Eventide Turns 40 (And Turns A Corner As Well)
October 20, 2011 by Justin Colletti
/* Filed under SPARS Feed, Tech & Reviews */
When the founders of Eventide attended their first AES Convention, they brought along “a fanciful aggregation of ‘products’ [they] were unable to demonstrate due to the complete lack of any internal electronic components”. This year, they return for their fortieth as one of the most recognizable and long-lived names in professional audio. They also have a new direction – A Native software line that will put Eventide effects into more hands than ever.
When Richard Factor, Steve Katz, and Orville Greene founded Eventide in NYC just 40 years ago, digital audio barely existed. Not for any practical purposes, at least.
Richard Factor, engineer Jeff Sasmor, and Tony Agnello in the Eventide Halcyon Days.
Even analog audio was still in its infancy in a few ways. Full-featured stereo delays had yet to be invented. The best that the engineers of the day could do was to either chain two tape machines together, fruitlessly attempt to sync a pair of Echoplexes, or try the first ever analog delay: Urei’s Cooper Time Cube.
The last of those choices was, quite literally, a garden hose in a box, with a microphone at one end and a speaker at the other. It could deliver a whopping 30 milliseconds of delay. The other available options were impractical at best.
All that began to change when Eventide released the 1745 Digital Delay Line. Co-founder Richard Factor had a knack for seeing the gaps in existing technology, and in a flash of simple-minded brilliance, dreaming up a way to fill the void.
He did this with Eventide’s pioneering delays and tape search units, and he’d go on to do it again in aviation and computing. As Eventide continued to redefine audio processing, Factor began introducing some of the first moving-map displays for private airplanes, and aftermarket RAM for DSP developers.
“Back then, I was a long-haired, weirdo, hippie freak – Like just about everybody,” Factor joked when we caught up with him for this story. “Now, I’m just a weirdo,” he laughs.
After Factor made his early innovations, it was up to the Eventide team to take the ball and run with it. Their Audio division got especially lucky when it found Tony Agnello, a grad student at New York’s City College, and a self-described “frustrated musician”.
(Tony Agnello also happens to be the big brother of John Agnello, the Producer/Engineer who’s worked with guitar-based rockers from Aerosmith and Twisted Sister to Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth. Tony’s newfound connections in the audio world would help a teen-age John land to his first job as a lowly studio “gopher”.)
THE FIRST EFFECTS
“Just as I was getting into the industry, rent in the city was starting to get much more expensive,” says Tony Agnello.
The Digital Delay Line circa 1971
“Recording studios that had dedicated entire rooms to use as echo chambers started to discover that they could buy a metal plate from EMT to get reverb, instead of wasting an entire room just to let sound bounce around between the walls.”
“The one problem with an EMT plate though, is that unlike a room, there’s no pre-delay – there’s no pause before the onset of the reverb. That tends to sound unnatural.”
And that’s where the first Eventide delays came in. With up to 200 milliseconds of delay, the earliest units were perfect for sprucing up reverb sends or for providing an easy way to achieve “Automatic Double Tracking”, known today as electronic “doubling”.
These early delay lines would also go on to revolutionize live sound systems by allowing technicians to sync distant sets of speakers for proper time-alignment. Later units even allowed broadcasters to avoid fines by affording an ample broadcast delay in which they could edit out swear words.
THE FIRST MULTI-EFFECTS
“Delays were interesting to me,” says Agnello, “but I wanted to create musical instruments.”
Pretty quickly, he would do just that.
In 1974, Agnello used the front-room of his NYC railroad apartment to single-handedly design the effect that would put Eventide on the map – not just in studio machine rooms, but on-stage, and in the ears and minds of cutting-edge musicians and creative engineers.
Todd Rundgren and the Eventide Instant Phaser at Eventide's original HQ, 154 W 54 St.
The Eventide 910 Harmonizer was a pitch-shifter and a delay, and it sounded unlike anything most musicians had ever heard.
Tony Visconti would use the unit to create groundbreaking drum sounds for David Bowie’s Low and Iggy Pop’s The Idiot. This and future incarnations would end up in the live and studio rigs of guitarists like Frank Zappa, Eddie Van Halen, Robert Fripp, and Peter Frampton. Agnello’s new effect box created sounds that were unheard of then, and have become iconic now.
Development continued at a rapid pace through all of Agnello’s time at Eventide, up through his departure in 1982. After working on a series of reverb lines, Agnello would go on to found a total of three other companies. He would become a designer’s designer, building tools that DSP engineers could use on their own projects. Pretty soon, his clients were physicists and MRI engineers instead of proggy arena rockers.
And as for Eventide? They’d keep one foot firmly in the studio world, while trying to keep the other foot balanced between avionics and computing.
THE PLATEAU AND EVENTUAL REJUVENATION OF EVENTIDE
Eventide remained a major force in high-end studio effects throughout the 80s and 90s.
