Kurzweil Music Systems K2600R, K2600, K2600X User's Manual
Advanced KDFX
Personalities
Chapter 15
Advanced KDFX
This chapter describes the organization of KDFX in detail.
Personalities
KDFX can be said to have two distinct Òpersonalities,Ó depending on the setting of the FX Mode
parameter on the Effects-mode page.
If FX Mode is set to Master , then all KDFX parameters are set within the current studio, and
remain unchanged unless you edit the studio or any of its FX presets.
If FX Mode is set to anything else Ñ Program , Setup , or Auto Ñthen one or more parameters
within the studio may be under the control of an outside source, such as MIDI or one of the
K2600Õs control sources, and can be continuously changed in real time without editing the
studio or any FX presets.
For the sake of clarity, weÕll begin by discussing KDFX only in Master mode. For information
about real-time control, turn to page 15-21.
For starters, set the FX Mode parameter on the Effects-mode page to Master and the Channel FX Chan
parameter to None before going further into this chapter.
Navigating KDFX
The largest component in KDFX is the studio. The studio encompasses all of KDFXÕs signal
routings, processing algorithms, and processing parameters. When you change any parameter
in a studio, you are potentially creating a new studio, just as changing a parameter in a program
creates a different program (if you save it). The user interface within a studio is organized
according to the following diagram:
15-1
Advanced KDFX
Navigating KDFX
Studio|
Edit
Chan/Bank
FXBus 2
FXBus 1
Edit
algorithm
param 1
Insert FX
FXBus 4
FXBus 3
param 2
FX Preset (1-4)
AuxFX
Edit
algorithm
param1
<more>
param 2
Name
Save Delete Dump
<more>
Output
<more>
Save
Name
Name
Save Delete Dump
FX Preset (Aux)
Delete Dump
Studio
Chan/Bank
Input A
Effects Mode
Input D
Input C
Input B
(if mono)
Figure 15-1 The KDFX User Interface
To select a studio, go to the main Effects page if youÕre not already there (from Program mode,
press Effects to go into Effects mode), and move the cursor so the studio name is highlighted.
FXBus
EffectMode|||||Xpose:0ST|||||<>Channel:1|
FX|Mode:Master
FX|Chan:None
Studio|:2|HallFlngCdD|Room||
Effect|:1|Sweet Hall
Wet/Dry:0%Wet
Dither|:Medium||||||DigOut|:16|Bit
Octav-|Octav+|Panic|||||||||Chan-||Chan+
When the studio is highlighted, pressing Edit goes to the Studio Editor (EditStudio) level, and
the FXBUS page. There are four FXBUS pages, one for each FXBus in the studio. These four
buses are the inputs to KDFX, and receive the output from the K2600Õs sound engine, as deÞned
on the OUTPUT page in the Program Editor.
Select the desired FXBUS page using the
Channel / Bank Up and Down buttons. If you have just
entered the Studio Editor, the Þrst FXBUS page you see will be the one for FXbus1. Once you are
15-2
Advanced KDFX
Navigating KDFX
inside the Studio Editor, however, when you press the FXBUS soft button from another page, it
will take you to whichever FXBUS page you were last looking at.
EditStudio:FXBUS|Size:1|Free:0|<>FXBus:1
FX1||14|string|lHall|||||||Aux| ||Mix
Wet/Dry|||:32%wet||||Lvl:0ff|||Lvl:0.0dB
Out|Gain||:0.0dB|||||Bal:0%||||Bal:0%
Allocation:Auto
<more||INPUT||FXBUS||AUXFX||OUTPUT|more>
The four FXBuses are the equivalent of four effects processors inserted into the effects loop of a
mixing console. Therefore, they are also known as the Insert effects .
Parameters
When you are on an FXBUS page, highlighting the name of the FX preset (or any of the
parameters directly below it) and pressing Edit accesses the Þrst page of parameters for that
FX preset. An FX preset is an object within the studio, much like a keymap is an object within a
program. The same FX preset can be used in more than one studio, or more than once in the
same studio (provided you donÕt run out of PAUs).
The Þrst EditFXPreset Parameter page includes the algorithm on which the FX preset is based.
