DigiRack Plug-ins ™ Version 7.
Legal Notices This guide is copyrighted ©2007 by Digidesign, a division of Avid Technology, Inc. (hereafter “Digidesign”), with all rights reserved. Under copyright laws, this guide may not be duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of Digidesign.
contents Chapter 1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Plug-in Formats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Conventions Used in This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 5. Adjusting Plug-in Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Adjusting Plug-in Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Chapter 6. DigiRack Real-Time TDM and RTAS Plug-ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 EQ III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 EQ II . . . . . . . .
Time Compression/ Expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Pitch Shift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Time Shift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Chapter 8. Elastic Audio Plug-ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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chapter 1 Introduction Plug-ins are special-purpose software components that provide additional signal processing and other functionality to Pro Tools®. The DigiRack™ plug-ins included with Pro Tools provide a comprehensive suite of digital signal processing effects that include EQ, dynamics, delay, and other essential functions.
RTAS Plug-ins RTAS (Real-Time AudioSuite) plug-ins provide features and functionality similar to their TDM counterparts, but unlike TDM plug-ins, they rely on and are limited by the processing power of your computer. The more powerful your computer, the greater the number and variety of RTAS plug-ins that you can use simultaneously.
Conventions Used in This Guide All Digidesign guides use the following conventions to indicate menu choices and key commands: : Convention Action File > Save Choose Save from the File menu Control+N Hold down the Control key and press the N key Control-click Hold down the Control key and click the mouse button Right-click Click with the right mouse button The following symbols are used to highlight important information: User Tips are helpful hints for getting the most from your Pro Tools system
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chapter 2 Installation and Configuration Installing Plug-ins Organizing Plug-ins The Digidesign DigiRack plug-ins are installed when you install Pro Tools. For more information about installing Pro Tools, see the Getting Started Guide that came with your system. You can customize how plug-in lists (plug-in menus) are organized in the Insert selector and Plug-in selector. If installing multiple packages of plug-ins, do so in the following order: 1 DigiRack plug-ins (installed with Pro Tools).
“Organize Plug-in Menus By” Option Flat List Organizes plug-ins in a single list, in alphabetical order. Category Organizes plug-ins by process category (such as EQ, Dynamics, Effects, and Delay), with individual plug-ins listed in the category submenus. Plug-ins that do not have a Category defined will appear in the Other Category folder. Plug-ins can appear in more than one category. Category and Manufacturer Organizes plug-ins in two levels of menus.
When a plug-in becomes a favorite, it is still shown in plug-in category and/or manufacturer sub-menus (if enabled) and its name appears in bold. Favorite plug-ins Default Plug-ins You can set a default EQ plug-in and Dynamics plug-in, which places them at the top of the Insert selector pop-up menu on-screen, and first in the list of menu choices when assigning inserts on ICON worksurfaces.
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chapter 3 Working with Real-Time Plug-ins Real-time plug-ins process audio nondestructively in real time. They do not alter the original source audio, but only apply their effect during playback. There are two formats of real-time plug-ins: TDM Plug-ins Rely on the processing power of Digidesign DSP cards. TDM plug-ins run only on Pro Tools|HD systems. RTAS Plug-ins Rely on the processing power of your computer. RTAS plug-ins run on Pro Tools|HD and LE systems.
DSP Sharing Between TDM Plug-ins With Digidesign’s MultiShell™ II technology, different types of TDM plug-ins can share the same DSP chip at the same time. This lets you simultaneously use a greater variety of plug-ins by efficiently managing the DSP available on each chip in your system. To take advantage of this capability, plug-ins must be MultiShell II compatible. All DigiRack TDM plug-ins with the exception of Pitch are MultiShell II compatible.
RTAS Processors CPU Usage Limit The RTAS Processors setting determines the number of processors in your computer allocated for RTAS plug-in processing. The CPU Usage Limit controls the percentage of CPU resources allocated to Pro Tools host processing tasks such as RTAS plug-in performance and screen redraws. With computers that have multiple processors, or that feature multi-core processing or hyperthreading, this setting lets you enable multi-processor support for RTAS processes.
RTAS Error Suppression 2 Select Ignore Errors During Playback/Record. You should only enable RTAS error suppression if you are experiencing frequent RTAS errors that are interrupting your creative workflow. When RTAS error suppression is enabled, you can experience a degradation of audio quality. However, this may be acceptable in order to avoid interrupting playback and recording when working with instrument plug-ins.
The Minimize Additional I/O Latency option is only available if the Ignore Errors During Playback/Record option is enabled. This option is only available on Pro Tools systems that require additional buffering for RTAS error suppression, as follows: • Windows XP: • Mbox® 2 Pro • Digidesign-qualified M-Audio interfaces with Pro Tools M-Powered or Pro Tools Academic • Mac OS X: • Mbox Delay in Signal Processing DSP and host-based processing in digital audio systems incurs signal delay of varying amounts.
TimeAdjuster You can compensate for TDM or RTAS plug-ininduced delays by using the TimeAdjuster plugin. This plug-in lets you apply a specific number of samples of delay to the signal path of a Pro Tools track. TimeAdjuster provides settings files that apply the correct compensation time in samples for delay introduced by one or more plug-ins. See “TimeAdjuster” on page 89 for more information about the TimeAdjuster plugin.
Plug-ins as Inserts Real-time plug-ins are available as in-line inserts on audio tracks, Auxiliary Inputs, and Master Faders. A maximum of 5 real-time plug-ins can be used per track. When more than one insert is used on a track, they process the audio in series, each effect being added to the previous one, from top to bottom in the Mix window. Inserts can be used in two ways: On Single Tracks An insert can be applied to an individual audio track or Auxiliary Input using the Insert selector on that track.
dem. You can unlink controls for independent adjustment using the Master Link button. See “Linking and Unlinking Controls on MultiMono Plug-ins” on page 21. To insert a plug-in on a track: Click the Insert selector on the track and select the plug-in that you want to use. Multi-mono plug-ins, such as dynamicsbased or reverb plug-ins, may not function as you expect. Use the multichannel version of a multi-mono plug-in when available.
Configuring Plug-ins During Playback You can change, add, or remove real-time plugins and hardware inserts during playback. On Pro Tools|HD systems, adding or removing RTAS plug-ins that change voicing assignments (for example, inserting an RTAS plug-in after a TDM plug-in) temporarily interrupts playback, but without stopping the transport. Plug-in Changes During Record Changing plug-ins during audio recording is disallowed so that you don’t inadvertently interrupt audio recording.
The Plug-in Window The Plug-in window appears whenever you click a plug-in Insert button on a track. This floating window lets you set the controls of any real-time plug-in insert in use on a track. Insert button Insert selector Convert Plug-in Selector Lets you convert the insert from a TDM plug-in to an RTAS plug-in of the same type (or vice-versa). This feature can only be used on plug-ins that are available in both TDM and RTAS formats.
Target Button When multiple Plug-in windows are open, clicking this button selects that plugin as the target for any computer keyboard commands. Key Input Selector Lets you select audio on a particular input or bus and route it to trigger the plug-in. This menu only appears on plug-ins that feature side-chain processing. Key inputs are monophonic. MIDI Node Display Shows MIDI node information for MIDI-enabled plug-ins.
