Intel Peavey ReValver MK III User Manual.pdf

Doc revision 1.12

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Table of contents
Section	Page
Introduction/Technical requirements	2
Recording the Guitar	3
Working with ReValver® MK III	8
The Modules	10
Complete amplifiers	10
Pre-amplifiers	16
Power amplifiers	19
Stomp boxes/Pedals	22
Speakers/Cabinets	27
General Effects	28
Miscellaneous Utilities	32
Tweaking Modules	35
MIDI Control and automation	41
Plug in automation	41
Finding a good sound/FAQ	43
License and copy protection	44
Credits and Copyrights	44

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Introduction

Congratulationsonyourpurchaseof ReValver®MKIII! ReValverMKIIIisarevolutionary64-bit amplifiermodelingsoftwarethatcapturesthetruecharacteristicsofvacuumtubeswhileallowingusersunprecedentedcontrolovertheirtonalityandgainstructures. ReValverincludes65 incrediblelinkablesubmodulesthatmodellegendaryamplifiers, stompboxesandrackeffects, makingReValverMKIIIthemostadvancedvirtualamplifierontheplanet! This programworks

bothasastandaloneusingmiscellaneoussoundcarddrivermodels,orasVST/AUplug-insonvari- oushosts.Theprogramisdesignedforminimallatency(input/outputdelay)whichisonlylimited bytheplug-inhost.

Technical requirements

Mac

OS:MacOSX10.4.X(PPC,Intel)

CPU:G4orlater.1GHz minimum forsatisfactoryusage(certainpresetsrequiremoreCPUcapac­ ity).

TheLiveHostofReValverMKIIIrequiresCoreAudioforplayback,andMIDIforMIDIcontrol.(MIDI optional.)

AUplug-inrequiresAUhost.

VSTplug-inrequiresVSThost.

PC

OS:MicrosoftWindows2000/XPorlater

CPU:IntelPentiumII,AMDAthlonorlater.1GHz minimum forsatisfactoryusage(certainpresets­ requiremoreCPU)

TheLiveHostofReValverMKIIIrequireeitherASIO,MME,WDMorDirectSoundforplayback, andMIDIforMIDIcontrol.(MIDIoptional.)

VSTplug-inrequireVSThost.

Compatibilityissues

WhileeverymeasurehasbeenmadetoresolveanycompatibilityissueswithvariousVST/AU hostsandsoundcards,someissuesmayremain.Ifyoubelieveyouhavefoundanewcompatibilityproblem,pleasebrowsetowww.peavey.com/products/revalver. Thereyouwillfindproduct updatesanduserforums.

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LoadingtheVSTorAU plug-inintotheDAW

OnaMac,aplug-inintheVSTorAUformatisautomaticallylocatedbythehostandnoaction needstobetakenfortheVST/AUhosttofindtheReValver®plug-in.Itshouldbeautomatically listedamongtheavailableplug-insafterarescan.

InWindows,itispossibletoinstalltheVSTplug-inatanylocation.TomaketheVSThostawareof thislocationitmustmanuallybepointedto.DuringtheinstallationofReValver,youaregivena choiceoflocationtoinstalltheVST(separatefromthestand-aloneversion).Werecommended thatyouinstallReValvertoalocationyouhavealreadyusedwiththehost.MostDAWsprovidea meanstolistavailableVSTpaths.

Forexample:

Reaper:

Menu:Options->Preferences->Plug-ins->VST

Press“Add”tobrowsetotheVSTpathwheretheReValverVSTisinstalled.Youthenpress“Rescan directory.”

WhenthehostrecognizesReValver,youshouldinserttheprogramoneachtrackthatyouwishto useit.ThismethodvariesbetweenDAWs.

RecordingtheGuitar

RecordingaGuitarisnotaseasyasitmightseem,butitdoesn’thavetobedifficult.IfyourGuitar isnotpoweredbyabattery(andveryfeware),thenitisgeneratinganelectricalsignalwhichis not compatiblewithmostsoundcards.

Therearecommonelectricalstandardsbetweenaudiogear,andunfortunatelytheGuitarfalls completelyoutsidethosestandardsbecauseitispassive.TheelectricalsignalfromtheGuitaris theresultofthemovementofmetallicstringsoveramagneticpickup,andthisisrarelyaccept­ ableasanelectricalsourcewhenyouconnectitdirectlytoacomputersoundcard.

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ConnectingtheGuitartothesoundcard

HerearethreewaystoconnectyourGuitartothecomputer:

1)Thesimplestoptionisto hookituptothesoundcardLine-Injackusingasuitableconnector, usu­allya1/4”to1/8”adapter.Theadvantageisthatyoudon’thavetobuyanyadditionalgear (exceptmaybethecableadapter)butthesoundisnotideal,probablynotevengood.Thereason forthedullandboringsoundisduetoanimpedancemismatch.

Thesoundcardinputisdesignedtoacceptinputfromelectricaldeviceswhichhaveadequate drivingsignal;aGuitardoesnothaveenoughsignal.Theinputimpedanceofasoundcardisinthe orderofafewthousandohms(kOhm),whileideally,youwantittobearoundamil­lionohms(1 megohm).

2)Anotheroption istouseaDirect(D.I.)boxorPreamp. DIstandsforDirectInputorDirect Interface.Itisanelectricallypoweredboxthatcanbeusedtomatchtheinputimpedanceofthe soundcardandtheoutputimpedanceoftheGuitar.ThesimplestDIboxcouldcostaround$20, butthereareboxesthatcouldeasilycost$200ifyouwantallthe“extras,”too. ADIboxhasaHi-Z input,(“Z”istheunitofImpedance;HighImpedanceinput,inotherwords).Torecord,youjust plugtheDIboxdirectlyintothecomputerLine-Injack.

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3)Themiddleroad,whichprobablywon’tcostyouanything,butcouldbealmostasgoodasaDIbox,istheuse ofanordinarystompbox,whichinfactisasortof DIbox.Itcouldbeapedalofanykind;adistortionpedal, chorus,echo,etc.,aslongas:

a)Itiselectricallypowered,andyouactuallyusethebatteryorpowersource

b)Youuseitinbypassedmode,i.e“off”

c)Itisnot a“truebypass”device,(Inotherwords,in“off”mode,ifthesounddisappearswhenyouremovethe

battery,thenitisadevicethatyoudo want to use asaDIbox)

AGuitarpedalisobviouslyadevicewhichisdesignedtobeusedwithaGuitar.Torecord,justplugthepedal directlyintothesoundcardLine-In. Adjusttheoutputlevelsonthepedal. AGuitarpedalisanexampleofa devicewithaHi-Zinput.IfyoucouldfindanotherdevicewithHi-Zinputs(“Instrumentinput“)youshouldtry thataswell.

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4) Thebestoptionis,ofcourse,topurchaseagoodqualityDigitalAudioInterface. ThereareseveralonthemarketmadespecificallyforGuitarforunder$100. LookforadevicewithASIO (audiostreaminput/output) drivers,whichisanindustrystandardandwillworkwellwithReValver®MKIII. Afteryouinstallthedevice,theAudioDevicesmenuundertheFilemenuwill allowyoutochoosethatdeviceforinputandoutput,thentheControlPanelbuttonwillbe activated,andserveasalinktoyourdevice. Sincetherearesomanyavailableoptionsonthe market,itisimpossibleforustocommentonthespecificsofaparticularproduct. Justkeepin mindthatmostASIO-drivenaudiointerfacesoperateinasimilarfashion,andthecontrolpanel willenableyoutomakechangestothebuffersize,changingthelengthoftimethecomputerhas tomakecalculations,andresultinginmoreorlesslatency. Generally,thesmallerthebuffersize, thelowerthelatency. However, youwillhavetoexperimentwithbuffersizestofindtheoptimumsettingsforyourcomputer,basedonyourprocessorspeedandamountofmemory.

