Audio Plug-Ins Guide Version 10.
Legal Notices This guide is copyrighted ©2011 by Avid Technology, Inc., (hereafter “Avid”), with all rights reserved. Under copyright laws, this guide may not be duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of Avid.
Contents Part I Introduction to Pro Tools Plug-Ins Chapter 1. Audio Plug-Ins Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Avid Audio Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Plug-In Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Using Plug-Ins in Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
EQ III EQ Band Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 EQ III Frequency Graph Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 7 Band EQ III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 2–4 Band EQ III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 11. Dynamics III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Dynamics III Shared Features and Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Compressor/Limiter III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Expander/Gate III. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Part IV Pitch Shift Plug-Ins Chapter 20. AIR Frequency Shifter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Frequency Shifter Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Chapter 21. Pitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Pitch Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 29. D-Verb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 D-Verb Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 Chapter 30. Reverb One. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 A Reverb Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Part VI Delay Plug-Ins Chapter 33. AIR Dynamic Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217 Dynamic Delay Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217 Chapter 34. AIR Multi-Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221 Multi-Delay Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Part VII Modulation Plug-Ins Chapter 43. AIR Chorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 AIR Chorus Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 Chapter 44. AIR Ensemble. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251 Ensemble Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 58. Reel Tape Flanger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283 Reel Tape Common Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284 Reel Tape Flanger Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284 Chapter 59. Sci-Fi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Part IX Noise Reduction Plug-Ins Chapter 69. DINR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335 How Broadband Noise Reduction Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335 BNR Spectral Graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336 Broadband Noise Reduction Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Drum Pattern Using Boom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380 Saving a Boom Pattern as a Preset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380 Playing with Patterns in Boom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381 Controlling Boom with MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 82. TL Drum Rehab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 429 TL Drum Rehab Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430 TL Drum Rehab Controls and Displays Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434 TL Drum Rehab Main Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Part XIII Other Plug-Ins Chapter 87. BF Essentials Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 487 BF Essential Clip Remover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 487 BF Essential Correlation Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 488 BF Essential Meter Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 95. Other AudioSuite Plug-In Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525 DC Offset Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525 Duplicate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525 Gain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Part XV Synchronic Chapter 99. Synchronic Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 563 Chapter 100. Synchronic Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 565 Synchronic Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 565 Playing Synchronic RTAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Part I: Introduction to Pro Tools Plug-Ins
Chapter 1: Audio Plug-Ins Overview Plug-Ins are special-purpose software components that provide additional signal processing and other functionality to Pro Tools ®. These include plug-ins that come with your Pro Tools system, as well as many other plug-ins that can be added to your system. Additional plug-ins are available both from Avid and our third-party developers. See the documentation that came with the plug-in for operational information.
• BF Essentials utility plug-ins • SansAmp PSA-1 • Essential Clip Remover • Signal Generator • Essential Correlation Meter • SignalTools • Essential Meter Bridge • SurroundScope • Essential Noise Meter • PhaseScope • Click • TimeAdjuster • D-Fi plug-ins • Time Compression/Expansion • Lo-Fi ™ • Time Shift • Recti-Fi ™ • TL AutoPan ™ • Sci-Fi ™ • Vari-Fi ™ • D-fx plug-ins • Chorus • Flanger • Multi-Tap Delay • Ping-Pong Delay • Dither • D-Verb • Dynamics III • Compressor/Limiter • TL InTu
Avid Plug-Ins for Purchase • TL EveryPhase ™ The following plug-ins are available separately for purchase or rental: • TL Space ™ TDM and TL Space Native • Voce Spin • Bomb Factory BF-3A • Voce Chorus/Vibrato • Bomb Factory BF-2A • X-Form ™ high-quality time compression and expansion plug-in ™ ™ • Bruno & Reso cross-synthesis plug-ins • Cosmonaut Voice • DINR ™ intelligent noise reduction • Eleven ™ guitar amplifier modeling plug-in • Fairchild 660 and 670 • Impact ® Plug-In Formats There are thr
AAX Plug-Ins AAX (Avid Audio Extension) plug-ins provide real-time plug-in processing using host-based (“Native”) processing. The AAX plug-in format also supports AudioSuite non-real-time, filebased rendered processing. TDM Plug-Ins (Pro Tools|HD and VENUE Systems Only) TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) plug-ins provide real-time DSP-based (“DSP”) processing with Pro Tools HD software on Pro Tools|HD hardware. AAX plug-in files use the “.aax” file suffix. TDM plug-in files use the “.dpm” file suffix.
Conventions Used in Pro Tools Documentation System Requirements and Compatibility for Plug-Ins Pro Tools documentation uses the following conventions to indicate menu choices, keyboard commands, and mouse commands: To use Pro Tools plug-ins, you need the following: • Any of the following systems: • An Avid-qualified system running Pro Tools or Pro Tools HD Convention Action File > Save Choose Save from the File menu Control+N Hold down the Control key and press the N key • A qualified Avid Media C
Contents of the Boxed Version of Your Plug-In If you bought your plug-in as a boxed version, it includes the following: • Installation disc (for selected plug-ins) • Activation Card with an Activation Code for authorizing plug-ins with an iLok USB Smart Key About www.avid.com The Avid website (www.avid.com) is your best online source for information to help you get the most out of your Pro Tools system. The following are just a few of the services and features available.
Chapter 2: Installing Plug-Ins Installers for your plug-ins can be downloaded from the Avid store (store.avid.com) or can be found on the plug-in installer disc (included boxed versions of selected plug-ins). An installer may also be available on the Pro Tools installer disc or on a software bundle installer disc. Free Pro Tools Plug-Ins A suite of free Avid audio effects and virtual instruments plug-ins are included with Pro Tools.
Installing Plug-Ins for Pro Tools To install a plug-in: 1 Do one of the following: • Download the installer for your computer platform from the Avid website (www.avid.com). After downloading, you may need to uncompress the installer (.SIT on Mac or .ZIP on Windows). Authorizing Paid Plug-Ins Pro Tools plug-ins are authorized using the iLok USB Smart Key (iLok), manufactured by PACE Anti-Piracy.
Authorizing Boxed Versions of Plug-Ins for Pro Tools Authorizing Plug-Ins on VENUE Systems If you purchased a boxed version of software, it comes with an Activation Code (on the included Activation Card). After installing a plug-in on a VENUE system, the system re-creates the list of available plugins. Whenever the racks initialize, the system checks authorizations for all installed plug-ins. If no previous authorization for a plug-in is recognized, you will be prompted to authorize the the plug-in.
Removing Plug-Ins for Pro Tools Removing Plug-Ins for VENUE Systems If you need to remove a plug-in from your Pro Tools system, follow the instructions for your computer platform. Plug-Ins installed on VENUE systems can be disabled, uninstalled, or deleted. A plug-in that has been disabled or uninstalled (but not deleted) can be reinstalled without the CD-ROM or USB drive containing the plug-in installers.
Part II: EQ Plug-Ins
Chapter 3: AIR Kill EQ AIR Kill EQ is an RTAS EQ plug-in. Use the Kill EQ plug-in to zap out the Low, Mid, or High broadband frequency range from an audio signal. This is a popular effect with DJs and is commonly used in electronic music production (especially in dance music). Kill EQ Controls The Kill EQ plug-in provides a variety of controls for adjusting plug-in parameters. Kill Switches The High, Mid, and Low switches toggle their respective frequency bands on and off.
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Chapter 4: 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, and AudioSuite • 2–4 Band: TDM and RTAS only • 1 Band: TDM, RTAS, and 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, multi-mono, or stereo plug-in.
1 Band EQ The 1 Band EQ is available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. The 1 Band EQ has its own window, with six selectable filter types. Adjusting EQ III Controls You can adjust the EQ III plug-in controls using different methods. Dragging Plug-In Controls The rotary controls on the EQ III plug-in can be adjusted by dragging over them horizontally or vertically. Dragging up or to the right increments the control. Dragging down or to the left decrements the control.
Dragging in the Frequency Graph Display Resetting EQ III Controls to Default Values You can adjust the following by dragging the control points directly in the Frequency Graph display: You can reset any on-screen control to its default value by Alt-clicking (Windows) or Option-clicking (Mac OS) directly on the control or on its corresponding text box. Frequency Dragging a control point to the right increases the Frequency setting. Dragging a control point to the left decreases the Frequency setting.
When monitoring in Band-Pass mode, the Frequency and Q controls function differently. Frequency Sets the frequency above and below which other frequencies are cut off, leaving a narrow band of mid-range frequencies. Q Sets the width of the narrow band of midrange frequencies centered around the Frequency setting. EQ III I/O Controls Certain Input and Output controls are found on all EQ III configurations, except where noted otherwise.
Input Polarity Control The Input Polarity button inverts the polarity of the input signal, to help compensate for phase anomalies occurring in multi-microphone environments, or because of mis-wired balanced connections.
Band Enable Button (7 Band EQ and 2–4 Band EQ Only) The Band Enable button on each EQ band toggles the corresponding band in and out of circuit. When a Band Enable button is highlighted, the band is in circuit. When a Band Enable button is dark gray, the band is bypassed and available for activation. On the 2–4 Band EQ, when a Band Enable button is light gray, the band is bypassed and unavailable.
EQ III 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 III 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. In the factory default setting, the High Pass/Low Notch and Low Pass/High Notch bands are out of circuit, the Low Shelf and High Shelf bands are selected and in circuit, and the Low Mid Peak, Mid Peak, High Mid Peak bands are in circuit.
7 Band EQ III High Pass/Low Notch 7 Band EQ III 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.
7 Band EQ III 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 frequen- cies centered around the Frequency setting. The width of the affected band is determined by the Q setting.
7 Band EQ III Low Mid Peak 7 Band EQ III 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.
7 Band EQ III 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. Q control Band Enable button Frequency control 7 Band EQ III High Shelf/High Peak The High Shelf/Peak band is switchable between high shelf EQ and high peak EQ functions. By default, this band is set to High Shelf. High Shelf EQ Boosts or cuts frequencies at and above the Frequency setting.
The High Shelf and High Peak Gain controls and their corresponding graph elements are displayed on-screen in blue. The following control values are available: Control Value Frequency Range 1.8 kHz to 20 kHz Frequency Default 6 kHz High Shelf Q Range 0.1 to 2.0 High Peak Q Range 0.1 to 10.0 Q Default 1.
Switching Between the 2–4 Band EQ and 7 Band EQ III 1 Band EQ III When you switch an existing EQ III plug-in between the 2–4 Band and 7 Band versions, or when you import settings between versions, the change is subject to the following conditions: The Frequency Graph display in the 1 Band EQ shows a control dot that indicates the center frequency (Peak, Shelf and Notch Filters) or the cutoff frequency (High Pass and Low Pass filters) for the currently selected filter type.
Band Controls Notch Filter The individual EQ types have some combination of the following controls, as noted below. The Notch Filter attenuates a narrow band of frequencies centered around the Frequency setting. No gain control is available for this EQ type. The width of the attenuated band is determined by the Q setting. Control Value Frequency Range (All) 20 Hz to 20 kHz Frequency Default (All) 1 kHz Q Range (Low/High Shelf) 0.1 to 2.0 Q Range (Peak/Notch) 0.1 to 10.0 Q Default (All) 1.
Low Shelf EQ Low Pass Filter The 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. The Low Pass filter attenuates all frequencies above the cutoff frequency setting at the selected rate (6 dB, 12 dB, 18 dB, or 24 dB per octave) while letting all frequencies below pass through. No gain control is available for this filter type.
Chapter 5: JOEMEEK VC5 Meequalizer The JOEMEEK VC5 Meequalizer is an EQ plug-in that is available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats and offers simple controls with incredibly warm, musical results. JOEMEEK Meequalizer Controls Operation of the Meequalizer is dead simple, and that’s the whole point. Bass The Bass control adjusts low frequencies ±11. Mid and Mid Freq The Mid and Mid Freq conJOEMEEK Meequalizer VC5 EQ How the Meequalizer Works Picture this: drums in the spare bedroom.
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Chapter 6: Pultec Plug-Ins Pultec plug-ins are a set of EQ plug-ins that are available TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. The following plug-ins are included: • Pultec EQP-1A (see “Pultec EQP-1A” on page 35) • Pultec EQH-2 (see “Pultec EQH-2 ” on page 36) • Pultec MEQ-5 (see “Pultec MEQ-5 ” on page 37) How Pultec EQP-1A Works Built in the early 1960s, The Pultec EQP-1A offers gentle shelving program equalization on bass and highs, and offers a variable bandwidth peak boost control.
Pultec EQP-1A Tips and Tricks Twelve O’Click Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) any knob to reset it to its unity position. “Q” and A You may wonder why the Pultec EQP-1A has separate knobs for boost and cut. The short answer is that they connect to different circuitry in the unit. Use caution, because the Sharp bandwidth setting results in up to 10 dB higher output than Broad bandwidth at maximum Boost, just like on the original. But don’t feel like you’re getting cheated.
Pultec EQH-2 Controls Low Frequency Section Adjust low frequencies using the top row of Boost and Atten knobs and the CPS (cycles per second) switch. All low-frequency equalization is a gentle shelving type, 6 dB per octave. High Frequency Boost Section Boost mid and high frequencies using the KCS (kilocycles per second) and Boost knobs on the second row. High Frequency Attenuate Section Cut high fre- quencies using the 10k Atten knob located at the right side of the plug-in.
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Part III: Dynamics Plug-Ins
Chapter 7: BF-2A The BF-2A is a vintage-style compressor plug-in that is available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. Meticulously crafted to capture every nuance of the legendary LA-2A tube studio compressor, the Bomb Factory BF-2A provides the most authentic vintage compression sound available. BF-2A How BF-2A Works Designed and manufactured in the early 1960s, the LA-2A achieved wide acclaim for its smooth compression action and extremely high quality audio signal path.
BF-2A Controls The Peak Reduction and Gain controls combine with the Comp/Limit switch to determine the amount and sound of the compression. The following controls and meters are provided: Gain Gain provides makeup gain to bring the signal back after passing through peak reduction. Peak Reduction Peak Reduction controls the amount of signal entering the side-chain, which in turn affects the amount of compression and the threshold. The more Peak Reduction you dial in, the more “squashed” the sound.
4 In the Edit window, do one of the following: • Click the Track View selector and select Side-Chain Filter from the BF-2A submenu. – or – • Reveal an Automation lane for the track, click the Automation Type selector and select Side-Chain Filter from the BF-2A submenu. 5 Edit the breakpoint automation for the BF-2A side-chain filter. Control range is from 0 (the default setting where no filtering is applied to the side-chain) to 100% (maximum side-chain filtering).
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Chapter 8: BF-3A The BF-3A is a vintage-style compressor plug-in that is available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. Bomb Factory extends its award-winning Classic Compressors line with the BF-3A, based on the classic LA-3A. A secret weapon of pros in the know, the LA-3A adds a smoothness and sonic texture that makes sounds jump right out of the mix. While the LA-2A’s gain comes from a tube amplifier, the LA-3A's gain comes from a solidstate (transistor) amplifier.
Comp/Lim The Comp/Limit switch affects the compression ratio. The common setting for audio production is Comp, which provides a maximum compression ratio of approximately 3:1. In Limit mode, the unit behaves more like a broadcast limiter, with a higher threshold and compression ratio of approximately 15:1. Meter Both Gain Reduction and Output meter- ing are provided.
Chapter 9: BF76 The BF76 is a vintage-style compressor plug-in that is available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. Modeled after the solid-state (transistor) 1176 studio compressor, the Bomb Factory BF76 preserves every sonic subtlety of this classic piece of studio gear. enjoy this sound—previously only available to super-serious-pro-engineers working in expensive pro recording studios—in the privacy of your own cubicle.
Ratio The Ratio Push switches select the compression ratio from 4:1 to 20:1. Meter The Meter Push switches affect the meter- ing. • GR shows the amount of gain reduction. • –18 and –24 show the output level (calibrated so that 0VU indicates –18dB FS and –24dB FS respectively). • The “Off ” switch turns off the meter. BF76 Tips and Tricks AudioSuite Processing When using the AudioSuite version of the Bomb Factory BF76, be sure to select a side-chain input (normally the track you are processing).
Chapter 10: Channel Strip Avid Channel Strip is an AAX plug-in (Native and AudioSuite) that provides EQ, Dynamics, Filter, and Gain effects. The Avid Channel Strip processing algorithms are based on the award winning Euphonix System 5 console channel strip effects. Channel Strip supports 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz and 192 kHz sample rates. Channel Strip supports mono, stereo, and greater-than-stereo multichannel formats up to 7.
When showing the Dynamics or EQ/Filters sections, several tabbed panes of controls are available for each section. You can click a tab to show the controls for that tabbed pane. For Expand/Gate and Compressor/Limiter, and also for the For the EQ and Filter effects, clicking the corresponding control point on the graph display automatically shows the tab for Expander/Gate or the Compressor/Limiter, or the corresponding EQ band or Filter.
Listen Mode The Side Chain tab in the Dynamics section, and the EQ and Filter tabs in the EQ/Filter section provide a Listen button. When enabled for the Side Chain, Listen mode lets you hear the input signal that feeds the dynamic section. This can be either the external key input or the internal side chain (including the applied filter).
Phase Invert The Phase Invert button at the top of the Input section inverts the phase (polarity) of the input signal, to help compensate for phase anomalies that can occur either in multi-microphone environments or because of mis-wired balanced connections. To toggle between the Gain Reduction and Input meters: Click the Input/Gain Reduction toggle in the top right-hand corner of the Input section.
Output Volume Control The Output Volume control sets the output volume after processing, letting you make up gain or prevent clipping on the channel where the Channel Strip plug-in is being used. The Output Volume control can be set to apply at the end of the FX Chain (Post) or before the FX Chain (PRE), see “FX Chain” on page 53. To set the FX Chain: Click the FX Chain show/hide button to reveal the Process Order options.
Dynamics The Dynamics section of Channel Strip provides Expander/Gate, Compressor/Limiter, and Side Chain processing all in one. This section also provides a dynamics graphic display for the Compressor/Limiter and Expander/Gate plug-ins. The display shows a curve that represents the level of the input signal (on the horizontal x–axis) and the amount of gain reduction applied (on the vertical y–axis). The vertical line represents the threshold.
Using the Dynamics Graph to Adjust Controls You can drag in the Dynamics Graph display to adjust the corresponding Expander/Gate and Compressor/Limiter controls. The cursor updates to show which control is being adjusted: • Expander/Gate Ratio • Expander/Gate Knee The Dynamics Graph display shows the threshold as a vertical line. Attack The Attack control sets the attack time, or the rate at which gain is reduced after the input signal crosses the threshold.
Release The Release control sets how long it takes for the gate to close after the input signal falls below the threshold level and the hold time has passed. Knee The Knee control sets the rate at which the Expander/Gate reaches full effect once the threshold has been exceeded. Hysteresis The Hysteresis ( Hyst) control lets you adjust whether or not the gate rapidly opens and closes when the input signal is fluctuating near the Threshold. This can help prevent undesirably rapid gating of the signal.
With these settings, for every decibel that the incoming signal goes over the set Threshold, more than 1 dB of gain reduction is applied according to the negative Ratio setting. For example, at the setting of –1.0:1, for each decibel over the set threshold, 2 db of gain reduction is allied. Consequently, the output signal is both compressed and made softer. You can use this as an creative effect, or as a kind of ducking effect when used with an external key input.
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. All-Linked If All-Linked is selected, dynamics processing is applied equally to all channels when the input signal reaches the threshold on any input channel, except for the LFE channel (if present). The LFE channel is processed independently based on its own input signal.
Notch Select the Notch option to apply a notch filter to the side-chain processing at the selected frequency. EQ/Filters a band pass filter to the side-chain processing at the selected frequency. The EQ/Filters section of Channel Strip provides a high-quality 4-band parametric equalizer for adjusting the frequency spectrum of audio material.
Frequency Graph Gain Resolution Channel Strip lets you view the gain scale on the Frequency Graph display either in 3 dB increments from –12 dB to +12 dB or in 6 dB increments from –24 dB to +24 dB. Q Click within the curve of an EQ control point and drag up or down to increase or decrease the Q setting. You can also Command-Control-click (Mac) or Control-Alt-click (Windows) and drag a control point up or down to increase or decrease the Q setting.
Q Q With the low band EQ set to Peak, the Q control changes the width of the EQ band. Higher Q values represent narrower bandwidths. Lower Q values represent wider bandwidths. The Q control changes the width of the low mid peak EQ band. Higher Q values represent narrower bandwidths. Lower Q values represent wider bandwidths. With the low band EQ set to Shelf, the Q control changes the Q of the shelving filter. Higher Q values represent steeper shelving curves.
High Frequency EQ Controls Filter 1 and Filter 2 Controls EQ/Filters section, High Frequency tab EQ/Filters section, Filter 1 tab shown The High Frequency EQ tab provides controls for the high frequency band of the EQ. The Filter 1 and Filter 2 tabs provide the same set of controls for each filter. Filter Type Filter Type The High Frequency band can be set to be a Peak or High Shelf EQ. Both Filter 1 and Filter 2 can be set independently.
Q When the Filter Type is set to Band Pass or Notch, the Q control is available. The Q control changes the width of the filter around the center frequency band. Higher Q values represent narrower bandwidths. Lower Q values represent wider bandwidths.
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Chapter 11: Dynamics III Dynamics III is a suite of three dynamics plug-ins that are available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats: • Compressor/Limiter (see “Compressor/Limiter III” on page 68) • Expander/Gate (see “Expander/Gate III” on page 71) • De-Esser (see “De-Esser III” on page 73) Dynamics III supports 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz and 192 kHz sample rates. Compressor/Limiter and Expander/Gate modules work with mono, stereo, and greater-than-stereo multichannel formats up to 7.1.
Input and Output Meters Gain Reduction Meter The Input (In) and Output (Out) meters show peak signal levels before and after dynamics processing: The Gain Reduction (GR) meter indicates the amount the input signal is attenuated (in dB) and shows different colors during dynamics processing: Green Indicates nominal levels. Yellow Indicates pre-clipping levels, starting at –6 dB below full scale. Red Indicates full scale levels (clipping).
The Compressor/Limiter and Expander/Gate plug-ins also feature an animated, multi-color cursor in their gain transfer curve displays. LFE Enable button (Compressor/Limiter III shown) The gain transfer curve of the Compressor/Limiter and Expander/Gate plug-ins shows a moving ball cursor that shows the amount of input gain (x-axis) and gain reduction (y-axis) being applied to the incoming signal. The LFE Enable button is not available if the plug-in is not inserted on an applicable track.
Dynamics III Side-Chain Section For information on using the Side-Chain section of the Compressor/Limiter or Expander/Gate, see “Using Dynamics III Key Input for SideChain Processing” on page 78. Compressor/Limiter III Of course, compression has many creative uses that break these rules. The Compressor/Limiter plug-in applies either compression or limiting to audio material, depending on the ratio of compression used.
Unlike scales on analog compressors, metering scales on a digital device reflect a 0 dB value that indicates full scale (fs)—the full-code signal level. There is no headroom above 0 dB. Compressor/Limiter III Graph Display The Dynamics Graph display lets you visually see how much expansion or gating you are applying to your audio material. See “Dynamics III Graph Display” on page 67.
Compressor/Limiter III Release Control The Release control sets the length of time it takes for the Compressor/Limiter to be fully deactivated after the input signal drops below the threshold. Release times should be set long enough that if signal levels repeatedly rise above the threshold, the gain reduction “recovers” smoothly. If the release time is too short, the gain can rapidly fluctuate as the compressor repeatedly tries to recover from the gain reduction.
Compressor/Limiter III SideChain Section The side-chain is the split-off signal used by the plug-in’s detector to trigger dynamics processing. The Side-Chain section lets you toggle the side-chain between the internal input signal or an external key input, and tailor the equalization of the side-chain signal so that the triggering of dynamics processing becomes frequencysensitive. See “Dynamics III Side-Chain Input” on page 75.
Expander/Gate III Look Ahead Button Normally, dynamics processing begins when the level of the input signal crosses the threshold. When the Look Ahead button is enabled, dynamics processing begins 2 milliseconds before the level of the input signal crosses the threshold. Threshold arrow on Input meter The Dynamics Graph display also shows the threshold as an orange vertical line.
Expander/Gate III Attack Control Expander/Gate III Range Control The Attack control sets the attack time, or the rate at which gain is reduced after the input signal crosses the threshold. Use this along with the Ratio setting to control how soft the Expander’s gain reduction curve is. The Range control sets the depth of the Expander/Gate when closed. Setting the gate to higher range levels allows more and more of the gated audio that falls below the threshold to peek through the gate at all times.
Input meter Output meter Gain Reduction meter De-Esser III Using De-Essing Effectively To use de-essing most effectively, insert the DeEsser after compressor or limiter plug-ins. The Frequency control should be set to remove sibilants (typically the 4–10 kHz range) and not other parts of the signal. This helps prevent deessing from changing the original character of the audio material in an undesired manner.
De-Esser III Frequency Control The Frequency (Freq) control sets the frequency band in which the De-Esser operates. When HF Only is disabled, gain is reduced in frequencies within the specified range. When HF Only is enabled, the gain of frequencies above the specified value will be reduced. This control ranges from 500 Hz (lowest frequency) to 16 kHz (highest frequency).
With external key side-chain processing, you trigger dynamics processing using an external signal (such as a separate reference track or audio source) instead of the input signal. This external source is known as the key input. 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.
Dynamics III Side-Chain HighFrequency (HF) Filter Type The HF filter section lets you filter higher frequencies out of the side-chain signal so that only certain bands of high frequencies or lower frequencies pass through to trigger dynamics processing. The HF side-chain filter is switchable between Band Pass and Low Pass filters.
