The Sound Board

Details seem very sketchy on this at the moment, but in an email I received this from Kush:

CLARIPHONIC DSP MkII
ON SALE - NO iLOK DONGLE NEEDED

Clariphonic DSP MkII is now dongle-free!
GET IT FOR ONLY $99!
No iLok dongle? No problem! To celebrate Clariphonic's freedom from the dongle, nab a copy now through Friday for only $99!

ALREADY OWN THE PLUGIN?

All current owners of a Clariphonic DSP MkII License also have the ability to authorize to machine. Simply download and install the update to unlock the ability to run Clariphonic DSP MkII with machine-authorization!

The release of Clariphonic DSP MkII v1.2.2 represents Kush's first step toward untethering our entire catalog from the iLok dongle. Stay tuned to the Museletter for updates on our path to freedom!

I've tried to find more details on their website but failed. I don't know if this will now authorise to more than one machine, but I suspect they would have said so if this were the case. It also reads to me as if iLok will no longer be offered as an option going forward, that the new form of CP (whatever it is) is mandatory. [EDIT - could well be wrong on this].

If more details come to light, I'll add them here.

This reads to me as if not much has changed Guy? I think they may be just highlighting that the iLOK system can now authorize to the machine, if desired. I had assumed all iLok products were automatically on this system now - but I guess, reading this, that it's an option / different license fee for the vendor, that Kush are trying. Still iLok though, I think?

I know some people are huge fans of this one. I am put off by the 'secrecy' surrounding this and other of Kush's offerings. They seem to very much go for the Wizard of Oz approach.

Oh so it could still be ilok but not tied to hardware? Could be right, it’s terribly vague

As for the Clariphonic, I spend most of my life being unimpressed with these sorts of products. This is a rare exception that delivered for me. There’s a demo you can try I think if you’re curious.

Guy, my view of Clariphonic is this - it definitely does something unique but I find its usage on samples very limited.

This is because samples are already ‘produced’ to a certain level. I still find use on the master or groups now and then.

But where this plugin shines is adding a HF sheen on flat recordings.

It really does work quite well as you can even hear in examples on their website. Notice that all the sources are very nice and warm - sounds to me mostly very good, flat recordings.

PS: I may have said something different about it in the past. But this is how I am feeling about it in recent months.

My favorite “magic button”.

It’s been so long-what happens when you have machine authorization and you switch machines?

Tanuj Tiku wrote: ↑Oct 16, 2019 11:29 am Guy, my view of Clariphonic is this - it definitely does something unique but I find its usage on samples very limited.

This is because samples are already ‘produced’ to a certain level. I still find use on the master or groups now and then.

But where this plugin shines is adding a HF sheen on flat recordings.

It really does work quite well as you can even hear in examples on their website. Notice that all the sources are very nice and warm - sounds to me mostly very good, flat recordings.

Not sure I quite agree there. It stays resident (out of circuit) on my drums bus, and I sure here it working there when I switch it in, and that's all samples.

Lawrence wrote: ↑Oct 16, 2019 12:05 pm It’s been so long-what happens when you have machine authorization and you switch machines?

I don't know for sure (all mine are on the dongle) but I would assume you need a dongle at that point. You presumably would transfer to the dongle and then subsequently transfer from the dongle to the new machine.

I'm with Guy, Tanuj. In fact, my usage of the Clariphonic goes MUCH wider than just drums (and all I ever use, are samples and synths).
From the most nether regions of the sampled orchestra to the highest: everything benefits from a bit, or a lot of Clariphonic (settings differ widely though, depending on the instruments and their articulations). Even something like Sable (or SCS) — which you might think sounds quite trebly already, to the point of harsh — blooms open after being sent through the Clariphonic. And all the SampleModelling brass instruments take to the Clariphonic extremely well too: if, for example, you want to give these instruments — which, on their own, sometimes tend to sound a fraction tame and spineless — a bit more of an assertive 'cuivré' character, Clariphonic is, to my ears, a very convincing way to do it.
Pizzicato always goes through the Clariphonic as well in my productions. Always. And woodwinds? The entire family — no matter the developer — gets a new leash of life with the Clariphonic. Well, anything really: basses, pianos (samped or modelled), jazz brushes, drums, percussion, guitars, B3-emulations, Omnisphere, Keyscape, Stylus ...

