DigiDesign Trillium Lane Labs Plug-ins, Trillium Lane Labs User Manual
Trillium Lane Labs® Plug-ins
Version 8.0
Legal Notices
This guide is copyrighted ©2008 by Digidesign, a division of
Avid Technology, Inc. (hereafter “Digidesign”), with all rights
reserved. Under copyright laws, this guide may not be
duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of
Digidesign.
003, 96 I/O, 96i I/O, 192 Digital I/O, 192 I/O, 888|24 I/O,
882|20 I/O, 1622 I/O, 24-Bit ADAT Bridge I/O, AudioSuite,
Avid, Avid DNA, Avid Mojo, Avid Unity, Avid Unity ISIS,
Avid Xpress, AVoption, Axiom, Beat Detective, Bomb Factory,
Bruno, C|24, Command|8, Control|24, D-Command, D-Control,
D-Fi, D-fx, D-Show, D-Verb, DAE, Digi 002, DigiBase,
DigiDelivery, Digidesign, Digidesign Audio Engine, Digidesign
Intelligent Noise Reduction, Digidesign TDM Bus, DigiDrive,
DigiRack, DigiTest, DigiTranslator, DINR, D-Show, DV Toolkit,
EditPack, Eleven, HD Core, HD Process, Hybrid, Impact,
Interplay, LoFi, M-Audio, MachineControl, Maxim, Mbox,
MediaComposer, MIDI I/O, MIX, MultiShell, Nitris, OMF,
OMF Interchange, PRE, ProControl, Pro Tools M-Powered,
Pro Tools, Pro Tools|HD, Pro Tools LE, QuickPunch, Recti-Fi,
Reel Tape, Reso, Reverb One, ReVibe, RTAS, Sibelius,
Smack!, SoundReplacer, Sound Designer II, Strike, Structure,
SYNC HD, SYNC I/O, Synchronic, TL Aggro, TL AutoPan, TL
Drum Rehab, TL Everyphase, TL Fauxlder, TL In Tune, TL
MasterMeter, TL Metro, TL Space, TL Utilities, Transfuser,
Trillium Lane Labs, Vari-Fi Velvet, X-Form, and XMON are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Digidesign and/or Avid
Technology, Inc. Xpand! is Registered in the U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.
Product features, specifications, system requirements, and
availability are subject to change without notice.
Guide Part Number 9329-59303-00 REV A 11/08
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Contents iii
contents
Chapter 1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Contents of the Boxed Version of Your Plug-in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
System Requirements and Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Register Your Plug-ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Using Trillium Lane Labs Plug-ins with Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Using Trillium Lane Labs Plug-ins with VENUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Conventions Used in This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
About www.digidesign.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Chapter 2. Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Installing Plug-ins for Pro Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Installing Plug-ins for VENUE Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Authorizing Plug-ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Uninstalling Plug-ins for Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Uninstalling Plug-ins for VENUE Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Chapter 3. TL Aggro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
TL Aggro Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Using the Side-Chain Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Chapter 4. TL AutoPan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
TL AutoPan Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Using TL AutoPan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Using the Side-Chain Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Trillium Lane Labs Plug-ins Guideiv
Chapter 5. TL Drum Rehab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Using TL Drum Rehab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
TL Drum Rehab Controls and Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
TL Drum Rehab Main Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
TL Drum Rehab Library Browser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Loading Samples and Saving Custom DRP Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Chapter 6. TL EveryPhase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
TL EveryPhase Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Using TL EveryPhase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Chapter 7. TL InTune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
TL InTune Controls and Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Customizing TL InTune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Using TL InTune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Chapter 8. TL MasterMeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Using TL MasterMeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
TL MasterMeter Controls and Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Chapter 9. TL Metro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Configuring Pro Tools for Use with TL Metro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
TL Metro Controls and Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Customizing TL Metro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Contents v
Chapter 10. TL Space TDM and TL Space Native . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
System Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Impulse Responses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Snapshots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
TL Space Controls and Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Using TL Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
IR Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Trillium Lane Labs Plug-ins Guidevi
Chapter 1: Introduction 1
chapter 1
Introduction
Welcome to the Trillium Lane Labs® plug-ins
for Pro Tools|HD
®
, Pro Tools LE®, and VENUE
systems (brought to you by Digidesign
®
), as well
as Avid Xpress
®
, Avid Xpress DV, and
Avid DNA™ systems.
