W E L C O M E T O

NOVATRON
Novatron is an analog-modeled compressor that borrows so many sonic properties from so many
different classic hardware units that, ironically, it could only exist in the world of dsp. It has separate
input and output transformer Saturations, two optional Tone circuits, and a monstrous Compressor
with groundbreaking attack and release characteristics, all of which give you a nearly endless set
of colors and styles to play with.

But what mainly sets this plugin apart from all the others is its gorgeous sound; through
painstaking modeling of the first 100 microseconds of the compressor’s response to transients,
Novatron produces the same three-dimensional ’solidity’ and tonal smoothing effect that is typically
reserved for expensive hardware. It also tames transients with a distinctly analog character: fast,
firm, and weighty, bringing a much-needed warmth and realism to the world of ITB productions.
 novatron
DEEPER INTO THE CONTROLS

THE COMPRESSOR

ATTACK Novatron’s Attack knob is unlike any other in that it doesn’t

just adjust the attack time, it also adjusts the personality of
the compressor’s “grab” by morphing through the attack characteristics
of 3 analog compression circuits: FET, VCA, and Variable-Mu (tube).
FET is known for its growl, VCA for its snap, and Variable Mu for its
size and weight. At its fastest, Novatron is more akin to distortion than
compression; at its slowest, it packs a hefty punch. As with all Kush
processors, experimentation is rewarded.

RELEASE Like the Attack knob, Release morphs thru FET, VCA, and
Variable Mµ characteristics. While people don’t often think
of different compressors’ Releases as having personalities, they do.
Fast FET is bright and aggressive, medium VCA is thick and dense, and
slow Variable Mµ is transparent and musical. Pairing a 100 microsecond
FET attack and 1000 millisecond Variable Mµ release is something only
Novatron can do, and it’s quite a trick.

COMPRESSION This knob is a threshold control coupled to a finely

tuned auto-gain algorithm. Turn this knob clockwise
to increase the amount of compression, turn it counter-clockwise to ease
up on the total gain reduction. As a general rule, Novatron operates in its
sweet spot when this knob is between 9 and 3 o’clock. If you find yourself
constantly setting the Compression knob very low or very high in order
to get the compression you like, consider optimizing your gain staging
using the simple procedure outlined in the Tips and Tricks section at the
end of this manual.

-2-
 novatron
DEEPER INTO THE CONTROLS

SATURATION

DUAL TRANSFORMERS Novatron is the first compressor we know of —

analog or plugin — to offer fully controllable
Transformer Saturation on both the Inputs and the Outputs. This allows the
operator to shape the tone and transients before compression, making them
rounder and easier to control, as well as after compression, where they can be
further softened and thickened. Either or both Saturation stage can be driven into
outright distortion, and each has a distinctive tone. The Input Transformer is steel and favors odd order harmonics
for a brighter, more aggressive sound. The Output Transformer is nickel and favors even-order harmonics for a
warmer, weightier sound.

Clicking the Link control in the center links both Saturation levers, allowing for adjustments to both circuits
simultaneously while preserving the relative ratios of one to the other. This is especially useful for fine tuning the
amount of grit and distortion after the Compressor has been dialed in.

ATTITUDE

MODE This rotary switch activates one of three compression ratios, each with its
own ratio, knee, release taper, and harmonic character, all crafted by UBK to
cover the tasks engineers do most often. Mix is a very gentle, low ratio, soft knee affair,
tuned for mix bus glue but equally adept at transparently reigning in the most delicate of
instruments, including vocals. Limit is a 6:1 medium knee leveler that can impart heavy
density without completely crushing the internal dynamics of a sound. Punish does exactly what its name implies,
and was purpose-built for the era of parallel compression and artfully destructive forms of smashing.

TONE SHIFT Use this rotary switch to choose between 2 switchable pre- and post-
compression emphasis circuits — Dark, with a gently rolled-off 525-ish
vibe, and Airy, with a softly present La2a sparkle — along with ‘Flat’, which defeats the
tone circuit entirely and allows for more neutral processing when desired.

