SPL Drumxchanger, 1060 User manual

SPL Analog Code ® Plug-in

Manual

DrumXchanger

Optimize and replace drum sounds

Manual

Content

DrumXchanger Analog Code Plug-in

Native Version (RTAS, AU und VST): model number 1060
Manual version 1.0 – 5/2010

SPL electronics GmbH

Sohlweg 80, 41372 Niederkrüchten, Germany
Phone [phone],Fax [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail], Internet: www.spl.info

This user‘s guide contains a description of the product . It in no way represents a guar­antee of par ticular charac teristic s or re sults of use. Th e infor mation i n this document
has be en carefu lly compile d and verif ied and, unl ess other wise stated o r agr eed upon,
corr ectly describ es the produ ct at the time of packagi ng wit h this docum ent. So und
Perf ormance Lab (SPL) continuo usly st rives to improve its p roducts and r eserves the
righ t to modi fy the product described i n this m anual a t any tim e withou t prior notice.
This d ocument is t he proper ty of SPL an d may not be co pied or repr oduced in a ny way,
in pa rt or f ully, w ithou t auth orizati on by SPL e lect ronic s GmbH .

© 2009 SPL ele ctronic s Gmb H. All righ ts re served.
Transie nt De signer™, Vitalizer™ and Atmos™ are tradem arks of SPL el ectroni cs G mbH.
All ot her log os and b rand na mes ar e regi stere d trad emar ks of the ir res pect ive own ers.

The SPL l ogo, The Analog Code™,

Scope of Delivery ................................................ 4

Installation ....................................................... 4

MAC- and WINDOWS-Installation, Using several plug-in

formats, Use of the plug-in on several computers .. .. .. .. .. 4

System Requirements ........................................ 5

Introduction ..................................................... 5

Glossary, SPL Analog Code® Plug-ins ....................... 5

The DrumXchanger, Better simply, simply better .. .. .. .. .. 6

Dual Threshold Technology, Two Transient Designers

included, 1 GB Sample-Library included .................... 7

Features, Applications ....................................... 8

Operation/Basics .............................................. 8

Mouse wheel control for all rotary knobs, Keyboard

Shortcuts, Mono, stereo or multi-channel operation ...... 9

2

DrumXchanger

Operation/Module Overview ................................. 10

First Steps .................................................... 12

Control Elements ............................................... 13

Editor, Settings and Input Module .......................... 13

Editor, Help, Settings A/B/C/D, Copy snd Paste . . .. .. .. .. .. 13

Input Gain ...................................................... 14

Original Module .............................................. 15

High and low pass filters, Solo, Transient Designer Processor 15

Transient Designer Processor/Attack & Sustain, Trigg. . .. . 16

Ducking ........................................................ 17

Trigger Module ............................................... 17

Frequency and bandwidth controls ......................... 17

Solo, Ext. SC, Gain controls ................................. 18

TRANS Gain control, LEVEL Gain control ..................... 19

Trigger Meter, TRANS Trigger Meter ......................... 20

LEVEL Trigger Meter ........................................... 21

Sample Module ............................................. 22

The SPL Kits, SPL Kit Selectors ............................. 22

Visual SPL Kit, File Name Button ............................ 23

Load, Play, Prev and Next .................................... 24

Rim, Phase, Delay ............................................. 25

Dynamics, High and low pass filters ......................... 26

Solo, Transient Designer Processor/Attack & Sustain . .. .. 27

Tune ........................................................... 28

Output Module ............................................... 28

High and low pass filters, Dry/Wet .......................... 28

Output ........................................................ 29

Editor .......................................................... 30

Variation 1-3, Slot 1-8 (loud ... soft) ......................... 30

Rim (optional), Slot Buttons, Export, Close ................ 30

Content

DrumXchanger

3

Scope of Delivery

The DrumXchanger supports RTAS (ProTools), VST (Cubase,
Nuendo, WaveLab, etc.), and AU (Logic, Digital Performer) formats.
Your software is registered to the iLok account you have specified
during the purchase process. The number of installed instances is
not limited, the only limit are the resources of the computer itself.

Installation

MAC and Windows Installation

Run the installation file and follow the instructions. Before
in stal ling fr om phy sical me dia, you may want to visit www. spl. info/
software/download to check if there are newer versions available.

Using several plug-in formats

Your license supports RTAS, VST and AU formats. You may select
one or more of these formats during installation so that you can
use the DrumXchanger with dif ferent programs.

Use of the plug-in on several computers

Thanks to the iLok dongle you can use the DrumXchanger plug-in
on more than one computer. As soon as you connect your iLok
dongle to the computer you may use the plug-in freely.

