Solid State Logic Vocalstrip User Manual
Vocalstrip™
One Stop Vocal Processing Plug-in for SSL Duende – a User’s Guide
Duende. This is SSL.
Contents
1. Introduction 1
Key Features 2
Hardware Limitations 3
Vocalstrip Graphical User Interface 4
2. System Requirements 5
Apple Macintosh 5
Windows/PC 5
3. Installation & Authorisation 6
4. Vocalstrip In Detail 8
4.1 De-esser 8
4.2 De-ploser 8
4.3 Equaliser 9
4.4 Compander 10
4.5 Process Order 10
5. Graphical Displays 11
5.1 Graphical EQ Display 11
5.2 FFT Spectrum Analyser 11
5.3 Compander Law Display 12
5.4 I/O Difference Display 12
5.5 Meters 13
Peak Meter and Clip Indicator 13
Dynamic History Meter 13
RMS Meter 13
6. Control Options 14
6.1 Preset Save and Load 14
6.2 A/B Functionality 15
6.3 Automation 16
6.4 Global Bypass 16
7. Vocalstrip Parameters & Control Ranges 17
Equaliser 17
De-esser and De-ploser 17
Compander 17
8. Vocalstrip Support 18
Support FAQs 18
1. Introduction
Thank you for purchasing the Vocalstrip plug-in for the SSL Duende platform. Vocalstrip is a one stop solution for
superior vocal processing, with all the tools you need to take your vocal sound into the big league.
Vocalstrip features 4 configurable processing blocks to take care of unwanted artefacts, dynamics and equalisation
and extensive metering and visual feedback give you invaluable information during your work.
Liberated from any analogue style control legacy, the Vocalstrip graphical user interface will especially appeal to
people who like to see what they are hearing. The fully interactive EQ display shows the exact filter shapes and
resulting curves of the different EQ bands, and a real-time spectrum analyser allows you to see the effect of your EQ
settings on the overall frequency spectrum of the sound source. The Compander response is shown visually and full
gain reduction metering shows you exactly how the dynamics are being manipulated. Extensive control options include
traditional mouse parameter control, wheel adjustment and exact numerical entry.
The plug-in is available as a mono instance only in VST, AU and RTAS* formats making it compatible with virtually all
audio software currently available on both PC and Mac.
As with other Duende plug-ins, Vocalstrip is capable of operating at 44.1, 48, 88.2 and 96kHz sampling rates, where
a mono instance at 44.1/48kHz occupies 1 Duende processing slot.
Vocalstrip comes equipped with a hotlist of presets based on the settings used by some of the world’s most renowned
sound engineers and producers. These pro-level presets provide great starting points for any vocal job that you may
encounter.
* RTAS support is provided via the included FXpansion VST-RTAS wrapper – www.fxpansion.com
Page 1
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 soft latency free bypass
• Superb mastering grade audio quality delivered by Duende’s 40-bit floating point engine
• Preset library based on settings used by some of the worlds top mixing engineers
As with other Duende plug-ins, Vocalstrip will take one ‘slot’ at 44.1/48kHz in mono. Please see the Duende User
Guide for more information on DSP resource management.
Page 2
Hardware Limitations
Because of the many processor-intensive processes that are part of Vocalstrip, this plug-in uses a large number of
Duende DSP cycles.
Although this is un-noticeable for most ‘normal’ use, it does mean that if 6 or more Vocalstrips are loaded onto one
Duende DSP at 44.1/48kHz and all of the modules are enabled (ie De-esser, De-ploser etc.), then a 7th will not have
time to be processed. This will result in the audio ‘crackling’ or glitching.
To minimise this situation we have made the Vocalstrip modules only use DSP cycles when they are switched in. For
example, you can quite happily run 8 Vocalstrips on one Duende DSP as long as maybe two of them have the Deesser switched out, and another two the De-ploser switched out. Also, in reality you are very unlikely to run more
than 6 fully enabled VocalStrips on any one Duende DSP!
If you do run into this, you will hear glitching. In this case unload the last plug-in, then load a couple of ‘dummy
channel strips’ onto a spare muted audio channel. The next VocalStrip you instantiate will then be loaded onto the
next DSP, so another 6 fully enabled plug-ins can then be run.
Page 3
Vocalstrip Graphical User Interface
6
5
4
3
2
1
1 Preset Management buttons
2 Input gain control
3 Equalisation module
7 De-ploser
8 Compander response graph
9 EQ graph
4 Input meter
5 Latency free plug-in bypass
6 De-esser
* Press <Ctrl> & click (Windows) or ⌘ & click (Macintosh) on the Duende logo to access the Product Activation window
10 Amplitude histogram
11 Duende logo *
7 10
(not shown)
here – with optional FFT display
8 9
will show
11
12
13
14
15
12 Output meter
13 Compander
14 Output gain control
15 Process order
Page 4
2. System Requirements
Apple Macintosh
• SSL Duende running V2.59 software and 2.19 firmware
• Mac PowerPC G4/G5 or Intel 1Ghz or higher
• 512MB RAM (1GB recommended)
• Mac OS X (‘Tiger’ 10.4.11 or ‘Leopard’ 10.5.2 or higher)
• 60MB of free Hard Disk space
• Audio Units, VST or RTAS* compatible host application
• 17" or larger colour monitor with screen resolution of
1024 x 768 or higher recommended
• Internet connection (for product registration and to
download software updates)
• Approved audio interface
• Vocalstrip is provided in AU, RTAS* and VST formats as a universal binary for both Intel and PowerPC Macintosh,
whilst RTAS* VST and versions are provided for use under Windows XP or Vista on the PC platform.
Windows/PC
• SSL Duende running V2.59 software and 2.19 firmware
• Minimum of Intel Pentium IV 1GHz or equivalent
• 512MB RAM (1GB recommended)
• Windows XP or Vista
• 80MB of free Hard Disk space
• Approved VST or RTAS* compatible host application
• 17" or larger colour monitor with screen resolution of
1024 x 768 or higher recommended
• Internet connection (for product registration and to
download software updates)
• Approved audio interface
– 32 bit versions only
*RTAS is supported through the integrated FXPansion VST-RTAS wrapper, a product developed by FXpansion Ltd.
For more info visit www.fxpansion.com
Page 5
Loading...