Awordaboutlatency

Latencyisatechnicaltermthatbasicallymeansforthetimelapsebetweenplayinganoteand hearingit. WhenusingReValverasastandaloneprogram,youneedtosetthelatencytoaslowa numberasyourcomputerwillallow. IfyouareusingyourPCorMac’soriginalfactorysound card,youarealmostguaranteedtohavelatencyissues.Itreallydoesmakesensetogetahighqualitysoundcard,andtherearemanymodelsavailableatvariouspricelevels.

ReValverbyitselfdoesnotcontrolhowmuchlatencyyouwillexperiencewiththeprogram, neitherthestand-alonenortheplug-in.(Inplug-inmode,thelatencyiscontrolledentirelybythe DAW). Tocontrolthelatencyinstand-alonemode,youareadvisedtosettheappropriatenum- bersinthesoundcarddriver.ReValverprovidesashortcuttotheASIOcontrolpanelofyourcard. (In“AudioDevices”menu,selectASIO,yoursoundcard,thenpressControlPanel).

Thelatencyisdirectlyproportionaltothe“samplechunksize.” Shortlatencyequalssmallchunk size. Recommendedchunksizeis128-256samples.Ifthesoundisbreakingup(choppysound, stuttering), increasethebuffersize.(Trythesestandardvalues:64,128,256,512,1024,2048). Itisadvisabletostartwithasmallernumberandgraduallyincreaseuntilthesoundisnolonger choppy.

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RecordingtheGuitarwithorwithouteffects?

Shouldyouusehardwarecompressors,distortionorothereffectsbeforeyourecordthesignal?It isyourpersonalpreference.Ifyoucan’tlivewithout“thatspecialsound,“thenyoushouldprobablyrecorditthatway.Butwhenitcomestocompression,EQ,reverbandotherspecialeffects thatcould beproducedinsoftware,thenyoushould produceitinsoftwareandnotinhardware. Thatwayyoucanalwayschangeyourmindafterward.

TotrulyaccessalloftheincredibletoneshapingthatReValver®allows,youshouldtakeadvantage ofaprocesscalled“re-amping.” Inanutshell,re-ampingsimplymeanstorecordtheGuitardry asandthenusetheReValverplug-intochangethetones. Inthisway, youwillhaveunlimited accesstoalloftheamazingtonesReValvercanoffer. Ofcourse,asintheparagraphabove,ifyou can’tlivewithoutacertaindistortiontone,youcanstilluseReValver’seffectsmodulesasarackof effects. Theskyisthelimitandit’sallatyourfingertips! Thereisone“effect”yougenerally shouldusebeforesamplingthesignal,namely“limiting.”Itisafunctionwhichkeepsthesignal fromclippingdigitallyincaseyouhappentouseatoostrongsignal. Someaudiointerfaceshavea softlimiterbuiltin;however,whenyouarerecordingadryGuitarthepresenceofdistortion meansyouaresendingtoohotasignaltothecomputer. IfyouarerecordingadryGuitarto re-amp,thereshouldbenodistortionwhatsoever.

Using16bitor24bitsampling?

Manysoundcardstodayoffer24-bitsamplingathighsamplerates.WhiletheCDaudiostandard isonly16-bitandstillsoundsquitegood,itmakesperfectsensetouseasmanybitsaspos­sible duringrecording.Ingeneral,itisalwaysgoodthinkingtousemorebitsthanyouwillneedinthe veryend.

16-bitaudiogivesyouabout96dBofdynamicrange.24bitsgivesyouanadditional48dB.Ahigh gainpresetinReValverMKIIIamplifiesthesignalalot,probably40-80dB,andwiththoselevels youwouldstarttohearthesoundcard“quantizationnoise”(bitnoise).Withmorebitsthereis lessdigitalnoise.Youwillstillhearelectricalnoise,butthatisusuallysignificantlyless.

Using44.1/48kHz,96kHzorhigher?

Thehigherthebetter,normally,butinReValverMKIII,allvitalpartsareoversampledtothe double-sampleratetomakesurethereisaminimumofaliasingnoise. Aliasingnoise,simplyput, isanunpleasentbackgroundnoisethatcanoccurwithanymodelingsoftwareoramplifierwhen theCPUisaskedtodomorethanitcando. YoushouldalsoconsiderthatmostgoodGuitar soundsareverybandwidth-limitedandyouprobablydon’tneedthehighfrequencyrangethat even44.1kHzsamplerateoffers.

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WorkingwithReValver®MKIII

Thetitlemodule

Atthetopofthegraphicalinterfaceoftheprogramisamodulecontaininggeneralsetup functional­ity,includingtheInputvolume+-16dBadjustment(withpreandpostLEDindicators),­ Outputvolume-32dBadjustment(withpostLEDindicator).Theadjustmentknobscanautomati- callyadjusttheinputandoutputvolumeto0dBbypressingthe“Learn”buttons.

PressingthegearwheeliconbringsuptheOptionswindow.

TheTitle module alsohoststhebank&presetmanagement;seebelow.

Presetsandbanks

ApresetofReValverMKIIIisconstructedfromoneormoresub-modules.Thesignalpathmoves downthepathofmodulesfromtoptobottom. Ifthe“signalsplitter”hasbeeninserted,the chainissplitintotwoparallelchainsuntiltheyaremergedinthe“signalmergemodule.”

Thereisnorestrictiononhowtocombinemodules,astheycanbe“chained”inanycombination (althoughsomecombinationsareundesirable).Theideaistoimitatethebehaviorandapplica­ tionofreal-lifeampsandeffectunits.

Normallyyouwouldfindcombinationswiththisorder:Stompbox(ifany),Amp,Speakerand Effect(ifany).Anampconsistsofapreampandapoweramp,andyoumayreplaceamodulein the“Amp”categorywithacombinationofa“Preamp”and“PowerAmp.”

Presetsareorganizedin“banks.”Toselectapresetfromabank,thatbankmustfirstbeselected fromthetitlemoduleatthetopofthechain.AbankandpresetcanalsobeselectedthroughMIDI command.

Tosaveapresetorbankinanewposition,press“New”besidethedrop-downmenu.Youwillbe askedtonameit.Whenyouhaveenteredaname,pressthe“Done”buttonortheEnterkey.To cancel,presstheEscapekey.

Afteryourenameapresetorabank,ReValverautomaticallysavesit.

Pressing“Save”willsavethecurrentpresetorbankintothecurrentlyselectedposition,overwritingtheold.

Toimportorexportapresetorawholebank,pressthe“Imp.”(import)or“Exp.”(export)but­ tons.

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Qualitymodes

BypressingthegearwheelicononthetitlemoduleyoucanselecttheStartupqualitymode. Themix-downqualitymodeforces64-bitprocessingat4xoversampling.Thismodefullyexposes thequalitiesoftheprogram,whereasthenormal“realtime”modemaybealittlemorenoisyand islikelytocontainsomealiasingnoise(especiallyinhighgainamps).

Itisrecommendedtoalwaysusethe“mix-downmode”whenfreezing/renderingorwhenmix­ing atrack.Pleasebeawarethattheadditionalrequirementsofmix-downmodecouldmakethe multitrackerstutterordropoutifrunatrealtime.TheCPUrequirementsismorethan5times thatofthereal-timemode. Toswitchthemode,youmustrestarttheVST/AUhosttoallowall instancesofReValvertofullyreload.EverynewinstanceofReValver®willbestartedinthecurrentstartupmode. Insomecases,thesoundofReValvercanbedifferentwhenswitchingmodes. Thatisbecausenotallfeaturescanbeaccuratelyexpressedinreal-timemode,butonlyinmix- downmode.