The soft buttons take you to additional pages of parameters. Depending on how complex the
algorithm is, there may be as many as four parameter pages in an FX preset. Algorithms are in
the KDFX ROM, and are not normally changeable, deletable, or saveable by the user. Like ROM
samples, they are simply always there. (You can load additional algorithms from disk, however,
as they become available from Kurzweil.)
EditFXPreset:PARAM1||||||||EffectSize:3/3
FXAlgorithm:5|MiniVerb|||||||||||||
||||||||||||||||||||In|Gain|||:0.0dB
Wet/Dry|||:32%wet|||Out|Gain||:0.0dB
Rvrb|Time|:2.6s|||||HF|Damping:8372Hz
L|Pre|Dly|:4ms||||||R|Pre|Dly|:9ms
<more||PARAM1|PARAM2|||||||||||||||more>
Pressing the
for the FX preset.
<more> soft buttons gives you access to the Name, Save, Delete, and Dump pages
Pressing Exit goes back to the FXBUS page, and if you have made any changes in the FX preset
you will be prompted to save it. If the FX preset in this bus is the same as on another bus (either
in this studio or another), then any changes you make (and save) will affect all buses using that
FX preset.
15-3
Advanced KDFX
Navigating KDFX
Input
From the FXBUS page, or anywhere inside the Studio Editor, pressing the INPUT soft button
brings you to the Input A page.
EditStudio:INPUT||||||||||||<>Input:||A|
SP
||A||LoShelf||HiShelf||FXBus1||FXBus2
|||G:0.0dB||G:0.0dB||Lvl:0.0dB|Lvl:Off
|||F:123Hz||F:9956Hz|Pan:0%||||Pan:0%
|||||||||||||||||||||Wid:100%||Wid:100%
<more||INPUT||FXBUS||AUXFX||OUTPUT|more>
The other Input pagesÑB, C, and DÑare selected by using the Chan / Bank Up and Down
buttons. Depending on how the inputs are conÞguredÑstereo or monoÑthere will be from four
to eight Input pages.
Similar to the FXBUS pages, the Þrst time you look at an input page after entering the Studio
Editor, it will be the Input A page (or, if itÕs mono, the Input A/L page). Once you are in the
Studio Editor, when you press the INPUT soft button from another page, it will take you to
whichever input page you were
last looking at.
Aux FX
From inside the Studio Editor, a soft button accesses the AUXFX page. This is a separate effects
bus, which can be used by itself, or in a chain following one or more of the FXBuses.
Like the FXBuses, you can view and edit the FX presetÕs parameters, including its algorithm, by
highlighting the FX presetÕs name and pressing Edit . As on the insert FXBuses, the FX preset on
the Aux bus has up to four pages of parameters, and the <more> soft buttons access Name,
Save, Delete, and Dump pages for the FX preset. The same FX preset can be used in the Aux bus
as in any of the insert FXBuses.
EditStudio:AUXFX|Size:3|Free:0||||||||||
||Aux||3|Tabla|Room||||||||||||||Mix
|||Wet/Dry|||:100%wet|||||||||||Lvl:0.0dB
|||Out|Gain||:0.0dB|||||||||||||Bal:0%
<more||INPUT||FXBUS||AUXFX||OUTPUT|more>
15-4
The AUXFX page can also be accessed from any of the FXBUS pages by placing the cursor on the
box labelled Aux and pressing Edit .
Pressing Exit goes back to the AUXFX page on the EditStudio level. If you have made any
changes in the FX preset, you will be prompted to save the FX preset.
Advanced KDFX
Navigating KDFX
Output
In the Studio Editor, pressing the OUTPUT soft button accesses the OUTPUT page, where the
KDFXÕs ÒvirtualÓ outputs are assigned to the K2600Õs physical outputs.
EditStudio:OUTPUT|||||||||||||||||||||||
Mix|Lvl:0.0dB||||||Output|A:Mix
Mix|Bal:0%|||||||||Output|B:Off
|||||||||||||||||||Output|C:Off
|||||||||||||||||||Output|D:Off
<more||INPUT||FXBUS|AUXFX||OUTPUT|more>||
The OUTPUT page can also be accessed from any of the FXBUS pages by placing the cursor on
the box labelled Mix and pressing Edit.
