Solid State Logic SSL, X-EQ, X-Verb User Guide

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www.solidstatelogic.com

Duende Native

User Guide

Duende Native. This is SSL.

Document History

December 2010 82BDNM01A Initial Release

IInnttrroodduuccttiioonn 11

elcome to the World of SSL

W About This Manual 1 Plug-in Tutorials and Support 1 About the SSL plug-in range 2

Channel Strip 2

tereo Bus Compressor

S X-Comp 3 X-EQ 4 Vocalstrip 5 Drumstrip 6 X-Verb 7

11.. SSooffttwwaarree SSeettuupp 99

Overview 9 System Requirements 10

Windows 10 Macintosh 10 Host Applications 10

Downloading the Software 11

Problems Downloading? 11 Installing the Software (Macintosh) 12 Installing the Software (Windows) 13 Creating an SSL Profile 14 Logging into the SSL website 14 Buying Plug-ins 15 Applying Activation Codes to your Profile 16

CD Activation Codes 16

Free Demo Activation Codes 16 Activating Plug-ins 17

22.. EEQQ && DDyynnaammiiccss CChhaannnneell SSttrriipp 1199

Introduction 19 Interface Techniques 20

Automation 20 Input Section 20 Filter Section 20 Equaliser Section 21 Dynamics Section 22

Compressor/Limiter 22

Expander/Gate 22

Dynamics Values 23

Side Chain Processing Order 23 Channel Processing Order 23 Output Section 23

33.. SStteerreeoo BBuuss CCoommpprreessssoorr 2255

Introduction 25

nterface Techniques

Control Parameters 25

44.. XX--CCoommpp 2277

ntroduction

I Interface Techniques 27

utomation

A Control Parameters 28

Plug-in Bypass 28

Presets 28

A-B comparisons 28

Knee 28

Max GR 28

Bleed 29

Auditioning Bleed Bands 29 Compressor Values 29

Input and Output Sections 30

Compression Law Graph 30

Bleed Graph 30

I/O Diff Graph 30

GR History 30

Colour of knobs 30

55.. XX--EEQQ 3311

Introduction 31 Interface Overview 31

EQ Graph Display 31

Input and Output Sections 32

Interface Techniques 32

Automation 32 EQ Configuration 33

Plug-in Bypass 33

Presets 33

A-B comparisons 33

Analyse 33

Parallel 34 EQ Parameter Values 34 EQ and Filter Shapes 35

Bell Shapes 35

Shelving Bands 36

Filter Shapes 36 EQ History 37

An Audio Engineer’s Best Friend 37

The Best of the Analogue and Digital Worlds 37

Analogue Parametric EQ Modelling 37

Non Linear-phase EQ 38

Parallel Passive EQ 38

66.. VVooccaallssttrriipp 3399

Introduction 39 Interface Overview 39

lug-in Bypass

Presets 40

-B Comparisons

Automation 40 Input and Output Sections 40 Vocalstrip Modules 40

De-esser 40

De-ploser 41

Equaliser 41

Compander 42

Processing Order 42

77.. DDrruummssttrriipp 4433

Introduction 43 Interface Overview 43

Plug-in Bypass 43

Automation 43 Input and Output Sections 44 Drumstrip Modules 44

Gate 44

Transient Shaper 45

HF and LF Enhancers 46

Listen Mic Compressor 46

Processing Order 46

88.. XX--VVeerrbb 4477

Interface Overview 47

Plug-in Bypass 47

Automation 47

Presets 48

A-B Comparisons and Morphing 48

The Graph Display 48

Input and Output Levels 49

Mix Levels 49

Image Control 50 X-Verb Configuration 51

Kill Tail Button 51

1. Select an Algorithm or Preset. 51

2. Adjust the Primary Parameters 52

3. Adjust the Detail Parameters 53

Detail Parameter Ranges and Descriptions 56

ER Menu 56

REV Menu 57

AAppppeennddiixx:: CCrroossss--ggrraaddee 5599

ross-grade Eligibility Conditions

C Additional Conditions 59 Who Gets What? 59

here is the Catch?

W FAQs 60

uende Native Cross-grade Installation

Introduction

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF SSL

Congratulations on purchasing SSL’s Duende Native plug-ins. Duende Native delivers a taste of the SSL mix experience – powerful channel and dynamics processing, the legendary Stereo Bus Compressor, plus a variety of contemporary audio tools developed by SSL to provide you with extensive processing versatility.

SSL is a company that has built its considerable reputation on excellence in audio production. With the rise in popularity of DAWs, there was an increasing demand to bring SSL’s values and sonic signature to the world of plug-ins. Duende was our response to that demand. Duende was the result of our unique understanding of SSL’s sonic heritage coupled with years of DSP development in SSL's digital console range.

Initially to bring Duende to life, we took the DSP heart of our acclaimed C-Series consoles and transplanted it into a hardware plug-in host. As native processing has become faster, the ability to run the sophisticated Duende plug-in algorithms efficiently in the host CPU has removed the need for additional DSP, while still leaving the DAW to deliver smooth workflow. Duende Native plug-ins deliver the same acclaimed sonic performance as their hardware DSP predecessors, but also offer the convenience and reliability of a complete ‘in the box’ solution.

Duende is a term used in flamenco connected to magic, spirit and passion, it’s a name that evokes all that we've achieved with this product – and all we hope it will inspire its users to achieve.

ABOUT THIS MANUAL

This manual starts with a complete overview of the processes involved in installing and authorising your plug-ins then going on to a detailed description of all seven of the plug-ins in the Duende Native range.

Please note that the procedures involved in using plug-ins within your host application are not covered in this manual. Please refer to your host application’s user guide for more information on how to use plug-ins in general.

If you are reading this on-screen, you will find that a number of helpful hyperlinks have been included, providing easy navigation around the manual, as well as quick access to key parts of the SSL website.

PLUG-IN TUTORIALS AND SUPPORT

If you would like any advice or support about your SSL plug-ins, the SSL website has an extensive support FAQ section:

www.solidstatelogic.com/support

SSL have created a number of tutorials which provide plug-in users with clear explanations and expert advice on signal processing techniques. They include Pro Tools, Logic and Cubase/Nuendo project files which allow you to experience real-life examples of the techniques within the Duende plug-ins. These are located within the Duende Product section of the SSL website:

www.solidstatelogic.com/music/duende native/tutorials.asp

You can access these tutorials by clicking the Tutorial icon on the right – these icons are also found throughout the manual.

click here for

on-line

tutorials

Duende Native User Guide Page 1

ABOUT THE SSL PLUG-IN RANGE

Channel Strip

The EQ and Dynamics Channel Strip plug-in is based on the EQ and compressor sections of the XL 9000 K Series console. SSL were the first mixing console manufacturer to feature dynamics and EQ on every channel on an in-line console with the SL 4000 B Series in 1977. The plug-in includes separate high and low pass filters, an independent compressor/limiter and gate/expander, a four band parametric equalizer which is assignable to the dynamics sidechain, variable processing order as well as input and output gain adjustment and phase inversion.

Stereo Bus Compressor

The Stereo Bus Compressor plug-in is a stereo version of the legendary centre section stereo bus compressor found on the XL 9000 K Series console. It provides high quality stereo compression, giving you critical control over the dynamic range of audio signals.

Uses may include inserting the bus compressor over a stereo mix which has the effect of ‘gluing’ the mix together whilst still maintaining a big sound. The dynamics of drum overheads or whole drum kits can be controlled very effectively with the bus compressor. As it is available as either a stereo or mono plug-in the bus compressor can be used for practically any application that requires superior compression.

Page 2 Duende Native User Guide

-Comp

-Comp can deliver the transparent audio finesse of a mastering grade stereo compressor or be driven to inject character and

aw power to rival the SSL Listen Mic Compressor. In X-Comp we haven’t just modelled a particular compressor, but have

rovided a set of features and controls that allow the emulation of many vintage and modern compression designs based on

well loved SSL feed forward compressor algorithm.

Key Features

• Dual symmetrical knee design allows detailed shaping of the compression characteristic

• Advanced side chain architecture using 1st order filters delivers user friendly Frequency Dependant Parallel Compression

• Amplitude Histogram and Gain Reduction history displays provide advanced real time pre/post signal analysis

• Max Gain Reduction control provides genuine vintage compressor characteristics

• Intuitive user interface with drag and move graphic, mouse wheel and numeric editing

• A/B facility for instant comparison of two different compression set ups

• Proprietary preset management functions providing compatibility between all DAW platforms

• Global latency free bypass

• Superb mastering grade audio quality delivered by Duende’s 64-bit floating point engine

• Preset library based on settings used by some of the worlds top mixing engineers

Duende Native User Guide Page 3

-EQ

-EQ is a versatile and comprehensive mastering grade parametric EQ plug-in built from the ground up for Duende. It has an

nprecedented clarity, smoothness, and excellent high-frequency response. A total of 10 EQ bands are provided, split into

edicated HP and LP filters, LF and HF shelves and 6 bell bands. A Parallel EQ mode is also provided which recreates the

haracteristic sound of an old parallel passive PEQ circuit built with inductors and capacitors.

Key Features

• 10 band fully parametric high quality digital EQ

• A total of 16 different filter types: 5 different cut filters, 9 bell shapes, shelving filters and a parallel mode

• Extensive control options including dragable EQ graph nodes, mouse wheel adjustment and numerical data entry

• Extremely low noise and low non-linear distortion filter algorithms resulting in the residual THD+N significantly lower than 24-bit quantisation noise

• Comprehensive stereo/mono peak (with clip-hold), RMS and dynamic history metering at input and output

• Different bell filter types are all normalised to look identical at +6dB boost allowing for quick comparison between filter types

• Proprietary preset management functions providing compatibility between all major DAW platforms

• A/B functionality for easy comparison of any two settings

• Individual band bypass

• Global latency free bypass

• Real-time FFT Analyser showing the result of the EQ processing on the audio spectrum

• Superb mastering grade audio quality delivered by Duende’s 64-bit floating point engine

• Preset library based on settings used by some of the worlds top mixing engineers

Page 4 Duende Native User Guide

ocalstrip

ocalstrip is a one stop solution for superior vocal processing, with all the tools you need to take your vocal sound into the

ajor league. Vocalstrip features 4 configurable processing blocks to take care of unwanted artefacts, dynamics and

qualisation and extensive metering and visual feedback give you invaluable information during your work.

Key Features

• Intelligent De-esser

• Intelligent De-ploser

• 3 band EQ

• Compander featuring compression, downwards expansion and output drive

• Extensive visual feedback including a real-time FFT analyser showing the result of the EQ processing on the audio spectrum

• Complete control over process order

• Extensive control options including mouse wheel adjustment and numerical data entry

• Proprietary preset management functions providing compatibility between all DAW platforms

• A/B functionality for easy comparison of any two settings

• Global latency free bypass

• Superb mastering grade audio quality delivered by Duende’s 64-bit floating point engine

• Preset library based on settings used by some of the worlds top mixing engineers

Duende Native User Guide Page 5

rumstrip

he Drumstrip plug-in for Duende brings a unique blend of tools to the Duende Native platform, which provides an

nprecedented amount of control over the transient and spectral elements of drum and percussion tracks. Manipulation

hich previously may have been time-consuming or impossible with traditional EQ and dynamics processing becomes elegant

nd rewarding with SSL Drumstrip.

Key Features

• Transient shaper capable of drastically changing the attack characteristics of rhythmic tracks. An audition mode makes for easy setup

• Highly controllable Gate featuring both open and close thresholds, attack, hold, release and range control

• SSL Listen Mic Compressor – as featured in the LMC-1 plug-in – with extra functionality

• Separate high and low frequency enhancers provide spectral control not achievable with traditional EQ

• Peak and RMS metering on both input and output

• Wet/dry controls on both the main output and the LMC, allow parallel processing to be easily dialled in

• Process order control over all five sections gives complete flexibility over the serial signal chain

• Latency-free bypass of all processing

Page 6 Duende Native User Guide

-Verb

-Verb is a versatile and comprehensive studio grade reverberation plug-in, delivering the density, warmth, depth and

tunning detail usually only associated with high class hardware reverb units. The use of innovative Diffusion Engines and

nnovative processing design provides superior performance that surpasses other Reverb Plug-Ins in both artistic freedom,

epth and sonic quality. This plug-in may well provide all the different Reverb options you will ever need.

Key Features

• Unique and modular SSL HiD Reverb Algorithm Engine

• 4 Core Algorithms create a complete collection of processors

• Quick Controls panel to easily alter the superb Presets

• Stunning Graphical User Interface to access the detailed parameter set

• Automatable Morphing feature to dynamically morph from one preset to another

Duende Native User Guide Page 7

Blank page – well, nearly.

Page 8 Duende Native User Guide

1. Software Setup

OVERVIEW

In order to get your SSL software working, here are the steps you will need to go through:

With a CD

Without a CD

Free Demo

Install the software

from the CD

Download

the software

Download

the software

Install

the software

Install

the software

Create an SSL

Profile and log in

Create an SSL

Profile and log in

Create an SSL

Profile and log in

Apply Licence

to your Profile

Buy your

plug-ins

Apply demo licence

to your Profile

Activate your

plug-ins

Activate your

plug-ins

Activate your

plug-ins

Duende Cross-grade

Download

the software

Install

the software

Log into your

SSL Profile

Cross-grade

your plug-ins

Re-activate

your plug-ins

Each of these steps will be covered over the following pages. There is a good chance that you are already some way through this process – feel free to jump to the appropriate section.

