Little Labs IBP Jr. Phase Alignment Tool
by SF Norton
When this product was released a few years ago, I looked at it as being the second coming. The ability to sweep phase alignment, fine tuning to the correct phase correlation, seemed to me the exact thing my studio had been missing. About a year ago, I received the IBP Jr. as a gift (some friends know the key to your heart!), and sadly, did not feel it lived up to my expectations. That was until a few weeks ago…
The Tool comes in three models: the IBP and IBP Jr., as well as a plug-in version for the UAD card by Universal Audio. For this review, we will focus on the hardware models. The difference between the two is the inclusion of a DI instrument input on the IBP, for use on tracking through the Tool. The Jr. has all the same phase alignment features, but lacks the ability to plug an instrument directly into it. Although I recognize the value of being able to record instruments (bass for example) directly through the unit, the ability to run the signal through it later, and record it back into the computer, for me, makes the cost savings a better value.
Layout
The face of the IBP Jr. includes all the adjustment functions, represented by small push buttons: bypass, phase invert, 90°/180°, and phase center high or low. The phase adjustment sweep knob is larger, and travels from 100% in phase (0) to 100% out of phase (180). The only other feature on the face of the unit is the inclusion of a power light. The back of the unit includes only balanced, XLR input and output, and the power plug. The unit ships with an included power supply, which doesn’t have an on/off button. Once plugged into an outlet, the unit is always on.
In Use
The first few times I used the IBP Jr., the difference in phase coherence was not easily noticeable. While I expected to hear earth-shattering improvement, using multiple mics on an electric guitar cabinet, I found the differences to be minimal. Attempting to correct the phase between top and bottom snare mics was better achieved by moving the mics around. Acoustic guitar, recorded with two microphones, ended with me switching the unit to bypass. None of my attempts seemed to be giving me the level of change that I was hoping for.
A few weeks ago, I started a new recording, primarily acoustic based (drums, acoustic guitar, violin etc), with two mics on many of the instruments. I brought along the IBP Jr., because I hoped that it would improve the phase between the acoustic guitar and live vocal, during the basic tracking session. This situation is always tough to get in phase, due to the bleed of vocals into the acoustic guitar mic, and vice versa. I used the IPB Jr. on the acoustic guitar track, as an insert, and the improvement was immediately noticeable. I swept the phase knob until I heard the least in phase sound possible, and then hit the Invert switch. Presto! The thin quality so often heard on the acoustic guitar in these situations was removed. The guitar sounded full again. The vocal lacked that slight “phaser” sound. After various attempts, over the past year, I had finally heard the unit sing, the way I always hoped it would.
The unit had proven its value to me with the basic tracking, so I felt it worth another try, when it came time to replace the scratch acoustic. The guitar was mic’d on the 12th fret with a small diaphragm condenser, and a large diaphragm condenser facing the sound hole, about a foot away from the tail end of the body. Once again, I noticed the differences immediately. The acoustic sounded more full and livelier. There are often times that I feel the acoustic guitar sounds fine on it’s own, while getting the initial sounds going. But once you start to record, hearing it in the mix for the first time, you lose the clarity and richness of a great instrument. In this case, the quality of the sound was preserved, even when lowered into the mix. Exactly what I was looking for.
I will definitely be trying this tool on future sessions. The value is in the slight adjustments that can be made, and improvements heard when instruments are surrounded by competing sounds. After my experiences on this last record, I will be trying it on many situations, when more than one mic is used. Now I am wondering if I need a second one so that I can work on stereo sound sources, such as room mics within the space of a multi-mic’d drum setup. The gear chase never ends…