Selectingmodules

Toinsertamoduleanywhereinthesignalchain,right-clickyourmouseon“clickforanewmodule here.” Themoduleselectorallowsyoutoselectmodulesfromtheircategories,andwilldisplaya briefdescriptionabouteachmodule.

Movingmodules

OneofthecoolestfeaturesinReValverMKIIIishoweasyitistomovemodulesaround,totally reconfiguringthesignalchainonthefly. Tomoveamodule,simplymovethecursortotheright ofthemoduleovertherackscrewuntilyourcursorturnsintoa4-pointedcross,thenholdthe mousebuttondownandmovethemodulewhereyouwantit. Releasethebuttonandyou’re done! Bemindful,however,thatnotallroutingwillsound good. Forexample,puttingyouramp directlyintoaChoruspedalisnotverypleasingtotheear!

Togglingbetweenmonoandstereo

Eachmodulecanbesetindividuallytoprocessthesignalineithermonoorstereo.Iteither mergesthechannelsorexpandsthemdependingonhowthepreviousmoduleisset. Some mod­ules,suchasREVERB,VOLUMEEFFECTSandDELAY,aresettoSTEREObyDEFAULT.

Ifthehost(VST,AU,DirectX)haspatchedReValverMKIIIonamonotrack,allprocessing­willbe converted to stereo.

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The Modules

Completeamps

Themodulesinthiscategoryareintegratedpreampsandpoweramps;thus,nomodulefromthe “preamp”or“poweramp”categoriesisneededalongwithan“amp”inaReValver®MKIIIpreset.

Modulename=Peavey6505®

Description=Loud,meanandbuiltfortheroad,the6505wasnamedincelebration­ofPeavey’s first40years,1965to2005. 6505Seriesampsfeaturefive12AX7preamptubesandfour6L6GC poweramptubes,withpresenceandresonancecontrolsandthree-bandEQfortamingtheir notorious tone.

Modulename=Peavey6505+

Description=Addinganextrapreamptubeandevenmoregaintothe6505,the6505+represents thepinnacleofmetaltone. The6505Seriesampsaretheundisputedgo-toGuitarampsfor scoresofrock,hardcoreandmetalbandsduetotheirrawtone,relentlesspowerandroad-prov- enreli­ability.

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Modulename=PeaveyValveKing®

Description=Atruetonemonsterinitsownright,TheValveKingdeliversatonerangingfrom bluesycleantocrunchyandclassicrock.Theamphasabuilt-inspringreverbandseparateton- estacksforthe CleanandLeadchannels.Theamp’spreampandpowersectionsuse12AX7and 6L6GCtubes,respectively.TheValveKingalsofeaturesglobalresonance,presenceandreverb controls.

Modulename=PeaveyClassic®30

Description=Oneofthemostwidelyusedandversatileampsinthemusicbusiness,theClassic 30hasadual-channelpreamp,allowingquickvariationsofthetonefromvintagebluestomod- ernhardrocktogrunge.Theboostswitchisparticularlyuseful­inobtainingthemoretraditional “cranked-amp”toneswithouttheharshnessgeneratedbysendingtoomuchlowendtothe poweramp.

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Modulename=PeaveyJSX®

Description=Loadedwiththreeindependentchannelsandcomprehensivetonalcontrol,theJoe SatrianisignatureJSXputsthefullspectrumofGuitartonesatyourfingertips,startingwitha pristinecleanchannel,theperfectfoundationforlayeringoutboardeffects,andincludingthe exclusiveFATswitchthataddsextrahefttotheUltraandCrunchchannels. Theampalsohas presencecontrolandthepatentedresonanceadjustmentfortheultimateintone!

Modulename=PeaveyTripleXXX®

Description=TheULTIMATEtonemachine.Ashotasthenameimplies,theTripleXXXrips,with four12AX7preamptubesandfour6L6GCpoweramptubes.Theampiscontrolledbyamaster volumepotandindependentvolumeknobsforeachofits3channels.TheUltraandCrunch channelshavegaincontrolstofurtherassistintamingthisbeast.Tonecontourisaccomplished throughpassivecontrolsontheCleanchannel,whiletheUltraandCrunchchannelsutilizeactive Bottom,Body,andHair(low,mid,high)controls.

Modulename=Flathill

Description=Thishigh-gainrectifieramplifierhas5modes,Normal/Clean/Modern/Red/Vintage, eachwithindividualfrequencycharacteristicsandgain.

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Modulename=Basic100

Description=WithonechannelforGuitarandoneforbass,this“100watt”amphasalotof bot­omandisfavoredforit’scleantones. TheGuitarandbasschannelshavedifferentgainand tonestacks.Thebasschannelevenhasa“Deep”switchthatshiftsthefrequencyresponseofthe Bassknob.OntheGuitarchannel,theBrightswitchgivesyouabrightersoundonlowergain.

Modulename=LePetite

Description=Thisampcontains3preamp chainsinparallel,whicharefedintoonepoweramp. The3channelscanbemixedindividuallywiththe“blend”knobs. ThethreetypesareClean/ Diode/Triode.Thesecondpartoftheampconsistsof1triodetubeandapush-pullpairofpen­ todes.

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Modulename=FoxACS-45

Description=Thisamphasthreechannels,allrunningatthesametime;aNormal,Brilliantand Tremolochannel.TheTonecontrols(Bass&Treble)onlyworkontheBrilliantchannel.TheTone Cutcontrolremovessomehightreble(onallchannels),andworkslikeareversedpresence control.

Modulename=HomeBrewSE-1

Description=TheHomeBrewSE-1isalow-wattage,singleendedampwithtwochannels.Fora low-wattagecircuitithasasmanyas3triodestagesforgain.Theamphas2channels,Clean/Dist.

Modulename=TheMatchBox

Description=TheMatchBoxisdesignedtoprovidecleantooverdrivenamplificationwitha min­imumofclipping.Ithasasmanyas4gainstageswithconsiderableattenuationbetween stages.Ithasapowerampinapush-pullconfigurationbutnonegativefeedback(NFB).The soundisfit­tngforbothGuitarandbass.Thisampusesaveryspecialtubeconfigurationthatgives youanextrabrightsound.Foradditionaldistortion,pleasetryanyofthedistortionstompboxes infrontoftheamp.

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Modulename=‘62BluesMaker

Description=Looselybasedona1962classic,thisamphas2channels,normalandtremolo.The originalampdidnothavea“Drive”control,butweputonehere tomodu­latethedistortioninthe poweramp.

Modulename=ACM900

Description=Thisampismodeledaftera“Rock&Roll”ampbuiltwithbothvalveandsolidstate components.Ithasonly1channelbutthetwogainknobscontrolthegainattwostagesinthe preamp.

Modulename=HomeBrewPP-2

Description=TheHomeBrewPP-2isalow-wattage, push-pullampwithtwochannelsanda British-styletonestack.

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Preamplifiers

Amodulefromthiscategoryispreferablyplacedbeforeamodulefromthe“poweramp”category.

Modulename=Peavey6505®preamp

Description=Thepreampfromthe6505amplifier. Allthetonalcontrolwithoutthepoweramp section.

Modulename=PeaveyClassic30®preamp

Description=ThepreampsectionoftheClassic30withoutthepowersection.