-3-
 novatron
DEEPER INTO THE CONTROLS

METERING

ENERGY DELTA In mathematics, ’Delta’ is the measure of variation or change

in a variable. Novatron’s simple trick of superimposing the
Input and Output meter directly on top of one another makes it extremely easy to
see the change in energy and movement of a sound as a result of the processing
applied. It also makes quick work of accurately matching Input and Output levels,
allowing the operator to make more accurate a/b comparisons.

GAIN REDUCTION It’s true, your eyes are not deceiving you: this is a
genuine gain reduction meter with actual numbers to
indicate how much compression is being applied. If you’re familiar with the Kush
design aesthetic you’ll know this is a rare thing to find on Kush gear, which tends
to emphasize using your ears instead of your eyes. So when in doubt, ignore the
meter and trust your instincts!

ROUTING AND GAIN STAGING

SIDECHAIN / BLEND The Sidechain knob controls a simple HPF filter which
does not affect the audio path, it simply filters out
unwanted frequencies from the detector path, allowing the operator to shape what
the compressor responds to. What sets this filter apart is that it sweeps all the way
up to 3kHz, which allows the Novatron to focus primarily on the harsh midrange and
presence frequencies while preserving all of the punch and definition of the bass and low-mids.
The Sidechain filter is also in effect when the Sidechain switch is set to External (see below), allowing for even
greater control over signals sent into the Novatron for keying, pumping, and ducking effects.
The Blend knob is a standard wet/dry control, and blends the Output with the raw, unprocessed Input signal.

INPUT / OUTPUT Input controls the level being fed to the whole circuit. Output
controls the level after all processes have been applied,
including the wet/dry Blend (below). Input controls are often overlooked, but on
Novatron it’s a great way to increase or decrease the cumulative effect of all the
individual processors, while preserving their relative relationships to one another.
So if you like the way everything sounds but it’s just a bit too much (or too little), just massage the Input knob.

-4-
 novatron
DEEPER INTO THE CONTROLS

DSP / AUXILIARY CONTROLS

B Y PA SS Bypasses Novatron

O V E R SA M P LI NG ON/ OF F Toggling this switch defeats Kush’s custom, proprietary oversampling

algorithm and filters, which frees up critical CPU cycles. This is a session-wide preference, so toggling
the Oversampling for one Novatron automatically toggles it for every other Novatron in the session.
Novatron’s code has been highly optimized so this control can generally be left On in all but the most
demanding sessions.

SI D EC H A I N: I NTER NA L/ EXTER NA L This switch allows the operator to route an external signal
from the DAW directly to the Novatron’s detector, which lets the compressor apply gain reduction to
the input signal in response to a completely different audio stream. See Tips and Tricks below, or visit
UBK TV on thehouseofkush.com, for more information on how to use this function creatively in your
productions.

P O L A R I T Y ( ø ) Toggle this switch to invert the polarity (aka “flip the phase”) of the Novatron’s
Output.

L I NK E D / U N LI NKED
This button affects the detector and determines whether, on a stereo instance,
the left and right channels of the Compressor react and behave completely independently (Unlinked),
or whether they both respond with the same amount of gain reduction by averaging the energy of
the left and right channels (Linked). Unlinked is generally associated with a wider, more open stereo
image, Linked ensures that there are no dramatic imaging differences or distracting ‘flicker’ of the
stereo field when compressing an unbalanced or ‘tilted’ program.

H EL P Press this button to go directly to the Support page at thehouseofkush.com

N O VAT R O N I NF O Click to view a handy reminder of what all these fancy controls are for.

-5-
 novatron
DEEPER INTO THE CONTROLS

PRESET MANAGEMENT

 BANK  PRESET STATUS LED

BA N K Banks are handy ways to organize groups of presets into categories you create. To select
a bank, click directly on the current bank name and a dropdown list will appear. Select New to add a
new bank to this list. Select Rename to rename the current bank, editing directly on the name itself.
Select Delete to delete the current bank. WARNING deleting a bank deletes ALL of the presets within
that bank, and cannot be undone. A warning dialog will appear to confirm you wish to do this, please
choose carefully!