Tempo Sync Enables compatible plug-ins to automatically synchronize to the session tempo, for rhythmic delay, echo, and similar effects. See “Tempo Sync” on page 23 for more information. Plug-in Window Controls All plug-ins provide standard Pro Tools controls for track and insert selection, bypass, and other controls, in addition to plug-in-specific controls.
To choose a different insert: Click the Insert Position selector and choose an insert from the pop-up menu. Linking and Unlinking Controls on Multi-Mono Plug-ins When a multi-mono plug-in is used on a multichannel track, the controls are normally linked. Adjusting the Gain control on one channel, for example, will adjust it for all channels. If necessary, you can unlink plug-in controls on specific channels of a track and edit them independently.
Clip Indicators Using the Side-Chain Input Many plug-ins provide meters that let you see when the processed signal is clipping. The side-chain input is the split-off signal used by a plug-in's detector to trigger dynamics processing, and is generally drawn internally from the input signal. However, some plug-ins let you switch between internal and external side-chain processing.
Using a Key Input for External SideChain Processing To use a key input for external side-chain processing: 1 Click the plug-in’s Key Input selector and se- lect the input or bus carrying the audio you want to use to trigger the plug-in. Selecting a key input 2 Click External Key to activate external side- chain processing. 3 Press the Spacebar to begin playback. The plug-in uses the input or bus that you chose as a key input to trigger its effect.
To utilize Tempo Sync: 1 Insert a plug-in that supports Tempo Sync, such as the DigiRack Mod Delay II. 2 Click the Tempo Sync icon. The tempo shown will change to match the current session tempo. Tempo Sync Tempo Sync icon (Mod Delay II shown) 3 To set a rhythmic delay, click a note value (whole, half, quarter, eighth, or sixteenth), then do any of the following to further adjust the rhythm: • To enable triplet delay timing, click the 3 button so that it is lit.
Enabling Plug-in Parameters for Automation To enable plug-in controls for automation: 1 Open the Plug-in window for the plug-in you 3 Select the controls to automate and click Add. If there are multiple plug-ins on the same track, you can select from among these by clicking their buttons in the Inserts section of this dialog. want to automate. 2 Do one of the following: • Click the Automation Enable button in the Plug-in window.
To automate a plug-in: 1 In the Automation Enable window, make sure plug-in automation is enabled. Record Safing Plug-in Automation You can protect plug-in automation from being overwritten by using Automation Safe mode. To enable plug-in safe mode: 1 Open a plug-in. Plug--in Automation Enable button 2 Click the Safe button so that it is highlighted.
Instrument Plug-ins Instrument plug-ins are unique from other plugins in that they generate audio by synthesis or sample playback, and are controlled by MIDI. Typically, plug-in instruments are inserted on Instrument tracks. You can also insert plug-in instruments on Auxiliary Input tracks and control them with an additional MIDI track.
Voice Usage and Total Latency for RTAS Plug-ins Ordering RTAS and TDM Plug-ins on an Audio Track With Pro Tools HD, the initial insert of an RTAS plug-in may cause additional latency, and will take up two additional voices per channel (1 voice for input and 1 voice for output) in the following conditions: With Pro Tools HD, when RTAS and TDM plugins are combined on an audio track, the order in which they are inserted has different results: • When inserted on an Auxiliary Input or Master Fader track • Wh
Limitations for Inserting or Removing Plug-ins During Playback When playing back tracks containing RTAS plug-ins, the following limitations on inserting or removing plug-ins apply: • Inserting RTAS and TDM plug-ins on or removing from Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, or Instrument tracks temporarily interrupts playback, but without stopping the transport.
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chapter 4 Working with AudioSuite Plug-ins AudioSuite plug-ins differ from TDM and RTAS plug-ins in that they are used to process and modify audio files on disk rather than nondestructively in real time. Depending on how you configure a non-real-time AudioSuite plug-in, it will either alter the original source audio file or create an entirely new audio source file. Compressor/Limiter III Processes audio with compression, or limiting. Chorus Processes audio with chorusing.
Reverse Rewrites selected audio in reverse. Plug-in Selector DC Offset Removal Recognizes and removes DC offset from audio files. From this menu you can select any AudioSuite plug-in installed in your Plug-ins folder. (The Plug-in selector follows the Pro Tools preference for Organize Plug-ins Menu By.) Signal Generator Generates audio tones for equipment calibration purposes. Time Compression/Expansion Changes an audio file’s duration without changing its pitch.
Region List Applies AudioSuite processing only to regions currently selected in the Audio Regions List. Processing will not be applied to regions located in tracks and playlists in the Edit window. If the Use In Playlist option is enabled in addition to Region List being selected in the Selection Reference pop-up menu, the processing will be applied to the selected region in both the playlist and the Regions List.
Create Continuous File Processes the selected regions nondestructively and creates a new audio file consisting of the selected regions consolidated into a single, unbroken region. This mode is particularly useful if you are assembling a composite track from multiple takes. This mode is not available when the Selection Reference is set to Region List. The Create Continuous File option is not available with some time domain plug-ins.
Preview Bypass The Preview button lets you audition the effect of a plug-in before you process the audio. By adjusting the plug-in controls while you listen to this audio preview, you can fine-tune the effect. Not all AudioSuite plug-ins support this feature. When Bypass is enabled, the selected audio is auditioned without AudioSuite processing. The Bypass button applies only to previewing. It does not affect actual AudioSuite processing.
Undoing AudioSuite Processing Other AudioSuite Controls If you have processed an audio selection nondestructively, the Undo and Redo commands let you undo the selected AudioSuite process. You can undo or redo an AudioSuite process during audio playback.
Stereo Mode Processes each contiguous pair of channels within a selected region as a stereo track. When applied to an odd number of channels, the plug-in processes the last odd, unpaired channel as mono, using the left channel settings of the stereo plug-in. If you want the last track to be processed in stereo, you must select an additional track to pair it with—an empty one if necessary.
To configure the AudioSuite Buffer Size: TC/E 1 Choose Setup > Preferences. The TC/E section lets you choose the plug-in used for AudioSuite time compression and expansion processing, as well as its default settings. 2 Click Processing. 3 Select an AudioSuite Buffer Size. Though the default setting will work well for most situations, you may want to set the buffer according to your current task. Before you audition an AudioSuite plug-in, set this buffer to Mini or Small.
Using AudioSuite Plug-ins AudioSuite plug-ins can be applied to whole regions, partial regions, or selections that are made up of whole and partial regions across one or more tracks. When audio selected in the Edit window includes partial regions, the regions will automatically be split into two or more regions when they are processed. Processing will occur only on the selection, leaving other regions unchanged.