Modulename=PeaveyJSX®preamp

Description=AllthefunctionalityofthePeaveyJSXwithoutthepowersection.

Modulename=PeaveyValveKing®preamp

Description=ThepreampsectionoftheValveKingamplifier.

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Modulename=Pre-HB

Description=Simplepreampforcleanandslightlyoverdrivensounds.Thepreampgoeseasily intooverdrive,butdistortsgentlyandrelativelycleanly.

Modulename=Pre-02

Description=Thispreamphas2parallelchannels: atriodetubepathandadiodeclippingpath. Thetubesoundmixedwithdiodedistortionmakesaninterestinganddynamicmixasthetwo componentsdelivertwodifferentovertonespectra.

Modulename=‘62BluesMakerpreamp

Description=ThispreampwastakendirectlyfromtheBluesMaker‘62amp.Itcontainsboththe cleanandtremolochannels,includingthetremolocontrols.

Modulename=Basic100basspreamp

Description=ThisisthebasschannelpreampintheBasic100.Thetonesectiondoesnotinclude amidcontrol,astheoriginaldoesnothaveone.TheDeepswitchlowersthefrequencyofthe basscontrol.

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Modulename=Basic100Guitarchannelpreamp

Description=ThisistheGuitarchannelpreampfromtheBasic100.Itisrathercleanduetoit’s dual2triodes,neitherofwhichtypicallysaturates.

Modulename=ACM900preamp

Description=ThisisthepreampsectionfromtheACM900.Thetwogainknobscontrolthegainin twoplacesinthechain.

Modulename=FlathillModernpreamp

Description=ThisistheModernchannelpreampfromtheFlathill.Veryhighgainandbright.

Modulename=FlathillNormalRedpreamp

Description=ThisistheNormalRedchannelpreampfromFlathill. Thishigh-gainpreamphasa presencecontrol,whichusuallysitsinthepowersection,butgivesextracontroloverthebrightness.

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Poweramplifiers

Amodulefromthiscategoryispreferablyplacedafteramodulefromthepreampcategory.

Modulename=Peavey6505®poweramp

Description=The4x6L6GCpowerampsectionfromthePeavey6505amplifier.

Modulename=PeaveyClassic30®poweramp

Description=TheClassic30’spowerampsectionispureEL84heaven. Bydecreasingthedriveon thepreampandincreasingthelevelofthepoweramp,youcanachievegreatEL84saturation.

Modulename=PeaveyValveKing®poweramp

Description=TheValveKing‘spowerampsectionfeaturestheclassic4x6L6lineup. TheValveKing,however,addsthepatentedPeaveyResonancecontrol,aswellasaPresencecontrol.

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Modulename=M-998

Description=Thissimplepoweramp,uses2triodesinseriesforextragain,andalsousesapairof tonalcharacterfilters,thatcanbetweakedintheTweakGUI.

Modulename=StandardPowerAmp#2

Description=Thispoweramphasastandardpush-pullendstage,butnotdrivenbytheusual LongTailPair(LTP).Itdoeshavea“clean”switchforlessdriveandslightlydifferenttonalchar­ acter.

Modulename=‘62BluesMakerpoweramp

Description=Thispowerampistakendirectlyoutofthe‘62BluesMaker.Ithasadriveandpres­ encecontrol,andhasastandardNegativeFeedbackLoop(NFB)towhichthepresencecontrolis attached. TheNFBshapesthedistortioncharacterofthepowerstage.

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Modulename=Basicpoweramp

Description=ThispowerampistakendirectlyoutoftheBasic100.Justliketheoriginalamp,the powersectionhasonlyamastercontrol.TheNegativeFeedbackLoop(NFB)shapesthedistortion character,andcanbeadjustedintheTweakGUI. ForanexplanationoftheTweakGUI,seepage 35.

Modulename=ACM900powersection

Description=ThispowerampistakendirectlyoutoftheACM900.

Modulename=Flathillpowersection

Description=ThispowerampistakendirectlyoutofFlathill.

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Stompboxes/pedals

Amodulefromthiscategoryisusuallyplacedbeforeanampmodule.Theyaredesignedtoshape thesoundbeforeitiscoloredbytheamp.

Modulename=OverDriver

Description=ThisstompboxiswiredsomewhatlikeaGuitaramp,inthatituses3stagesofdiode distortion.The“Turbo”actslikea“Master,”addingsomeextragainbeforethelaststage.This stompboxcouldbeusedtodriveaspeakerbyitself.

Modulename=ChorusCS-1

Description=Thisisaversatilestereochoruswithadjustablespeedandmodulationdepth,stereo­ width,feedback,delayand3individuallyadjustablefilterbandsonthewetsignal. Achoruscan beusedtoenrichthesound.

Modulename=ACS-CS1compressor

Description=Thiscompressorisusedtoevenoutthevolumesothatthelowerlevelsdonot com­pletelydisappear,makingthesoftsoundslouderandtheloudsoundssofterandaddinga certainsustain.

Modulename=ACS-LM3limiter

Description=Alimiterisaspeciallytailoreddynamicscompressor.Thisparticularlimitercom­ pressesthesoundafactor50:1overthegiventhreshold.Itwillstopsoundsortransientsoverthis threshold,limitingtheoutputvolume.

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Modulename=SlowGrowSG-1

Description=Anautoswelleffecttracksthenotesyouplayandremovesthetransientstomake themusicsoundlikeit’sbeingplayedbackwards.

Modulename=OctapusOctaver

Description=Behindeverygreattoneis anothertonewaitingtocomeout.WithOctapusyoucan releasethissuboctave,takenfromandaddedtoyourmelody. TheOctapusisatightandaccurateoctaverstompboxthatworksbestwhenyouplayonenoteatatime. Becarefulwithchords oritwillnotsoundasexpected.

Modulename=FL-Duoflanger

Description=Thisflangereffectmixesavarying,delayedsignalwiththeoriginalsignaltoproduce aseriesofphasecancellations.These“notches”makeupthesoundoftheflanger.TheFL-Duois actuallytwoflangers. Exceptforthemixingcontrols,theysharethesameknobs.

Modulename=TexasTrebleMaker

Description=TheTexasTrebleMakerisatrebleboosterwhosepurposeistoequalizethefrequencyspectrumoftheGuitartomakethedistortionsmooth.Theovertonesofmostsoundsare progressivelyfainterthehigherupthespectrumtheyare.Thismeansthatthedistortionasound generatesinadistortioncircuitmainlyoriginatesfromtheovertonesofthelowestfrequencies, placingthefrequencyrangeofthedistortioncompo­nentsinaparticularplaceofthespectrum. Atrebleboosterisdesignedtoreshapethecleansoundsothatthedistortioncomponents originateinequalamountsfromeachovertone.Theresultisamuchsmootherdistortion,andof coursemoreofit!

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Modulename=TheSher’ff

Description=TheSher’ffstomppedalisatoughbutversatiledistortioneffect. Looselymodeled aftera1980s-eracousinit’sperfectforbluesandrockeitherbyitselforwithacleanampchannel.

Modulename=Re-Lay2delay

Description=TheRe-Lay2isadoubledelaywithalotofoptions.Youcansetthevolumeofeach tap,plus2individualfilterspertap.

Modulename=Re-Lay4delay

Description=TheRe-Lay4isaquadrupledelaywithalotofoptions.Youcansetthevolumeof eachtap,plus2individualfilters(intheTweakGUI)pertap. Seepage 35 foranexplanationof theTweak GUI.

Modulename=Greener

Description=Aclassic,yetsosimple.Thislate‘70ssolidstatestompboxutilizesadiodeclipping circuit,shapedbypreandpostfilteringforoptimalsmoothoverdrive/distortion.

