In 1999, Dr. Dre was completing his legendary album The Chronic 2001. When it came time to master the album, Dre chose Bernie Grundman Mastering, a studio famous for working on hits like Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”
Mixed By Ali a successor of Dr. Dre said in an interview: “Stated that this album shaped his childhood and served as the soundtrack of Los Angeles”.
Brian Gardner, Dr. Dre’s renowned sound engineer, used a small golden box that turned out to be the Lavry Gold Converter, modified with proprietary power supplies. After comparing it with other processors, it was clear that this device had the best sound quality.
The Lavry Gold Converter quickly became a secret weapon among many sound engineers, who began using it to achieve a louder and higher quality sound. The main advantage of the Lavry Gold Converter was its soft saturation, which allowed engineers to push the converters to their limits while maintaining a musical sound.
This technique was crucial for the mastering of The Chronic 2001 and significantly contributed to the album’s iconic sound.
Can This Technique Be Achieved “In the Box”?
Yes, this technique can be replicated using digital tools, or “in the box.” While the Lavry Gold Converter is a specific piece of hardware, there are several high-quality plugins that emulate the saturation and sound characteristics of hardware converters.
Acustica Audio has released the Ash plugin, which emulates this type of conversion, providing another tool for achieving the desired sound in a digital format.
Ash is the first Acqua plugin (VST/VST3/AAX/AU) offering a unique collection of classic clipping circuits from the most revered high-end converters.