Digidesign Trillium Lane Labs plug-ins include
the following:
Free Trillium Lane Labs Plug-ins:
The following plug-ins are installed with
Pro Tools:
•TL InTune™
• TL MasterMeter™
•TL Metro™
Paid Trillium Lane Labs Plug-ins:
• TL Aggro™
• TL AutoPan™
• TL Drum Rehab™
•TL EveryPhase™
• TL Space™ TDM and TL Space Native
Contents of the Boxed
Version of Your Plug-in
Your plug-in package contains the following
components:
• Installer disc
• Digidesign Registration Information Card
• One of the following authorization cards for
authorizing plug-ins with an iLok USB Smart
Key (not supplied):
• Activation Card with an Activation Code
(for authorizing plug-ins with an iLok USB
Smart Key, not supplied)
– or –
• License Card (for authorizing plug-ins with
an iLok USB Smart Key, not supplied)
References to Pro Tools LE™ in this guide
are usually interchangeable with Pro Tools
M-Powered™, except as noted in the
Pro Tools M-Powered Setup Guide.
Trillium Lane Labs Plug-ins Guide2
System Requirements and
Compatibility
To use Digidesign plug-ins you need the following:
• An iLok USB Smart Key
• An iLok.com account for managing iLok licenses
• One of the following:
• A Digidesign-qualified Pro Tools|HD system, Pro Tools LE system, or Pro Tools MPowered system
• A Digidesign-qualified Pro Tools system
and a third-party software application that
supports the Digidesign TDM, RTAS
®
, or
AudioSuite™ plug-in standards
• A Digidesign-qualified VENUE live sound
environment
• A qualified Avid Xpress, Avid Xpress DV, or
Avid DNA system (AudioSuite only)
Digidesign can only assure compatibility and
provide support for hardware and software it has
tested and approved.
For complete system requirements and a list of
Digidesign-qualified computers, operating systems, hard drives, and third-party devices, refer
to the latest information on the Digidesign website:
www.digidesign.com/compatibility
Register Your Plug-ins
If you purchase a plug-in online from the DigiStore (www.digidesign.com) using Internet Activation, you are automatically registered.
If you purchase a plug-in boxed version, check
the enclosed Digidesign Registration Information Card for information about how to register
online.
Registered users receive periodic software update and upgrade notices.
Please refer to the Digidesign website
(www.digidesign.com) or the Digidesign Registration Information Card for information on
technical support.
Using Trillium Lane Labs Plugins with Pro Tools
Refer to the Pro Tools Reference Guide for infor-
mation on working with plug-ins, including:
• Inserting plug-ins on tracks
• Plug-in Window controls
• Adjusting plug-in controls
• Automating plug-ins
• Using side-chain inputs
• Using plug-in presets
• Clip indicators
Using Trillium Lane Labs Plugins with VENUE
Refer to the D-Show Guide that came with your
VENUE system for information on working with
plug-ins.
Chapter 1: Introduction 3
Conventions Used in This
Guide
All Digidesign guides use the following conventions to indicate menu choices and key commands:
:
The names of Commands, Options, and Settings
that appear on-screen are in a different font.
The following symbols are used to highlight important information:
About www.digidesign.com
The Digidesign website (www.digidesign.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.
Product Registration Register your purchase online.
Support and Downloads Contact Digidesign
Technical Support or Customer Service; download software updates and the latest online
manuals; browse the Compatibility documents
for system requirements; search the online Answerbase; or join the worldwide Pro Tools community on the Digidesign User Conference.
Training and Education Study on your own using
courses available online or find out how you can
learn in a classroom setting at a certified
Pro Tools training center.
Products and Developers Learn about Digidesign
products; download demo software or learn
about our Development Partners and their plugins, applications, and hardware.
News and Events Get the latest news from Digidesign or sign up for a Pro Tools demo.
Pro Tools Accelerated Videos Watch the series of
free tutorial videos. Accelerated Videos are designed to help you get up and running with
Pro Tools and its plug-ins quickly.
Convention Action
File > Save Choose Save from the
File menu
Control+N Hold down the Control
key and press the N key
Control-click Hold down the Control
key and click the mouse
button
Right-click Click with the right
mouse button
User Tips are helpful hints for getting the
most from your Pro Tools system.
Important Notices include information that
could affect your Pro Tools session data or
the performance of your Pro Tools system.
Shortcuts show you useful keyboard or
mouse shortcuts.
Cross References point to related sections in
this guide and other Digidesign guides.
