Liquid User’s Guide
Audio Damage, Inc.
Release 1.0
26 August 2007
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on
the part of Audio Damage, Inc. The software described by this document is subject to a License Agreement
and may not be copied to other media except as specifically allowed in the License Agreement. No part of this
publication may be copied, reproduced or otherwise transmitted or recorded, for any purpose, without prior
written permission by Audio Damage, Inc.
© 2007 Audio Damage, Inc. All rights reserved.
Credits
Software Design and Construction, Documentation
Chris Randall
Adam Schabtach
Field Testing
Wade Alin
Dean Dunakin
Steve Hamann
Christian Puffer
Made Possible By
Tracie Bork
Lisa Randall
Fuzzy Logic
Alex
Chica
Fatty
Pablo
Widget
License Agreement
BY INSTALLING THE SOFTWARE, YOU ARE CONSENTING TO BE BOUND BY THIS AGREEMENT. IF YOU DO NOT
AGREE TO ALL OF THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT, THEN RETURN THE PRODUCT TO THE PLACE OF
PURCHASE FOR A FULL REFUND.
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("Customer") a nonexclusive and nontransferable license to use the Audio Damage software ("Software") in
object code form solely on a single central processing unit owned or leased by Customer.
Customer may make one (1) archival copy of the Software provided Customer affixes to such copy all
copyright, confidentiality, and proprietary notices that appear on the original.
EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY AUTHORIZED ABOVE, CUSTOMER SHALL NOT: COPY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART,
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OR ANY PORTION OF THE SOFTWARE; OR RENT, LEASE, DISTRIBUTE, SELL, OR CREATE DERIVATIVE WORKS
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from Audio Damage: (i) the media on which the Software is furnished will be free of defects in materials and
workmanship under normal use; and (ii) the Software substantially conforms to its published specifications.
Except for the foregoing, the Software is provided AS IS. This limited warranty extends only to Customer as
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shall remain in full force and effect. This License constitutes the entire License between the parties with
respect to the use of the Software.
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing Liquid, Audio Damage’s through-zero flanger plug-in. Liquid recreates classic tapeflanging effects with a vintage feel not present in most contemporary hardware or software flangers. Liquid
can be used on single instruments or entire mixes to create everything from subtle stereo double-tracking
effects to extreme whooshes through musical space.
Liquid is provided as both a VST and an AudioUnit plug-in for Windows and MacOS X. The MacOS X version is
a Universal Binary, compatible with both Intel- and Motorola-based Macs.
System Requirements
To use Liquid, you'll need a Steinberg VST-compatible host application which conforms to the VST 2.0
specifications, and a computer capable of running it. For the AudioUnit version of Liquid, you’ll need an
application capable of hosting AudioUnit plug-ins, and a computer capable of running it. The following
specifications represent minimum requirements.
For use with Microsoft Windows: For use with Apple Macintosh:
Windows XP or Vista Mac OS X version 10.3.9 or newer
512 MB RAM 512 MB RAM
Pentium III 600 MHz CPU Motorola G4/G5 or Intel CPU
High Color S-VGA Display
Display capable of “thousands of colors”
Installation
Double-click the Liquid Installer icon, and follow the instructions. During the installation process the installer
will ask you to enter your registration code. Your registration code uniquely identifies your purchase, and you
will need it if you need to reinstall your plug-in (for example, after upgrading to a new computer). Keep a
copy of the code in a safe location and please don’t share it with your friends. We’re delighted if you like our
products so much that you want to share them, but please ask your friends to buy their own copy so that we
can keep making new products.
To un-install from OS X, simply delete the plug-in from your VST folder, which is usually located at
/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/, and your AudioUnits folder, which is located at /Library/Audio/PlugIns/Components/. To un-install from Windows, simply delete the plug-in from your VST folder, which is
usually located at C:\Program Files\Steinberg\VstPlugins.
The Tao of Flanging
The effect known as flanging originated in the late 1960s, back when music was recorded on magnetic tape
handled by large machines rather than on magnetic discs in computers. To create doubled vocal effects, the
same recording was played on two different tape decks with their outputs mixed together. Since the two decks
started playing at slightly different times, the signal from one deck was delayed slightly with respect to the
other. This created a doubled vocal effect without requiring the vocalist to sing the same vocal part again.
Someone noticed—probably by accident—that if the two recordings were started at very nearly the same time
an interesting timbral effect resulted. The two signals were not heard separately but as a filtered version of
the original recording. This form of filtering created by delaying a copy of a signal by a fixed amount and
mixing it with the original signal, is called comb filtering because it creates a series of deep notches in the
signal’s frequency spectrum which someone once thought was reminiscent of a comb. The effect became even
more interesting if one tape deck was slowed down slightly, causing the relative time of delay between the
two signals to vary slightly. One could slow down a tape deck simply by pressing a finger or two on the flange
of one of the reels of tape; hence the term flanging was coined to describe the effect.