High Pass filter Dynamics III Side-Chain LF Frequency Control Selecting a Key Input Click External Key to activate external sidechain processing. 2 The Frequency control sets the frequency position for the Band-Pass or High Pass filter, and ranges from 25 Hz to 4 kHz. External Key 3 To listen to the signal that will be used to control side-chain input, click Side-Chain Listen to enable it (highlighted).
Using a Filtered Input Signal for Side-Chain Processing with Dynamics III To use the filtered input signal to trigger dynamics processing: 1 Ensure the Key Input selector is set to No Key Input. Key Input selector 2 Ensure that the External Key button is disabled (dark gray). Side-Chain section 3 To listen to the signal that will be used to control side-chain input, click Side-Chain Listen to enable it (highlighted).
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Chapter 12: Fairchild Plug-Ins The Fairchild plug-ins are a pair of vintage compressor plug-ins that are available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. The following plug-ins are included: • Fairchild 660 (see “Fairchild 660” on page 81) • Fairchild 670 (see “Fairchild 670” on page 83) Fairchild 660 (TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite) Re-introducing the undisputed champion in price, weight, and performance: the $35,000, one-hundred pound, Fairchild 660.
Fairchild 660 Controls Fairchild 660 Tips and Tricks Adjust the Input Gain and Threshold controls together until you get the sound you want. Like many classic compressors, after a little bit of tweaking, you’ll know immediately when you get it right. 5,6,7,8… Input Gain Input Gain sets the input level to the unit and the compression threshold, just like the Input control on an 1176. Full clockwise is loudest.
Fairchild 670 (TDM and RTAS) Bomb Factory’s no-compromise replica captures every detail of the Fairchild 670. The Fairchild 670 is a dual-channel unit and, as such, is only available on stereo tracks. Note that the companion Fairchild 660 also supports stereo operation. Bomb Factory modeled both a Fairchild 660 and a Fairchild 670 from scratch using two different hardware units.
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Chapter 13: Impact Impact is a high-quality TDM dynamics processing plug-in. Impact Controls The Impact plug-in provides critical control over the dynamic range of audio signals, with the look and sound of a mixing console’s stereobus compressor. Impact Ratio Control Impact provides support for 192 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 96 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 48 kHz, and 44.1 kHz sessions. Impact provides support for mono, stereo, and all Pro Tools-supported multichannel audio formats. Ratio sets the compression ratio.
Impact Attack Control Impact Release Control Attack sets the compressor attack time. To use compression most effectively, the attack time should be set so that signals exceed the threshold level long enough to cause an increase in the average level. This helps ensure that gain reduction does not decrease the overall volume. The range of this control is from 0.1 ms to 30.0 ms.
Impact Make-up Control Impact Ext Control (Side-Chain) Make-Up adjusts the overall output gain. Because large amounts of compression can restrict dynamic range, the Make-Up control is useful for compensating for heavily compressed signals and making up the resulting difference in level. When Impact is used on stereo or multichannel tracks, the Make-Up control determines master output levels for all channels. The range of this control is from 0 dB of attenuation to +40 dB of gain.
Impact Gain Reduction Meter The Gain Reduction meter is an analog-style meter that indicates the amount of gain reduction in dB. The range of this meter is from 0 dB to 40 dB. The gain reduction meter displays the amount of gain reduction linearly from 0–20 db, and non-linearly from 20–40 dB. A red clip indicator appears at the top of each meter. Clicking a clip indicator clears it. Altclicking (Windows) or Option-clicking (Mac) clears the clip indicators on all channels.
Side-Chain Processing Compressors generally use the detected amplitude of their input signal as a control source. However, you can also use other signals, such as a separate reference track or an external audio signal as a control source. This is known as sidechain processing. Side-chain processing lets you control Impact compression using an independent audio signal (typically, another Pro Tools track). In this way you can compress the audio of one track using the dynamics of a different audio track.
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Chapter 14: JOEMEEK SC2 Compressor The JOEMEEK SC2 Compressor is a dynamics processing plug-in is available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. In use by top producers the world over, JOEMEEK compression is the secret weapon that gives your sound the character and excitement it deserves! JOEMEEK Compressor Controls The SC2 Compressor provides the following controls: Input Gain Input Gain adjusts the input level to the compressor.
Release Release sets the time during which signal returns to normal after compression. With longer release times, the compression is less noticeable. To hear it, use a drum track, set Slope to 5, and Attack and Release to Fast. Used sparingly, this effect can contribute to musical drive in your tracks. Attack/Release Times JOEMEEK Compressor Tips and Tricks Not Perfect. Just Right Standard engineering practice says that a compressor should work logarithmically.
Chapter 15: Maxim Maxim is a unique and powerful peak-limiting and sound maximizing plug-in that is available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. Maxim is ideal for critical mastering applications, as well as standard peak-limiting tasks. Online Help (accessed by clicking a control name) provides descriptions of each control. Maxim offers several critical advantages over traditional hardware-based limiters.
Limiting has two main uses in the audio production cycle: • Adjusting the dynamic range of an entire final mixdown for premastering purposes • Adjusting the dynamic range of individual instruments for creative purposes Limiting a Mixdown The purpose of applying limiting during final mixdown is to flatten any large peaks remaining in the audio material to have a higher average signal level in the final mix.
Maxim Controls and Meters Maxim Input Level Meter This meter displays the amplitude of input signals prior to limiting. Unlike conventional meters, Maxim’s Input meter displays the top 24 dB of dynamic range of audio signals, which is where limiting is typically performed. This provides you with much greater metering resolution within this range so that you can work with greater precision. By dragging the Threshold slider downwards, you can visually adjust the level at which limiting will occur.
Maxim Attenuation Meter Maxim Mix Slider This meter displays the amount of gain reduction being applied over the course of playback, with the maximum peak displayed in the numeric readout at the bottom of the meter. For example, if the numerical display at the bottom of the Attenuation meter displays a value of 4 dB, it means that 4 dB of limiting has occurred.
Maxim Dither Button Maxim Bit Resolution Button When selected, this applies dither. Dither is a form of randomized noise used to minimize quantization artifacts in digital audio systems. Quantization artifacts are most audible when the audio signal is near the low end of its dynamic range, such as during a quiet passage or fade-out. These buttons select dither bit resolution. In general, set this control to the maximum bit resolution of your destination media.
Using Maxim Following are suggestions for using Maxim most effectively. To use Maxim: 1 Insert Maxim on the desired track. Select the portion of the track containing the most prominent audio peaks. 2 Loop playback and look at the data displayed by the Histogram and Attenuator meter. In general, a value of 0.5 dB or so is a good maximum ceiling. Don’t set the ceiling to zero, since the digital-to-analog convertors on some DATs and CD players will clip at or slightly below zero.
Chapter 16: Purple Audio MC77 Purple MC77 is a dynamics processing plug-in that is available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. The Purple Audio MC77 is a spot-on digital replica of Andrew Roberts’s acclaimed MC77 Limiting amplifier, which in turn is an update of his classic MC76 hardware unit. Representing a different take on the 1176-style FET limiter, the Bomb Factory Purple Audio MC77 preserves every audio nuance and sonic subtlety of the classic originals.
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Chapter 17: Slightly Rude Compressor Slightly Rude Compressor is a dynamics processing plug-in that is available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. The Slightly Rude Compressor is the first completely custom compressor designed by Bomb Factory. Used conservatively, it sounds beautiful on vocals, drums, guitars, and piano. Pushed hard, it's unique and aggressive. The stereo version is specifically designed to solve the problems that often plague digital mixes.
Slightly Rude Compressor Tips and Tricks For a classic sound, use the “Slightly Rude” setting and keep the Rudeness control below the half-way point. Settings above 50% will increase the aggressiveness of the compressed sound. To achieve more dynamic effects, switch to the “Super Rude” mode. In this mode, the Rudeness knob controls the amount of overshoot in the compressor. This results in a distinctive processed sound on percussive material, especially on piano and drums.
Chapter 18: Smack! Smack! is a dynamics processing plug-in that is available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. Smack! Plug-In (TDM version shown) The Smack! compressor/limiter plug-in has the following features. • Three modes of compression: • Norm mode emulates FET compressors, which can have faster attack and release times than electro-optical compressors. This mode lets you fine-tune compression precisely by adjusting the attack, release, and ratio controls.
Smack! Controls and Meters Smack! includes controls for multiple compression modes and a VU meter. Smack! Compression Mode Buttons Smack! has three modes of compression: Norm (Normal), Opto, and Warm. Use the corresponding button to select a mode. Norm, Warm, and Opto mode buttons Norm Mode Button Enable the Norm button to emulate FET compressors, which can have significantly faster attack and release times than opto-electricalbased compressors.
Smack! Attack Control In Norm and Warm modes, Attack controls the rate at which gain is reduced after the input signal crosses the threshold. This control is greyed out in Opto mode. Set this control to 0 for the fastest attack time, or to 10 for the slowest attack time. Depending on the program material and the parameters used, this represents an approximate range of 100 s to 80 milliseconds.
Set this control to 0 for the fastest release time, or to 10 for the slowest release time. Depending on the program material and the parameters used, this represents an approximate range of 15 ms to 1 second for Norm mode (or the primary release of Warm mode). Smack! Side-Chain EQ Filter The side-chain is the signal path that a compressor uses to determine the amount of gain reduction it applies to the signal being compressed.
Band-Emphasis Makes the compressor's detec- tor more sensitive to mid-to high frequencies in the input signal or Key Input by boosting those frequencies in the side-chain signal. For example, you might use this setting to reduce sibilance in vocal tracks. The amount of distortion that Smack! applies to the input signal depends on both the level of the input signal and the amount of compression being applied. Odd Applies mostly odd (and some even) harmonics to the distortion.
Smack! VU Meter The VU meter displays the amount of input level, output level, or gain reduction from compression, depending on the current Meter Mode button setting. It is calibrated to a reference level of –14 dBFS = 0 VU. Input Clipping indicator Internal Clipping indicator Meter Mode button Output Clipping indicator The Internal Clipping indicator (labelled “INT CLIP”) turns red when the signal exceeds the available headroom. Clicking the Internal Clipping indicator clears it.
Using the Smack! Side-Chain Input Smack provides side-chain processing capabilities. Compressors typically use the detected amplitude of their input signal to cause gain reduction. This split-off signal is called the side-chain. However, an external signal (referred to as the Key Input) can be used to trigger compression. A typical use for external side-chain processing is to control the dynamics of one audio signal using the dynamics of another signal.
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Chapter 19: TL Aggro TL Aggro plug-in TL Aggro is a dynamics processing plug-in that is modeled on vintage FET compressors and is available in TDM and RTAS formats. At moderate settings, TL Aggro is designed to sound smooth and transparent, perfect for vocals and acoustic instruments. Crank TL Aggro up for maximum aggressiveness and it instantly adds character and intensity to guitars and drum tracks. TL Aggro Overview This sections explains the basics of analog compression, and how the TL Aggro works.
Before the introduction of digital technology in the studio, compressors were typically designed around a set of analog components. Various compressor circuit designs are known for their distinctive sound and characteristics. Popular analog compressors are often designed around optical isolator, VCA (voltage controlled amplifier), or FET (field effect transistor) based circuits that produce the compression effect.
The second side effect is that for a given set of Ratio and Attack settings, the compressor has a finite range of available gain reduction. At some cutoff point on the Threshold knob, you might find that compressor ceases to apply anymore compression to the signal. To acquire more compression range, increase the Ratio slider, or alternatively increase the Attack speed.
Turning the Attack and Release knobs clockwise increases the reaction speed of the compressor. 1 is the slowest setting and 10 is the fastest setting. breathing. For example, Bass Compensation sounds great on bass guitar or when you have TL Aggro on your master fader as stereo bus compressor. Post Gain Additionally, TL Aggro provides a cutoff frequency control to tailor the sound of the bass compensation.
To engage the Tube Drive, turn the Tube Drive rocker switch to on by clicking it. The Tube Drive rocker switch and tube light up when Tube Drive processing is on. The amount of distortion increases with the output level. TL Aggro Meters TL Aggro provides LED and Needle meters LED Meters, In and Out LED Meters The LED meters display the peak input and output levels. The LED meters are normalized to 0 dB at digital full-scale.
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Part IV: Pitch Shift Plug-Ins
Chapter 20: AIR Frequency Shifter AIR Frequency Shifter is an RTAS pitch-shifting plug-in. Use the Frequency Shifter plug-in to shift the audio signal’s individual frequencies inharmonically, creating a unique effect. Shifter Section The Shifter section provides control over the direction of frequency shift, and feedback of the signal through the algorithm. Mode The Mode control sets the direction of the frequency shifting effect. Up Shifts frequencies up. Down Shifts frequencies down.
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Chapter 21: Pitch Pitch is a pitch-shifting plug-in that is available in TDM and AudioSuite formats. The Pitch plug-in is designed for a variety of audio production applications ranging from pitch correction of musical material to sound design. Pitch processing uses the technique of varying sample playback rate to achieve pitch transposition.
Clip Indicator This indicator indicates whether clipping has occurred on output. It is a clip-hold indicator. If clipping occurs at any time, the clip light will remain on. To clear the Clip indicator, click it. Long delay times and high feedback times increase the likelihood of clipping. –8va and +8va Buttons Clicking the –8va button adjusts pitch down one octave from the current setting of the coarse and fine pitch controls.
Crossfade This control adjusts the crossfade length in milliseconds to optimize performance of the Pitch plug-in according to the type of audio material you are processing. The Pitch plugin performs pitch transposition by replicating or subtracting portions of audio material and very quickly crossfading between these alterations in the waveform of the audio material.
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Chapter 22: Pitch Shift Pitch Shift is an AudioSuite plug-in that provides pitch-based processing. 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. Pitch Shift Controls This Pitch Shift plug-in provides the following controls: Gain Adjusts input level, in 10ths of a dB.
quire smaller crossfades. Long crossfade times may over-smooth a signal and its transients. This is may not be desirable on drums and other material with sharp transients. Use the Crossfade slider to adjust and optimize crossfade times. For audio material with sharper attack transients, use smaller crossfade times. For audio material with softer attack transients, use longer crossfade times. Min Pitch Sets the lowest pitch used in the plugin’s Pitch Shift processing.
Chapter 23: Time Shift Time Shift is an AudioSuite plug-in that provides high quality time compression and expansion (TCE) algorithms and formant correct pitch-shifting. Time Shift Controls Time Shift is ideal for music production, sound design, and post production applications. Use it to manipulate audio loops for tempo matching or to transpose vocal tracks using formant correct pitch shifting.
Time Shift Audio Controls The Audio section of Time Shift provides controls for specifying the type of audio you want to process and gain attenuation of the processed signal to avoid clipping. Time Shift plug-in, Audio section Mode The Audio Mode pop-up menu determines the following types of TCE and pitch shift algorithm for processing audio: Monophonic Select Monophonic for processing monophonic sounds (such as a vocal melody).
Level Indicator The Level indicator displays the level of the output signal using a plasma LED, which uses the full range of plasma level metering colors. Time Shift Time Controls The Time section of Time Shift provides controls for specifying the amount of time compression or expansion as well as the timebase used for calculating TCE. Adjust the Time control to change the target duration for the processed audio.
The Formant section is only available when Monophonic is selected as the Audio Type. The Formant section provides a single control for transposing the formants of the selected audio by –24.00 semitones (–2 octaves) to +24.00 semitones (+2 octaves), with fine resolution in cents. Adjust the Formant Shift control or click the Shift field and type the desired value.
Threshold The Threshold controls sets the tran- sient detection threshold from 0.0 dB to –40.0 dB. Disable transient detection by setting the Threshold control to Off (turn the knob all the way to the right). Part of Time Shift’s processing relies upon separating “transient” parts of the selection from “non-transient” parts. Transient material tends to change its content quickly in time, as opposed to parts of the sound which are more sustained.
AudioSuite Input Modes and Time Shift Time Shift as 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. Mono Mode Processes each audio clip as a mono file with no phase coherency maintained with any other simultaneously selected clips.
Changing the Time Using Time Shift 4 If transposing the pitch of the selection up, attenuate the Gain control as necessary. To change the time of a selected audio clip: 5 1 Select AudioSuite > Pitch Shift > Time Shift. Select the Audio Mode appropriate to the type of material you are processing (Monophonic, Polyphonic, or Rhythmic). 2 In Monophonic or Polyphonic mode, select the appropriate Range for the selected material (Low, Mid, High, or Wide).
Post Production Pull Up and Pull Down Tasks with Time Shift The table below provides information on TCE settings for common post production tasks. Type the corresponding TCE% (represented to 10 decimal places in the table) in the Time Shift field for the corresponding post production task and the process the selected audio. 134 Desired Pull Up or Pull Down TCE% (to 10 Decimal Places) Frames Pal to Film –4%.tfx 96.0% 25 to 24/30 PAL to NTSC –4.1%.tfx 95.9040959041% 25 to 23.976/29.
Chapter 24: Vari-Fi Vari-Fi is an AudioSuite plug-in that is part of the D-Fi suite of plug-ins. Vari-Fi provides a pitch-change effect similar to a tape deck or record turntable speeding up from or slowing down to a complete stop. Vari-Fi preserves the original duration of the audio selection. Vari-Fi provides a pitch-change effect similar to a tape deck or record turntable speeding up from or slowing down to a complete stop.
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Chapter 25: X-Form The X-Form AudioSuite plug-in that is based on the Radius ® algorithm from iZotope. X-Form provides the high quality time compression and expansion for music production, sound design, and audio loop applications. Use X-Form to manipulate audio loops for tempo matching or to change vocal tracks for formant correct pitch shifting. The X-Form plug-in is useful in audio post-production for adjusting audio to specific time or SMPTE durations for synchronization purposes.
X-Form Time Section Controls Type The Audio Type determines the type of TCE and pitch shift algorithm for processing audio: Polyphonic, Monophonic, or Poly (Faster). Polyphonic Use for processing complex sounds (such as a multipart musical selection). The Time section of X-Form provides controls for specifying the amount of time compression or expansion as well as the timebase used for calculating TCE. Adjust the Time control to change the target duration for the processed audio.
4x Lets you apply Time Shift, Pitch Shift, and Unit Select the desired timebase for the Original and Processed time fields: Bars|Beats, Min:Sec, Timecode, Feet+Frames, or Samples. X-Form does not receive Bars|Beat and Feet+Frame information from Pro Tools 7.0 or 7.1. Consequently, Bars|Beats and Feet+Frames are displayed as “N/A.” Shift Displays the target time compression or expansion as a percentage of the original. Adjust the Time control or click the Shift field and type the desired value.
For highly percussive material, lower the Sensitivity for better transient detection, especially with the Rhythmic audio setting. For less percussive material, a higher setting can yield better results. Experiment with this control, especially when shifting drums and percussive tracks, to achieve the best results. Window Sets the analysis window size. You can adjust the Window from 10.0 milliseconds to 100.0 milliseconds. Adjust the Window control or click the Window field and type the desired value.
ing. It can also be used as an effect. For example, you can formant shift a male vocal up by five semitones and it will take on the characteristics of a female voice. To enable or disable formant shifting: AudioSuite TCE Plug-In Preference The X-Form plug-in’s high quality time compression and expansion algorithms that can be used with the Pro Tools TCE Trim tool. Click the In button. The In button lights when formant shifting is enabled.
Processing Audio Using X-Form X-Form lets you change the time and pitch of selected audio independently or concurrently. You can adjust both the Time Shift and Pitch Shift controls independently before processing. To change the pitch of a selected audio clip: 1 Select the Audio Type appropriate to the type of material you are processing (Monophonic or Polyphonic). 2 3 If transposing the pitch of the selection up, attenuate the Gain control as necessary.
Using X-Form for Post Production Pull Up and Pull Down Tasks The table below provides information on TCE settings for common post-production tasks. Type the corresponding TCE% (represented to 10 decimal places in the following table) in the X-Form Time Shift field for the corresponding post-production task and the process the selected audio. Use the corresponding X-Form Plug-In Setting for the desired post-production task. Desired Pull up or Pull Down TCE% (to 10 Decimal Places) Frames Pal to Film –4%.
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Part V: Reverb Plug-Ins
Chapter 26: AIR Non-Linear Reverb AIR Non-Linear Reverb is an RTAS plug-in. Use the Non-Linear Reverb plug-in to apply special gated or reversed Reverb effects to the audio signal, creating a synthetic, processed ambience. Dry Delay The Dry Delay control applies a specified amount of delay to the dry portion of the signal, which can create a “reverse reverb” effect, where the reverb tail is heard before the dry signal. Reverb Time Adjust the Reverb Time to change the length of the reverberation’s decay.
Non Linear Reverb EQ Section Controls The EQ section provides tonal control over the reverb signal. Low Cut The Low Cut control lets you adjust the frequency for the Low Cut filter. For less bass, raise the frequency. High Cut The High Cut control lets you adjust the frequency for the High Cut filter.
Chapter 27: AIR Reverb AIR Reverb is an RTAS plug-in. Use the Reverb effect to apply Reverb to the audio signal, creating a sense of room or space. Typically, you’ll want to use Reverb on one of the Effect Send inserts or Main Effects inserts. This way you can process audio from multiple Pro Tools tracks, giving them all a sense of being in the same space. Reverb Controls The Reverb plug-in provides a variety of controls for adjusting plug-in parameters.
Balance Adjust the Balance control to change the output level of the early reflections. Setting the Level control to 0% produces a reverb effect that is only the reverb tail. Mix The Mix control lets you adjust the Mix between the “wet” (effected) and “dry” (unprocessed) signal. 0% is all dry, and 100% is all wet, while 50% is an equal mix of both. Medium Chamber Simulates a bright, medium- sized room. Large Chamber Simulates a bright, large-sized room.
Reverb Plug-In Reverb Section The Reverb section provides control over the stereo width of the reverb algorithm. In Width Widens or narrows the stereo width of the incoming audio signal before it enters the reverb algorithm. Out Width Widens or narrows the stereo width of the signal once reverb has been applied. Delay Sets the size of the delay lines used to build the reverb effect. Higher values create longer reverberation.
Reverb Low Frequencies Section Controls The Low Frequencies section contains controls that affect the low-frequency-heavy tail of the reverb signal. Time Adjust the Time control to decrease or increase the decay time for the low-range frequency band. Higher settings provide longer decay times and lower settings provide shorter decay time. Freq Adjust the Frequency control to set the frequency boundary between the low and highrange frequency bands.
Chapter 28: AIR Spring Reverb AIR Spring Reverb is an RTAS plug-in. Use the Spring Reverb plug-in for that classic spring reverb sound. Just don’t kick your computer trying to get the springs to rattle! Spring Reverb Controls The Spring Reverb plug-in provides a variety of controls for adjusting plug-in parameters. Pre-Delay The Pre-Delay control determines the amount of time (0–250 ms) that elapses between the original audio event and the onset of reverberation.
Diffusion Adjust the Diffusion control to change the rate at which the sound density of the reverb tail increases over time. Higher Diffusion settings create a smoother reverberated sound. Lower settings result in more fluttery echo. Width Adjust the Width control to change the spread of the reverberated signal in the stereo field. A setting of 0% produces a mono reverb, but leaves the panning of the original source signal unprocessed. A setting of 100% produces a open, panned stereo image.
Chapter 29: D-Verb D-Verb is a studio-quality reverb plug-in that is available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. The TDM version of the D-Verb plug-in is not supported at 192 kHz. Use the RTAS version instead. D-Verb Controls D-Verb provides a variety of controls for adjusting plug-in parameters. D-Verb Output Meter The Output meter indicates the output level of the processed signal. With the stereo version of D-verb, it represents the summed stereo output.
D-Verb Input Level Control The Input Level slider adjusts the input volume of the reverb to prevent the possibility of clipping and/or increase the level of the processed signal. D-Verb Mix Control The Mix slider adjusts the balance between the dry signal and the effected signal, giving you control over the depth of the effect. This control is adjustable from 100% to 0%.
D-Verb Decay Control Decay controls the rate at which the reverb decays after the original direct signal stops. The value of the Decay setting is affected by the Size and Algorithm controls. This control can be set to infinity on most algorithms for infinite reverb times. D-Verb Pre-Delay Control Pre-Delay determines the amount of time that elapses between the original audio event and the onset of reverberation.
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Chapter 30: Reverb One Reverb One is a world-class reverb processing TDM plug-in. It provides a level of sonic quality and reverb-shaping control previously found only on the most advanced hardware reverberation units.
A Reverb Overview Digital reverberation processing can simulate the complex natural reflections and echoes that occur after a sound has been produced, imparting a sense of space and depth—the signature of an acoustic environment. When you use a reverberation plug-in such as Reverb One, you are artificially creating a sound space with a specific acoustic character.
Reverb One Controls Reverb One has a variety of controls for producing a wide range of reverb effects. Controls can be adjusted by dragging their sliders or typing values directly in their text boxes. The harmonic spectrum of the reverb can also be adjusted on the graph displays. See “Reverb One Graphs” on page 165.
Decay Ratio Depth Controls the ratio by which reverb time is increased when a signal is above or below the Threshold level. Dynamics behavior differs when the Decay Ratio is set above or below 1. A ratio setting of greater than 1 increases reverb time when the signal is above the threshold. A ratio setting of less than 1 increases a reverb’s time when the signal is below the threshold.
Time Controls the rate at which the reverberation decays after the original direct signal stops. The value of the Time setting is affected by the Size setting. You should adjust the reverb Size setting before adjusting the Time setting. If you set Time to its maximum value, infinite reverberation is produced. The HF Damping and Reverb Color controls also affect reverb Time. Attack Attack determines the contour of the reverberation envelope.
tener. Early reflections typically reach the listener within 80 milliseconds of the initial audio event, depending on the proximity of reflecting surfaces. Simulating Early Reflections Different physical environments have different early reflection signatures that our ears and brain use to pinpoint location information. These reflections influence our perception of the size of a space and where an audio source sits within it.
