Get with the programmers Matouš Vrbík
Audified have kindly given us several plugins for our famous suite, so it’s time to get the story behind these popular Czech Republic developers
How did you get into music software?
MV “Music has been a part of my life since I was little. I played the clarinet for over ten years, simultaneously playing the guitar. Then I started playing in bands, one of which I am still a member of. I got introduced to music software when we were recording our first demos ten years ago. After high school I learned about the Audio Engineering field at BUT (Brno University of Technology) and felt that this was the way to go. I have been working with music software ever since.”
Tell us about Audified’s history?
MV “It started in the ’90s and was founded on ideas of engineers and musicians hungry to bring music software to the world. We started as D-Sound, who brought out the first software simulation of analogue guitar pedals. Later we became Audiffex, and collaborated with other brands such as Gallien Krueger, TC Electronic, M-Audio, and others. Our legendary plugins such as GK Amplification and AmpLion were born. For the last seven or eight years we’ve been Audified, and we focus on creating new, best-in-class products and tools. We offer musicians, engineers, and creators creative, faithfulsounding tools to help their music reach new heights.”
What is your philosophy when it comes to software development? MV “We always try really hard to be the best in the field. We try to offer the user exactly the same functionality that they would expect and then add something a little extra. I think we stand out in modelling analogue gear. We have had great feedback from our partners who tested our guitar or bass plugins; they say it feels like playing the real thing.”
Tell us about your three most important apps/plugins… MV “MixChecker is very popular and practical. Very useful for mixing or mastering engineers who want to have an idea of how their mix would sound on various devices, and how the actual listener will hear the music. Personally, I love our AmpLion 2 plugin, because I play the guitar. It is a really faithful analogue simulation of legendary amplifiers. Playing it feels really dynamic, like a real thing. Then the ToneSpot series is a really versatile tool collection you can use in your mix.”
What are your favourite plugins made by other developers?
MV “I like to keep things simple. I love FabFilter products; they are really great quality and so easy to use. I use the compressor Pro-C 2 and equaliser Pro-Q 2. Also, the reverb Pro-R is phenomenal. Valhalla DSP also produce simple but powerful plugins – awesome delays and reverbs.”
What would you like to see developed in software technology? MV “There’s lots of talk about using AI in terms of mixing and mastering and some products are already on the market. I think some form of automixing and autonomous communication between different plugins, and applying their effect on tracks in one smart and powerful ecosystem is the next big step in audio engineering and sound processing.”
What have you got planned for the future?
MV “We have a nice portfolio of plugins: vintage studio gear, saturators, compressors, and equalisers. We might add another legendary member into that category in near future. We are also in the early stage of development of our very first fully musician-oriented hardware project. Last but not least, we are in the midst of improving and implementing a new visual and brand identity, and a more improved and focused product portfolio, which has been a big task over the last couple of months.”
https://shop.audified.com