3 Adjust the plug-in controls for the effect you want. These settings determine how the file is processed and what effect the processing has on the original regions. Follow these guidelines: • To process the selected region only in the track in which it appears, select Playlist from the Selection Reference pop-up. Alternatively, if you want to process the selected region in the Audio Regions list only, choose Region List from this pop-up.
chapter 5 Adjusting Plug-in Controls Adjusting Plug-in Controls You can adjust plug-in controls by dragging the control’s slider or knob, or by typing a value into the control’s text box. Additionally, some plug-ins have switches that can be enabled by clicking on them. To adjust a plug-in control: 1 Begin audio playback so that you can hear the control changes in real time. Editing Parameters Using a Mouse You can adjust rotary controls by dragging horizontally or vertically.
To change control values with a computer keyboard: 1 Click the text box corresponding to the control that you want to adjust. 2 Change the value by doing one of the following: Some controls have text boxes that display the current value of the parameter. You can edit the numeric value of a parameter using a scroll wheel. • To increase a value, press the Up Arrow on your keyboard. To decrease a value, press the Down Arrow on your keyboard.
chapter 6 DigiRack Real-Time TDM and RTAS Plug-ins EQ III The EQ III Plug-in provides a high-quality 7 Band, 2–4 Band, or 1 Band EQ for adjusting the frequency spectrum of audio material. EQ III is available in the following formats: • 7 Band: TDM, RTAS, AudioSuite • 2–4 Band: TDM and RTAS only • 1 Band: TDM, RTAS, AudioSuite EQ III supports all Pro Tools session sample rates: 192 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 96 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 48 kHz, and 44.1 kHz. EQ III operates as a mono or multi-mono plug-in only.
7 Band EQ and 2–4 Band EQ The 7 Band EQ is available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. The 2–4 Band EQ is available in TDM and RTAS formats only. The 7 Band EQ and the 2–4 Band EQ share the same window and identical controls, but with the 2–4 Band EQ, a limited number of the seven available bands can be active at the same time.
Dragging in the Frequency Graph Display Using Band-Pass Mode You can adjust the following by dragging the control points directly in the Frequency Graph display: You can temporarily set any EQ III control to Band-Pass monitoring mode. Band-Pass mode cuts monitoring frequencies above and below the Frequency setting, leaving a narrow band of mid-range frequencies.
Using a Control Surface Output Gain Control EQ III can be controlled from any supported control surface, including Digidesign’s D-Control, D-Command, ProControl, Control|24, Digi 002, or Command|8. Refer to the guide that came with the control surface for details. (7 Band EQ and 2–4 Band EQ Only) The Output Gain control sets the output gain after EQ processing, letting you make up gain or prevent clipping on the channel where the plugin is being used.
EQ Band Controls Band Gain Control The individual EQ bands on each EQ III configuration have some combination of the following controls, as noted below. Each Peak and Shelf EQ band has a Gain control for boosting or cutting the corresponding frequencies. Gain controls are not used on HighPass, Low-Pass, or Notch filters.
Frequency Graph Display (7 Band EQ and 2–4 Band EQ Only) The Frequency Graph display in the 7 Band EQ and the 2–4 Band EQ shows a color-coded control dot that corresponds to the color of the Gain control for each band. The filter shape of each band is similarly color-coded. The white frequency response curve shows the contribution of each of the enabled filters to the overall EQ curve.
7 Band EQ Input/Output Level meters Input/Output Level and Polarity controls Frequency Graph Display High-Pass/ Low Notch Low-Pass/ High Notch Low Shelf/Peak Mid Peak Low-Mid Peak High Shelf/Peak High-Mid Peak 7 Band EQ and 2–4 Band EQ window The 7 Band EQ has the following available bands: High-Pass/Low Notch, Low-Pass/High Notch, Low Shelf/Low Peak, Low-Mid Peak, Mid Peak, High-Mid Peak, and High Shelf/High Peak. All seven bands are available for simultaneous use.
High-Pass/Low Notch Low-Pass/High Notch The High-Pass/Notch band is switchable between High-Pass Filter and Notch EQ functions. By default, this band is set to High-Pass Filter. The Low-Pass/Notch band is switchable between Low-Pass Filter and Notch EQ functions. By default, this band is set to Low-Pass Filter. High-Pass Filter Attenuates all frequencies below the Frequency setting at the selected slope while letting all frequencies above pass through.
Low Shelf/Low Peak The Low Shelf/Peak band is switchable between Low Shelf EQ and Low Peak EQ functions. By default, this band is set to Low Shelf. Low-Shelf EQ Boosts or cuts frequencies at and below the Frequency setting. The amount of boost or cut is determined by the Gain setting. The Q setting determines the shape of the shelving curve. Low Peak EQ Boosts or cuts a band of frequencies centered around the Frequency setting. The width of the affected band is determined by the Q setting.
Low-Mid Peak Mid Peak The Low-Mid Peak band boosts or cuts frequencies centered around the Frequency setting. The width of the band is determined by the Q setting. The Mid Peak band boosts or cuts frequencies centered around the Frequency setting. The width of the band is determined by the Q setting.
High-Mid Peak The High-Mid Peak band boosts or cuts frequencies centered around the Frequency setting. The width of the band is determined by the Q setting. High Peak EQ Boosts or cuts a band of frequencies centered around the Frequency setting. The width of the affected band is determined by the Q setting.
2–4 Band EQ The 2–4 Band EQ uses the same plug-in window as the 7 Band EQ, but on the 2–4 Band EQ, but a limited number of the seven available bands can be active at the same time. In the factory default setting, the High-Pass/Low Notch, Low-Pass/High Notch and Mid Peak bands are out of circuit, the Low Shelf and High Shelf bands are selected and in circuit, and the Low-Mid Peak and High-Mid Peak bands are in circuit. For Pro Tools HD, using a 2–4 Band EQ instead of a 7 Band EQ saves DSP resources.
1 Band EQ EQ Types High-Pass Filter Input Level and Polarity controls EQ Type selector Frequency Graph display The High-Pass filter attenuates all frequencies below the Frequency setting at the selected rate (6 dB, 12 dB, 18 dB, or 24 dB per octave) while letting all frequencies above pass through. No gain control is available for this filter type.
High-Shelf EQ Peak EQ The High-Shelf EQ boosts or cuts frequencies at and above the Frequency setting. The amount of boost or cut is determined by the Gain setting. The Q setting determines the shape of the shelving curve. The Peak EQ boosts or cuts a band of frequencies centered around the Frequency setting. The width of the affected band is determined by the Q setting.
Automating EQ III Controls All EQ III plug-in controls can be automated in Pro Tools. To automate a control directly from the plug-in window: Control-Alt-Start-click (Windows) or Command-Option-Control-click (Mac) the control, and choose Enable Automation. Even if an EQ III band is bypassed, for example, when the filter capacity of a 2–4 Band EQ is surpassed, its controls are still available for automation.
Click The Click plug-in creates an audio click during session playback that you can use as a tempo reference when performing and recording. The Click plug-in receives its tempo and meter data from the Pro Tools application, enabling it to follow any changes in tempo and meter in a session. The Click plug-in is a mono-only plug-in. Several click sound presets are included. 2 Do one of the following: • Choose Track > Create Click Track.