Name, Save, Delete, Dump
From any of the EditStudio pages, pressing either of the <more> soft buttons accesses Name,
Save, Delete, and Dump pages for the studio. Studios are stored in RAM, like K2600 programs,
and when a studio is recalled, all of its associated FX presets and parameters are recalled with it.
Studios in ROM occupy slots in the zeros, 100s, 700s, and 800s banks. You may override these if
you like, or use the RAM banks (200-699 and 800-999) for your studios. The ROM studios are
always there, and if you delete a studio that youÕve stored in a ROM slot, the original ROM
studio will pop up in its place.
When you save a studio, you can also rename it, using the standard naming dialog:
EditStudio:Rename|||||||||||||||||||||||
Studio|Name:||||H
Delete|Insert||<<<||||>>>||||OK|||Cancel
allFlngChD|Room
The Compare and FX Bypass Buttons
As with all K2600 objects, the Compare (Disk) button lets you switch back and forth between
the last saved version of whatever you are editing and its current state.
If you are on a page at the EditStudio level, Compare toggles between the last-saved and current
versions of the studio. If you are inside an FX preset, on the EditFXPreset level, Compare toggles
between the last-saved and current versions of the FX preset.
If you have changed any algorithms in an FX preset or studio during the current editing session,
the Compare button will switch back to the old algorithms. This can create some short-term
ÒholesÓ in the audio output when the signal momentarily goes dryÑsee the section on
switching studios in real time on page 15-21.
15-5
Advanced KDFX
Exploring the Studio Parameters
The Effects/FX Bypass button, when you are in the Studio Editor, bypasses all of the FX presets
(all of the Insert FX and the Aux FX) in the current studio, so that you can hear the signals
without processing. It does not, however, change the EQs, gains and balances, or signal
routingsÑthose will continue to affect the signal you hear.
Exploring the Studio Parameters
WeÕll explore the parameters within the studio in the order in which they affect the signal path,
starting on the Input page.
Input Section
K2500 output pair
Mono/Stereo
switch
stereo or L R (if mono)
two-band EQ
Level,
Pan/Balance
Width (if stereo)
To FXBuses 1-4
Figure 15-2 The KDFX Input Editor
Inputs are referred to as A, B, C, and D, and correspond to the four output buses (KDFX-A
through KDFX-D) from the K2600Õs Program Editor. These signals can be treated as stereo pairs
or as individual mono signals. This is determined by the Þrst parameter on an Input page, the
Mono/Stereo switch.
If this switch is set to M, then the left and right channels of the selected program output pair are
split up, and each is given its own Input page, with EQ and FXBus routings. If it is set to SP
(Stereo with Pan) or SB (Stereo with Balance), the two channels of the pair are processed in
parallel.
Selecting the Mono/Stereo mode on one input bus does not affect any of the others, and you can
have any combination of stereo and mono inputs in a studio. Therefore, there can be anywhere
from four to eight Input pages in a studio.
15-6
The Chan/Bank Up and Down buttons let you move among the Input pages.
The Arrow Meter
On an Input page, whenever there is signal present on its bus, the arrow next to the letter of the
bus ßashes. This is a good way to check that you have set up your program output routings
correctly. More on this later.
EQ
The input signal Þrst passes through two equalizers. These equalizers are independent of each
other, but the signal is chained: it goes through the left one, then the right one. Each equalizer
has a frequency (F) control and, depending on the mode, a gain (G) control. The mode of each
EQ module is changed by placing the cursor in the appropriate block and turning the Alpha
wheel or using the Plus/Minus buttons. There are eight modes for the Þrst EQ, and six for the
second:
None No effect, the signal passes through unchanged.
LoShelf Boosts or cuts frequencies below the F value by G decibels.
HiShelf Boosts or cuts frequencies above the F value by G decibels.
LoPass1 Cuts frequencies above the F level with a 6 dB/oct (1-pole) slope.
LoPass2 Cuts frequencies above the F level with a 12 dB/oct (2-pole) slope.
Advanced KDFX
Exploring the Studio Parameters
HiPass1 Cuts frequencies below the F level with a 6 dB/oct (1-pole) slope.
