Big Man Labs has released version 1.1.0 of Big Listen, its reference monitoring and A/B comparison plugin, adding a built in reference browser and a number of metering and playback refinements.
The headline addition is the browser. Users can point Big Listen at any number of folders containing their music, and the plugin maintains a searchable index of every audio file inside them, up to 30,000 files. Search matches on both file names and genre tags, files can be favorited for quick recall, and tracks can be tagged from 28 built in genres or user created tags of their own. References load with a double click or by dragging directly onto any of the six slots, and the browser opens out to the side of the window rather than covering the interface. The folder list, favorites and tags are stored per user rather than per project, so they carry across every session.
Metering behavior has changed in 1.1.0. All numeric readouts now hold their values when the transport stops, so the loudness, range, crest and true peak figures from a playback pass remain on screen to be read, with the next transport start clearing them for a fresh measurement. Any readout in the levels or dynamics panels can also be double clicked to reset that measurement mid playback without stopping the transport.
Switching between mix and reference is now handled with a 10 ms equal power crossfade rather than a hard switch, eliminating an occasional click that could occur depending on where in the waveform the switch landed. The A/B switch can also be assigned to a keyboard shortcut, and remains available as a host automatable parameter.
File format support has been expanded and made consistent across platforms. MP3 now decodes on Windows, macOS and Linux, and M4A files including AAC and Apple Lossless are now supported on Windows in addition to macOS. The browser, file chooser and drag and drop filter each offer only the formats the running build can decode, so listed files will always load.
Other changes include revised dBFS readout ballistics for a more readable display, and a reworked waveform display that scales from silence to the file’s peak with a ceiling at 0 dBFS, so quiet material is drawn at an honest height and lossy files render at the same size as their lossless equivalents.
Pricing and Availability
Big Listen 1.1.0 is available now for $32 USD as a one time purchase, with a fully functional 14 day trial. It runs on Windows, macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon) and Linux in VST3, AU, AAX and CLAP formats. The update is free to existing owners.
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