Legends remade.

Retro Mix Legends takes advantage of Studio One’s unique Mix Engine FX processing and State-Space Modeling to bring the classic analog sounds of three classic consoles to your modern desktop mix. Alpine Desk, Brit Console, and Porta Cassette are all included in a single purchase—and they’ll transform any mix with the State Space Modeled tonality behind the sound of classic albums from the 70s, 80s and beyond.

What’s a Mix Engine Effect?

Unlike traditional VSTs and effects that can only affect one Channel or Bus at a time, activating Mix Engine FX on any bus in Studio One—including the Main—will automatically affect and cross-process all channels feeding that bus. This lateral cross-processing of Studio One’s entire Console— when combined with PreSonus’ proprietary State Space Modeling technology—has allowed us to create incredibly natural, nuanced, and authentic-sounding digital models of venerated analog equipment behavior including: drive, crosstalk, noise, saturation… even tape speed!

What is State Space Modeling?

Our State Space Modeling technology allows us to create digital models of analog circuit behavior on a per-component level. We can even model the specific non-linearity within these components, which results in even more realistic digital models of analog circuit behavior. This is particularly important for components such as transformers and vacuum tubes. Because of this, our Mix Engine FX capture the character and personality of legendary analog hardware that are otherwise out of reach for most musicians, producers and engineers.

Alpine Desk

Add punchy low end and the smooth warmth of a legendary American recording console to your Studio One experience. Alpine Desk transforms any mix with the State Space Modeled tonality of the consoles behind the sound of classic albums from the 70s, 80s and beyond.

Unique to Alpine Desk is a variable output transformer that lets you switch from a 1:1 to 3:1 gain ratio for higher drive settings and a uniquely dark and warm tonal contour. A two-stage Boost control allows you to dial in subtle tone colorations to serious overdrive that was impossible on the original hardware.

Brit Console

Add the unique character of two of the most legendary British consoles of the 80s to your Studio One experience. Brit Console transforms any mix to imbue it with the State Space Modeled tonality of the consoles that launched a million Top 40 hits.

Because Brit Console features emulations of two different classic consoles, it also offers three Style options: Vintage, Super, and Modern. Vintage offers a bit of top-end roll-off and a smoother character, while those interested in an ultra-clean sound may prefer Super. Selecting Modern grants access to the Harmonics control.

Modern mode also features a variable harmonic distortion that yields a gentle bass boost. Modeled after a lauded preamp design, the Harmonics control lets you dial in everything from nuanced second and third-order harmonic saturation to edgy transistor bite. As on Alpine Desk, the two-stage Boost control gives you an incredibly broad palette of tonal color and drive to apply to your mix.

Porta Cassette

Porta Cassette faithfully reproduces the smooth, analog, slightly off-kilter lo-fi mojo of the four-track cassette recorders of the 80s and 90s. Porta Cassette will help you create mixes evocative of everything from YouTube’s lofi hip hop beats to relax/study to to Springsteen’s Nebraska.

Character and Pitch controls grant you control over tone coloration as well as tape wow and flutter for semi-randomized detuning effects that emulate the sound of a tired old tape motor well past its warranty expiration. We even State-Space Modeled the hum generated by the power supply.