Even as new developers produced more flexible and less expensive multi-effects, the early pioneer’s signature sounds stayed in demand. But as tectonic forces brought the old studio system to its knees, and launched a whole new musical equipment industry, Eventide just didn’t keep up with times. The once-pioneering company was floundering. The reason was a failure to innovate.
Agnello meanwhile, was fresh from a series of successes. He’d built and sold his own companies well before the dot-com bust of the early aughts, and took some time off to raise his daughters. As a hobby, he even launched Princeton Digital, an early and much-acclaimed purveyor of DAW-based plug-in effects.
When Richard Factor invited him back to Eventide to help turn the company around post-9/11, Agnello brought a team of fresh-faced young designers along. The manufacturer, which had been on the brink of calamity, slowly started to turn around.
Agnello had Eventide abandon both avionics and computing. The company saved lives in the former and broke ground in that latter, but they’d been surpassed by newer, bigger competitors who recognized growing opportunities in these fields and were better able to leverage economies of scale.
Today, Eventide is focused on its audio roots once again, and their young team is determined to continue the company’s original mission: to innovate in audio and push the boundaries of sound.
Even 40 years later, Agnello’s sharp wit and no-nonsense attitude is fully intact. But whenever he talks about the new designers who are helping Eventide turn the corner he beams. “They’re musicians, they’re passionate, they’re just brilliant and energetic.”
“The algorithms in the [1980s Eventide] 2016 used every CPU cycle,” says Agnello. The new line of pedals his young team has designed does the same.
“The only limitation has ever been the number of cycles, the available power of current DSP technology.” He says this with the kind of optimism that’s tempered by an innate pragmatic attitude. “We can see even farther than we can reach.”
What the future holds for Eventide is impossible to say. But it seems they’re already on the cusp of greater relevance as their new pedals and plug-ins win fans with today’s experimenters and innovators.
Annie Clark, the critically-acclaimed guitarist who performs as St. Vincent, counts on Eventide’s latest pedals to help her craft cunning and truly progressive new tones. And to a new generation of music-makers, the original Eventide sounds have survived enough fashion cycles to be considered modern-day classics.
While the iconic sounds of the original Eventide harmonizers, phasers, reverbs, and multi-effects were once accessible only to owners of the vintage hardware units, the company has recently entered the TDM plug-in market, and developed a slew of powerful new forward-looking effects to go along with their studio classics
Up until now, obtaining the progressive and powerful suite of Eventide plug-in has carried a premium price tag. Tomorrow, Agnello and company are set to arrive at the 131st AES convention and announce that for the first time, every user can afford access to these uniquely flexible tools.
As of 2011, Eventide is going Native.
But is it enough to help them become the first name in cutting-edge effects once again? We’ll ask them again in 2012.
Click for more on Eventide’s history and current product line. And stay tuned for our upcoming “Eventide: Reflections” feature with comments from notable early users and colleagues on the legacy of this NYC-born audio company.
Justin Colletti is a Brooklyn-based producer/engineer who works with uncommon artists, and a journalist who writes about music and how we make it. Visit him at www.justincolletti.com.
Event Alert: The Deli’s StompBox Exhibit in The LES, 10/21-22
October 10, 2011 by Janice Brown
/* Filed under Deli Feed, Deli NYC Feed, News */
Next week during CMJ week / AES weekend, the Deli Magazine will put on its first StompBox Exhibit out of two venues in the Lower East Side.
The exhibit will take place on Friday, Oct 21 and Saturday, Oct 22 from 11AM -7PM at The Living Room’s Googies Lounge and Ludlow Guitars, both on Ludlow Street.
Guitar pedal manufacturers including Moog, TC Electronic, Line 6, Eventide, T-Rex, Pigtronix and Z-Vex will be exhibiting gear — musicians are invited to bring their own guitars and plug directly into the variety of pedal boards on display.
Attendees will be able to test the pedals and hear the results directly in the headphones, which will be plugged into an amp emulation unit.
There will be about 24 pedal boards at The Googie’s Lounge, some of which will be mixed boards of pedals organized by effect categories (distortion, delay/reverb, modulation, etc) so guitarists can compare them. Ludlow Guitars will host four more pedal boards – two by Moog and two mixed boards.
On both days there will be free grilled cheese sandwiches and drinks specials starting at 1:30PM.
This event is free, but due to the small size of the hosting venues, the Deli recommends that you RSVP HERE for a priority pass.
GRAMMY Winning Engineer/Producer Flood to Moderate Forum on Eventide.com for July
July 8, 2011 by David Weiss
/* Filed under Deli Feed, Deli NYC Feed, News */
The acclaimed alternative record producer/engineer Flood will be fielding questions on Eventide.com’s forum for the month of July.
Get in touch with Flood via Eventide throughout July.
