Arturia REV Spring 636 User Manual

USER MANUAL

Special Thanks

DIRECTION

Frederic Brun Kevin MOLCARD

ENGINEERING

Samuel Limier

Stefano d'Angelo

Kevin Arcas

Simon Conan

MANUAL

Fernando Manuel

Rodrigues (author)

Camille Dalemans

SOUND DESIGN

Jean-Michel Blanchet Victor Morello

DESIGN

Martin Dutasta Clément Bastiat Shaun Elwood Morgan Perrier

TESTING

Florian Marin

Alessandro De Cecco

Raynald Dantigny

Alexandre Adam

Baptiste Aubry

Leo Der Stepanians

Randy Lee

Holger Steinbrink

Timothée Behety

Yann Burrer

Corentin Comte

Loris De Marco

Minoru Koike

Charlotte Metais

Jose Rendon

Geoffrey Gormond

Pierre-Lin Laneyrie

Mathieu Nocenti

Marie Pauli

BETA TESTING

Gustavo Bravetti

Andrew Capon

Chuck Capsis

Jeffrey Cecil

www.arturia.com

Information contained in this manual is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Arturia. The software described in this manual is provided under the terms of a license agreement or non-disclosure agreement. The software license agreement specifies the terms and conditions for its lawful use. No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any purpose other than purchaser’s personal use, without the express written permission of ARTURIA S.A.

All other products, logos or company names quoted in this manual are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Product version: 1.0

Revision date: 26 February 2020

Marco Correia (Koshdukai)

Raphael Cuevas

Ben Eggehorn

Tony Flying Squirrel

Mat Herbert

Jay Janssen

Fernando Manuel

Rodrigues

Terry Marsden

Bernd Waldstädt

George Ware

Chuck Zwicky

Thank you for purchasing Arturia's Rev Spring-636!

This manual covers the features and operation of the Rev Spring-636.

Be sure to register your software as soon as possible! When you purchased Rev Spring-636 you were sent a serial number and an unlock code by e-mail. These are required during the online registration process.

Special Messages

Specifications Subject to Change:

The information contained in this manual is believed to be correct at the time of printing. However, Arturia reserves the right to change or modify any of the specifications or features without notice or obligation.

IMPORTANT:

The software, when used in combination with an amplifier, headphones or speakers, may be able to produce sound levels that could cause permanent hearing loss. DO NOT operate for long periods of time at a high level or at a level that is uncomfortable.

If you encounter any hearing loss or ringing in the ears, you should consult an audiologist.

Introduction

Congratulations on your purchase of Arturia's Rev Spring-636

Since the late 1990s, Arturia has received acclaim from players and reviewers alike for designing state-of-the-art software emulations of the venerable analog synthesizers from the 1960s to the 1980s. From the Modular V, back in 2004, to Origin, a modular system that was introduced in 2010, to the Matrix 12 V (2015), the Synclavier V (2016), the Buchla Easel V and the DX7 V (2018), and most recently the Synthi V, the CZ V, and the Mellotron V. Last but not least, we also have to mention Pigments, our first original software synthesizer, featuring multiple synth engines and a creative-inviting GUI.

Arturia's passion for synthesizers and sonic purity has given demanding musicians the best software instruments for professional audio production.

Arturia also has a growing expertise in the audio field, and in 2017 launched the AudioFuse, a pro studio quality audio interface that features two proprietary DiscretePRO® microphone preamplifiers and a set of top-notch AD/DA converters. This line was recently expanded with the launch of the AudioFuse Studio and the AudioFuse 8Pre. Arturia has also been busy making effect plug-ins, launching in 2018 the first Arturia effects bundle: 3 PreAmps You'll Actually Use, which included the 1973-Pre, the TridA-Pre, and the V76-Pre.

Other bundles followed, dedicated to compressors and delays. With the launching of a new effects bundle, this time dedicated to reverbs, Arturia consolidates its position as a leader in audio effect plug-ins.

The ARTURIA Rev Spring-636 is one of the three reverb plug-ins included in the current bundle, and benefits from Arturia's decade-long experience in recreating the most iconic tools of the past.

ARTURIA has a passion for excellence and accuracy. This led us to conduct an extensive analysis of every aspect of the Grampian 636 spring reverb. Not only have we modeled the sound and behavior of this unique reverb unit, we have added several features that were unimaginable in the days the original Grampian 636 was being manufactured.

Rev Spring-636 runs as a plug-in in all major formats inside your DAW.

