Artificial Audio Obelisk User Manual

OBELISK

Manual

Version 1.1

artificial audio ! OBELISK manual

TABLE OF CONTENT

...............................................................................................................................Installation! 3

...........................................................................................................................Authorization! 5

.............................................................................................................................Introduction! 6

...............................................................................................................................Quick start! 6

.................................................................................................................The Preset Browser! 7

.......................................................................................................Basic operational concept! 8

........................................................................................................Working with effect lines! 11

.....................................................................................Operation with mouse and keyboard! 13

.........................................................................................................The Analyser Point View! 14

........................................................................................................................Effect selector! 15

................................................................................................................................Delay line! 16

.....................................................................................................................Delay parameter! 18

.........................................................................................................................Feedback line! 19

.................................................................................................................................Filter line! 20

.................................................................................................................................Gate line! 21

..........................................................................................................................Spectral shift! 23

..................................................................................................................................Settings! 24

.............................................................................................................................Modulation! 25

...............................................................................................................2 - Dimensional LFO! 25

.......................................................................................................Modulation of line points! 28

.................................................................................................................Modulation targets! 29

..........................................................................................................Miscellaneous remarks! 31

OBELISK was developed by Bernd Burhoff, 2008 - 2014.

artificial audio

bernd burhoff

flandernstr. 75

47147 münster / germany

bernd@artificialaudio.com

www.artificialaudio.com

artificial audio ® is a registered trade mark.

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artificial audio ! OBELISK manual

INSTALLATION

Start the OBELISK installer and follow the on-screen instructions.

On Mac :

On Windows:

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artificial audio ! OBELISK manual

WHAT IS INSTALLED ?

On the Mac:

The OBELISK Audio Unit Plug-In is installed in:

/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components

The OBELISK VST Plug-In is installed in:

/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST

The OBELISK presets are installed in:

/Library/Audio/Presets/Artificial Audio/Obelisk/v1.1

On Windows:

By default all files are installed in:

C:\Program Files\Artificial Audio\Obelisk

You have to copy the OBELISK VST Plug-In to your desired VST folder. The respective VST folder

depends on the host application you use. Alternatively, you can add the OBELISK installation

folder to the VST Plug-In paths of your host application.

(In Cubase e.g. use : „Devices->Plug-In Information->VST 2.x Plug-in Paths“)

OBELISK utilizes an own data format for its presets. The preset data can be found in a special

folder. For Windows computers after installation you have to set the path to this folder in the

OBELISK - settings (Mac computers already have the path set after installation). For this click on

set PRESET folder and choose the directory in which the preset data is stored on your system:

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artificial audio ! OBELISK manual

AUTHORIZATION

After installation you have to authorize OBELISK. To authorize OBELISK, your computer has to be

connected to the internet. Please open OBELISK in your host application and select „SETTINGS“

in the top left-hand corner. The following window will appear:

After purchasing OBELISK you receive a serial number in your confirmation mail. This number has

got two times five digits separated with a hyphen: 12345-12345.

Please enter this number in the „enter serial“ field. In the second field input your name or a name

of someone you want to authorize for the Plug-In. This name will later be displayed in the Plug-In

window.

With the button „authorize“ you start the authorisation procedure. After a few moments your Plug-

In is authorised and „ready to use“. If you receive an error message, please check that your

computer is connected to the internet and that you have input the serial number correctly. Then

restart the authorisation by pressing the button „authorize“.

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artificial audio ! OBELISK manual

INTRODUCTION

OBELISK is a spectral multi effect whose sound possibilities and graphic user interface raise the

area of spectral sound processing to a completely new level. OBELISK combines a SPECTRAL

DELAY, a SPECTRAL FILTER and a SPECTRAL GATE to a multi effect that not only sounds

excellent but also enables an extremely intuitive and musical operation, making use of hundreds

of effect parameters. With OBELISK you can draw your effect and with the aid of graphic lines

control a multitude of effect parameters in a very simple and descriptive manner. With its 2-

dimensional LFOs, OBELISK creates completely innovative modulation possibilities by means of

which the processed signal transforms into an endlessly changing sound layer. In spite of the

comprehensive possibilities it provides for sound processing and modulation, OBELISK requires

very little computing power, thanks to its highly optimized vector algorithms.