4

DrumXchanger

Installation

System Requirements

MAC: OS X 10.4 or later, G4/Intel Core Duo processor, 512 MB RA M,
SVGA 1024 x 768.
WINDOWS: 2000/XP/VISTA/WIN7, 1 GHz processor, 512 MB RAM,
SVGA 1024 x 768.
We strongly recommend systems that exceed the minimum
requirements stated here.

Introduction

Glossary

Transient: first impulse of a waveform

Host Program: program on which the plug-in is running (Pro
Tools, Cubase, Logic, etc.).

Sample: portion of a sound recording, here: a drum sound

Trigger: module that controls sound recognition

Loudness: perceived volume as opposed to amplitude

SPL Analog Code® Plug-ins

While SPL hardware products have been fascinating audio pro­fessionals from home studio owners to mastering engineers in
the world’s most renowned facilities for years, the need for this
technology in the form of plug-ins has also been an ever-growing
demand. With the Analog Code® plug-ins we have finally accom­plished our much desired goal: to transfer to the digital domain the
high quality we have striven to achieve with our analog processors
throughout several decades.

The first time we ever heard a software that fulfilled our expecta­tions, one of our hardware developers said to the programmers:
“you have cracked the Analog Code” — thus was coined the name
of our digital products.

DrumXchanger

5

Introduction

The DrumXchanger

The name of the DrumXchanger is self-explanatory: it replaces
drum sounds. But when it comes to processing it relies on a unique
approach: it uses the Transient Designer technology for sound
recognition. That way the DrumXchanger can faithfully recognize
even the faintest ghost notes — regardless of their dynamic level.
To clearly understand the DrumXchanger’s true potential it is
important to understand that it is not merely a sound replacer. It is,
in fact, a power ful tool to optimize drums tracks. The processing
possibilities to improve and shape sound — without the need to
replace any sounds — are almost limitless, while the actual sound
replacement itself can be done gradually (0 to 100 percent) in order
to mix both the original and the sampled sound.

Better simply — simply better

If the DrumXchanger stands out due to its extremely reliable sound
recognition, its simplicity is nothing but surprising. The principle
behind the DrumXchanger concept was to focus on the essentials:
the snare, the toms and the bass drum.
All functions are clearly displayed and processing is done at the
highest standards of precision and quality. When you need to
create a quality sounding snare from a more than dubious drum
sound in a mat ter of seconds, the DrumXcha ng er of fer s lots of pos­sibilities.

6

DrumXchanger

Introduction

Dual Threshold Technology

Sound replacement technologies are usually based on level rec­ognition, so you can only set the threshold for a given level. This
results in softer sounds not being recognized due to the fact that,
with a threshold set too low, other instruments mask the drum
sounds, making an accurate recognition impossible.
On the DrumXchanger you can set two different thresholds for
a more accurate recognition of drum hits: a level threshold and
a transient threshold. The sample plays back as soon as both of
these values are reached. Simple operation — sound recognition.

Two Transient Designers included

The Transient Designer isn’t only active on the background. Apar t
from the basic functions, the DrumXchanger also includes two
Transient Designer processors, one for the original and one for the
sampled sound.

1 GB Sample Library included

The DrumXchanger includes a 1 GB sound library with high qual­ity 24 bit/96 kHz samples. The library, created exclusively with
SPL’s preamps and processors, consists of three drum kits with
one snare (including rim shots), one bass drum and up to four toms
per kit. Every multisample is made up of up to 80 sounds with six­teen dynamic levels and five variations. With the SPL X File Editor
you can even create your own multisamples and import external
samples in WAV and AIFF format.

DrumXchanger

7

Introduction

Features

• Phase-accurate processing

• Free sample mixing

• Ducking function for the original signal

• High and low pass filter on each module

• Transient Designer on both the original and the sample module

• Dynamic control to adjust the sample’s loudness

• Real-time +/- one octave pitch sifting

• Delay control for precise replacement

Applications

The DrumXchanger can be used in mixing applications to process
single drum tracks. You can optimize drum elements that are
typically recorded with close microphone techniques: snare, bass
drum and toms.
The DrumXchanger was not conceived to replace hi-hats and cym­bals, nor drum sounds in a finished mix down.

8

DrumXchanger

Basics

Introduction

Mouse wheel control for all rotary knobs

All SPL Analog Code plug-ins suppor t mouse wheel control for
rotary controls and faders. Place the mouse cursor over a rotary
control and move the scroll wheel of your mouse to adjust the set­ting. Hold the CTRL (Windows) or COMMAND (Apple) key while
moving the scroll wheel to make fine adjustments; the resolution
of the mouse wheel is increased, making fine-tuning easier.

Keyboard Shortcuts

All SPL Analog Code plug-ins support format and OS specific func­tions for value reset, fine adjustment and mouse control. For more
detailed information please refer to the host program’s documen­tation.