(If you’re getting bored with this history lesson, you can skip ahead to the Operation section below. This
material will not be on the exam.)
Everyone thought flanging was a very cool effect, but it was cumbersome to create. You needed two copies on
tape of whatever signal you wanted to use, you needed two tape decks, and you needed a good deal of
patience. Obviously using it on stage was out of the question. Hence electronic imitations of tape-based
flanging were invented.
The first such invention was the phase shifter. Phase shifters used a special form of analog filter called an all-
pass filter which creates a very short delay whose length is dependent on the frequency of the signal. This
delay time was much shorter than the several milliseconds of delay needed for flanging, but it was enough to
create a couple of notches in the frequency spectrum and hence a vague approximation of flanging. It was an
interesting enough effect in its own right that it remains popular to this day, particularly when used with
guitar or electric piano. If you’d like to add a phase shifter to your effects arsenal, Audio Damage has a fine
phase-shifting plug-in called Phase Two. Phase Two is a meticulous software recreation of the Mu-Tron BiPhase, one of the most famous and sought-after phase shifters.
Some years later, with the advent of analog bucket-brigade delay (BBD) circuits, it became possible to create
a real-time flanger. A BBD chip could be used to create the necessary delay time of a few milliseconds, and a
low-frequency oscillator (LFO) could be used to change the delay time slightly to create the effect of someone
dragging their fingers on the tape-reel flange. Later digital delays were substituted for the BBD chips, with
results of debatable virtue. Flangers became available as rack-mount studio hardware, stomp boxes for
guitarists, and (some years later) software plug-ins.
Note, however, that there’s a fundamental difference between using a single delay line to create flanging and
using two tape decks: with a single delay line, the relative delay time between the two signals will never reach
zero. Any form of electronic delay circuit has at least a very small delay time. The term through-zero flanging
refers to the phenomenon when flanging is created in such a manner that the relative delay time reaches—
and passes through—zero, creating negative delay times. (A negative delay time sounds like something from
a science-fiction story, but it simply means that the relative delay time between the two signals has changed;
that is, the tape deck that used to be behind has caught up with, and passed, the other tape deck.) Throughzero flanging is more difficult to create, but can produce different and more dramatic effects than the singledelay flanging that we of the post-tape era have become accustomed to.
Liquid uses two varying delay lines to create true through-zero flanging. The two delay lines are changed in
opposite directions to produce positive, negative, and zero relative delay times. Liquid also applies a gentle
amount of filtering to the delayed signals to reduce the metallic-sounding harshness often associated with
flangers based on digital delays (either hardware- or software-based delays).
So why is flanging associated with jet airplanes? It could be because the sound from the engine travels in two
paths: one straight to the listener’s ear, and one that bounces off the surface of the runway. The bounced
sound takes slightly longer to reach the ear, so a short relative delay time is created, producing comb filtering.
Or it could be because we all heard the prominent use of flanging in the song “Jet” by Paul McCartney & Wings
one too many times.
Operation
Liquid can be used in a mono, stereo, or mono-to-stereo context. In a stereo context, no summing of the
input channels happens and the left and right channels are processed independently. Liquid should usually be
used as an insert effect, since its operation depends upon its internal mixing of the unprocessed and
processed signals.
Here is a screenshot of Liquid, followed by detailed descriptions of its controls. Flanging is certainly a “turn the
knobs until it sounds good” effect, so feel free to experiment first and return to this manual when you’d like a
little more insight into how Liquid operates.
1. Manual
The MANUAL knob sets the relative delay time between the two delays in Liquid. If set at the center “12
o’clock” position, both delays are set to the same time and there will be little audible effect on the signal. As
you rotate the knob away from this position, one delay’s time is increased while the other is decreased. The
MANUAL knob is useful for creating fixed comb-filtering effects or for adding an offset to Liquid’s modulation
oscillator (described below). It’s also a great target for controlling with your host sequencer’s automation
features; you can create dramatic flanging sweeps that peak in conjunction with musical climaxes.
The effect of this knob is symmetric; rotating it counter-clockwise from the center position produces much the
same sonic result as rotating it clockwise. This is because the same relative delay time is created in both
directions. Rotating the knob from one side, past the center point, to the other side creates the through-zero
flanging effect as the relative delay time decreases and passes through zero. The range of this knob is -5 to
+5 msec.
2. Rate
The RATE knob controls the speed or frequency of Liquid’s modulation oscillator. This oscillator varies the
relative delay times of the two delay lines, producing a familiar up-and-down flanging effect. As you rotate the
knob clockwise the modulation rate increases. Slow modulation rates are useful for creating timbral changes
over a measure or more; fast modulation rates are useful for chorus-like effects. The range of this knob is
0.02Hz (one cycle every 50 seconds) to 10Hz (ten cycles per second).
Note that if the DEPTH knob is set at zero, the modulation oscillator has no effect and you won’t hear
anything change when you rotate the rate knob.