You can navigate to any of the sections by clicking on the appropriate blue box. If you would like more information on any stage of the setup process, please refer to the Duende Native area of the SSL website.

Cross-grade: This option is for users who already have a Duende unit and wish to take advantage of the

free cross-grade offer. Please see the Appendix for details, terms and conditions.

Duende Native User Guide Page 9

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

efore starting the process, you may want to confirm that no upgrades to your computer or its software are required to run

uende Native:

Windows

- Windows XP, Vista or 7 (32- or 64-bit versions)

- Intel Core2 (or comparable) CPU running at 2GHz or higher

- 2GB of RAM minimum

Duende Native does not support Pentium or Celeron CPUs

Macintosh

- Intel Macintosh running at 1.83 GHz or higher

- OSX 10.5.8 or higher

- 2GB of RAM minimum

Duende Native does not support Power PC Macintosh.

Host Applications

Duende Native is designed to run within the following host applications:

- SSL Soundscape v6

- Steinberg Cubase v5.5

- Steinberg Nuendo v5

- Apple Logic v9

- Pro Tools v8

- Ableton Live v8.1

- Sonar v8

- Reaper v3

- Studio One

Duende Native has been tested in the above applications and is compatible. However, it will work with virtually any VST/AU host, including those which have not been tested. Please refer to the Duende Native

FAQs for updated compatibility information.

Page 10 Duende Native User Guide

DOWNLOADING THE SOFTWARE

f you do not have a Duende CD, you can download the software from www.solidstatelogic.com. Note that you do not need

o buy plug-ins to download , though you will need to register on the SSL website before you can use them. To use them for

ore than one month, you will need to buy authorisation, as described on Page 19.

To download the software, go to www.solidstatelogic.com by the MUSIC entry in the drop-down which appears, and click on Duende Native in the second drop-down which appears. Select the Downloads tab to be taken to the page shown below. Alternatively, just click on the page displayed here in the pdf:

, hover over the PRODUCTS tab (at the top of the page) followed

There are three download boxes, for Macintosh, 32-bit Windows machines and 64-bit Windows machines. Click on the Download label within the appropriate download box, and the download will start automatically.

It is important that Windows users install the correct software version – please refer to your PC’s User Guide to establish which of the following host/OS permutations applies to you:

32-bit Windows, 32-bit Host: 32-bit installer required (the 64-bit installer will not run on 32-bit Windows);

64-bit Windows, 32-bit Host: 32-bit installer required (the installer detects that Windows is 64-bit and installs 64-bit

CodeMeter, but installs 32-bit plug-ins – see next page for more explanation);

64-bit Windows, 64-bit Host: 64-bit installer required;

64-bit Windows, Separate 32-bit and 64-bit Hosts: both installers required!

Problems Downloading?

If the download is very slow, click on the drop-down box at the bottom of the download box, and select a different location number (1, 2, 3 or 4) within your geographical area (see right).

If the download doesn’t work, check that your computer meets the system requirements on the following page, and check that you have downloaded the correct version.

Note that the SSL website has a support FAQ section. Click here to be taken there…

Duende Native User Guide Page 11

INSTALLING THE SOFTWARE (MACINTOSH)

nstallation on Macintosh requires that CodeMeter be installed before Duende Native. Locate the Duende Native installer.

• If you have a Duende Native CD, both installers will be found on the CD.

• If you have downloaded Duende Native from the SSL Website, the installers will both be contained within the Duende Native disk image file that you downloaded; double click this file to mount the disk image.

Run the CodeMeter Installer by double-clicking the CodeMeter Runtime package. Follow the instructions within the installer. You will then need to restart your computer.

Once your computer has restarted, open once again either the CD or the disk image file and locate the Duende Native Plug-ins package. Double-click this package to run the installer:

You will be taken through a number of screens, eventually reaching one which lists the Duende Native plug-ins. Uncheck any of them which you do not wish to install:

Continue to follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Page 12 Duende Native User Guide

INSTALLING THE SOFTWARE (WINDOWS)

ocate the Duende Native installer, either on the Duende Native Installer CD, or in your computer’s downloads

older. The installer application is named Duende Native Setup 32-bit for 32-bit Digital Audio Workstations, or

uende Native Setup 64-bit for 64-bit Digital Audio Workstations.

Double-click on the icon, and an installer window will open:

You will be taken through a number of screens, eventually reaching one which lists the Duende Native plug-ins. Uncheck any of them which you do not wish to install:

Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Duende Native User Guide Page 13

CREATING AN SSL PROFILE

n order to authorise your SSL software, you need to create an SSL profile:

Go to www.solidstatelogic.com on the picture below will take you there:

Fill in your details and click on the Create New Account button at the bottom of the page.

and click on REGISTER, located in the top right-hand corner of the SSL home page. Clicking

You will be sent a password by email. Once you have received this email, you are ready to continue.

LOGGING INTO THE SSL WEBSITE

To log into the SSL website, go to www.solidstatelogic.com and click on LOG IN in the top right-hand corner. Clicking on the picture below will take you there:

Type your username you created and the password sent to you by email, and click on the Log in button below the password.

Page 14 Duende Native User Guide

BUYING PLUG-INS

ou must have an SSL profile and be logged into the SSL website to buy plug-ins. Please refer to the previous page for

nformation about creating and logging into a profile.

When you log into the website, you are automatically taken to the MySSL area. To navigate there from elsewhere in the website, click on your name in the top right-hand corner of the screen.

In the Product Catalogue down the left-hand side of the MySSL area, click on Duende Native to be taken to the Duende Native store:

Select the plug-ins you wish to purchase by clicking on their Add to Cart buttons and complete the check-out and purchase processes. You will automatically be taken to the My Products section of MySSL to activate your plug-ins.

Duende Native User Guide Page 15

APPLYING ACTIVATION CODES TO YOUR PROFILE

CD Activation Codes

If you bought your plug-ins on CD, you must apply your activation codes to your profile before you can activate them. To do this, log into your profile then go to www.solidstatelogic.com/duendenativepacks and follow the on-screen instructions.

To locate your activation code, open your CD sleeve and you will find it on a sticker on the left-hand panel. It is 18 to 20 characters long, in the format: XXXXX–XXXXX–XXX–XXXXX (note that the third set of digits may be three, four or five digits).

Free Demo Activation Codes

Before you can activate any free demos you have downloaded, you need to apply them to your SSL Profile. To do this, log into the SSL website, as described on Page 18. Then hover over the PRODUCTS tab (at the top of the page) followed by the MUSIC entry in the drop-down which appears, and click on Duende Native in the second drop-down which appears. Select the Free Demo tab to be taken to the page shown below. Alternatively, just click on the page displayed here in the pdf:

Read the on-screen instructions and click on the I Want A Demo button. This will send free demo licences to your Profile.

Plug-in Expiration

When your plug-in demo period comes to an end, the plug-in will stop working. When this occurs on Macintosh the plug-in will appear glassed over – as shown left for the Stereo Bus Compressor.

When this happens, you will be eligible for another 7 day free demo after 30 days. Go to the web page shown above for full details of further free demo licences.

Alternatively, you can re-activate your plug-ins permanently by going to the MySSL area of the SSL website and purchasing full licences, as described on the previous and following pages.

Page 16 Duende Native User Guide

ACTIVATING PLUG-INS

ote that if you have purchased your plug-ins on CD or are using a free demo, you will need to apply activation codes to your

rofile before activating them, as described on the previous page.

You must be logged into your Profile on the SSL website to authorise your plug-ins. Please refer to Page 18 for information about creating and logging into a profile.

When you log into the website or complete a plug-in purchase, you are automatically taken to the MySSL area. To navigate there from elsewhere in the website, click on your name in the top right-hand corner of the screen.

Go to the My Products tab within your profile, which will look similar to the below:

If you have applied demo licences to your Profile, there will be a list of plug-ins titled Native Software - Demo. To activate your free demo periods on any plug-ins, click on the activate now label for one of the plug-ins in the list.

If you have applied full licences to your Profile, there will be a list of plug-ins titled Native Software. To activate your purchased plug-ins, click on the activate now label for one of them in the list.

You will be taken to the SSL Online Licence Centre:

Duende Native User Guide Page 17

Note that the Duende Native encryption is based upon ‘CodeMeter’. You may have other products licenced under CodeMeter, and you may have a USB hardware CodeMeter dongle.

t is important to read the on-screen instructions before clicking on Continue to the Licence Centre at the bottom of the page:

A list of plug-ins will appear. Click on the individual Activate Now labels to complete the activation process. If you are ready to activate all of the licences listed, click on Activate all my licences.

Your plug-ins should now be installed and activated, and should appear in the plug-in list within your host application. You can run Duende plug-ins simultaneously with your other plug-ins in any combination. Below are the locations of Duende plug-ins in common audio applications:

Logic: Audio Units > SSL Cubase/Nuendo: Solid State Logic Pro Tools: Wrapped Plug-ins

Page 18 Duende Native User Guide

2. EQ & Dynamics Channel Strip

INTRODUCTION

The EQ & Dynamics Channel Strip plug-in provides a complete SSL channel strip, modeled on the XL 9000 K Series console, and includes high and low pass filters, a four band equalizer, compressor/limiter and gate/expander. The channel strip can run in mono or stereo.

Before examining the plug-in in detail, the diagram below provides an operational overview. If you are unfamiliar with any of the operations described, you may also want to view SSL’s on-line tutorials (See Page 5 for details). Click on any section of the plug-in to be taken to its description:

Above the main plug-in window is a set of controls

which are specific to your host application.

Please refer to your host application’s user guide

or guidelines on using these controls

Turn filter knobs

up to engage.

Black filters LF,

Purple filters HF.

BELL switches low and

high EQ bands from shelf

to parametric mode.

Internal plug-in

bypass for smoother

A/B comparisons

Filters

DYN S/C assigns Filters and/or

EQ to dynamics side chain.

E switches EQ characteristics between

SSL E and G Series consoles

click here for

on-line

tutorials

EQ IN

activates EQ

Turn up

input gain

to a

suitable

level

PK switches signal detection between

Peak and RMS modes

Input

Signal Processing Order display

DYN IN

engages

Dynamics

Compression

and Expansion

meters

EXP switches between Gate and Expander

Dynamics

To activate Compressor

turn up RATIO

FAST ATT introduces a fast attack

To activate Gate/Expander turn up RANGE

S/C LISTEN

routes Dynamics

side chain to

channel output

Output

When adjustments

are complete, correct

the output gain to a

suitable level.

Duende Native User Guide Page 19

INTERFACE TECHNIQUES

To press a switch in a plugin, simply click on it.

•

To turn a knob, click on it, and drag it up and to the right (as shown right). If your mouse has a scroll

• heel, you can also turn knobs by hovering over them and turning the scroll wheel.

+ Drag

lick

• To turn a knob slowly for fine adjustments, hold

• To reset a knob to its default value, click on it whilst holding Ctrl (Windows) or ⌘(Macintosh).

• To view the value for any knob, hover over the knob cap with the mouse.

The current value will appear immediately above the knob (shown right).

Shift on your keyboard whilst turning.

Place mouse

over knob

Value will

appear above

Automation

Every plug-in parameter can be automated in host applications which support automation. The method for recording and editing automation varies from host to host. For specific instructions on using automation within the host, consult the host application documentation.

INPUT SECTION

Turn the GAIN knob to control the level of the incoming audio signal. The post-gain signal level is shown to its left. As a rough guide, the ‘-6’ yellow indicator should occasionally comes on but the red ‘0’ indicator should remain off.

Press Ø to invert the phase of the input signal.

FILTER SECTION

There are two filters in the Filter section:

• The black knob controls an 18dB/Octave high pass filter (20Hz to 500Hz).

• The purple knob controls a 12dB/Octave low pass filter (3kHz to 22kHz ).

Filters are inactive when turned fully left (OUT). Turn them clockwise to move the filter frequency in from its extremity.

To place the Filters straight after the input control, press INPUT (see previous page), and to switch the Filters into the Dynamics sidechain, press DYN SC (see Page 27 for more info). Note that these switches cancel each other out.

Page 20 Duende Native User Guide

EQUALISER SECTION

10 100 1k 10k 20k

-5.0

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

5.0

Amplitude (dBr) v Frequency (Hz)Channel Equaliser Curves

'G type'

'E type'

Both

0.0

25.0

20 100 1k 10k 100k

-5.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

0.0

Amplitude (dBr) v Frequency (Hz)Channel Equaliser Curves

G type"

'E type'

o use the EQ, switch it into circuit by pressing the EQ IN switch.

The EQ section has four bands, each with it’s own knob colour. All bands have gain and frequency control. The low (LF) and high (HF) bands are shelved by default (as shown below) but can be switched to a bell shape (parametric) by pressing the

BELL button. The low-mid (LMF) and high-mid (HMF) bands also have Q control:

Band LF LMF HMF HF

Frequency

range

Gain range

Q range

40Hz – 600Hz 200Hz – 2kHz 600Hz – 7kHz 1.5kHz – 22kHz

±16.5dB ±20dB ±20dB ±20dB

– 0.5 – 2.5 0.5 – 2.5 –

Press the E to switch the EQ emulation from G Series to E Series consoles. The diagrams to the right display the difference between them:

G Series: The bell curve has a more rounded shape at low gains, and the shelf

curve overshoots zero slightly at the base of the curve. G Series EQ is more subtle and is generally more suited to instruments and vocals.