Mono, stereo or multi-channel operation

The DrumXchanger plug-in can be used either for mono or stereo
oper ati on. All sa mples of the SPL libr ary are mono. In stereo oper a­tion, each control element governs both channels simultaneously
and you can load your own stereo samples.

DrumXchanger

9

Operation

Module Overview

1 2

The DrumXchanger is divided in five vertical sections: Editor, Set­tings & Input, Original, Trigger, Sample, and Output. We call these
sections Modules. Here you will find a short over view of the differ­ent Modules. To learn more about the functions refer to „Control
Elements“ on page 13 et seq.

1

Editor, Settings & Input

Here you can access the EDITOR to create and import samples, and
you can also open the quick HELP guide.
Use buttons A-D to save your settings in a preset. COPY and PASTE
allow you to copy the settings from one preset to another.
The INPUT GAIN control determines the input level.

2

Original

Here you can process the original signal with a high pass filter,
a low pass filter, a Transient Designer, and a ducker. The sound
changes you make in this module have no influence on the actual
sound recognition and replacement.

3 4

5

10

DrumXchanger

Module Overview

3

Trigger

The original signal is doubled in order to feed a second path lead­ing to the Trigger module. It is at this point that sound recognition
takes place. You have different options to optimize recognition. As
soon as the recognition criteria are met, the sample is triggered.

4

Sample (two columns)

In the Sample module is where you choose the SPL Kit, i.e. a drum
set, whose samples are loaded in the plug-in. The dynamic and
frequency filters allow you to process the samples. Use the Delay
control to adjust the exact position of the sample, and the Tune
control to adjust the pitch.

5

Output

In the Output module is where everything merges. Here you set the
ratio between the original and the sample signals, as well as the
filter and volume settings for the output.

Operation

DrumXchanger

11

Operation

First Steps

1. Insert the DrumXchanger as an effect in a drum track.

2. Choose a sample.

3. Make any necessary fine adjustments in the Trigger module.

4. Get to know all other set tings in the other modules.

On step 1.

There is no sample loaded in the DrumXchanger when you load the
plug-in in your host program. However, the Trigger is already work­ing, as you can see in the corresponding meters. Insert the DrumX­changer in a snare, tom or bass drum track. Loop a couple of bars
and play them back — you can also do it in solo listening mode.

On step 2.

Choose a sample from the SPL Kits or load an SPL X, WAV or AIFF
file. Click on LOAD to point out the folder in which you have saved
the SPL Kits (see “LOAD” on page 24).

On step 3.

In the Trigger module, adjust sound recognition with the meters’
green arrows. These arrows determine the signal’s level and tran­sient thresholds. Set the arrows according to your needs. The sam­ples are only played back when both arrows blink.
Rim shots: use the red arrow to set the level from which a snare or
tom hit ought to include a rim shot. Use the RIM control above the
meters to set the ratio between the rim shot and the sample.

First Steps

On step 4.

The DRY/WET function in the Output module is of utmost impor­tance: use it to determine how much of the sample signal is to be
mixed with the original signal.

12

DrumXchanger

EDITOR, SETTINGS & INPUT Module

Control Elements

EDITOR, SETTINGS & INPUT MODULE

Editor

Click on this button to access the EDITOR window to create your
own multisamples in SPL X format. For more information refer to
“EDITOR” on page 30.

Help

Click on HELP if you want to recall the “First Steps” section on page
12 of this manual. To close the HELP window simply click on it.

Settings A/B/C/D, Copy and Paste

The four set tings but tons (A-D) allow you to save all
your settings with a simple mouse click (settings = pre­sets. We use the term “settings” here to avoid confusion
with host presets). The DrumXchanger saves the current settings
permanently. As soon as you click on another settings button, the
current settings are saved under the previously active setting. For
example: if setting B is on and you were to click on another settings
button, all parameter settings would be saved under setting B.
Any previously saved setting can be recalled with a simple mouse
click on the corresponding button; you can then use or edit the set­tings.
Right above the settings buttons (A to D) are the COPY and PA STE
buttons. Use them to copy your adjustments in one of the settings
(“A”, for example) into another one (“B”, for example). Select set­ting A and make any necessary adjustments; if you wish to transfer
those adjustments to another setting click on COPY. Select set­ting B and click on PASTE. The COPY and PASTE functions make it
easier to compare settings that differ just slightly. To do so, COPY
the adjustments in one of the settings (C, for example), change to
another set ting (D, for example), PASTE the previously copied set­ting s, and then modif y the adjustments in that set ting (D). Now you
can do a simple and direct comparison between the adjustments
saved in settings C and D. >

DrumXchanger

13

Control Elements

If the host program allows it, the settings can also be automated so
you can use dif ferent settings at different points. The automation
parameters in the host program’s list is called “Settings”.
As long as you work within a single ses sion of the host program and
the plug-in is installed, the settings are saved and can be recalled
afterwards. When opened, the plug-in loads the active setting
adjustments instead of the default settings. If you remove the plug­in from the host program all settings are lost.
There is an exception though: when you save all settings of a plug­in instance as a preset in your host program. A host preset includes
all internal settings.
To erase all settings at once you can reinstall the plug-in or reset it
in the Preset Manager of your host program.