3. Depth
The DEPTH knob controls how much the modulation oscillator varies the delay times. When it is rotated fully
counter-clockwise, the modulation oscillator has no effect. As you rotate the knob clockwise, the modulation
oscillator changes the delay times by an increasing amount. The modulation oscillator is bipolar, that is, it
varies the relative delay time above and below the time set with the manual knob. If the MANUAL knob is set
at its center position, the cycles of the modulation oscillator will change the relative delay time from zero to a
positive value, back to zero, below zero to a negative amount, back to zero, and so on.
4. Feedback
The FEEDBACK knob mixes the delayed signal back into the input of the delay lines. This increases the size of
the peaks and notches in the comb-filter frequency response created by the delay lines, producing a more
pronounced flanging effect. As you rotate the knob clockwise, the amount of signal fed back is increased. Note
that some combinations of a high feedback setting and certain input material may produce nearly selfoscillating ringing, loud signals, and/or some distortion. If you find this unpleasant, back off on the FEEDBACK
knob and/or reduce the level of the signal entering Liquid.
5. Invert
The INVERT switch, when depressed and illuminated, inverts the phase or polarity of the feedback signal. This
produces a slightly different tonal effect which is most apparent when the FEEDBACK knob is turned up fairly
high. To change the state of the INVERT switch, click on it with the mouse.
6. Offset
The OFFSET knob applies a small additional amount of delay to the delay lines used by Liquid’s right channel.
This produces a wide stereo field and also enhances the flanging effect. This knob has no effect when Liquid is
used in a mono-in/mono-out context, but can be used to “stereoize” a mono signal in a mono-in/stereo-out
context.
If you’re experienced with mixing audio, this description of the OFFSET knob should be setting off small alarm
bells. Yes, it’s an effect that intrinsically depends upon a stereo output and may or may not produce desirable
results if you mix to mono. If you’re going to lose sleep over this, leave the OFFSET knob at zero.
7. Power
The POWER light illuminates to indicate that your computer’s CPU is receiving adequate electrical power.
8. Time Indicator
The time indicator above the MANUAL knob reflects the relative delay time created by the two delay lines. If
the indicator is at its center position, the delay times are equal. The combined effect of the MANUAL knob
and the modulation oscillator determines the position of the indicator, and hence provides a visual
representation of their interaction. It’s also just fun to watch.
MIDI Controllers
The VST version of Liquid responds to MIDI continuous controller messages. You can use hardware MIDI
controllers, such as MIDI slider boxes or the knobs found on some MIDI keyboards, to adjust Liquid’s
parameters.
The VST version of Liquid has a simple “MIDI Learn” mode for assigning its controls to MIDI controllers. To
assign a control to a MIDI controller:
First, hold down the shift and ctrl keys on your PC’s keyboard, or shift and cmd keys if you’re using a
Mac, and click once on the control. A white box will be drawn around the control to indicate that it is
ready to learn which MIDI controller it will be assigned to.
Next, move the MIDI controller to send a continuous controller message—turn the knob, press the
button, move the slider, whatever is appropriate.
The white square will disappear. Now the control will move when you manipulate the MIDI controller.
Liquid waits until it has received two consecutive continuous controller messages with the same controller
number before it makes an assignment. This filters out extraneous data sent by some MIDI controllers. If you
are assigning a button or switch on a MIDI controller, you may have to press or move the switch twice before
Liquid recognizes the controller and assigns it to the desired control.
To assign a different MIDI controller to a control, repeat the same procedure using a different controller.
To cancel MIDI Learn mode without assigning a controller, hold down the SHIFT and CTRL keys (SHIFT and
CMD keys on a Mac) and click in any empty area in Liquid’s window (i.e., don’t click on another control). The
white box will disappear.
To remove a MIDI controller assignment from a control, SHIFT and CTRL keys, (SHIFT and CMD keys on a
Mac) click on the control once so that the white box appears, then click again on the same control.
Liquid’s MIDI controller assignments apply to all presets and instances of Liquid, in all host applications that
you use. The MIDI assignments are stored in a special file on your hard drive. The contents of this file are
read when Liquid is loaded by your host. If you have two or more instances of Liquid in use at once, any MIDI
assignments you make will not be propagated to the other instances until the next time that your host loads
the plug-ins.
The AudioUnit version does not provide the same MIDI assignment features as the VST version. Almost all
AudioUnit hosts provide their own mechanism for assigning MIDI controllers to parameters, so it would be
redundant for us to implement MIDI controller assignments in the plug-in itself. Consult the documentation for
your AudioUnit host to learn how to use its MIDI features.
Automation
All of Liquid's parameters can be automated using your host's automation features. Consult your host's
documentation for information on how to use these features.
And Finally…
Thanks again for purchasing Liquid. We make every effort to ensure your satisfaction with our products, and
want you to be happy with your purchase. Please write support@audiodamage.com if you have any questions
or comments.
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