Level Controls the output level of the early reflections. Turning the Early Reflections Level slider completely off produces a reverb made entirely of reverb tail. Spread Reverb One Graphs The reverb graphs display information about the tonal spectrum and envelope contour of the reverb. The Reverb EQ and Reverb Color graphs provide graphic editing tools for shaping the harmonic spectrum of the reverb.
To adjust high-frequency cut or damp: Drag the yellow dot right or left. Band Cut/Boost HF Cut/HF Damp The high-frequency slider (64.0 Hz–24.0 kHz) sets the frequency boundary between the mid and high cut/boost points in the EQ. Band Breakpoints Control cut and boost values for the low, mid, and high frequencies of the EQ. To cut a frequency band, drag a breakpoint downward. To boost, drag upward. The adjustable range is from –24.0 dB to 12.0 dB.
Set the crossover to 500 Hz to boost low frequencies most effectively. Set it to 1.5 kHz to cut low frequencies most effectively. Band Cut/Boost tings, high frequencies decay more quickly than low frequencies, simulating the effect of air absorption in a hall. The adjustable range is from 120.0 Hz to 24.0 kHz. High-Frequency Reverb Contour Graph The Reverb Contour graph displays the envelope of the reverb, as determined by the early reflections and reverb tail.
Input Level Meters Input meters indicate the input levels of the dry audio source signal. Output meters indicate the output levels of the processed signal. An internal clipping LED will light if the reverb is overloaded. This can occur even when the input levels are relatively low if there is excessive feedback in the delay portion of the reverb. To clear the Clip LED, click it.
Chapter 31: ReVibe ReVibe is a studio-quality reverb and acoustic environment modeling TDM plug-in. ReVibe works with mono, stereo, and greater-than-stereo multichannel audio. Revibe offers extensive control over reverb characteristics, and a diverse array of room reflection and coloration presets. ReVibe makes it possible to model extremely realistic acoustic spaces and place audio elements within them in a Pro Tools mix. Revibe requires one or more HD Accel cards.
Reverberation Concepts Digital reverberation processing can simulate the complex natural reflections and echoes that occur after a sound has been produced, imparting a sense of space and depth—the signature of an acoustic environment. When you use a reverberation plug-in such as ReVibe, you are artificially creating a sound space with a specific acoustic character.
Using ReVibe ReVibe supports 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, and 96 kHz sessions. ReVibe works with mono and stereo formats, and LCR, LCRS, quad, 5.0, and 5.1 greater-than-stereo multichannel formats. In general, when working with stereo and greater-than-stereo tracks, use the multichannel version of ReVibe. Revibe supports the following combinations of track types and plug-in insert formats: Track Type Mono Stereo LCR LCRS Quad 5.0 5.1 Plug–in Insert Format Mono Stereo LCR LCRS Quad 5.0 5.
Adjusting ReVibe Parameters To adjust EQ frequency crossover: Drag the control dot right or left. You can adjust ReVibe parameters by adjusting the slider controls, dragging dots on the graph display, or using your computer keyboard. Editing Slider Controls with a Mouse You can adjust slider controls with a mouse by dragging horizontally. Parameter values increase as you drag to the right, and decrease as you drag to the left.
To change control values with a computer keyboard: ReVibe Controls Click on the parameter text that you want to edit. ReVibe has a variety of controls for producing a wide range of reverb effects. Controls can be adjusted by dragging their sliders, typing values directly in their text boxes, and adjusted on the Decay Color & EQ graph displays. 1 Change the value by doing one of the following. 2 • To increase a value, press the Up Arrow on your keyboard.
Stereo Width Control Stereo Width controls the stereo field spread of the front reverb channels. A setting of 0% produces a mono reverb, but leaves the panning of the original source signal unaffected. A setting of 100% produces a hard panned stereo image. ReVibe Chorus Section Controls The Chorus section has controls for adjusting the depth and rate of chorusing applied to the reverb tail. Chorusing thickens and animates sounds and produces a more ethereal reverb character.
Chorus On/Off Button Level Control This button toggles the chorus effect on or off. Level controls the output level of the early reflections. Setting the Level slider to –INF (minus infinity) eliminates the early reflections from the reverb effect. The range of this control is from –INF to 6.0 dB. Chorus on/off button ReVibe Early Reflection Section Different physical environments have different early reflection signatures that our ears and brain use to pinpoint location information in physical space.
When Pre-Delay Link is enabled, negative early reflection Pre-Delay times can be used to make the early reflections start before the reverb tail, if desired. Pre-Delay Link Button ReVibe Levels Section Controls The Levels section has controls for adjusting source input and ReVibe output levels. ReVibe provides individual output level controls for front, center, rear reverb, and rear early reflections.
Front Control Rear Level Link Button Front controls the output level of the front left and right outputs. Front is also the main level control for stereo. The range of this control is from –INF (minus infinity) to 0.0 dB. The Rear Level Link button toggles linking of the Rear Reverb and Rear ER controls on or off. The Rear Reverb and the Rear ER controls are linked by default. When linked, the Rear ER and Rear Reverb controls move in tandem when either is adjusted.
Room Type Number Room Type Category pop-up ReVibe Room Coloration Section Controls The Room Coloration controls work in conjunction with the selected Room Type. Coloration takes the characteristic resonant frequencies or EQ traits of the room and allows you to apply this spectral shape to the reverb.
ReVibe Reverb Section Controls Level Control The Reverb section has controls for the various reverb tail elements, including type, level, time, size, spread, attack time, attack shape, rear shape, diffusion, and pre-delay. These determine the overall character of the reverb tail. Level controls the output level of the reverb tail. When set to –INF (minus infinity) no reverb tail is heard, and the reverb effect consists entirely of the early reflections (if enabled).
Attack Time Control Spread Control Attack Time adjusts the length of time between the start of the reverb tail and its peak level. Settings are Short, Medium, or Long. Spread controls the rate at which reverberation builds up. Spread works in conjunction with the Attack Shape control to determine the initial contour and overall ambience of the reverberation envelope. Attack Shape Control Attack Shape determines the contour of the attack portion of the reverberation envelope.
Each control point (dot) on the graph has corresponding parameter text fields above the display that show the current parameter values. You can edit the numeric value of a parameter with your computer keyboard. (See “Editing Parameters with a Computer Keyboard” on page 172.) Low Frequency Ratio Control Low Frequency Ratio sets cut or boost ratios for the decay times of the low and mid frequency bands of the reverberation filter. The range of this control is between 1:16.0 and 4.0:1.
ReVibe Decay EQ Section Low Frequency Control Low Frequency sets the frequency boundary between low and mid cut or boost points in the reverb EQ. The range of this control is from 50.0 Hz to 1.5 kHz. High Gain Control High Gain sets cut and boost values for the mid and high frequencies of the reverb decay EQ. The range of this control is from –24.0 dB to 12.0 dB.
ReVibe Contour Display The Contour display shows the current reverb shape and early reflections as a two-dimensional graph. Both front and rear reverb tail shapes and early reflections can be viewed at the same time. Buttons below the display allow you to select the type of data being displayed. Front reverb Rear reverb RC Button The RC (reverb contour) button toggles display of the reverb contours for both the front and rear channels on or off within the Contour display.
ReVibe Input/Output Meter ReVibe Online Help Button The Input/Output meter indicates the input signal and the ReVibe output. The range of this meter is from 0 dB to –60 dB. The number of input/output meters that operate simultaneously ranges from a single meter for mono input and output, up to five input/output meters for 5.0 and 5.1 multichannel processing. The meters that operate depend on the channel format of the track on which the plug-in is inserted.
ReVibe Room Types Revibe comes with over 200 built-in Room Type presets in 14 Room Type categories. These Room Type presets contain complex early reflections and room coloration characteristics that define the sound of the space.
Halls Natural Cathedral 1 Large Natural Hall 2 Natural Cathedral 2 Large Natural Hall 3 Natural Cathedral 3 Large Natural Hall 4 Dense Cathedral 1 Large Natural Hall 5 Dense Cathedral 2 Large Natural Hall 6 Slap Cathedral Large Dense Hall Large Sparse Hall Medium Natural Hall 1 Medium Natural Hall 2 Medium Natural Hall 3 Medium Natural Hall 4 Medium Dense Hall Small Natural Hall 1 Small Natural Hall 2 Theaters Large Theater 1 Large Theater 2 Medium Theater 1 Medium Theater 2 Small Theater 1 Sma
Chambers Film and Post Large Chamber 1 Medium Kitchen Large Chamber 2 Small Kitchen Large Chamber 3 Bathroom 1 Large Chamber 4 Bathroom 2 Large Chamber 5 Bathroom 3 Large Chamber 6 Bathroom 4 Medium Chamber 1 Bathroom 5 Medium Chamber 2 Shower Stall Medium Chamber 3 Hallway Medium Chamber 4 Closet Medium Chamber 5 Classroom 1 Small Chamber 1 Classroom 2 Small Chamber 2 Large Concrete Room Small Chamber 3 Medium Concrete Room Small Chamber 4 Locker Room Ambience Large Ambienc
Large Spaces Effects Parking Garage 1 Mono Slapback 1 Parking Garage 2 Mono Slapback 2 Parking Garage 3 Mono Slapback 3 Warehouse 1 Wide Slapback 1 Warehouse 2 Wide Slapback 2 Stairwell 1 Wide Slapback 3 Stairwell 2 Multi Slapback 1 Stairwell 3 Multi Slapback 2 Stairwell 4 Multi Slapback 3 Stairwell 5 Multi Slapback 4 Gymnasium Spread Slapback 1 Auditorium Spread Slapback 2 Indoor Arena Mono Echo 1 Stadium 1 Mono Echo 2 Stadium 2 Mono Echo 3 Tunnel Wide Echo 1 Vintage Digit
Chapter 32: TL Space TDM and TL Space Native TL Space is a convolution reverb plug-in that is available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. There are two versions of TL Space: TL Space TDM and TL Space Native. TL Space TDM includes TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite plug-in formats. TL Space Native includes RTAS and AudioSuite plug-in formats only. TL Space was designed to be the ultimate reverb for music and post-production applications.
TL Space Feature Highlights • Automatically recognizes common IR formats for one click loading TL Space has an extensive feature set designed to assist users in creating the best reverb effect in the shortest possible time. • IR browser hides to save screen real estate Listed below are some of the key innovations that TL Space offers over traditional software reverbs. Reverb Features • Mono, Stereo, and Quad and 5.
TL Space Overview The following sections provide information on the concepts of reverb and convolution reverb. Reverb Basics Reverberation is an essential aspect of the sound character of any space in the real world. Every room has a unique reverb sound, and the qualities of a reverb can make the difference between an ordinary and an outstanding recording.
A small room may have only a fraction of a second before the first reflections, whereas large spaces may take much longer. The elapsed time of the early reflections defines the perceived size of the room from the point of view of a listener. TL Space offers various controls over early reflection parameters. The time delay between the direct sound and the first reflection is usually known as Pre Delay. TL Space lets you adjust Pre Delay.
TL Space System Design TL Space uses advanced DSP algorithms to deliver convolution processing on both TDM and native host processing. The following figure shows the internal system design of TL Space and demonstrates how TL Space processes the audio signal. The impulse computer is an internal module of TL Space that provides extensive user control over the currently loaded impulse response waveform.
TL Space and System Performance This section describes TL Space and system performance. TL Space Supported Plug-In Formats TL Space is available as TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite plug-in formats depending on your Pro Tools system and version of TL Space. HTDM plug-ins are not supported in Pro Tools 7.0 or higher. Use the corresponding TDM or RTAS plug-in instead. TL Space TDM Edition includes all plug-in formats. TL Space Native Edition includes RTAS and AudioSuite plug-in formats only.
TL Space Channel Format Support TL Space supports a variety of channel formats depending on your Pro Tools system, including mono, stereo, quad, and 5.0 channels. The following table outlines channel support in specific modes. True Stereo at 96 kHz is only available in TL Space Long. Stereo processing is available in both summed stereo and true stereo. Summed stereo processing uses the traditional reverb technique of summing the two input channels into a single channel that is processed by the reverb.
TL Space DSP Usage TDM Systems On Pro Tools HD and HD Accel systems, TL Space can be instantiated as TL Space Short, Medium and Long. The plug-in name displayed in the menu refers to the maximum reverb time as shown in the table below. The different versions of TL Space have different DSP usage requirements. A Pro Tools HD card contains nine identical DSP chips. A Pro Tools HD Accel card contains nine DSP chips, four of which offer external SRAM.
Impulse Response (IR) and TL Space This section covers aspects of impulse response (IR) and TL Space. IR Processing Control Lag Adjusting some controls in TL Space requires the impulse computer to recalculate the waveform and reload it into the convolution processor. This operation uses DSP and host processing capacity. When this occurs, some control lag may be experienced. This should be kept in mind if controls are being automated in real time during a session.
Using Third-Party IRs in TL Space TL Space Multichannel IR Formats TL Space reads a wide range of IR formats automatically, including WAV, SDII, and AIFF file formats, allowing you to import a variety of IRs. TL Space supports IR sample rates from 22 kHz up to 96 kHz in bit depths from 16 to 32 bits. In addition, TL Space supports the display of JPEG format picture files stored with IRs. TL Space supports IRs in multichannel or multiple mono audio files.
For multi-mono files, TL Space understands the following filename conventions, based on those used by Pro Tools. The filename format is based on the impulse name plus two suffixes which indicate input and output channels as follows: Impulsename.inputchannel.outputchannel.type • Impulsename is the name of the impulse. Mixing multiple IR files with the same Impulsename in the same folder is not supported. The following examples show how various multi-mono IR files could be named.
Channel Compatibility and TL Space TL Space works best with IRs that match your current channel configuration. For example, if TL Space is instantiated in a mono to stereo configuration, stereo IRs will be highlighted in the IR browser. The IR information displayed in the display area shows how many inputs and outputs an IR has. For example, an IR listed as 2 input 4 output is a stereo to quad IR.
TL Space Snapshots In addition to presets, TL Space lets you manage a group of settings, called snapshots, that can be switched quickly using a single, automatable control. Each snapshot contains a separate IR and settings for all TL Space controls. IRs in a snapshot have been pre-processed by the impulse computer and can be loaded instantly into the convolution processor. With RTAS, switching between snapshots does not cause audio to drop out.
TL Space Controls and Displays The TL Space interface is divided into the following sections: • Display area (See “TL Space Display Area” on page 203.) • IR Browser (See “TL Space IR Browser” on page 206.) • Primary controls (See “TL Space Primary Controls” on page 208.) • Group Selectors and Controls (See “TL Space Group Selectors and Controls” on page 209.
TL Space Display Area The display area of TL Space operates in the following four modes, indicated by the Display Mode selectors at the top right hand corner of the TL Space window: • Waveform mode • Picture Preview mode • Snapshot mode • Preferences mode Display Mode selectors The Display area changes based on the selected mode. Info Bar At all times, the Info bar at the bottom of the display area window shows the following controls and information.
Channel Selectors Displays from one to five channels (in the order Left, Center, Right, Left Surround, Right Surround). Click the desired channel to display the IR waveform for that channel. In Mono mode, no channel selector is displayed. Zoom Zooms in and out on the time axis for the waveform display. TL Space Picture Preview Mode Picture Preview mode is selected using the Picture Preview icon at the top of the TL Space window. When selected, Picture Preview mode shows pictures associated with the IR.
Paste Pastes the clipboard into the currently se- lected snapshot. Note that the name of the existing snapshot is not changed by pasting a new snapshot, in order to avoid duplicate snapshot names. Clear Clears the IR from the currently selected snapshot. TL Space Preferences Mode Preferences mode is selected using the Preferences icon at the top of the TL Space window. This displays a number of preferences settings for TL Space.
TL Space IR Browser The TR Browser icon at the top right hand corner of the TL Space window opens the IR browser. By default, TL Space will display a single IR group for the TL Space library. The IR browser can be operated using the following shortcuts. When the IR browser has keyboard focus, a blue highlight is displayed around the edge of the browser window. The following table shows IR browser keyboard shortcuts.
TL Space IR Browser Edit Menu The IR browser’s Edit menu contains the following commands: Download TL Space IR Package Opens a Web browser to the TL Space online IR library. Rescan for Files Forces TL Space to check the hard drive for new IRs. This is typically required if new IR files have been copied to the hard drive. Using the Rescan for Files command loads new IRs into TL Space without needing to close TL Space or the Pro Tools session.
In the resulting dialog, locate and select the file you downloaded. 7 8 Click Choose. TL Space will display a summary of the IR package with a short description, copyright statement, and a list of the contents. TL Space Primary Controls The primary control group is visible at all times and allows control of key reverb parameters. This includes the wet and dry levels of the audio passing through TL Space. 9 Click Install to install the IR package.
TL Space Group Selectors and Controls TL Space presents reverb controls in five different groups. Each group is activated by selecting the corresponding selector. TL Space Delay Controls The Delays group allows control of delay timings for the reverb. When changes are made to any control in the Delays group, the IR waveform is recalculated and displayed in the Waveform display.
TL Space Early Section Controls The Early group controls the character of the early portion of the IR and the early reflections. The primary control is Early Length which defines the size of the early portion of the IR waveform. When loading an IR from an audio file, TL Space relies on the user to define which part of the IR is the early portion of the waveform. By default, the Early length is set to 20 ms. The early portion of the IR waveform is highlighted in the Waveform display.
Width Increase or reduces the stereo spacious- High Xover Adjusts the frequency point that di- ness of the reverb. Use this control to tailor the reverb’s character in a mix. Keep in mind that an IR that has little stereo separation to begin with may have limited results. vides the IR into mid and high frequency portions. Balance Controls the balance of the reverb out- put.
Using TL Space This section addresses some common scenarios in which TL Space can be used during a Pro Tools session. TL Space Plug-In Formats TL Space is available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite plug-in formats. The following table provides some general recommendations for use of TL Space based on the advantages and disadvantages of each plug-in format.
PCI Bus Contention and TL Space Large Pro Tools TDM systems running TL Space TDM in conjunction with video capture and playback or other PCI cards may encounter –6042 errors. These errors are caused when the Pro Tools DAE engine cannot transfer audio track data from the computer to the Pro Tools card over the PCI bus quickly enough. The error typically occurs when TL Space attempts to use the PCI bus to load impulses. PCI bus contention can be addressed with the following steps.
TL Space IR Library TL Space includes an extensive impulse response library, divided into the following categories.
Part VI: Delay Plug-Ins
Chapter 33: AIR Dynamic Delay AIR Dynamic Delay is an RTAS plug-in. Use the Dynamic Delay Plug-In for a delay line that can synchronize to the Pro Tools session tempo and be modulated by an Envelope follower. Dynamic Delay Controls The Dynamic Delay plug-in provides a variety of controls for adjusting plug-in parameters. Sync When Sync is enabled, the delay time synchronizes to the Pro Tools session tempo.
Select from the following rhythmic values: • 16 (sixteenth note) • 8T (eighth-note triplet) • 16D (dotted sixteenth-note) • 8 (eighth note) • 4T (quarter-note triplet) • 8D (dotted eighth-note) • 4 (quarter note) • 2T (half-note triplet) Mix The Mix control lets you balance the amount of dry signal with the amount of wet (delayed) signal. At 50%, there are equal amounts of dry and wet signal. At 0%, the output is all dry and at 100% it is all wet.
Dynamic Delay Env Mod (Envelope Modulation) Section The Dynamic Delay plug-in provides an Envelope follower that can control various parameters in real time. Rate Adjust the Rate control to determine how quickly the Feedback and Mix parameters respond to input from the Envelope follower. Fbk Adjust the Feedback control to determine how much the Envelope follower affects the Feedback amount.
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Chapter 34: AIR Multi-Delay AIR Multi-Delay is an RTAS plug-in. Use the Multi-Delay plug-in to apply up to six delay lines to the audio signal. Multi-Delay Controls The Multi-Delay plug-in provides a variety of controls for adjusting plug-in parameters. Sync When Sync is enabled, the Delay time synchronizes to the Pro Tools session tempo. When Sync is disabled, you can set the delay time in milliseconds independently of the Pro Tools session tempo. The Sync button is lit when it is enabled.
From and To The From and To controls let you feed signal from one delay Tap to another, or back to the main input, to create complex delay/feedback effects. Multi-Delay Delay Taps Controls The Multi-Delay provides five Taps (delay lines). Each Tap provides the same set of controls. Controls for each Tap can be edited independently of the other Taps. Each Tap provides the following controls: From The From control sets the tap from which signal will be cross-routed.
Chapter 35: Mod Delay II Mod Delay II is a set of modulating delay plug-ins that are available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. There are six different Mod Delay II plug-ins, capable of different maximum delay times: • The AudioSuite only version of the Delay plugin provides up to 10.9 seconds of delay at all sample rates. The TDM versions of the Extra Long Delay mono-to-stereo and stereo plug-in are not supported at 96 kHz.
Mod Delay II Controls Mod-Delay II provides a variety of controls for adjusting plug-in parameters. Mod Delay II Gain Control This control controls the input level to the delay to prevent clipping. Mod Delay II Mix Control This control controls the balance between the delayed signal (wet) and the original signal (dry). If you are using a delay for flanging or chorusing, you can control the depth of the effect somewhat with the Mix setting.
Mod Delay II Tempo Control This control sets the desired tempo in beats per minute (bpm). This setting is independent of Pro Tools’ tempo. When a specific Duration is selected (see “Duration” below), moving this control affects the Delay setting. Likewise, the range of both controls will be limited to the maximum available delay with the currently selected Duration. To enter very short or long delays it may be necessary to deselect all Duration buttons.
Multichannel Mod Delay II 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.
Chapter 36: Mod Delay III Mod Delay III provides mono, multi-mono, mono-to-stereo, and stereo modulating delay effects. Mod Delay III is available in AAX and AudioSuite formats, and supports 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz and 192 kHz sample rates.
Delay Link For stereo and mono-to-stereo tracks, enable the Link button to link the Delay, Modulation, and Mix controls between the Left and Right channels. This option is highlighted when it is enabled. For mono tracks, this option reads Mono and is display only. Delay Time The Delay Time control sets the delay time between the original signal and the delayed signal (from 0.0 ms to 5,000.0 ms).
For example, selecting a quarter note and then selecting the dot indicates a dotted quarter note, and selecting an eighth note and then selecting the triplet indicates a triplet eighth note. Output The Output section provides output metering and controls for adjusting the level of the output signal. Output Meters The Output meters show peak signal levels after processing: Duration buttons Dark Blue Indicates nominal levels from –INF to Groove –12 dB.
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Chapter 37: Moogerfooger Analog Delay The Moogerfooger Analog Delay is a delay plug-in that is available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. It provides a warm sounding delay in the digital domain. Moogerfooger Analog Delay The Moogerfooger Analog Delay uses Bucket Brigade Analog Delay Chips to achieve its delay. These analog integrated circuits function by passing the audio waveform down a chain of thousands of circuit cells, just like water being passed by a bucket brigade to put out a fire.
Not Better—Different Working directly with Bob Moog, Bomb Factory enhanced the Moogerfooger Analog Delay to be even more useful for digital recording. An integrated Highpass Filter allows you to remove unwanted bass buildup from the feedback loop, allowing you to have warmer, more-controllable echo swarms while minimizing the potential for digital clipping.
Chapter 38: Multi-Tap Delay Multi-Tap Delay is an AudioSuite plug-in that 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.
Delay Sets the delay time between the original signal and the delayed signal. The higher the setting, the longer the delay. This control is adjustable from 0–1500 milliseconds (1.5 seconds). 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%.
Chapter 39: Ping-Pong Delay Ping-Pong Delay is an AudioSuite plug-in that adds a controllable delay to the original audio signal. Use the Ping-Pong delay to add spatialization, and panned echo to audio material. This plug-in feeds back delayed signals to their opposite channels, creating a characteristic pingpong echo effect. Delay Sets the delay time between the original signal and the delayed signal. The higher the setting, the longer the delay. This control is adjustable from 0–1500 milliseconds (1.
Selecting Audio for AudioSuite Delay Processing Because delays add additional material to the end of selected audio (a delay tap), make a selection that is longer than the original source material so AudioSuite can write the additional delayed audio to the audio file. Selecting only the original material, without leaving additional space at the end results in the delayed audio being cutoff at the end of the selection.
Chapter 40: Reel Tape Delay Reel Tape Delay is part of the Reel Tape suite of tape-simulation effects plug-ins that are available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. Reel Tape Delay simulates an analog tape echo effect, modeling the frequency response, noise, wow and flutter, and distortion characteristics of analog tape. It also reproduces the varispeed effect you get when the tape speed control is adjusted.
Reel Tape Common Controls All Reel Tape plug-ins share the following controls: Drive Drive controls the amount of saturation effect by increasing the input signal to the modeled tape machine while automatically compensating by reducing the overall output. Drive is adjustable from –12 dB to +12 dB, with a default value of 0 dB. Output Output controls the output signal level of the plug-in after processing. Output is adjustable from –12 dB to +12 dB, with a default value of 0 dB.
Wow/Flutter Treble The Wow/Flutter control adjusts the amplitude of the tape machine’s wow and flutter, or the amount of fluctuation in tape speed. A higher setting results in wider fluctuations in speed. A lower setting results in narrower fluctuations in speed. Wow/Flutter is adjustable from 0 to 1 percent, with a default value of 0.20 percent. The Treble control boosts or cuts the amount of high-mid frequencies fed to the echo feedback loop.