Input Gain

Use the INPUT GAIN control to determine the input level of
the original sound and adjust the signal’s volume. The level
meters in your host program ought to give you a good idea of
the original signal’s input level. You can use the INPUT GAIN
control to compensate low and high level signals.

These adjustments have no influence whatsoever on the recogni­tion and trigger level. The level ranges from -15 dB to +15 dB.

The OVL LED left of the INPUT GAIN control indicates if the proces­sor is overloading. The OVL LED is post-INPUT GAIN, so it indicates
if an input signal is too hot, but also if the overloading is taking
place after the INPUT GAIN, which means that the adjustment of
the latter might be too high.

EDITOR, SETTINGS & INPUT Module

14

DrumXchanger

ORIGINAL Module

Control Elements

ORIGINAL MODULE

High and low pass filters

The first controls are the high and low pass filters. A high pass
filter (HPF) only allows frequencies above a certain frequency to
pass through, while a low pass filter (LPF) only allows frequencies
below a certain frequency to pass through. These filters allow you
to cut the low or high end of the original signal to focus on a nar­rower frequency range. Typical uses of these filters include the
filtering of rumble and low frequency interferences with an HPF,
and the suppression of hi-hat crosstalk with an LPF. These settings
have no influence whatsoever on the sound recognition or the trig­ger module, nor do they affect the sound of the sample.
The high pass filter goes from 20 Hz to 11 kHz. The low pass filter
goes from 20 Hz to 22 kHz.

Solo

When you activate SOLO on the Original module you will listen only
to the original signal. This will allow you to concentrate on that
specific signal and make all necessary adjustments.
Do note that the DUCKING function work s independently from the
SOLO button. To avoid any influence on solo listening, deactivate
the ON button next to the DUCKING control.

Transient Designer Processor

A transient can be defined as the first impulse of a waveform. What
the Transient Designer does is shape the waveform according to the
transient, and it only needs t wo controls to achieve that, either by
amplifying or attenuating the ATTACK and/or SUSTAIN. Processing
is not level dependent so it ac ts equally on all transient s, regardless
of whether they are loud or soft. Among its most common uses are
the sound shaping of percussion instruments. >

DrumXchanger

15

Control Elements

The Transient Designer in the DrumXchanger’s Original module
allows you to process the original signal. You have a fully opera­tional Transient Designer at your disposal to shape the sound of the
signal as you wish. The processing of the original signal will depend
on whether you plan to mix it or replace it with the sample.
You can either process it so that it fits better with the sampled
signal when mixed together, or you can optimize it so the Trigger
module can recognize it better. Do note that these adjustments
only influence the original signal. The Trigger module is always fed
the same signal as the Original module, except when you depress
the TRIGG. button on the Original module. In which case, the pro­cessing you carry out with the Transient Designer on the Original
module also affects the Trigger module’s signal.

Transient Designer Processor/Attack

The ATTACK control cuts or boosts a transient attack up to
15 dB. Positive values enhance the attack while negative values
reduce the attack.

Transient Designer Processor/Sustain

The SUSTAIN control cuts or boosts a transient sustain up to
24 dB. Positive values extend the sustain while negative values
shorten the decay.

ORIGINAL Module/TRIGGER Module

Trigg.

When the TRIGG. button is activated, the Transient Designer pro­cessor of the Original module also affects the Trigger module.
This can be very useful when drum sounds are too resonant and
therefore not easily recognizable or distinguishable. This usually
affects toms and bass drums rather than snares. If that were the
case, activate the Transient Designer in the Trigger module for a
more precise processing. If the sound is sharper, recognition can
be more easily achieved. This processing has no influence on the
sound of the sample.

16

DrumXchanger

TRIGGER Module

Control Elements

Ducking

The DUCKING function reduces the level of the original signal
momentarily. It can be set from 0 dB to -40 dB. Time con­stants are preset and cannot be modified: attack is set to 1
ms and release to 10 ms, so level reduction takes place for a
very short time.
The hig her the DUCKING value, the more the original signal is over­shadowed by the sample. The short time constants guarantee that
all room acoustics information in the original signal is kept intact.
Thus, sample replacement is seamless and sounds more natural.
Use the ON button nex t to the DUCKING button to activate or deac­tivate this function. This way you can also compare the DUCKING
processing easily. Do note that the DUCKING function works inde­pendently from the SOLO button in the Original module. To avoid
any problems with the DUCKING function, deactivate it with the
corresponding ON button.

