Two Notes Wall of Sound III User Manual

TORPEDO Wall of Sound III

Professional Speaker & Miking Simulation Plug-in

User’s Manual

Version 1.11- 04/08/2014

TORPEDO WoS III User’s Manual

User’s Manual, Version 1.11- 04/08/2014.

The complete electronic version of this manual, as well as the Two Notes software and hardware products,

are subject to updates. You can download the most recent versions of the products on the following website

http://www.two-notes.com.

This manual describes the TORPEDO Wall of Sound III plugin and provides instructions for its operation. It is

highly recommended to read this document before using this software. The contents of this manual have been

thoroughly verified and it is believed, unless stated otherwise, to accurately describe the product at the time of

shipment from the factory or download from our website.

Two Notes Audio Engineering is a registered trademark of:

OROSYS SAS

145 rue de la Marbrerie, BAL n°6

34740 Vendargues

France

Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

Contact & support: http://support.two-notes.com/

Website: http://www.two-notes.com

This document is the exclusive property of OROSYS SAS. In the interest of product development, OROSYS SAS

reserves the right to change the technical specifications, modify and/or cease the production without prior

notice. OROSYS SAS can not be held responsible for any damage, accidental or otherwise, that results from

an inappropriate use of the TORPEDO WoS III. Please refer to the safety instructions included in this manual. The

reproduction of any part of this document is strictly forbidden without the written authorization of OROSYS SAS.

All product names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Product names and trade-

marks found in this document were used during the development of the Torpedo product but are in no way

associated or affiliated with OROSYS SAS.

Contents

1 Foreword 4

1 Reader warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

2 On the proper use of a loadbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

3 Minimum hardware and software requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

2 About the TORPEDO WoS III 7

1 Introducing the TORPEDO WoS III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

2 Only a speaker simulation ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

2.1 Tube Stage Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

2.2 The Torpedo technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

2.3 Post FX section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

2.4 The new Wall of Sound III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

3 Setting up the TORPEDO WoS III 9

1 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

1.1 On a PC using Windows™ OS or an Apple Mac™ using OSX™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

1.2 Registering TORPEDO WoS III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

2 Using TORPEDO WoS III with an amplifier or a preamplifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

3 Using TORPEDO WoS III with a software or hardware amplifier emulator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

4 Software and cabinets update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

4 Using TORPEDO WoS III 12

1 TORPEDO WoS III interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

2 Routing of TORPEDO WoS III: stereo and mono to stereo track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

3 Routing of the TORPEDO WoS III: mono track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

4 General controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

5 Input gain and output volume controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

6 Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

7 Power Amp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

8 Power amp, cabinet and microphone selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

9 Miking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

10 EQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

11 Exciter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

12 Comp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

13 Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

14 Wall of Sound section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

15 Want more cabs? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

16 Hotkeys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

5 Technical support 23

Contents

6 TWO NOTES AUDIO ENGINEERING Software License 25

1 DEFINITIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

2 SOFTWARE LICENSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

3 LIMITED WARRANTY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

4 LIMITATION OF LIABILITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

5 GENERAL PROVISION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

6 SUPPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Two Notes Audio Engineering TORPEDO WoS III 3

Part 1

Foreword

1 Reader warning

The triangle symbol with an exclamation mark indicates important messages concerning

the correct use of the product.

2 On the proper use of a loadbox

The TORPEDO WoS III plugin may be used either with recorded tracks of a guitar/bass preamplifier or of a

tube/solid state amp by using a loadbox (like the Two Notes TORPEDO Reload , the TORPEDO VB-101 or TORPEDO

Live). While using the line output of a preamplifier or an amp is easy and safe, using the speaker out of a tube

amp with no speaker requires some attention.

In the normal use of a tube amplifier, it is highly recommended that you always connect its power output to a

speaker cabinet prior to powering it up. Not doing so can lead to partial or complete destruction of the output

stage of the tube amplifier. The electronic term that describes the speaker cabinet with respect to the amplifier

is the "load": we say the cabinet "loads" the amplifier.