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Modulename=Driver

Description=Thisisaveryversatilestompboxthatdeliversanythingfromsmoothoverdrive (with“Blues”turnedup)toaheavilydistortedandoverloadedsound(“Gain”and“Muffler” turneduphigh).Themoduleusesamodifiedamptonestackthatallowsforheavymidscooping, greatforbluesandrock&roll.

Modulename=MagnaVibe

Description=NottobeconfusedwithTremolo,avibratoisafrequencymodulatorthatproduces aneffectsimilartothesoundyouhearwhenyoubendthestringupanddown,changingitspitch. Thisvibratoallowsyoutoselectaratebetween0and10Hz,aswellasageneraldepth.Aknobfor “delay”allowsthevibratotokickinafteryoupluckthestring,makingitmoretransparentwhen youplayfast.Twomodesareavailable,a “standarddigital”,andanemulationofacertain“magnetic”stereoamp.

Modulename=Tremolo

Description=Atremoloisanamplitudemodulator. Thiseffect“rotates”thevolumeattherange of0-10Hz.Twovariantsareincluded:theclassic“digi­tal”tremolo(multiplyingthesignalwitha sine)andtheevenmoreclassic“tubebias”tremolo(addingasinetothebiasofatube,partly saturatingthesignal).Thetubebiasvariantaddsanatural­overtoneand clarity.Thedigital variantcanadjusttheup/downslopeofthetransitionfromsofttopulsing.

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Modulename=Wow-Wah!

Description=AWahpedalisalow-,high-,orband-passfilterwithadjustablefrequency.Atthe pointofcutoff,thereisapeakwithadjustableresonance,makingtheGuitarsound“waaaoooowwwoooaaa”.Theresonancehassimilaritieswiththehumanmouth,hencethename.ThefrequencycanbecontrolledeitherbyaMIDIpedal(orthemainknob)orbyauto­maticrotation.The resonancecanrangebetweenany2frequenciesofyourchoice.Anextraknobaddsovertones thatenhancetonalclarity.

Modulename=BassBox

Description=ThisisadistortionpedalwithaharmonicspectrumtailoredforbassGuitar.The evenharmonics­arestrongerthantheodd,makingthedistortionverysmoothandborderline “clean.” Asecond­gainknoballowordinarydiodeclipping(somewhatasymmetrical).Thismodule canbeusedtoaddsmallamountsofcolorandspicetothebasssound.

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Speakers/cabinets

Amodulefromthiscategoryisusuallyplacedafteranyampmodule.

Modulename=Convolutionspeakersimulation

Description=Thismodule usesreal-timeconvolutiontomimicactualspeakerandcabinet setups. ConvolutioncanbeveryCPU-intensivesothereare2optimizationoptions,“Resample” and“Hi-Res.” ForcingdownsamplingofthesignalreducestheCPUutilizationtoanamazing25%, whilestillretainingvirtuallythesametonalquality.(ThisispossiblebecauseGuitarspeakers generallydonothaveafrequencyrangeofmorethan5-6kHz.)Theavailablespeakersandcabi­ netsweresampledwithseveralmicrophonesplacedatvaryingangles.Onesampling(an“ImpulseResponse”)isafixedmomentintimeandcannotbeadjusted.TheLoadbuttonallowsyou toimportyourownImpulseResponsesin .wavformat.

Modulename=SpeakerConstructionSet(SCS)

Description=Selectfromanyofthepredefinedspeakermodelsandputtheminacabinetwitha physicalsizeofyourchoice.Thissimulatedspeakercabinetisthenmikedbyanyofthe20micro­ phoneconfigurations.(ThistechniqueisconsiderablylessCPU-intensivethantheRIRconvolu­tion module.) Remember,ReValverMKIIIiscapableofbuildingvirtualspeakercabinetsthatreally cannotexistinthephysicalworld,anddependingonwhichcomponentsandsettingsyou’re change,youcouldendupwithsomevery“unique”sounds.

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Generaleffects

Modulename=8Q

Description=Aneightbandparametricfilterwithadjustablefrequency,gainandQinseven types:highshelf,lowshelf,highpass,lowpass,bandpass,notchandpeak.Eachbandcanbe eitherafirstorderorsecondorderIRfilter.(Pleasenotethatfirst-orderfilterscannotrepresent EQ,bandpassornotchcurves.)

Modulename=3Q

Description=Tripleparametricfilterswithadjustablefrequency,gainandQinseventypes:high shelf,lowshelf,highpass,lowpass,bandpass,notchandpeak.(Pleasenotethatfirst-orderfilters cannotrepresentEQ,bandpassornotchcurves.)

Modulename=ACSR1StereoReverb

Description=Stereoreverbdesignedtobeplacedlastinthechaintogiveambienceorwidthto theresult, withadjustableecho,pre-delayandroomsize. Threefilterscanbeprogrammedto shapethecharacter­ofthewetsignal.

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Modulename=ACSR2StereoReverb

Description=Stereoreverbdesignedtobeplacedlastinthechaintogiveambienceorwidthto thesound,withadjustablepre-delayandroomsize.Threefilterscanbeprogrammedtoshape thecharacterofthewetsignal. ThisreverbisthickerthantheReverbR1;italsohasdifferent defaultfilterparameters­.

Modulename=Ph2Phaser

Description=Phasingworksbymixingtheoriginalsignalwithonethatisphaseshifted. This phaserfeaturesa feedback­andwidthcontrolforstereoeffects.

Modulename=SCH-1B Noisegate

Description=Anoisegateisasimplewaytogetridofnoiseinthesignal.Thetraditionalwaythis effectworksisbyloweringthevolumeofthesignalwhenthesignalitselfbecomesveryweak. TheSCH-1Bisdifferentintwoways. First,thisnoisegatedoesnotoperateonaclosed-onlyor open-onlybasis,butisvariable. Second,­SCH-1Bdoesnotaffecttheactual“volume”butcontinu- ouslychangesthefilterparam­etersofanintelligentfiltercircuit.Youmaynoticethatthenoise gateishalf-closedwhenplayingsoftly.Comparedtotraditionalnoisegatesthishastheeffectof beingperfectlyresponsive.Thenoisegatehasfourseparatebands,andthefourthhasanadjustablefrequency.

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Modulename=Stereowideningeffect

Description=Thismodulewithcombinesambience,stereowideningandexciter/enhancer effectstogiveyourtoneawider,fullersoundwithmorepresence.Theenhanceroperatesby the delayingthelowerfrequenciestoallowthehighfrequenciestocomefirst,givingthesounda touchofpresenceandclarity.Becauseofthedelay,theenhancermayappeartoadd“distance”to thesound.Youcanblendtheenhancementwiththemixcontrol.Thewiden­ingeffectsappliesa rotatingphasedistortiontoeachchannel,andincombinationwiththeambience­componentyou canplaceyouraudioinarichvirtualroom.

Modulename=ChannelDelay

Description=Thismodule candelaytheleftandrightchannels0-100msindependently(each channelcanbeadjusted+-16dB).WiththeAmbianceoptionengaged,themoduleactsasifthe timedelayrepre­sentsadistanceinaroom.Thefartherawayfromthesourceachannelis,the fewerhighfrequen­ciesandlessvolumeithas.

Modulename=VSThostmodule

Description=Thismoduledoesnotprovideanyeffectorsignalprocessingbyitself,butsimply allowsyoutoloadathird-partyVSTplug-inandrunitasaregularReValver®MKIIImodule.This allowsyoutouseyourfavoriteplug-ininsideoftheReValverMKIIIsystem.VSTPlug-InTech­ nologybySteinberg.