E Series: The bell curve is slightly more pointed, and there is no overshoot on the

shelf curve. E Series EQ is more aggressive and is therefore better for removing problem frequencies. It is generally more suited to drums.

Note. At full boost or cut both curves are identical.

To switch the EQ into the Dynamics sidechain, press DYN SC (see Page 27 for more info).

Duende Native User Guide Page 21

DYNAMICS SECTION

he Dynamics section comprises a Compressor/Limiter and an Expander/Gate. Both sections work

ndependently but can be operational at the same time, providing sophisticated control of signal levels. The

iagrams down the right-hand side of the page give a simplified overview what each control represents – If

ou are unfamiliar with any of the operations described, you may want to view SSL’s on-line tutorials (See

age 5 for details).

Press DYN IN to switch the Dynamics into circuit. To place the Dynamics before the EQ in the signal chain, press the PRE EQ switch (See Page 27 for more info on processing order).

Compressor/Limiter

To activate the Compressor/Limiter, turn the RATIO knob so that it’s ratio is no longer 1:1.

To turn the compressor into a ∞:1 limiter, turn the knob fully to the right.

input level

Threshold

click here for

on-line

tutorials

full scale

Ratio

There is no gain makeup control as the T/HOLD

(threshold) knob controls both the level at which gain reduction is introduced and the gain make-up, keeping the output level steady regardless of the compression.

RELEASE controls how quickly the level returns to normal after the input level has dropped below the threshold (measured in seconds). The attack time is adjusted automatically to match the audio. To choose a constantly fast attack time, press the FAST ATT switch.

Press the PK button to switch from RMS to peak signal detection. In normal RMS mode the compressor reacts to the average signal level, and has a soft knee characteristic. When switched to peak mode, it responds to peak signal level and introduces a hard knee characteristic, resulting in more dramatic compression.

The level of compression being introduced is shown in the left-hand of the two meters in the centre of the Dynamics section.

Expander/Gate

To activate the Expander/Gate, turn the RANGE knob so that it’s range is no longer zero. The green indicators in the right-hand of the two meters in the centre of the Dynamics section show the amount of gain reduction being introduced.

By default, the Expander/Gate section functions as a gate. To switch to the expander, press the EXP switch.

The THRESHOLD function uses different levels to ‘open’ the gate to audio and to ‘close’ it again –the level at which the expander opens is higher than the level at which it closes again. In other words, when the expander is opened, it stays open until the signal level crosses the quieter ‘close’ threshold. This is known as hysteresis and is very useful as it allows instruments to decay more naturally. The word ‘Threshold’ normally refers to the ‘open’ threshold.

Attack

Release

change in 0utput level

input level

Threshold

Higher ratio

(steeper) for gates

1:1 ratio

below and

above range

Gradient is

shallow or flat

for limiters

output level

time

Full scale

Range

Ratio

output level

HOLD controls the delay before the signal level starts reducing again, and RELEASE controls how quickly the level then reduces. Note that the RELEASE interacts with the RANGE, which determines the depth of gain reduction.

The attack time (the time taken for the Expander/Gate to ‘recover’ once the signal level is above the ‘deactivate’ threshold) is normally set to 1.5ms per 40dB. Press the FAST ATT switch to introduce a faster attack time of 100µs per 40dB. This is useful when gating signals with a steep rising edge, such as drums.

change in 0utput level

Hold

Attack

Page 22 Duende Native User Guide

time

Release

ynamics Values

he value ranges associated with the dynamics controls are as follows:

Ratio Threshold / Range Release time Attack time

Compressor 1:1 to ∞:1

Expander

Gate: 40:1

xpander: 2:1

–20dB to +10dB 0.1s to 4s

30dB to +10dB

ange: 0dB to 40dB

hold 0s to 4s

elease 0.1s to 4s

3ms to 30ms (automatic) 3ms in Fast Attack

1.5ms /40dB 00µs /40dB in Fast Attack

Side Chain Processing Order

The EQ and filter sections can be assigned to the Dynamics sidechains, allowing for advanced processes like de-essing. This is done using the DYN S/C switches in the respective sections.

The Process Order display at the base of the plug-in window indicates the sidechain assignments, as shown to the right. Both EQ and filter sections can be assigned to the sidechain together, in which case the EQ precedes the filter.

To listen to the signal feeding the side chain, press the S/C LISTEN button in the Output section to route the side chain signal to the channel output.

Note. Remember to cancel the S/C LISTEN button once you have finished auditioning the side chain!

CHANNEL PROCESSING ORDER

Signal processing order is shown in the graphic at the bottom of the plug-in window. The default plug-in order is Filters ® EQ ® Dynamics.

To place the after the EQ section, deactivate the INPUT switch in the Filters section The INPUT indicator should go off.

To place the Dynamics before the EQ, press the PRE EQ switch in the Dynamics section.

When the INPUTand PRE EQ switch are active simultaneously, the processing order becomes Filters ® Dynamics ® EQ.

OUTPUT SECTION

The Output section allows you to ensure that the signal retains a good level after all the signal processing. The signal level is shown to the right of the knob. As a rough guide, the ‘-6’ yellow indicator should occasionally comes on but the red ‘0’ indicator should remain off.

S/C LISTEN routes the sidechain directly to the output, so you can monitor the sidechain signal.

Duende Native User Guide Page 23

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Page 24 Duende Native User Guide

3. Stereo Bus Compressor

INTRODUCTION

The compressor can be run in mono or stereo modes and can be used for practically any application that requires superior compression. For example, place it over a stereo mix to ‘glue’ the mix together whilst still maintaining a big sound, or use it on drum overheads or whole drum kits for very effective control of drum dynamics.

INTERFACE TECHNIQUES

• To press a switch in a plugin, simply click on it.

• To turn a knob, click on it, and drag it up and to the right (as shown right). If your mouse has a scroll wheel, you can also turn knobs by hovering over them and turning the scroll wheel.

• To turn a knob slowly for fine adjustments, hold Shift on your keyboard whilst turning. To reset a knob to its default value, click on it whilst holding Ctrl (Windows) or ⌘(Macintosh).

• To view the value for any knob, hover over the knob cap with the mouse. The current value will appear immediately above the knob (shown left).

Every plug-in parameter can be automated in host applications which supports automation. The method for recording and editing automation varies from host to host. For specific instructions on using automation with the host consult the host application documentation.

k + Drag

lic

Value

appears here

when mouse

is over knob

click here for

on-line

tutorials

CONTROL PARAMETERS

Below is a description of the Stereo Bus Compressor’s parameters, as shown in the diagrams to the right. If you are unfamiliar with how to use any of the parameters described, please refer to SSL’s on-line tutorials (See Page 5 for details).

Compression Meter

Shows gain reduction in dB

THRESHOLD

Controls level at which gain

reduction is introduced.

Continuously variable:

–20dB to +20dB.

ATTACK

Controls response time

when Threshold is crossed.

Choose between:

0.1, 0.3, 1, 3, 10 and 30ms.

RATIO

Controls the degree of

compression.

Choose between:

2:1, 4:1 and 20:1.

MAKE-UP

Controls level

compensation to offset

compressor action.

Continuously variable:

–5dB to +15dB.

RELEASE

Controls how quickly

level returns to normal.

Choose between

0.1, 0.3, 0.6, or

1.2 seconds, or Auto. Auto: release time is

dependant upon

duration of signal peak.

COMP IN

Switches the

compressor in and out

of the signal path.

input level

Make-up

Attack

change in 0utput level

full scale

Threshold

Ratio

Gradient is

shallow or flat

for limiters

output level

Release

time

Duende Native User Guide Page 25

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Page 26 Duende Native User Guide

4. X-Comp

INTRODUCTION

The illustration below gives an overview of some of the X-Comp features which are described in full over the following pages. Click on the blue boxes to be taken to fuller descriptions of their contents.

Interactive compressor

display with draggable nodes

Above the main plug-in

window is a set of controls

which are specific to your

ost application.

Please refer to your host

application’s user guide

for guidelines on using

these controls

Internal bypass for smooth

in/out comparisons

Input level metering

and control

Switch between main and

alternative plug-in settings

IO Diff display displays the

signal’s dynamic range.

Bleed section allows LF and HF bands to bypass

the compressor. Display includes draggable nodes

GR History displays gain

reduction over last second

Defeat button for

auditioning bleed signal

Output level

metering and control

INTERFACE TECHNIQUES

To press a switch in a plugin, simply click on it. A green surround indicates that the switch is in its active state.

Click + Drag

Threshold

Automation

To turn a knob, click on it, and drag it up and to the right. If your mouse has a scroll wheel, you can also turn knobs by hovering over them and turning the scroll wheel.

To control Input and Output levels, click and drag upwards (see right).

To move any control slowly for fine adjustments, hold Shift on your keyboard whilst turning. To reset a knob to its default value, click on it whilst holding Ctrl (Windows) or ⌘(Macintosh).

To enter a precise value for any parameter, double-click on its value display, enter a value on your computer keyboard, and press the Return key.

Threshold and Ratio values can also be controlled directly within the Compression Law display. Move the pink node along its line to control the Threshold, and move the blue node up and down to control the ratio.

Ratio

The bleed bands can be adjusted in a similar way, as described on Page 33.

Click + Drag

Duende Native User Guide Page 27

CONTROL PARAMETERS

Plug-in Bypass

The In/Out switch located above the Input section provides an internal plug-in bypass. This allows for smoother In/Out comparisons by avoiding the latency issues associated with the host application’s Bypass function.

The button must be ‘lit’ for the compressor to be in circuit (as shown right).

Presets

The Load and Save buttons at the base of the screen provide quick access to the host application’s Import

and Save Settings functions. For specific instructions on using presets within the host, consult the host application documentation. Presets use a standard file format which allows them to be moved between a variety of platforms and host applications.

A file of ready-made X-Comp presets are included in the plug-in installation. These provide starting points for a variety of instruments and effects. To load SSL presets, click on the Load button and navigate as follows:

Macintosh: Windows:

/Applications/Solid State Logic/Presets/X-Comp c:\program files\solid state logic\presets\X-Comp

A-B comparisons

The A B button at the base of the screen allows you to load two completely independent set ups and compare them quickly. When the plug-in is opened, setting A is selected by default, as shown right. Pressing the A B button will switch between setting A and setting B.

You may wish to use this function to compare two very similar settings or to keep a ‘maybe’ setting in reserve if your current one does not work out.

Common Compressor Parameters

click here for

on-line

tutorials

Knee

The Knee controls how focussed the threshold level is:

- With a hard knee (knob at minimum) the compressor’s parameters all come into

force at precisely the point at which the threshold is crossed. In the Compression Law diagram, this is shown by a sharp change in gradient at the threshold.

- With a soft knee, the ratio is introduced gradually, starting below the threshold

and reaching its full value above the threshold. In the Compression Law graph, this is shown by a curve in the gradient around the threshold.

The diagrams down the right-hand side of the page give a simplified overview what each control represents, as shown in the Compression Law display in the centre of the plug-in window. If you are unclear about how the Thresh (threshold), Ratio, Attack, Release and Make up work, please refer to SSL’s on-line tutorials (See Page 5 for details).

input level

Make-up

Attack

full scale

Thresh

Max GR

Ratio

Hard knee: sharp Soft knee: curved

Release

output level

The Knee control affects both the main threshold point and the Max GR point (see below) in equal measure.

Operational tip. A hard knee allows for greater precision, but can sound more obvious. A soft knee generally provides a more transparent result.

change in 0utput level

time

Max GR

The Max GR (Maximum Gain Reduction) allows you to set a limit on how much gain reduction can be introduced, replicating the performance of older optical compressors (as shown in the upper diagram to the right). With a Max GR of 20dB, for example, any signals that would normally be reduced by more than 20dB will be attenuated by 20dB. By only compressing the middle of the dynamic range, you can exert some general dynamic control whilst still preserving the affect of a signal’s peaks.

Page 28 Duende Native User Guide

leed

he Bleed controls, located at the bottom of the X-Comp plug-in window, allow you to remove the compressor’s effect from

igh and low frequencies. Frequencies outside the mid-band bypass the compressor and are recombined with the compressed

ignal at the output. Note that the bypassed signal is not affected by the Make up gain.

Mid-band is compressed in the normal way

input

Click

LF bypass

region

‘Cross-fade’ regions

defined by bleed %

HF bypass

region

bypass

The frequencies and slope of the bleed-band filters are indicated either side of the graph; LF to the left and HF to the right. The slope is measured in percentage.

The bleed bands can be adjusted by clicking on the values in the displays and dragging up and right in the usual way. Alternatively, they can be adjusted directly using the nodes in the display – brown for low frequencies and blue for high frequencies. Move the nodes horizontally to control frequency and vertically to control percentage

Auditioning Bleed Bands

To listen to the bleed bands on their own, press the Defeat button, located below the Make up gain. This mutes the compressed signal, so only the bypass portion of the signal is heard.

COMPRESSOR VALUES

The table below lists the ranges of all of X-Comp’s parameters:

output

Frequency

Parameter Min Max

Input gain –36db +12dB

Threshold –48dB +12dB

Ratio 1:1 50:1

Knee 0dB 40dB

Max GR 20dB 60dB

Attack time 0.5ms 100ms

Release time 1ms 2000ms

Make up gain –6dB +36dB

LF Bleed 30Hz 300Hz

HF Bleed 2kHz 12kHz

Bleed slopes 0% 100%

Output gain –36db +12dB

Duende Native User Guide Page 29

nput and Output Sections

he input and output sections at either side of the plug-in window provide input and output gain control, along with displays

f the following information:

ange Meter

Clip Light

Indicates that the signal is clipping. It clears after 1

econd, or click on it to clear manually.

