X904

Description

Overview

The Antelope Audio X904 Noise Gate is a precision gate and expander plugin meticulously modeled after a classic VCA-based dynamics module from the 1980s. Designed for engineers who require tight, responsive control over signal flow and transients, the X904 brings iconic snappiness and musical envelope control to the modern digital workstation. It serves as both a surgical noise suppressor and a creative sound-shaping tool, ensuring fast and transparent gating that maintains the natural transients of the original audio.

By leveraging a VCA-based design, the X904 provides a lightning-fast response and smooth transitions between open and closed states. Whether you are eliminating microphone bleed in a complex drum recording or crafting rhythmic stutter effects, this plugin delivers the precision needed to silence unwanted artifacts without cutting into the core of your sound. It is available as a native plugin, allowing it to run directly on your Mac or PC without the need for additional hardware.

Key Details

• Authentic VCA Design: Accurate recreation of a classic 1980s dynamics module for musical envelope control.
• Fast Transient Response: High-speed detection ensures precise gating for drums, vocals, and guitars.
• Programmed Latch Mode (PLM): Keeps tracks fully muted until a specific trigger opens the gate, ideal for suppressing ambient noise between phrases.
• Sidechain Input: External trigger capability for creating pulsing, ducking, or rhythmic stutter effects.
• Detailed Envelope Shaping: Fully adjustable Attack, Hold, and Release parameters for custom cutoff effects.
• Adaptive Release: Includes adaptive release and sidechain filtering options for versatile signal management.
• Native Performance: Runs natively in your DAW on both macOS and Windows.
• Plugin Formats: Compatible with VST-3, AU, and AAX formats.

Use Cases

• Drum Mixing: Effectively clean up bleed on drum microphones and sculpt bass transients for a tighter punch.
• Vocal Production: Control room tone and eliminate background noise between vocal phrases.
• Creative Sound Design: Use the sidechain input to sync gating effects to the track’s groove for modern rhythmic production.
• Live Sound Engineering: Apply surgical noise suppression to remove unwanted artifacts from high-gain sources.

Installation

The X904 is a virtual software product. A stable internet connection is required to download the installer. Once purchased, the plugin can be installed into your preferred DAW. For Windows users, ensure the latest Microsoft Updates are installed to maintain 64-bit compatibility. For macOS users, macOS 14 Sonoma or newer is recommended for optimal performance.

Compatibility

• Supported Operating Systems: Windows 10/11, macOS 11 Big Sur and up
• RAM: 8 GB
• Disk Space: 1 GB
• Plugin Formats: VST-3, AU, AAX

Audio Demos

Product Demo