I sometimes even send the output of a reverb through the Clariphonic.

If I were to start again tomorrow from nothing (but knowing what I know now) and was only allowed 2 plugins on top of what the DAW offers, it would be SPAT and the Clariphonic. All the rest I can take or leave. But not those two.

__

One of my all time favs.

Oh well...may be I need to re-introduce it to my workflow with more experimentation!

Though I have rarely pushed the knobs beyond 5-10% - except on one occasion, if I remember correctly.

May be I need to be more careless with it!

Tanuj Tiku wrote: ↑Oct 17, 2019 12:27 am Oh well...may be I need to re-introduce it to my workflow with more experimentation!

Though I have rarely pushed the knobs beyond 5-10% - except on one occasion, if I remember correctly.

May be I need to be more careless with it!

Yes, go for it! Its one of those "everything sounds better" plugins so easy to overdo - I quite like the advice of turn it up til you think its on the edge of being too much, then halve it - but there's no shame in going way beyond those conservative levels with many sources. I've got into the (bad) habit of only thinking about it on drums for some reason, need to start reaching for it a bit more liberally myself.

For the top end, one reason I think its magical is that it brightens without any harshness or "splashiness" for want of a better word. Very clever unit.

Anyone tried the new version yet to finally answer what the new CP is all about? I'm away from base for a few days so I can't do it yet. I did notice that my iLok manager says I have used only 1 of 2 activations of my existing license, so am hopeful it allows 2 machine authorisations in the brave new world, that would be very handy.

I use it on almost every project.

Wasn't as familiar with this plug-in as I might have been, but watching a video I can't help but wonder why this might be better on a mixbus than, for example, my FabFilter Pro-Q3 EQ. Perhaps someone could elaborate? Not a lot of useful info on the Kush site that I can see. Perhaps it's in their documentation?

I love Pro-Q3, it’s great for surgical work. The Clariphonic is modeled after a hardware unit and is a Parallel Mastering EQ. I think of it more in terms of a “character” device. Its bands are fixed with the express purpose of brightening/heightening clarity and it does just that in a way that is very effective and pleasing. you can work on the stereo signal, or decide to widen the stereo field by brightening only the sides; the settings for stereo/mid-side are retained separately, so it’s easy to A/B your choices. As an effect it can be easily overdone, but it really is a desert island kind of plug.

By the way, Kush has an overview sheet of the hardware unit here: https://www.thehouseofkush.com/products/clariphonic-ms
and the cheatsheet attached below is based on that overview, slightly more practical for me. Might be useful to anyone who has shoddy memory like mine...!

Many thanks for taking the time to offer some insight and for the information, Luciano. Still thinking about it, and still wondering how much of a difference it would really make. Cheers!

Sure thing, Frank. A demo is available on the website and the plugin has a long list of aptly named presets to explore...

Thanks for the cheatsheet Luciano. Very useful.

Glad it helps, Linos.

Finally back home at base, so been able to figure out what the new authorization system is, and the process for switching to it.

First, install the new 1.2.2 version of the plugin. This doesn't initially change anything - my license in iLok Manager still showed dongles only. Next, de-activate your current license on the iLok License Manager. Once done, this then unlocks the magic machine authorization icon. I then put it back on my physical iLok for my main machine, which left 1 authorization in License Manager. I then copied this 2nd license accross to my Macbook Pro machine license area and... it works! So 2 authorizations which seemingly can be physical dongle or soft machine authorisations. Great for me - I don't like using dongles at all when mobile, so this is a best-of-all-worlds scenario.