HiPass2 Not available on the second EQ. Cuts frequencies below the F level with a steeper 12
ParaMid Not available on the second EQ. Provides a cut or boost centered around the F
FXBus Sends
Following the equalizers are the insert FXBus sends. Each input has two sends. Change the
destination of each send by placing the cursor on it and doing the usual thing with the Alpha
wheel or Plus/Minus buttons.
Either send can be assigned to any of the four FXBuses, or to None, with one exception: the two
sends on a particular input cannot both be assigned to the same FXBus. So, for example, if the
Þrst send on Input B/L is assigned to FXBus2, the second send from Input B/L cannot also be
assigned to FXBus2. You can, however, assign as many different inputs to the same FXBus as you
likeÑincluding the two channels from a mono pair.
Each of the FXBus sends has a level parameter (Lvl) that determines the gain of the signal going
to that send. Maximum level is 24.0 dB, and minimum is -79.0 dBÑthere is also an Off position.
0.0 dB is unity gain.
The FXBus sends are stereo, and if an input is stereo, both channels go to the send.
db/oct (2-pole) slope.
frequency. The bandwidth of the equalizer is two octaves. There is an illustration of
the action of this equalizer mode on page 16-28.
Mono Inputs (M)
If an input is mono, then each of its FXBus sends has a Pan parameter. This determines how the
signal is distributed between the left and right channels going to the FXBus: -100% is left
channel only, 100% is right channel only, and 0% is both channels equally.
15-7
Advanced KDFX
Exploring the Studio Parameters
Stereo Inputs with Pan (SP)
If the input is set to SP, then each FXBus send has a Pan parameter and a Width parameter. The
Width parameter determines how much separation there will be between the left and right input
signals as they are sent to the FXBus: assuming Pan is set to 0%, a Width of 100% means the
signals will be completely separate, while 0% means they will be combined into Òdual mono.Ó
Negative numbers ßip the channels around, so that -100% means the channels are separate, but
with left and right reversed, while -50% means they are reversed and partially blended.
The Pan control maintains the stereo image, but ÒtiltsÓ it one direction or the other. At 0% there
is no change to the signal, while at 100% it all goes to the right channel. At 50%, what had been
hard left will now be in the center, and what had been in the center will now be halfway
between center and right. Negative values tilt the signal to the left.
Width (“SP” or “SB”)
Input channels
L
R
Width=100%
L
R
Width=50%
Width=0% Width=-100%
Pan (“SP”) (width=100%)
Pan=100%Pan=0% Pan=50% Pan=-100%
L
R
L
R
Balance (“SB”) (width=100%)
Balance=100%Balance=0% Balance=50% Balance=-100%
L
R
Figure 15-3 Width, Pan, and Balance controls
A Word About Gain
The Pan, Balance, and Width controls all have constant power curves, so that the combined
signal level doesnÕt change when you move the signals from side to side. However, if you use
several Pans or Balances on a signal to keep the channels isolated throughout the entire signal
chain (for example, if the Input send is panned 100%, and so are the Aux send, the Mix send, and
the Mix output), you can increase the gain of the signal considerably.
L
R
15-8
Each stage of hard-panning adds 3 dB, so the increase in gain when the signal reaches the Þnal
output can be as high as 12 dB. In this case, you may want to trim the level at various stages to
keep the signals from getting too hot.
Effects Buses
The four insert Effects buses (FXBuses) receive the signals from the Input Editor and process
them. Press the FXBUS soft button to go to one of the FXBUS pagesÑthe Þrst time you do this
after entering the Studio Editor, it will be the FXBus1 page.To go to the other FXBUS pages, use
the Chan/Bank Up and Down buttons. The number of the FXBus appears in the upper right
corner.
The Arrow Meter
There are arrow meters on the FXBUS pages as well, right next to the number of the FXBus.
These tell you when signal is coming into the bus, and also when signal is present inside the bus,
so if you have a long reverb or repeating delay, for example, the arrow will keep ßashing as long
as the processing is going on.
