TC Electronic Introduces PowerCore X8

TC Electronic introduces the most powerful PowerCore available to date, PowerCore X8. This latest addition to the PowerCore family features eight DSP engines, which offers twice the processing power of PowerCore FireWire, and allows even more plug-ins to be used simultaneously with native digital audio workstations. PowerCore X8 ships with no less than 14 included plug-ins as well as PowerCore 3.0 system software, which adds exciting new UIs and features to the PowerCore platform. On top of that, PowerCore X8 comes with a $500 USD plug-in voucher which can be redeemed at TCNow.com for optional PowerCore plug-ins. PowerCore X8 ships in November and retails at EUR 1395 excl. VAT, GBP 949 excl. VAT, and USD 1749 MSRP.

What makes PowerCore X8 so unique is the combination of a floating-point Power PC with eight Motorola DSPs. This ensures tight integration into the native world while at the same time maintaining all of the advantages that DSPs offer for pristine signal processing. This new DSP setup makes PowerCore X8 the most powerful PowerCore product to date, housing double the DSP of the next most powerful unit, the PowerCore Firewire.

PowerCore X8 ships with PowerCore 3.0 system software, the most significant update yet to the PowerCore platform. The new enhancements affect both the look and feel as well as the functionality, with a revamped UI for five of the plug-ins and new features like meter zoom, parallel compression and sidechaining.

All redesigned plug-ins have new liquid signal meters, for even greater overview during mixing and mastering. Master X3 and Master X5 feature new handy meter zoom features, which allows users to zoom the metering scale of the input and output meters with a mere mouse click. Two of the included compressors, 24/7-C and PowerCore CL, feature built-in parallel compression via a new MIX knob that helps get great results fast and avoid complicated routing schemes. Five of the included PowerCore X8 plug-ins and one optional plug-in have new external Sidechain features by way of the new redesigned TC SideChainer plug-in. The redesigned native TC Sidechainer adds high- and low cut filters, as well as the ability to name sidechain busses individually; it also allows users to take advantage of sidechaining through PowerCore X8s sidechainable plug-ins. PowerCore X8 ships with 14 plug-ins included and combined with the optional plug-ins available, PowerCore X8 can be configured to tackle any task at hand.

Besides PowerCore 3.0 system software shipping with PowerCore X8, it is also available in November as a free update to all existing PowerCore customers with lots of enhancements and new features based upon a great deal of input from PowerCore users.

In addition to more horsepower and a re-tooled suite of base plug-ins, PowerCore X8 also gives users the ability to customize their plug-in package. TC Electronic's PowerCore platform offers world-class reverb, mastering, restoration, synthesizers, voice modeling, vintage emulations, harmonization, amp simulation and more, from TC Electronic as well as other leading brands like Access, Sonnox, Noveltech, TUBE-TECH, and TC-Helicon.

To make it even easier for users to customize their system, PowerCore X8 ships with a USD 500 plug-in voucher, which enables users to expand their PowerCore palette of tools in any direction they want. The voucher is redeemable through TC Electronic's web store.

PowerCore X8 is the powerhouse exponent of the PowerCore concept. This concept consists of a superior range of high-end plug-ins that run on tailor-made hardware units called PowerCore. The platform integrates with virtually any VST, AU and RTAS based digital audio workstation for Mac or PC. The range of plug-ins available for the PowerCore platform covers any need that might arise in a recording or mastering situation, and in a quality not found in other VST, AU and RTAS compatible plug-ins. From basic tools like reverbs, EQs, compressor/expanders, chorus/delays, over plug-ins that are dedicated to the voice, sporting pitch correction and Voice Modeling™, to some of the very best tools on the market, like UnWrap and other "System 6000 for PowerCore" plug-ins.