PALO ALTO, CA, USA: sound palette-providing tools developer Louder Than Liftoff is proud to announce upcoming availability of SILVER BULLET mk2 — the culmination of over seven years of dreaming, designing, and building a 2U flagship stereo bus/ line/mic TONE-AMPTM that brings real analog mojo and streamlined workflow to the modern DAW-based studio; it builds upon the trademark intuitive workflow of the original SILVER BULLET with its abundance of I/O and built-in matrix router to include expanded user-customizable MOJO, increased tone-shaping options, new ASPECT RATIO stereo image enhancer, and improved level metering, as well as adding much-requested fully-balanced inserts, to make this desert island tool even more versatile and powerful than ever before — as of September 2…
When the SILVER BULLET originally debuted in 2014 it was revolutionary: a stereo analog ‘console’ with cascading MOJO amps and TONE-shaping EQ to glue and sweeten the mix bus, stems, and individual tracks of hybrid analog/digital studios. It even had MIC preamp modes and a built-in matrix I/O router. But Louder Than Liftoff kept collecting ideas for making this powerful tool even more suited to its customers’ creative visions.
Answering the call for flexibility and customization, SILVER BULLET mk2 delivers with its twin topology (A or N) MOJO amps, and adds an exciting twist — a third MOJO slot accepting either new stereo MOJO amp or COLOUR modules. This feature allows integrated processing like tube saturation, compression, or EQ to be inserted into the signal path after SILVER BULLET mk2’s classic ‘A’ or ‘N’ inspired MOJO amps for the ultimate in front and back end versatility that is unmatched by any other product in its class. An exciting evolution of the ‘mk1’ concept, SILVER BULLET mk2 is the ultimate solution for making the sounds in anyone’s head come to life.
Musically beating at the heart of SILVER BULLET mk2 are two MOJO amps inspired by those classic American and British large-format consoles, lending their characteristic footprints to any signal passing through the circuit, and the new third user-customizable MOJO C amp. Users can process their 2-bus, individual tracks, or microphone sources through cascading combinations of those three analog MOJO amps as follows: A (American console), N (British console), and C (Custom MOJO / COLOUR modules via internal expansion slots, with Hitmaker 4000 console modules pre-installed).
Digging deeper, simple GAIN and OUT(put) controls allow users to gain stage — managing the relative levels in each step of the audio signal flow to dial in saturation — the A and N MOJO amps into the sweet spot, while C-DRV and C-MIX controls allow them to control the amount of drive for the MOJO C amp, and blend the dry and processed signals. SILVER BULLET mk2 is the only processor of its kind that allows for enabling of ‘A’ or ‘N’ sonics at the push of a button. Better still, auditioning these two signature sounds during a session no longer requires re-patching or swapping preamps.
With integrated signal routing functionality, SILVER BULLET mk2 not only enhances creativity and workflow, but also makes it into a single-unit solution for the modern hybrid studio, streamlining hybrid workflow with dedicated MIC, TRACK, and MIX INPUTS that feed separate TRACK and MIX OUTPUTS. On top of that, each channel also features fully-balanced INSERT LEFT and INSERT RIGHT SEND and RTN (return) jacks that can be switched into the signal path from the front panel, while automatic INSERT bypass modes further streamline that workflow — enabled by default, but can be overridden manually.
Meanwhile, TONE shaping is well catered for, thanks to the three-band Baxandall EQ that has a Pultec-inspired low end and a smooth and expensive-sounding top end that is in a class with the most renowned mastering EQs. The much-admired AIR circuit from the original SILVER BULLET now has its own dedicated control, and the original LF and HF frequency settings have been expanded to a total of four frequencies per band. The TIGHT filter is also on hand to tighten up the extreme bottom end with its slightly resonant and tape-like 25 Hz setting excelling on mixes, while the new 50 Hz setting is optimized for tracking individual instruments. It is also possible to smooth out digital top end with the silky-sounding VINTAGE mode inspired by legendary Seventies-vintage British consoles.
ASPECT RATIO is an analog processor new to SILVER BULLET mk2, musically enhancing the stereo width, height, and clarity of a mix. This isn’t one of those cheap sounding, phasey widening effects that leaves users wondering whether they are messing up their soundstage or balance. ASPECT RATIO delivers masterful results at the touch of a single button. No fussy tweaking or second guessing required. Louder Than Liftoff spent the last year perfecting this circuit so that users can get on with perfecting their mixes.
SILVER BULLET mk2’s dual-interface expansion slot allows for tonal exploration — install one of Louder Than Liftoff’s new stereo MOJO C amp modules, or choose from its growing library of COLOUR module options (https://store.louderthanliftoff.com/products/collections/rgb) to customize as needed. The new stereo MOJO C amp interface supports a high voltage power rail, and compressor gain reduction indication. Users can populate either the stereo module slot or the two mono analog plugin slots — one per channel — to build their dream signal path. It is also possible to install any of the COLOUR modules from third-party manufacturers. As a platform that adapts to the needs of the studio, feel free to configure SILVER BULLET mk2 with transformer saturation, compression, EQ, or even tube modules. Other exciting analog plugin modules from Louder Than Liftoff and partner companies are already in development and will be announced in future.
SILVER BULLET mk2 features Louder Than Liftoff’s new Hypermatter PSU. Having spent the last couple of years developing a state-of-the-art power supply suited to the demands of high-resolution audio, the goal was to create a superior delivery power system whose noise, voltage regulation, and transient response performance is unparalleled. After all, an audio circuit is only as good as its power supply, so every component choice was scrutinized to render dynamic sound with revealing detail, dimension, and gut-punching authority. The Hypermatter PSU architecture uses an external switch mode power supply in conjunction with an internal regulation and filter module, while its internal PCB assembly uses cutting-edge low-dropout regulators — nothing but the best components to bring SILVER BULLET mk2 to life in ways that must be heard to be believed.
Applications as diverse as mix/2-bus mojo; mastering; mic preamp; stem/bus processing; tracking channel strip with compression, EQ, and saturation (depending on configuration)… music has never felt more alive than it does when working with SILVER BULLET mk2!
SILVER BULLET mk2 is available to preorder directly from Louder Than Liftoff for $2,599.00 USD via its dedicated webpage (which includes more in-depth info) here: https://store.louderthanliftoff.com/products/silver-bullet-mk2 (The initial run of SILVER BULLET mk2 will start shipping in mid-late October 2021.)
Watch Louder Than Liftoff’s seductive SILVER BULLET mk2 teaser video here: https://vimeo.com/591844892