FX Preset
The Þrst parameter on an FXBUS page is the FXBusÕs FX preset. Set the cursor on it, and use the
Alpha wheel to scroll through the FX presets currently in memory. If an FX preset name comes
up in parentheses, for example, (Really Big Plate), it means there is not enough processing
power (PAUs) available at the moment to use this FX preset in this FXBus. WeÕll get to PAUs in a
moment. 199 No Effect is a ÒblankÓ FX preset, in which all signals pass straight through without
any processing. It can be used as a starting point for creating your own FX preset. If you want to
set up a ÒdummyÓ effects bus to pass signal directly to the Aux bus, use 0 None.
Advanced KDFX
Effects Buses
Bus Outputs
The parameters on the right side of this page determine how the effected signal gets to the
KDFX outputs. Each FXBus has four outputs, all of which are stereo:
¥ Its own dry (pre-effect) output
¥ Its own wet (post-effect) output
¥ The Mix bus
¥ The Aux bus
The output to the Mix effects bus has a level control with a range of -79.0 to +24.0 dB, and an Off
position. It also has a Balance control that works similarly to the Balance control on the inputs,
by setting the relative levels of the two output channels. The signal is mixed with similar signals
from the other FXBuses onto the Mix bus, which can be accessed on the OUTPUT page.
The output to the Aux bus has an identical pair of controls. Its signal goes to the global Aux
effects bus, where it is mixed with similar signals from the other FXBuses, and then put through
the Auxiliary Effects processor. From there it can be accessed on the OUTPUT page.
15-9
Advanced KDFX
Effects Buses
There is no external level control over the output of the FXBus itselfÑit just shows up, in preeffect and post-effect versions, on the OUTPUT page.
From Input editor
Pre FXBus
FXBus
to Aux
FX bus
to Mix
bus
To Output editor
Figure 15-4 FXBus Signal Routing
The Aux Bus
The Auxiliary effects bus is accessed by pressing the AUXFX soft button on any page in the
Studio Editor. It contains an FX preset, which is separate from those in the insert FXBusesÑ
although it can be the same FX preset that is in use on one or more of the insert FXBuses. There
is no Allocation parameter, because the Aux bus has a Þxed allocation of 3 PAUs. Only a very
few highly complex FX presets require more than 3 PAUs, so as you scroll through the
FX presets here you wonÕt see many names in parentheses.
Aux Bus Outputs
There are two outputs from the Aux bus: itself, and a feed (post-effect) to the Mix bus. The feed
to the Mix bus, where it is combined with other Mix bus feeds from the four FXBuses, has level
and balance controls. The Aux busÕs own output has no post-effect controls, and goes right to
the OUTPUT page.
15-10
Figure 15-5 Aux Bus Outputs
About FX Presets
FX presets are where the processing takes place in KDFX. Each of the insert FXBuses and the
Aux bus have their own FX preset, and they are all independent of each other. If you think of a
studio as being the equivalent of a K2600 program, then an FX preset is the equivalent of a layer
or keymap.
From Insert
FXBuses’
Aux sends
To Output
editor
Advanced KDFX
Effects Buses
AuxFX
to Mix
bus
In any of the FXBuses, the FX preset is edited by placing the cursor on the name of the FX preset
and pressing Edit.
The Þrst parameter page, or PARAM1, appears. The algorithm that the FX preset is based on is
selected at the top of this page. Highlight the name on the FXAlgorithm line, and scroll through
the various algorithms. The algorithms are in the K2600Õs ROM (like ROM samples), and are not
changeable by the user. As you change algorithms, the parameters displayed on the page change
accordingly.
EditFXPreset:PARAM1||||||||EffectSize:3/3
FXAlgorithm:1|Panaural|Room||||||||||
||||||||||||||||||||In|Gain|||:0.0dB
Wet/Dry|||:30%||||||Out|Gain||:2.0dB
Room|Size|:15.2m
Pre|Dly|||:4ms||||||Decay|Time:1.7s
HF|Damping:14080Hz
<more||PARAM1|PARAM2|||||||||||||||more>
Notice also that as you scroll the algorithms, the EffectSize parameter in the upper-right corner
changes. This parameter shows how many Processing Allocation Units (PAUs) the currently
selected algorithm requires, followed by how many are available for this FX preset. If, for
example, EffectSize is 2/3, that means the algorithm requires 2 PAUs, and there are 3 PAUs
available. More about PAUs soon.
