DISC AuroraDSP Gorilla

Full Description

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Create a balance

A good place to start is the input. This section provides you with more than just a simple gain dial. It's the start of your entire signal chain and where you split your multi-band processing.

You can set your input gain level to match the output of your bass with a range from -20 to +20dB of input gain, handy for taming active pickups or for increasing the level of vintage passives. Once your input gain is set, arguably the most important aspect of the Gorilla bass plug-in is the multi-band split. Here, you define the frequency ranges of the Low, Middle and High bands with two crossover points. The Mid/Treble splitter ranges from 700Hz to 1.5kHz, whilst the Bass/Mid crossover ranges between 0Hz and 500Hz.

By adjusting these crossovers, you are feeding certain frequencies into independent processing lanes, each with its own set of parameters to manipulate your sound. By setting the Bass/Mid-range very high, you can apply distortion to a lower register of notes, creating a fuzzier, vintage and warmer tone. By adjusting the Mid/High band to the highest range of frequencies, this creates more separation between the two and creates a more modern, sharp and defined pick attack to your notes.

Also found on the input stage is a unique Octaver. Two octaves are provided, a low and high range, each one octave away from your performance. You can use this to add low-end sub or high-end shimmer to your tone or it can be used to create a pseudo-guitar sound for practising.

The heart of the amp

At the core of the Gorilla plugin lies its fundamental section. Within this trio of options, you can select one of three distinct preamp simulations and tailor the sound using the tone stack section and Treble output knob. Each section, including the Preamp and Tone Stack, can be individually bypassed or activated by simply clicking on the corresponding power buttons located above them. This triple module offers an exceptional range of possibilities for shaping the unique characteristics of your bass guitar sound, drawing inspiration from the finest preamps available in the market. By engaging the power icon, you can either activate or completely bypass the preamp section, providing you with the flexibility to explore different sonic paths. Furthermore, the small dots, each represented by a distinctive colour, allow you to choose one of the three available preamps, each offering its own distinct sonic character. The preamp tones range from American Bassman-style amplifiers to American vintage tube amplifiers, each with the ability to swap between Drive and Clean channels to adjust the amount of distortion in your tone. As if swapping channels of your amplifier isn't enough, Gorilla's "HOT" switch can add +20dB of input gain to your signal for ultra-high gain bass tones.

The Tonestack

Although each frequency band includes a volume fader to blend the level of the band in the signal, this doesn't act as a dedicated EQ. That's where the Tonestack comes in. Featuring LOW, LOWMID, HIMID, and HIGH tone dials, you have full control over the EQ of your global tone! Each of the four bands features -12 to +12dB of gain and can be customised further with the GENTLE and BRIGHT switches which rolls off high frequencies and boosts high frequencies respectively.

Dial in the Amount you need

Each independent frequency band in the multi-band system features a dedicated knob for the Amount. This acts like a volume fader, letting you determine the overall level of the frequency band in your final signal. Ranging from 0 to 150 , this can drastically change the sound of your bass to everything from a vintage fretless feel to an ultra-modern, scooped tone.

The Middle section

The heart of any tone is the midrange, this is the audible punch that your listeners will hear as it defines each note that is being played making it a key aspect of your sound. Gorilla is equipped with a Midrange Maximizer to compress the midrange, creating consistency across every note that you play to ensure you will always remain audible even over the most dense mixes. If this isn't enough to help you cut through walls of drums and guitars, the Midrange section includes a Grunt control, a harmonic exciter to add overtones to your signal for additional clarity and definition.

The Bass Section

Getting the low-end right is crucial to a good bass tone. This separates the pros from the amateurs, the anaemic tones from the fat professional tones. Gorilla comes with a dedicated low-end Maximizer which works in the same way as the Midrange maximizer, compressing the bass frequencies to maintain consistency across every note that you play to lay the foundation for your tone.

A fine-tuned harmonic exciter, the Growl dial lets you introduce harmonics and overtones to your signal, this is particularly important for bass guitar as it helps the low-end remain audible on smaller listening speakers so that you always punch through and can feel the energy and power in every note.

The secret sauce

Traditionally we add a secret knob hidden in the Gorilla logo. Use the dial located in the centre of the Gorilla head to add an extra aggressive and transparent-sounding bite. Be careful!

Nail the speaker sound

In this module, you will gain control over the built-in speaker simulation, which utilizes four distinct impulse responses. Each number (ranging from 1 to 4) positioned around the circle represents a unique IR based on a high-quality speaker and microphone combination. By dragging the dot within the circle, you can adjust the amount of sound directed through a specific IR. The circle's circumference is highlighted according to the dot's position, signifying the percentage of a particular speaker combination in your final sound.

Below the selector, you will find several premade presets crafted by the Aurora Team. By clicking the + sign, you can upload your own IR file into the software. In this case, you will bypass the Gorilla's circle/dot module and rely solely on your file.

The IR module can be toggled on and off using the power switch located in the top left corner of the module. Turning it off enables users to bypass the section and utilize another impulse response loader.

Features

• Three-band bass amplifier suite with adjustable crossover frequencies
• Each of the three bands features dedicated processing lanes to treat each frequency range uniquely
• Multi-band design allows for independent volume control over all three bands using the large dials to balance each frequency range
• Adjustable input gain from -20 to +20dB to tailor the response of the plug-in to your instrument
• Independent lower and higher octave dials to add additional low-end and high-end sparkle
• Three available tone stacks ranging from mid-forward vintage tones to ultra-modern scooped and gritty tones
• Four-band EQ with Low, LowMid, HiMid and High ranges with Gentle and Bright Tonestack switches
• Gentle introduces a high-frequency roll-off for a warmer tone whilst Bright pushes your tone towards a more aggressive sound
• Compress your midrange frequencies to cut through any mix with Midrange Maximizer
• Introduce additional midrange harmonics with Grunt dial
• Compress and enhance the harmonics of your low-end with the Bass Maximizer and Growl dials respectively
• Bypass the preamp in the bass section and adjust the signal chain layout for different tones
• Secret Gorilla knob can take your sound from transparent and subtle to over-the-top aggressive
• Comes loaded with a wide range of artists' presets
• Fast, accurate and simple tuner
• A dedicated impulse response loader with four custom IRs to blend simultaneously
• Full M1 support
• MIDI mapping throughout for live automated changes in your tone
• Supported on all VST, AAX and AU hosts with 64-bit processing
• Includes Standalone application to use outside of your DAW

Specifications

• Operating system:
  • Mac: macOS 10.11 or higher
  • Windows: Windows 7 or higher
• Processor:
  • Mac: Intel Prozessor or Apple Silicon
  • Windows: Intel i3 or AMD A8
• RAM: 4GB
• Product code: 1401-1003