Automatically Create Click Track In New Sessions To have Pro Tools automatically create a click track when you create a new session, enable the Automatically Create Click Track In New Sessions option in the MIDI Preferences page (Setup > Preferences). Whenever you are mixing down or bouncing to disk and your destination bit depth is lower than 24-bit, insert a dither plug-in on a Master Fader that controls the output mix.
20-bit Recommended for output to digital devices that support a full 20-bit recording data path, such the Sony PCM-9000 optical mastering recorder, or the Alesis ADAT XT 20. Use this setting for output to analog devices if you are using a 20-bit audio interface, such as the 882|20 I/O audio interface.
Noise Shaping Noise shaping can further improve audio performance and reduce perceived noise inherent in dithered audio. Noise shaping uses filtering to shift noise away from frequencies in the middle of the audio spectrum (around 4 kHz), where the human ear is most sensitive. The POW-r Dither plug-in is not appropriate for truncation stages that are likely to be further processed.
Clip Indicator The Clip Indicator shows if clipping has occurred. It is a clip-hold indicator. If clipping occurs at any time during audio playback, the clip lights remain on. To clear the clip indicator, click it. With longer reverb times there is a greater likelihood of clipping occurring as the feedback element of the reverb builds up and approaches a high output level. See also “Clip Indicators” on page 22.
Diffusion Diffusion sets the degree to which initial echo density increases over time. High settings result in high initial build-up of echo density. Low settings cause low initial buildup. This control interacts with the Size and Decay controls to affect the overall reverb density. High settings of diffusion can be used to enhance percussion. Use low or moderate settings for clearer and more natural-sounding vocals and mixes.
Adjusting Dynamics III Controls You can adjust Dynamics III plug-in controls by clicking and dragging the control’s slider or knob, or by typing a value into the control’s text box. Editing Parameters Using a Mouse You can adjust rotary controls by clicking and dragging horizontally or vertically. Parameter values increase as you drag upward or to the right, and decrease as you drag downward or to the left.
Enabling Buttons Input and Output Meters To enable a button, click it. The Input and Output meters show peak signal levels before and after dynamics processing: Using a Control Surface Green Indicates nominal levels. Dynamics III can be controlled from any supported control surface, interface, and worksurface. Refer to the appropriate controller product guide for more information.
Gain Reduction Meter LFE Enable The Gain Reduction meter indicates the amount the input signal is attenuated (in dB) and shows different colors during dynamics processing: (Pro Tools HD Systems Only) Light Orange Indicates that gain reduction is within the “knee” and has not reached the full ratio of compression. The LFE Enable button (located in the Options section) is on by default, and enables plug-in processing of the LFE (low frequency effects) channel on a multichannel track formatted for 5.1, 6.
Use this graph as a visual guideline to see how much dynamics processing you are applying. Threshold To indicate overshoots (when an incoming signal peak is too fast for the current compression setting) the cursor temporarily leaves the gain transfer curve.
Compressor/Limiter III About Limiting Limiting prevents signal peaks from ever exceeding a chosen threshold, and is generally used to prevent short-term peaks from reaching their full amplitude. Used judiciously, limiting produces higher average levels, while avoiding overload (clipping or distortion), by limiting only some short-term transients in the source audio. To prevent the ear from hearing the gain changes, extremely short attack and release times are used.
Compressor/Limiter III Controls This section describes controls for the Compressor/Limiter plug-in. An orange arrow on the Input meter indicates the current threshold, and can also be dragged up or down to adjust the threshold setting. Input/Output Level Meters The Input and Output meters show peak signal levels before and after dynamics processing. See “Levels Section” on page 65 for more information.
Attack Knee The Attack control sets the attack time, or the rate at which gain is reduced after the input signal crosses the threshold. The Knee control sets the rate at which the compressor reaches full compression once the threshold has been exceeded. The smaller the value, the faster the attack. The faster the attack, the more rapidly the Compressor/Limiter applies attenuation to the signal.
Expander/Gate III Gain The Gain control lets you boost overall output gain to compensate for heavily compressed or limited signals. This control ranges from 0 dB (no gain boost) to +40 dB (loudest gain boost), with the default value at 0 dB. For more information on the LFE channel, refer to the Pro Tools Reference Guide. Side-Chain Section The side-chain is the split-off signal used by the plug-in’s detector to trigger dynamics processing.
Expander/Gate III Controls Threshold This section describes controls for the Expander/Gate plug-in. The Threshold control sets the level below which an input signal must fall to trigger expansion or gating. Signals that fall below the threshold will be reduced in gain. Signals that are above it will be unaffected. Input/Output Level Meters The Input and Output meters show peak signal levels before and after dynamics processing. See “Levels Section” on page 65 for more information.
Ratio Release The Ratio control sets the amount of expansion. For example, if this is set to 2:1, it will lower signals below the threshold by one half. At higher ratio levels (such as 30:1 or 40:1) the Expander/Gate functions like a gate by cutting off signals that fall below the threshold. As you adjust the ratio control, refer to the built-in graph to see how the shape of the expansion curve changes.
De-Esser III To improve de-essing of material that has both very loud and very soft passages, automate the Range control so that it is lower on soft sections. The De-Esser has no control to directly adjust the threshold level (the level that an input signal must exceed to trigger de-essing). The amount of de-essing will vary with the input signal. De-Esser III Controls This section describes controls for the De-Esser plug-in.
The clip indicators at the top of each meter indicate clipping at the input or output stage of the plug-in. Clip indicators can be cleared by clicking the indicator. Gain Reduction Meter The Gain Reduction meter indicates the amount the input signal is attenuated, in dB. This meter shows different colors during de-essing: Light Orange Indicates that gain reduction is being applied, but has not reached the maximum level set by the Range control.
Use this graph as a visual guideline to see how much dynamics processing you are applying at different points in the frequency spectrum. Current gain reduction Frequency With side-chain filters, you can make dynamics processing more or less sensitive to certain frequencies. For example, you might configure the side-chain so that certain lower frequencies on a drum track trigger dynamics processing.
Side-Chain Listen When enabled, this control lets you listen to the internal or external side-chain input by itself, as well as monitor its levels with the Output meter. This is especially useful for fine-tuning the plugin’s filter settings or external key input. Side-Chain Listen is not saved with other plug-in settings.
Using an External Key Input for SideChain Processing Using a Filtered Input Signal for SideChain Processing To use a filtered or unfiltered external key input to trigger dynamics processing: To use the filtered input signal to trigger dynamics processing: 1 Click the Key Input selector and select the in- 1 Ensure the Key Input selector is set to No Key put or bus carrying the audio from the reference track or external audio source. Input.
Mod Delay II The TDM versions of the Extra Long Delay mono-to-stereo and stereo plug-in are not supported at 96 kHz. All TDM versions of the Extra Long Delay plug-in are not supported at 192 kHz. RTAS versions of the Extra Long Delay plug-in are fully supported at all sample rates. Mod Delay II Controls Input Controls the input volume of the delay to prevent clipping. Mix Controls the balance between the delayed signal (wet) and the original signal (dry).
