Introduction Conceived and designed as an exceptional virtual embodiment of a Steinway CD 327 grand piano, Eighty Eight Ensemble 2.0 affords piano and keyboard players the opportunity to experience a truly world-class grand piano from the comfort of their digital audio workstation.
Installation Important: If you are using a version of Eighty Eight that is older than Version 2.0, this installation will not overwrite or uninstall that version. Also, any files you use or save with either version are neither backward-compatible nor forward-compatible—you cannot use files from Eighty Eight 1.0 with Eighty Eight 2.0 and vice versa. Windows 1. Place all of the installer's parts in the same location (we recommend a folder on your Desktop). 2. Double-click the part1 file. 3.
Getting Started The Eighty Eight graphical interface is depicted below. 1 2 3 1. The menu bar shows the output level of Eighty Eight (at the far left) as well as icons (at the far right) that allow you to load and save your sounds. The output meters display the real-time level of the stereo output. Use these meters to gauge how "hot" your signal is. Change the volume knob in the main editing window to adjust the output level.
Using Patches Patches are the sounds inside Eighty Eight. Over 100 Patches are included for you to play with, and any of these can be edited using the knobs and sliders and saved as new Patches. Any Eighty Eight file with the extension .svx is an Patch file. Loading a Patch To play Patches, you must first load one into the interface. To load a Patch: 1. Click the Load button. 2. Choose Load SVX File. 3. Locate and select the Patch file (.
MIDI Learn Learn The MIDI Learn feature lets you to assign or "map" its controls to any hardware MIDI controller. To do this: 1. Click the Learn button to enter Learn Mode, which lets you to assign hardware MIDI controls to the parameters. 2. While in Learn Mode, adjust a parameter in Eighty Eight and then move a knob or slider on your hardware MIDI controller. That knob or slider will now control that parameter. 3. Click the Learn button again to exit Learn Mode.
Operation This section describes the controls and different sections of Eighty Eight. Adjusting the Controls • Knobs: Change the position of a knob (e.g., Volume, Pan, Gain, Threshold, etc.) by clicking and dragging it up or down. Release it when you reach the desired position. Double-clicking the knob sets it to the 12 o'clock position. If the knob's numerical value is displayed under the knob, you can double-click the value, enter it, and press your keyboard's Enter button.
Menu Bar Level Meters The level meters in the window's upper left corner indicate the audio output volume—both left and right channels. Adjust the audio output level with the Volume knob in the main editing window. Settings This window lets you configure various settings related to the application itself. Click the Settings button (gear icon) in the upper left corner of the main window to open it. • Sample Content Directory: This is the file path for your audio samples.
Patch and Preset Controls You can load or save Patches or MIDI Learn Presets by using the buttons in the upper right corner of the window. The name of the current Patch is shown to the left of the Browser button. Click the Load button to load a file: • Load SVX File: Select this to find a Patch (.svx) to load. • Load MIDI Learn: Select this to load a MIDI Learn Preset (.sml). Click the Save button to save a file: • Save SVX File: Select this to name and save your current Patch (.svx).
Browser Click the Browser to enter or exit the Browser, which lets you view and load your available Patches (.svx) and sort them according to their Attributes. Load a Patch by double-clicking it from the Filename list. Click various Attributes in the Class, Genre, and Character lists to show only the Patches with those characteristics. To change a Patch's Attributes: 1. Double-click it to load it. 2. Click the Attributes button. 3. Click any Attribute(s) you want to select or deselect. 4.
Main Editing Window Eighty Eight's main editing window is divided up into several sections: Master, Levels, Limiter, Equalizer, and Reverb. Master Section These controls affect the Patch's sound, regardless of the kind of Patch and the settings of the other sections' controls. Volume Click and drag the Volume knob to adjust Eighty Eight's audio output level. Watch the level meters in the upper left corner of the window to monitor the level.
Levels Section The knobs in the Levels Section set the relative volume for instrument-specific parameters. Each Patch uses a certain instrument (or combination of instruments), which can be affected by one or more of these knobs. Layer In Pad Patches (from the Patches folder, usually with Choir, Pad, Strings, or Synth in the name), this knob sets the volume of the pad (non-piano/lead) layer.
Limiter Section Off-On Click this switch to turn the Limiter on or off. Gain This knob sets the make-up gain the limiter applies to the signal after it reaches the threshold. Threshold This knob sets the audio volume level at which the limiter will activate. Lower settings reduce the piano's perceived dynamic range, introducing a more "aggressive" character to the sound. Equalizer Section Off-On Click this switch to turn the Equalizer on or off.
Reverb Section Off-On Click this switch to turn the Reverb on or off. Dry, Wet These two knobs determine the blend between the signal without reverb (Dry) and the reverb signal (Wet). It's important to strike the right balance between these two settings, which affect how the listener imagines the piano being played in a particular room or other space. If the Dry knob is up but the Wet knob is at the minimum setting, you will hear only the piano sound without any reverb.
Keyboard The virtual keyboard at the bottom of the window shows which notes are being played. The controls next to it determine its performance. Pitch Tune This slider sets the keyboard's fine tuning (in cents). To set it, you can (A) click and drag the slider, (B) click on the desired position, or (C) double-click the value under the slider, type in a value, and press your keyboard's Enter key. Transpose This slider sets the keyboard's transposition (in semitones or half-steps).
Key Split Eighty Eight's Key Split feature lets you set Zones on the keyboard that each correspond to a different sound within the Patch (e.g., one Zone triggers a piano sound while another Zone triggers a bass sound). Important: • You can use Key Split only when using a Patch with the Key Split Combis Attribute (by default), as shown in the Browser. • A Key Split Combi Patches have two Zones or three Zones.
To edit the Key Split Zones: 1. Click the Show button next to the virtual keyboard. The Zones will appear as differently shaded boxes over the keys. 2. Click the Edit button (next to the Show button). 3. Click one of the Zones. When selected, it will be outlined in red. 4. Click and drag the left and right edges of the Zone to adjust the range. You can click anywhere in the middle of the Zone and drag it to shift the entire range. 5. Repeat Steps 3-4 for the other Zone. 6.
Automation Many of Eighty Eight's parameters can be automated inside your DAW. This section has a few tips about automating those parameters. If you haven't used automation in your tracks before, though, consult your DAW's reference manual for specific instructions on automating plug-in parameters. When automating parameters, select the desired parameter from the list of Eighty Eight's automation parameters and either draw the automation in with your mouse or use a hardware controller to record it.
FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions Through our intensive testing and the feedback we've received from our beta team and users like you, we've compiled a list of some helpful tips in troubleshooting problems. If this guide isn't helpful in solving your issues, please first check sonivoxmi.com for the latest updates and information regarding this product. If this doesn't solve your issue, please contact our support team at sonivoxmi.com/support, and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
Issue: My plug-in does not show up. Solution: Before proceeding, make sure that you have the latest updates installed. Once you have the latest updates, try the following for your software: • Steinberg Cubase™ or Nuendo™: From the Devices menu, open the plug-in information window. Make sure that the installed plug-in can be seen. Click the checkbox next to the plug-in name to activate it. Restart Cubase or Nuendo and the changes should take effect.
Trademarks and Licenses Copyright © 2011 Sonic Network, Inc. This SONiVOX product and all its individual components referred to in this document are protected under United States and international copyright laws, with all rights reserved. Eighty Eight Ensemble 2.0 is provided as a license to you, the customer. Ownership of Eighty Eight is maintained solely by Sonic Network, Inc. All terms of use for Eighty Eight are documented in the End-User License Agreement found in the product installer.
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