Synchronizing Reel Tape Delay to Session Tempo You can set the delay time (Speed control) in the Reel Tape Delay to synchronize to the session tempo (in beats per minute). To synchronize the delay time to the session tempo: In the BPM Sync section, click the On button. The Tempo/Rate display changes to match the current session tempo. 1 Reel Tape Delay Presets The Reel Tape Delay presets coordinate Speed, Wow/Flutter, Feedback and the Bass and Treble controls for different tape speeds. 3.
Chapter 41: Tel-Ray Variable Delay Tel-Ray Variable Delay is a delay/echo plug-in that is available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. Add delay or echo to any voice or instrument using the Tel-Ray Variable Delay. It provides lush delay, amazing echo, and warms up your tracks and mixes. How the Tel-Ray Works In the early 1960s, a small company experimented with electronics and technology. When they came up with something great, they would Tell Ray (the boss).
Tel-Ray Controls Tel-Ray Tips and Tricks Input/Output Section Variation? Do They Ever! Input Input sets the signal level to the tuna can echo unit. Each and every Tel-Ray we tested (and Bomb Factory owns more than a dozen) varied drastically in motor and flywheel stability, resulting in different pitch and variation effects. The same unit even sounded different day to day, depending on temperature, warm-up time and other factors.
Chapter 42: TimeAdjuster TimeAdjuster is a time-processing plug-in that is available in TDM and RTAS formats. The TimeAdjuster plug-in is an efficient way to compensate for DSP or host-based processing delays in your Pro Tools system. Long Supports a maximum delay of 8192 samples at all sample rates. For more information on Delay Compensation and Time Adjuster, see the Pro Tools Reference Guide.
Delay Provides up to 8192 samples of delay com- pensation adjustment, or general adjustment of phase relationships of audio recorded with multiple microphones, depending on which version of TimeAdjuster is used. It defaults to a minimum delay of four samples, which is the delay created by use of the TimeAdjuster plug-in itself.
Viewing Channel Delay and TimeAdjuster Because plug-ins display their delay values in the channel delay indicators, this can be used as another method for determining delay compensation. To view time delay values and use TimeAdjuster to compensate for the delay: Control-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac) the Track Level Indicator to toggle between level (that appears on the display as “vol”), headroom (“pk”), and channel delay (“dly”) indications. Delay values are shown in samples.
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Part VII: Modulation Plug-Ins
Chapter 43: AIR Chorus AIR Chorus is an RTAS plug-in that lets you apply a short modulated delay to give depth and space to an audio signal. Feedback Sets the Feedback amount. Pre-Delay Delays the chorused signal, in milli- seconds. LFO Section The Chorus plug-in’s LFO section’s controls let you select the waveform, phase, rate, and depth of modulation. Waveform Selects either a Sine wave or a Triangle wave for the LFO.
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Chapter 44: AIR Ensemble AIR Ensemble is an RTAS plug-in that lets you apply fluid, shimmering modulation effects to the audio signal. Shimmer The Shimmer control lets you random- ize the Delay time, adding texture to the effect. Stereo Width The Stereo Width control lets you widen or narrow the effect’s stereo field. Mix The Mix control lets you balance the amount of dry signal with the amount of wet signal. At 50%, there are equal amounts of dry and wet signal.
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Chapter 45: AIR Filter Gate AIR Filter Gate is an RTAS plug-in that you can use to chop up an audio signal into staccato rhythmic patterns with variable filtering, amplitude, and panning. Rate The Rate selector lets you select the duration, or frequency of the Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO). The duration of one cycle of the LFO is measured in Steps. Swing The Swing control sets the amount of rhythmic swing applied to the chosen gating pattern.
Release The Release control lets you adjust the duration of the release as a percentage of the step duration. Filter Gate Filter Section The Filter controls provide controls for the selected filter type. Filter Gate Modulation Section Env The Env control lets you adjust how much an Envelope Follower affects the Cutoff frequency. Note that the Cutoff is fixed for the duration of each step, so it will not respond to a peak in the envelope until the start of the next step.
Chapter 46: AIR Flanger AIR Flanger is an RTAS plug-in that lets you apply a short modulating delay to the audio signal. Rate When Sync is enabled, the Rate control lets you select a rhythmic subdivision or multiple of the beat for the Flanger Modulation Rate.
Depth L/R Offset The Depth control lets you adjust the amount of modulation applied to the Delay time. The L/R Offset control lets you adjust the phase offset for the LFO waveform applied to the left and right channels. Feedback The Feedback control lets you adjust the amount of delay feedback for the Flanger. At 0%, the delay repeats only once. At +/–100%, the Flanger feeds back on itself. Mix The Mix control lets you balance the amount of dry signal with the amount of wet (flanged) signal.
Chapter 47: AIR Fuzz-Wah AIR Fuzz-Wah is an RTAS plug-in that lets you add color to an audio signal with various types and varying amounts of transistor-like distortion. Fuzz-Wah Controls The Fuzz-Wah plug-in provides a variety of controls for adjusting plug-in parameters. Fuzz Click the Fuzz button to turn the distortion effect on and off. Drive The Drive control sets the level of gain in the Fuzz algorithm.
Filter The Filter control switches the wah filter between LP (lowpass), BP (bandpass), and HP (highpass) modes. Mix The Mix control lets you balance the amount of dry signal with the amount of wet (wah-processed) signal. At 50%, there are equal amounts of dry and wet signal. At 0%, the output is all dry and at 100% it is all wet Mix (Overall) The overall Mix control lets you balance the amount of fuzz-processed signal with the amount of wah-processed signal.
Chapter 48: AIR Multi-Chorus AIR Multi-Chorus is an RTAS plug-in that lets you apply a thick, complex Chorus effect to an audio signal. Voices The Voices control sets the number of layered chorus effects that are applied to the audio signal. The more Voices that are used, the thicker the effect. Mix The Mix control lets you adjust the Mix between the “wet” (processed) and “dry” (unprocessed) signal. 0% is all dry, and 100% is all wet, while 50% is an equal mix of both.
Multi-Chorus Mod Section Controls The Mod section controls let you set the Pre-Delay amount, and the waveform of the LFO. Pre-Delay Sets the Pre-Delay in milliseconds. Waveform Selects either a Sine wave or a Triangle wave for the LFO.
Chapter 49: AIR Phaser AIR Phaser is an RTAS plug-in that applies a phaser to an audio signal for that wonderful “wooshy,” “squishy” sound. Rate When Sync is enabled, the Rate control lets you select a rhythmic subdivision or multiple of the beat for the Phaser Modulation Rate.
Depth The Depth control lets you adjust the depth of modulation, which in turn affects the amount of phasing applied to the audio signal. Phaser LFO Section Controls The LFO section provides control over the waveform and stereo offset of the LFO. Wave Feedback The Feedback control feeds the output signal of Phaser back into the input, creating a resonant or singing tone in the phaser when set to its maximum.
Chapter 50: AIR Talkbox AIR Talkbox is an RTAS plug-in that lets you add a voice-like resonances to audio signals. Talkbox Plug-In window Talkbox Controls The Talkbox plug-in provides a variety of controls for adjusting plug-in parameters. Env Depth The Env Depth knob creates a positive or negative offset in the setting of the Vowel control, effected by the Envelope follower. At its center, the knob has no effect.
Talkbox LFO Section Controls Saw Provides a saw-tooth wave. The LFO section provides controls that let you apply a Low Frequency Oscillator to modulate the Formant setting. Square Provides a square wave. Rate Random Provides random modulation. When Sync is enabled, the Rate control lets you select a rhythmic subdivision or multiple of the beat for the LFO Rate. Select from the following rhythmic values: S&H Provides Sample and Hold (S&H) modula- tion.
Chapter 51: AIR Vintage Filter AIR Vintage Filter is an RTAS plug-in that applies a modulating, resonant filter to an audio signal. Have fun with filter sweeps or give your sounds that extra-resonant aura. Vintage Filter Controls The Vintage Filter plug-in provides a variety of controls for adjusting plug-in parameters. Cutoff The Cutoff control lets you adjust the Cutoff frequency (20.0 Hz to 20.0 kHz) of the filter. Resonance The Resonance control lets you adjust the amount filter Resonance (0–100%).
Mode Select one of the following options for the type of filter: LP24 Provides a low pass filter with a 24 dB cut- off. LP18 Provides a low pass filter with a 18 dB cut- off. LP12 Provides a low pass filter with a 12 dB cut- off. BP Provides a band pass filter. HP Provides a high pass filter. Output The Output control lets you lower the Output level from 0.0 dB to –INF dB. Vintage Filer Envelope Section Controls The Filter effect provides an Envelope follower for controlling the Cutoff frequency.
Chapter 52: Cosmonaut Voice Cosmonaut Voice is a plug-in effect that is available in RTAS and AudioSuite formats. The Cosmonaut Voice plug-in is a radio and shortwave simulator. Use it to add squelch or noise to tracks. Cosmonaut Voice Controls Cosmonaut Voice is, in simple terms, an amplitude-driven noise generator with adjustable sensitivity, selectable noise type (beep or squelch), and an additional RFI/static noise generator.
Accessing Additional Cosmonaut Voice Controls On-Screen Cosmonaut Voice also provides a Beep/Squelch Level control to set the balance of the generated noise and dry signal. Beep/Squelch level can be adjusted on-screen by editing Pro Tools breakpoint automation data. To access Beep/Squelch level on-screen: Click the Plug-In Automation button in the Plug-In window to open the Plug-In Automation window.
Chapter 53: Chorus Chorus is an AudioSuite plug-in that adds a shimmering quality to audio material by combining a time-delayed, pitch-shifted copy of an audio signal with itself. Chorus Controls The Chorus plug-in provides the following controls: Gain Adjusts the input volume of the chorus to prevent clipping or increase the level of the processed signal. This slider is set to a default of +3 dB.
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. Use this to attenuate the high frequency content of the feedback signal. The lower the setting, the more high frequencies are removed from the feedback signal. The range of the Low Pass Filter is 20 Hz to 19.86 kHz, with a maximum value of Off (which effectively means bypass).
Chapter 54: Flanger Flanger is an AudioSuite plug-in that animates and adds a swirling, moving quality to audio material by combing a time-delayed copy of an audio signal with itself. Flanger Controls 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.
LFO Rate Adjusts the rate of the LFO (low frequency oscillator) applied to the delayed signal as modulation. The higher the setting, the more rapid the modulation. You can select either a sine wave or a triangle wave as a modulation source, using the LFO Waveform selector. LFO Width Adjusts the intensity of the LFO applied to the delayed signal as modulation. The higher the setting, the more intense the modulation.
Chapter 55: Moogerfooger Lowpass Filter The Moogerfooger Lowpass Filter features a 2-pole/4-pole variable resonance filter with envelope follower and is available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. Use it to achieve classic 60s and 70s sounds on bass and electric guitar, or just dial in some warm, fat analog resonance when you need it.
“Envelope” of the sound Time Audio waveform of the sound Audio waveform of a musical sound Time Envelope signal of the same sound Envelope Moogerfooger Lowpass Filter Controls Envelope Section Amount The Amount knob determines how much the envelope varies the filter. When the knob is counterclockwise, the envelope signal has no effect on the filter. When the knob is fully clockwise, the envelope signal opens and closes the filter over a range of five octaves.
2-Pole/4-Pole The 2-Pole/4-Pole switch selects whether the signal goes through half the filter (2-pole) or the entire filter (4-pole). 2-pole is brighter, while 4-pole has a deeper, mellow quality. Drive The Drive control sets the input gain. Use it to adjust the input to the filter and envelope follower for desired impact. LED Indicators Three LEDs down the center of the unit provide visual feedback. Level Level glows green when signal is present to the envelope circuit.
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Chapter 56: Moogerfooger 12-Stage Phaser The Moogerfooger 12-Stage Phaser combines a 6- or 12-stage phaser with a wide-ranging variable LFO and is available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. Start with subtle tremolo or radical modulation effects, then crank the distortion and resonant filters for unbelievable new tones—all featuring classic MOOG ® sound. How the Moogerfooger 12-Stage Phaser Works The Moogerfooger 12-Stage Phaser offers 6 or 12 stages of MOOG resonant analog filters.
A sweep control allows you to adjust the range of the frequency shift. And, keeping in the spirit of the MOOG modular synthesizers, an integrated LFO allows you to modulate the sweep control, allowing for extreme effects. Gain 1 Moogerfooger 12-Stage Phaser Controls Frequency Mid-Shift Frequency LFO Section Responses of a phaser with high resonance Control the LFO using the Amount and Rate knobs and the Lo/Hi selector switch.
Moogerfooger 12-Stage Phaser Tips and Tricks More Harmonics = More Fun The richer the harmonic content of the sound, the more there is to filter and sweep. Try adding distortion using the SansAmp PSA-1 before the phaser–it’s a cool variation on the common signal path used when putting a phaser in front of a guitar amp. Aggressive. Extreme. Dr. Moog apparently took these mantras of early 21st Century recording science to heart when he designed the Rate knob on his phaser.
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Chapter 57: Moogerfooger Ring Modulator The Moogerfooger Ring Modulator that provides a wide-range carrier oscillator and dual sine/square waveform LFO and is available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. Add motion to rhythm tracks and achieve radical lo-fidelity textures—you set the limits! The Carrier Oscillator is a wide-range sinusoidal oscillator. It’s called the Carrier Oscillator because, like the carrier of an AM radio signal, it’s always there, ready to be modulated by the input.
Sine/Square The Square/Sine switch selects ei- ther a square or sine waveform. The square wave produces trill effects, whereas the sine waveform produces vibrato and siren effects. Modulator Section The Carrier Oscillator is controlled by the Frequency knob and the Low/High switch. Frequency Knob Operating at the selected frequency, the carrier oscillator provides one input to the ring modulator, with the other coming from the input signal. Lo In the Lo position, the Frequency knob ranges from 0.
Chapter 58: Reel Tape Flanger Reel Tape Flanger is part of the Reel Tape suite of tape-simulation effects plug-ins and is available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. Reel Tape Flanger simulates a tape machine flanging effect, modeling the frequency sweep and “crossover” comb-filtering effects that can result when the flanger variable delay is adjusted. It also reproduces the frequency response, noise, wow and flutter, and distortion characteristics of analog tape recording.
Reel Tape Common Controls All Reel Tape plug-ins share the following controls: Drive Drive controls the amount of saturation effect by increasing the input signal to the modeled tape machine while automatically compensating by reducing the overall output. Drive is adjustable from –12 dB to +12 dB, with a default value of 0 dB.
Flange Range settings within the narrow center band around “zero” simulate tape flanging, with a phase cancellation effect as the variable delay crosses the “zero” point. LFO Rate Feedback The Feedback control adds a short delay to the flanged signal. Feedback amount is adjustable from 0 to 100 percent, with a default value of 0 percent. (This is not the same feedback effect as on an electronic flanger or delay.
Mix The Mix control adjusts the amount of fixed delay signal mixed with the variable delay signal in the final output of the plug-in. The default Mix value is adjustable from –100 (all fixed delay signal) to +100 (all variable delay signal) percent, with a default value of 0 (50% fixed delay, 50% variable delay signals).
Reel Tape Flanger Tips Reel Tape Flanger Presets To achieve a flanging effect, set the Range control within the “Flange” range and adjust the LFO Depth control to a value that is greater than the offset (so that the variable delay crosses the “zero” point.
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Chapter 59: Sci-Fi Sci-Fi part of the D-Fi family of plug-ins, providing analog synthesizer-type effects. It is available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats.
Sci-Fi Controls Sci-Fi Input Level Input Level attenuates signal input level to the Sci-Fi processor. Since some Sci-Fi controls (such as Resonator) can cause extreme changes in signal level, adjusting the Input Level is particularly useful for achieving unity gain with the original signal level. The range of this control is from –12 dB to 0 dB.
Sci-Fi Mod Type Controls Trigger+Hold Trigger and hold modulation is The four Mod Type buttons determine the type of modulation applied to the frequency of the selected effect. Depending on the type of modulation you select here, the sliders below it will change to provide the appropriate type of modulation controls. If the Mod Amount is set to 0%, no dynamic modulation is applied to the audio signal. The Effect Frequency slider then becomes the primary control for modifying the sound.
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Chapter 60: TL EveryPhase TL EveryPhase is an 18-stage analog modeled phaser effects plug-in designed to reproduce classic phaser effects as well as creating exciting new sounds. It is available in TDM and RTAS formats. TL EveryPhase plug-in TL EveryPhase Overview This section provides an overview of traditional phasers and the TL EveryPhase phaser. Traditional Analog Phasers The phaser (or phase shifter) is a classic sound effect often heard on guitars or synthesizers.
The following figure shows the different modules of TL EveryPhase and how they interact with the audio signal.
Modulation The Modulation meter displays several items at once. First, the range of phaser sweep set by the Modulation Width and Manual controls is indicated by the shaded background area. The movement of the phaser itself is indicated by one or two scanning bars. When TL EveryPhase is instantiated on a mono, stereo, or 5.1 track, a single bar is shown in this meter. When instantiated on a mono track as a mono to stereo plugin, two scanning bars are shown. the Stages slider.
Modulation Section LFO Section Modulation section Width The Width slider determines the amplitude of the modulation sweep. This is displayed graphically in the modulation meter. LFO section When the Modulation section’s Source is set to the Envelope (ENV), the controls in the LFO section have no effect on the current sound. Manual The Manual slider offsets the modulation sweep. This is displayed graphically in the modulation meter. Source Click LFO or ENV to select the source for modulation.
Waveform Selecting the LFO Waveform The Waveform selector (Triangle, Ramp, Sine, etc.) determines the wave shape used by the LFO. The waveform shape in use is graphically depicted by the movement of the scanning bars in the Modulation meter. LFO Triggers LFO Triggers By default, the LFO cycles continuously through the selected waveform. The LFO can be set to cycle through the selected waveform just once, or it can be triggered by MIDI Beat Clock, the Envelope, or manually.
Tempo Controls Tempo controls Link To Tempo When the Link To Tempo option is enabled, the LFO rate is set to the Pro Tools session tempo, and any tempo changes in the session are followed automatically. When Link To Tempo is enabled, the LFO rate slider is ignored and the tempo displayed in the LCD always displays the current session tempo. The Link To Tempo control is only available on Pro Tools 6.1 and later.
Side-Chain Input Side-Chain Input selector enabled When the Side-Chain Input selector (the key icon) is enabled, the audio for the Envelope Detector is taken from the side-chain input rather than the current track. Select the Side-Chain Input using the Pro Tools key icon at the top of the plug-in window. Using TL EveryPhase This section addresses some common scenarios in which TL EveryPhase can be used during a Pro Tools session.
Set the Automation mode for the track to Write or Touch. 7 8 Play the session At the point where you wish phasing to start, click on Manual Trigger to start the LFO. The automation for this action will be recorded onto the track. 9 The Bypass and/or Depth controls can also be automated to ensure TL EveryPhase does not effect any part of the sound except the specific section required.
The Side-Chain Input feature lets you control the TL EveryPhase modulation and LFO using external audio sources, allowing you to explore creative possibilities not available with most phasers. For example, a side-chain input can be used to “listen” to a percussion track and create a rhythmic phasing effect on a bass line. This is especially effective in R&B, hip hop and electronic music. Consider the following two bar bass line and drum loop.
TL EveryPhase Tips and Tricks Can’t get the perfect phaser sound? Try some of these ideas! • Try a preset. TL EveryPhase includes over 120 presets in eight categories. The categories are merely suggestions—a preset created for guitar may have just the sound you need for vocals. • Adjust the Depth. Setting Depth to positive or negative values allows for two separate types of phasing to occur.
Chapter 61: Voce Plug-Ins The Voce plug-ins provide a pair of vintage modulation effect plug-ins that are available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. Voce Chorus/Vibrato Voce Chorus/Vibrato recreates the mechanical scanner vibrato found in the B-3 Organ. Three settings of chorus and three settings of vibrato presented on one cool knob! Fun and easy to use, it’s a classic effect used for over sixty years.
Guitar A certain popular guitar amp has a knob that says “Vibrato” but it’s really just Tremolo. Tremolo is amplitude modulation; the sound gets louder and quieter. Vibrato, in contrast, imparts pitch change. A select few highly sought after ‘50s Magnatone guitar amps feature a true tube vibrato (one even does stereo!) You can approximate this sound by recording guitar direct (or starting with a clean miked sound), applying Voce Chorus/Vibrato, then using SansAmp ™ PSA-1.
How Voce Spin Controls Of course, all that motion creates a rich sound— but then you have to capture it using microphones. Spin provides fifteen classic recording setups to choose from, giving you the sounds you’ve heard on countless records instantly. Just choose a preset and click Chorale, Tremolo, or Off. Alternately, click and drag the flip switch. Short flicks of the wrist land on Off; longer flicks toggle between Chorale and Tremolo. See also “Voce Spin Additional Controls” on page 305.
specify acceleration and deceleration times (in seconds) for both the upper and lower speakers, tweak the fast and slow speeds of each speaker, and specify the microphone angle for each stereo pair of microphones. Accessing Voce Spin Controls on a Control Surface You can access these additional controls through Pro Tools plug-in automation, and/or from a compatible control surface. When using a control surface, all Voce Spin parameters are available whenever the plug-in is focused.
Spin into Moogerfooger Lowpass Filter Generator Leakage Try using the amplitude modulation effects of Spin as an LFO driving the Moogerfooger Lowpass Filter! Of all the sounds to pass through a Leslie, no sound has been amplified more often than the sound of B-3 Organ generator leakage. Even with no notes keyed, a small amount of B-3 sound leaks out.
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Part VIII: Harmonic Plug-Ins
Chapter 62: AIR Distortion AIR Distortion is an RTAS plug-in that adds color the audio signal with various types and varying amounts of distortion. Output The Output control lets you lower the Output level of the distorted signal from 0–100%. At 0%, no distorted signal passes through the output. At 100%, the distorted signal passes through the output at full volume. Mix The Mix control lets you balance the amount of dry signal with the amount of wet (distorted) signal.
Distortion Tone Section Controls The Distortion plug-in’s tone controls let you shape the timbral quality of the distortion. Pre-Shape The Pre-Shape control lets you in- crease or decrease a broad gain boost (or attenuation) of treble frequencies in the processed signal. Pre-Shape is essentially a pre-distortion tone control that makes the distortion bite at different frequencies. Set to 0%, the Pre-Shape control doesn’t affect the tone at all.
Chapter 63: AIR Enhancer AIR Enhancer is an RTAS plug-in that enhances the low and high broadband frequencies of an audio signal. Enhancer Tune Section Controls The Tune controls let you set the center frequency for low and high-end enhancement. Low Adjust the Low control to set the center frequency for the bass boost. High Adjust the High control to set the center frequency for the treble boost.
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Chapter 64: AIR Lo Fi AIR Lo Fi is an RTAS plug-in that you can use to bit-crush, down-sample, clip, rectify, and mangle an input signal. Mix The Mix control adjusts the Mix between the “wet” (processed) and “dry” (unprocessed) signal. 0% is all dry, and 100% is all wet, while 50% is an equal mix of both. AIR Lo Fi Anti-Alias Section The Anti-Alias section provides control over anti-aliasing filters that can be used before and after downsampling to reduce aliasing in the resampled audio signal.
AIR Lo Fi LFO Section Controls Wave The LFO controls let you apply a Low Frequency Oscillator to modulate the Sample Rate. Select from the following waveforms for the LFO. Rate Name Description When Sync is enabled, the Rate control lets you select a rhythmic subdivision or multiple of the beat for the LFO Rate.
AIR Lo Fi Env Mod Section Controls The Env Mod (envelope modulation) section provides control over an Envelope follower that can affect the Sample Rate. This is useful for accentuating and enhancing signal peaks (such as in drum loops) with artificially generated highfrequency aliasing. Attack Adjust the Attack control to set the time it takes to respond to increases in the audio signal level. Release Adjust the Release control to set the time it takes to recover after the signal level falls.
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Chapter 65: Lo-Fi Lo-Fi is part of the D-Fi suite of plug-ins and provides retro and down-processing effects in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. Features include: • Bit-rate reduction • Sample rate reduction • Soft clipping distortion and saturation • Anti-aliasing filter • Variable amplitude noise generator Lo-Fi down-processes audio by reducing its sample rate and bit resolution. It is ideal for emulating the grungy quality of 8-bit samplers.
The maximum value of the Sample Rate control is Off (which effectively means bypass). The range of the Sample Rate control is slightly different at different session sample rates because Lo-Fi’s subsampling is calculated by integer ratios of the session sample rate. Anti-Alias Filter The Anti-Alias control works in conjunction with the Sample Rate control. As you reduce the sample rate, aliasing artifacts are produced in the audio. These produce a characteristically dirty sound.
Output Meter The Output Meter indicates the output level of the processed signal. Note that this meter indicates the output level of the signal—not the input level. If this meter clips, the signal may have clipped on input before it reached Lo-Fi. Monitor your send or insert signal levels closely to prevent this from happening.
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Chapter 66: Recti-Fi Recti-Fi is part of the D-Fi suite of plug-ins and provides additive harmonic processing effects through waveform rectification. Recti-Fi is available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. Recti-Fi features the following effects: • Subharmonic synthesizer • Full wave rectifier • Pre-filter for adjusting effect frequency • Post-filter for smoothing generated waveforms Recti-Fi provides additive synthesis effects through waveform rectification.
Recti-Fi Controls Recti-Fi Pre-Filter Control The Pre-Filter control filters out high frequencies in an audio signal prior to rectification. This is desirable because the rectification process can cause instability in waveform output— particularly in the case of high-frequency audio signals. Filtering out these higher frequencies prior to rectification can improve waveform stability and the quality of the rectification effect.