TRIGGER MODULE

Frequency and bandwidth controls

The first two controls on the Trigger module are the fre­quency and bandwidth (Q ) controls. Sound recognition
can thus be focused on a more specific frequency or band­width. You can actually set these controls by ear most of the time.
The values are displayed underneath the control so that you can
relate to these values when processing the signal.

The frequency control ranges from 20 Hz to 22 kHz. The bandwidth
(Q) control ranges from 0.5 to 50. High Q values result in a narrow
bandwidth and viceversa. The maximum Q value def ines a very
nar row and therefore more precise processing range. >

DrumXchanger

17

Control Elements

The precision and speed at which sound is recognized depends a
lot on these two controls. Set the frequency as close as possible
to the drum’s fundamental frequency and define the bandwidth
as precisely as possible. To make fine adjustments use the SOLO
function.

Solo

When you activate SOLO on the Trigger module you will listen only
to the trigger signal. This will allow you to set the frequency and
bandwidth parameters as precisely as possible, but also to check
all other module parameters and optimize them.

Ext. SC

Ext SC. stands for “E xternal Side Chain“. The EXT. SC button acti­vates the plug-in’s side chain in order to feed it with, for example,
the signal of a microphoned drum trigger.

To learn how to feed the side chain of a plug-in, please refer to your
host program’s documentation. Not ever y host program offers this
function.

Gain controls

Use the the two gain controls above the trigger meters to

adjust the level for the dual threshold recognition. Fre­quency and bandwidth settings in the Trigger module can of ten
result in signal level changes. If this were the case, adjust the level
with the GAIN control.

TRIGGER Module

18

DrumXchanger

TRIGGER Module

Control Elements

TRANS Gain control

The lef t-hand GAIN control determines the level for transients. If
the signal does not have a wide dynamic range, you can improve
the resolution of the parameter by increasing the GAIN value for
transients. That way you will be able to make a better reading of
the TRANS trigger meters and set the green arrows more precisely.
Always try to keep a balance between the GAIN control and the
position of the green arrows in the TRANS trigger meters to guar­antee a better sound recognition. As a general rule, it is recom­mended to take the highest transient as a reference in order to take
full advantage of the meters, and set the green arrows just under­neath the faintest transient. The meters display peak values with
horizontal lines that are held for a shor t period of time(peak hold).
See also TRANS trigger meter on page 20.

LEVEL Gain control

The Trigger module’s right GAIN control determines the level for
signal recognition by the trigger. If the signals are too low, increase
the level; if the signals are too high, reduce the level.
The trigger reacts to volume changes with the corresponding
selection of louder or softer samples. If you want to be sure that
the sample played back is always the loudest, increase the GAIN
value until the peak signal reaches the upper region of the trigger
meters and the red mark lights up.
Always try to keep a balance between the GAIN control and the
position of the green arrows on the LEVEL trigger meters to guar­antee a better sound recognition. For a better sound replacement,
it is recommended to take the highest level as a reference in order
to take full advantage of the meters, and set the green arrows just
underneath the lowest level. The meters display peak values with
horizontal lines that are held for a short period of time (peak hold).
See also “LEVEL Trigger Meter” on page 21.

DrumXchanger

19

Control Elements

Trigger Meter

In contrast to common sound replacement tools, the DrumX­changer ’s Trigger module processes signals at two dif ferent
levels. The Dual-Threshold technique takes transient and
level values in consideration and therefore guarantees an
extremely effective recognition.
This recognition method relies on the Trigger module’s cen­tral tools for graphic visualization and control, i.e. the trigger
meters, which give information about the replacement activ­ity. The left-hand TRANS trigger meter indicates the signal’s
transient level, while the right-hand LEVEL trigger meter dis-

plays the level of the trigger signals.
The green arrows indicate the threshold for samples to be played
back. Both thresholds must be reached at the same time (both
arrows blink) in order for the sample to be played back. The blue
LED in the PLAY button illuminates when a sample is triggered.
The red arrow on the right, next to the LEVEL trigger meter, deter­mines the threshold for RIM shots to be triggered. If the red arrow
is set accordingly, the rim shot will also be played back when
reached.

TRANS Trigger Meter

The lef t-hand trigger meter indicates the transients’ level. Use the
GAIN control directly above it to set the amplitude level (see Tran­sient GAIN Control on page 19).
The green arrow corresponds to the threshold, in other words, it
determines when a sample is to be played back (arrow blinks).
Given that recognition relies on both parameters ( TRANS and
LEVEL), both arrows must blink at the same time in order for the
sample to be played back.
Normally, it is recommended to take the highest transient as a ref­erence in order to take full advantage of the meters, and set the
green arrows just underneath the faintest transient. The meters
display peak values with horizontal lines that are held for a shor t
period of time (peak hold).

