PowerCore is a range of plug-ins, that can be used in any VST or AU compatible audio system: on PC or Mac, with Logic, Cubase, Nuendo, ProTools (using a wrapper), Live, Digital Performer, Bias and many more. In short, PowerCore integrates with virtually any VST or AU based digital audio workstation.

The range of plug-ins cover any need that you might have, and it does so in a quality that you've probably not been used to with other VST or AU compatible plug-ins. From basic tools like reverbs, EQs, compressors, expanders, choruses and delays, over plug-ins that are dedicated to the voice, sporting pitch correction and Voice Modeling™, to the best VST or AU compatible tools on the market, like the Restoration Suite and the “System 6000 for PowerCore” tool, the MD3 Stereo Mastering package. On top of that there are renowned synths like the V-Station from Novation and the fantastic Virus|PowerCore by Access.

Depending on the hardware you choose, you may get a bunch of plug-ins included with the package - others are optional and can be bought around the world in music stores and on the internet. One hardware choice even comes without any plug-ins at all. This way you don't have to pay for something that you might not need.

If you want to run the PowerCore plug-ins, you need a piece of PowerCore hardware, and this hardware will make sure that the plug-ins won't strain your host CPU.

You can choose between

1. PowerCore PCI mkII with 14 plug-ins. It is a PCI card that should be fitted inside your computer.
2. PowerCore Express with 14 plug-ins. It is a PCI Express card that should be fitted inside your computer.
3. PowerCore Compact with 12 plug-ins. It's a nice little box that connects to your computer via FireWire. PowerCore Compact is perfect if you're changing location often and want to bring your studio on the move.
4. PowerCore FireWire with 14 plug-ins. It's a 19" rack mountable unit that connects to your computer via FireWire.
5. PowerCore Unplugged - it is the same piece of hardware as the PowerCore PCI mkII but without bundled plug-ins - we've “un-plug-ed” the PowerCore so to speak. With no bundled plug-ins PowerCore Unplugged gives you the liberty to compose your own palette of plug-ins, but it does however require at least one PowerCore plug-in to run.

Although there's a lot of power in the PowerCore hardware it has it's limitations just like every other system. The PowerCore hardware is not able to run all the plug-ins in the world at the same time, but if you need it, you can combine any of the PowerCore hardware choices, allowing you to run even more plug-ins.

Well, first of all, the PowerCore plug-ins are in a quality that you can't find anywhere else. For instance, take a look at the Intonator HS. There are other intonation tools on the market, but none of them has the same transparency as the Intonator HS, not to mention how seamless it is to work with.
Another example is the high-end mastering tool MD3: this is the absolute best VST/AU compatible mastering tool that you can find anywhere. We could continue this list forever, but you really have to check it out for yourself…we are sure you won't be disappointed.

From time to time you might experience that your computer hasn't got enough power to run the plug-ins that you want it to run. Since the PowerCore plug-ins come with hardware that do the actual processing, using PowerCore plug-ins will make you able to run more high quality plug-ins on your system at the same time.

Well, it really depends on what you want to achieve. If you just want more power generally speaking, then a new computer is always a good solution. But if you want more power for your music production, getting a piece of PowerCore hardware will help you in more than one way.

First of all you get dedicated VST/AU plug-ins that is made by the best in the audio business. Secondly these plug-ins are very demanding in processing power so if they were run natively, they would take quite some power away from other important tasks. Thirdly, the PowerCore platform is an integrated solution where software and hardware are tailor-made for each other, giving farther better results than otherwise possible.

You should definitely go for PowerCore if you're looking for more dedicated power and higher audio quality.

The PowerCore plug-ins are both VST and AU compatible and they run on Macs as well as on PCs. They run with all the major music programs on the market whether it is on Mac or PC.

First of all, if you work with a computer this is the best sounding processing you can get. If you want an even better sound, you'd have to go for dedicated hardware products such as the TC Electronic Reverb 4000 or even the no-compromise TC Electronic System 6000.