Alternating Rectification This alternates between rectifying the phase of the first negative waveform excursion to positive, then the next positive excursion to negative, and so on, throughout the waveform. The audible effect is a halving of the audio signal’s frequency, creating a subharmonic tone. Recti-Fi Gain Control Gain lets you adjust signal level before the audio reaches the Post-Filter.
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Chapter 67: Reel Tape Saturation Reel Tape Saturation is part of the Reel Tape suite of tape-simulation effects plug-ins that are available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. Reel Tape Saturation simulates the saturation effect of an analog tape machine, modeling its frequency response, noise and distortion characteristics, but without any delay or wow and flutter effects. Reel Tape Saturation can be placed on mono, stereo, or multichannel tracks.
Lo-Fi Simulates the effect of a limited-bandwidth analog tape device, such as an outboard tape-based echo effect. Tape Formula The Tape Formula control lets you select either of two magnetic tape formulations emulated by the plug-in, each with its own saturation characteristics: Classic Emulates the characteristics of Ampex 456, exhibiting a more pronounced saturation effect. Hi Output Emulates the characteristics of Quantegy GP9, exhibiting a more subtle saturation effect.
Reel Tape Saturation Tips Use Reel Tape Saturation on individual tracks to round out sharp transients or add color to sustained tones. Use Reel Tape Saturation on a group of tracks (for example drums) to add cohesiveness to the sound of the group. Use Reel Tape Saturation on a Master Fader to apply analog tape-style compression to a mix.
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Chapter 68: SansAmp PSA-1 SansAmp PSA-1 is a guitar amp simulator plug-in that is available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. Punch up existing tracks or record great guitar sounds with the SansAmp PSA-1. Capture bass or electric guitar free of muddy sound degradation and dial in the widest range of amplifier, harmonic generation, cabinet simulation and equalization tone shaping options available! SansAmp PSA-1 How the PSA-1 Works B. Andrew Barta of Tech 21, Inc.
PSA-1 Controls Use the eight knobs to dial in your desired tone or effect. Pre-Amp Determines the input sensitivity and pre-amp distortion. Increasing the setting produces an effect similar to putting a clean booster pedal ahead of a tube amp, overdriving the first stage. For cleaner sounds, use settings below the unity-gain point. Buzz Controls low frequency break up and overdrive. Boost the effect by turning clockwise from the center point indicated by the arrows.
Part IX: Noise Reduction Plug-Ins
Chapter 69: DINR Digidesign Intelligent Noise Reduction (DINR) plug-in provides BNR, broadband and narrowband noise reduction. BNR can be used for suppressing such unwanted elements as tape hiss, air conditioner rumble, and microphone preamp noise. The Broadband Noise Reduction module (BNR) removes many types of broadband and narrowband noise from audio material.
At the same time, DINR also creates a model of what the non-noise audio signal looks like. DINR then attempts to pull apart these two models, separating the bad from the good—the noise from the desired audio. The noise portion can then be reduced or eliminated. The noise reduction itself is achieved through the use of multiple downward expanders.
The Noise Signature The jagged line is a graph of noise. This is called a noise signature. It is created when you use the Learn button in the Broadband Noise Reduction window. Once you have the noise signature of an audio file, you will be able to begin removing the noise by generating and editing a threshold or Contour Line (covered next) between the noise and the desired audio signal.
Response Smoothing This slider adjusts how quickly the downward expanders and noise reduction process responds to the overall changes in the noise in milliseconds. Depending on the character of the noise, different settings of this control will produce varying amounts of artifacts in the signal, as the modeling process attempts to track the noise signal faster or slower. This slider controls the rate at which noise reduction occurs once the threshold is crossed.
BNR Contour Line Controls Fit Clicking the Learn button creates a noise signature based on the audio segment currently selected on screen. There are two Learn modes: Learn First Audio mode and Learn Last Audio mode. The Fit button computes a noise Contour Line with approximately 30 breakpoints to fit the shape of the current noise signature. The Contour Line can then be edited to more closely fit the noise signature or to reduce specific frequency bands by dragging, adding or deleting breakpoints.
Auto Fit The Auto Fit function is designed to generate a noise curve for audio that lacks a noise-only portion for DINR to learn. Clicking Auto Fit computes this generic noise curve based on the points contained within the currently selected audio, then fits the Contour Line to it. To use the Auto Fit function, you must first make a selection in the Spectral Graph by Control-dragging (Windows) or Command-dragging (Mac).
tively. Alt-Start key-clicking (Windows) or Control-Option-clicking (Mac) the Arrow keys on your computer keyboard performs the same function. To use Broadband Noise Reduction: Undo 2 Clicking the Undo button undoes the last edit to the Spectral Graph Display. The Undo button does not undo changes made to slider positions. From the Insert pop-up on the track with the noise, select BNR. The Broadband Noise Reduction window appears.
7 To fine-tune the effects of the noise reduction, adjust the Response, Release, and Smoothing sliders to achieve optimal results. To further increase noise reduction, edit the Contour Line. The quickest way to do this is to move the entire Contour Line upwards. In the Spectral Graph, Control-drag (Windows) or Command-drag (Mac) to select the entire waveform range. Then click the Move Breakpoint Up button. The higher you move the Contour Line above the noise signature, the more noise is removed.
To generate a Contour Line for audio that lacks a noise-only portion: In the Edit window, select a segment of audio with a relatively low amount of signal and a high amount of noise. 1 2 Click the Inserts pop-up on the track with the noise and select BNR. The Broadband Noise Reduction window appears. 3 Click Learn to create a preliminary noise signature. 4 Click Fit to fit a Contour Line to it. In BNR’s Spectral Graph, Control-drag (Windows) or Command-drag (Mac) to make a selection.
To edit the Contour Line: 4 To move a breakpoint, click directly on it and drag it to the desired position. Moving a breakpoint higher increases noise reduction at that range. Moving a breakpoint lower decreases noise reduction at that range. 5 To delete a breakpoint, Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) the breakpoint. As long as you click and hold the mouse, you will delete all breakpoints that the cursor passes over. 1 To create a new breakpoint, click on the Contour Line.
Preparing to Render a Clip Processing a Clip To prepare a clip to process with the BNR AudioSuite plug-in: To begin processing: Select the desired clips in the target tracks or the Clip List. Only tracks and clips that are selected will be processed. Adjust the AudioSuite File controls. These settings will determine how the file is processed and what effect the processing will have on the original clips. Here are some guidelines: From the Pro Tools AudioSuite menu, choose BNR.
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Part X: Dither Plug-Ins
Chapter 70: Dither Dither is a dither-generation plug-in that is available in TDM and RTAS formats. The Dither plug-in minimizes quantization artifacts when reducing the bit depth of an audio signal to 16-, 18-, or 20-bit resolution. For more advanced dithering, use the POW-r Dither plug-in. See “POW-r Dither” on page 351. The Dither plug-in has user-selectable bit resolution and a noise shaping on/off option.
20-bit Recommended for output to digital de- vices 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.
Chapter 71: POW-r Dither POW-r Dither is a dither-generation plug-in that is available in TDM and RTAS formats. The POW-r Dither plug-in is an advanced type of dither that provides optimized bit depth reduction. It is designed for final-stage critical mixdown and mastering tasks where the highest possible fidelity is desired when reducing bit depth. For more information on dithering, see Chapter 70, “Dither.
The POW-r Dither plug-in provides three types of noise shaping, each with its own characteristics. Try each noise shaping type and choose the one that adds the least amount of coloration to the audio being processed. Type 1 Has the flattest frequency spectrum in the audible range of frequencies, modulating and accumulating the dither noise just below the Nyquist frequency. Recommended for less stereophonically complex material such as solo instrument recordings.
Part XI: Sound Field Plug-Ins
Chapter 72: AIR Stereo Width AIR Stereo Width is an RTAS plug-in that you can use to create a wider stereo presence for mono audio signals. Comb Adds artificial width to the signal by M-S encoding then adding a delayed version of the M component to the S component. This creates a comb filtering effect that shifts some frequencies to the left and others to the right.
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Chapter 73: Down Mixer Avid Down Mixer is an AAX plug-in (Native) that can be used to automatically mix greaterthan-stereo multichannel tracks (such as 5.1) down to stereo (Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete Production Toolkit only) or stereo tracks down to mono. When inserting Down Mixer on a compatible greater-than-stereo multichannel track, the channel format of the track output changes to stereo. When inserting Down Mixer on a stereo track, the channel format of the track output changes to mono.
Phase When enabled, the Phase button inverts the phase of the channel input to the Down Mixer. Level You can adjust the level of the channel input to the Down Mixer from –45 dB to +12 dB. For stereo to mono down mixing, both the Left and Right channels are mixed to summed mono. For greater-than-stereo multichannel down mixing, the following rules apply: • All left-channel sources (L, Lc, Ls, Lss, Lsr) feed to the left channel (L) of the down mixer.
Chapter 74: SignalTools The SignalTools metering plug-ins provide two metering modules: • SurroundScope • PhaseScope The SignalTools plug-ins are available in TDM and RTAS formats at all sample rates. SignalTools SurroundScope (Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete Production Toolkit Only) 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.
The Surround Display generates a composite image that indicates relative signal strength in the displayed channels. A circle in the center of the display indicates a surround signal that is panned equally to all channels. An irregular shape that is closer to one side of the display indicates that the channels on that side have a stronger signal. A teardrop shape that points toward a single channel indicates that the signal is panned to that channel.
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. Reset The Reset button lets you manually reset the start time of the Leq(A) measurement window. Auto Reset When enabled, causes the start time of the Leq(A) measurement window to be automatically reset whenever playback starts in Pro Tools.
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.‚ SignalTools Meter Peak Hold Options Clicking the peak hold button lets you choose the style of peak hold when peaks are shown in the plug-in meters. Peak + RMS Uses a multi-color display to show both types of metering.
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Chapter 75: TL AutoPan TL AutoPan is an automatic panning plug-in that is available in TDM and RTAS formats. TL AutoPan pans a mono input to a multichannel (stereo, LCR, quad, or 5.0) output based on a LFO, envelope follower, MIDI Beat Clock, or manual automation. TL AutoPan is ideal for rhythmic panning effects based on your Pro Tools session tempo. It also provides an easy and elegant way to automate panning to multichannel surround formats for post-production.
TL AutoPan Panner Controls The Panner section provides different controls for different output channel configurations. TL AutoPan in mono-to-stereo and mono-toLCR formats provide controls common to all output configurations: Output, Width, and Manual. TL AutoPan mono-to-quad and monoto-5.0 formats provide additional controls depending on the Path selection: Angle and Place, or Spread.
Spread Panning Display The Spread slider opens or constricts the field of panning. At 100%, the spread of the panning field is at its greatest. At 0%, the spread of the panning field is completely constricted, and the sound is centered and stationary (left/right and front/back). The Panning display graphically represents the panning field and the location of the sound source within that field. Panning display, mono-to-5.
TL AutoPan LFO Controls The LFO section provides controls for the Low Frequency Oscillator that can be used to modulate panning. The controls in the LFO section only affect the panning if LFO is selected as the panning source in the panning section (see “Panning Source” on page 367). Waveform The Waveform selector determines the wave shape used by the LFO. The waveform shape in use is graphically depicted by the movement of the Sound Location indicator in the Panning display.
toPan, ranging from every 16th-note to every 4 bars. When Beat Clock signal is received, the Beat Clock trigger light blinks brightly. Using the Beat Clock function enables TL AutoPan to produce consistent panning results, ensuring that the LFO is always in the same state at each beat. Envelope When the Envelope trigger is selected, the LFO is triggered directly by the Envelope Detector, which analyzes the amplitude of the audio signal.
Tempo LCD Threshold The Tempo LCD displays the tempo in BPM. The value in the Tempo LCD can also be edited directly by clicking it and typing a new value. The Threshold slider sets the amplitude level required for the Envelope Detector. The LFO Envelope Detector light blinks brighter when audio is detected above the threshold.
In the TL AutoPan Plug-In window, enable Link To Tempo. This sets the LFO rate to follow the session tempo. 3 From the LFO Waveform selector, select Half Sine. 5 Try automating the Manual control instead of using the LFO to create a more erratic panning of the “mosquito” sound. Select the desired duration from the Duration selector. For example, select 2 Beats. 4 5 Select the desired waveform for the LFO from the Waveform selector. For example, select 4 Step Triangle.
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Part XII: Instrument Plug-Ins
Chapter 76: Boom Boom plug-in window, main controls and sections Boom is a virtual drum machine that features a broad range of electronic percussion sounds, paired with a simple, drum-machine-style pattern sequencer. Boom is as an RTAS plug-in that is part of the Avid Virtual Instrument collection of plug-ins. Drum patterns can be created from scratch, or adapted from one of the included preset patterns.
Boom Controls The intuitive control layout for Boom lets you quickly get a feel for various sections within the interface. Within no time, you'll be well on your way to creating fresh and exciting new drum parts. Boom Matrix Display The Matrix display provides a visual overview of the current pattern in Boom’s sequencer, and is a quick way to keep track of the pattern’s rhythm and velocity, as well as what step Boom is playing at any given time.
Pan Sets the current instrument’s pan position Boom Transport Controls in the stereo field. Level Sets the current instrument’s volume. Tuning Sets the current instrument’s pitch. Decay Sets the current instrument’s length. S Solos the selected instrument, letting it play while temporarily silencing the other instruments. More than one instrument can be soloed at a time. M Mutes the selected instrument, silencing it until the M button is pressed again.
Name Description Nine-0 A classic analog/digital drum machine kit. Fat-8 A more processed version of Eight-0. Aggressive and compressed, with a lot of impact. Fat-9 A more processed version of Nine-0. Fatter and crunchier. Retro Classic array of analog drum machine sounds. Boom Edit Mode Switch Edit Mode switch The Edit Mode switch lets you select whether to edit the current pattern, or choose between the 16 available patterns in the current preset.
Clicking (or triggering via MIDI or a control surface) a step’s switch a 2nd or 3rd time will cycle it through two levels of lowered velocity, reducing that step’s volume. Clicking the switch again will silence that step, and turn off its light. Right-clicking an Event switch will toggle its onoff state, preserving the current velocity setting. In Pattern Select mode, the Event switches choose between the 16 patterns in the current preset.
If needed, you can now record-enable the instrument track to enable the use of a MIDI controller to play the instrument and/or help in creating MIDI sequences within the sequencer in Pro Tools. 3 See the Pro Tools Reference Guide for instructions on how to use the MIDI sequencer in Pro Tools. Creating a Drum Pattern Using Boom This section will get you started on the process of creating beats with Boom. First, you’ll need an empty pattern to edit.
Playing with Patterns in Boom Now that you’ve started creating patterns, let’s take a look at how to switch between and create variations of them. To create a simple fill: 1 Select Snare Drum, and toggle Event switches 13–16 to on. This will give you a simple 4-note snare roll at the end of the pattern. Try switching between patterns 1 and 2 to hear the new pattern and the fill you’ve added. 2 To switch between patterns on-the-fly: 1 Press Play on Boom’s transport.
MIDI Note Instrument Played A1 Hi Tom A#1 Open Hat B1 Hi Tom C2 Hi Tom C#2 Crash D2 Hi Tom D#2 Ride Playing Boom Patterns Using MIDI Much like you can switch between patterns by clicking on various Event switches, you can play and switch between patterns using MIDI data. This lets you create interactive changes in your beat over time, and record the MIDI data so that the same sequence can be played back and edited once it’s been recorded.
Creating Boom Pattern Chains Pattern Chains let you to create sequences of drum patterns in real time, either with the mouse and keyboard, or with MIDI notes. To create a pattern chain with the mouse and keyboard 1 Press Play on Boom’s transport. 2 Switch Boom into Pattern Select mode. Click the Event switch that corresponds with the pattern you want to start the chain with.
To assign an Avid Virtual Instrument parameter to a MIDI controller, do one of the following: Control-click or Right-click (Mac) or Rightclick (Windows) the control, select Assign and choose a controller number from the pop-up MIDI CC list. – or – Control-click or Right-click (Mac) or Rightclick (Windows) the control, select Learn from the menu and move the desired knob or controller on your MIDI keyboard or sequencer.
Chapter 77: Bruno and Reso Bruno and Reso are a pair of TDM plug-ins that process audio using a sound generation technique known as cross-synthesis. • Editable ADSR envelope generator Cross-synthesis generates complex sound textures by using an audio track as a tone source then applying a variety of synthesizer-type effects to that tone source.
Bruno/Reso DSP Requirements Bruno and Reso each require one full DSP chip on a Pro Tools|HD card. Play Bruno/Reso with the on-screen keyboard or by MIDI control (see “Playing Bruno/Reso” on page 386). 3 Adjust Bruno/Reso controls to get the effect you want. 4 DSP and Voice Polyphony The maximum number of Bruno/Reso voices available per DSP chip depends on the sample rate of the session and the type of DSP cards in your system.
To latch keys on the on-screen keyboard: To play Bruno/Reso with a MIDI controller: Click the Latch bar, then click multiple keys. Chords can be played in this way. 1 Start audio playback. 2 Play your MIDI keyboard while audio plays. 1 2 To turn off a latched key, click it a second time. To turn off key latching entirely, click the Latch bar a second time. 3 Bruno/Reso only produces sound during audio playback on the source track.
Typically, a rhythm track such as a drum kit is used to trigger these controls and create rhythmic timbral changes that match the groove of the key input. To use a key input for side-chain processing: Bruno Controls Bruno uses time-slicing for tone generation, extracting timbres from the audio track during playback and cross-fading them together at a user-selectable rate. Click the Key Input selector and choose the input or bus with the audio you want to use to trigger the plug-in.
Bruno Timbre Controls External Key Enables switching from a separate reference track or external audio source. The source used for triggering is referred to as the key input and is selected using the Side-chain Input pop-up. You can assign either an audio input channel or a TDM bus channel. Typically, a drum track is used as a key input so that switching occurs according to a definite rhythmic pattern.
Timbrometer Gain Velocity Gain Velocity sets the velocity sensitivity of the Gain Amount control. This gives you touch-sensitive control over Bruno’s volume using a MIDI keyboard. Timbrometer This multicolor waveform display shows the amplitude and duration of the audio signal generated by Bruno as well as the frequency of timbral changes and whether they are crossfaded or switched. Red and blue waveform segments indicate timbral changes that are crossfaded.
ADSR Envelope Generator Bruno Pitch Controls The ADSR (attack, decay, sustain, release) Envelope Generator controls Bruno’s amplitude envelope. This amplitude envelope is applied to a sound each time a note is struck. The four envelope elements can be adjusted by dragging the appropriate breakpoint, or by typing in a numeric value. Attack Controls the amount of time in millisec- onds that the sound takes to rise from zero amplitude to its full level.
Detune Amount Bruno Voice Controls Detuning is a common sound-thickening technique used on synthesizers and many effects devices. Bruno’s Detune Amount control sets the maximum amount of pitch detuning that occurs when multiple voices are stacked together using Voice Stacking. Using a combination of voice stacking and detuning, you can create timbres that are exceptionally fat. Voices can be detuned up to 50.0 cents. (One cent is equal to 1/100th of a semitone.
Voice Stack Voice Stack selects the number of voices that are used, or stacked when you play a single note. The number of voices that you choose to stack will directly affect polyphony. Selecting a larger number of stacked voices will reduce the number of notes that you can play simultaneously. If all available voices are being used, playing an additional note will replace the first note played in the chord.
Reso Resonance Controls Resonance Amount Resonance Amount controls the intensity of harmonic overtones produced by the Resonator. Increasing the Resonance Amount will increase the overall harmonic content of the sound while increasing the sustained portions of the generated harmonics. The frequency content of the input signal largely determines what harmonics are generated by the resonator. For this reason, the character of the resonance will change according to the type of audio that you process.
For optimum effect, set the Damping Amount to a middle value, then set Damping Velocity accordingly for the desired effect. Damping Velocity only has an effect when you play Reso with a velocity-sensitive MIDI keyboard controller. The resonator adds harmonic overtones to the source audio signal that are integer multiples of the fundamental frequency of the signal. The Harmonics control selects between all of these harmonics, or just the odd-numbered intervals.
For quick numeric entry of MIDI beat clock values, type “4,” “8,” or “16” for quarter notes, eight notes, or sixteenth notes. Add “t” for triplets, or “d” for dotted note values. Typing “4t” for example, enters a quarter note triplet value. Typing “16d” enters a dotted sixteenth note value. Reso Amplitude Controls If you set Gain Velocity to –24 dB, a soft strike on a key will reduce gain up to –24 dB.
Attack Controls the amount of time in milliseconds that the sound takes to rise from zero amplitude to its full level. The longer the attack, the more time it takes for the sound to reach maximum volume after the a note is struck. This control is adjustable from 0.0 to 5000 milliseconds. Decay Controls the amount of time in milliseconds that the sound takes to fall from its peak Attack level to the Sustain level. This control is adjustable from 0.0 ms to 5000 ms.
This control is adjustable from a low of 0.0 cents (no velocity-sensitive detuning) to a high of 50.0 cents (maximum velocity-sensitive detuning). If Detune Velocity is set to 0.0 cents, detuning will not change no matter how hard or soft you strike a key on your MIDI controller. Conversely, if you set Detune Velocity to 50.0 cents, a hard strike will detune voices a maximum of 50.0 cents. Detune Velocity only has an effect when you play Reso with a velocity-sensitive MIDI keyboard controller.
Poly (Polyphonic) In this mode, Reso responds polyphonically, producing as many notes as are played simultaneously (up to 62 on Pro Tools|HD Accel systems). The number of notes that can be played simultaneously depends on the Voice Stacking setting chosen. A voice stack setting of 1, for example, allows up to 62 individual notes simultaneously. A voice stack setting of All allows only one note at a time, but will stack all 62 voices on that note, producing an extremely fat sound.
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Chapter 78: Click Click is a metronome plug-in that is available in TDM and RTAS formats. Creating a Click Track 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.
Click Options dialog 5 Begin playback. A click is generated according to the tempo and meter of the current session and the settings in the Click/Countoff Options dialog. Refer to the Pro Tools Reference Guide for more information on configuring Click options.
Chapter 79: DB-33 DB-33 Organ page overview DB-33 is a virtual organ that recreates the sounds and controllability of classic tonewheel organs, and the rotary-speaker cabinets they are often played through. DB-33 can also be used as an insert effect on an audio track. DB-33 is an RTAS plug-in that is part of the Avid Virtual Instrument collection of plug-ins. DB-33 Controls DB-33’s control layout has two main pages.
Tonewheels Scanner Vibrato Tonewheel organs are based on a system of spinning, serrated metal wheels whose motion is translated into sound by magnetic pickups. Their condition effects the overall tone of the organ. Like many vintage organs, DB-33 features vibrato/chorus to animate the organ sound. Scanner Vibrato controls Tonewheels control The Tonewheels control sets the condition of the tonewheels, and even provides a couple of nonstandard choices.
From left to right, each drawbar controls a different part of the harmonic spectrum, ranging from low fundamentals to high harmonics. Short/Long Sets the length of the harmonic When a drawbar is pulled out (downward), the volume of the corresponding harmonic is increased. When pushed in, (upward) it is decreased. the 3rd or 2nd harmonic. Key Click Originally an artifact of the mechanical nature of tonewheel organs, DB-33 gives you control over the clicking sound made when a key is played. burst.
The exact speed of each of the Rotation Speed switch’s modes is set in the Speed Control section in the Cabinet page. DB-33 Cabinet Page Controls To access the Cabinet page, click the Cabinet button. The Cabinet page provides the controls pertaining to the rotating speaker cabinet and the organ’s tube preamp. These controls determine the overall tone of the instrument. Organ Sets the volume of the tone generator signal before it enters the pre-amp.
Mics The Mics section controls the balance between the high and low-end speakers in the rotating speaker cabinet, and the stereo separation of the rotating speaker’s movement. Rotation Speed Switch A duplicate of the switch on the Organ page, it is present here for ease of testing speed modes while setting other parameters. Slow Rate Sets the speed of speaker rotation when the rotation speed switch is set to Slow mode.
Inserting DB-33 on a Track To use an instrument plug-in to its best advantage, insert it on a stereo Instrument track in your Pro Tools session. DB-33 can also be used as an insert effect. To insert DB-33 on an Instrument track: Create a new stereo Instrument track (recommended) in your Pro Tools session: 1 • Choose Track > New. • Select 1 new Stereo Instrument track in Ticks. • Click Create. Click the Pro Tools Track Insert selector and select an instrument.
To remove a MIDI controller assignment: Control-click or Right-click (Mac), or Rightclick (Windows) an assigned control and choose Forget to remove its MIDI controller assignment . All Avid Virtual Instrument plug-ins have pre-defined parameter assignments for Avid and supported third-party hardware control surfaces. Set Min/Max These options let you scale incoming MIDI controller data so that the chosen control does not go below or above a certain value.
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Chapter 80: Mini Grand Mini Grand plug-in window Mini Grand is a simple virtual piano instrument with seven different acoustic piano sounds to suit a broad range of musical styles and production needs. Mini Grand is an RTAS plug-in that is part of the Avid Virtual Instrument collection of plug-ins. Mini Grand Controls Six selectable models of room ambience can be used to place Mini Grand’s sound into an optimum spatial environment.
Mini Grand Main Controls Room This control switches between various Model This knob selects between seven different room ambiences. Effects range from natural reverbs to special effects. piano models that range from dark and mellow (Atmo) to bright and aggressive (Dance). Room control Mix The Mix knob blends the desired amount of Model knob room ambience, selected using the Room knob, into the piano tone.