Just below and to the right of the algorithm name is an Input Gain parameter, which adjusts the
level of the signal coming into the FX preset from the input(s) sending to it. The relative level of
the various inputs is determined on the Input pages, but you can change the overall level hereÑ
15-11
Advanced KDFX
Effects Buses
Bus Overrides (Bus Mods)
for example, if youÕve combined several inputs into one FXBus and the signal is too hot for the
FX preset, you can pad it down here. The Trim is adjustable from Off/-79.0 dB to +24 dB.
Below the Input Gain is usually (but not always) an Output Gain, which sets the level of the
signal leaving the FX preset, which can be further modiÞed by the Mix and Aux sends on the
FXBUS page.
The other parameters that appear on this page are determined by the algorithm. Each algorithm
has its own set of parameters, which may take up as many as four pages, accessed using the soft
buttons PARAM2, PARAM3, etc. The parameters associated with each algorithm are discussed
in detail beginning on page 15-35, and at the beginning of Chapter 10 of the MusicianÕs Reference.
When you change a parameter on one of these pages, you have changed the FX preset, and if
you want the change to be permanent, you must save the FX preset. Pressing either of the
<more> soft buttons accesses Name, Save, Delete, and Dump pages for the FX preset. FX presets
are stored in RAM, just like K2600 keymaps. When an FX preset is recalled, either by itself (from
within the Studio Editor) or as part of a studio, its associated algorithm and all parameters are
recalled with it.
There is another way to edit an FX presetÕs parameters without altering the FX preset itself, and
that is by using bus overrides.
We havenÕt yet talked about the two parameters that are on the Insert FXBUS and AUXFX pages,
directly underneath the name of the FX preset. These are called Òbus overridesÓ or Òbus mods,Ó
and they allow you to change parameters within an FX preset without actually going into the
FX preset.
Wet/Dry||||:35%
Out|Gain|||:2.0dB
For example, the bus overrides on FX1 are often Wet/Dry mix and Output gain. Normally, these
parameters would be found inside the FX preset, and if you changed them, youÕd have to save
the new FX preset in order to keep the changes.
Instead, using bus overrides, you can adjust these two parameters and hear what they sound
like while you are adjusting them without going into the FX preset. When you save the studio,
these parameter values are saved, but they are not part of the FX presetÑthey are part of the
studio. Therefore, the FX preset remains unchanged (and if the FX preset is in use elsewhere, it
hasnÕt changed there), but these two parameters in this particular FXBus have been altered.
Wet/Dry and Out Gain are the default bus overrides you will encounter most often, but in some
algorithms and FX presets, other parameters are accessed as bus overrides. For example, on
some compressor algorithms, the Þrst bus override is an In/Out switch; and on some dualchannel delay and Þlter algorithms, the overrides are separate Wet/Dry controls for the left and
right channels.
Making and Breaking Bus Overrides
Some studios supplied with KDFX, when you Þrst encounter them, have the bus mods in place,
but they are not engagedÑthat is, theyÕre not actually overriding anything, but instead simply
show the values of the corresponding parameters inside the FX preset unchanged. To see this,
choose an FX preset on the FXBUS page and look at the values of the override parameters, Wet/
Dry and Out Gain. Now go inside the FX preset by highlighting the FX presetÕs name and
15-12
Advanced KDFX
Effects Buses
pressing Edit, and Þnd those two parameters on the Þrst parameter page (PARAM1). YouÕll see
their values are the same as on the FXBUS page.
EditStudio:FXBUS|PAU:3|Free:1||<>FXBus:1|
FX1||2||Big|Room|||||||||||Aux ||Mix
Wet/Dry :35%|||||Lvl:0ff |Lvl:0.0dB
Out Gain :0.0dB|||Bal:0%||||Bal:0%
Allocation:Auto
<more||INPUT||FXBUS||AUXFX3|OUTPUT||more>
Edit
Exit
EditMultiFX:PARAM1|||||||||EffectSize:3/3
Algorithm:1|Panaural|Room
||||||||||||||||||||In|Gain|||:0.0dB
Wet/Dry|||:35%||||||Out|Gain||:0.0dB
Room|Size|:16.0m
Pre|Dly|||:4ms||| Decay|Time:2.9s
HF|Damping:15804Hz
<more||PARAM1|PARAM2||||||||||||||||more>
Figure 15-6 Bus Overrides in Place, But Not Engaged
Press Exit to go back to the FXBUS page.