The thin white bracket indicates the signal’s recent

dynamic range. Longer brackets indicate a larger

ynamic range. If the bracket edges are moving

quickly, this implies an ‘energetic’ signal.

Peak Meter

Allows you to observe the exact level at any point in

time. There are two meters in stereo and one in mono.

The thinner bar to the right shows the

RMS (average) level over time.

RMS Meter

Compression Law Graph

The display in the centre of the plug-in window compares the input and output signals given the current compressor settings. The thicker white line indicates the relationship between input and output across the range of levels, while the faint line indicates a 1:1 relationship. In the example to the right, an input level of –24dB results in an output level of –20dB (as this is below the threshold, this indicates a Make-up gain of 4dB), while an input level of +6dB results in an output level of –4dB.

Threshold and Ratio can be defined by moving the nodes within the display: Move the pink node along its line to control the Threshold, and move the blue node up and down to control the ratio.

In: -24dB Out: -20dB

Bleed Graph

The bleed graph indicates the frequencies which are bypassing the compressor, as described on the previous page.

I/O Diff Graph

The I/O Diff meter to the right of the Compression Law graph shows how often each level occurs within the input and output signals. The input is shown on the left and the output on the right.

In: 6dB Out: -4dB

0dB

The vertical scale is amplitude, with 0dB at the top and –∞ at the bottom. The length of each line protruding from the centre represents the number of incidents of that amplitude over a period of seconds.

In the graphic to the right, the input signal displays a mixture of very loud and very quiet, indicating that the signal has a large dynamic range which is changing very quickly. The output signal indicates that this dynamic range has been made smaller, with the loud bars being reduced in level and the quiet bars being increased.

GR History

The GR History (Gain Reduction History) meter shows the current gain reduction and how it has fluctuating.

The thicker line towards the left of the display shows how much gain reduction is currently being used, while the thinner lines to its right show how this has been changing over the past second.

Colour of knobs

You may also notice that the colour of the knob surrounds change to indicate their level – green for low, yellow for mid, red for high.

Incidence

Amplitute

–∞

Page 30 Duende Native User Guide

5. X-EQ

INTRODUCTION

X-EQ is a 10-band highly configurable EQ plug-in. The six central bands have bell curves, the second and ninth bands are shelf bands, while the first and last bands are filters. The illustration below introduces some of the X-EQ plug-in features which are described in full over the following pages. Click on the blue boxes to be taken to fuller descriptions of their contents. If you are unclear on how to use an EQ, then it may be worth starting with the SSL on-line tutorials (See Page 5 for details).

Above the main plug-in window is a set of controls which are specific to your host application.

lease refer to your host application’s user guide for guidelines on using these controls

Internal bypass for smooth

in/out comparisons

Interactive EQ display with draggable nodes

Input level metering

and control

click here for

on-line

tutorials

Switch between

main and alternative

plug-in settings

Switches between Serial

and Parallel signal-flow

Activates bands

and assigns

them to Edit area

Displays graph

of frequency

content

INTERFACE OVERVIEW

EQ Graph Display

The EQ graph provides visual feedback for a number of things:

Frequency

Gain

The white line across the graph shows the frequency response of the current EQ settings.

Edit area for the

band selected below

the main graph

Output level

metering

and control

The nodes represent the settings of each individual band, and can be dragged to change the settings:

- For the eight central EQ bands, move the nodes left and right to control Frequency, or up and down to control Gain.

- For the filter bands (Bands 1 and 10), move the nodes left and right to control Frequency, or up and down to control Slope.

Each band is colour coded, with the graph node colour matching the coloured dots in their band box below the graph. Each coloured shade area represents the impact of the node with that colour.

The real-time frequency content of the processed signal can be displayed by clicking on the Analyse button below the display.

Duende Native User Guide Page 31

nput and Output Sections

he input and output sections at either side of the plug-in window provide input and output gain control, along with displays

f the following information:

Indicates that the signal is clipping. It clears after 1

second, or click on it to clear manually.

Allows you to observe the exact level at any point in

time. There are two meters in stereo and one in mono.

Interface Techniques

To press a switch in a plugin, simply click on it. A green surround indicates that the switch is in its active state.

To turn a knob, click on it, and drag it up and to the right. If your mouse has a scroll wheel, you can also turn knobs by hovering over them and turning the scroll wheel.

To control Input and Output levels, click and drag upwards (see right).

To move any control slowly for fine adjustments, hold Shift on your keyboard whilst turning.

To reset a knob to its default value, click on it whilst holding Ctrl (Windows) or ⌘(Macintosh).

To enter a precise value for any parameter, double-click on its value display, enter a value on your computer keyboard, and press the Return key.

lip Light

Peak Meter

ange Meter

The thin white bracket indicates the

signal’s recent dynamic range.

RMS Meter

The thinner bar to the right shows the

RMS (average) level over time.

Click + Drag

You may notice that the colour of the knob surrounds change to indicate their level: green for low, yellow for mid, red for high.

Band ‘on’

switch

To switch each band on, click on the oblong switch at the top of each band box.

The edit controls to the right of the EQ graph control one of the 10 EQ bands. The band being controlled is selected by clicking on the appropriate band box, located in a row underneath the graph, or by clicking on the band’s node in the EQ graph.

The band assigned to the edit controls is indicated by the band box being ‘lit’ with its band colour, and by the band number and colour appearing at the top of the edit controls, as shown right for band 6.

Automation

Page 32 Duende Native User Guide

EQ CONFIGURATION

hen one of the band boxes below the EQ graph is selected, it’s band is assigned to the band editing controls to the right of

he graph.

- Freq (frequency) control is provided for each band.

- Gain and Q control is provided for all bands apart from the filter bands (Band 1 and 10).

The filter bands have slope control in place of the Q control.

- In addition, you can select from a number of filter shape types by clicking on the text box above the gain control and selecting a shape from the drop-down list which appears. These shapes are described on Page 39 and following. Note that there are no shape types available for the shelving bands (Bands 2 and 9).

Plug-in Bypass

The In/Out switch located above the Input section provides an internal plug-in bypass. This allows for smoother In/Out comparisons by avoiding the latency issues associated with the

host application’s Bypass function.

The button must be ‘lit’ for the compressor to be in circuit (as shown left).

Presets

The Load and Save buttons at the base of the screen provide quick access to the host application’s Import and Save Settings functions. For specific instructions on using presets within the host, consult the host application documentation. Presets use a standard file format which allows them to be moved between a variety of platforms and host applications.

A file of ready-made X-EQ presets are included in the plug-in installation. These provide starting points for a variety of instruments and effects. To load SSL presets, click on the Load button and navigate as follows:

Macintosh: Windows:

/Applications/Solid State Logic/Presets/X-Eq c:\program files\solid state logic\presets\X-Eq

A-B comparisons

will switch between setting A and setting B.

You may wish to use this function to compare two very similar settings or to keep a ‘maybe’ setting in reserve if your current one does not work out.

Analyse

If the Analyse button is pressed, a display of the input signal’s frequency response is shown within the EQ graph.

This allows problem frequencies to be pinpointed visually and filtered out by moving the nodes within the graph, such as in the example below. As the analyser is placed post-EQ, you can see what effect the processing has on the frequency spectrum.

Duende Native User Guide Page 33

arallel

he parallel button changes the order in which the six central bell-shaped bands are processed. In normal (serial) mode, they

re processed one after the other. In parallel mode, once the signal has passed through the LF filter and shelf bands, it is split

ff and routed through each bell band simultaneously, before being combined again for the HF shelf and filter bands:

6 Bell Bands

Serial

Parallel

LF Filter

nd Shelf

HF Shelf

Q and

Filter

The parallel EQ is modelled on the old ‘Parallel Passive’ EQ units, and the different style of band interaction means that the EQ performs quite differently. See the EQ History section on Page 41 for more information.

EQ PARAMETER VALUES

Band Gain Frequency Q

HP Filter n/a 20Hz – 1020Hz 0 – 48dB/oct in 6dB steps

Low Shelf ±20dB 20Hz – 1020Hz 0.3 – 10.3

Midband 1 ±20dB 20Hz – 20kHz 0.3 – 10.3

Midband 2 ±20dB 20Hz – 20kHz 0.3 – 10.3

Midband 3 ±20dB 20Hz – 20kHz 0.3 – 10.3

Midband 4 ±20dB 20Hz – 20kHz 0.3 – 10.3

Midband 5 ±20dB 20Hz – 20kHz 0.3 – 10.3

Midband 6 ±20dB 20Hz – 20kHz 0.3 – 10.3

High Shelf ±20dB 500Hz – 20kHz 0.3 – 10.3

LP Filter n/a 500Hz – 20kHz 0 – 48dB/oct in 6dB steps

Page 34 Duende Native User Guide

EQ AND FILTER SHAPES

Bell Shapes

Q Definitions:

P – 3dB Classical definition that means Q is measured 3dB below peak for boost or 3dB above peak for cut.

– 3dB Definition used for bells in some US products, the bandwidth for Q calculation is measured 3dB below 0dB

ine for cut or 3dB above for boost. Q in both definitions correct only for +6dB boost/cut.

P/2 New ‘musical’ definition based on the bandwidth measurement in the middle of a bell filter, between peak

and 0dB line.

Normalisation 12 equalisers are normalised to have exactly the same bell shape for +6dB boost.

Classic Symmetrical (Classic Sym)

The most popular parametric EQ shape used in various mixing consoles and outboard gear. Almost constant Q characteristic.

P – 3dB

Classic Asymmetrical (Classic Asym)

Often features in older equalisers. Boost as above but much narrower cut characteristic.

P – 3dB boost 0 – 3dB (x2) cut

Proportional 1 (Prop 1)

Proportional equalisers are recognised as being more ‘musical’ than Constant Q. The bells are wider below +6dB and narrower above +6dB (or –6dB for cut).

Proportional 2 (Prop 2)

Like Proportional 1 but with larger changes below and above +6dB peak (or –6dB for cut).

P –3dB

Proportional 3 (Prop 3)

Like Proportional 1 but with extra widened bells between 0 and +3dB (or –3dB for cut).

P – 3dB

Constant Q Asymmetrical (CQ Asym)

Used in some US products and mixers. The boost characteristics are defined according to 0 – 3dB formula. Extra widened between –3dB and 0dB.

P – 3dB boost, 0 – 3dB cut

Duende Native User Guide Page 35

Constant Q Asymmetrical Reverse (CQ Asym R)

xactly like above but with mirrored boost and cut characteristics.

Constant Q Invert (CQ Invers)

Both boost and cut characteristics are both defined according to 0 – 3dB formula.

0 – 3dB

Constant Q New (CQ New)

Defined Q is always perfectly maintained independent of bell gain (also below 6dB). In terms of P – 3dB definition of this equaliser can be classified as proportional.

P/2

Parallel

Note this is accessed via the Parallel switch, not the drop-down menu. Recreates the passive LC parallel equaliser with all its advantages (sound) and disadvantages (band interaction, asymmetry). As found in graphic equalisers.

Shelving Bands

Filter Shapes

3dB boost, 0 – 3dB (x2) cut

Low and High shelves

Q value is used to control overshoot characteristic. On the left is the Low shelf filter with a low Q value, on the right the High shelf filter exhibits overshoot with a large Q value.

Note that there are no alternative shapes for shelving bands

Critical

‘Critical Damped’ filters simulate a chain of passive analogue RC (for highcut) and CR (for low-cut) stages fixing a behaviour similar to a series of RC elements in vintage analogue equipment.

Bessel

Linear phase behaviour leads to no overshoot or ringing resulting from a sudden transition between signal levels. The drawback is a sluggish roll-off rate.

Page 36 Duende Native User Guide

EQ HISTORY

Gaussian

o ringing or overshoot in the time domain, but slow roll-off in the frequency

omain.

Butterworth

Characterised by having a maximally flat magnitude response, ie. no amplitude ripple in the passband.

Chebychev

Characterised by having an equiripple magnitude response, meaning the magnitude increases and decreases regularly from DC to the cutoff frequency.

An Audio Engineer’s Best Friend

The equaliser is the oldest and the most popular sound processing tool. From the earliest days, its main function has been to correct or enhance sound by boosting or cutting certain frequency ranges. Engineers have developed countless equalisers for over 50 years and some of them became legendary and were considered bench marks. The most popular type of EQ in recording and post-production studios is the parametric equaliser or PEQ. It offers maximal flexibility due to direct access to all relevant filter parameters. Properly used the PEQ is a very powerful tool and the best friend of every sound engineer in the battle for perfect sound. If misused, it can be the greatest enemy of any recording.

The Best of the Analogue and Digital Worlds

X-EQ is a creative equalising tool combining the best of both the analogue and digital worlds. We recreated the most legendary analogue equalisers and added a few experimental characteristics only possible the in digital domain. By using proprietary filter algorithms, we have achieved a huge dynamic range as well as extremely low noise and distortion level, and thus unparalleled sound purity; impossible with any analogue circuitry.