Secondly, TC Electronic is renowned throughout the world for its hardware products, and naturally the same level of quality is inherent in the PowerCore platform both in the hardware and in the software.
Thirdly, a lot of 3rd party developers have seen the great potential and quality of the PowerCore platform and therefore the platform offers a range of professional and high quality plug-ins from companies like Sony Oxford, Access Music and NovelTech to name a few.

Last but not least, PowerCore plug-ins run on their own hardware, leaving your host CPU free for other tasks. You have to consider the fact that the software and the hardware are tailor-made for each other, and this gives you the very best performance.

Yes, you can always add more PowerCore hardware to your system. Doing so will let you run even more PowerCore plug-ins at the same time. The PowerCore platform was designed to be as open and flexible as possible. If you want to e.g. use a PowerCore PCI mkII with a PowerCore FireWire in the same system, it's no hassle at all; the only thing you have to worry about is how you're going to use all that power...

The optional plug-ins are available in music stores around the world but they can also be bought on TC's own web shop www.tc-now.com.
Some of the 3rd party plug-ins must be bought directly at their respective websites, please check the product section for further details.

It depends on which version of the PowerCore platform you want to buy.
PowerCore PCI mkII, PowerCore Express and PowerCore FireWire each come with 14 plug-ins. PowerCore Compact comes with 12 plug-ins and PowerCore Unplugged comes without any plug-ins.

That means that you can go for whatever solution fits you best, giving you the choice of not buying more than you need. Maybe you need a PowerCore Compact and one additional plug-in to fulfill your needs here and now, maybe you want to go for the full enchilada and get the PowerCore PCI mkII or FireWire and some extra plug-ins. Maybe you just need one or two plug-ins to serve specific needs, in which case PowerCore Unplugged - the “un-plug-ed” version of the PCI mkII card - is a good choice. Remember though, that PowerCore Unplugged requires at least one PowerCore plug-in to run.
In the end, it's all up to you…

Please go here to get a complete overview.

Included in all the PowerCore packages you'll find a very nice guitar amp simulator, the Tubifex. It has its own special sound, and can be used for many different tasks.

Additionally, TC Thirty is available as an optional plug-in. TC Thirty is a virtual model of a classic British Vox amplifier from 1961, providing the sound and behavior of the "normal channel" found on that amp.
So if you're a guitarist you'll find some serious processing possibilities for your guitar sound, and you can use the plug-ins in real-time or as post processed effects depending on how much you want to tweak and play with the features.

On top of that, Vintage Amp Room from Softube is available as another optional plug-in. Vintage Amp Room emulates three carefully selected guitar amps in a complete studio set-up with speaker cabinets and fully flexible microphone positioning. The sound you will get from this product is raw and realistic, so you can achieve results that work in the present, and far into the future.

It certainly will. There's a number of dedicated plug-ins for the voice, such as the VoiceStrip, the Intonator and the VoiceModeler. In fact the sister company of TC Electronic, TC-Helicon, is purely dedicated to voice technology, so you'll find some pretty advanced technology in some of the plug-ins.

But most vocalists also like a good reverb applied to their voice, and throughout the years TC Electronic has developed some of the best reverbs around. For the PowerCore platform you'll find basic but very good and thorough reverbs in the ClassicVerb plug-in. If you want more sophisticated reverbs you'll find them in the MegaReverb plug-in which was built upon the award winning TC M5000 high-end studio processor.

Basically you can use a lot of the PowerCore plug-ins for your vocals, either as you would on any other instrument or in the final mix. PowerCore has all the tools you'll need from dedicated voicetools and effects to mastering.

Quite a lot actually. Recently TC launched the MD3 Stereo Mastering package for PowerCore. The MD3 package is based on the TC Electronic flagship, the System 6000, and the package comes with two professional mastering plug-ins: the MD3 Multiband Dynamics plug-in and the Brickwall Limiter. These two plug-ins enable processing which was previously only possible on the System 6000, to be done on the PowerCore platform.

The MD3 Stereo Mastering package is the most professional and high quality mastering plug-in you'll find anywhere. If you're serious about mastering and want the very best you can get on the market today for your computer, the MD3 package is the answer.

