NUGEN Audio has announced the availability of the Aligner plugin, complete with updated features and functionality, that was initially offered as a “stealth” product for NUGEN subscribers who responded to the company’s annual survey.
Aligner, which offers an improved algorithm from the original release, is designed as an automatic phase and alignment tool. For example, using more than one microphone to record a sound source will sometimes cause phase or polarity issues between different tracks, due to mic distance or any other factor that causes the audio to reach one track before the other. Often this is almost imperceptible, but in some cases, it can result in the recording sounding thin or weak.
“With Aligner, you can avoid fixing these issues manually, which will allow more time for creativity,” says Freddy Vinehill-Cliffe, product specialist, NUGEN Audio. “It can be utilized in various instances, including when lining up a multitrack recording with microphones at different distances, or where the polarity of one microphone is reversed. Users can also apply the tool to ensure a microphone signal and DI signal are lined up correctly.”
Aligner offers two kinds of bypass controls: one for all tracks at once and another for each individual channel. Users can choose which of the audio tracks they want as a reference point for other tracks to align with. Additionally, Aligner includes a polarity parameter to show if any of the tracks switched polarities while employing the plug-in.
For users who prefer to align an audio track on their own, Aligner also provides the option to make sample delay or phase adjustments manually.