Trillium Lane Labs Plug-ins Guide4
Chapter 2: Installation 5
chapter 2
Installation
Installing Plug-ins for
Pro Tools
Installers for your plug-ins can be downloaded
from the DigiStore (www.digidesign.com) or can
be found on the plug-in installer disc (included
with boxed versions of plug-ins).
An installer may also be available on a Pro Tools
installer disc or on a software bundle installer
disc.
Installation steps are essentially the same, regardless of the package, system, or bundle.
Free TL Labs Plug-ins
The free TL Labs plug-ins are installed when you
install Pro Tools. For more information about
installing Pro Tools, see the Setup Guide that
came with your system.
Updating Older Plug-ins
Because the Trillium Lane Labs plug-ins installers contain the latest versions of Digidesign
plug-ins, use them to update any Trillium Lane
Labs plug-ins you may already own.
Installation
To install a plug-in:
1 Do one of the following:
• Download the installer for your computer
platform from the Digidesign website
(www.digidesign.com). After downloading,
make sure the installer is uncompressed
(.ZIP on Windows or .SIT on Mac).
– or –
• Insert the Installer disc into your computer.
2 Double-click the plug-in installer application.
3 Follow the on-screen instructions to complete
the installation.
4 When installation is complete, click Finish
(Windows) or Quit (Mac).
When you open Pro Tools, you are prompted to
authorize your new plug-in (see “Authorizing
Plug-ins” on page 6).
Be sure to use the most recent versions of
Trillium Lane Labs plug-ins available from
the Digidesign website
(www.digidesign.com).
Trillium Lane Labs Plug-ins Guide6
Installing Plug-ins for VENUE
Systems
Installers for VENUE plug-ins can be downloaded from www.digidesign.com. After downloading, the installer must be transferred to either a USB drive or a CD-ROM. Plugs-ins can be
installed using a USB drive connected to the
UDB ports on any VENUE system, or using a
CD-ROM inserted into the CD drive available on
an FOH Rack or Mix Rack.
Authorizing Plug-ins
Trillium Lane Labs plug-ins are authorized using
the iLok USB Smart Key (iLok), manufactured by
PACE Anti-Piracy, Inc.
The iLok is similar to a dongle, but unlike a dongle, it is designed to securely authorize multiple
software applications from a variety of software
developers.
This key can hold over 100 licenses for all of
your iLok-enabled software. Once an iLok is authorized for a given piece of software, you can
use the iLok to authorize that software on any
computer.
Authorizing Download Versions of
Plug-ins for Pro Tools
If you purchased a download version of a plugin from the DigiStore (www.digidesign.com),
authorize the plug-in by downloading licenses
from iLok.com to an iLok.
Authorizing Boxed Versions of
Plug-ins for Pro Tools
If you purchased a boxed version of a plug-in, it
comes with an Activation Code (on the included Activation Card). You will need this code
to authorize your plug-in.
To authorize a plug-in using an Activation Code:
1 If you do not have an existing iLok.com ac-
count, visit www.iLok.com and sign up for an
iLok.com account.
For complete instructions on installing
plug-ins for VENUE systems, see the documentation that came with your VENUE
system.
iLok USB Smart Key
Not all Trillium Lane Labs plug-ins require
authorization. For example, no authorization is required for TL Utilities plug-ins.
The iLok USB Smart Key is not supplied
with your plug-in or software option. You
can use the one included with certain
Pro Tools systems (such as Pro Tools|HDseries systems), or purchase one separately.
For more information, visit the iLok website
(www.iLok.com) or see the
iLok Usage
Guide
.
Chapter 2: Installation 7
2 Transfer the license for your plug-in to your
iLok.com account by doing the following:
• Visit http://secure.digidesign.com/
activation.
• Input your Activation Code (listed on your
Activation Card) and then your iLok.com
User ID. Your iLok.com User I D is the name
you create for your iLok.com account.
3 Transfer the licenses from your iLok.com ac-
count to your iLok USB Smart Key by doing the
following:
• Insert the iLok into an available USB port
on your computer.
• Go to www.iLok.com and log in.
• Follow the on-screen instructions for transferring your licences to your iLok.
4 Launch Pro Tools.
5 If you have any installed unauthorized plug-
ins or software options, you are prompted to authorize them. Follow the on-screen instructions
to complete the authorization process.
VENUE Systems
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.
VENUE supports challenge/response and iLok
USB Smart Key authorization, including pre-authorized iLoks and Activation Cards.
