Priced at under $1,000 (street price), Eventide's Anthology II bundle is, by far, the best value going for a fantastic set of 15 TDM plug-in effects. For Pro Tools, this package has every plug-in Eventide has ever made and includes six new ones with many featuring 48-bit double precision. The six are: Ultra-Channel and E-Channel, configurable channel strips in both maxi (with micropitch shifting) and optimized versions; EQ65 Filter Set, an emulation of the 18dB/octave stalwart UREI notch/peak filter popular in post-production suites; the EQ45 four-band parametric equalizer complete with 12dB/octave high/low cut filters--another great version of a classic hardware unit; Precision Time Align™ is for lining up the phase relationship of separate tracks and Quadravox™ featuring four voices of diatonic Harmonizer® pitch shifting.

Anthology II also comes with the nine plug-ins of the original Anthology bundle: the H910 and H949 classic Harmonizer® pitch shifters, Instant Phaser™, Instant Flanger™, and Omnipressor® are emulations of early Eventide hardware units from the '70's; the extremely useful and modern sounding Eventide Reverb; the eight-voice harmony generator Octavox®; the eight-channel H3000 Band Delays™; and the "roll your own plug-in" builder, the H3000 Factory™. All these advanced plug-ins are based on the hardware H3000 unit.

It would be impossible for me to start any mix in Pro Tools without using one or more of these great plugs! I find them all remarkable in their ability to always provide just what I'm searching for an effect to accomplish. In fact, many times I get to take credit for an unexpected "accident" when I inadvertently apply an Eventide effect to a source I would never dream of effecting! This is true especially for H3000 Band Delays and Factory plug-ins. All the Eventide plugs impart their own distinct "vibe" that is impossible to duplicate with other plug-in or combination of plugs.

Anthology owners can upgrade to Anthology II for $299, and Clockworks Legacy™ owners may upgrade for $499. MassivePack, Octavox, Eventide Reverb or H3000 Band Delay owners may upgrade to Anthology II for $799. Check www.eventide.com.