Because they featured an automatic release time that changed depending on the input level, as well as some particularly gnarly distortion characteristics, these boxes were capable of doing amazing and sometimes absolutely weird things to drums. Originally intended as a way to keep a presenter’s voice at a perfectly even level, clever recording engineers eventually liberated these relics from church lecterns and bingo halls and began using them for more nefarious purposes. Its inspiration comes from an old podium mic compressor called the Level-Loc. Some of the best music production techniques are based on twisting and abusing old technology, and Devil-Loc comes straight out of that tradition.
You can even try it on your mix bus-if you dare! You’ll find some amazing sweet spots where Devil-Loc shows its angelic side, adding a vintage halo to loops and drums. Push it to its limits to create extreme gating effects where loud hits crush the signal to silence and the output blooms into a fuzzy mess. The unique blend of audio-levelling and excess saturation and distortion has lead to this unit being used by industry professionals to create massive, punchy and gritty drum tones and vocal sounds and with. Drop it on a drum kit or loop and listen to Devil-Loc inflate the room ambience, pumping excitement into an otherwise drab rhythm track. Soundtoys Devil-Loc Deluxe 5 - The Soundtoys Devil-Loc Deluxe 5 is an audio level destroyer plug-in, emulating a vintage hardware compressor originally used for public service announcements. Simple, devious and often unpredictable the Soundtoys Devil-Loc 5 is a little plug-in that makes drums sound big. Devil-Loc and Devil-Loc Deluxe are a SoundToys twist inspired by the classic Shure Level-Loc. Digital Adapters & Miscellaneous Cables Audio Level Destroyer The evil analog level destroyers are here.