Challenge/Response Challenge/response authorization is only valid for the VENUE system the
plug-in is currently installed on. Challenge/response codes can be communicated using any
computer with Internet access.
iLok USB Smart Key Plug-ins supporting web authorizations through iLok.com can be authorized for your iLok Smart Key from any computer with Internet access. This lets you take
your iLok and your plug-in authorizations anywhere, to use plug-ins installed on any system.
Uninstalling Plug-ins for
Pro Tools
If you need to uninstall a plug-in from your system, follow the instructions below for your
computer platform.
Windows Vista
To remove a plug-in:
1 Choose Start > Control Panel.
2 Double-click Programs and Features.
3 Select the plug-in from the list of installed ap-
plications.
4 Click Uninstall.
5 Follow the on-screen instructions to remove
the plug-in.
For complete instructions on authorizing
plug-ins for VENUE systems, see the documentation that came with your VENUE
system.
For more information, visit the iLok website
(www.iLok.com) or see the
iLok Usage
Guide
.
Trillium Lane Labs Plug-ins Guide8
Windows XP
To remove a plug-in:
1 Choose Start > Control Panel.
2 Double-click Add or Remove Programs.
3 Select the plug-in from the list of installed ap-
plications.
4 Click Remove.
5 Follow the on-screen instructions to remove
the plug-in.
Mac OS X
To remove a plug-in:
1 Locate and open the Plug-ins folder on your
Startup drive (Library/Application Support
/Digidesign/Plug-ins).
2 Do one of the following:
• Drag the plug-in to the Trash and empty
the Trash.
– or –
• Drag the plug-in to the Plug-ins (Unused)
folder.
Uninstalling Plug-ins for
VENUE Systems
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. Deleted
plug-ins, however, must be installed from installers located on either a USB drive or a
CD-ROM.
For complete instructions on uninstalling
plug-ins for VENUE systems, see the documentation that came with your VENUE
system.
Chapter 3: TL Aggro 9
chapter 3
TL Aggro
(TDM and RTAS)
Introduction
TL Aggro is a TDM and RTAS compressor plug-in
that is modeled on vintage FET compressors. 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.
Analog Compression
Compression is a common audio processing
technique that is essential to many recording
styles. A compressor is a specialized type of amplifier that acts to reduce the dynamic range between the quietest and loudest peaks of an audio
signal. When dynamic range is compressed, this
highlights quieter parts of an audio signal while
taming the loudest parts. Heavy use of compression on percussion, instruments, and vocals is a
staple in musical genres such as rock and pop.
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.
TL Aggro
TL Aggro implements a unique compressor topology based on a traditional analog FET design,
with several updates for the digital age. Figure 2
shows the different modules of TL Aggro and
how they interact with the audio signal.
TL Aggro uses a reverse feedback system common to many analog compressors. In essence,
this means that the compressor is not compressing the input signal but rather analyzing and
compressing the already compressed output sig-
Figure 1. TL Aggro plug-in
Figure 2. TL Aggro signal flow, processing, and controls
Trillium Lane Labs Plug-ins Guide10
nal. Sound weird? It is. Reverse-feedback is a
strange and paradoxical concept. It can lead to
strange and chaotic behavior if not well-tamed.
In fact, at least one well known and popular
hardware compressor that uses a reverse feedBack topology becomes marginally unstable at
extreme compression settings. Despite this
sometimes unpredictable behavior, the reverse
feedBack model produces a desirable and
unique compression sound.
TL Aggro adds modern digital conveniences to
the reverse feedBack model. Precise bass compensation provides for improved tracking of
bass heavy instruments or a complete stereo
mix. TL Aggro provides linked stereo operation
to preserve stereo imaging as well as full sidechain support. A tube drive module adds additional tube-style distortion if desired.
TL Aggro uses a program dependent release
which provides more natural sounding compression. In essence, the program dependent release works to slow down the release time of
compressor so that it more smoothly rides the
average loudness of the audio material.
The most unique feature of TL Aggro is its
Threshold control. Most reverse-feedback compressors do not implement a Threshold control
typical to non-FET compressors. Instead, they
provide an input control that increases the
amount of compression as the unit is driven
harder. However, an input control adjustment is
often less intuitive than a Threshold control.
Implementing a Threshold control into the operation of TL Aggro has two specific side-effects.