After starting out as a runner at Battery Studios and apprenticing at Morgan Studios and Trident Studios in London, Flood has built up a huge portfolio of notable engineering production credits, including: New Order, Cabaret Voltaire, Nick Cave, Depeche Mode, Erasure, Nine Inch Nails, U2 (The Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, Pop, and the GRAMMY Award Winner for “Best Album”, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb), PJ Harvey, Nitzer Ebb, Smashing Pumpkins, The Killers, Goldfrapp, Sigur Rós, Glasvegas and many more.
Anyone interested in posting questions to Flood can go to http://forum.eventide.com/cs/forums/ and create an account (if they haven’t already).
Now Shipping: Eventide’s Space Stompbox, Featuring Presets By Flood and Alan Moulder, Jónsi Birgisson, John Agnello and More
March 9, 2011 by Janice Brown
/* Filed under Deli Feed, News */
As of yesterday, Eventide’s newest stompbox — Space — is now shipping in North America. As previously reported, Space, features 12 of Eventide’s signature reverb combination effects taken from the H8000FW and Eclipse V4, along with some new Eventide magic.
Explore new sonic realms in SPACE. Now shipping.
Space includes 100 presets, featuring presets crafted by Flood and Alan Moulder (The Killers, Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins, My Bloody Valentine, PJ Harvey), Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Beck, Nine Inch Nails), Amedeo Pace (Blonde Redhead), Alex Somers and Jónsi Birgisson (Jónsi and Alex, Sigur Ros), Amadeo Pace (Blonde Redhead), John Agnello (Patti Smith, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., Kurt Vile), Richard Devine (sound designer, synthesist, performer, remixer) and Vernon Reid (Living Colour).
With Space, these unique effects, previously available only in Eventide rack processors, are now available in a compact, roadworthy package. (Check out the Richard Devine Space video demo below.)
Space includes 12 of Eventide’s signature reverb combo algorithms: Room, Spring, Reverse, ModEchoVerb, Blackhole™, TremoloVerb, Plate, Hall, Shimmer, DualVerb, MangledVerb™ and DynaVerb.
Space features and specs:
- Wide variety of spatial effects including basic reverbs, delays and unique combination effects
- Studio quality sound
- Compatible with any source material – solo instruments, drums, vocals, or complete mixes
- Software upgradeable via USB 2.0
- MIDI control via USB or MIDI in, out/thru
- Instant program change
- Real-time control with 10 knobs, MIDI, or Expression Pedal
- Tap tempo and MIDI clock sync
- 100 factory presets, unlimited through MIDI
- True analog bypass
- Rugged cast metal construction
- Reliable metal footswitches for instant preset access
- Mono or stereo operation
- Guitar or line level inputs and outputs
- Programmable HotSwitch
Purchase Space (MSRP: $579) through your local Eventide dealer. Click for more information!
Score Free Software In Vintage King’s Holiday Software & Plugin Giveaways
December 8, 2010 by Janice Brown
/* Filed under News */
This holiday season, Vintage King is giving away some of the top Software & Plugins from Avid, Brainworx, Chandler Limited, Eventide, Flux, isotope, Lexicon, Universal Audio and more.
The Ultimate in UAD Powered Plug-Ins, with QUAD Processing Power. Includes Analog Classics Software Bundle.
Just register and select the Software and/or Plugin package that you would like to win. Check out the selections below and register HERE!
Avid Pro Tools 9
Brainworx bx_XL
Chandler Mastering Pack Plug-In (TDM)
Eventide Anthology II
Flux Elemental Pack
iZotope Nectar
Lexicon PCM Native Reverb Plugin Bundle
Nomad Factory Liquid Bundle II
Sonalksis Essentials MK2 Bundle
SPL Passeq Plug-in
Slate Digital Trigger Platinum
Universal Audio UAD-2 Quad
For more information on these software packages and plug-ins, visit http://www.vintageking.com/Holiday-Software-Plugin-Gift-Away.
Eventide & Princeton Digital Exclusive, Reverb 2016 The July Special
July 1, 2010 by Janice Brown
/* Filed under News */
Eventide has taken over exclusive worldwide distribution of the Princeton Digital Reverb 2016 bundle and the SST-282 Space Station plug-ins for Pro Tools TDM.
During the month of July, the newly updated Reverb 2016 can be yours for just $299.
To kick of the new deal, Eventide is offering the Reverb 2016 plug-in bundle for a special reduced price of $299 (regularly $699) for the month of July on Eventide.com and through authorized dealers worldwide.
The newly updated Reverb 2016 includes new presets by John Agnello (The Hold Steady, Patty Smith, Dinosaur Jr.), Joe Chicarelli (U2, Elton John, White Stripes), Stewart Lerman (The Roches, Antony and the Johnsons, Crash Test Dummies), and George Massenburg (James Taylor, Billy Joel, Dixie Chicks).