P R E SET A preset stores the state of every knob and switch on the main GUI, as well as the state
of the Sidechain select, Polarity switch, and detector Link. Use this to save and recall your favorite
settings, trade settings with other Novatron users, and import new banks from UBK whenever he can
remember to do such things.
To select a preset, click directly on the current preset name and a dropdown list will appear. Select
Save As to create a new preset in the current bank. Select Save to overwrite the current preset.

STAT U S L ED This light indicates whether the current state of Novatron’s controls is identical to
the settings in the currently active preset. Green indicates that the Novatron’s settings and the preset
are identical, Red indicates that controls have been changed since the preset was loaded. WARNING If
you load a different preset when the Status LED is Red, you will lose the changes you’ve made to the
current preset.

-6-
 novatron
DEEPER INTO THE CONTROLS

TIPS AND TRICKS

GAIN STAGING
When you first bring a signal into Novatron, set all the compressor knobs straight up, all Saturation
levers at minimum, Mode to Limit, S/C HPF to 0 (Fully CCW), and Blend to 100. Now adjust the Input
control until you just begin to see meaningful compression, 1-3dB of reduction. This initial setup will
optimize the plugin’s internal headroom and levels flowing thru the various circuits in a way that allows
for maximum control over all the nuances each section can afford, in a way that respects the degree of
processing you prefer to hear. This also lets the Compressor’s Auto-Gain algorithm function in its sweet
spot, minimizing level shifts as a result of intense processing.

INITIAL EXPLORATION
Put Novatron on a drum buss with a simple kick, snare, and overheads/cymbals setup. Set the controls
as above in Gain Staging, then adjust Compression until you have 7dB of gain reduction on the peaks.
Now, with the volume on your monitors lower than usual, adjust one control at a time to one extreme,
back to baseline, then to the other extreme, and listen to what each control does. For a relatively simple
set of controls, you’ll soon find that Novatron is capable of creating almost any imaginable style and
texture of dynamics and tone shaping.

COMPRESSION AS DISTORTION
The Novatron is brutally fast, and when set to its fastest attack and release will result in a sound that’s
more akin to distortion than compression. Learning to hear and shape this ability can be a remarkable
tool for shaping, e.g., the tone of a bass instrument. Try inserting Novatron on a bass sound, setting both
controls to their fastest, and digging in with Compression to 5dB. Now slowly ease up on the attack a
little at a time and listen to the changes in tone. Do the same for release. When you get a tone that’s
interesting, use the Blend knob to restore some transients and movement.

LEVEL MATCHING
When using the Energy Delta meter to line up Input and Output levels, remember that both saturation
and compression decrease peak energy and increase average (rms) energy. That means that, in general,
your Output meter won’t deflect as high as your Input meter, nor will it drop as low. It will also tend
to move slower in general. If you set the Output level so that the yellow Output meter is riding ever so
slightly out in front of the green Input meter, your bypass will result in a relatively minimal gain change.
PRESET MANAGEMENT
It’s common practice to organize presets by Instrument type, such as Drums, Guitars, Mix Bus. But
consider organizing some by tone, attitude, or theme. UBK’s preset folders contain banks named ‘fast
and aggressive’, ‘smooth and open’, ‘slow but dirty’ etc. These allow you to explore textures regardless
of what instrument you’re focusing on, and can promote a different state of mind when mixing, namely
one that thinks in terms of color and personality.

-7-
 novatron
DEEPER INTO THE CONTROLS

WHAT’S NEXT?

GOT QUESTIONS?
We’ve got answers! Head to www.thehouseofkush.com/support for all your plugin support needs.

INTO ANALOG?
Ready to pull the trigger on some of Kush’s Analog options? Head to www.thehouseofkush.com/analog to read
up on all the latest Kush has to offer. Watch videos, hear demos, and drool over the fantastic, warmth and detail
only Analog can bring to your sound.

WANT TO WIN A FREE PLUGIN?

Learn to mix while Gregory Scott (UBK) of Kush Audio and ITB Mixing pro Nathan Daniel answer listener
questions, crack themselves up, and offer weekly chances to win FREE Kush plugins! Search “UBK Happy Funtime
Hour” on iTunes and Stitcher, or visit...

www . UBKhappyfuntimehour . com

-8-