At the extreme setting of a high threshold, high
ratio, fast attack, and a slow release, TL Aggro
can overshoot in compression and become
“sticky” with a high gain reduction. Sonically,
this sounds like “pops” in the output signal. In
more technical terms, TL Aggro is becoming
marginally unstable. In this scenario you can alleviate the problem by doing one or more of the
following:
• Lower the Threshold
• Reduce the Ratio
• Reduce the Attack
• Increase the Release
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.
The reverse-feedback model combined with the
Threshold control and additional features like
Bass Compensation and Tube Drive gives
TL Aggro a wide range of compression styles
once you understand how it operates. The ability to adjust threshold gives TL Aggro a distinctive advantage over traditional reverse feedBack
designs, both in terms of functionality and
sonic character.
Chapter 3: TL Aggro 11
TL Aggro Controls
Compression
TL Aggro provides the standard compression
controls Threshold, Ration, Attack, Release, and
Post Gain.
Threshold
The Threshold control sets the amplitude level
at which the compressor begins to affect the input signal. The values indicated on the Threshold knob are in negative dB. At the default 0 dB
setting, TL Aggro will pass the audio signal
through at unity gain and will have no effect on
the audio. As the Threshold knob is turned
clockwise (click and drag up), the threshold will
be lowered deeper into the input signal and result in more gain reduction as the compressor
becomes sensitive to more of the incoming audio signal.
Ratio
The Ratio control indicates the degree at which
TL Aggro is reducing dynamic range. The Ratio
slider increases the amount of compression as
the slider is pushed upwards, by increasing the
amount of gain reduction in the output signal
relative to the input signal. Additionally, as the
ratio is increased, the “knee” of compression
curve is made tighter. At lower ratio settings,
TL Aggro has a gentle knee in the compression
curve.
Attack and Release
The Attack control controls the amount of time
it takes TL Aggro to begin compression once the
audio signal has reached the threshold. Slow attack times tend to promote overall brightness
and high frequency audio within the compressed audio signal.
Conversely, the Release control controls the
time it takes TL Aggro to return to unity gain
once the audio signal has fallen back below the
threshold. TL Aggro uses a program dependent
release which slows down the release time to
more smoothly ride the average loudness of the
audio material.
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.
Post Gain
The Post Gain control lets you make up for the
signal gain lost through compression. The values indicated on the knob are in dB. At maximum setting, 36 dB of gain can be applied to the
compressed signal.
Bass Compensation
The Bass Compensation section of TL Aggro affects the compressor’s side-chain circuitry. By
default, Bass Compensation is enabled as indicated by the illuminated green light. To disable,
Compressions controls
Bass Compensation controls
Trillium Lane Labs Plug-ins Guide12
toggle the switch in the section by clicking it.
The green lamp will turn off to indicate that
Bass Compensation has been switched out of
the side-chain signal path.
When Bass Compensation is enabled, the compressor becomes less sensitive to bass frequencies in the input signal. This models the sensitivity of the human ear, which is also much less
sensitive to low frequencies. For most signal
sources, enabling Bass Compensation will reduce the total amount of gain reduction that
TL Aggro induces, but the result will often be
more natural sounding with less pumping and
breathing. For example, Bass Compensation
sounds great on bass guitar or when you have
TL Aggro on your master fader as stereo bus
compressor.
Additionally, TL Aggro provides a cutoff frequency control to tailor the sound of the bass
compensation. This acts as a high pass filter and
the values indicated above the Bass Compensation slider are in Hertz. As the slider increases
from left to right, the compressor will be even
less reactive to low frequencies.
For example, place a stereo TL Aggro on a full
stereo drum mix. Set the compressor for moderate to high gain reduction levels, enable the Bass
Compensation, and slide the frequency control
from left to right. As the cutoff frequency is increased, you will hear more and more of the kick
drum “punch” through the mix and become
louder relative to snare or cymbals.
Tube Drive
The Tube Drive module adds subtle even order
distortion after the compression processing,
simulating the effect of a vacuum tube amplifier. This provides a difference in the sonic signature of TL Aggro and is most noticeable on
audio with harmonic content such as piano and
acoustic guitar.
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.
Tub e Drive con trol
Chapter 3: TL Aggro 13
Meters
LED Meters
The LED meters display the peak input and output levels. The LED meters are normalized to
0 dB at digital full-scale.
Note that when TL Aggro is inserted on a mono
track, only the left LED meters will display levels.
Needle Meter
The Needle meter shows input, output, and gain
reduction levels, selectable by the buttons directly to the left of the meter. By default, the GR
(gain reduction) button is selected and the
meter displays the amount of gain reduction
TL Aggro is applying on the input.