Tempo Sync Tempo Sync provides a direct connection between session tempo and plug-in parameters that support MIDI Beat Clock. This direct connection lets plug-in parameters such as delay, auto-pan, and other time-domain effects automatically synchronize to, and follow changes in, session tempo. For plug-ins that do not support Tempo Sync, the original MIDI Beat Clock window (Setup > MIDI > MIDI Beat Clock) remains available in Pro Tools.
Multichannel Mod Delay II Signal Generator Controls The Tempo and Meter controls are linked on multichannel versions of Mod Delay II. Each channel has its own Duration and Groove controls, but the Tempo and Meter controls are global. Frequency Sets the frequency of the signal in hertz. Values range from a low of 20 Hz to a high of 20 kHz in a 44.1 kHz session.
SurroundScope Surround Display (Pro Tools HD Only) SurroundScope detects the multi-channel format of the track and displays each channel in the signal in a circle around the Surround Display. SurroundScope is a plug-in that provides surround metering for multichannel track types from 3 channels (LCR) to 8 channels (7.1 surround). Stereo and mono tracks are not supported. This version of SurroundScope is compatible with sessions that used the previous versions of SurroundScope.
PhaseScope Lissajous Meter Display PhaseScope is a multichannel metering plug-in that provides signal level and phase information for stereo tracks only. (Mono and LCR or greater multichannel tracks are not supported.) The PhaseScope Lissajous Meter displays the relationship between the amplitude and phase of a stereo signal, enabling you to monitor stereo imaging graphically.
SignalTools Display Options Both SignalTools plug-ins offer two display options: Phase Meter Display and Leq(A) Meter Display. SurroundScope With SurroundScope you can select the two channels to compare by clicking the channel buttons around the Surround Display. Selected channels are indicated in blue. To choose a display option: Click the corresponding button in the Options section of the plug-in window.
Selecting Channels for Leq(A) Metering SurroundScope With SurroundScope, you can select any combination of channels for Leq(A) metering by clicking the channel buttons around the Surround Display. Selected channels are indicated in green. Selecting SurroundScope channels for Leq (A) metering PhaseScope With PhaseScope, you can select either or both channel for Leq(A) metering by clicking the channel buttons in the corners of the Lissajous display. Selected channels are indicated in green.
Meter Types Peak (Default meter type) Uses the metering scale in DigiRack EQ III and Dynamics III plugins. RMS (Root Mean Square) was used in previous versions of the Digidesign SurroundScope plugin and uses the same “true” RMS metering scale. The “true” RMS meter scale is not the same as the AES 17 RMS scale. For a sine wave with a peak value of –20 dBFS, the “true” RMS meter will show a value of –23 dBFS. (The same sine wave will show a value of –20 dBFS on an AES 17 RMS meter.
Pitch (Pro Tools HD Only) The Pitch plug-in is designed for a variety of audio production applications ranging from pitch correction of musical material to sound design. fades to minimize undesirable artifacts. The result is a processed signal that is transposed in pitch, but still retains the same overall length as the original, unprocessed signal. The Pitch plug-in was formerly called DPP-1. It is fully compatible with all settings and presets created for DPP-1.
of repetitions of the delayed signal. You can use it to produce effects that spiral up or down in pitch, with each successive echo shifted in pitch. Coarse Adjusts the pitch of a signal in semitones over a two octave range. Pitch changes are indicated both in the Semitones field and in the Musical Staff Relative section below this slider. Using the –8va and +8va buttons in conjunction with the Coarse slider provides a full 4-octave range of adjustment.
Minimum Pitch Sets the minimum fundamental pitch that the Pitch plug-in will recognize when performing pitch transposition. Use this to optimize the Pitch plug-in’s performance by adjusting this control based on the lowest fundamental pitch of the audio material that you want to process.
TimeAdjuster Controls Phase Invert Inverts the phase (polarity) of the input signal. While most Digidesign plug-ins supply a phase invert button of their own, some third-party plug-ins may not. Phase inversion is also useful for performing delay compensation by tuning unknown delay factors by ear (see “Using TimeAdjuster for Manual Delay Compensation” on page 90). Gain Provides up to 24 dB of positive or negative gain adjustment.
the polarity (phase) of one of them, the signals will be of opposite polarity and cancel each other out. This technique is convenient for finding the exact delay setting for any plug-in. To determine the delay of a plug-in by inverting its signal phase: 1 Place duplicate audio regions on two different audio tracks and pan them to the center (mono).
Trim The Trim plug-in can be used to attenuate an audio signal from –∞ (Infinity) dB to +6 dB or –∞ (Infinity) dB to +12 dB. For example, using a multi-mono Trim plug-in on a multi-channel track provides simple, DSP-efficient muting control over the individual channels of the track. This capability is useful, since Track Mute buttons mute all channels of a multi-channel track and do not allow muting of individual channels within the track.
chapter 7 DigiRack AudioSuite Plug-ins EQ III The EQ III Plug-in provides a high-quality 7 Band, 2–4 Band, or 1 Band EQ for adjusting the frequency spectrum of audio material. 1 Band EQ The 1 Band EQ has its own window, with six selectable filter types. The EQ III Plug-in appears as two separate choices in the plug-in the AudioSuite menu: 7 Band, or 1 Band. (2–4 Band is not available in AudioSuite format; use the 7 Band instead).
Dynamics III Dynamics III provides three modules: • Compressor/Limiter • Expander/Gate • De-Esser The features of these plug-ins are non-real-time, but otherwise identical to their real-time counterparts. For information on individual controls in these plug-ins, see “Dynamics III” on page 63. De-Esser 3 plug-in Dynamics II For information, see the Digidesign Legacy Plug-ins Guide.
Chorus Chorus adds a shimmering quality to audio material by combining a time-delayed, pitchshifted copy of an audio signal with itself. The Chorus plug-in was formerly called D-fx Chorus. It is fully compatible with all settings and presets created for D-fx Chorus. Mix Adjusts the balance between the effected signal and the original signal and controls the depth of the effect. Mix is adjustable from 0% to 100%. Low-Pass Filter Controls the cutoff frequency of the Low-Pass Filter.
Flanger The Flanger animates and adds a swirling, moving quality to audio material by combing a timedelayed copy of an audio signal with itself. The Flanger uses a through-zero flanging algorithm that results in a tape-like flanging effect. This technique delays the original dry signal by 256 samples, then modulates the delayed signal back and forth in time in relation to the dry signal, passing through its zero point on the way. The Flanger plug-in was formerly called D-fx Flanger.
Multi-Tap Delay The Multi-Tap Delay adds up to four independently-controllable delays or taps to the original audio signal. Use the Multi-tap delay to add spatialization or complex rhythmic echo effects to audio material. You can individually control the delay time and number of repetitions of each of the four taps. The Multi-Tap Delay plug-in was formerly called D-fx Multi-Tap Delay. It is fully compatible with all settings and presets created for D-fx Multi-Tap Delay.
To accommodate for this, place the region in a track, and select the desired audio plus an amount of blank space at the end of the region equal to the amount of delay that you have added in the plug-in. The plug-in will then have space at the end of the region in which to write the final delay. Ping-Pong Delay The Ping-Pong Delay plug-in adds a controllable delay to the original audio signal. Use the PingPong delay to add spatialization, and panned echo to audio material.
