It’s fair to say that most video editors, podcast producers, and audio enthusiasts don’t possess the level of intimate understanding of audio filters that a seasoned recording engineer does. Yet each still has the need to present the cleanest, most professional-sounding audio as part of their productions. Some software developers have sought to serve this market with plug-ins that combine the controls into a single knob or slider. The first of these was Waves Audio with their OneKnob series. Another company using the single-knob approach is a relative newcomer, Accusonus.
I first became aware of Accusonus through Avid. Media Composer license owners have been offered loyalty add-ons, such as plug-ins, which recently included the Accusonus ERA3 Voice Leveler plug-in. I found this to be a very useful tool and so when Accusonus offered to send the new ERA4 Bundle for my evaluation, I was more than happy to give the rest of the package a test run. ERA4 was released at the end of June in a Standard and Pro bundle along with discounted, introductory pricing, available until the end of July. You may also purchase each of these filters individually.
Audio plug-ins typically come in one of four formats: AU (Mac only), VST (Mac or Windows), VST3 (Mac or Windows), and AAX (for Avid Media Composer and Pro Tools). When you purchase audio filters, they don’t necessarily come in all flavors. Sometimes, plug-ins will be AU and VST/VST3, but leave out AAX. Or will only be for AAX. Or only AU. Accusonic plug-ins are installed as all four types on a Mac, which means that a single purchase covers most common DAWs and NLEs (check their site for supported hosts). For example, my Macs include Final Cut Pro X, Logic Pro X, Audition, Premiere Pro, and Media Composer. The ERA4 plug-ins work in all of these.
I ran into some issues with Resolve. The plug-ins worked fine on the Fairlight page of Resolve 16 Studio Beta. That’s on my home machine. However, the Macs at work are running the Mac App Store version of Resolve 15 Studio. There, only the VST versions could be applied and I had to re-enter each filter’s activation code and relaunch. I would conclude from this that Resolve is fine as a host, although there may be some conflicts in the Mac App Store version. That’s likely due to some differences between it and the software you download directly from Blackmagic Design.
Another benefit is that Accusonus permits each license key to be used on up to three machines. If a user has both a laptop and a desktop computer, the plug-in can be installed and activated on each without the need to swap authorizations through an online license server or move an iLok dongle between machines. The ERA4 installers include all of the tools in the bundle, even if you only purchased one. You can ignore the others, uninstall them, or test them out in a trial mode. The complete bundle is available and fully functional for a 14-day free trial.
ERA4 Bundles
I mentioned the Waves One Knob filters at the top, but there’s actually little overlap between these two offerings. The One Knob series is focused on EQ and compression tasks, whereas the ERA4 effects are designed for audio repair. As such, they fill a similar need as the iZotope’s RX series.
The ERA4 Standard bundle includes six audio plug-ins: Noise, Reverb, and Plosive Removers, De-Esser, De-Clipper, and the Voice Leveler. The Pro bundle adds two more: the more comprehensive De-Esser Pro and ERA-D, which is a combined noise and reverb filter for more advanced processing than the two individual filters. If you primarily work with well-recorded studio voice-overs or location dialogue, then most likely the Standard bundle will be all you need. However, the two extra filters in the Pro bundle come in handy with more problematic audio. Even productions with high values occasionally get stuck with recordings done in challenging environments and last-minute VOs done on iPhones. It’s certainly worth checking out the full package as a trial.
While Accusonus does use a single-control approach, but it’s a bit simplistic to say that you are tied to only one control knob. Some of the plug-ins do offer more depth so you can tailor your settings. For instance, the Noise Remover filter offers five preset curves to determine the frequencies that are affected. Each filter includes additional controls for the task at hand.
In use
Accusonus ERA4 filters are designed to be easy to use and work well in real-time. When all I need to do is improve audio that isn’t a basket case, then the ERA filters at their default settings do a wonderful job. For example, a VO recording might require a combination of Voice Leveler (smooth out dynamics), De-Esser (reduce sibilance), and Plosive Remover (clean up popping “p” sounds). Using the default control level (40%) or even backing off a little improved the sound.
It was the more problematic audio where ERA4 was good, but not necessarily always the best tool. In one case I tested a very, heavily clipped VO recording. When I used ERA4 De-Clipper in Final Cut Pro X, I was able to get similar results to the same tool from iZotope RX6. However, doing the same comparison in Audition yielded different results. Audition is designed to preview an effect and then apply it. The RX plug-in at its extreme setting crackled in real-time playback, but yielded superior results compared with the ERA4 De-Clipper after the effect was applied (rendered). Unfortunately FCPX has no equivalent “apply,” “render and replace,” or audio bounce function, so audio has to stay real-time, which gives Accusonus a performance edge in FCPX. For most standard audio repair tasks, Accusonus’ plug-ins were equal or better than most other options, especially those built into the host application.
I started out talking about the Voice Leveler plug-in, because that’s an audio function I perform often, especially with voice-overs. It helps to make the VO stand out in the mix against music and sound effects. This is an intelligent compressor, which means it tries to bring up all audio and then compress peaks over a threshold. But learn the controls before diving in. For example, it includes a breath control. Engaging this will prevent the audio from pumping up in volume each time the announcer takes a breath. As with all of the ERA4 filters, there is a small, scrolling waveform in the plug-in’s control panel. Areas that were adjusted by the filter are highlighted, so you can see when it is active.
Voice Leveler is a good VO tool, but that type is one of the more subjective audio filters. Some editors or audio engineers compress, some limit, and others prefer to adjust levels only manually. My all-time favorite is Wave’s Vocal Rider. Unlike a compressor, it dynamically raises and lowers audio levels between two target points. To my ears, this method yields a more open sound than heavy compression. But when its normal MSRP is pretty expensive. I also like the Logic Pro X Compressor, which is available in Final Cut Pro X. It mimics various vintage compressors, like Focusrite Red or the DBX 160X. I feel that it’s one of the nicest sounding compressors, but is only available in the Apple pro apps. Adobe users – you are out of luck on that one.
From my point-of-view, the more tools the better. You never know when you might need one. The Accusonus ERA4 bundle offers a great toolset for anyone who has to turn around a good-sounding mix quickly. Each bundle is easy to install and activate and even easier to use. Operation is real-time, even when you stack several together. Accusonus’ current introductory price for the bundles is about what some individual plug-ins cost from competing companies, plus the 14-day trial is a great way to check them out. If you need to build up your audio toolbox, this is a solid set to start out with.
Check out Accusonus’ blog for tips on using the ERA plug-ins.
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Update – March 4, 2022 – Accusonus has announced a partnership with Meta that changes the direction of their company. As such, Accusonus products are being sunset and are no longer available for sale. Existing customers can continue to use the audio plug-ins, but technical support will end early next year. Make sure you have downloaded their latest installer for the version that you purchased and have also saved your activation code somewhere. Details are on their Help-FAQ pages.
“We will sunset the ERA Bundle products and Voice Changer early next year. Until then, we will be releasing compatibility updates and offering email support to any existing customers.
You will still be able to use the ERA Bundle products even after next year; however, we will not be providing support, maintenance and updates.
The products will stay at the final version of ERA 6.2.00 & Voice Changer 1.3.10, so no further product development will take place. Thus, the plug-ins will not be tested in newer systems (Windows and Apple OS) or when compatible DAWs/NLEs are updated.”
©2019 Oliver Peters
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