When in GR mode, the needle instantaneously
reacts to peak reductions that occur. The red
scale of the meter indicates compression in dB.
This gives you an accurate representation of the
total amount of gain reduction being applied.
However, the release speed of the needle is limited to give it more natural motion. At fast release settings, the instantaneous gain reduction
might be less than what it is presented by the
needle.
In Input (IN) or Output (OUT) mode, the needle
meter displays an average of the signals roughly
approximating the RMS (root-mean-square)
strength of the signal. The grey scale on the
meter represents the input and output levels in
negative dB This gives you a better representation of the overall loudness of the signal with respect to the LED meters.
Using the Side-Chain Input
Using a Side-Chain Input to TL Aggro lets you
direct audio from another track or hardware input in your Pro Tools session to drive the input
of the TL Aggro compressor. This is usually
achieved by sending the audio from the desired
channel to a bus and setting the side-chain input on TL Aggro to the same bus.
LED Meters, In and Out
On versions of Pro Tools prior to 7.0, RTAS
plug-ins do not provide side-chain processing on TDM systems. Use the TDM version
of TL Aggro if you require side-chain processing on a TDM system.
For more information on using Side-Chain
Input, see the Pro Tools Reference Guide.
Trillium Lane Labs Plug-ins Guide14
Chapter 4: TL AutoPan 15
chapter 4
TL AutoPan
(TDM and RTAS)
Introduction
TL AutoPan is a TDM and RTAS plug-in for
Pro Tools. TL AutoPan is an automatic panning
plug-in that 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 Controls
The TL AutoPan interface is divided into several
sections, each of which is described below.
Output Meters
The Output meters display the amplitude of the
outgoing audio. In mono-to-stereo mode, a two
meter bar is shown. In mono-to-LCR, quad, or
5.0 mode, three, four, or five channels are
shown respectively.
The Clip indicator lights red when the channel
has clipped. The clip indicator for each channel
can be cleared by clicking it.
RTAS on Pro Tools LE only supports monoto-stereo.
Figure 1. TL AutoPan plug-in, TDM version
Output meters (L, C, R, Ls, Rs)
Trillium Lane Labs Plug-ins Guide16
Panner Section
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. Additionally, the Panning Source selector, Panning display, and Path selectors are
common to all output channel configurations.
Output
The Output slider lets you cut or boost the output signal level from –24 dB to +12 dB.
Width
The Width slider controls the width of the panning field. At 100%, the panning field is at its
widest. At 0%, the panning field is centered and
stationary. The Width slider effectively determines the amount of LFO or Envelope control
on the pan position.
Manual
The Manual slider directly controls the pan position, this lets you manually control the pan
position from a control surface or by using automation. The amount of manual control is affected by the setting of the Width slider. For full
manual control, set the Width slider to 0%.
When the Width slider is at 100%, the Manual
slider has no effect on the pan position. When
Width is set to 50%, the LFO sweeps the position through 50% of its range and the Manual
slider lets you move the position of that 50%
range.
Angle
The Angle slider adjusts the orientation of the
panning field from –90° to +90°. At 0°, the panning field is oriented strictly left/right. At –90°
or +90°, the panning field is oriented strictly
front/back.
The Angle slider is only available with mono-toquad and mono-to-5.0 formats, and a left to
right or right to left path selected.
Panner section, mono-to-stereo, left to right path
selected
Panner section, mono-to-5.0, left to right path selected
Chapter 4: TL AutoPan 17
Place
The Place slider adjusts the front/back placement of the panning field. At 0%, the panning
field is centered front/back. At +100%, it is
placed all the way front. At –100%, it is placed
all the way back.
The Place slider is only available with mono-toquad and mono-to-5.0 formats, and a left to
right or right to left path selected.
Spread
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 Spread slider is only available with monoto-quad and mono-to-5.0 formats, and a circular
path (clockwise or counterclockwise) selected.
Panning Source
Click LFO or ENV to select the source for panning. When the Source is set to LFO, panning is
controlled by the LFO and its controls (see “LFO
Section” on page 18). When the Source is set to
Envelope (ENV), panning is controlled by the
Envelope Detector and its controls (see “Envelope Section” on page 20). The Envelope Detector can be triggered by the panned audio signal,
or by a side-chain input (see “Using the SideChain Input” on page 22).
Panning Display
The Panning display graphically represents the
panning field and the location of the sound
source within that field.