To the right of the Info display is the Setup button, which opens the Setup page. The Setup page offers control of Mini Grand’s Eco Mode, which reduces CPU load by deactivating string resonances, and the polyphony selector, which sets Mini Grand’s maximum polyphony. Room Ambiences Shaping Mini Grand’s Sound Mini Grand offers a wide range of tones that can fit into many genres of music. It is helpful, when familiarizing yourself with the plug-in, to try various combinations of sounds and ambience settings.
If needed, you can now record-enable the instrument track to enable the use of a MIDI controller to play the instrument and/or help in creating MIDI sequences within the sequencer in Pro Tools. 3 See the Pro Tools Reference Guide for instructions on how to use the MIDI sequencer in Pro Tools.
To set the Min/Max level: Control-click or Right-click (Mac) or Rightclick (Windows) a control, choose Set Min or Set Max, and select the desired lower or upper limit for the current control. Invert Range This option lets you invert incoming MIDI controller data so that the chosen control reacts in inverse proportion to the assigned MIDI controller. To invert a control’s response: Control-click or Right-click (Mac) or Right-Click (Windows) a control, and select Invert Range.
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Chapter 81: Structure Free Structure Free is a sampler plug-in that brings the world of Structure compatible sample libraries to any Pro Tools system and delivers superior performance and reliability thanks to its direct integration with Pro Tools. Structure Free is an RTAS plug-in that is part of the Avid Virtual Instrument collection of plug-ins. Structure Free comes with its own 600 MB sample library to get you started. For detailed information about the full version of Structure, see the A.I.R.
Smart Knobs The Smart Knobs are special controls which can be assigned to one or more Structure Free parameters in the currently selected patch. These parameters can then be remote controlled at the same time by moving the Smart Knob. This comes in handy for easily designing complex sounds or quickly adjusting a patch to suit your session in terms of feel, timbre, enveloping, or any other sensible sound shaping parameter.
Structure Free Patch List Controls In the Patch list on the left side of Structure Free, you can create, select, mix, MIDI-assign, route, and group patches. Click a Patch module to select it for editing in the Parameter panel. The handle on the left of the selected patch is lit. When a patch is selected all of its parameters are displayed in the Parameter panel on the right and assorted into subpages. Structure Free Patches.
Copy Patch The Copy Patch entry copies the selected patch to the clipboard. Paste Patch The Paste Patch entry inserts the copied patch on the clipboard at the end of the Patch list. Paste Patch Parameter The Paste Patch Parame- ter entry inserts only the parameter settings of the copied patch to the selected patch. Loading a Patch from the Structure Free Patch Menu Samples to Session Folder function to transfer the loaded samples to your computer’s disk.
Structure Free Main Page Controls After inserting Structure Free, the Main page is selected by default. Coming from the Browser page, click the Main tab to access the parameters for patches. The Main page provides easy access to all useful parameters like transposition and filter within two sub-pages. If a patch gets selected Structure Free switches automatically to the Main page.
FX Send On Activates the Effect Send for the patch. FX Send Level Adjusts the level sent from the patch to the Effect Send. Structure Free Edit 2 Sub-Page Controls Filter Section Filter Type Selects a filter type. Cutoff Adjusts the filter cutoff frequency. Envelope Level Adjusts how strongly the filter envelope modulates filter cutoff. Filter Envelope Section Attack Sets the time needed for the filter enve- lope to reach its maximum value. Hold Adjusts the length of the Filter envelope’s Hold time.
Structure Free Browser Page Controls The Browser lets you search and display the local file system, as well as letting you load by dragging and dropping. The Browser is not a file manager. Modifying operations such as copying, moving, or deleting are not available.
New Folder Creates a new folder. Delete Deletes the selected file or folder. Folder History Shows the 20 last selected folders. Inserting Structure Free on a Track To insert Structure Free on an Instrument track: Create a new stereo Instrument track in Pro Tools. 1 To load a patch from the browser: Drag a patch into the Patch list to load it. Click the track’s Insert selector and choose Structure Free from the list.
Loading a Structure Free Patch To load a patch from the Browser: Click the Browser tab in the Parameter panel to display the Browser page. 1 Finding Missing Structure Free Samples If a loaded patch does not find its samples because folders have been renamed or moved to another location, you can use the Find Missing Samples file dialog to point Structure Free to the new location of the samples. Patches which are missing samples are indicated by a red exclamation mark symbol.
Play some notes and chords. Set the other Smart Knobs at will. 4 Using the MIDI Learn Function on Avid Virtual Instruments Smart Knob Using Structure Free Key Switches Key Switches are special MIDI notes or keys that are assigned to switch control values instead of triggering notes. For example, they can switch between different Smart Knob settings for a Patch or mute certain parts within a patch. To use Key Switches with Structure Free: Load Patch 04 Electronic Drum Kit.
Some MIDI continuous controllers are pre-assigned and cannot be learned, as follows: MIDI CC Function 120 All Sound Off 121 Reset Controllers 123 All Notes Off 124 Omni Off (Not used in Plug-Ins) 125 Omni On (Not used in Plug-Ins) 126 Mono On (Not used in Plug-Ins) 127 Mono Off (Not used in Plug-Ins) To remove a MIDI controller assignment: Control-click or Right-click (Mac), or Rightclick (Windows) an assigned control and choose Forget to remove its MIDI controller assignment .
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Chapter 82: TL Drum Rehab TL Drum Rehab is an RTAS plug-in for Pro Tools that provides engineers with a powerful tool for the precise drum replacement and enhancement of drum tracks in real-time, regardless of performance, equipment, or recording limitations in the original track. Use TL Drum Rehab to do everything from replacing poor drum sounds to remixing drum performances with completely new and different sounds. TL Drum Rehab is a mono plug-in only.
TL Drum Rehab Overview TL Drum Rehab can be used to reinforce a drum performance with sampled drum sounds or can be used to replace the original drum sounds entirely with sampled drums. Replacing a Kick Drum Sound Using TL Drum Rehab To replace a kick drum sound using TL Drum Rehab: 1 Insert TL Drum Rehab on a mono audio track of a kick drum recording. For most applications of TL Drum Rehab you only need to use the Trigger panel (see “TL Drum Trigger Panel Display and Controls” on page 435).
Enable Listen mode by clicking the Listen button. The Listen button, located in the bottom left corner of the plug-in window, lights when Listen mode is enabled. 4 In this example, there is some bleed from the snare on the kick track and TL Drum Rehab detected a trigger on one of the snare hits. Adjust the Minimum Threshold control so that only the kick drum hits are detected (see “TL Drum Rehab Minimum and Maximum Threshold Controls” on page 439).
9 Do one of the following: • To load a DRP file into TL Drum Rehab, double click the desired DRP file in the Library browser. – or – • To load a sample into TL Drum Rehab, double click the desired sample (WAV, AIF, or SD2) in the Library browser. The sample is loaded into the currently selected Zone (see “TL Drum Rehab Velocity Map and Velocity Zones” on page 437).
Replacing and Quantizing a High Hat Using TL Drum Rehab Using the TL Drum Rehab Expert panel to replace and quantize a high hat sound: 1 Insert TL Drum Rehab on a mono audio track containing a high hat recording. 2 As in workflow example 1, do the following: need to compensate for the delay inherent in non-close miked recordings (such as overs for the cymbals). Committed triggers are indicated by a red arrow.
5 Disable Listen mode. For no latency on playback, enabled No Latency mode (see “Triggering Controls” on page 439). 6 TL Drum Rehab Main Window Provides access to four different control panels: Trigger, Expert, Sample, and Preferences. See “TL Drum Rehab Main Window” on page 434. Select the desired quantize resolution from the Quantize To pop-up menu (see “TL Drum Rehab Quantize To Menu” on page 443). 7 Adjust the Quantize slider to achieve the desired amount of quantization.
Samples Panel Lets you view and manage drum samples loaded into TL Drum Rehab (“Samples Panel Display and Controls” on page 444). Preferences Panel Lets you edit TL Drum Re- hab’s preferences (see “TL Drum Rehab Preferences Panel Display and Controls” on page 446). A Note About TL Drum Rehab Control Sliders TL Drum Trigger Panel Display and Controls The Trigger panel provides most of the controls you need to use TL Drum Rehab.
If TL Drum Rehab detects unwanted triggers (such as kick bleed through on the snare track), refer to the detected amplitude for the unwanted triggers and adjust the Minimum Threshold control accordingly (see “TL Drum Rehab Minimum and Maximum Threshold Controls” on page 439). You can increase or decrease the vertical zoom of the waveform in the Waveform display by clicking on the waveform and dragging up or down.
TL Drum Rehab # of Zones The # of Zones pop-up menu lets you select the number of Velocity Zones into which you can load samples. Use multiple Zones to load samples of different dynamics, but use only as many Velocity Zones as necessary to layer dynamically differentiated samples for play back at varying velocities. For example, using four Zones, you can load in, from left (quiet) to right (loud), a p snare sample, an mf snare sample, a f snare sample, and an ff snare sample.
The Velocity Map displays the current velocity (amplitude) on playback. The Velocity Zones are depicted as colored bars in the Velocity Map. The different colors from left to right (quiet to loud) indicate the velocity range: darker colors represent lower velocity ranges (for example, 1–32) and brighter represent higher velocity ranges (for example, 95–127).
Adjusting the Crossfade Between Zones The Minimum and Maximum Threshold controls also set the amplitude range within which Velocity Zones trigger samples. To adjust the crossfade between Zones: To change the location of the crossfade between Zones, click the border between Zones and drag it left or right. This determines the range in which the detected amplitude of the original track triggers (plays back) the sample loaded into the Zone.
Ducking Controls the amount of gain reduction applied to the input audio when a sample is triggered. This is like a balance control, letting you adjust exactly how much the track’s audio is suppressed by the samples triggered by TL Drum Rehab. The range of the Ducking control is between –40 dB and 0 dB. Dynamics Controls the dynamic response of sample playback and scales the playback velocity of the triggered sample to the detected amplitude of the audio on the track.
enabled (see “Tempo Changes” on page 446), the Waveform display in the Expert panel also shows Pro Tools Tempo events as green lines with the tempo indicated at the top of the display. 3 • Click Commit All to commit all detected triggers. – or – • Click Commit and then click only the triggers you want to commit. Committed triggers are indicated by a red arrow.
If you have already selected replacement samples to be triggered, the waveform of the replacement sample is displayed in green over the track audio waveform (which is white). To uncommit triggers, do one of the following: In the Expert panel, click Uncommit All to uncommit all triggers. – or – Click Uncommit and click only the triggers you want to uncommit. Uncommit All Clicking Uncommit All uncommits all detected triggers in the Timeline selection.
TL Drum Rehab Add Button Clicking Add analyzes the amplitude of the audio signal at the sample location of the Pro Tools playback cursor and adds a new trigger with a velocity based on that analysis at that location. You can use the Add command to add a trigger during playback or at the current playback cursor location when playback is stopped. If you have a timeline (playback) selection, the Add button is unavailable.
Samples Panel Display and Controls The Samples panel lets you load, view, shape, and organize samples for playback. greater degree of realism by adding variety to the sound. For example, you might want to load samples of the same drum played with slightly different stick positions into Clips 1–4 and have TL Drum Rehab trigger them in random order for a more realistic sounding “performance.” To access the Samples panel: Click the Samples Panel button.
# of Zones Velocity Map The # of Zones pop-up menu lets you select the number of Velocity Zones into which you can load samples. TL Drum Rehab lets you have up to 16 Velocity Zones. This is the same as in the Trigger panel (see “TL Drum Rehab # of Zones” on page 437). In the Samples panel, the Velocity Map functions the same as in the Trigger panel (see “TL Drum Rehab Velocity Map and Velocity Zones” on page 437).
TL Drum Rehab Preferences Panel Display and Controls The Preferences panel lets you set the preferences for TL Drum Rehab. In most cases the default preference settings do not need to be changed. Tempo Changes When the Tempo Changes preference is set to Show, TL Drum Rehab shows Pro Tools Tempo events as green lines with the tempo indicated at the top of the Waveform display in the Expert panel (see “Waveform Display” on page 440). This preference is set to Hide by default.
Library Edit Click the Library button to view TL Drum Rehab’s Library of DRP files. To navigate through multiple directories, double-click folders and use the Up arrow to go up one directory level. You can also use the disclosure triangles to show or hide the contents of a folder. Use the Edit pop-up menu to Add or Remove Favorites, and organize your Favorites in folders.
Loading Samples and Saving Custom DRP Files in TL Drum Rehab To audition a file before importing it, enable Auto-Audition and click the sample name in the Library browser. 4 In addition to using the DRP files that come with TL Drum Rehab, TL Drum Rehab lets you load your own samples and save custom DRP files. While you can load samples in both the Trigger and Expert panels, the Samples panel provides the most extensive features for loading samples and saving custom DRP files.
In the Library browser, double-click the desired audio file (WAV, AIF, or SD2) to load it into the selected Zone. 8 12 Select File > Save New DRP File. The new DRP file appears highlighted at the top of the browser list as “Drum Samples.drp.” 9 Repeat steps 7 and 8 for each new sample until all the samples have been loaded into the corresponding Velocity Zones. For more variety of sound, you can load more samples into as many as four Clips per Zone. (See “Clips” on page 444.
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Chapter 83: TL Metro TL Metro is an RTAS metronome plug-in designed to provide you with the convenience of a traditional metronome, as well as providing advanced functionality for sophisticated timekeeping requirements. To configure Pro Tools versions 6.9 or earlier for use with TL Metro: 1 Select MIDI > Click Options. In the Click Options dialog, ensure that the velocity for the accented note is higher than that of the unaccented note. By default, they should be 127 and 100 respectively.
TL Metro Controls and Displays Volume Sliders The volume of each individual note can be adjusted using the five Volume sliders. If the volume slider for the accented whole note is reduced to zero, the quarter note will be played instead of the whole note. Tempo Controls Tempo can be specified by manually entering the tempo, or using the provided slider. Tempo controls are disabled when TL Metro is linked to Transport and Tempo.
Sound Library The Sound Library menu lets you import custom samples for specific beats. For more information, see “Importing Custom Samples to TL Metro” on page 454. Play Button Using TL Metro and Control Surfaces TL Metro parameters can be assigned to a control surface, such as D-Command, Command|8, Control|24, or Pro Control. The abbreviated name for each of the beats when displayed on a control surface as follows. The Play button activates the metronome.
Linked to Transport When the Link Status is set to Transport, the metronome will start and stop automatically when the Pro Tools Transport is engaged or disenganged. When using TL Metro linked to Transport, three points should be kept in mind: • Ensure that MIDI is correctly configured for TL Metro in Pro Tools (see “Configuring Pro Tools for Use with TL Metro” on page 451). • The tempo in TL Metro must be set manually.
To import a sound: Click the Sound Library button to display the sample menu. 1 2 Select an unassigned slot. 3 In the resulting File dialog, select the WAV or AIFF file you want to import. 4 Click OK. The name of the selected file is displayed in each sample menu. To use the imported sample, select it from the sample menu for the appropriate beat. Factory and imported samples are stored in a preferences file named “TL Metro Plug-In” located in your system preferences folder.
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Chapter 84: Vacuum Vacuum is a virtual analog monophonic synthesizer plug-in, with a focus on creating rich timbres with a lot of sonic control. Employing a new Vacuum Tube Synthesis method, extensive modulation routing, and a unique age-simulation section, Vacuum invites comparison to classic synths and has a character all its own. Vacuum is an RTAS plug-in that is part of the Avid Virtual Instrument collection of plug-ins.
Vacuum Controls Vacuum’s is styled after classic mono synths, with one control per parameter, and no menus. By getting a feel for the various sections within the interface, you’ll soon be creating innovative new sounds. Vacuum VTO One and Two Controls Vacuum features two VTOs (Vacuum Tube Oscillators). These modules are where Vacuum’s sound originates from, before it goes through the rest of the processing chain. Each VTO has its own set of controls, labelled “VTO One” and “VTO Two.
As the control is moved left of center, the same occurs, only the modulation is negative instead of positive, so the effect is inverted. Clicking the missing Drive knob will create a new patch at random. Vacuum Mixer Controls The Vacuum Mixer is where the signals from the two oscillators are mixed together, their levels balanced relative to one another. Also, an effect called Ring Modulation can be added, and Drive can be applied to the sum of both signals.
Env 1 Controls the amount that the filter cutoff frequency is modulated by Envelope 1. At its center, no modulation occurs. Vacuum’s modulation envelopes have four main controls, A (Attack), D (Decay), S (Sustain) and R (Release). As the control is moved to the right, more and more modulation occurs, moving the cutoff frequency up when a MIDI note is received, then down, following the envelope’s movement over time.
Vacuum Modulation Routing Controls The Modulation Routing section gives you the ability to go beyond the default modulation routings, and get deeper into designing sounds. There are two modulation paths, each with three controls. Destination Description Pitch Pitch of both oscillators VTO 1 Wave Oscillator 2wave shape VTO 2 Pitch Oscillator 2 pitch parameter VT HPF High pass filter cutoff frequency VT LPF Low pass filter cutoff frequency Depth Sets the amount of modulation that oc- curs.
Vacuum VTA Controls The VTA (Vacuum Tube Amplifier) section acts as the master volume control for Vacuum, and is the final place where saturation and distortion can be introduced to the signal. Speed Sets the speed of the arpeggio in rhythmic values that are synchronized to the session tempo. Speed Description 1/4 Quarter notes 1/8 Eighth notes 1/16 Sixteenth notes 1/32 Thirty-second notes In between each setting, there are two unlabeled settings for triplet and dotted rhythms.
Vacuum Pitch and Mod Wheel Controls Pitch and Modulation wheels are the most common controllers on almost any electronic keyboard. The pitch wheel shifts the pitch up or down a specified amount, for pitch-bending effects. The modulation wheel is traditionally used as an expressive tool. In most cases, it controls the modulation of one or more parameters using an LFO (low frequency oscillator). Vacuum Setup Page Setup button Click the Setup button to view the Setup page.
Inserting Vacuum on a Track To use one of the Avid Virtual Instruments to its best advantage, insert it on a stereo Instrument track in your Pro Tools session. To insert an instrument plug-in on an Instrument track: Create a new stereo Instrument track (recommended) in your Pro Tools session: 1 • Choose Track > New. • Select 1 new Stereo Instrument track in Ticks. • Click Create. Click the Pro Tools Track Insert selector and select an Avid Virtual Instruments.
To remove a MIDI controller assignment: Control-click or Right-click (Mac), or Rightclick (Windows) an assigned control and choose Forget to remove its MIDI controller assignment . All Pro Tools Creative Collection plug-ins have pre-defined parameter assignments for Avid and supported third-party hardware control surfaces. Set Min/Max These options let you scale incoming MIDI controller data so that the chosen control does not go below or above a certain value.
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Chapter 85: Xpand!2 Xpand! 2 is a virtual workstation synthesizer featuring a broad range of sound generation possibilities including multi-sampled instruments as well as FM, wavetable, and virtual analog synthesis. Xpand! 2 is an RTAS plug-in that is part of the Avid Virtual Instrument collection of plug-ins.
Xpand!2 Controls Getting started with Xpand! 2 is easy, especially if you are already familiar with virtual instruments or hardware workstations. Xpand! 2 is multi-timbral. It provides four synthesizer slots, each with individual MIDI channel, Mix, Arpeggiator, Modulation and Effects settings. A slot can hold one of 1200 synthesizer presets, called Parts. The settings of all four slots and their respective Parts can be saved as a single Patch.
Info Display MIDI Channel Selector At the bottom of the Xpand! 2 plug-in window, an Info display shows the setting of the currently selected control. To choose the MIDI channel that the current part responds to, click the MIDI Channel Selector and select the channel from the pop-up menu. Info display Xpand!2 Part Controls Each Part has a set of controls that address loading patches, the Part’s place in the mix, and its MIDI channel.
Pan (Panning) On/Off Move to the right or left to set the Part’s position in the stereo field. Click the FX1 and FX2 buttons to activate or deactivate the effects. The effects are activated when the buttons are lit. Pan control FX1 & FX2 The FX1 and FX2 knobs control the current Part’s send amount to the effects processors FX1 and FX2. FX 1 On/Off button Type Click the FX type display to select an effect from the pop-up menu.
To FX2 (FX2 Send to FX1) This control lets you send a percentage of the FX2 output signal into FX1, instead of directly to the output. At 0%, no signal is sent to FX1. At 100%, all of the FX2 output signal is sent to FX1. This is useful for cascading a delay effect into a reverb for a more ambient effect, for example. Xpand!2 Play Patch Edit Controls The Play controls let you set basic parameters for the current part, including pitch transposition, keyboard splits, voicing behavior, and pitch bend range.
To assign a Part to a certain key range do the following: Xpand!2 Arp Controls Click the Upper/Lower key range limit control and drag up or down to increase or decrease its value. -or Do the following: • Right-click the control and choose Learn. • Then press the appropriate key on your MIDI keyboard. Voice Mode The Voice Mode section controls the voice behavior of each Part.
Rate Click the Rate display to select the Arpeggiator's Rate (or speed) from the list. For example “1” stands for a whole note and “32” stands for a 32nd note. Dotted and triplet timing are indicated by an asterisk (*) or “T” respectively. dom.” If the pop-up is set to Const the movements of the modulation wheel will directly modulate the destination without a time varying waveform.
Xpand!2 Pressure Controls Rate Move this knob to set the speed or rate of the modulation wheel’s modulation. When using a synchronized shape (such as Saw Sync), the Rate control sets the speed in fixed, tempo synchronized steps. When using other shapes (such as Sine, Tri, and Saw), the LFO speed is freely adjustable. Many MIDI keyboards provide pressure (also called aftertouch) to generate a MIDI control signal which depends on how hard you press down held keys after the initial “note on.
Depth This knob sets how much the signal is affected by the pressure control signal. Depth is a bipolar control, which means that it can be set to positive and negative values. If needed, you can now record-enable the instrument track to enable the use of a MIDI controller to play the instrument and/or help in creating MIDI sequences within the sequencer in Pro Tools. 3 See the Pro Tools Reference Guide for instructions on how to use the MIDI sequencer in Pro Tools.
To assign a Pro Tools Creative Collection Instrument parameter to a MIDI controller: Control-click or Right-click (Mac) or Rightclick (Windows) the control, select Assign and choose a controller number from the pop-up MIDI CC list. – or – Control-click or Right-click (Mac) or Rightclick (Windows) the control, select Learn from the menu and move the desired knob or controller on your MIDI keyboard or sequencer. The instrument plug-in will set this MIDI controller to the parameter you have chosen.
Chapter 86: ReWire Pro Tools supports ReWire version 2.0 technology developed by Propellerheads Software. ReWire is available in Pro Tools using the ReWire RTAS plug-in. ReWire provides real-time audio and MIDI streaming between applications, with sampleaccurate synchronization and common transport functionality.
MIDI from Pro Tools to ReWire client (Reason) Audio from ReWire client (Reason) to Pro Tools MIDI from ReWire client (Reason) to Pro Tools Audio and MIDI signal flow between Pro Tools and a ReWire client application (Reason shown) 478 Audio Plug-Ins Guide
ReWire Requirements To use the ReWire plug-in, you will need: • An Avid-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 above 48 kHz cannot be used in a 96 kHz Pro Tools session. ReWire support is also under development for other third-party companies.
3 In the Mix window, click the Insert selector on the track and assign the ReWire RTAS client plug-in to the track insert. The ReWire client application launches automatically in the background (if the client applications supports auto-launch). If the client application does not support auto-launch, launch it manually. Some ReWire client applications may need to be launched and configured before launching Pro Tools (such as Cycling 74’s MAX/MSP).
MIDI Automation with ReWire To record MIDI from a ReWire client application in Pro Tools: 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. In this way, you can adjust parameters in the ReWire client application (using the mouse or an external MIDI controller) and record those changes in Pro Tools.
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. 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.
Session Tempo and Meter Changes and ReWire Looping Playback with ReWire Pro Tools transmits both Tempo and Meter data to ReWire client applications, allowing ReWirecompatible sequencers to follow any tempo and meter changes in a Pro Tools session.
Automating Input Switching with ReWire ReWire supports automation for switching inputs during playback. To automate switching inputs during playback: 1 Set the track’s automation to write. 2 Do one of the following: • Change the input link pop-up menu manually. – or – • Draw the automation in the Edit window. For information on drawing automation, see the Pro Tools Reference Guide.
Part XIII: Other Plug-Ins
Chapter 87: BF Essentials Plug-Ins BF Essentials is a set of utility plug-ins that are available in RTAS and AudioSuite formats. BF Essential Clip Remover (AudioSuite) This chapter describes the following plug-ins in the BF Essential series: • Clip Remover (see “BF Essential Clip Remover” on page 487) • Correlation Meter (see “BF Essential Correlation Meter” on page 488) • Meter Bridge (see “BF Essential Meter Bridge” on page 488) The BF Essential Clip Remover repairs clipped audio recordings.
BF Essential Correlation Meter (RTAS) Solve tracking and mix problems, and troubleshoot phase coherency with the BF Essential Correlation Meter. It works on stereo tracks or stereo submixes. Use it to stop phase problems before they start.
Chapter 88: Signal Generator Signal Generator is a test tone generator plug-in that is available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. The Signal Generator plug-in produces audio test tones in a variety of frequencies, waveforms, and amplitudes. It is particularly useful for generating reference signals with which to calibrate Pro Tools|HD interfaces and other elements of your studio.
AudioSuite Processing with Signal Generator To create an audio clip using the Signal Generator plug-in: 1 Make a selection in the Edit window. 2 Choose AudioSuite > Signal Generator. 3 Enter values for the Frequency, Level, and Signal controls. 4 Click Render in the Signal Generator plug-in. Select the Create Continuous File option for greater flexibility in making audio selections for use with the Signal Generator plugin.