Analogue Parametric EQ Modelling

In today’s era of digital audio workstations, hundreds of software parametric equalisers are available. Many of them are intended to be “THE best sounding equaliser ever”. The truth is that only few of them are recognised and adored by the experts. You may ask why one equaliser sounds great while another does not. This question is almost as old as the equaliser itself and still is not completely answered. On the one hand there are some obvious rules which must be followed when designing a good sounding PEQ, on the other hand some never really proven esoteric claims driven by marketing departments or self-nominated audio evangelists. Especially treasured analogue equalisers are considered by some people as being absolutely unique and unmatched by any ‘dirty’ digital equaliser. The truth is that with a properly designed, fully parametric analytic EQ every amplitude and phase characteristic of any other equaliser setup can be recreated. Of course, the contribution of distortions to the specific sound of a particular analogue equaliser caused by the respective electronics has to be considered. If the distortions are ‘good’, they may make certain applications sound better. Usually however, ‘bad’ non linear distortions and other deficiencies like limited dynamic range are surely not responsible for a ‘magic’ sound. Therefore our policy in digital PEQ design has always been to make the equaliser filters as precise and clean as possible. For controlled generation of distortions we recommend using enhancers or any other specialised processors with proper built-in anti-aliasing technology.

Duende Native User Guide Page 37

on Linear-phase EQ

hase shift in equipment is probably one of the most misunderstood topics in audio. Phase shifts often get blamed for

nything that is not classed as typical distortion. The reality is that all analogue EQs produce a deviation from linear phase

hich is specifically related to the shape of the EQ curve, and it is precisely these phase changes which produce the required

ain reductions. This is a very natural process which can be found in the audio characteristics of rooms, materials and

lsewhere.

Though it is not possible for us to detect phase in isolation, the phase shift of an EQ can often be the cause of the ‘magical’ sound of that device once the EQ signal is added back into the mix. For example, the Duende channel EQ derived from the SSL analogue consoles – plenty of phase shift and plenty of magic!

In contrast, a linear-phase EQ delays all frequencies by the same amount. This can only be achieved in the digital domain by using special techniques. While this process is very effective in certain situations (eg. ‘surgically’ removing troublesome frequencies), it should not be considered as a superior tool for the majority of EQ tasks.

Linear-phase equalisers have become popular over the past few years due to the proliferation of powerful digital processors. We decided not to go down that route with X-EQ and we think you’ll agree with that decision. Maybe linear-phase EQ is something we will explore in the future but… who knows? An equaliser not only changes the relative frequency balance of a signal but also its phase. If you EQ a sound until it sounds right or natural, then the chances are that you are EQing to make it sound in phase with the rest of the mix. We need say no more on this subject.

Parallel Passive EQ

Parallel EQ exhibits quite different sonic properties to the familiar serial parametric EQ. We are generally used to hearing the effect of one EQ band superimposed on another, as opposed to the band interaction inherent to a parallel EQ. Because the bands are placed in a parallel configuration, phase cancellations and re-enforcements happen which is not always obvious when first encountered.

Passive EQ is something that is found in old equaliser units and is generally known for its transparent and natural sound, but has some problems associated with it. However, in the digital domain these shortcomings do not have such an influence.

A passive EQ does not have any gain elements, but can still have controls to seemingly boost frequencies as well as cut. What actually happens is that the entire signal is cut by an amount, but the frequencies which are apparently ‘boosted’ are simply not cut as much. Therefore the unit must attenuate either the input, the output, or both to allow enough headroom. Unfortunately in the analogue domain, a 20dB reduction in signal level produces a 20dB increase in the noise floor. Luckily, in the digital domain with a 64-bit floating point DSP, these issues do not remain.

In X-EQ – when the ‘parallel’ button is engaged – you are presented with a parallel passive EQ model which the original designers of these devices could only have dreamed of. The noise floor can be disregarded due to the huge resolution available in Duende plug-ins.

You may find yourself entering this mode more and more as you become familiar with the sonic signature. Larger gain changes are possible without colouration, and boost starts to become something that is useable to a significant degree in a digital EQ!

Parallel EQ does however exhibit asymmetry in its boost and cut characteristics. But this is not such a bad thing as most engineers would agree that boost is best done with low (wide) Q values and cut with a higher (narrower) Q.

Page 38 Duende Native User Guide

6. Vocalstrip

INTRODUCTION

Vocalstrip is a one stop solution for superior vocal processing, providing tailor-made tools for fixing and polishing your vocal sound. The illustration below introduces the main Vocalstrip plug-in features which are described in full over the following pages. Click on the blue boxes to be taken to fuller descriptions of their contents. If you are unclear on how to use the tools provided by Vocalstrip it may be worth starting with the SSL on-line tutorials (see Page 5 for details).

click here for

on-line

tutorials

bove the main plug-in

window is a set of controls which are pecific to your host

application.

Please refer to your

ost application’s user

guide for guidelines on

using these controls

Internal bypass for

smooth in/out

comparisons

Input level metering

and control

EQ module

INTERFACE OVERVIEW

To press a switch in a plugin, simply click on it. A green switch surround indicates that the switch is in its active

state.

e-esser module, for

removing excess sibilance

Switch between main and

alternative plug-in settings

e-ploser module, for removing

low frequency wind noise

Processing

order controls

Expansion and

Compression module

raphic Display, shows EQ

and dynamics information

Output level

metering and control

Click + Dra

knobs by hovering over them and turning the scroll wheel.

To move any control slowly for fine adjustments, hold Shift on your keyboard whilst turning.

To reset a knob to its default value, click on it whilst holding Ctrl (Windows) or ⌘(Macintosh).

To view the value associated with a knob, hover over it with the mouse – the text box underneath the knob will switch from displaying its parameter to displaying its value.

You may notice that the colour of the knob surrounds change to indicate their level – green for low, yellow for mid, red for high.

To enter a precise value for any parameter, double-click on its value display, enter a value on your computer

To turn a knob, click on it, and drag it up and to the right. If your mouse has a scroll wheel, you can also turn

keyboard, and press the

Return key.

Plug-in Bypass

The button must be ‘lit’ for the compressor to be in circuit (as shown left).

Duende Native User Guide Page 39

resets

he Load and Save buttons at the base of the screen provide quick access to the host application’s Import

nd Save Settings functions. For specific instructions on using presets within the host, consult the host

pplication documentation. Presets use a standard file format which allows them to be moved between

variety of platforms and host applications.

A file of ready-made Vocalstrip presets are included in the plug-in installation. To load SSL presets, click on the Load button and navigate as follows:

Macintosh:

indows:

/Applications/Solid State Logic/Presets/Vocalstrip

:\program files\solid state logic\presets\Vocalstrip

A-B Comparisons

Automation

INPUT AND OUTPUT SECTIONS

The input and output sections at either side of the plug-in window provide input and output gain control, along with displays of the following information:

Clip Light

Indicates that the signal is clipping. It clears

after 1 second, or click on it to clear manually.

Peak Meter

Allows you to observe the exact level

at any point in time.

The thin white bracket indicates

the signal’s recent dynamic range.

The thinner bar to the right shows

the RMS (average) level over time.

Range Meter

RMS Meter

VOCALSTRIP MODULES

De-esser

Sibilance is a resonance often found in vocal recordings which can result in ‘S’ consonants becoming too pronounced. The Vocalstrip De-esser can detect and remove sibilance.

Switch the De-esser on by clicking on the power button in its top left-hand corner. The blue indicator between the controls ‘glows’ to show that it is working.

• Move the Amount knob to control how much sibilance is removed.

• Move the Thresh (threshold) control to set the detection level, so that the De-esser can distinguish between ‘S’ and ‘non-S’ sounds.

To listen only to the sibilance that is being removed, press the Aud button. This can be particularly helpful in ensuring that the threshold is correctly set.

Page 40 Duende Native User Guide

e-ploser

losives are bursts of low frequency energy in a signal which can cause compressors to sound

npleasant. They are most often caused by the breath of a singer standing too close to the microphone.

he Vocalstrip De-ploser detects these artefacts and lets you manage their level. The De-ploser’s controls

re very similar to those of the De-esser:

Switch the De-ploser on by clicking on the power button in its top left-hand corner. The blue indicator between the controls ‘glows’ to show that it is working.

• Move the Amount knob to control how much plosive is removed.

• Move the Thresh (threshold) control to set the detection level, so that the De-ploser can distinguish between plosives and normal low frequency sounds.

To listen only to what is being removed, press the Aud button. This can be particularly helpful in ensuring that the threshold is correctly set.

Equaliser

Switch the EQ on by clicking on the power button in its top left-hand corner.

Three popular EQ types are provided to allow you to cut low frequencies, find and attenuate resonances and shape the top end of the signal. Switch each band on by clicking on the oblong switch above the band’s curve graphic.

The low cut filter operates in the range of 30Hz to 300Hz , with a slight boost around its cut-off frequency.

The notch filter operates in the range 200Hz to 10kHz and offers 12dB of boost and 36dB of attenuation with a high Q value.

The high band EQ offers 12dB of boost/attenuation over the range of 1kHz to 20kHz with a low Q value.

EQ Display

When any controls within the EQ section are moved, the display in the top right-hand quarter of the window becomes an EQ graph:

- The white line across the graph shows the frequency response of the current EQ settings.

- The brown shaded area represent the impact of each of the three EQ bands.

- A display of the signal’s frequency response is shown in green. The signal displayed can be switched between the plug-in input and output and can be switched off, all using the FFT buttons to the left of the graph.

EQ Tip: Finding and Attenuating a Resonance

A vocal recording may contain a resonant frequency caused by a number of factors, including bad mic placement, room modes, or even unpleasant resonances caused by the singer’s skull!

These can be detected and reduced in the following way:

• Switch off the low cut filter and high band EQ

• Set the notch filter gain to between about +10dB

• Sweep the frequency slowly up range, listening out for ringing

• Once you have found the offending frequency, bring the gain down to a significant negative value

Another technique is to use the green frequency response line in the EQ graph and locate resonances visually.

Duende Native User Guide Page 41

ompander

he Vocalstrip Compander is a hybrid Compressor and Expander. Switch it on by clicking on the power button in its top left-

and corner.

Expander

First the signal enters a fixed ratio downwards expander, designed to reduce room ambience, spill or breath noise that is often brought up by the subsequent compression.

To set the level at which the level reduction is introduced, turn the Ex Thr (Expander Threshold), located on the Compander’s right-hand side. Turn the threshold to minimum to turn the expander off. The amount of level reduction introduced is shown in the green bar to the left of the Ex Thr knob.

input level

Make-up

Attack

full scale

Ex Thr

Thresh

(compress)

Ratio

Hard knee: sharp Soft knee: curved

Compressor

The compressor offers both hard and soft knee modes alongside fully variable Ratio, Thresh (threshold), Attack, Releas (release) and

Makeup controls, along with a choice of Hard or Soft Knee.

The output stage which is sourced after the make-up gain features an optional Drivefeature,

output level

which introduces harmonic characteristics to the signal. Its intensity is increase with the Makeup gain. If you use a lot of make-up gain to drive the

Parameter Min Max

Ex Thr –96dB 0dB

Ex Ratio Fixed: 1.5:1

Comp Thr –48dB 0dB

Comp Ratio 1:1 50:1

Attack 0.1ms 100ms

circuit, the level can be reduced again using the

Release

Output level control. The amount of level

Release 0.5ms 2s reduction introduced is shown in the red bar to the right of the compressor controls.

Makeup 0dB 48dB

time

Compander Display

When any controls within the Compander section are moved, the

change in 0utput level

display in the top right-hand quarter of the window shows two different graphs:

The left-hand graph is a gain-law display, showing the relationship between input and output levels, as illustrated in the graph above-left.

The right-hand graph is an IO difference display, showing how often each level occurs within the input

0dB

and output signals. The input is shown on the left and the output on the right.

The vertical scale is amplitude, with 0dB at the top and –∞ at the bottom. The length of each line

Incidence

protruding from the centre represents the number of incidents of that amplitude over a period of seconds.

–∞

Amplitute

Note that the FFT controls are for the EQ display, not the Compander display.

Processing Order

The processing order is controlled at the base of the plug-in window.

To move a module within the order, highlight it so that it is surrounded in yellow, and press either the left arrow or the right arrow.

Page 42 Duende Native User Guide

7. Drumstrip

INTRODUCTION

Drumstrip is a one stop solution for superior drum processing, providing tailor-made tools for fixing and polishing your drum sounds. The illustration below introduces its features which are described in full over the following pages. Click on the blue boxes to be taken to fuller descriptions of their contents. A good place to start with Drumstrip may be the SSL on-line tutorials (See Page 5 for details).

click here for

on-line

tutorials

Above the main plug-in

window is a set of controls

which are specific to your

host application. Please refer to your host application’s user guide

for guidelines on using

these controls

Internal bypass for

smooth in/out

comparisons

Input level metering and

control

HF and LF Enhancers, for enriching

high and low frequencies

INTERFACE OVERVIEW

To press a switch in a plug-in, simply click on it. A green surround indicates that the switch is in its active state.

To turn a knob, click on it, and drag it up and to the right. If your mouse has a scroll wheel, you can also turn

Click + Dra

knobs by hovering over them and turning the scroll wheel.

To move any control slowly for fine adjustments, hold Shift on your keyboard whilst turning.

Gate for removing spill

Processing

order controls

Transient Shaper for increasing transient attack

Compressor with Listen

Mic characteristics

Output metering

and control

To reset a knob to its default value, click on it whilst holding Ctrl (Windows) or ⌘(Macintosh).

