AUDIO EASE / Speakerphone 2 package delivery

Plug-in software that reproduces the sound of various speakers, as well as the playback environment and situation.

■Plugins

""A cell phone conversation in a crowded place with poor reception,"" ""A voice blaring from a loudspeaker, a helicopter overhead,"" ""A 1952 rockabilly guitar amp roaring in the studio."" Audio Ease's Speakerphone 2 is a software plug-in that simulates sounds in a variety of settings. It not only recreates the sound of real speakers, but also the exact location and context in which they are used.

In addition to effects like walkie-talkies, walkie-talkies, megaphones, and cell phones, it also recreates sounds like a distant radio or a TV placed upstairs. These effects are not merely imitations of sound quality; they capture the exact acoustic characteristics of real equipment, tools, and spaces. For example, to recreate a phone conversation, running your signal through Speakerphone is much easier than adjusting it with EQ or distortion, and delivers a much more realistic result.

It's also extremely useful in music production. By ""speaker,"" we mean guitar amps. Easily capture the sound of 34 different amps and cabinets, including vintage models. All acoustic characteristics are captured from real models, so the realism of the sound is in no way inferior to other simulator products.

A vast variety of ""radio voice"" effects are easily achieved for vocals and rap. The vocal presets, designed to deliberately degrade the sound, include 11 settings named after Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor (Oscar-winning original score for the film ""The Social Network"").

The ""Crush"" setting, which degrades the sampling frequency and bitrate separately, is extremely useful for alternative sounds and club music rhythm tracks. The collection of presets, which combine various settings, includes a ""dirty"" category called ""beat crushers.""

The acoustic characteristics of sampled real spaces and equipment include 400 speakers, 23 microphones, 106 covers (e.g., shrouding the sound in a blanket or car trunk), and 53 high-quality reverbs, including excerpts from the company's Altiverb product. There are also 12 diverse DSP effects. It also comes with a 5GB sound effects library. Combining these sounds, you'll find over 500 presets, allowing you to recreate any situation or scenario with sound.

■System Requirements

Mac: Intel Mac, OS X 10.5 or later
Windows: Windows 7 or later
Authorization via iLok 2 (sold separately)

Compatible Host Applications
Ableton Live 8, 9
Cubase 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Digital Performer 7, 8, 9
Logic Pro 8, 9, X
Nuendo 4, 5, 6, 7
Pro Tools HD, LE / Native 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 (AAX only: Native)
Pyramix 8, 9
Reaper 3, 4, 5
Vienna Ensemble Pro 5
Wavelab 7, 8