Yes, though the plug-ins are VST/AU compatible, their internal structure is significantly different than native VST/AU plug-ins. An ordinary native CPU is not able to run the plug-ins, and therefore one of the three PowerCore hardware options is required.
The whole point about the PowerCore plug-ins is that they are dedicated tools that need dedicated hardware. The PowerCore platform is a tailor-made solution where software and hardware integrate perfectly and thereby excels in performance and quality.

It really depends on what you need. If you're the table top computer aficionado who likes everything to be built into one workstation, the PowerCore PCI mkII, the PowerCore Express or the PowerCore Unplugged will be your preferred choice. The PowerCore PCI mkII and the PowerCore Express come with 14 plug-ins, giving a broad variety of possibilities in combination with dedicated DSP power. The PowerCore Unplugged is the same piece of hardware as the PowerCore PCI mkII, but without any included plug-ins. This gives you the freedom to compose your own selection of dedicated PowerCore plug-ins, serving the needs specified by you.
If you're one of those people who like to be on the move and want your gear to be highly portable, the PowerCore Compact is sure to delight you. 12 plug-ins comes right out of the box with the Compact, so most needs for the artist on the move should be covered.
Should you be more into rack units and loads of powerful plug-ins, you should definitely go for the PowerCore Firewire. It comes with 14 plug-ins and in combination with the DSP power it is the most authoritative PowerCore solution

Yes. TC processing comes in all shades and flavours - from the small and inexpensive M300 Reverb to the high-end top professional System 6000. PowerCore plug-ins also ranges from small scale easy-to-use plug-ins like ClassicVerb to professional top-level plug-in packages like MD3 Stereo Mastering.

A part of the TC Electronic hardware philosophy is that no matter whether it is an inexpensive product or a flagship, all products must be based on superior processing and superior quality. That philosophy has naturally been applied to the PowerCore platform. So whether you’re using an easy-to-use plug-in like ClassicVerb or a high end plug-in like the MD3 Stereo Mastering, you’re guaranteed the same high principles of processing and quality.

Well, “3rd party development” signifies that companies other than TC Electronic develop plug-ins for the PowerCore platform. You might also say that the mere fact that there are 3rd party developers, is an industry recognition of the PowerCore platform. Companies like Sony Oxford and Access Music wouldn't make plug-ins for the PowerCore platform if they didn't believe it to be both professional and long-lived.

With the 3rd party development scheme, the PowerCore platform is in a state of constant development and enhancement. One of the major benefits of the PowerCore platform is that it is an open platform. What that means is that as technology is developed, TC and 3rd parties can tailor their superior technology to the platform. As more and more plug-ins are added, the platform gives our users more and more possibilities. And on top of that it also indicates that the platform itself is very long-lived indeed.

The benefit of PowerCore compared to other DSP solutions is the very high quality of the plug-ins. Many PowerCore plug-ins are based on TC algorithms that have been developed in the TC Electronic research laboratories, by people with many years of experience. TC algorithms are created by innovators and scientists that only settle for the highest quality possible. Over the years that ambition has spurred groundbreaking technology and award-winning TC products, and with the PowerCore platform that legacy is continued.

If you want the best and most professional plug-ins available, you'll find them in the PowerCore selection of plug-ins. With the introduction of the MD3 Stereo Mastering package, tools only know from the System 6000 platform is introduced to the realm of DAWs, giving superior quality and processing. In other words, compared to other DSP cards, PowerCore delivers the most comprehensive and professional plug-ins you'll find anywhere.

They are all excellent solutions!

• PowerCore FireWire is ideal for both desktop and laptop production.
• PowerCore Compact is ideal when portability is very important, but it can be used with desktops as well as laptops.
• PowerCore PCI mkII and PowerCore Express are ideal for desktop setups and gives any production an internal power-up.
• PowerCore Unplugged is ideal for desktop productions, and it is a perfect add-on to existing PowerCore setups that want to add more power, but not necessarily more plug-ins.

These two forums have a lot of posts and features concerning the PowerCore platform:

• TC Powercore on Yahoo Groups
• Noheaven Powercore Forum