Sound Location Indicator This bright yellow light
indicates the location of the sound source.
Panning Field Indicator This is the grey line on
which the yellow Sound Location indicator
travels and indicates the panning field.
Panner section, mono-to-5.0, clockwise path selected
Panning Source buttons
Panning display, mono-to-5.0, left to right path selected
Trillium Lane Labs Plug-ins Guide18
Path
The Path selectors determine whether the audio
signal pans left to right, right to left, or in a circular motion clockwise, or counterclockwise.
The circular path selectors (clockwise and counterclockwise) are only available with mono-toquad and mono-to-5.0 formats.
LFO Section
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 17).
Rate
The Rate slider adjusts the rate of the LFO in
beats per minute. When Link to Tempo is activated, the slider is ignored and the Tempo LCD
always displays the current session tempo (see
“Tempo LCD” on page 20).
Wavefor m
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.
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.
Path selectors, left to right path selected
LFO section
When the Panner section is set to Envelope
(ENV), the controls in the LFO section have
no effect on panning.
Selecting the LFO Waveform
LFO Triggers
Chapter 4: TL AutoPan 19
Single
When the Single trigger is selected, the LFO will
cycle thru the waveform once only and then
stop.
Beat Clock
When the Beat Clock trigger is selected, the LFO
synchronizes to MIDI Beat Clock. TL AutoPan
receives Beat Clock signal every 64th-note. The
Duration menu determines how often the Beat
Clock signal triggers TL AutoPan, 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. If the Side-Chain Input selector in the Envelope section is activated, then the side-chain audio signal is used instead. When activated, the
Envelope light blinks brighter when an audio
signal is detected. The threshold level can be adjusted using the Threshold control in the Envelope section.
If the Envelope Detector is completely released
due to previous portions of the audio signal going above threshold, a trigger occurs the next
time the audio goes above the threshold level.
Another trigger will not happen until the Envelope Detector has completely released after the
audio goes below the specified threshold. Increasing the release time reduces the rate at
which triggers can occur and decreasing the release time increases the rate at which triggers
can occur.
Manual
When the Manual trigger is selected, the LFO is
triggered manually. This can be especially useful
if you want to trigger the LFO using Pro Tools
automation.
With control surfaces and automation, the
Manual trigger acts like an on/off switch and
triggers the LFO every time it changes state.
Tempo C ontro ls
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. In addition, the LFO rate
slider is ignored and the tempo displayed in the
LCD always displays the current session tempo.
Tempo c ont rols
Trillium Lane Labs Plug-ins Guide20
Duration Selector
The Duration selector works in conjunction
with the session tempo, LFO rate, and Beat
Clock trigger. By default, Duration is set to 1 bar.
At that setting, the LFO cycles once within one
bar. When Duration is set to 1 beat, the LFO cycles within the duration of one beat. When Link
to Tempo is enabled, the Duration menu allows
the LFO rate to be set as a function of the tempo
of the Pro Tools session. The Duration menu
also controls how often the Beat Clock trigger is
activated.
Tempo LCD
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.
Envelope Section
When Envelope (ENV) is selected as the Panning
source, Panning (as shown in the Panning display) is controlled by the audio signal and the
Envelope section controls.
Side-Chain Input
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 Input selector at the
top of the plug-in window.
Threshold
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.
Selecting Duration
Tempo L CD
Envelope section
When Envelope (ENV) is not selected as the
Panning Source, the controls in this section
have no effect on the sound.
Side-Chain Input selector enabled
Chapter 4: TL AutoPan 21
Attack
The Attack slider sets the attack rate of the Envelope Detector.
Release
The Release slider sets the release rate of the Envelope Detector.
Using TL AutoPan
TL AutoPan can be used for dynamic panning
effects based on a Low Frequency Oscillator
(LFO), an amplitude envelope (ENV), or manual
control. TL AutoPan makes it easy to pan to the
beat of a music track, as well as panning “flyaround” effects. The following section describes
two possible scenarios for using TL AutoPan:
panning to the beat for rhythmic panning effects and surround panning effects for post production.
Panning to the Beat
TL AutoPan lets you synchronize the LFO to
MIDI Beat Clock for rhythmic panning effects.
To synchronize TL AutoPan to MIDI Beat Clock:
1 Make sure that your session tempo matches
the tempo of the music.
2 Insert a mono-to-stereo instance of
TL AutoPan on the mono audio track containing the audio you want to pan. The track’s channel width changes from mono-to-stereo.