To engage a bus override, you have to use it, which you do by moving the parameter away from
its nominal value on the FXBUS page. Do that, and then go back inside the FX preset.YouÕll see
that the value of the parameter youÕve changed is now shown as BusMod, meaning that the
FX preset parameter is under the control of the bus override.
15-13
Advanced KDFX
Effects Buses
EditStudio:FXBUS|PAU:3|Free:1||<>FXBus:1|
FX1||2||Big|Room|||||||||||Aux ||Mix
Wet/Dry :45%|||||Lvl:0ff |Lvl:0.0dB
Out Gain :1.0dB|||Bal:0%||||Bal:0%
Allocation:Auto
<more||INPUT||FXBUS||AUXFX||OUTPUT||more>
Edit
Exit
EditMultiFX:PARAM1|||||||||EffectSize:3/3
Algorithm:1|Panaural|Room
||||||||||||||||||||In|Gain|||:0.0dB
Wet/Dry|||:BusMod|||Out|Gain||:BusMod
Room|Size|:16.0m
Pre|Dly|||:4ms||| Decay|Time:2.9s
HF|Damping:15804Hz
<more||PARAM1|PARAM2||||||||||||||||more>
Figure 15-7 Bus Overrides Engaged
If you now change the parameter value from inside the FX preset, it breaks the bus override. By
doing this, however, you have changed the FX preset, and when you leave the FX preset you
will be asked if you wish to save it. If you then save the FX preset, the bus mod will be
permanently broken, but if you donÕt save the FX preset, it remains in its previous state, which
means the bus mod remains intact.
Since bus overrides are part of the studio, they are not saved permanently until the studio is
saved.
15-14
Changing the Bus Overrides
The default bus overrides that come up when you are working in a studio are often convenient,
but you arenÕt required to use them as they are. You can assign any two of the FX presetÕs
parameters to the bus overrides. (You cannot, however, assign both bus overrides to the same
parameter.) When you save the studio, the parameters youÕve selected for the bus overrides on
each FXBus are saved, along with their values.
If you set up a bus override and adjust a parameterÕs value, and then change your mind and
assign a different parameter to that override, the value of the Þrst parameter (the one no longer
assigned to a bus override) will revert to its original valueÑthat is, the value set inside the
FX preset. This can be a helpful feature, in that it means you can use bus overrides as a
ÒwindowÓ into an FX preset by scrolling through the various parameters. But keep in mind that
you canÕt use this method to tweak parameters, because as soon as you move on, the parameter
you tweaked gets Òuntweaked.Ó
Allocation
Understanding PAU allocation and how it works is very important for using KDFX to its fullest
potential.
What’s a PAU?
The basic unit of signal processing in KDFX is the Processing Allocation Unit, or PAU. There are
a total of 4 PAUs that can be split among the four insert FXBuses, and another 3 PAUs for the
Aux bus. These two sets of PAUs are distinct and are not interchangeable.
The number of PAUs on an FXBus is determined by the algorithm inside its FX preset. Different
algorithms require different numbers of PAUs, as shown in the Size parameter at the top of the
screen when you are on the FXBus edit page:
EditStudio:FXBUS|Size:2
or inside an FX preset:
EditFXPreset:PARAM1|||EffectSize:2/1
Advanced KDFX
Effects Buses
A simple delay, ßanger, compressor, exciter, or small reverb uses only 1 PAU. A complex phaser,
pitcher, or multiband tone control uses 2 PAUs. A really complicated reverb or graphic equalizer
may use 3 PAUs. Only a handful of really wild algorithms use 4 PAUs.
The Allocation parameter on each FXBUS page determines how many PAUs are available for the
FX preset assigned to that bus. If the parameter is set to 1, then only FX presets that use
algorithms requiring 1 PAU will be available for the bus. If you try to assign an FX preset that
requires more PAUs, its name will show up in parentheses, and the sound will pass through the
bus unprocessed.