To view the value associated with a knob, hover over it with the mouse – the text box underneath the knob will switch from displaying its parameter to displaying its value.

You may notice that the colour of the knob surrounds change to indicate their level – green for low, yellow for mid, red for high.

To enter a precise value for any parameter, double-click on its value display, enter a value on your computer keyboard, and press the

Return key.

Plug-in Bypass

Automation

Duende Native User Guide Page 43

INPUT AND OUTPUT SECTIONS

he input and output sections at either side of the plug-in window provide input and output gain control, along with displays

f the following information:

Clip Light

Indicates that the signal is clipping. It clears

after 1 second, or click on it to clear manually.

Peak Meter

Allows you to observe the exact level

t any point in time.

The thin white bracket indicates

the signal’s recent dynamic range.

The thinner bar to the right shows

he RMS (average) level over time.

Range Meter

RMS Meter

In addition, the Output area provides a Mix control, for adjusting the mix between the processed (‘Wet’) signal and unprocessed (‘Dry’) signal.

DRUMSTRIP MODULES

Gate

The gate is suitable for many applications, including:

• Shortening drum hits to obtain a ‘tighter’ sound

• Controlling ambience on live drums tracks

• Manipulating attack and decay characteristics

Switch the Gate on by clicking on the power button in its top left-hand corner.

click here for

on-line

tutorials

input level

Close Threshold

Open Threshold

Return path

via lower

threshold

1:1 ratio

above and

below range

Attack

change in 0utput level

The Gate provides controls for the Attack, Releas (release) and Hold times, as well as Open and Close thresholds and Range levels, as illustrated in the diagrams below left. If you are unclear about these parameters, please refer to SSL’s on-line tutorials, introduced on Page 5.

full scale

Open and Close Thresholds

The levels for ‘opening’ the gate to audio and ‘closing’ it again are set separately. Generally, the ‘open’ level is set higher than the ‘close’ level. This is known as hysteresis and is very useful as it allows instruments to decay more naturally. If the close threshold is higher than the open threshold, the close threshold is ignored.

Range

output level

The range is the depth of attenuation applied to the signal when the gate is closed, as indicated by the white line in the right hand column. For a true gating action the range should be set to –80dB, which is effectively silence. By reducing the range, the gate takes on some of the characteristics of a downward

Hold

Release

expander where the signal is lowered in level set by the range amount, rather than being completely

time

silenced. This can be useful in cleaning up a drum track containing reverb, where silencing the reverb would sound too artificial but attenuating it by a few dB would push it down to an acceptable level.

Attenuation level

Input level

Green line:

‘Open’ threshold

Red line:

‘Close’ threshold

White line: Range value

Parameter Min Max

Open Thr 0dB –30dB

Close Thr 0dB –30dB

Range 0dB –80dB

Attack 0ms 0.1ms

Hold 0s 4s

Release 0s 1s

Page 44 Duende Native User Guide

ransient Shaper

he Transient Shaper allows you to add attack to the

tart of a drum hit by increasing the amplitude of the

ttack portion of the signal whilst leaving the decay

nchanged. The right hand waveform is a processed

ersion of the one on the left. It has been passed

hrough the transient shaper where the amplitude of

he attack portion has been increased.

The Shaper uses a control

signal to detect transients. Gain

controls the level of this signal.

You can adjust the Speed of

the signal’s return to normal.

You can also Invert the signal

ress Audition

to listen to

processed

ignal

Processed signal is added

to unprocessed signal.

Amount controls how much

processed signal is added

Switch the Shaper on by clicking on the ‘power’ button in its top left-hand corner. The central meter gives visual feedback on how much attack is being added using the Gain and Amount controls. If this rises to the top red section then reduce the effect.

Gain controls the detection level of the controller signal, and should be set so that only the transients you want to shape are detected. If this is set too low then the Shaper will do nothing; if it is set too high then the Shaper will detect too many transients, resulting in an exaggerated process, and the attack appearing too long. The default setting of 0dB should be a good starting point.

Note that Gain doesn’t directly affect the output signal’s gain.

Amount controls the amount of the processed signal added to the unprocessed signal. This process can increase the peak level of a signal significantly so watch the output meter carefully.

Speed controls the length of time the added attack takes to fall back down to the normal signal level once it has reached the top of the attack phase. Turn the knob clockwise for a slower speed, and longer transient.

The Inv switch inverts the processed signal so that it is subtracted from the unprocessed signal. This has the effect of softening the attack, resulting in more

Speed = 0 Speed = 1

body in the drum sound.

The Audition switch allows you to listen to the processed signal, to assist in the set up process.

Note that when the Inv and Audition buttons are both pressed, the signal will not be inverted.

Duende Native User Guide Page 45

F and LF Enhancers

he HF and LF enhancers respectively enrich the high and low frequencies of the input signal. Whereas a standard EQ simply

aises the level of certain frequencies, the Enhancer adds a combination of 2nd and 3rd harmonics to those frequencies,

roducing a more pleasing effect.

Switch each Enhancer on by clicking on the power button in its top left-hand corner. No effect is heard until an Enhancer’s Drive and Amount are turned up.

HF Cutoff sets the frequency above which the HF Enhancer generates harmonics. It ranges from 2kHz up to 20kHz – To add air or sparkle to a signal, push this frequency towards the higher end of the range. To give more presence to a signal, use the lower end of the range. Note that the effect is barely audible in the 15kHz to 20kHz range.

LF T.Over (turnover) sets the frequency below which the LF Enhancer generates harmonics. It ranges from 20Hz up to 250Hz. The LF Enhancer is great for adding depth and weight to kick drums, snare or toms.

Each Enhancer has its own Drive and Amount controls:

• Drive (or overdrive) controls the density and amount of harmonic content, from 0 to 100%.

• Amount is the amount of Enhanced signal that is mixed into the unprocessed signal, from 0 to 100%.

Listen Mic Compressor

The Listen Mic Compressor was first found in the classic SL 4000 E Series console. The Drumstrip edition includes a narrowband EQ by-pass and a wet/dry Mix control.

Comp controls the amount of compression, from 0 to 100%.

MakeUp controls the level compensation for the gain reduction and Mix controls the balance

of the compressed (‘Wet’) to uncompressed (‘Dry’) signal. Note that MakeUp only acts on the ‘wet’ part of the signal.

To simulate the original narrow-band listen mic characteristic, activate the EQ In button – to use the compressor on the full frequency range, leave EQ In deactivated.

Note that Listen Mic Compressor features very quick fixed time constants. This means it is easily capable of producing distortion on low frequency material.

Processing Order

The five processing blocks in Drumstrip can be configured in any order, as defined by the Process Order blocks at the base of the plug-in window.

To move a module within the order, highlight it so that it is surrounded in yellow, and press either the left arrow or the right arrow.

Typically, the gate is first in the chain so that it is able to act on the full dynamic range of the signal before the signal is processed by the Listen Mic Compressor.

Page 46 Duende Native User Guide

8. X-Verb

X-Verb is a versatile and comprehensive studio grade reverberation plug-in which delivers the density, warmth, depth and stunning detail usually only found in top-end hardware reverb processors. The primary parameters provide conventional reverb manipulation, while nearly 100 detail parameters allow an exceptional level of fine-tuning. Click on the blue boxes to be taken to fuller descriptions of their contents.

Above the main plug-in window is

a set of controls which are specific

to your host application. Please refer to your host

application’s user guide for

guidelines on using these controls

nternal bypass for smooth

in/out comparisons

Scroll/Zoom display

Select parameter set for

display and fine controls

Input level metering

and control

Interactive reverb graph

Create and select presets

Edit primary

parameters

Select

lgorithm

Adjust Early Reflections,

Reverb and Dry mix

Adjust Image

Fine controls for adjusting

selected paramters

Compare or mix

A and B settings

Output metering

and control

Silence

reverb tail

INTERFACE OVERVIEW

To press a switch in a plug-in, simply click on it. The active state is sometimes indicated by a green surround (shown left), and sometimes indicated by a shadow at the top rather than the bottom, (shown right).

To turn a knob, click on it, and drag it up or down. If your mouse has a scroll wheel, you can also turn knobs by

Click + Drag

To move any control slowly for fine adjustments, hold

hovering over them and turning the scroll wheel. The value for each parameter is displayed in the centre of the knob.

Shift on your keyboard whilst turning. To reset a knob to its default value,

click on it whilst holding Ctrl (Windows) or ⌘(Macintosh).

Plug-in Bypass

Automation

inactive active

Duende Native User Guide Page 47

resets

he Load and Save buttons at the base of the screen provide quick access to the host application’s

mport and Save Settings functions. The arrow buttons to the right of the Load and Save buttons

an be used to cycle through all of the stored presets within the same folder.

For specific instructions on using presets within the host, consult the host application documentation. Presets use a standard file format which allows them to be moved between a variety of platforms and host applications.

A file of ready-made X-verb presets are included in the plug-in installation. These provide starting points for a variety of instruments and effects. To load SSL presets, click on the Load button and navigate as follows:

Macintosh:

indows:

/Applications/Solid State Logic/Presets/x-verb

:\program files\solid state logic\presets\x-verb

A-B Comparisons and Morphing

It is also possible to mix between the settings: Press the Morph button to the right of the A B button and use the slider to its right to morph between A and B. The display to the right of the slider displays ‘(Disabled)‘ when Morph is off, and displays the A to B ratio when Morph is on.

Every parameter is morphed with the exception of the Algorithm and the Size, which are taken from whichever setup is indicated as active in the A B button.

Note that the Morph function is automatically deactivated when a parameter is moved.

Note also that automating Morphs will result in unpleasant artefacts if any time constants are different between setups A and B

The Graph Display

The graph in the centre of the plug-in window displays the impact of the settings currently selected in the controls above and below it. The row of buttons immediately above the graph (with ER [Early Reflections] and REV [Reverb] at their left-hand end) determine what information is displayed, and also which controls appear beneath the graph.

The bar to the right of the Reverb Control label can be used to scroll and zoom the graph’s time axis: click and drag the handles on either end of the scroll bar to zoom in and out, or click and drag the main scrollbar to scroll left or right. The graph also auto-zooms to ensure that all of the important information remains visible.

The graph is interactive: move the grey nodes to adjust their associated parameters.

These buttons define

contents of display

The parameters displayed in the graph are described on Page 60.

Page 48 Duende Native User Guide

Zoom

Move nodes to

adjust values

Scroll

nput and Output Levels

he input and output sections at either side of the plug-in window provide input and output gain control, along with level

etering and clip lights:

Clip Light

Indicates that the signal is clipping. It clears

after 1 second, or click on it to clear manually.

Peak Meter

Displays the signal level. Input meter is pre-input

fader, Output fader is post-outputdaer

Move the semi-transparent bar up

The thinner bar to the right shows

the RMS (average) level over time.

Level Controller

and down to control the level

RMS Meter

Mix Levels

The Mix area towards the top right-hand corner of the display controls the mix between Early Reflections (ER) and reverb (REV), as well as the mix between the un-processed (Dry) and processed (Wet) signals.

A number of presets are available – click on the box to the right of the Mix label and select one from the drop-down menu.

Wet

Bus REVBus ER/REVBus ER

CH REVCH ER/REVCH ER

100% REV100% ER

The Bus and CH prefixes indicate the Dry – Wet mix:

Bus presets have a 100% Wet mix, for when X-Verb

is being used in an auxiliary bus where it has an independent level control.

CH presets default to a 50-50 mix. Use CH when X-Verb is being used within a track, and you need to mix a smaller amount of the reverb signal with the original.

Dry

In the ER/REV presets, both ER and REV signals are at full. In the ER presets, the level of the REV signal is halved, and in the REV presets, the level of the ER signal is halved.

Duende Native User Guide Page 49

mage Control

-Verb comes with an innovative Stereo Image interface which performs Stereo width, Phase, Left/Right

hannel swapping, and Surround Processor compatible L-R – R-L operations. The control is located in the top

ight-hand corner of the window.

The image can be rotated by 360° in either direction. A number of image presets are included – click on the box to the right of the Image label and select one from the drop-down list which appears (shown left).

Note that the angle of the Image controller is not the position of the signal within the spectrum. In essence, the display works as follows:

As the Image controller moves left, the level of the Left signal is reduced in the Right component, and vice versa. As the image moves up, the level of the Left signal in the Left component is reduced, as is the level

of the Right signal in the Right component.

The diagram below illustrates the ‘angle’ associated with each preset, and the subsequent stereo/surround imaging. The blue boxes indicate the stereo image, the red and green boxes indicate the actual signals on the left and right channels respectively, and the image preset name is shown in bold. The diagram to the right indicates what is happening as you turn the image controller clockwise.

Left stem Right stem

-R-L -L-R

0 L+R R+L

less R less L

-R -L

Stereo

L/R swap

R/L Inv

Mono

Mono Inv

Stereo

Normal

L/R Inv

-L -R

45 LR

less R less L

90 L-R R-L

less L less R

135 -R -L

L-R

R-L

Surround

Normal

L-R / R-L

R-L / L-R

Surround

L/R Swap

-L+R

-R+L

less L less R

180 -L-R -R-L

more R more L

225 -L -R

more R more L

270 -L+R -R+L

more L more R

315 RL

more L more R

L R

L/R

Stereo

Normal

Mono

L+R R+L

R/L

Stereo

L/R swap

R L

360 L+R L+R

The symbols surrounding the image control indicate the following:

Surround image Stereo image Mono image

Note that often two of these symbols will be ‘lit’, as the image moves between them.