3 In the TL AutoPan Plug-in window, enable
Link To Tempo. This sets the LFO rate to follow
the session tempo.
4 Select the desired duration from the Duration
selector. For example, select 2 Beats.
5 Select the desired waveform for the LFO from
the Waveform selector. For example, select 4
Step Triangle.
6 Enable Beat Clock for the LFO Trigger. This en-
sures that the LFO is synchronized to the beat.
7 Play back the session to hear the panning ef-
fect.
Post Production Panning
(Pro Tools|HD Systems Only)
TL AutoPan lets you pan a mono track to a
greater than stereo (LCR, Quad, or 5.0) output in
a surround path. This is especially useful for
post-production applications. The following example describes how to use TL AutoPan to pan a
“mosquito” sound in 5.0 surround.
To pan a mono track to 5.0 with TL AutoPan:
1 Insert a mono-to-5.0 instance of TL AutoPan
on the mono track containing the audio you
want to pan. The track’s channel width changes
from mono-to-5.0.
2 Select a 5.0 output path from the track’s Out-
put selector.
3 In the TL AutoPan Plug-in window, select a
clockwise or counter-clockwise Path as desired.
4 Adjust the Spread and Width sliders as de-
sired.
5 From the LFO Waveform selector, select Half
Sine.
Try automating Spread and Width to alter
the positioning of the panned sound.
Try automating the Manual control instead
of using the LFO to create a more erratic
panning of the “mosquito” sound.
Trillium Lane Labs Plug-ins Guide22
6 Adjust the Rate slider as desired.
7 Play back the session to hear the “mosquito”
flying around your head.
Using the Side-Chain Input
The Side-Chain Input option in TL AutoPan lets
you direct audio from another track in your
Pro Tools session to the Envelope Detector. This
is achieved by sending the audio from the desired channel to a bus and setting the side-chain
input on TL AutoPan to the same bus.
Try automating Rate to alter the speed of
the panned sound over time.
For more information on using the SideChain Input, see the Pro Tools Guide.
Chapter 5: TL Drum Rehab 23
chapter 5
TL Drum Rehab
(RTAS Only)
Introduction
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 Features
• Editable sample-accurate trigger locations
• Dynamic multi-sample support of up to 16
layers (Zones)
• Envelope and tone shaping controls
•Undo
• Powerful sample browser and converter
•Favorites
• Custom file format (DRP)
• Tracking, compression, and quantization
• Triggering sensitivity and filtering controls
• Random sample selection
•No Latency mode
TL Drum Rehab is a mono plug-in only. It
cannot be used on multi-channel tracks
(stereo or greater).
Figure 1. TL Drum Rehab plug-in
Trillium Lane Labs Plug-ins Guide24
Using TL Drum Rehab
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.
For most applications of TL Drum Rehab you
only need to use the Trigger panel (see “Trigger
Panel Display and Controls” on page 29).
For more complicated drum parts, you may
want to use the Expert panel to commit or ignore specific detected triggers, as well as quantize or edit the location of committed triggers
(see “Expert Panel Display and Controls” on
page 35).
To edit sample layers and adjust the sound of
samples, use the Samples panel (“Samples Panel
Display and Controls” on page 39).
TL Drum Rehab Workflow
Examples
The following section describes two possible
workflow examples for using TL Drum Rehab.
The first example uses TL Drum Rehab to replace the kick drum sound on a mono kick drum
track in real-time. The second example describes
a more complicated procedure, using TL Drum
Rehab’s Expert panel to replace a high hat track
and quantize the replacement samples.
Workflow Example 1
Using TL Drum Rehab to replace a kick drum
sound:
1 Insert TL Drum Rehab on a mono audio track
of a kick drum recording.
2 Make a short selection to set TL Drum Rehab’s
parameters. For example, make a two bar selection.
3 In TL Drum Rehab’s Trigger panel (see “Trigger
Panel Display and Controls” on page 29), select
Kick from the Detector Mode pop-up menu (see
“Detector Mode” on page 30).
4 Enable Listen mode by clicking the Listen but-
ton. The Listen button lights when Listen mode
is enabled.
TL Drum Rehab is a mono plug-in only. It
cannot be used on multi-channel tracks
(stereo or greater).
Create a Selection memory location for your
two-bar selection. This lets you quickly return to the original selection in case you
want to further adjust TL Drum Rehab’s
settings.
Detector Mode pop-up menu Trigger Panel button
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