The Reverb 2016 bundle includes the three algorithms originally included in the SP2016, the first multi-effect processor ever, introduced by Eventide in 1982. Included are the Stereo Room, Room Reverb, and High Density Plate.
The Space Station SST-282 plug-in is a recreation of the Ursa Major Space Station.
The Space Station SST-282 plug-in, developed in cooperation with the SST-282’s designer, Chris Moore, is a faithful recreation of the Ursa Major Space Station, a three rack-space multi-tap delay-based reverb box introduced in 1981.
The Space Station plug-in (retail: $499) features two independent groups of delay taps which can be controlled independently to achieve a wide variety of reverberant early reflections, late reflections, and multi-tap delays.
For more information, visit Eventide’s website.
Eventide Stompbox Lovers: Here’s A Contest For You
June 18, 2010 by Janice Brown
/* Filed under News */
Eventide stompbox users: Enter the Eventide “Why I Love My Eventide Stompbox(es)” contest!
Make a short video (2-5-minutes) detailing what you dig so much about your Eventide Stompboxes — TimeFactor, PitchFactor and/or ModFactor — and you might just be the winner of an Eventide Eclipse V4 effects processor (MSRP: $2,995).
You will be judged on creativity and expertise! Contest ends September 1, 2010, and winners will be announced on Eventide’s website on September 23, 2010. Details and instructions HERE! Check out Eventide’s video-about-the-video contest, here:
Eventide’s June Special: EQ65 Filter Set & EQ45 Parametric Equalizer Plug-In Combo For $199
June 1, 2010 by Janice Brown
/* Filed under Tech & Reviews */
For the month of June, customers can purchase both the Eventide EQ45 parametric equalizer and the EQ65 filter set for $199 from Eventide authorized plug-in dealers or from Eventide.com.
Useful for notching out hum or unwanted frequencies, the EQ65 filter set (pictured) is a flexible 48-bit double precision sound shaping tool.
The EQ45 is a 48-bit double precision 4-band parametric equalizer with high and low cut filters.
This special combo offer expires on June 30 and will only be available as part of the Anthology II bundle thereafter. Buy it now!
Eventide’s H3000 Factory Plug-In A May Special
May 4, 2010 by Janice Brown
/* Filed under Tech & Reviews */
For the month of May, Eventide’s H3000 Factory Ultra-Harmonizer Pro Tools TDM plug-in, based on the Factory algorithms from the legendary H3000, will be available as an individual plug-in for only $199.
Eventide‘s H3000 Ultra-Harmonizer effects processor has been a staple of major motion picture soundtracks, hit records and live performances for over 20 years. The H3000 Factory plug-in features a wealth of classic Eventide signature effects among the over 350 presets, including many from the original H3000 plus new ones like a preset bank created by sound designer Richard Devine.
At the heart of the H3000 Factory plug-in are 18 effect modules which can be patched together in a variety of ways using its patchbay (pictured). Users can create their own effects by combining effects modules, including delays, amplitude modulators, envelope followers, pitch shifters, filters and low frequency oscillators. For more details on how you can tweak and create your own signature effects, visit Eventide.
After May 31st, the H3000 Factory plug-in will no longer be available as a standalone plug-in but only as part of the Anthology II bundle. So, check out the demo/reviews page and purchase your H3000 plug-in HERE.
Eventide Offers “Cash For Clunkers” Hardware Trade-Up
April 26, 2010 by Janice Brown
/* Filed under News */
Eventide has announced a trade-up program whereby — for a limited time — customers can trade in Eventide processors for credit against the purchase of a new Eventide Eclipse V4, H7600, or H8000FW Ultra-Harmonizer through a participating Eventide authorized dealer or Eventide customer service.
Effective immediately, this offer expires June 30, 2010.
“We want to reward our loyal customers with an opportunity to trade-up their older Eventide rack units for our state-of-the-art rack processors,” stated Ray Maxwell, Eventide vice president of sales and marketing.
“The classic Eventide processors of the past have fueled the creative fires of thousands of artists and audio pros but, lacking modern features like digital I/O, and lower noise floor, some of these units are now gathering dust. As a tribute, we’re asking owners to submit either current or vintage photos of these units for display on eventide.com. In fact, Eventide will waive the balance of the trade-up price for the winning photo.”
The winner will be announced July 23 on Eventide.com.
Check out the Cash for Clunkers submission form online HERE.
Eventide rack processors eligible for trade-up credit in the Cash for Clunkers program include the H3500 (all versions), H3000 (all versions), 1745/1745M, Omnipressor, Instant Flanger, Instant Phaser, H910, H949, H969, SP2016, DSP4000, DSP4500, GTR4000.
Get ALL the details on this program and the trade-in credits for each of the units listed above at http://bit.ly/9rF9tu
