Schwerkraftmaschine – A Flexible Plug-in for Sound Engineers

Tegeler recently announced its plug-in controlled Vari-Mu compressor. The Berlin-based Tegeler Audio Manufaktur unveiled an even more ambitious product:  the ‘Schwerkraftmaschine’, German for ‘Gravity Machine’. So what’s the secret behind this plug-in’s flexibility with the sound of real analogue hardware?

Upon closer inspection on the Schwerkraftmaschine, it’s basically a vari-mu compressor using an analogue stereo signal path. This same analogue stereo path is the very same that was utilized in the Vari Tube Compressor, which has been discontinued. The VartiTube Compressor used 4 tubes and 6 transformers.

The main difference between the two is that it’s plug-in controlled, meaning that it’s fully automatable. It even has motorised pots for better recall. And as far as it’s concerned, this is the first piece of high-end tube gear that has this functionality, so it’s something that sound engineers and music players have been eagerly anticipating.

Even better is that the DSP generates the control signals for the compressor. What it means is that it makes it possible to simulate the behaviours of all existing compressors. So if you want to set the compressor to act like an opto compressor despite the memory effect, then you can do so! According to Tegeler, it’s really easy!

The basic idea is to create compression programmes that cannot usually be implemented using analogue equipment without a lot of effort.

Other notable features include a side-chain filter in the low-cut mode, which is adjustable from 0 – 300 Hz, and also a tilt EQ to optimally adjust the compression to the specific audio material. For parallel processing, there’s also a mix knob. A high-resolution LCD is also present, which shows the programme mode and degree of compression.

Each controller is fitted with a servomotor which can easily be adjusted via the network using either a DAW plug-in or the built-in web server. This stores the Schwerkraftmachine’s settings for each song. And you can automate individual parameters in the mix.

You can operate the Schwerkraftmachine fully via the front panel and is solidly built.

According to the manufacturer, the Schwerkraftmaschine “combines the flexibility of a plug-in with the sound of real analogue hardware.” Many fans are looking forward to putting their claims to the test! If you want to purchase a Schwerkraftmaschine for yourself, it will be available from January 2016. It has a price tag of 2,940 EUR (excluding taxes).