Chapter 89: SoundReplacer SoundReplacer is an AudioSuite plug-in designed to replace audio elements such as drums, percussion, and sound effects in Pro Tools tracks with alternate sounds. SoundReplacer can quickly and intelligently match the timing and dynamics of original performance material, making it ideal for both music and audio post production.
The result is static and unnatural. In addition to these drawbacks, sample triggers are notoriously difficult to set up for accurate timing. Similarly, with MIDI triggered samplers, MIDI timing and event triggering are inconsistent, resulting in problems with phase and frequency response when the original audio is mixed with the triggered replacement sounds.
If you change the audio selection on the source track, click Update to update the waveform display. If Auto Update is selected, SoundReplacer automatically updates the waveform display each time you make a new selection or begin playback. If you frequently change selections or start and stop playback, turn off Auto Update to prevent too-frequent redraws. SoundReplacerTrigger Threshold The color of the Trigger markers correspond to the matching Threshold slider.
To audition a replacement sample before loading it into SoundReplacer, use the Import Audio command in Pro Tools. Once you have located and previewed the desired audio file, you can then load it into SoundReplacer using the Load/Unload Sound icons. SoundReplacer does not load clips that are part of larger audio files. To use a clip as a replacement sample, you must first save it as an individual audio file.
SoundReplacer Update SoundReplacer Dynamics When you click Update, the waveform display is redrawn, based on the audio currently selected on the source track. Each time you make a new selection on a source track, you must click Update for SoundReplacer to draw the waveform of the selection.
Using SoundReplacer Following are basic guidelines for using SoundReplacer effectively. Also see “Getting Optimum Results with SoundReplacer” on page 497. To use SoundReplacer: On the source track, select the audio you want to replace. Only selected audio will be replaced. 1 11 Adjust the Mix slider to get the desired balance between replacement audio and source audio. Adjust the AudioSuite File controls.
Getting Optimum Results with SoundReplacer To illustrate why Peak Align makes a difference, look at the following two illustrations. Getting optimum results with SoundReplacer generally means making sure that the audio events in the replacement audio file have accurate timing in relation to the source audio. The techniques given here help ensure this.
Mapping The Same Sample Into Multiple Amplitude Zones with SoundReplacer If you are performing drum replacement and intend to use just a single replacement sample, mapping it into multiple amplitude zones will ensure more accurate triggering. Here is why: If you use a single amplitude threshold to trigger the replacement sample, you have to set the threshold low enough to trigger at the soft hits.
If there is a great deal of variation in the dynamics of the source audio, you may need to use all three Trigger Thresholds/Amplitude Zones for optimum results. If only one replacement sample is loaded into SoundReplacer and it is loaded into Trigger threshold/amplitude zone 1 (yellow), SoundReplacer will let you use the red and blue Trigger Threshold sliders to set Amplitude Zones 2 and 3—without having to load the same sample again.
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Chapter 90: Time Compression/Expansion Time Compression/Expansion is an AudioSuite time-processing plug-in. The Time Compression/Expansion plug-in adjusts the duration of selected clips, increasing or decreasing their length without changing pitch. Time Compression/ Expansion Controls The Time Compression/Expansion plug-in provides the following controls: Source and Destination The Source fields dis- play the length of the current selection before processing in each of the listed formats.
subtracting very small portions of audio material and very quickly crossfading between these alterations in the waveform of the audio material.) Crossfade length affects the amount of smoothing performed on audio material. This prevents audio artifacts such as clicks from occurring. Long crossfade times may over-smooth a signal and its transients. This may not be desirable on drums and other material with sharp transients.
Chapter 91: TL InTune TL InTune is a professional instrument tuner plug-in that is available in TDM and RTAS formats. It offers the features and performance of a rack mounted digital tuner in the convenience of a plug-in. TL InTune provides accurate and rapid tuning for a wide range of musical instruments, saving valuable studio time and adding a level of unprecedented convenience for musicians and audio engineers.
TL InTune Controls and Displays To hear a test tone: 1 Select Sine, Triangle, or Audible from the Test Tone selector. TL InTune Auto Button Click the Auto button to toggle Automatic Mode on and off. When Automatic mode is active, TL InTune will detect the note played and automatically show the pitch for that note. To enable Automatic mode: Selecting a test tone 2 Click the Note button for the desired note. Click the Auto button to enable Automatic mode. The Auto button highlights.
TL InTune Meter Selector The Meter selector lets you use a standard needle style meter or a strobe style display. TL InTune Reference Frequency Control To select the Meter display: Select Needle or Strobe from the Meter selector. TL InTune, Reference Frequency You can adjust the tuning reference frequency using the arrows inside the information display. By default, reference frequency is A=440 Hertz.
Octave Buttons TL InTune Presets TL InTune provides a selection of factory presets for stringed instruments. These presets can be selected from the Plug-In Librarian menu. Down Octave button Up Octave button Octave buttons The octave range of 0–6 displayed in TL InTune is based on middle C being equal to C4. In chromatic presets, you can select the desired tuning octave from 0–6 using the arrows at each end of the note display.
Creating TL InTune Tuning Presets TL InTune lets you create customized tuning presets that display note selections for specific instruments and tunings. Once created, these tuning presets can be saved as part of a standard Pro Tools plug-in preset. From the main TL InTune screen, click the Edit button to display the Tuner Programming screen. Single Octave Mode is typically used for instruments which generate harmonics in multiple octaves, such as bass guitars.
Exit In the Tuner Programming screen, click the Exit button to return to the main TL InTune screen. Using TL InTune When TL InTune detects a signal, the meter lights up and displays the relative pitch of the incoming signal. With stringed instruments, this will vary during the attack and decay of the note. In Automatic mode, TL InTune estimates the note to which you are trying to tune. If the correct note is not lit in automatic mode, click on the note to which you are trying to tune for greater accuracy.
Chapter 92: TL MasterMeter TL MasterMeter is an oversampling meter plug-in that is designed for critical mixing and mastering applications. TL MasterMeter is available in TDM and RTAS formats.
TL Master Meter Overview This section provides an overview of metering and mastering, and how TL MasterMeter can help you produce great sounding mixes. Understanding Digital Distortion Clients in the music industry regularly demand the loudest possible mixes. In the process of achieving such a “hot mix,” unwanted distortion can be introduced.
can be accurately reproduced. All frequencies above the Nyquist frequency do not adhere to Nyquist or Shannon’s theorems regarding allowable frequencies, cannot be reproduced and are therefore considered “illegal” frequencies. Because of mathematical realities observed by Fourier in the 1800’s and subsequently by Shannon in 1948, when a waveform has all frequencies removed above the Nyquist frequency, the resulting waveform will be the original waveform that was sampled.
is easily identified: the samples themselves do not represent the peak value of the waveform. The waveform is only complete after the reconstruction process. Until this process has been completed, the waveform is inaccurately represented by the samples. This is the reason that in most DAWs the waveform is represented on the screen as a “dot to dot” connection between sample points.
In a recent paper [Nielsen 2003], seven consumer CD players were subjected to tests designed to analyze their ability to reproduce and reconstruct signal levels above full scale (0 dBFS). All of the players experienced difficultly dealing with signal levels this high, further showing that, while all of the samples can be legal, the level can still be hotter than is legal. The result is that a CD player can be unable to reproduce the audio accurately.
TL MasterMeter can be used in two different ways during a session: Real-Time Metering or Historical Metering. TL MasterMeter Controls and Displays Real-Time Metering TL Master Meter Browsers TL MasterMeter can be used to monitor live signal levels, even if the Pro Tools transport is stopped. This can be useful in quickly determining the appropriate level for mixing and mastering. Signal Clip Events Browser When used in real time, the timecode information displayed in the browsers should be ignored.
ceases to record additional events. Although the meters remain active and the Peak field continues to be updated, new events will not be added to the browsers. The Events field flashes “2000” to indicate this condition. The information in this browser is cleared using the Clear button, or is cleared automatically whenever the Pro Tools transport is started. Oversampled Clip Events Browser At the bottom of the browser, the Peak field displays the highest dB value of the oversampled audio received so far.
TL MasterMeter Clear Button TL MasterMeter Clip Field The Clear button clears all of the historical information displayed in Signal Clip Events browser and the Oversampled Clip Events browser. It also click the clip lights at the top of the Signal Level and Oversampled Level meters. This information is also cleared when the Pro Tools transport is activated by pressing Play or Record. The Clip field can be used to set the clip threshold at a lower point.
Chapter 93: TL Metro TL Metro is an RTAS metronome plug-in designed to provide you with the convenience of a traditional metronome, as well as providing advanced functionality for sophisticated timekeeping requirements. To configure Pro Tools versions 6.9 or earlier for use with TL Metro: 1 Select MIDI > Click Options. In the Click Options dialog, ensure that the velocity for the accented note is higher than that of the unaccented note. By default, they should be 127 and 100 respectively.
TL Metro Controls and Displays Volume Sliders The volume of each individual note can be adjusted using the five Volume sliders. If the volume slider for the accented whole note is reduced to zero, the quarter note will be played instead of the whole note. Tempo Controls Tempo can be specified by manually entering the tempo, or using the provided slider. Tempo controls are disabled when TL Metro is linked to Transport and Tempo.
Sound Library The Sound Library menu lets you import custom samples for specific beats. For more information, see “Importing Custom Samples to TL Metro” on page 521. Play Button Using TL Metro and Control Surfaces TL Metro parameters can be assigned to a control surface, such as D-Command, Command|8, Control|24, or Pro Control. The abbreviated name for each of the beats when displayed on a control surface as follows. The Play button activates the metronome.
Linked to Transport When the Link Status is set to Transport, the metronome will start and stop automatically when the Pro Tools Transport is engaged or disenganged. When using TL Metro linked to Transport, three points should be kept in mind: • Ensure that MIDI is correctly configured for TL Metro in Pro Tools (see “Configuring Pro Tools for Use with TL Metro” on page 517). • The tempo in TL Metro must be set manually.
Importing Custom Samples to TL Metro TL Metro supports up to 50 different samples for metronome click sounds. TL Metro includes factory samples in the first 40 slots, the remaining slots are marked as “.” TL Metro supports import of WAV and AIFF sound files for specific beat sounds. Sounds can be loaded into any one of the 50 available slots. Typically, user samples are loaded into the unassigned slots in order to avoid overwriting the factory samples.
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Chapter 94: Trim The Trim plug-in is available in TDM and RTAS formats and 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.
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Chapter 95: Other AudioSuite Plug-In Utilities The following AudioSuite-only utility plug-ins are installed when you install Pro Tools: • DC Offset Removal • Duplicate • Gain To remove DC offset from an audio clip: 1 Select the clip with DC offset. 2 Choose AudioSuite > Other > DC Offset Re- moval. 3 Ensure that Use In Playlist is enabled. 4 Click Render. • Invert • Normalize • Reverse Duplicate DC Offset Removal The DC Offset Removal plug-in removes DC offset from audio files.
The Duplicate plug-in works nondestructively. You cannot choose to overwrite files. To change the gain of an audio clip: 1 Select the clip whose gain you want to change. To duplicate an audio selection: 2 Choose AudioSuite > Other > Gain. 1 Select the audio you want to duplicate. 3 Adjust the Gain slider as desired. 2 Choose AudioSuite > Other > Duplicate. 4 Click Preview to audition your changes. 3 Ensure that Use In Playlist is enabled. 5 Ensure that Use In Playlist is enabled.
Normalize The Normalize plug-in optimizes the volume level of an audio selection. Use it on material recorded with too little amplitude, or on material whose volume levels are inconsistent (as in a poorly recorded narration). Unlike compression and limiting, which modify the dynamics of audio material, normalization preserves dynamics by uniformly increasing (or decreasing) amplitude. To prevent clipping during sample rate conversion, Normalize to no greater than the range between –2 dB to –0.5 dB.
Reverse The Reverse plug-in replaces the audio with a reversed version of the selection. This is useful for creating reverse envelope effects for foley, special effects, or musical effects. Reverse plug-in To reverse an audio clip (or selection): 528 1 Select the clip you want to reverse. 2 Choose AudioSuite > Other > Reverse. 3 Ensure that Use In Playlist is enabled. 4 Click Render.
Part XIV: Eleven
Chapter 96: Eleven and Eleven Free Eleven is a guitar amplifier plug-in that is available in TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite formats. Eleven gives you stunning guitar amplifier, cabinet, and microphone models of the “best of the best” vintage and contemporary gear. Eleven Free is a free version of Eleven that comes with every Pro Tools system, with a reduced feature set. Eleven Free comes in RTAS and AudioSuite formats only.
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Chapter 97: Eleven Input Calibration and QuickStart This section shows you how to get connected, calibrated, and cranking through Eleven as quickly as possible. Before You Begin with Eleven Eleven was designed to model the essential aspects of each amplifier including characteristics of the input stage. Providing an appropriate level of signal delivers the most accurate response from the plug-in. • If you are working with pre-recorded guitar tracks, see “Using Eleven with Pre-Recorded Tracks” on page 537.
Connect your Guitar and Configure Source Input If your setup includes pedals or other gear, it helps to know whether the final output device is providing an instrument- or line-level signal. Choose and configure your input and source settings accordingly. (Check the Setup Guide that came with your system for more information.
To prepare your guitar and Pro Tools host-based hardware for input calibration: Set Up a Pro Tools Track In Pro Tools, choose Setup > Playback Engine and set your Hardware Buffer to a low enough setting to reduce monitor latency. In this step, you’ll create and configure an audio track to use for the final stage of input calibration. 1 On your guitar, select the highest output pickup or position and set the volume and tone controls to 10 (maximum).
Set Up Eleven Use Eleven’s Input LED to make final gain adjustments and complete the input calibration process. To calibrate your input signal to the Eleven plug-in: 1 Open the Eleven plug-in window by clicking its insert slot. Leave it at its default settings. Eleven’s Input LED (left) and Clip LED (right) 2 Strum as hard as you can a few more times and watch Eleven’s Input LED to see where your level registers.
Using Eleven with Pre-Recorded Tracks If the pre-recorded tracks were not calibrated with the Eleven plug-in using the method previously described, you can use the Input control in Eleven to adjust the signal level feeding the input stage of the amp model. Use your ears as a guide and adjust to taste. Since the Input LED measures the signal level entering the plug-in and precedes the input control, you will not see any changes to the Input LED as you make adjustments.
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Chapter 98: Using Eleven The following sections introduce you to the main sections and controls in Eleven and show you how to use them. You’ll also find suggested track setups and signal routing tips to help you get the most out of Eleven. Inserting Eleven on Tracks Eleven can be inserted on Pro Tools audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, or Instrument tracks. To insert Eleven on a track: Click an Insert selector on the track and choose Eleven or Eleven LE.
About Unused Controls and Worksurfaces Previous arrow (top) and Next arrow (bottom) (Amp Type shown) You can control the Amp, Cab, and Mic Type selectors with MIDI. See “Using MIDI and MIDI Learn with Eleven” on page 540 Enabling Switches To enable or disable a switch or button, such as Amp Bypass, click it to toggle its setting. Some amps that have relatively few controls (such as the Tweed Lux) will display controls on a worksurface that are not actually available with that particular amp model.
To map a MIDI controller to a parameter: Make sure your external MIDI device is connected to your system, and recognized by your MIDI Studio Setup (Windows) or Audio MIDI Setup (Mac). 1 2 Right-click on any control in Eleven. Eleven Settings (Presets) You can pick a preset from the plug-in Librarian menu. To load a preset: Click the Librarian menu and select an available Settings file.
The Master section doesn’t change when you switch amps. Master section settings are stored and recalled with plug-in presets. Input Gate Amp Type Cab Type Output Output The Output control sets the output gain after processing, letting you make up gain or prevent clipping on the channel where the plug-in is being used. Output range is –60 dB to +18 dB. When you want to adjust Eleven’s output level, use the Output knob. For tone/distortion, use the amp Master volume.
For suggested gate applications, see “Using the Noise Gate” on page 543. For details on where it derives its key (trigger) and applies its gate, see “Eleven Signal Flow Notes” on page 559. Amp Types The Amp Type selector lets you choose an amp. Using the Noise Gate You can use the Noise Gate to silence unwanted signal noise or hum, or just for an effect.
Eleven Amp Controls Each Eleven amp provides a set of controls similar to (and in some cases identical to) those on the actual amp it models. The following sections give a general overview of amp controls. Bypass (Amp) Bright Bass Gain 1 Mid Tone Speed Depth Treble Presence Tremolo Master Volume Amp controls in the default Amp Type Amp Bypass The Amp Bypass switch (or lamp) lets you bypass just the amp model, leaving the cab and mic settings in effect. The default setting is On.
Tone Presence Tone controls let you shape the highs, mids and lows of the amp sound. Electric guitar pickups tend to have a strong low-mid emphasis and little high frequency response, often producing a mid-range heavy sound that requires some treble boost. The response and interaction of the tone controls are unique to each amp. The Presence control provides a small amount of boost at frequencies above the treble control.
Eleven Cabinet Types The Cab Type selector lets you pick a cabinet to use with the current amp. The selected cabinet and its controls are displayed directly below the amp controls. Cabinet Type selector in the Master section Available cabinets include the following: • 1x12 Black Panel Lux * • 1x12 Tweed Lux * • 2x12 AC Blue * • 2x12 Black Panel Duo * • 4x10 Tweed Bass * • 4x12 Classic 30 • 4x12 Green 25W * These models only appear in the full version of Eleven.
Eleven Cabinet Controls All cabinets provide Bypass, Speaker Breakup, Mic Type, and Position controls. Cabinet Bypass Speaker Breakup Mic Type Off/On Axis Cabinet controls Cabinet Bypass The Bypass switch in the Cabinet section lets you bypass cabinet and microphone processing. When in the Bypass position, no cabinet or microphone processing is applied to the signal. When in the On position, cabinet and microphone settings are applied. When enabled, Speaker Breakup draws additional CPU resources.
Mic Axis When capturing the sound of a speaker cabinet in a studio, sound engineers select different microphones and arrange them in different placements to get a particular sound. For example, a mic can be pointed straight at a speaker or angled slightly off-center, in order to emphasize (or de-emphasize) certain frequencies that the mic picks up.
Insert Eleven on the track (see “Inserting Eleven on Tracks” on page 539). 3 Eleven Guitar input Recording Wet: Record ElevenProcessed Track to Disk In this workflow, the audio output of Eleven is recorded to disk while tracking. Usually, no additional dry track is recorded. This method commits your track to the original Eleven tone used while tracking.
4 Configure the audio track by doing the following: • Click the Input selector and choose Bus 1. – and – • Record enable the audio track. Eleven Recording Dry and Eleven Simultaneously You can record a dry, unprocessed track and an Eleven-processed track simultaneously. This method gets the best of both worlds by tracking dry (to experiment with tones later) and at the same time recording the tone used on the original tracking session.
Processing Pre-Recorded Tracks Through Eleven You can process pre-recorded guitar tracks, or almost any material, through Eleven. To listen to pre-recorded tracks through Eleven (without re-recording): To process and re-record tracks through Eleven: Import and place your audio in a Pro Tools audio track. 1 2 Configure the source audio track by doing the following: • Assign the audio track Output a bus (such as Bus 1 if mono, or Bus 1-2 if stereo).
Blending Eleven Cabinets and Amps You can use Eleven for multi-cabinet and multiamp setups so you can blend their signals together. This classic technique lets you get tones that no single combo, cabinet, or amp could produce. Unlike working with real amps, this is simple to achieve with Pro Tools track, signal routing, and plug-in features. Blending Eleven Cabinets 4 Select all three Aux Input tracks by Shift-clicking their Track Name displays (make sure your audio track isn’t still selected).
When you have set your cabinet tones, make sure to un-solo all the Aux Inputs and begin playing so you can hear the combined tone of all three cabinet channels. 13 Amps bypassed/Cabs on Amp on, Cab bypassed 14 Do the following to continue: • Balance the tracks using the volume faders on the Aux Input tracks. • Try different pan positions for each Aux Input track.
How Do I Use This? No insert Here are a few suggested ways you can pair Eleven’s amps and cabinets: Amps and Cabs on To accurately capture the sound of one amp split to and driving multiple cabinets, make sure the same Amp Type is selected in all the Eleven plug-ins (all the cabinets as well as the active amp). For maximum variety, mix and match bypassed amps with active cabinets. For realism with the combo amps (such as the Tweed Lux and AC Hi Boost), make sure to use their default cabinets.
When you have set your tones, make sure to un-solo all the Aux Inputs. 7 Continue playing so you can hear the combined tone of all the amps. 8 9 Do the following to continue: • Balance the tracks using the volume faders on the Aux Input tracks. – and – • Try different pan positions for each Aux Input track. Evaluate the phase relationships of the combined signals and adjust accordingly (see “Phase Considerations with Blending in Eleven” on page 555).
Tweaking Phase If each of the mics used on a single cabinet are not positioned carefully, comb filtering and other frequency anomalies can occur. With real amps, the engineer moves one or more mics to find their optimal positions relative to the source, and to each other. To hear the effect of small adjustments to the phase relationships of signals, do the following.
For maximum flexibility, control and variety, use a dry track bussed to multiple Aux Inputs, each with a different Eleven tone (see “Blending Eleven Amps” on page 554 for instructions). Configure one for tone A, configure the next Eleven (on the next Aux Input) for tone B (which could be a completely different amp and sound) and so on. Then use Pro Tools track Volume (fader) automation to fade the different Eleven tracks in and out at the right times.
Dynamics Compression, limiting, expansion and gating are all useful effects for guitar. Different results can be achieved using each of the different types of dynamics processing, in combination with signal routing for individual (discrete) versus submix (shared resource) processing. Here are a few examples: If all you seek is the taming of occasional dynamic aberrations within a track (meaning, you just need to clamp a couple “overs”), try putting a limiter on the individual track (after Eleven).
Eleven Signal Flow Notes The following figure shows the signal flow through Eleven from its input source to its output destination. Input from Pro Tools track (disk) or live input Input LED Input knob Output to Pro Tools output or bus Amp Cabinet/Mic Output knob Gate Signal flow through Eleven Plug-Ins are Pre-Fader Input Knob and Amp Gain Keep in mind that inserts (plug-ins) in Pro Tools are post-disk/live input but pre-fader.
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Part XV: Synchronic
Chapter 99: Synchronic Introduction Synchronic is a loop processing and playback plug-in that is available in RTAS and AudioSuite formats. Synchronic is designed to manipulate audio loops to create new and interesting rhythmic variations. Synchronic is the ideal recombinatorial rhythm machine for anyone who works with audio loops. Synchronic is essentially an instrument plug-in that is most effective at manipulating (slicing, dicing, and recombining) rhythmic audio loops.
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Chapter 100: Synchronic Overview This section provides an overview of Synchronic features. Synchronic Modules Synchronic has a modular configuration for the import, slicing, playback, and manipulation of audio files (loops). Synchronic’s five modules are: Sound, Playback, Effect, XFade, and MIDI. Playback Module Manipulates the output of the Sound module. Various aspects of sound playback, such as speed, order, and direction are controlled by the Playback module.
Playing Synchronic RTAS See “Using Synchronic as an AudioSuite Plug-In” on page 603 for detailed information on playing the AudioSuite version of Synchronic. Synchronic RTAS does not play back the sound (input) on a track as is the case with many plugins. Instead, Synchronic works as follows: Loading a Loop in Synchronic For detailed information on loading audio files (loops) into Synchronic see “Importing a Sound into Synchronic” on page 576.
2 If necessary, switch the Sound module to Edit mode. Click the Edit/Performance Mode toggle to switch between Performance and Edit modes (see “Performance and Edit Modes” on page 569). Edit/Performance Import Mode toggle button Current preset Choose an audio file (loop) for import 4 Sound module, Edit mode To import an audio file (mono, dual mono, or stereo) into the Waveform display, do one of the following: 3 • Drag an audio file from the Workspace to the Waveform display. Click Open.
Slicing a Loop in Synchronic Performing Synchronic Once you have loaded a loop, it is ready to be sliced up and can be played back in tempo with the session. After loading up to twelve loops into Synchronic and slicing them up, you can “perform” those loops using the Playback, Effects, and XFade modules. To slice a loop in Synchronic: Adjust the Detection slider until you see the desired number of slices in the loop.
Performance and Edit Modes Each of the Synchronic modules can be independently switched between Edit and Performance modes with the Mode toggle. This lets you have one module in Edit mode (for example, to fine tune a sound) while playing another in Performance mode. The AudioSuite version of Synchronic functions only in Edit mode. Performance mode is not available, and the Mode toggle does not exist. See “Synchronic AudioSuite Modules” on page 603 for more information.
User Knobs On-Screen Keyboard Control predefined parameters in the Playback, Effect, and XFade modules. In Edit mode, you can assign a module’s User Knobs to control certain performance parameters. The MIDI module lets you assign MIDI controllers to each of the User Knobs in each module. Can be used to trigger presets in the other four modules. You can also assign the on-screen keyboard, or an external MIDI keyboard, to trigger different presets.
Synchronic presets can be triggered by the MIDI module in Performance mode, or a Pro Tools Instrument or MIDI track, or an external MIDI keyboard controller for performance situations (live or in the studio). For information about assigning keys and MIDI controllers in the MIDI module, see “Synchronic MIDI Module Overview” on page 598. Presets can also be selected using plug-in automation or even your computer keyboard.
