elusive analogue sound in the box.
Modelling every channel of the Neve VXS console means that you can step through each stereo pair, switching between analogue and digital Stereo Modes. In analogue mode you can pair consecutive channels like 3 and 4, 8 and 9 and so on, while digital mode lets you duplicate the emulation of a channel in both speakers for more consistent behaviour. (Weirdly enough you can’t mix and match non-consecutive channels.)
There is no doubt that two different channels of an analogue console respond differently to the same signal, and the bx_console emulates this accurately with some channels exhibiting more inconsistencies than others. But without a reference as to which channel responds in which way, the whole thing amounts to something of a guessing game. To be fair to Brainworx, there is no right or wrong choice when picking your channel; the idea is to simply move to the next available stereo pair in order to accurately emulate the original console. Some channels even emulate the originals' broken buttons, complete with what looks like a broken toothpick to hold them in place. One aspect that does make the painstaking emulation of every channel valuable is the effect it has on the stereo field. Those subtle differences between the Left and Right channels really do help the mix open up and since none of them are identical every sound has its own unique place in the stereo field before any further settings are even applied.
Speaking of settings, the user interface of bx_console is going to take some getting used to. The interface will most likely be unfamiliar to the vast majority of users and Brainworx have done nothing to make it easier to manage. The cryptic abbreviations and overloaded text can be confusing, especially in the dynamics section. One wonders if Brainworx went too far in the accurate modelling of the layout of the desk. Maybe some aspects should have been left in the past.
Having said that, you'll forget these gripes when a signal is run through the plug-in. It’s not uncommon for emulation plug-ins to impart their sound even when all settings are flat and bx_console is no different. Insert it on a channel and instantly the sound becomes thick, gritty and unquestionably enhanced. The L/C button is on by default, meaning any sound is automatically compressed, allowing you to instantly have some fun with driving the input without any nasty consequences. It’s usually hard to get excited by low- and high-pass filters but the subtlety with which they’re implemented means you can very quickly achieve that “rounded-off” analogue sound without anything sounding obviously filtered. I was initially skeptical when the manual claimed you can mix a whole track with nothing but these filters but after some quick tweaking, it’s easy to see how that’s possible.
For the compression section, Brainworx have added Mix and HPF controls not present on the original mixer. The compressor’s sound is excellent, capable of popping warmth and subtle control, with the Mix dial giving you the best of both worlds. The star of the show however is the EQ. Neve have a reputation for warmth and grit and the bx_console captures this beautifully. Rarely does the sound break up even with 10dB or more of gain—the signal remains pleasing throughout. Our ears are hyper-sensitive to frequencies around 1kHz yet this area is also vital for positioning vocals and eliciting percussive snap. Bx_console deals with this range excellently—the response is sweet, never brash and outdoes many other EQs in terms of musicality.
Brainworx deserve credit for the thorough nature with which they emulated the Neve VXS. The already cramped interface of the original is made even more so by their modern additions, but once you start tweaking the controls it’s clear the sound more than makes up for it and the slightly unconventional layout can lead to happy accidents. The sweet but tough EQ and flexible compressor sound great on almost any signal and with a low CPU hit, there’s no reason you can’t accurately model a classic sound on every channel of your mix. At $300 it’s not a cheap option, but one you’ll reach for time and time again.
Ratings:
Sound: 4.5
Cost: 3.8
Versatility: 4.0
Ease of use: 3.5