DISCLAIMER: All manufacturer and product names mentioned in this manual are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Arturia. The trademarks of other manufacturers mentioned are used solely to identify the products of those manufacturers whose features and sound were studied during Rev Spring-636 development. All names of equipment inventors and manufacturers have been included for illustrative and educational purposes only and do not suggest any affiliation or endorsement of Rev Spring-636 by any equipment inventor or manufacturer.

The Arturia team

1. WELCOME ......................................................................................................................................................................... 2

1.1. What is a reverb?................................................................................................................................................................... 2

1.2. What is a Spring Reverb?................................................................................................................................................ 3

1.3. Where have spring reverbs been used? ............................................................................................................... 4

2. ACTIVATION AND FIRST START.......................................................................................................................... 5

2.1. Activate the Arturia Rev Spring-636 license......................................................................................................... 5

2.1.1. The Arturia Software Center (ASC).................................................................................................................................................................... 5

2.2. Working with plug-ins....................................................................................................................................................... 6

3. REV SPRING-636 OVERVIEW............................................................................................................................... 7

3.1. Arturia's Rev Spring-636 plug-in .................................................................................................................................. 7

3.2. Understanding the Rev Spring-636 Signal Flow.............................................................................................. 8

3.3. Getting hands-on with Rev Spring-636.................................................................................................................. 9

3.3.1. Reverb Basics ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 9

3.3.2. Advanced methods of using the plug-in................................................................................................................................................... 10

4. REV SPRING-636 CONTROL PANEL................................................................................................................. 11

4.1. Channel Configuration (Mono/Stereo) ................................................................................................................... 11

4.2. Main Control Panel ............................................................................................................................................................. 11

4.2.1. Power (Switch)............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 12

4.2.2. Input .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 13

4.2.3. Decay................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 14

4.2.4. Width (Stereo Width).............................................................................................................................................................................................. 15

4.2.5. Blend.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 16

4.2.6. Link ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 16

4.3. Advanced Mode Control Panel ................................................................................................................................... 17

4.3.1. Pre Delay .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 17

4.3.2. Pre Filter.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 18

4.3.3. Tank.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 19

4.3.4. Post Equalizer............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 20

5. USER INTERFACE ........................................................................................................................................................ 21

5.1. The Upper Toolbar............................................................................................................................................................... 21

5.1.1. Save Preset...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 21

5.1.2. Save Preset As….......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 22

5.1.3. Import............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 22

5.1.4. Export Menu .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 22

5.1.5. Resize Window options......................................................................................................................................................................................... 23

5.1.6. Help..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 23

5.1.7. Preset Selection .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 23

5.2. Advanced Mode (Double Arrow) Button............................................................................................................. 24

5.3. The Lower Toolbar............................................................................................................................................................ 24

5.3.1. Panic.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 24

5.3.2. Undo ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 24

5.3.3. History ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 25

5.3.4. Redo.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 25

5.3.5. Bypass............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 25

5.3.6. CPU meter..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 25

5.4. The Preset browser.......................................................................................................................................................... 26

5.5. Fine-tuning parameters................................................................................................................................................. 27

5.6. Resetting your controls.................................................................................................................................................. 27

6. Software License Agreement............................................................................................................................ 28

1. WELCOME

1.1. What is a reverb?

We all know the phenomenon that is reverberation and have experienced it, even if not consciously. Reverberation is the sum of all sound reflections that happen in a room or space when a sound is produced. That's what give us the perception of that space, and also "imprints" the sound signature of that space in the perceived sound.

That's an inescapable phenomena, and we will experience it even if we don't want to. Although most of the time it is a good thing to have, and contributes to giving life and dimension to the sound, that's not the case when we want to record something.

Usually, studios have controlled acoustics in their recording rooms, still allowing some reflections but not enough to have a significant influence on the audio and its original spectrum. Great efforts are taken to treat the room acoustics to ensure this.

Some ambience is usually added afterward, though. That's where artificial reverb units come in handy. Today, we have lots of devices with sophisticated techniques and algorithms to reproduce the acoustics of any room and space we want. However, it wasn't always like that. In the past, engineers had to turn to the mechanical properties of springs and large steel plates to create some artificial ambience for the sound. That "ambience" didn't aim to reproduce any kind of natural room or space sound signature; it was there just to add liveliness and dimension to the sound.

So instead of reproducing any kind of natural acoustic reverberation, they created their own "sound signature reverberation." These sounded great to the ears of musicians and listeners, so much so that even today, when the accurate emulation of acoustic spaces is possible, we still want those artificial sound signatures in some cases.

Rev Spring-636 Main Reverb Controls

2 Arturia - User Manual REV SPRING 636 - WELCOME

1.2. What is a Spring Reverb?

The original method for adding reverb to a recorded sound was to place a loudspeaker in a room, play the original sound through it, and rerecord the reverberated sound.