TRIGGER Module

20

DrumXchanger

TRIGGER Module

Control Elements

LEVEL Trigger Meter

The right-hand trigger meter indicates the level of the trigger
signal. Use the GAIN control directly above it to set the amplitude
level (see Level GAIN Control on page 19). If the level is too low,
pull the GAIN up; if the level is too high, bring it down. GAIN is set
perfectly if the level range is fully used. If the level reaches the
top , a red mark blink s to show that th e loudest sample is triggered.
The green arrow corresponds to the threshold, in other words, it
determines when a sample is to be played back (arrow blinks).
Given that recognition relies on both parameters ( TRANS and
LEVEL), both arrows must blink at the same time in order for the
sample to be played back (PLAY button blinks).
For a better sound replacement, it is recommended to take the
highest level as a reference in order to take full advantage of the
meters, and set the green arrows just underneath the lowest level.
The meters display peak values with horizontal lines that are held
for a shor t period of time (peak hold).
The red arrow on the right, next to the LEVEL trigger meter, deter­mines the threshold for RIM shots to be triggered. As long as the
red arrow is set accordingly, the rim shot will also be played back
when this threshold is reached (see also “Rim” on page 25).

DrumXchanger

21

Control Elements

SAMPLE MODULE

The Sample module is the only one divided in two columns. We will
describe the functions starting from top to bottom of the left-hand
column.

The SPL Kits

The DrumXchanger includes four SPL drum kits (SPL Kits). All SPL
Kits include one snare, four toms and a bass drum. Every sample
is actually a multisample made up of five variations with sixteen
dynamic levels, which result in 80 different sounds for every drum.
The dynamic level of the sample depends on the original signal,
i.e. loud sounds are matched to loud samples. Sound variations
are very slight and are assigned randomly, so when a drum hit
is replaced it sounds more natural, considering that a drummer
doesn’t always play the exact same sound every time.
You can also add a rim shot sound to every snare and tom sample.
All samples were recorded by Chris Marr at Prinzipal Studios in
Münster, Germany. We used SPL channel strips and preamps and
four Transient Designers. All drums were recorded with all relevant
drum playing techniques. Drum hits were recorded in one-dB steps
from 0 dB to -28 dB and recorded at 24 bits/96 kHz.

SPL Kit Selectors

The first four buttons in the Sample module’s left-hand column are
meant to select one of the SPL Kits.

SAMPLE Module

22

DrumXchanger

SAMPLE Module

Control Elements

Visual SPL Kit

The image below the kit selector buttons symbolizes a drum kit.
The following descriptions apply only if a multi-sample from an
SPL Kit is loaded. If you load other samples, the image turns gray
and has no function.
The large circle on the bottom left symbolizes the snare; the four
size-increasing circles above it symbolizes the toms; and the large
colored area underneath these circles symbolizes the bass drum.
Click on any of these symbols and the corresponding sample is
loaded. For example, if you wish to load a snare sample from one of
the SPL Kits, click on the snare symbol. To compare all the snares
from the different SPL Kits, click on the snare symbol and then click
on the four kit selector buttons above it. The same applies to all
SPL drum kit elements.
Every time you change a kit, via the kit selector buttons, the color
of the image changes: Kit 1 is red, Kit 2 is blue, Kit 3 is green, and
Kit 4 is yellow. It is nice and colorful, but it is also very useful: the
association of different concepts is one of the best learning meth­ods. After working with the various SPL Kits for some time, it will
be easier for you to associate the sounds of the dif ferent kits to a
color.

File Name Button

Directly underneath the Visual SPL Kit is a button where you can
read the file name of the selected sample. That way you always
have a reference of the active selection. When it reads “SPL K3
Snare.splx“ you will know that it is the snare from SPL Kit 3 that
is being used; if it reads “MajorTom.wav“ then it is a WAV file from
another source that is active. Clicking on this button has the exact
same function as clicking on the LOAD button described below — it
opens the “Select Drum Sample“ dialog.

DrumXchanger

23

Control Elements

Load

When you click on the LOAD button the “Select Drum Sample“
dialog appears on screen. Choose an SPLX file or a WAV or AIFF
sample and load it into the DrumXchanger’s Sample module.
IMPOR TANT: The first time you use the DrumXchanger you must
specify, via the LOAD function, the folder in which you have saved
the SPL Kits. Click on LOAD and select the folder in which you have
saved SPL Kits 1 - 4. This path will be permanently stored so that
you always have a direct access to the SPL Kits.

