User Manual

UAD Powered Plug-Ins Manual - 308 - Chapter 36: SPL Transient Designer
Acknowledgement
In addition to creating an amazing piece of hardware, Sound Performance
Lab also wrote an extensive user manual for the Transient Designer. Because
Universal Audio has full license to make use of the Transient Designer technol-
ogy, SPL has graciously authorized us to use their documentation as well.
The remainder of this chapter is excerpted from the SPL Transient Designer
(RackPack) User Manual, and is used with kind permission from SPL. All copy-
rights are retained by SPL.
Applications
The SPL Transient Designer is ideally suited for use in professional recording,
in project or home studios and sound reinforcement applications.
For the first time you can manipulate and control the attack and sustain char-
acteristics of a signal regardless of level in the most intuitive and simple way.
Usually equalizers are used to separate instruments in a mix – the tonal aspect
of the signal is considered, but not the temporal aspect.
The Transient Designer opens this further dimension in signal processing. By
manipulating the attack and sustain curves of a sound event, the mix can be
made to sound more transparent. Instruments can be mixed at lower levels
while still maintaining their positions in the mix—but occupying less space.
During a remix or in general after micing you can arrange new positions of
instruments. Reduce ATTACK and increase SUSTAIN to move signals back
into the mix that are too present. Additionally the FX parts of too dry signals
are strengthened.
Applied to single instruments or loops the Transient Designer allows you to
create entirely new sounds and/or effects.
The following examples are given as suggestions and examples. The de-
scribed procedures with specific instruments can of course be transferred to
others that are not mentioned here.
Drums &
Percussions
Processing drum and percussion sounds is probably the Transient Designer’s
most typical range of application; both from samples to live drum sets
• Emphasize the attack of a kick drum or a loop to increase the power and
presence in the mix.