L/R swap

L/R L and R symbols represent the phase of the left and right signals in the left component: The lower ones indicate

when that component of the signal is in phase, and the upper ones indicate when it out of phase. In other words, the signals are in phase with each other when they are in the same row, and out of phase when they are in the same column.

Ø Signals are more out-of-phase than in-phase

Page 50 Duende Native User Guide

X-VERB CONFIGURATION

Kill Tail Button

Whenever you are auditioning changes in your configuration, and don’t want to wait for the reverb tail to die away completely, click on the Kill Tail button in the bottom right-hand corner of the window.

1. Select an Algorithm or Preset.

It is often a good idea to begin setting up your reverb by loading a preset as a starting point as described on the previous page. When starting from scratch, the algorithm on which you are going to build the reverb needs to be selected first: click on the algorithm box, located top-centre in the plug-in window, and select an algorithm from the drop-down list which appears.

When algorithms are changed, other current settings remain as they were, making it easy to compare similar settings with different algorithms, though some parameters may change their behaviour or range. Bear in mind that changing the algorithm may lead to a short audio interruption.

Here is an overview of each algorithm:

ALGORITHM SUGGESTED USES DESCRIPTION

Super Natural

Super Natural HiD

Ultra Plate

Ultra Plate HiD

Rooms and Halls

Plates, Larger Rooms

Produces real sounding rooms and halls of any size, with a rich diffusion and natural sounding reverb envelope.

Produces higher density diffusion and refraction, for even more natural and smooth sounding spaces.

A rich, silky, warm reverb, providing a more traditional sound with mainly static and predictable refraction and diffusion. Ideal for making instruments and vocals stand out in a mix, and for sound designers and film composers who need huge reverbs.

Adds more density, shine and depth, somewhere between digital reverberation and a real room.

Duende Native User Guide Page 51

. Adjust the Primary Parameters

he seven controls across the top left of the plug-in window provide

ccess to the primary reverb parameters. Each of these parameters

epresent an interaction between a number of more detailed

arameters which can also be adjusted (see next page).

The following table explains what each primary parameter does, and what detail parameters are linked to it:

PARAMETER DESCRIPTION LINKED PARAMETERS

PreDelay

(Short-Long)

Size

(Tiny-Huge)

REV Time

(Short-Long)

ER Time

(Short-Long)

Density

(Thin-Dense)

Colour

(Dark-Bright)

Controls delay before reverb is heard, emulating the time it takes for the sound to bounce back from the closest walls.

Emulates the size of the room, altering the quantity and speed of the reflections.

The time it takes for the reverb to die away.

The speed of the early reflections. These are the reflections which bounce back early enough to be heard individually. Reflections quickly become too dense to be separated, at which point they become ‘reverb’.

The level of focus and definition in the reflections. The more dense, the harder it is to discern individualy reflections.

Alters the harmonic colour of the reflections, to emulate the materials the sound might be bouncing off.

ER Master Delay REV PreDel

Size ER MasterTime ER Tap Rebound

REV Time REV Shape REV PreDel

ER Master Time ER Master Delay

Density Definition Attack

9 linked parameters, including: ER Tap Filters, REV Shelve Filters and Freq Times

Distance

(Close-Far)

Page 52 Duende Native User Guide

Emulates the distance between the sound and the listener.

ER Time, Delay and Level Masters; REV PreDel, Master Level, Definition, Density, Shape, Attack and Mode

. Adjust the Detail Parameters

etail parameters are adjusted in the Reverb Control area of the window, located between the Input and Output areas. The

R and REV buttons in the top left-hand corner of the display define whether the ER (Early Reflections) or REV (Reverb)

arameters, graphs and sub-menus are displayed.

If ER is selected, the ER Master Del (delay), Master Lev (level) and Master Time knobs appear below the graph and to the left. In addition, six buttons appear to the right of the ER button, labelled L1, L2, L3, R1, R2 and R3. These define which of the six Left and Right early reflection ‘taps’ are being edited using the three further buttons which further to the right: Main, Mod and Filter. By selecting one of these three buttons, the controls for their parameters appear below the graph and to the right.

The area between the ER controls and the Main, Mod or Filter controls indicate which ER ‘tap’ is being edited, and which set of parameters are displayed to the right – the appropriate symbols light up.

The following diagram illustrates which controls are available when each button is selected. Each parameter is defined in the table on Page 60. The table on Page 56 indicates which of these parameters are affected by the Primary parameters.

Main controls

Delay, Level, Phase, Pan

Master Controls

Master Del, Lev, Time Cho Rate, Cho Depth

When ER parameters are active, the graph displays the ER Box in pink. This represents the loudest and longest ER taps. Each tap (L1, L2, L3 and R1, R2, R3) has a handle which can be clicked/dragged horizontally to adjust the Delay time, or vertically to adjust the tap’s Level. The stem beneath each node is coloured red for left, or green for right.

The handle half way along the top of the ER Block adjusts the Master Level (increasing/decreasing the individual taps levels relatively), the handle half way down the right side of the ER Block adjusts the Master Time (increasing/decreasing the individual taps delays relatively).

Mod controls

Filter controls

ER Rebound, Cutoff Freq

While the ER Box is displayed, the REV triangle is always visible in the background. Clicking on the REV triangle will switch the Reverb Control area to REV and the sub page to Reverb.

Duende Native User Guide Page 53

REV

f REV is selected, three buttons appear to the right of the REV button, labelled Reverb, Frq/Time and Filters. When each of

hese is selected, their parameters appear below the graph.

When the Reverb button is selected, a further sub-menu appears to its right, labelled Body, Envelope and Modulate. By selecting one of these three buttons, the controls for their parameters appear below the graph and to the right (the three lefthand parameters – PreDelay, Rev Level and Rev Time – are displayed whenever Reverb is active). The area between the left-hand master Reverb controls and the Body, Envelope or Modulate controls indicate which set of parameters are displayed to the right – the appropriate symbols light up.

REV Reverb

Body controls

Size, Density, Definition, Crossfeed

REV Reverb

Env controls

Shape, Attack, Rev Mode

REV

Reverb

PreDelay, RevLevel, RevTime

REV Reverb

Mod controls

REV

ChoRate, ChoDepth, Lifelyness, Float’n

REV

Frq/Time

Low Time and XOver, Mid Time, High Time and XOver

REV

Filters

Freq, Shelve Gain and In/Out (Low and High)

Page 54 Duende Native User Guide

When REV is selected, the graph display is dependent on which sub-menu is active.

hen Reverb is selected, the REV Triangle is displayed.

he left handle on the bottom adjusts the reverb

redelay (horizontal), the handle on the top adjusts the

everb level (vertical) and the right bottom handle

hanges the reverb time.

The ER block is visible in the background and clicking on it will switch the Reverb Control area to ER.

When Freq/Time or Filters is selected, the graph changes to display the Frequency/Time blocks and High/Low Shelving filter curves. Both graphs are overlaid with the active graph being in focus (on top).

Inside the Frq/Time graph, the left handle allows the low reverb time factor (vertical) and low crossover frequency (horizontal) to be altered. The mid handle adjusts the mid frequency time factor (vertical) and the right handle changes the high reverb time factor (vertical) and high crossover frequency (horizontal).

In the Filters sub page a graph is only displayed when there is an active filter. Each filter has a handle to adjust the frequency (horizontal) and cut slope (vertical).

Duende Native User Guide Page 55

DETAIL PARAMETER RANGES AND DESCRIPTIONS

ER Menu

Menu Parameter Range Description

ER Master Controls

Sub menus

for each Tap

Main

Modulate

Filters

Master Delay 0 - 1500ms

Master Level 0 - 400%

aster Time

Delay 0 - 2500ms Tap Delay

Level –∞ to 0dB Tap Level

Phase On or Off Inverts phase of tap

Pan

Cho Rate 0 - 4Hz

Cho Depth 0 - 100%

ER Rebound 0 - 100%

Cutoff Freq 25Hz - 24kHz

- 400%

–100 (L) to

+100 (R)

Adds a Pre-Delay to the whole ‘ER Block’ so all individual Taps move to the right.

Adjusts the level of all Taps, counter-clockwise to decrease, clockwise to increase all tap levels.

djusts the delay of all Taps, counter-clockwise to decrease,

A clockwise to increase all delay times.

Places tap in stereo spectrum

Adds a Chorus to the Tap to thicken and blur the reflection. At

0.00Hz the Chorus is switched off.

Adjusts the modulation depth of the Chorus. At 0% the Chorus is switched off.

Adds a modulated Feedback Loop to the delay line of a Tap to create complexity inside the Reflection.

Adjusts the Cut off Frequency of a smooth Low Pass Filter to dampen the reflection and the rebounds.

Page 56 Duende Native User Guide

EV Menu

enu

Reverb Master Controls

Body

Reverb

sub menus

arameter

PreDelay 0 - 1500ms Adds a Pre-Delay to the reverb tail, moving the Triangle right.

Rev Level –∞ to 0dB Adjusts the level of the reverb tail

Rev Time Varies

Size 0 - 60m

Density 0 - 100%

Definition 0 - 100%

Crossfeed 0 - 100%

Shape 0 - 255

ange

escription

Determines the time for the reverb level to fall below 60dB (RT 60). Dependant on the Size, Shape, Attack and Algorithm.

Adjusts room size by altering the reverb delay structure, the diffusion engine and the complexity approximation. IMPORTANT: Changing the Size can result in audible artefacts.

Adjusts the density in the diffusion and refraction engine and complexity approximation. Higher values smoothen the reverb tail and individual ‘refractions’ or ringing echoes disappear.

Adds defined and randomly modulated reflections to the beginning of the reverb tail. Can add clarity but may reduce density. In Ultra Plate, Definition also modulates the Density in relation to Input Level to create a more natural decay.

X-Verb has separate diffusion engines for left and right. Crossfeed introduces the left input to the right channel and vice versa, reducing the stereo image but adding the impression of distance.

Alters the Shape of the Reverb Triangle. At higher values the reverb build up phase (Attack) becomes longer, while the tail fade out phase becomes shorter.

Envelope

Modulate

Freq/Time Controls

Filters Controls

Expands the time of the Attack. At higher values the reverb build

Attack 0 - 255

Rev Mode -9 to +9

Cho Rate 0-4Hz Adds Chorus to the tail to thicken and smoothen the reverb.

Cho Depth 0-100% Adjusts the modulation depth of the Chorus.

Lifelyness 0-48

Floatation 0-22ms

Time (Low,

Mid, High)

XOver

(Low, High)

Freq

Shelve Gain –∞ to 0dB Sets gain reduction for Low and High filters

0.1-4

25Hz 24kHz

up time can take up to 700 ms. Note that when Shape is set to 0, Attack is inactive.

Allows less natural-sounding reverb. At 0, reverb sounds most natural – positive values compress tail. LF energy may lead to artifacts – lower Input level or set RevMode to 0 to eliminate.

Adds natural sounding random time modulation to refractions in Diffusion engine. For Ultra Plate, adds modulation to Chorus

Determines the maximum range of ‘Lifelyness’ time fluctuation. Not available in the Ultra Plate Algorithms.

Factor for the RevTime multiplier of each band. Turn clockwise to lengthen. Since high frequencies have the least energy the HF default factor is 0.2.

Adjusts the crossover frequency between Low and Mid bands, and between Mid and High bands.

Sets filter frequency for Low and High filters

In/Out In/Out Switches each filter in and out of circuit.

Duende Native User Guide Page 57

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Page 58 Duende Native User Guide

Appendix: Cross-grade

It is easy to see that a customer who has previously invested in a hardware Duende DSP unit might want to continue to benefit from ongoing support and development of new Duende plug-ins. In recognition of this SSL is offering every registered Duende DSP owner a free ‘cross-grade’ to Duende Native. This page describes the terms and conditions for eligibility to a free cross-grade, it describes what we are offering and how to go about applying for a cross-grade.

CROSS-GRADE ELIGIBILITY CONDITIONS

- If your hardware Duende DSP unit was registered in your Profile at the SSL web site on or before 1st November 2010 you are eligible to claim free Duende Native licences equivalent to any Duende plug-ins you own for your Duende DSP unit.

- If you register a hardware Duende DSP unit which has not previously been registered with the SSL web site, you are eligible to claim free Duende Native licences equivalent to any Duende plug-ins you own for your Duende DSP unit. There is no time limit on this.

- If you own a hardware Duende DSP unit which had already been registered with the SSL web site on or before 1st November 2010 you will not be able to re-register it and will not be eligible for a free cross-grade.

- If you have bought any of the optional plug-ins (Drumstrip, Vocalstrip, X-Comp, X-EQ or X-Verb) for any model of hardware Duende DSP unit or the Bus Compressor Upgrade for a Duende Mini, the Duende DSP unit will be eligible for a free cross-grade.

ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS

- By accepting the free cross-grade offer you agree that SSL will no longer support your hardware unit.

- If you sell your existing Duende hardware unit, the new owner will not be able to register it, or be eligible for support or be eligible for a free cross-grade.

- The Duende Native copy protection system examines your computer and builds a unique profile of it. As part of the product activation process this information is returned to the SSL Online Licence Centre to be used in the generation of a Product Licence that is unique to your computer. By accepting these Terms & Conditions you agree to SSL examining your computer system and holding information about it. If you are unwilling to have your computer profiled in this way you should not install Duende Native. SSL does not examine any personal data, other software installed or any computer use behaviour. SSL will not share any of your data with any third parties.