Play

When you click on PLAY, the sample is played back once. If you
only wish to listen to the sample, activate the SOLO function in the
Sample module’s right-hand column.
The PLAY button lights on every time a sample is played back by
the Trigger module. Thus, it can be very useful for setting the trig­ger meters, since it serves as an additional visual indicator for
when a sample is being played.

Prev and Next

These two buttons allow you to select the PREV(ious) or
NEXT sample available. The next sample is always the next sample
file available in the same folder. For example, if you load an SPL
Kit and the currently active sample is the snare sample, when you
click on PREV, the sample selected will be the bass drum, while the
NEXT one will be the first tom.
However unspectacular at first sight, this unique function can be
very practical, considering that it can be applied during a running
session. When you have a folder with lots of dif ferent samples of
the same type — snares, for example —, this function becomes
very powerful, since you can easily listen to all the samples avail­able and apply them directly within the project. You will be able to
listen to the drum sound in context, making the selection for you
and other people involved easier.

SAMPLE Module

24

DrumXchanger

SAMPLE Module

Control Elements

Rim

The red arrow on the right side of the LEVEL trigger meter deter­mines the level from which an additional rim shot sound is to be
played back . Use the RIM cont rol to set the rim shot volume in rela­tion to the drum sample.
All SPL Kits include rim shot sounds for all snare and toms multi­samples.

Phase

This button reverses the polarit y of the sample signal. If there were
any phase cancellation problems with the original signal while
using a sample, use this function to correct them. These cases
ought to be very rare, so always choose the setting that sounds
better.

Delay

The DrumXchanger always matches the original and sampled
drum hits automatically. However, the possibility of a delay is
always present (if the sample was not cleanly edited, for example).
A decrease in low-end power or the appearance of flams (double
hits) are typical signs of a mismatch bet ween the original and the
sampled signal. Use the DEL AY control to correct these problems.
The delay time ranges from +3.5 ms to -3.5 ms.

DrumXchanger

25

Control Elements

Dynamics

This control determines how the DrumXchanger reacts to level
variations in the original signal and plays back loud or soft sam­ples accordingly.

In the center position the relation is linear, i.e. the relation of the
original sounds to the loudness of the samples follows a linear pat­tern. This linearity is indicated by the straight line above the center
position of the knob. The more you turn the knob to the left, the
faster the volume of the played back samples increases. This rela­tionship, where the dynamic differences are very small, is indicated
by the rapidly increasing cur ve at the left end of the knob.
On the contrary, if you turn the knob to the right, the volume of
the samples increases more slowly. This relationship, where the
dynamic differences are larger, is indicated by the slowly increasing
curve at the right end of the knob.
Two application examples: to even out fluct uating drum sound s turn
the knob to the lef t; the further you turn, the higher chances are that
samples with the same volume are played back (= lower dynamic
range).
When you wish to replace ghost notes but the sounds are too loud,
turn the DYNA MICS knob to the right to increa se the dynamic range.
By doing so, the loudest samples will be played only with the loud­est drum hits.

SAMPLE Module

High and low pass filters

The first controls in the Sample module’s right-hand

colu mn ar e a hig h and a low pass fil ter, just li ke on the Ori gi­nal module. A high pass filter (HPF) only allows frequencies above
a certain frequency to pass through, while a low pass filter (LPF)
only allows frequencies below a certain frequency to pass through.
These filters allow you to cut the low or high end of the sample
signal to focus on a narrower frequency range. These settings have
no influence whatsoever on the sound recognition or the Trigger
module, nor do they affect the sound of the original signal. The
high pass filter goes from 20 Hz to 11 kHz. The low pass filter goes
from 20 Hz to 22 kHz.

26

DrumXchanger

SAMPLE Module

Control Elements

Solo

When you activate SOLO on the Sample module you will listen only
to the sample sig nal. This will allow you to concentr ate on that spe­cific signal and make all necessary adjustments.

Transient Designer Processor

A transient can be defined as the first impulse of a waveform. What
the Transient Designer does is shape the waveform according to
the transient, and it only needs two controls to achieve that, either
by amplifying or attenuating the ATTACK and/or SUSTAIN. Pro­cessing is not level dependent so it acts equally on all transients,
regardless of whether they are loud or sof t.
The Transient Designer in the DrumXchanger’s Sample module
allows you to process the drum sample. The Transient Designer’s
potential is often underestimated given that it only has two adjust­able parameters. Nevertheless, the acoustic interaction of the four
essential characteristics affected by the control options provides
everything to process a dynamic sig nal cur ve. It is a ver y useful tool
that can be easily set “by ear ” and whose real potential is only evi­dent in the outcome. And it is precisely this sound shaping based
on the signal’s dynamic pattern that is very useful when embed­ding sounds. So, when you use the Transient Designer to optimize a
sample for replacement, the results are amazingly perfect.

