Bark Filter vs Transient Shaper

Bark Filter - Critical Band Analyser/Filter/Compressor The multi band filter in Bark takes the approach to match the reception characteristic of the gate where all sounds must pass through: the human ear. The ear behaves as if it contains a bank of filters, each filter passing frequencies within their respective critical band. Two tones apart more than the frequency dependant critical bandwidth are perceived as separate tones. For this reason Bark contains a filter bank with 27 very steep bandpass filters matching the critical bandwidth characteristic of the human ear. In fact, the human ear have also its own built in multi band compression system which are based on the critical bands. Why the name Bark ? The Bark scale is a frequency scale on which equal distances correspond with perceptually equal distances. Above about 500 Hz this scale is more or less equal to a logarithmic frequency axis. Below 500 Hz the Bark scale becomes more and more linear. Multiband compressors can act differently on different frequency bands. The advantage of multiband compression over full-bandwidth compression is that unneeded audible gain changes or "pumping" in other frequency bands is not caused by changing signal levels in a single frequency band. Bark can act both as single band compressor and with up to 27 bands in multiband mode by linking critical bands. The linear phase filter bank with its steep filter slopes can be used for unusually pronounced filter effects too... Features: • Multi band dynamic range compressor with up to 27 bands • Variable number of compressor bands (1..27) • Threshold/Ratio Attack/Release and Makeup Gain • Linear phase precision filters for maximal transparency • Real time pre/post processing calibrated spectrum analyser • AudioUnit for AUv3 compatible hosts. • Inter-app audio compatible effect. • Audiobus 3 compatible with state saving. • Low latency live usage with mic and headphones. • Audio recorder

Blue Mangoo Transient Shaper is a high-quality transient designer effect. The key feature is the simplicity of the controls. The plugin's adaptive filters respond automatically to a wide range of inputs, giving you an extreme level of control over the intensity of transient sounds without the need to adjust complicated settings. The unique filters in the attack envelope allow the attack intensity to be reduced much farther than other transient plugins, to the point of totally silencing the note attack, if desired. EXPLANATION FOR READERS WHO HAVEN'T USED A TRANSIENT SHAPER BEFORE A transient shaper allows you to adjust the speed or intensity of note attacks, making them crispier and snappier, or softening them and reducing harsh click sounds. This is useful if you want to make a snare drum cut through the mix (increase attack) or to soften pick noise on a guitar (reduce attack). Additionally, it allows you to adjust the volume of the sustain (or release) part of a note, leaving the attack part mostly untouched. This is useful if you want to reduce room reverberation sound on drums, making them sound tighter. Usually what we call the "sustain" control actually adjusts the volume of all parts of the sound except for the attack, so in many cases it functions more like a release control than a sustain control, if we compare it to the controls with those names in an ADSR (Attack, Delay, Sustain, Release) envelope control on a synthesizer. WHAT UNIQUE THINGS DOES IT DO? - Adaptive filters handle wide variety of signals automatically without user input - Adaptive filters allow the attack adjustment to respond faster, allowing you to silence even the extreme earliest part of the note Note: except for the unusual ability to totally silence the attack, this plugin does basically the same thing that other transient plugins do. If you already have a transient shaper and you are happy with the way it sounds, this one will sound similar. So the only reasons to buy this are: - You don't have a transient shaper yet - You don't have the Blue Mangoo attack softener plugin yet - You do have a transient shaper but you would like one with simpler controls - You love collecting plugins