Invert The Invert plug-in reverses the polarity of selected audio. Positive sample amplitude values are made negative, and all negative amplitudes are made positive. This process is useful for altering the phase or polarity relationship of tracks. The Invert plug-in is useful during mixing for modifying frequency response between source tracks recorded with multiple microphones. You can also use it to correct audio recorded out of phase with an incorrectly wired cable.
Selecting Audio Delay Processing Because AudioSuite Delay adds additional material (a delay tap) to the end of selected audio, make a selection that is longer than the original source material to allow the delay tap to be written into the end of the audio file. Selecting only the original material, without leaving additional space at the end, will cause delay taps that occur after the end of the region to be cut off. Normalize The Normalize plug-in optimizes the volume level of an audio selection.
Gain Signal Generator The Gain plug-in boosts or lowers a selected region’s amplitude by a specific amount. Use it to smooth out undesired peaks and other dynamic inconsistencies in audio material. The Signal Generator plug-in produces audio test tones in a variety of frequencies, waveforms, and amplitudes. Gain plug-in Gain Specifies the desired gain level. Set this value by manually adjusting the Gain slider, or by entering a numeric decibel value, or by entering a percentage.
To create an audio region using the Signal Generator plug-in: 1 Make a selection in the Tracks window. 2 Choose AudioSuite > Signal Generator. 3 Enter values for the Frequency, Level, and Sig- nal controls. Time Compression/ Expansion The Time Compression/Expansion plug-in adjusts the duration of selected regions, increasing or decreasing their length without changing pitch. 4 Click Process in the Signal Generator plug-in.
Use the Ratio, Crossfade, Min Pitch, and Accuracy controls to fine-tune the Time Compression/Expansion process. Ratio Sets the destination length in relation to the source length. Moving the slider to the right increases the length of the destination file, while moving the slider to the left decreases its length. Crossfade Adjusts the crossfade length in milliseconds, optimizing performance of the Time Compression/Expansion according to the type of audio material being processed.
Pitch Shift The Pitch Shift plug-in adjusts the pitch of any source audio file with or without a change in its duration. This is a very powerful function that transposes audio a full octave up or down in pitch with or without altering playback speed. is enabled, fidelity can be affected. For example, time expansion as a result of Time Correction when lowering pitch can cause the audio to sound granulated. Ratio Adjusts the amount of transposition (pitch change).
Accuracy Sets the processing resources allocated to audio quality (Sound) or timing (Rhythm). Set the slider toward Sound for better audio quality and fewer audio artifacts. Set the slider toward Rhythm for a more consistent tempo. Reference Pitch Activates a sine wave-based pitch generator that you can use as an audible reference when pitch-shifting audio material. Note Adjusts the frequency of the reference tone in semitones (half steps).
Audio Use the controls in the Audio section to select the most appropriate time compression and expansion algorithm (mode) for the type of material you want to process, and to attenuate the gain of the processed audio to avoid clipping. Time Use the controls in the Time section to specify the amount of time compression or expansion you want to apply.
The range pop-up menu is unavailable in Rhythmic mode and Varispeed mode. Gain The Audio Gain control attenuates the input level to avoid clipping. Adjust the Gain control from 0.0 dB to –6.0 dB to avoid clipping in the processed signal. Clip Indicator The Clip indicator indicates clipping in the processed signal. When using time compression or pitch shifting above the original pitch, it is possible for clipping to occur. The Clip indicator lights when the processed signal is clipping.
number you typed. This is especially useful for typing post production pull up and pull down factors (see “Post Production Pull Up and Pull Down Tasks” on page 110). Formant The Formant section of Time Shift lets you shift the formant shape of the selected audio independently of the fundamental frequency. This is useful for achieving formant correct pitch shifting. It can also be used as an effect.
When Rhythmic is selected as the Audio Type, the Transient section provides controls for setting the transient detection threshold, and for adjusting the decay rate of the transients in the processed audio when time stretching. Time Shift plug-in, Transient section with Rhythmic selected as the Audio Type Follow Enables an envelope follower that simulates the original acoustics of the audio being stretched. Click the Follow button to enable or disable envelope following.
Pitch The Pitch section provides controls for pitch shifting the selected audio. Use the Pitch control to transpose the pitch from –24.00 semitones (–2 octaves) to +24.00 semitones (+2 octaves), with fine resolution in cents. Shift Displays the pitch shift amount as a percentage. You can pitch shift from 25.00% (–2 octaves) to +400.00% (+2 octaves). Adjust the Pitch control or click the Shift field and type the desired value. The default value is 100% (no pitch shift).
AudioSuite Input Modes AudioSuite TCE Plug-in Preference Time Shift supports the Pro Tools AudioSuite Input Mode selector for use on mono or multi-input processing. The Time Shift plug-in’s high quality time compression and expansion algorithms that can be used with the Pro Tools TCE Trim tool. AudioSuite Input mode selector Mono Mode Processes each audio region as a mono file with no phase coherency maintained with any other simultaneously selected regions.
Processing Audio Time Shift lets you change the time and pitch of selected audio independently or concurrently. Normalizing a selection before using Time Shift may produce better results. To change the pitch of a selected audio region: 1 Select AudioSuite > Pitch Shift > Time Shift. 2 Select the Audio Mode appropriate to the type of material you are processing (Monophonic, Polyphonic, or Rhythmic).
chapter 8 Elastic Audio Plug-ins Elastic Audio Plug-in Parameters Pro Tools provides several TCE algorithms for real-time and rendered track-based Elastic Audio processing. The selected Elastic Audio plug-in determines how the audio is processed. Each plug-in uses different algorithms for Elastic Audio processing. Different algorithms are better suited to different types of audio. Select the plug-in whose algorithm is appropriate to the material on the track you want to process.
Track Selector Accesses any other audio track in the session. Plug-in Selector Lets you select any Elastic Audio plug-in or disable Elastic Audio. Real-Time or Rendered Processing Indicator Lights when Elastic Audio processing is real-time and dims when Elastic Audio processing is rendered (see “Real-Time and Rendered Elastic Audio Processing” on page 120). Clip LED Lights red to indicate clipping in the Elastic Audio processing. Clipping can occur when time compressing audio.
Follow Rhythmic Selecting the Follow option enables an envelope follower that simulates the original acoustics of the audio being stretched. The Follow button highlights when the Follow option is selected. The Rhythmic plug-in is best suited to material with clear attack transients, such as drums. Window The Polyphonic plug-in provides a single control for adjusting the analysis window length for TCE processing.
Monophonic Varispeed The Monophonic plug-in is best suited to monophonic material where you want to keep the formant relationships intact, such as with vocals. The Monophonic plug-in is also well suited to monophonic instrumental lines, such as a bass track. The Monophonic plug-in provides no plug-in specific parameters. Use the Varispeed plug-in to link time and pitch change for tape-like pitch and speed change effects, and post production workflows.