Transient Designer Processor/Attack

The ATTACK control cuts or boosts a transient up to 15 dB. Posi ­tive values enhance the attack while negative values reduce or
eliminate the attack.

Transient Designer Processor/Sustain

The SUSTAIN control cuts or boosts a transient’s sustain up to
24 dB. Positive values extend the sustain while negative values
shorten the decay.

DrumXchanger

27

Control Elements

Tune

The DrumXchanger even allows you to tune the drums in your
sample library. The Tune control changes the pitch of the
samples in +/- one-octave steps. The scale is divided in twelve

semitone steps (ST = semitone) starting from the neutral posi­tion at the center of the knob.
Use the TUNE control to match a sample to the tuning of your drum
kit or a particular song.

OUTPUT MODULE

High and low pass filter

The first two controls on the Output module are a high pass and

a low pass filter, just like on the Original and Sample modules.

The high pass filter goes from 20 Hz to 11 kHz. The low pass

filter goes from 20 Hz to 22 kHz.
A high pass filter (HP F ) only allows frequencies above a certain fre­quency to pass through, while a low pass filter (LPF) only allows
frequencies below a cer tain frequency to pass through. These fil­ters allow you to cut the low or high end of the output signal. If the
filters in the Original and Sample modules serve more of a correc­tive and creative purpose, the filters in this module are meant to
help you shape the overall sound. The combination of all module
filters results in a very large flexibility and a greater effectiveness.

SAMPLE Module/OUTPUT Module

Dry/Wet

Use the DRY/WET control to determine the ratio between the
sample and the original signal. The ratio ranges from 0% to
100%, where 0% means only the original signal is played back

(DRY) and 100% means only the sample is played back (WE T).
When monitoring, the Sample module’s SOLO function has the
same effect as turning the DRY/WET control to 100%.

28

DrumXchanger

OUTPUT Module

Control Elements

Output

The OUTPUT control reduces or increases the output level.
The level ranges from -15 dB to +15 dB.
The 0 dB mark is set at the center position (12 o’clock).
Generally speaking, you will need to reduce the level, consid­ering that the DrumXchanger processing tends to increase it. Sup­posing you mix a sample with an already hot snare drum recording,
or that it mig ht be nece ss ar y to emphasize the ATTACK in the Origi­nal and Sample modules, you can almost take for granted that the
output signal will overload (OVL LED blinks). If this were the case,
reduce the OUTPUT level.
IMPOR TANT: Use the OUTPUT control to take full advantage of
the dynamic range available, but tr y to avoid distortion. The OVL
(Overload) LED next to the OUTPUT control can be a very useful
reference. This LED indicates overloading is occurring at the plug­in’s output, which might result in distortion. The OVL LED should
never turn on. If it does, turn the OUTPUT level control down until
it turns off again.

DrumXchanger

29

Control Elements

EDITOR

The purpose of the Editor is to allow you to create your own mul­tisamples in SPL X format. You can create three sound variations
with eight different dynamic levels. Snare and tom samples can
also include RIM shot sounds.
If you are interested in commercial sample production for the
DrumXchanger, write an e-mail to [e-mail]. Develop­ment partners get the Pro Editor which allows to manage up to 128
velocities and 10 variations.

Editor

Variation 1-3

Load three different drum hits with the same volume. The DrumX­changer plays the variations randomly to achieve a natural sound­ing performance.

Slot 1-8 (loud ... soft)

Volume variations are loaded into the slots, from top (louder) to
bottom (sof ter), according to their loudness. You do not have to
load each slot. Dynamic is scaled automatically with less than
eight samples.

30

DrumXchanger

Editor

Control Elements

Rim (optional)

Load rim shot sounds into the RIM slot.
Rim shot variations are handled the same way as standard sample
variations.

Slot Buttons

Behind every slot are three buttons.

1. The button with three dots on it opens the dialog window to load
samples. It has the same function as simply clicking on the slot.

2. The button with the right-pointing arrow is used to play back the
sample.

3. The X button empties the slot.

Export

When you have finished editing, export the end result as a mul­tisample in SPL X format. Choose the location where it should be
saved. We recommend to create and maintain a tidy collection of
Dr umXc hange r samp les, so tha t they are al ways rea dil y access ibl e.
You can not save or recall an editing status. You can only export
an SPL X multisample, and each multisample must be created as
a new SPLX file.

Close

To go back to the DrumXchanger’s graphic interface close the
Editor window by clicking on CLOSE. Note that previous editing is
lost af ter pressing CLOSE.

DrumXchanger

31

DrumXchanger
SPL Analog Code ® Plug-in

Manual

SPL – Sound Performance Lab

Sohlweg 80, 41372 Niederkrüchten, Germany
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-Mail: [e-mail], Website: www.spl.info