Sometime later, mechanical devices were invented that were able to create sound reflections similar to the acoustic reflections of a room. Historically, there have been two kinds of mechanical reverberation units: Plates and Spring Reverbs.

Springs have a number of qualities that contribute to their unique sound. The main characteristic of a spring reverb is its “bouncy” quality. This is due to the timing between echoes, because to create each reflection the wave needs to travel the whole length of the spring.

As we can see, the actual operation is relatively simple: the audio signal is captured by a transducer, sent to one end of the spring (or several springs), and in this way creates a wave that travels through the spring length. When the wave arrives at an end of the spring, part of the wave’s energy is reflected and stays in the spring. It is these reflections that create the characteristic sound of a spring reverb. At the other end of the spring, there is another transducer that converts some of the motion in the spring into an electrical signal.

Arturia - User Manual REV SPRING 636 - WELCOME 3

1.3. Where have spring reverbs been used?

Reverbs are used mainly to add ambience. Naturally, we could think that the aim would be to simulate some kind of acoustic space, and sometimes it is. But there is also a more creative approach, which is simply to add an extra dimension to the sound, without trying to imitate any kind of space in particular.

Spring reverbs provided a relatively simple and inexpensive method for creating reverberation effects. The Hammond Organ Company was the first to include a compact spring reverb effect in their line of organs. The design was so successful it was released as a separate piece of hardware, through a company specially created to commercialize it: Accusonics.

Leo Fender was one of the first customers of Hammond, having installed spring reverbs in his guitar amplifiers. The first Accusonics spring tank was included in the 1963 Fender Vibroverb amp. The spring reverbs used in guitar amplifiers are usually enclosed in a metal box, called the reverb pan, which is attached to the bottom of the amp.

For electric guitars they became almost an obligatory effect, perhaps because they were added to guitar combos at a very early stage. Here they might even be used alone, or in combination with other effects. Sometimes they doubled as a distortion unit, which the Rev Spring-636 plug-in can also do.

Spring reverbs are completely artificial; they will not "simulate" an acoustic space. But they are great to mix with other reverbs, even natural reverb. For example, a richer sound can be achieved on vocals and drums by combining natural reverb with a spring reverb. No matter what sort of space simulator you prefer, adding that "extra dimension" from a spring reverb can help complete the sound.

Keyboards and synthesizers can also greatly benefit from the artificial ambience of springs. Famous synthesizers like the Synthi-A and the ARP 2600 even included spring reverb units built-in.

Although old technology, spring reverbs are still in use today. They can be found in many top studios with a defined and recognizable sound character, such as Sound City in L.A. and Thump Studio in New York. The model on which this plug-in is based is still a legend, due to its rarity and aura. It is often associated with various musical styles, including dub and electronica.

Rev Spring-636 showing all the controls available

4 Arturia - User Manual REV SPRING 636 - WELCOME

2. ACTIVATION AND FIRST START

The Arturia Rev Spring-636 plug-in works on computers equipped with:

Windows 7 or later and macOS 10.10 or later.

You can use the Rev S pring-636 plug-in as an Audio Unit, AAX, VST2 or VST3 plug-in (64-bit only).

2.1. Activate the Arturia Rev Spring-636 license

Once the software has been installed, the next step is to activate your license, so that you can use it without limitations.

This is a simple process that involves a different software program: the Arturia Software Center.

2.1.1. The Arturia Software Center (ASC)

If you have not already installed the ASC, go to this web page:

https://www.arturia.com/support/downloads&manuals

Look for the Arturia Software Center at the top of the page, and then download the version of the installer that you need for your system (macOS or Windows).

Follow the installation instructions and then:

• Launch the Arturia Software Center (ASC)

• Log into your Arturia account

• Scroll down to the My Products section of the ASC

• Click the Activate button

That's all there is to it!

Arturia - User Manual REV SPRING 636 - ACTIVATION AND FIRST START 5

2.2. Working with plug-ins

Rev Spring-636 is ready to be used in all major digital audio workstations (DAWs), including Live, Logic, Cubase, Pro Tools and others. Unlike what happens with hardware, you can load as many instances of Rev Spring-636 as you find useful. Rev Spring-636 has two other big advantages over hardware:

• You can automate numerous parameters using your DAW’s automation system;

• Your settings and current plug-in state will become recorded in your project, and you can pick up exactly where you left off the next time you open it.

The Main Rev Spring-636 Controls

6 Arturia - User Manual REV SPRING 636 - ACTIVATION AND FIRST START

+ 23 hidden pages