Quality Select either Maximum or Low (Faster) from the Quality pop-up menu. Maximum is the slowest processing algorithm, but provides the highest quality results. Low (Faster) produces relatively good results and is much faster than the Maximum setting. Formant For audio material with clear formants, enable Formant to preserve the formant shape of audio when applying TCE processing. Audio with a fundamental pitch has an overtone series, or set of higher harmonics.
3 From the track’s Elastic Audio Plug-in pop-up menu, select Real-Time Processing or Rendered Processing for Real-Time or Rendered Elastic Audio processing. Elastic Audio processing can be Real-Time or Rendered. Real-Time Elastic Audio processing is immediate, but it is more demanding of system resources. Rendered Elastic Audio processing is non-real-time, but is less demanding of system resources. If you are working on a system with limited resources, use Rendered Elastic Audio processing.
Elastic Audio Plug-in Button Displays the name of the selected Elastic Audio plug-in. Click the Elastic Audio Plug-in button to open the Elastic Audio Plug-in window (see “Elastic Audio Plugin Parameters” on page 113). Real-Time or Rendered Processing Indicator Lights when Elastic Audio processing is Real-Time and dims when Elastic Audio processing is Rendered (see “Real-Time and Rendered Elastic Audio Processing” on page 120).
Note that peak amplitude is not the most important measure for event confidence. The clarity of transients is measured in part by the spectral transition from one moment to the next. This tends to favor higher frequency content in terms of event confidence.
To set an Elastic Audio track to Real-Time or Rendered: 1 Click the track’s Elastic Audio Plug-in selector. 2 From the pop-up menu, select the desired Elastic Audio plug-in. 3 From the pop-up menu, select one of the fol- lowing: • Real-Time Processing • Rendered Processing Select Real-Time processing for tick-based Elastic Audio processing (such as tempo changes). Rendered audio processing can be useful for sample-based Elastic Audio processing or if you need to save system resources.
Elastic Properties If the track is sample-based, a reduced set of Elastic Audio Properties are displayed. Each region on an Elastic Audio–enabled track has specific Elastic Audio properties (such as tempo, meter, TCE factor, and Input Gain). The Elastic Properties window lets you view and change the properties for selected regions. For example, you can reduce the Input Gain for Elastic Audio processing to avoid clipping that can occur during processing.
Source Length (Tick-Based Tracks Only) To change Source Tempo of a region: The Source Length property displays the length of the region based on the source file in bars and beats. If the length of the source file was analyzed incorrectly, you can change it. 1 Open the Elastic Properties window for the re- gion. 2 Select the correct note value for the beat from the Tempo Resolution pop-up menu. For example, if the source file is in 5/8, select 1/8 note.
TCE Factor The TCE Factor property displays the percentage of change applied to the source file. On tickbased tracks, this property is display only and cannot be edited. On sample-based tracks, you can change the TCE Factor to apply TCE to the region. The percentage of the TCE factor is always calculated in relation to the source file. Event Sensitivity The Event Sensitivity property lets you filter Event markers based on the analysis confidence level.
Elastic Audio Preferences Pro Tools provides several preferences for Elastic Audio that determine which Elastic Audio plugin is used for preview and import, and whether or not new tracks are created with Elastic Audio enabled using the selected default plug-in. Processing Preferences, Elastic Audio The Elastic Properties window inherits the Default Input Gain preference.
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chapter 9 Plug-in Settings Using the Librarian The Settings Librarian makes it easy to create your own library of plug-in settings. Using the Librarian and Settings pop-up menus, you can copy, paste, save, and import these settings from plug-in to plug-in, or from session to session. The Settings Menu Use the Settings menu commands to save, copy, paste, and manage plug-in settings files. Settings menu Settings menu commands include: Save Settings Saves the current settings.
Paste Settings Pastes settings copied with the Copy Settings command. The default location for the Root Plug-in Settings folder is as follows: Import Settings Imports a settings file from a location other than the Root Settings folder or Session folder. Windows Program Files\Common Files\ Digidesign\DAE\Plug-in Settings Delete Current Settings File Permanently deletes the current settings file from disk. Lock Settings File Prevents the current settings from being overwritten by the Save command.
Managing Settings Use the Settings pop-up menu to manage settings. Unlinked multi-mono plug-ins have specific rules for settings. See “Editing Settings on Unlinked Multi-Mono Plug-ins” on page 130. To save a setting: 1 Choose Save Settings from the Settings pop-up menu. 2 Type a name and click OK. The setting appears in the Librarian menu. Press Control+Shift+S (Windows) or Command+Shift+S (Mac) to save plug-in settings. To paste a setting: 1 Open the source plug-in.
To create a settings subfolder: 1 From the Settings pop-up menu, choose Save Settings. 2 Click the New Folder button and type a name for the subfolder. 3 Name the setting and click Save. The setting is saved within the subfolder. Changing Settings with the Next (+) and Previous (–) Settings Buttons The Next (+) and Previous (–) Settings buttons let you select the next or previous setting of the Librarian menu.
To change plug-in settings using the Plug-in Settings dialog: 1 Click the Settings Select button. To audition plug-in settings: 1 Click the Settings Select button. 2 From the Settings dialog, click a setting—the Settings Select Plug-in header settings starting point from which you will scroll through the settings files. 3 Enter a value for the number of seconds that will elapse between each program change, and press Enter. 4 Select the option for Increment Patch.
DigiBase and Plug-in Settings Files 5 To sort your search by Plug-in Name or Man- ufacturer, click the corresponding column title. DigiBase browsers recognize plug-ins settings files (.txf) as a known Type and lets you drag and drop them to Pro Tools plug-in windows and Inserts. You can also search for plug-in settings by type. Searching for Plug-in Settings Files To search for plug-in settings files: 1 In the Workspace browser, click the Search icon.
Dragging and Dropping Plug-in Settings Files To change plug-in settings by drag and drop: You can insert a plug-in with a specific plug-in settings file, as well as change plug-in settings of inserted plug-ins by dragging and dropping plug-in settings files from a DigiBase browser, Windows Explorer, or the Mac Finder. Drag and drop a plug-in settings file from a DigiBase browser, Windows Explorer, or the Mac Finder to the plug-in window. The plug-in settings file must be for the same plug-in name.
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chapter 10 Using ReWire with Pro Tools Pro Tools supports ReWire version 2.0 technology developed by Propellerheads Software. ReWire is available using the DigiRack RTAS plugin. ReWire provides real-time audio and MIDI streaming between applications, with sampleaccurate synchronization and common transport functionality. Compatible ReWire client applications are automatically detected by Pro Tools and are available in the RTAS Plug-ins Insert menus in Pro Tools.
MIDI from Pro Tools to ReWire client (Reason) Audio from ReWire client (Reason) to Pro Tools MIDI from ReWire client (Reason) to Pro Tools Figure 1.
ReWire Requirements To use the ReWire plug-in, you will need: • A Digidesign-qualified Pro Tools system • ReWire-compatible client software (such as Reason from Propellerheads Software) Client software must support the same sample rate as the session using ReWire. For example, third-party client software that does not support sample rates beyond 48 kHz cannot be used in 96 kHz Pro Tools sessions. ReWire support is also under development for other third-party companies.