- Each Duende hardware unit and all associated plug-ins will be cross-graded as a ‘bundle’ in a single transaction. If the Duende Native plug-ins created as part of the cross-grade are ‘deactivated’ at a later date they will all be deactivated as a bundle.

- When you cross-grade a specific unit, you cross-grade the unit and all plug-ins associated with it. You cannot cross-grade individual plug-ins separately. Note that you do not have to install all of the Duende Native plug-ins; during the installation process you can choose which individual Duende Native plug-ins you wish to actually use.

WHO GETS WHAT?

Subject to eligibility and agreement to our Terms & Conditions a free cross-grade means:

- Duende Mini, Classic & PCIe units included the ‘EQ & Dynamics Channel’ plug-in as standard so owners of all eligible units can claim a free ‘Duende Native Channel’ licence.

- Duende Classic and Duende PCIe units included the ‘Stereo Bus Compressor’ plug-in as standard so owners of all eligible units can claim a free ‘Duende Native Bus Compressor’ licence.

- Owners of optional plug-ins (Drumstrip, Vocalstrip, X-EQ, X-Comp, X-Verb, Bus Compressor for Duende Mini) for eligible units can claim a free Duende Native equivalent licence.

- If you bought one of our Studio or Expanded Packs and your unit is still eligible you can claim a Duende Native licence for each of the plug-ins in your bundle.

- If you own more than one hardware Duende DSP unit, providing each individual unit is eligible, you get a free cross-grade for each unit. If you have multiple optional plug-ins registered (ie. one for each hardware unit) you can claim a free cross-grade for each registered instance of each optional plug-in. So if you own two PCIe units, with all 5 optional plugins registered for both units… and both units are eligible… you can claim two complete sets of Duende Native licences

- In short; everybody who owns an eligible Duende DSP unit gets an equivalent Duende Native plug-in pack 100% for free and gets to keep their Duende DSP. Everybody who owns multiple eligible Duende units gets multiple plug-in packs.

Duende Native User Guide Page 59

WHERE IS THE CATCH?

here isn’t one. We have changed our future development strategy and think it is the right and proper thing to do to provide

ur existing customers with an opportunity to benefit from future development. You are not obliged to switch, you can carry

n using your Duende DSP but you deserve the choice. It also feels good to reward customer loyalty.

FAQS

Can I run demo versions of the Duende Native plug-ins before I choose to cross-grade?

Yes you can. Everybody can get a free 30 day demo licence for each Duende Native plug-in. Note however that when you choose to install the Native version of a Duende DSP plug-in that is already installed on your system, the Native plug-in will overwrite the DSP version. You can perform a system roll back easily though if you wish as described below. Demos are limited to one per host computer.

Will the new Native plug-ins load into my old projects and recognise my saved settings?

Yes. The Duende Native plug-ins appear to your system as ‘exactly’ the same plug-ins as your DSP versions… Your DAW sees your Native plug-in as though it is your old DSP plug-in and loads the saved settings.

Can I use the Duende Native and Duende DSP versions of a plug-in at the same time?

The short answer is no you can’t… but you can use different Duende Native and Duende DSP plug-ins alongside each other on a single system. When you run the Duende Native installer you are prompted to select which Native plug-ins you wish to install. If you choose to install the Native version of a Duende DSP plug-in that is already installed on your system the Native plug-in will overwrite the DSP version.

So can I run a hybrid system with some Duende Native and some Duende DSP plug-ins running side by side?

Yes you can. For users owning older, less powerful computers this may be a sensible approach to take. When you are installing Duende Native simply choose to only install the plug-ins you wish to run as Native versions.

So my Duende hardware will continue to work even after I have cross-graded?

Yes it will. But as part of the Terms & Conditions of the cross-grade you must agree that, after the cross-grade, you relinquish any warranty terms, your old hardware unit is not eligible for support or repairs, no new upgrades or plug-ins can be purchased for it and while you can keep the unit for personal use, you will not give or sell the unit to a 3rd party.

Can I change my mind and go back to using my Duende DSP after going Native?

Yes you can. You would need to uninstall the Duende Native version and re-install the Duende DSP version. Note that the Duende DSP installer overwrites all of the plug-ins to perform a complete system roll back. If you then wish to re-run the Duende Native installer once again and select only the plug-ins you wish to run Natively you can.

So does that mean I can choose to only cross-grade some of my plug-ins?

No. When you cross-grade you cross-grade the individual hardware unit and all plug-ins associated with it. Although you can then choose which of the Native plug-in versions to Install and Activate you must agree to cross-grade your unit as a bundle.

I have bought a Duende Mini DSP Upgrade or a Duende V3 64 or 128 Channel Upgrade… is that cross-graded too?

Duende Native has no channel count limits. How many plug-in instances you can run simultaneously on a single system is limited only by the power of your computer. In recognition of your financial investment in channel count for your Duende we are also offering, for a limited time, an additional reward offer to all owners of Channel Upgrades. If you have previously purchased one of these upgrades we will contact you directly with details of this offer..

Can I move my Duende Native plug-ins from one computer to another?

You can only use Duende Native plug-ins on one computer at a time. If you use a software only ‘Virtual Dongle’ you cannot easily move your Duende Native licences from one computer to another. If you need to move your licences because you are changing computer or have suffered a catastrophic failure and need to completely re-build your computer, please contact

support@solidstatelogic.com. If you require licence portability; ie. you wish to install the software on multiple computers and

transfer your licence between them at will (eg. you have a desktop computer in your studio and a laptop you use when travelling) then you should buy a Duende Native Hardware Dongle. The Duende Native Hardware Dongle enables full licence portability across an unlimited number of computers. You may install the Duende Native plug-ins on as many computers as you like and simply move your dongle to the machine you wish to work on. You can only buy one dongle per set of Duende Native Licences; you cannot install a single licence on multiple dongles. The Duende Native Hardware Dongle is available exclusively from the SSL online store.

Page 60 Duende Native User Guide

DUENDE NATIVE CROSS-GRADE INSTALLATION

lease follow the software download and installation instructions laid out in Section 1 of this manual.

Section 1 also includes information about registering on the SSL website, if you have not already done so. This is a necessary part of the activation process.

Having logged into the website, go to the My Products tab, where all registered Duende hardware will be listed. If you need to register a unit, use the registration section at the top of the screen.

Click on the Cross-grade label next to each Duende hardware unit, then confirm that you have read and agree to the terms and conditions and are sure you wish to cross grade.

This will create a Duende Native Products section within your Product list, containing an item labelled Free Duende Cross-grade – Unit #x (where x is the unit serial number), followed by a 32 character activation code. You will also see the plug-ins included in the Upgrade listed.

Click on the Activate label beside the activation code and the SSL Online Licence Centre will open in a new web browser window.

Read the instructions, then click where indicated at the bottom of the page:

Duende Native User Guide Page 61

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Page 62 Duende Native User Guide

Index

A-B (Vocalstrip) 40 A-B (X-Comp) 28 A-B (X-EQ) 33

-B (X-Verb) 48

A Analyse button (X-EQ) 33 Aud button (Vocalstrip) 40 Authorising Your Plug-ins 16 Automation (Channel Strip plug-in) 20 Automation (Drumstrip) 43 Automation (Vocalstrip) 40 Automation (X-Comp) 27 Automation (X-EQ) 32 Automation (X-Verb) 47

BELL (Channel Strip plug-in) 19 Bleed (X-Comp) 29 Bleed Graph (X-Comp) 30 Bypass (Drumstrip) 43 Bypass (Vocalstrip) 39 Bypass (X-Comp) 28 Bypass (X-EQ) 33 Bypass (X-Verb) 47

Channel Strip plug-in 19 Compander (Vocalstrip) 42 Compression Law Graph (X-Comp) 30 Compressor (Channel Strip plug-in) 22 Compressor (Vocalstrip) 42 Creating an SSL Profile 13 Cross-grade 59

De-esser (Vocalstrip) 40 De-ploser (Vocalstrip) 41 Display (Vocalstrip) 41, 42 Display (X-Comp) 30 Display (X-EQ) 31 Display (X-Verb) 48 Drum Strip 43 DYN IN (Channel Strip plug-in) 19 DYN S/C (Channel Strip plug-in) 19 Dynamics (Channel Strip plug-in) 22

E switch (Channel Strip plug-in) 21 EQ & Dynamics Channel Strip 19 EQ History 37

Q IN switch (Channel Strip plug-in) 21

E EQ Shapes (X-EQ) 35 Equaliser (Channel Strip plug-in) 21 Equaliser (Vocalstrip) 41 ER (X-Verb) 53, 56 EXP button (Channel Strip plug-in) 19, 22 Expander (Channel Strip plug-in) 22 Expander (Vocalstrip) 42

FAQ 1 FAST ATT (Channel Strip plug-in) 19, 22 Filter (Channel Strip plug-in) 20 Filter Shapes (X-EQ) 36

Gate (Channel Strip plug-in) 22 Gate (Drumstrip) 44 GR History (X-Comp) 30

HF Enhancer 46

I/O Diff Graph (X-Comp) 30 Image (X-Verb) 50 Input (Channel Strip plug-in) 20 Input (Drumstrip) 44 Input (Vocalstrip) 40 Input (X-Comp) 30 Input (X-EQ) 32 Input (X-Verb) 49

Kill Tail Button 51 Knee (X-Comp) 28

LF Enhancer 46 Limiter (Channel Strip plug-in) 22 Listen Mic Compressor 46

Duende Native User Guide Page 63

ax GR (X-Comp) 28

M Mix (X-Verb) 49 Morph button 48

Output (Channel Strip plug-in) 23 Output (Drumstrip) 44

utput (Vocalstrip) 40

O Output (X-Comp) 30 Output (X-EQ) 32 Output (X-Verb) 49

Parallel button (X-EQ) 34 Parameters (X-Verb) 53, 56 PK button (Channel Strip plug-in) 19, 22 PRE EQ switch (Channel Strip plug-in) 22, 23 Presets (Vocalstrip) 40 Presets (X-Comp) 28 Presets (X-EQ) 33 Presets (X-Verb) 48 Primary Parameters (X-Verb) 52 Processing Order (Channel Strip plug-in) 23 Processing Order (Drumstrip) 46 Processing Order (Vocalstrip) 42 Profile 13

-Comp 27

X X-EQ 31 X-Verb 47

REV (X-Verb) 54, 57 RMS (Channel Strip plug-in) 22

S/C LISTEN (Channel Strip plug-in) 19, 23 Side Chain (Channel Strip plug-in) 23 SSL profile 13 Stereo Bus Compressor 25 Support 1

Transient Shaper (Drumstrip) 45 Tutorials 1

Vocal Strip 39

Page 64 Duende Native User Guide

Notes

Duende Native User Guide Page 65

www.solidstatelogic.com

Visit SSL at: www.solidstatelogic.com

82BDNM01A

Duende, Duende Native, Drumstrip, Vocalstrip, X-Comp, X-EQ, and X-Verb

are trademarks of Solid State Logic

All other product names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are hereby

acknowledged

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, whether mechanical or

electronic, without the written permission of Solid State Logic, Oxford, OX5 1RU, England

As research and development is a continual process, Solid State Logic reserves the right to change the

features and specifications described herein without notice or obligation.

Solid State Logic cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage arising directly or indirectly from

any error or omission in this manual.

E&OE

Solid State Logic SSL, X-EQ, X-Verb User Guide

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Table of Contents

Introduction

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF SSL

ABOUT THIS MANUAL

PLUG-IN TUTORIALS AND SUPPORT

ABOUT THE SSL PLUG-IN RANGE

Channel Strip

Stereo Bus Compressor

1. Software Setup

OVERVIEW

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Windows

Macintosh

Host Applications

DOWNLOADING THE SOFTWARE

Problems Downloading?

INSTALLING THE SOFTWARE (MACINTOSH)

INSTALLING THE SOFTWARE (WINDOWS)

CREATING AN SSL PROFILE

LOGGING INTO THE SSL WEBSITE

BUYING PLUG-INS

APPLYING ACTIVATION CODES TO YOUR PROFILE

CD Activation Codes

Free Demo Activation Codes

ACTIVATING PLUG-INS

2. EQ & Dynamics Channel Strip

INTRODUCTION

INTERFACE TECHNIQUES

Automation

INPUT SECTION

FILTER SECTION

EQUALISER SECTION

DYNAMICS SECTION

Compressor/Limiter

Expander/Gate

Side Chain Processing Order

CHANNEL PROCESSING ORDER

OUTPUT SECTION

3. Stereo Bus Compressor

INTRODUCTION

INTERFACE TECHNIQUES

CONTROL PARAMETERS

4. X-Comp

INTRODUCTION

INTERFACE TECHNIQUES

Automation

CONTROL PARAMETERS

Plug-in Bypass

Presets

A-B comparisons

Knee

Max GR

Auditioning Bleed Bands

COMPRESSOR VALUES

Compression Law Graph

Bleed Graph

I/O Diff Graph

GR History

Colour of knobs

5. X-EQ

INTRODUCTION

INTERFACE OVERVIEW

EQ Graph Display

Interface Techniques

Automation

EQ CONFIGURATION

Plug-in Bypass

Presets

A-B comparisons

Analyse

Parallel

EQ PARAMETER VALUES

EQ AND FILTER SHAPES

Bell Shapes

Shelving Bands

Filter Shapes