Note: WhilePeaveymakeseveryefforttoensurecompatibilitywithawiderangeofVSTplug-ins, occasionallycombiningcertainVSTswillrequiremoreCPUpowerthansomecomputersare capableofprovidingandmayresultinunstableperformance. Alwayssaveyourpresetbefore loadingathird-partyVSTpluginintotheVSThostmodule.

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Modulename=CS3TubeCompressor

Description=Acompressorisusedtoeventhevolumesothatthelowerlevelsdonotcom­pletely disappear. Manymusicprofessionalsbelievethatatubecompressorsounds“warmer”thana solid-statevariantduetotheslightsaturationofthetubesandbecausethetransformeraddsa subtletouchof“crunch.”

Modulename=CS2Compressor

Description=Acompressorisusedtoeven theloudnesssothatthelowerlevelsdonotcom­ pletelydisappear.Itwillmakeanydistortionmoduledistortforlonger.

Modulename=Gr8Graphicalequalizer

Description=Thissimple8bandgraphicequalizerhasfrequencybandsplacedstrategicallyfor bassandGuitar.Thebandscanbeadjustedmanuallybypressingthe“T”button.Pressing“R”will resettheband.

Modulename=ConvolutionReverb

Description=Aconvolutiontypereverbwhichusespre-sampledimpulsesassourcetemplates. ThesoundandreactionoftheoriginalsampledreverbiswhatyouhearinC-Verb. Youcanload yourown*.wavsampleswiththe“load”button,orselectafactorysamplefromthelist.

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Miscellaneousutilities

Modulename=Signalsplitter

Description=Thesignalsplitterdividesthesignalinto2streams.Eachrunsinparallelusingit’s ownsetofmodules.Inthe“signalmerge”module,thesetwostreamsaremixedintoonesignal again. Youcanonlyusesignalsplitteronceperpreset.

Modulename=Frequencyanalyzer

Description=Thefrequencyanalyzercanscantheaudioinrealtimeandpresentthefrequency contentonalivedisplay.Theupdatespeed canbeswitchedbetween50msand500ms.The analyzercancreateuptothreesnapshotsandoverlaythemovereachother.Byhoveringyour mouseoverthegraphyoucangetanaccuratereadoutofthatposition.Theanti-aliaseddisplay yieldsaveryaccuratepicture.

Modulename=Leveler

Description=Autilitymodulethatcanbe insertedwhereveryouwishtomonitororchangethe volumelevels. Themodulemonitorsboththeleft&rightchannels.Thismodulehasavolume adjustanda“Learn”buttontoautomaticallyadjustlevelto0dB.

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Modulename=StereoLevelsadjust

Description=Sameas“Leveler”module,butwithacontrolknobforeachchannel.Thisutility modulecanbeinsertedwhereveryouwishtomonitororchangethevolumelevels. Themodule monitorsboththeleft&rightchannels.Thismodulehasavolumeadjustanda“Learn”buttonto automaticallyadjustlevelto0dB.

Modulename=Tuner

Description=Guitartunerwithtwosimultaneousdisplays,needleandstrobe.Withanti-aliased graphics,thistunerdisplaysyourtuningwithincredibleaccuracy.The“A”isadjustablebetween 425Hzand455Hz.Nevergooutoftuneagain!

Modulename=Simul-Tune

Description=Thisisnotonebutsixindependentstrobetunersrunningatthesametime,one assignedtoeachofaGuitar’ssixstrings.Thetuningispresentedinstrobeformandyoucan adjusteachstring’stuningchromatically. Thebrightnessofthestrobeindicatestheconfidence levelofafrequencyinthatparticularrange, (i.e.darkdisplay=notevenclose).

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Modulename=Singletonestack

Description=ThismoduleonlycontainsonetonestackwithBass,MidandTreble­knobstoadjust thefilteraspectsofanyoftheincludedtonestacksofReValver®MKIII.(TheFoxytonestackdoes notusetheMidknob.)

Modulename=Singletriode

Description=Thismodulecontainsasingletriodetubewithnofilters,withaleveladjustment­ beforeandafterthetube.Usingacoupleoftheseinaseriesislikebuildingyourownamp!

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Tweakingmodules

OneofthemostpowerfulfeaturesofReValver®MKIIIistheabilitytotweakeachparameterofamodule otherthantheusualknobsandbuttonsonthefrontofthemodule. InanefforttoexplaintheTweak modeinReValver,we’vewrittensomeshortexplanationsofeachtweakinthetubetweakGUI.

TheTweakmodeinReValverwaswrittenonanengineeringlevelusingrealschematicsbyarealtube amplifiercompany,andittakesyearstolearntubeamplifierengineering,so theawesome“tweakability” ofReValverMKIIIwillkeepeventhemostexperiencedvalveamplifierengineerbusyforhours. Userswho don’thaveanyexperiencewithtubeampswillhavefun,andyou’lllearnalotabouthowtubeamplifiers work.

Pressthe“+”but­ononthemodule,orselect“TweakModule”onthemodulemenutobringupthe generalTweakGUI. TheTweakGUIisageneralGUIthatholdsspecializedtweakablecomponentsthat differfrommoduletomodule.SomefeaturesincludeFrequencyAnalyzer,Oscilloscope,TotalHarmonic DistortionanalysisandsaveImpulseResponse.

TheFrequencyAnalyzerrunsafrequencyresponsetestofthemoduleinquestion.Itdoessoby insertingashort“pulse”andperformingaFFT(FastFourierTransform)frequencyanalysisofthe out­put.Pleasenotethatsuchtechniquesmaynotyieldexpectedresultsinnon-linearmodules suchasdistortionmodules.TheFrequencyAnalyzeralsoaccuratelydisplaysthephaseresponse ofthemodule.Theanalyzerwindowisdisplayedinlogarithmicmodewiththelowerfrequency showninhighresolution.Thisemphasiscanbeadjustedviatheslideratthebottomofthewindow.

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The TotalHarmonicDistortion(THD)analyzerdisplaystherelationshipbetweentheinputsound andthedistortedoutputsound.

TheOscilloscopeviewillustrateshowamodulealtersthesinewave.Itisavailableforeach moduleasawhole,andforanytubecomponentthereof.

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YoucansavetheImpulseResponse(IR)ofamoduletoa.wavfilein44.1kHzstereo.Theimpulse responseispracticallythesameviewasthefrequencyanalyzer,butthistoolallowsyoutosave theresponsetodisk.ThisIRcanbeusedintheconvolutionspeakermodule(oranyotherIR plug-inbythirdpartymanufacturers)andcanbeveryusefulcapturinga“filter”ora“sound”of anymoduleinReValverMKIII,oranyVSTplug-inintheVSTmodule.Youcanevencapturethe soundofathirdpartyspeakersimulatorfromanotherVSTplug-inandrunitinsideofthespeaker convolutionmodule!

Allmodulesoffersomeeditingfeaturesandmayinclude:tubes(andtubeconfiguration),tonestack(filtercollection),filtercoloring,rectifierproperties,transformerproperties,negativefeedback,speakercabinet,microphoneandloudspeaker.

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TheTubeTweakGUI

OneofthemostpowerfulfeaturesofReValver®MKIIIisthedetailandnumberofparameters thatcanbeusedtofinetuneanytubecircuitinamodule.Inthemodule’sTweakGUI,clickona tubeicontobringupthetubeTweakGUI.

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OnthetubeTweakGUI,theeditableparametersaredividedintotwogroups,thePhysicalandthe Non-Physical(whichhasnomean­inginrealitybutcanbeusedtoenhancethesonicproperties, anyway).