Using ReWire The ReWire plug-in is installed when you install Pro Tools. All inter-application communications between Pro Tools and ReWire client software is handled automatically. To use a ReWire client application with Pro Tools: 1 Make sure that the ReWire client application is installed properly and that you have restarted your computer. 2 In Pro Tools, choose Track > New and specify one Instrument track (or audio or Auxiliary Input track), and click Create.
6 In the Mix window, click the track’s MIDI Output selector a and select the ReWire client application. Some ReWire clients (such as Reason) may list multiple devices. If so, choose the device that you want. MIDI Automation with ReWire You can use Pro Tools MIDI tracks to record MIDI continuous controller (CC) data from a ReWire client application, and then play back MIDI from Pro Tools to send the recorded MIDI CC data back to the ReWire client application.
To record MIDI from a ReWire client application in Pro Tools: 1 In Pro Tools, create a new MIDI track. 6 Adjust the parameter for which you want to record MIDI CC data. Parameter changes are recorded to the Pro Tools MIDI track as CC data. 2 From the track’s MIDI Input selector, select the ReWire device that you want to record.
Playing Back MIDI Continuous Controller Data Over ReWire Once you have recorded MIDI CC data from the ReWire client application to a MIDI track, configure the MIDI track to play the ReWire client application. You can also edit the MIDI CC data in Pro Tools until you achieve the best results. To play back MIDI CC data over ReWire: 1 From the MIDI track’s MIDI Output selector, select the ReWire client application device you want to control (the same device from which you recorded the MIDI CC data).
Looping Playback Because Pro Tools does not offer separate loop markers as found in other third party applications such as Reason, if you want to loop playback, do one of the following: Automating ReWire Input Switching ReWire supports automation for switching inputs during playback. To automate switching inputs during playback: To loop playback in Pro Tools: 1 In the Pro Tools Timeline, select the time range that you want to loop.
appendix a DSP Requirements for TDM Plug-ins The number of TDM plug-ins you can use at one time depends on how much DSP power is available in your system. Since the TDM hardware on Pro Tools cards provide dedicated DSP for plugins, plug-in performance is not limited by CPU processing power. The DSP tables on the following pages show the theoretical total number of instances of each DigiRack TDM plug-in that can be powered by a single DSP chip on Pro Tools|HD-series cards.
Mono and Stereo DigiRack Plug-ins on HD Cards The following table compares the maximum number of instances of each DigiRack TDM plug-in that can be powered by a single DSP chip on an HD Accel card to that of HD Core and HD Process cards. Maximum instances of real-time TDM plug-ins per DSP chip for Pro Tools|HD cards at 44.
Multi-Mono and Multi-Channel DigiRack Plug-ins Plug-ins used in multi-mono format on greater-than-stereo tracks require one mono instance per channel of the multi-channel audio format. A multi-mono EQ used on a 5.1 format track, for example, requires six mono instances since there are six audio channels in the 5.1 format.
Table 2. (Continued) Theoretical maximum instances of real-time TDM plug-ins per DSP chip for a Pro Tools HD Core and HD Process card at 48 kHz** Plug-in LCR Quad & LCRS 5.0 5.1 & 6.0 6.1 & 7.0 7.
appendix b DSP Delays Incurred by TDM Plug-ins Virtually all TDM plug-ins incur some amount of signal delay. If you are working with mono tracks, or are processing all channels with the same plug-in, the signal delays are not long enough to be significant and should not be a concern. This signal delay is significant only if you use a plug-in on one channel of a stereo or multichannel signal but not the others, since this can cause the channels to be slightly out of phase.
Table 3.
index Numerics 7 Band, 2–4 Band, or 1 Band (EQ III) 43 A Accuracy control 103, 105 adjusting plug-in parameters computer keyboard 41 keyboard shortcuts 41 mouse 41 scroll wheel 42 toggling switches 42 Algorithm control 62 AudioSuite buffer size 38 Input Mode selector 111 Invert 99 multichannel processing 35 plug-ins 2 Preview 111 processing 39 processing preferences 37, 111 AudioSuite plug-in selector 32 AudioSuite plug-ins Chorus 95 DC Offset Removal 102 Delay 99 Duplicate 99 Flanger 96 Gain 101 Invert 9
clipping 18 closing multiple plug-in windows 20 Coarse & Fine controls 104 Compare button 18 compensating for DSP delays 147 Compressor/Limiter (AudioSuite) 94 computer keyboard adjusting plug-in parameters 41 configuring AudioSuite Buffer 38 Convert Plug-in pop-up 18 Copy Settings command 127 copying a plug-in setting 129 CPU meter 10 CPU power requirements for RTAS plug-ins 10 CPU Usage Limit 10 Create Continuous File command 34 Create Individual Files command 33 creating a settings subfolder 130 Crossfad
F K favorites 6 Feedback control 87, 95, 96, 97 File Mode selector 33 Fine control 88 Flanger plug-in 96 flattening a track 99 Frequency control 81 Frequency Graph display (EQ III) 45 key input 22 definition 22 Key Input selector 19 using for external side-chain processing 23 Key Input selector 23, 36 Key Listen control 23 keyboard shortcuts 64 adjusting plug-in parameters 41 G Gain control 97 Gain plug-in 101 H Hall algorithm 62 Hardware 6 Hardware Buffer Size 10 Harmonic 6 HD-series cards DSP delays
Leq(A) 84 level meters 85 Lissajous in PhaseScope 83 multichannel SurroundScope 82 Nordic 86 Peak 86 Peak + RMS 86 peak hold options 86 Phase Meter 84 PhaseScope 83 reference mark 86 RMS 86 VU 86 MIDI Beat Clock 23, 80 MIDI Output selector 139 Minimum Pitch control 89, 103, 104 Mix control 95, 97 Mod Delay II Tempo Sync 24 Mod Delay II plug-ins 79 Modulation 6 mono plug-ins 15 mouse adjusting plug-in parameters 41 moving inserts 17 multi-channel plug-ins 16 multi-mono plug-ins 15 MultiShell II compatible pl
removing 16 post-disk inserts 15 POW-r Dither plug-in 60 Pre-delay control 63 pre-fader inserts 15 preferences Plug-in Controls Default to Auto-Enabled 24 previewing AudioSuite effects 35 Process Mode selector 34 processing AudioSuite 35 multichannel for AudioSuite 35 preferences 37 requirements of real-time plug-ins 9 R Ratio control 88, 103, 104 real-time plug-ins 9 recording with plug-in effects 15 reference mark in SignalTools 86 Reference Pitch control 105 Region by Region mode 34 Region List command
Signal Present Indicator 87 SignalTools level meters 85 Size control 62 Slap Delay plug-in 79 Sound Field 6 Source and Destination controls 102 subfolders, creating for settings 129 SurroundScope 82 switches adjusting plug-in parameters 42 system settings RTAS Processors 11 System Usage window 146 RTAS 10 TDM 9 T Target button 19 TC/E control 38 TCE Trim tool 111 TCE Trim tool preference 38 TDM plug-ins 1, 9 DSP requirements 143 inserting on tracks 16 moving and duplicating 17 ordering with RTAS plug-ins 2
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