If you know you want a certain FX preset in a particular FXBus, you can select it, and then set
the Allocation parameter for that bus to match the PAU requirements of the FX preset.
A PAU is a Terrible Thing to Waste
Be careful not to set the Allocation parameter too high. If you set it on some bus to 3, for
example, and you are using an FX preset on that bus that requires only 1 PAU, the other 2 PAUs
are being wasted, since they are not available to be assigned to other buses. The other busesÕ
Allocation parameters will not go higher than 1, and therefore no FX presets whose Size is
greater than 1 can be selected for any of them.
PAUs are normally allocated on a Þrst-come, Þrst-served basis. If you set one FXBus to a PAU of
3, then you will be able to set the Allocation on the next bus you set to 0 or 1 only. If you then set
that second bus to 1, then you wonÕt be able to set a value greater than 0 for any of the other
buses.
If you know that you wonÕt be using an FXBus, or that youÕll be using it only as a ÒdummyÓ to
route signals somewhere else, you can set its Allocation to 0.
Auto Allocation
On any of the buses, you can set Allocation to Auto. Auto means that the PAU allocation for that
bus will automatically adjust itself to the currently selected FX preset. However, Auto obviously
cannot create PAUs when they are in use elsewhere, and Allocations that have been manually
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Advanced KDFX
Effects Buses
set take precedence over Auto Allocations. So for example, if you set the Allocation of FXBus1
to 3, and set the Allocation of FXBus2 to Auto, the maximum number of PAUs available to
FXBus 2 is still only 1, and if you try to load a Size-2 FX preset into FXBus2, it wonÕt work and
the FX presetÕs name will show up in parentheses.
If all busesÕ Allocations are set to Auto, then PAUs are not allocated Þrst-come, Þrst-served, but
instead are allocated in numerical bus order: if an FX preset requiring 3 PAUs is loaded into
FXBus1, then only 1 PAU will be available for the other buses, regardless of which FX preset got
assigned to which bus Þrst.
A parameter called Free appears at the top of every FXBUS page, telling you how many PAUs in
the current studio are unallocated and available.
Effect Size
While youÕre editing an FX preset and selecting algorithms for it, the EffectSize parameter at the
upper right of the EditFXPreset page informs you of the PAU situation. The Þrst digit in this
parameterÕs value is the number of PAUs the currently selected algorithm requires, and the
second digit is the number that have been allocated to the bus, either manually or automatically.
If the Þrst digit is larger than the second, the algorithm is not available, and if you choose it, its
name will show up in parentheses and the sound will pass through unprocessedÑjust like an
unavailable FX preset on an FXBUS page.
If the FXBusÕs Allocation is Auto, when you change the algorithm inside the FXPreset Editor,
both digits of the EffectSize display will change. If you call up an algorithm that requires more
PAUs than are currently available, the second digit will change to 0Ñsince the algorithm canÕt
be loaded, the PAUs are freed up for use elsewhere.
Designing with PAUs
One simple way to use Allocations when designing a KDFX studio is to put all of the buses in
Auto, and start with your most complex processing on FXBus 1, then assign other FX presets to
the other buses as they are available.
PAUs on the Aux Bus
The Aux bus is a whole separate processor with 3 of its own PAUs. Allocation is not an issue
with the Aux bus, since its 3 PAUs are assigned to it permanently. (There is a fourth PAU in the
Aux bus, but it is used for mixing and routing, and so itÕs not available.)
Any FX preset with a PAU requirement of 1, 2, or 3 can be used. When editing the Aux bus,
thereÕs no need for an Allocation parameter or a Free parameter. However, when you are
scrolling through algorithms, the EffectSize parameter will be displayed, with its second digit
always 3. Should you try to access an algorithm on the Aux bus that requires 4 PAUs, the name
of that algorithm will be displayed in parentheses.
The Aux bus is generally used as a global processor, but it doesnÕt have to be. You can set up one
FXBus as a ÒdummyÓÑset its FX preset parameter to 0 NoneÑand send its output to the
Aux bus, and at the same time turn off the Aux sends from all the other buses. Now the Aux bus
can function as an insert FXBus, with 3 PAUs all its own. So if you run into trouble with PAUs on
the insert FXBuses and can sacriÞce a global effect, this is one solution.
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