OBELISK has a highly efficient spectral analysis and synthesis that ensures an excellent audio

quality. The audio signal can be split into 256 or 512 individual frequency bands that can be

independently processed with effects. Each frequency band has its own DELAY with FEEDBACK,

its own volume regulator (FILTER) and its own noise gate (GATE) with threshold.

QUICK START

If you want to start using OBELISK immediately, simply activate the help function which displays

useful information regarding the respective parameter shown by the mouse pointer.

However, before you start you should familiarize yourself with the basic operational concept in

particular with the EFFECT LINES. To do so either watch the „OBELISK VIDEO TOUR“ on the

artificial audio website ( www.artificialaudio.com/pluginmenu/obelisk ), or read the next section

„Basic Operational Concept“.

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Preset Files

Preset Folders
Save Preset

artificial audio ! OBELISK manual

THE PRESET BROWSER

To be able to start with OBELISK immediately, it is best to make a short tour through the preset
library. To do so you have to activate the preset browser on the top left-hand of the screen:

The preset browser now appears in the bottom part of the window. On the left-hand side of the

browser you will see the preset folders. Click on a folder and you will see the preset files on the

right hand side of the browser that are contained in the chosen folder. A click on the preset file

loads the preset.

save" " to save a preset, activate the preset browser, and select the preset folder in which

" " you want to save your preset and click save

prev" " load the previous preset

next" " load the next preset

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Analyser Point View

2-dimensional LFOs

Modulation - Targets

help

Effect Parameter

Effect Selector

artificial audio ! OBELISK manual

BASIC OPERATIONAL CONCEPT

The OBELISK window is divided into three areas: At the top there is the ANALYSER POINT VIEW

with the real-time spectrum analyser and the EFFECT LINES. In the middle there is the EFFECT

SELECTOR and the global effect parameters. At the bottom there is the modulation-area with the

2-dimensional LFOs.

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artificial audio ! OBELISK manual

ANALYSER POINT VIEW

The ANALYSER POINT VIEW shows a real-time spectrum of the audio signal. The spectrum

consists of individual frequency bands and the low pitch frequencies are clearly indicated as

squares:

One or several effects can individually be assigned to each of these frequency bands: DELAY &

FEEDBACK, FILTER and GATE. The effect parameters can be drawn in the form of lines, the so-

called EFFECT LINES, via the analyser spectrum. Each EFFECT has got its own EFFECT LINE,

which is coloured: DELAY (blue), FEEDBACK (red), FILTER (magenta) and GATE (yellow).

The EFFECT LINES are made up of points, the so-called LINE POINTS. A LINE POINT determines

two values: its position on the horizontal (x-axis) determines the frequency or the frequency band

and its position on the vertical (y-axis) determines the parameter value whereby the higher the

LINE POINT, the greater the parameter value. The course of the EFFECT LINE and the area

underneath, the so-called EFFECT PLANE determines the parameter values for the individual

frequency bands.

Each EFFECT LINE has got a certain LINE STYLE that determines how the points are linked

together to form a line. The polygon LINE STYLE connects two neighbouring points with a straight

line. The square LINE STYLE connects two neighbouring points with a rectangle cut-out.

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artificial audio ! OBELISK manual

!

square"" " " " polygon

EFFECT SELECTOR

The EFFECT SELECTOR is the central control when working with EFFECT LINES. Here you chose

the desired EFFECT LINE before inserting new points into the ANALYSER POINT VIEW. You can

activate or deactivate the EFFECT and view of the EFFECT LINE independent from each other.

For each EFFECT LINE you can determine the respective LINE STYLE.

A click on delay, feedback, filter or gate activates the respective type of line and the related unit

will be displayed on the left hand side next to the ANALYSER POINT VIEW (e.g. seconds for

Delay):

EFFECT SELECTOR (with selected delay effect)

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