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Chapter 101: Using Synchronic This section covers Synchronic controls and functions. To type a parameter value: Adjusting Synchronic Parameters 2 Click on the parameter text that you want to edit. 1 • Type the desired value. – or – You can adjust Synchronic parameters with a mouse or a computer keyboard. • To increase a value, press the Up Arrow on your keyboard. To decrease a value, press the Down Arrow on your keyboard.
Synchronic Sound Module Overview Synchronic Sound Performance Mode The Sound module can store and recall up to twelve audio files. On import, audio files are loaded into RAM and are saved with the plug-in settings file. You can toggle between Sound Performance mode and Sound Edit mode. (RTAS Only) In Sound Performance mode (see “Synchronic Sound Performance Mode” on page 574) the Sound module can play back any of its twelve presets independently on both the A and B channels (Sound A and Sound B).
Sound A and Sound B Starting and Stopping Playback In Performance mode, two sounds can be queued for playback, much like a typical DJ setup with two turntables: one on the “A Side” and one on the “B Side.” Both the Sound A and B use the same twelve sound presets. The waveform for Sound A appears above the waveform for Sound B; and each waveform is labeled on the left “A” and “B.” You can only start or stop Synchronic playback using the Pro Tools Transport.
Performance/Edit Mode toggle Selected preset Sound presets Interactive Waveform display (stereo file loaded and sliced) Sound Attributes Import Sound Delete Sound button button Slice Detection slider Sound module, Edit mode (audio loaded into preset 1) (RTAS shown) Preparing Audio Files for Import into Synchronic To take full advantage of Synchronic’s rhythmic editing and playback capabilities, you should prepare your “loops” before importing them into Synchronic.
import a 44.1 kHz file into a 96 kHz session, it will playback at the wrong pitch (it will play back at tempo since each slice is quantized to MIDI Beat Clock). To import a sound into a preset: 1 If necessary, switch the Sound module to Edit mode (see “Performance and Edit Modes” on page 569). Select the preset where you want to store the audio file (loop). 2 Click the Import button. If there is already a file loaded into the current preset, you will be prompted to delete it.
Mono files loaded in a stereo Synchronic insert are panned center. Stereo files loaded in a mono Synchronic insert are summed to mono. Dual mono audio files can be imported if both .L and .R files are selected (Shift-click) for import. Interleaved stereo audio files can also be imported. If you try to import a large sound file, Synchronic prompts you to reconsider.
Deleting a Sound from a Synchronc Preset To delete a sound from a preset: Make sure the Sound module is set to Edit mode. (see “Performance and Edit Modes” on page 569). 1 2 Select the preset you want to clear. 3 Click the Delete button. 4 You will be prompted to confirm deletion. Control-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac) the Delete button to bypass this prompt. The selected preset will be empty, and the sound will be deleted from the current settings file.
Generate Missing Adds additional slices where Current Displays the currently selected Slice for transients appear to be missing. This can be useful when an imported audio loop contains few transients. auditioning, trimming, or deleting. Click on a Slice in the Waveform display to update the Current slice. A Slice number can also be manually entered in the Current field.
Synchronic Slice Options Additional Sound Options let you adjust the overall gain (+/–24 dB) of the selected preset and extend the slices to compensate for slower tempos. Options settings Gain (–24 through 24 dB) Adjust the gain of a sound in order to boost or attenuate the current loop. To achieve a good balance between all loaded sounds, a “gain” control is available for each sound with +/– 24 dB of gain.
Sound A and B Selectors The Sound A and B selectors determine whether or not the A and B sounds are patched into the Playback module. Click the Sound A or B selectors to toggle the A or B sound on or off. Synchronic Playback Edit Mode In Edit mode, you can edit the Playback parameters for the selected preset. Playback Presets Sound A/B selectors Twelve Playback presets let you recall stored playback effects.
Stretch Uses a granular time compression/expansion technique to make a slice “fit” the amount of time the slice has to play. The Playback Offset settings can be used to further increase the stretch factor for extreme granulation effects (see “Synchronic Playback Offset” on page 588). Stab Based upon the “stab” scratching gesture that turntablists use when manually starting and stopping the turntable with their hand.
Synchronic Playback Order Order determines the sequence in which the slices of the selected sound are played back. Synchronic provides several options for Playback Order: Off, One Slice, Reverse, Diverge, Random, Step, Span, Straddle. Diverge Plays the Start slice followed by last slice, followed by the second slice, followed by the second to last slice, and so on following a divergent order from the Start slice. Random Plays slices in random order.
Synchronic Playback Duration Playback Duration determines how long a slice will play before the next slice starts. In addition to the predominant pulse (beat or subdivision of the beat), rhythmic loops usually contain a variety of durations. Thus, to maintain the character of a rhythm at different tempos, the default value for Duration is for the duration of the slice. This means that each slice plays for its original note length (rhythmic value).
Latin (Latin 1–5) Five variations based on AfroCaribbean, Cuban, and Brazilian rhythms. Swing (Swing 1–5) Five variations that use incorporate eighth-note swing (Swing 1–2) or sixteenth-note swing (Swing 3–5.) Pick Up (Pick Up 1–5) Five variations that start steady and then speed up over the course of a bar. Synchronic Playback Direction Synchronic can play sound slices forward (from beginning to end) or backward (from end to beginning).
For/Back Plays alternating slices forward then backward. Back/For Plays alternating slices backward then forward. F/B Diddle Plays consecutive slices forward, backward, forward, forward, backward, forward, backward, backward, and so on. F/B Beats Plays slices on downbeats (quarter notes) forward, and all other slices are played backward. Random Plays back slices forward or backward randomly. Synchronic Playback Pitch Pitch transposition can range from –60 to +60 semitones.
The LFO will sweep from the BEG parameter value to the END parameter value according to the selected waveshape. It is important to note that the LFO waveshapes are iconic representations of the type of transitions you can select, and, depending on the BEG and END values, they may not necessarily sound like they look. LFO2 Duration (8 Bars, 4 Bars, 2 Bars, 1 Bar, Half Note, Quarter Note) Applies the LFO according to the selected duration.
BEG and END Range (0–100%) The Offset Range references a “Start” and “End” offset value that is set using the Range controls. Offset Enable button Offset Select button Smear Playback Offset If Playback Mode is set to Smear, Playback Offset determines the amount of smearing that occurs between adjacent slices. Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO) LFO Waveshape Selects the modulation waveshape for Playback Offset.
To assign a User Knob to control Edit parameters: Select the desired Edit parameter assignment from the User Knob Assignment pop-up menu. Synchronic Effect Performance Mode (RTAS Only) In Performance mode, the Effect module provides Preset, Sound A/B selectors, and User Knob controls. Performance mode applies only to the RTAS version of Synchronic.
Effect User Knobs (FX1 and FX2) The Effect module provides two assignable User Knob controls (FX1 and FX2) that provide direct control over any of the Effect modules Edit mode settings. The current control assignment is displayed below each User Knob. Synchronic Effect Edit Mode In Edit mode, the Effect module provides easy access to the Gain, Noise, Filter, and Delay effects and their parameters.
Gain Mode The Gain effect provides three different modes: Volume, Distortion, and Saturation. Synchronic Noise Effect Noise modulates the post-Gain signal with a noise source. There are three different Noise modes: Dark, White, and Brite, each with two variations (Osc or AM).
Noise Mode There are three different Noise modes: Dark, White, and Brite; each with two variations: a noise generator (Osc) or amplitude modulation (AM). Synchronic Filter Effect The Filter effect processes the post-Noise signal using a low pass filter, a high pass filter, or ring modulation.
Filter Mode Synchronic Delay Effect The Filter effect provides seven different types of filters: Lowpass Filter (1–5), High pass Filter, and Ring Modulation. The Delay effect processes the post-Filter signal with modulating delay that synchronizes to the Pro Tools MIDI Beat Clock.
Delay Mode Delay Mode selects a delay time based on a rhythmic subdivision of the Pro Tools MIDI Beat Clock (quarter-not, dotted eighth note, eighth note, eighth note triplet, sixteenth note, sixteenth note triplet, thirty-second note, or thirty-second note triplet). To assign a User Knob to control Edit parameters: Select the desired Edit parameter assignment from the User Knob Assignment pop-up menu.
Synchronic XFade Module Overview (RTAS Only) To assign a User Knob to control Edit parameters: Select the desired Edit parameter assignment from the User Knob Assignment pop-up menu. The XFade module mixes the A and B audio signals using either preset crossfade effects, or a crossfade fader. The XFade module has three modes: Manual mode, Preset mode, and Edit mode. The XFade Module also has an assignable User Knob control (XF).
Synchronic XFade Manual Mode Synchronic XFade Preset Mode Manual mode is the default Performance mode for the XFade module. When in Manual mode, the currently selected XFade preset is overridden and can control the mix between the A and B sounds using a crossfade fader. Click the A or B labels on either side of the crossfader to solo either sound. The XFade module provides twelve presets to store and recall crossfade settings.
Range (–100 to +100%) Use the Beginning (BEG) and End (END) parameters to control the mix between the A and B sounds. You can set both start and stop points to determine the range of modulation by the LFOs. A value of –100% sets the crossfade fader to the full left position (the A sound), 0% is an equal mix of the and A and B sounds, and 100% sets the crossfade fader to the full right position (the B sound).
Pre-Mapped Synchronic MIDI Keys Synchronic provides a default MIDI keyboard mapping for triggering Sound, Playback, Effect, and Crossfade presets. Synchronic’s default MIDI key mappings are: • MIDI note numbers 12–23 are reserved for custom snapshots (see “Assigning MIDI Keys in Synchronic” on page 599). • MIDI note numbers 24–35 select Sound presets A1–A12. • MIDI note numbers 36–47 select Sound presets B1–B12. • MIDI note numbers 48–59 select Playback presets 1–12.
Selective Module Assignment MIDI Key Assignment Icons A Synchronic combination need not consist of changes in all Synchronic modules. When the Assign button is enabled, the Sound, Playback, Effect, and XFade modules display an Assign Enable button. A module only displays its Assign Enable button in Performance mode. In Assign mode, the on-screen keyboard displays icons to show which modules to which a key is assigned.
Assigning an External MIDI Controller Below the five User Knobs and crossfader (XF) labels are pop-up menus for assigning MIDI controllers. To save a template of your MIDI control assignments, configure a default Synchronic insert (with no sounds loaded) for your MIDI controller and save it as a Synchronic plug-in settings file using the Settings Librarian (see Chapter 104, “Synchronic PlugIn Settings”).
To enable or disable Keyboard Focus mode for Synchronic: Click the “a...z” Keyboard Focus Enable button (in the upper-right corner of the Synchronic plug-in window). “a...z” Keyboard Focus Enable button (enabled) If Synchronic Keyboard Focus is enabled, designated characters (listed above in QWERT Keyboard Mapping) will control Synchronic and will not be used otherwise by Pro Tools. Keyboard Focus has no effect on normal text entry for Synchronic parameter values.
Chapter 102: Using Synchronic as an AudioSuite Plug-In The AudioSuite version of Synchronic shares many of the features found in its RTAS counterpart, with some differences as noted in this section. Synchronic AudioSuite is available in the AudioSuite menu in Pro Tools under the Instrument (or Digidesign) categories. To create an instance of Synchronic AudioSuite: • Choose AudioSuite > Synchronic. Plug-In settings and presets can be shared between the AudioSuite and RTAS versions of Synchronic.
Synchronic Sound Module Synchronic Playback Module The Sound module lets you import, delete, sliceup, and fine-tune audio (loops) for Synchronic playback. The Playback module lets you edit the Playback parameters.
Synchronic Effect Module The Effect module provides easy access to the Gain, Noise, Filter, and Delay effects and their parameters. Synchronic AudioSuite Workflow Use the AudioSuite version of Synchronic to work with and play back audio loops as follows: Load audio files or a selected portion of audio clips (loops) into the Sound module, much like you would add sound to a sampler. 1 Use the Detection Slider to slice up the loops into rhythmically logical units (beats and subdivisions of the beat).
To load a selection from Pro Tools into Synchronic: 1 Choose AudioSuite > Synchronic. In the Pro Tools Edit window, select the portion of audio you want to loop in Synchronic. Slicing a Loop in Synchronic Once you have loaded a loop into the Waveform display, you can slice it up and preview it. 2 See “Slicing Up a Sound in Synchronic” on page 579 for detailed information on slicing a loop.
Rendering a Synchronic Loop to a Pro Tools Track Once you have finished editing your loop in Synchronic AudioSuite, you can render it to a selection in Pro Tools. Rendering an audio loop from Synchronic AudioSuite to a selection in a Pro Tools audio track overwrites any audio material in that selection. To render an audio loop to Pro Tools: In the Pro Tools Edit window, select the portion of an audio track where you want to place the rendered audio.
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Chapter 103: Automating Synchronic RTAS You can automate changes to Synchronic RTAS parameters in two ways: You can also use this keyboard shortcut to open the Plug-In Automation dialog: Control-Start-Alt-click (Windows) or Command-Option-Control-click (Mac) any plugin parameter in the Plug-In window, then choose Open Automation dialog from the pop-up menu.
4 Click OK to close the Plug-In Automation dialog. As an alternative to using the Plug-In Automation window, you can enable individual plug-in parameters directly from the PlugIn window by Control-Alt-Start-clicking (Windows) or Command-Control-Optionclicking (Mac) the parameter’s text field or control. See the Pro Tools Reference Guide for more information. .
Using MIDI You can automate Synchronic RTAS parameters by assigning MIDI note and controller data to Synchronic presets and performance parameters, and recording them to an Instrument or MIDI track. You can also edit and manually enter the MIDI data on the track as desired, and use it to control Synchronic during playback. For information on controlling Synchronic with MIDI note and controller data, see “Synchronic MIDI Module Overview” on page 598.
Automating Synchronic Using MIDI If the desired controller doesn’t appear in the Track Display Format pop-up menu, select Add/Remove Controller. 2 To automate Synchronic using MIDI: Insert Synchronic on a mono or stereo Instrument track. 1 2 Do one of the following: • Record enable the Instrument track, start playback, and perform the automation on your MIDI controller. – or – • Use the Pencil tool to draw MIDI note and controller data.
Chapter 104: Synchronic Plug-In Settings The Settings Librarian makes it easy to create your own library of Synchronic configurations, including loaded audio files. Using the Librarian and Settings pop-up menus, you can copy, paste, save, and import these patches from plug-in to plug-in, or from session to session. For more information Plug-In Settings files and using the Librarian, see the Pro Tools Reference Guide. Pro Tools always saves the current session’s plug-in settings with the session itself.
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Index Numerics 660 (Fairchild Limiter) 81 A Activation Code 11 Amels, Dave 82 audio 125 AudioSuite 487 Input Mode selector 132 plug-ins 5 Preview 132 processing preferences 132 AudioSuite plug-ins DC Offset Removal 525 Duplicate 525 Time Compression/Expansion 501 authorizing plug-ins 11 automation enabling plug-in parameters 609 Avid Virtual Instrument plug-ins Boom 375 DB-33 403 B BF Essential Clip Remover 487 BF Essential Correlation Meter 488 BF Essential Meter Bridge 488 BF-2A plug-in side-chain filt
Bruno and Reso plug-ins 385 ADSR Envelope Generator 391, 396 All (harmonics) control 395 Amplitude controls 390, 396 envelope 391 Attack control 391 Bend Range control 391, 397 Bruno features 385 Crossfade control 389 frequency 389 cross-synthesis 385 Damping Damping Amount control 394 Damping Velocity control 394 Decay control 391 Detune Detune Amount control 392, 397 Detune Velocity control 392, 397 Envelope Follower 398 Envelope Generator 391 External Key 389, 395 Follower control 398 Frequency control 3
Source selector 58 side-chain processing 57 Channel Strip plug-in 49 Chorus plug-in 269 Delay control 270 Feedback control 270 LFO Rate control 270 LFO Waveform control 270 LFO Width control 270 Low-Pass Filter control 270 Mix control 270 clarify 92 Class-B 81 Click plug-in 401 Accented control 401 Unaccented control 401 clip remover 487 compression 85 Smack 103 Contour display 183 Copy and Clear buttons (Boom) 376 copying 381 Cosmonaut Voice plug-in radio effects 267 shortwave simulation 267 squawk and squ
Dither plug-in 349, 351 bit resolution for Dither plug-in 349 Noise Shaping 350 Down Mixer multichannel to stereo 357 stereo to mono 357 supported multichannel formats 357 Down Mixer plug-in 357 Drawbars 404 DSP and EQ III 29 Duplicate plug-in 525 flattening a track 525 D-Verb plug-in 155 Algorithm control 156 Church algorithm 156 Clip indicator 155 Diffusion control 156, 157 Hall algorithm 156 Hi Frequency Cut control 157 Low-Pass Filter control 157 Output Meter 155 Size control 156 dynamics Fairchild 660
keyboard shortcuts 539 lamp (bypass) 544 load 553 Manufacturer 539 Master 545 Master section 541 mic placement 548 Mic Type 547 navigating 539 mics (microphones) 548 on- and off-axis 548 Middle 545 MIDI 540 Learn 541 tempo sync 545 mono 531, 539 mono / multi-mono 539 multichannel 539 multiple cabinets 552 noise gate 543 orange 536 Output 542 parallel (gain) 544 phase flip 555 tweak 556 plug-in controls adjusting 539 polarity (see phase) 555 Presence 545 presets 541 Previous/Next arrows 539 pure excess 552 r
G J Gain plug-in 526 General MIDI 381 Global controls (Boom) 377 guitar amp simulators 331 JOEMEEK SC2 Compressor plug-in brighten 92 compound release circuit 92 deadness (avoiding) 92 overshoot 92 H K host processing 6 Key Click 405 Kill EQ plug-in 15 Kit selector (Boom) 377 I Impact plug-in 85 Attack 86 clip indicator 88 compression ratio 88 External On/Off 87 gain (make-up) 87 Gain Reduction meter 88 Input/Output Meter 88 Key Listen On/Off 87 Make-Up 87 meters 88 mono 85 multichannel 85 Ratio 85
dynamic range of individual instruments 94 Histogram 93, 95 Input Level control 95 Limiting a mixdown 94 drums 94 individual instruments 94 Link button 96, 98 Mix control 96 Noise Shaping control 97 Online Help 93 Output control 95 peak levels 93 Peak limiting 93 quantization noise 97 Release control 96 signal delay 94 signal peaks 93 Threshold control 95, 98 X axis of histogram 95 Y axis of histogram 95 metering BBC 363 correlation meter 488 DIN 363 Essential Meter Bridge 488 for VENUE 363 Leq(A) 361 Lissa
Moogerfooger Lowpass Filter plug-in 273 auto wah 275 envelope follower 274 filters 274 guitar envelope filter 273 Moog, Bob 273 resonance filter 273 whistling 274 Moogerfooger plug-ins Analog Delay 231 Moogerfooger 12-Stage Phaser 277 Moogerfooger Lowpass Filter 273 Moogerfooger Ring Modulator 281 Moogerfooger Ring Modulator plug-in 281 Carrier Oscillator 282 LFO 281 metallic 282 oscillator 281 sinusoidal 281 sum and difference frequencies 281 tremolo 281 vibrato 281 Multi-Delay plug-in Delay Taps 222 Multi
presets 571 selecting 571 Pultec EQH-2 plug-in 36 beefier 36 Pultec EQP-1A plug-in 35 phase for EQ 36 program equalization 35 smooth EQ 35 Pultec MEQ-5 plug-in 37 guitar EQ for separation 37 Pultec plug-ins EQH-2 36 Pultec EQP-1A 35 Pultec MEQ-5 37 pumping 82 Purple Audio MC77 plug-in 99 R Recti-Fi plug-in 323 Alternating Rectification 325 Alt-Max Rectification 325 Mix control 325 negative excursion period of waveform 325 Negative Rectification 324 Output Meter 325 Positive Excursion 325 Positive Rectifica
simulating 164 Frequency control 166 HF Cut control 166 HF Damp control 167 input level meters 168 late reverberation 160 Level control 162, 165 Master Mix controls 161 meters clipping indicator 168 input 168 output 168 Online Help 167 Output Level meters 168 Pre-delay 160 presets 163 Rate control 162 RC (reverb contour) button 167 reverb character 160 reverb graphs editing 165 Reverb Color 166 Reverb Contour 167 Reverb EQ 166 reverberation explained 160 simulating early reflections 164 Size control 163 Spr
Rear ER control 177 Rear Level Link button 177 Rear Reverb control 177 Rear Shape control 180 Reverb section 179 reverb tail 170 reverb tail controls 179 Reverb tail type 179 Reverberation Concepts 170 reverberation explained 170 ReVibe Contour Display 183 room coloration 170 Room Coloration section 178 Room Type Category menu 178 Room Type Name menu 178 Room Type Number field 178 Room Type section 177 Size control 180 Spread control 175, 180 Stereo Width control 174 supported sample rates 171 Time control
Peak + RMS 363 peak hold 363 RMS 362 VENUE (metering for) 363 VU 363 slice playback order 584 Slightly Rude Compressor plug-in 101 glue 102 overshoot 102 Smack! 103 adjusting input 104 Attack control 105 band emphasis 107 clip indicator 108 compression modes 104 Distortion control 107 distortion controls 107 hard limiting ratio setting 105 high-pass detector 106 high-pass filter 107 increasing and decreasing Ratio 105 Input meter 108 Key Input using to trigger compression 109 key input 109 level 103 limitin
Assign Enable buttons 600 assigning a User Knob 590, 595, 596 assigning an external MIDI controller 601 assigning combinations to a MIDI note number 599 assigning MIDI controllers 611 assigning MIDI notes 611 AudioSuite version of Synchronic about 603 Effect module 605 modules 603 Playback module 604 previewing a loop 606 processing a loop 607 Sound module 604 automating Synchronic using MIDI 612 automation Auto Latch mode 610 Auto Touch mode 610 creating 610 plug-in automation automating Synchronic 609 rec
preparing for import 576 Low Frequency Oscillator 587 MIDI configuring for Synchronic 566 MIDI automation 611, 612 viewing 612 MIDI controllers assigning 611 MIDI Key Assignment icons 600 MIDI Keys default mappings 599 MIDI module 565, 598 Assign Enable buttons 600 assigning MIDI controllers 601 assigning MIDI notes 599 Controller # 601 Edit mode 600 MIDI Key Assignment icons 600 Octave (Oct) 598 Octave Display 598 on-screen keyboard 598 Performance mode 598 Pitch Wheel 601 Pre-Mapped MIDI Keys 599 Wait Bar
Effect module 590 Playback module 582 XFade module 597 previewing a loop in the AudioSuite version of Synchronic 606 Pro Tools session file 578 processing a loop in the AudioSuite version of Synchronic 607 recording automation 610 selecting a preset 571 selecting an effect 591 Settings Librarian using 613 slice 579 Audition Modes 580 Current 580 Delete 580 deleting 579 detection 579 generating missing 580 playback mode 582 playback start 583 settings 579 Trim 580 Slice # 583 Slice Extension 581 slices playb
Minimum Pitch control 502 Ratio control 501 Source and Destination controls 501 Time Shift changing pitch 133 Time section 129 timebase 129 Time Shift plug-in 127 Audio Gain control 128 Audio Mode pop-up menu 128 Audio Range pop-up menu 128 Audio section 128 changing time 133 changing time and pitch 133 Clip indicator 128 Decay Rate 131 displays and controls 127 Follow button 130 Formant section 129 Level indicator 129 Monophonic mode 128 Original time 129 Pitch section 131 Pitch Shift 131 Polyphonic mode 1
Add To Favorites 447 adding a sample to a Clip 444 adjusting crossfades between Zones 439 Attack control 445 Auto-Audition 447 Auto-Scroll Time preference 446 browsing sample CDs 447 changing the duration of the crossfades between zones 439 Clear 445 Clips 444 Commit 441 Commit All 442 committing detected triggers 441 Detector Mode pop-up menu 436 DRP 436 DRP Name display 436 Ducking control 440 Dynamics control 440 Edit pop-up menu 447 editing the position of committed triggers 441 EQ Gain control 445 Expe
Phaser 295 phaser 293 Rate slider 296 Release slider 299 Resonance slider 295 Side-Chain Input selector 299 signal flow 293 Single trigger 297 Stages slider 295 Tempo controls 298 Tempo display 298 Threshold slider 299 using a Side-Chain Input 300 using Beat Clock 300 Waveform selector 297 Width slider 296 TL InTune plug-in 503 Automatic mode 504 Chromatic mode 507 creating presets 504, 507 Display Flat Semitones option 507 factory presets 506 information display 506 Meter selector 505 Needle meter 505 note
Length 210 Lo Cut 210 Size 210 factory presets 212 features 190 Group selector 209 Import Other IR Folder 207 impulse computer 193 impulse response (IR) 197 Info screen 211 Install TL Space IR Package 207 installing IR packages 207 IR browser 206 Edit menu 207 Favorites 206 IR channel compatibility 200 IR channel formats 198 IR filename conventions 199 IR formats 198 IR library 214 IR Name 203 latency 194 Levels group 209 Early 209 Front/Rear/Center 209 Input 209 Late 209 Output 209 Meters display 205 New F
modes 462 speed settings 462 envelopes 460 ADSR 460 Env One 460 Env Two 460 filters 459 cutoff 459 high-pass (HPF) 459 low-pass (LPF) 459 resonance 459 mixer 459 modulation routing 461 destinations 461 sources 461 Pitch and Mod wheel controls 463 mod destinations 463 Ring Modulation 459 Setup button 463 Setup page 463 Envelope retriggering 463 glide controls 463 Pitch Bend Range 463 Vacuum Tube Synthesis 457 VTA 462 VTOs 458 controls 458 shapes 458 variable-mu 81 Vari-Fi plug-in 135 Slow Down control 135 Sp
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