Solid State Logic X-EQ User Manual

XX--EEQ

User Guide

™

82S6MC050A

CONTENTS

1. Introduction 1

Key Features 2

X-EQ Graphical User Interface 3

2. System Requirements 4

Apple Macintosh 4

Windows/PC 4

3. Installation & Authorisation 5

4. Some History 6

4.1 An Audio Engineer’s Best Friend 6

4.2 The Best of the Analogue and Digital Worlds 6

4.3 Analogue Parametric EQ Modelling 6

4.4 Non- Linear Phase EQ 7

4.5 Parallel Passive EQ 8

5. Operational Overview 9

5.1 Graphical EQ Display 9

5.2 Control Options in Band Control and Input/Output Sections 9

5.3 Save, Load and A/B Functionality 10

5.4 Meters 11

5.5 FFT Spectrum Analyser 12

5.6 Automation 12

5.7 Global Bypass 13

5.8 X-EQ Band Parameters and Control Ranges 13

6. X-EQ Filter Types 14

6.1 Bell Filters 14

6.2 Shelving Filters 17

6.3 Cut Filters 18

7. X-EQ Signal Flow 20

7.1 Serial mode 20

7.2 Parallel mode 20

8. Application Tips 21

9. Duende Support 22

9.1 Support FAQs 22

1. Introduction

Thank you for purchasing the X-EQ plug-in for the SSL Duende platform. X-EQ is a versatile and comprehensive mastering grade parametric EQ plug-in built from the ground up for Duende. It has an unprecedented clarity, smoothness, and excellent high-frequency response.

The use of innovative coefficient generation and innovative processing design provides superior performance that surpasses analogue EQ in both artistic freedom and sound quality. This plug-in may well provide all the different EQ options you will ever need.

A total of 10 EQ bands are provided, split into dedicated HP and LP filters, LF and HF shelves and 6 bell bands. A Parallel EQ mode is also provided which recreates the characteristic sound of an old parallel passive PEQ circuit built with inductors and capacitors.

In addition to this, different filter types are provided independently for each of the 10 bands. The HP and LP filters have 5 different topologies available, the 6 bell bands each offer 9 different characteristic shapes and the LF and HF shelving filters offer variable Q. Together these cover the vast majority of EQ styles currently popular amongst professional users, including some legacy styles which are renowned for their artistic capability and some unique designs only possible in the digital domain.

Liberated from any analogue style control legacy, the X-EQ 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. Extensive control options include dragable EQ nodes, traditional mouse parameter control and exact numerical entry.

The plug-in is available in both mono and stereo instances 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, X-EQ 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. This figure is doubled for stereo use and doubled again for

88.2/96kHz operation.

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 soft 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 40-bit floating point engine

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

X-EQ Graphical User Interface

1 Stereo/mono input meter

2 Input gain control

3 Preset Management buttons

4 HP filter and LF shelf bands

5 6 independent bell shape bands

6 Parallel mode button

7 LP filter and HF shelf bands

8 FFT analyser on/off

9 Band control section

10 Stereo/mono output meter

11 Output level control

12 Duende logo – Command + click (Mac) or

Ctrl + click (PC) here for Product Activation

13 Graphical EQ display with analyser

14 Latency free plug-in bypass

13 12 11

4 5 6 7 1098

2. System Requirements

Apple Macintosh

• SSL Duende running V2.2 software and firmware

• PowerPC G4/G5 or Intel 1.0GHz or higher

• 512Mb RAM (1Gb recommended)

• Mac OS X (Version 10.4.10 or higher)

• 60Mb of free hard disk space

• Audio Units, VST o r RTAS* comp ati ble hos t application

• 17" or larger colour monitor with screen resolution of 1024 x 768 or higher recommended

• Internet Connection (for product registration and software updates)

Windows/PC

• SSL Duende running V2.2 software and firmware

• Minimum of Intel Pentium IV 1.0GHz or equivalent

• 512Mb RAM (1Gb recommended)

• Windows XP

• 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 software updates)

Plug-in formats

VST and RTAS* versions are provided for use under Windows XP on the PC platform

VST, AU and RTAS* formats are provided in a universal binary format for Intel based and PowerPC Macs.

As with other Duende plug-ins, X-EQ will take one ‘slot’ at 44.1/48kHz in mono. Please see the Duende manual for more information on DSP resource management.

* RTAS support is provided by the included FXpansion VST-RTAS wrapper: www.fxpansion.com

3. Installation & Authorisation

A time limited trial version of X-EQ will be installed during the Duende V2.2 software update. This allows X-EQ to be run in evaluation mode, which means the plug-in can be used with full functionality until a certain number of samples of audio have been processed. At 48kHz this gives approximately 10 hours of continuous use for either stereo or mono plug-ins. At the point where 10 minutes of the evaluation period remains, the countdown timer will turn red. Once the timer reaches ‘0h 0m 0s’ the sample count has been reached and the plug-in will cease to process audio.

If you wish to continue using X-EQ after this period, you can pu rchas e the full vers ion fr om http://solid-state-

logic.locotalk.com. Once the authorisation procedure has been

completed, you will have an unrestricted version of X-EQ.

To obtain an authorised version of X-EQ please do the following:

1. Navigate to http://solid-state-logic.locotalk.com in to your SSL account. If you do not already have an account, please create one.

2. Under the ‘SSL Products and Admin’ section, proceed to the Online Shop.

3. Add X-EQ to your cart and confirm your identity in the next step.

and log

4. In step 3 you will be asked to enter your Authentication ID. This is found in the X-EQ Production Activation box. Command + click (Mac) or Ctrl + click (PC) on the Duende logo in the X-EQ GUI to open this box.

5. If your Duende hardware is not already registered you will be asked to register it here.

6. Enter your payment details, your order will be co mplet ed and you wi ll be p rovid ed wit h the Unlock Key.

7. Return to the Product Activation box and enter the Unlock Key – X-EQ is now authorised for unlimited use.

Please note that X-EQ will only run on the particular Duende hardware for which it is authorised

Authentication ID Unlock Key

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