Dependingonwhichtubeyouwishtotweak,youcanchoosebetweentriodesorpentodes.A powerpentodeisatubetypeoftenusedtodrivethespeakers;thereforeyouwillusuallyfind themasthelasttube(s)inthechainofanyamplifier.Triodesarevoltage(V)amplifiers,whereas powerpentodes(combinedwithatransformer)inReValver®MKIIIaretreatedascurrent(I) generators.Youcanreplaceanytubeinthemodulewithanothertubeofthesamegeneraltype, fromastockoftemplates.Theinternalparametersofatubeconsistoffeatureslikeamplification,­ linearityanddrivingstrength. Theseparameterscannotbechangedandarenotdisplayedonthe GUI.IfyouchecktheoptionOnlyLoadInternals,onlytheseparameterswillbeloaded,otherwise theentireGUIwillbereset.TheCharacterparametercanbeusedtoshapethefrequenciesofthe distortedcomponent.(Onlowinput,theCharacterhasminimalimpactonthesound.)

Ifyouareeditingapentodeyouhavetheoptionofconfiguringitasasingle-ended(ClassA) amplifierorasapush-pull(ClassB)amp.Onepush-pulltubeisactuallyaneven-number2or4, butastheparametersareidenticalforall,onlyonetubeiconisdisplayedontheTweakGUI.A triode­canonlybeconfiguredasaplatefollower(acathode-biasedvoltagegainstage).

VPPisthepowersupplyvoltagedeliveredtothetubestagefromthepowersupply.Usually,the VPPisslightlylowerifthestageislocatedearlyinthesignalchain.Incasethepowersupplyis “sagging”­(usuallyduetoheavyloadandhighvolumes),theVPPbecomestemporarilylower,but theamountdependsoninternalvaluesineachReValverMKIIIampmodule.

Plateload(triode)andtransformerimpedance(pentode)andtheparametersoverwhichthe signalisgenerated.Thevalueoftheloadaffectsthesignaloutputstrength. Also,thetransfer characteristicsoftheloadchangesthevoltageon,andcurrentthrough, thetubeitself.

Attenuationisnotdirectlyapartofthetubestagebutcanbethoughtofasagenericwayof decreasing(attenuating)thesignalafteramplification.

Cathoderesistor(whereapplicable)isaresistorwhichisusedtobiasthetube,orinotherwords balancethesymmetryofthewaveform.Itiscommonlysetnear1.5kOhmsfortriodes,butthe actualsettingdependsonthedesiredsound.Thesettingwillalsoaffecttheoverallgaininan “unbypassed”stage.(Seedefinitionof“unbypassed”below.)

Cathodecapacitor(whereapplicable)isconnectedinparallelwiththecathoderesistor.Ithastwo maineffectsonsound: 1)Thecapacitorenablesthestagetoamplifythesignalmore;and 2)It willactasalow-shelffilter,effectivelycuttingoutsomelowbass.Thecutofffrequencyisequalto 1/(6.28*RC),withCasthecapacitorvalueandRasthevalueofthecathoderesistor.Thisinturn affectsthedistortionspectrum.Withacathodecapacitor, thestageiscalledbypassed,and without,unbypassed.

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ThecouplingcapacitorremovesthehighvoltageDCoffsetfromtheoutputsignalofthetube stage.Thishigh-passfrequencyisusuallybetween5-10Hz,butifitissethigherthenausercan changethetonalanddynamicpropertiesofthestage.

Thegridresistorvalueisanall-in-oneresistorusedtocalculatetheeffectsofthestage’sband­pass limitation.Insideeachtubethereisaninternalcapacitancecalled“Millercapacitance.”The greatertheresistor,thelowerthebandwidth.Thebandwidthcanbecalculatedat1/(6.28*RC) whereRisthe“gridresistor”andCistheMillercapacitance(usuallyaround150pF).Inanormal triodestagewitha12AX7tube,thebandwidthisaround15kHzifthegridresistoris68kOhm.

ThesliderforClassA/Bisusedforpentodesinpush-pullconfigurationonly.(TheBiasvoltage slidercanbeusedasanalternative.)Thissetsthebiasofthetubestagesuchthatitcorresponds moretoaClassAorBstage.

Someofthenon-physicaltweaks:

Normally,atube’soutputswingisdeterminedbytheVPP,alongwiththevariousloadsinthe circuit­.SettingClipLimittosomethinghigherthan1.0givesthecircuitagreaterdynamicrange. Theoutputgetshigherandthedistortionononesidedecreases. Clipsoftnessisusedtosmooth outthesharpdynamicedgeandgivesthedistortionasmoothsound.

ThedefaultvalueoftheDynamicBiasoffsetamountis1.0,andscalingthisvaluechangesthe dynamicsofthesignal.Thesignalisusuallynotentirelyfreetomovethroughthetube,andstrong transientsandhighvolumesaffect thebiasofthetube,movingupanddown,asafunctionof volume.

Cathodebiasedtrebleboost(whereapplicable)changesthe“filtereffect”thatthecathode resistor&capacitorhasonthefrequencyresponse.

TheBiasadjustslidersimplyaddsorsubtractsacertainvoltagetoorfromthetube’sbias.Otherwise, thisbiasisdefinedbythetubeanditssurroundingcomponents.

Extrainputheadroomgivesthestagemoredynamicheadroom,makingthetubedistortlaterif givenagreaterheadroom.Foratriodethismeansthesignalis“attenuated”beforetheinputand “amplified”aftertheoutput,thusrestoringthesignalstrengthtothefollowingtube.

ThetubeTweakGUIfeaturesthefollowinggraphicaldisplays:A“bode plot”(frequency&phase response)anoscilloscope(withinputandoutputsignaldisplayoverlaid)and “transferfunction” (asnapshotofthestaticinput-to-outputrelationship).

ThewholetubecomponentcanbedisabledviatheDisablecircuitcheckbox.

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MIDIcontrolandautomation

Inthestand-aloneversion,allknobs,fadersandbuttonscanbecontrolledbyMIDI.TheVSTand

AUplug-incanbecontrolledusingnativeautomation,butnotallparameterscanbeautomated.

MIDI

TosetupMIDIcontrolinthestandaloneversion,pleaseselectyourMIDIinterfacefromthemenu (File-\>MIDIdevices...).IfyouhaveaddedanewMIDIinterfaceafterstartingtheprogram, pleaserestarttoallowtheprogramtofindit.ToassignaMIDIeventtoaGUIcontrol,please right-clickonthecontrol(button/knob/fader)andselect“MIDIlearn”fromthemenu.Youwill thenbeaskedtoactivatethecontrollerontheexternalMIDIcontroller. Itisrecommendedthat youassignaMIDIbuttontoaGUIbutton,andaMIDIfader/knobtoasimilarGUIelement.To removethespecificmappingfromtheGUIelement,right-clickandselect“MIDIclear.” Itisnot possibletomapthe“Loadmodulepreset,”“Savemodulepreset,”“Mono/stereo”or“Tweak” buttonstoMIDI,butyoucanmapthe“Enable/disable”module.

IfyouhaveassignedaGUIelementinamodule,youarefreetomovearoundthemoduleany­ whereinthepreset,butifyoudeletethemodulethemappingwillbecleared. MIDImappingis storedinsidethepresetandwillberestoredwhenyoureloadthepreset.

Plug-inautomation

ReValverhasanautomationfeaturethatallowsyoutomakechangeswhenyouaremixingasong. Thiscanbeparticularyimportantwhenrecordingavirtualwah-wahtrack,forexample,where youneedtobeabletomakethosechangesjustlikeyouwouldwiththepedal. However,dueto themodularstructureofReValverMKIIIitisnotpossibletomapall GUIelementstoplug-in automationevents.Forexample,ifyouhavetwodistortion­pedalsinthechain,onlythefirstin thechainwillreceivetheevents,eveniftheywererecordedfromthesecond. Touseautomation, yourVST/AUhostmustbecapableofreadingandwritingautomationeventsfromplug-ins. PleaserefertoyourDAW’smanualformoreinformationonitsparticularuseofautomation.

Table 1: Plug-in automation parameters

VST name	AU name	Description
Ped Gain	Distpedal Gain	Primary gain knob on a dist effect
Ped Gai2	Distpedal Gain2	Secondary gain knob on a dist effect
Ped Out	Distpedal Output volume	Distpedal Output volume

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	Table 1: Plug-in automation parameters
VST name	AU name		Description
Ped Bass	Distpedal Bass		Distpedal Bass control
Ped Mid	Distpedal Mid		Distpedal Mid control
Ped Treb	Distpedal Treble		Distpedal Treble control
Ped Tone	Distpedal Tone		Distpedal Tone control
Ped Mix	Distpedal Mix		Distpedal wet/dry mix
Pre Gain	Preamp Gain		Preamp Gain
Pre 1	Gain type 1		Preamp Gain 1
Pre 2	Gain type 2		Preamp Gain 2
Pre 3	Gain type 3		Preamp Gain 3
AmpBass	Amp Bass (tone control)		Ampmodule tonestack, bass control
AmpMid	Amp Mid (tone control)		Ampmodule tonestack, mid control
AmpTreb	Amp Treble (tone control)		Ampmodule tonestack, treble control
AmpPres	Amp Presence		Ampmodule, presence control
CleanDrt	Clean		Clean / dirty switch
Drive	Power amp drive		Power amp master / drive
Out Vol	Output level		Output level
TremDpt	Tremolo depth		Tremolo depth
TremSpd	Tremolo speed		Tremolo speed
Type A	Type A		Type A
Type B	Type B		Type B
Type C	Type C		Type C
Type D	Type D		Type D
Type E	Type E		Type E
RevrbMix	Reverb amount		Reverb amount
RevrbLen	Reverb length		Reverb length
Wah Pos	Wow-Wah Amount/Position		Wow-Wah Amount/Position
Wah Mix	Wow-Wah Mix		Wow-Wah wet / dry mix

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Table 1: Plug-in automation parameters

VST name	AU name	Description
Amp Out	Power amp Output level	Output adjust knob on amp or poweramp­
		module
Pre Out	Preamp Output level	Output adjust knob on preamp module

Findingagreatsound:FAQ

Q.WhatcanIdotoimprovethefrequencyresponseofapreset?

A.UseanEQorchangethetonestackofanamp,butmostofall,experimentwiththespeakers. A surprisinglylargepartofthesoundcomesfromthespeakers.

Mostampshavebass,midandtreblecontrolstoadjustthetonestack’sfilterparameters. You shouldassumethedefaultvaluesareactuallythebestformostusers,forthatamp. However,the powerofRevalveristheabilitytoexperimentwithallaspectsofanamp’sdesign.

Rememberoneimportantthing: everyEQyouusebefore anampwillaffectthefrequencyrange ofthedistortionharmonics. Ifyouonlywishtofine-tunethesoundofapreset,primarilyusethe EQthefarthest down thechainaspossible.

Q.HowmuchdoesthesoundoftheGuitarmatter?

A.Itmattersalot! Onemustneverthinkthatthefinalsoundisthesameifyouswitchtoanother Guitar. Thesoundofasingle-coiledpickupisverydifferentfromthatofahumbuckerpickup. Everybodyhastheirfavorite,andthesoundandfeelingdiffersasmuchasanytwoamps.

Q.DothetonestacksinReValverMKIIIactuallysoundlikethe“originals”?

A.Yes. Thesoftwareversionofthetonestacksareverysimilartothoseontheoriginalamps. All capacitors,resistorsandpotshavebeenaccuratelymodeled.

Q.Whataboutthepresencecontrols?

A.Thepresencecontrolsareusuallynotapartofthetonestackbutarepartofthepoweramp. Mostampsuse “negativefeedback”tocontroldistortionandoutputlinearityofthepowerstage. Byapplyingafilterinthefeedbackpath,andcontrollingthisfilterwithaknob,averynicemid/ high-midpresencecanbeachieved.

Q.AretheampsinReValver®MKIIImodeledafterrealamps?

A.Mostofthemare. Theprogramisabletomodelabout90-95%oftheelectroniccomponents inanygivenrealamp,includingthetubes,diodes,filters,transformers,powersupplyandmore. WhenmodelingarealampinReValverMKIII,theoriginalorreissueschematicshavebeenused. Sometimesablendofschematicswereused,andsomeampshavecomponentsthatwere tweakedbyearafterwardanddonot totallymatchtheoriginal.

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Q.IhavesomeverycoolImpulseResponse(IR)files.CanIusethemwithReValverMKIII?

A.Yes. Thespeakerconvolutionmodeler(RIR)canloadfilesin.wavformat,provided theyare reasonablyshort. RIRisusingareal-timeenginethatrequiresnoparticularsamplechunksize,so itcanoperatelessefficientlywithlargerfiles. Allinputisthereforeshortenedconsiderablyif needed. Noreverb,echoordelaytypeofIRscanbeused.

Q.InReValverMKIIIyoucanswitchbetweenpush-pullandsingle-endedstages.Whatabout thephaseinverter?

Thephasesplitter,“LongTailPairPhaseInverter“hastwooutputs,eachbeingessentiallythe samesignalbutwithonebeinginverted180degrees.Thisisacommoncircuittodriveapush-pull stagethatinfactrequirestwosignals,onebeing180degreesapart.

Ifyouwishtodriveasingleendedstageyouneedonlyone signal,andthereislittleadvantagein drivingitwithaphaseinverter.

Inamodulethatinfacthas aphaseinverter,youcanstillswitchthepush-pullstagetoasingle- endedstage.Whathappensissimple:theinvertedsignalisignored.Onlythetophalfofthe invertersignalisused.

Licensingandcopyprotection

ReValver®MKIIIutilizesacopyprotectionsystemthatisentirelysoftwarebased.Thereisnoneed tobuyorpurchaseadrivertomaketheprogramwork.

Alicensefortheprogram,orasubfeatureoftheprogram,ishandledthroughlicensefilesintext format.Theselicensefilesarelockedtoaparticularhardwarecomponentonthecomputerin question.Theactualcomponentcanbechosenfromanumberoftypes(butatthetimeofwriting,onlythe“systemdrive”canbechosen).Youmayupgradeyourhardwareanynumberof times,requiringanewlicensefile(whichcanbedownloadedthroughthePeaveywebsite,orthe accompanyingActivationTool).

Creditsandcopyrights

Copyrights

ReValverMKIIIreliesinpartonthefollowingtechnologies:

PortAudio,copyrightRossBencinaandPhilBurk.PortMIDI,copyrightRossBencina,PhilBurkand RogerB.Dannenberg.FFTReal,copyrightLaurentdeSoras.ASIO,VSTPlugInInterfaceTechnol­ogy bySteinbergMediaTechnologiesGmbH.SomespeakerIRsamples,copyrightChrisHurley,DimitarNalbantov,MurrayMcDowall.FamFamFamSilkicons(http://www.famfamfam.com/lab/ icons/silk/)