Most tube amplifier makers protect their products with fuses or other protection systems, but some amplifiers

still remain not or insufficiently protected. It is impossible to predict the behavior of all the amplifiers on the market

in case of use without a load (a speaker cabinet or a loadbox).

The correct use of your amplifier with a loadbox requires some precautions. Because of the silence while

playing, it is much easier to accidentally run your amplifier beyond the reasonable limits set by the manufac-

turer than when using a speaker cabinet. This can lead to faster tubes wear and, in some cases, more serious

inconveniences.

During the first tests at high volume on the amplifier, monitor the color of the

tubes and the general state of the amplifier. Red glowing tubes or any appear-

ance of smoke are signs of a problem that could lead to partial or complete

destruction of the amplifier.

Keep in mind that the "sweet spot" - the perfect running point of the amplifier, the one that will give you the

tone you’re looking for - is rarely obtained at maximum volume. In addition, the volume control of the amplifier

is usually logarithmic, which means the volume goes up quickly on the first half of the potentiometer rotation,

reaches its maximum at 12 o’clock, and doesn’t change much beyond this point. Therefore, you can reach the

maximum volume of your amplifier even if the volume potentiometer is not set at maximum.

Two Notes Audio Engineering TORPEDO WoS III 4

Foreword

The fact that the volume control of your amplifier is not set at maximum doesn’t

mean your amplifier is not running at maximum volume. A good habit is to

keep the usual volume setup you would use in rehearsal or on stage, rather

than just following what the volume potentiometer indicates.

3 Minimum hardware and software requirements

1. 2GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) mono or multi-core processor

2. 512 MB of system memory

3. 50MB of storage for the application data

4. OS Microsoft Windows Vista™, Seven™, 8™ (32-bits or 64-bits versions)

5. OS Apple Mac OSX™ 10.5 for 32-bits VST version, 10.6 for 32 and 64-bits VST version

6. Audio sequencer or plugin host compatible with VST, AU, AAX or RTAS plugin formats. The TORPEDO WoS III

IS NOT a standalone software.

7. Audio interface

Two Notes Audio Engineering TORPEDO WoS III 5

TORPEDO WoS III

Foreword

Two Notes Audio Engineering TORPEDO WoS III 6

Part 2

About the TORPEDO WoS III

1 Introducing the TORPEDO WoS III

Two Notes Audio Engineering is proud to introduce the TORPEDO WoS III, the software version of the critically-

acclaimed Torpedo hardware series. This product has been developed through years of technical research, with

great attention to the needs of guitarists, bassists and sound technicians confronted the challenges of miking

instrument amplifiers, on stage or in studio. Our goal is to provide ease of use, reliability, versatility and, above

all, perfect audio quality.

The Torpedo technology was created as an answer to the high pressure musicians have to deal with: lack

of time, limited gear availability, loud amplifiers that can’t be played at desired volume, and bulky and heavy

cabinet to carry. In addition, many musicians are more comfortable with their analog amplifier and effect

pedals, and don’t want to perform using digital modeling systems, which may compromise their playing style

and sound.

For them, the TORPEDO WoS III offers a "virtual" alternative to traditional miking, using a technology derived

from the convolution reverberation, to achieve a degree of realism never experienced previously with simulators.

2 Only a speaker simulation ?

The TORPEDO WoS III is a software plugin you can embed in your recording program. The plugin should be

used on tracks containing guitar or bass signal recorded from a preamplifier (guitar, bass, or any product with

a line output) or from a loadbox (like the Two Notes LB-202), if you want to record the signal coming from the

speaker output of your amp.

The role of this plugin is to replace the following elements of the traditional guitar or bass setup:

• the guitar/bass power amplifier

• the speaker cabinet

• the microphone

• the microphone preamplifier

to provide a signal that is the closest possible to a traditional guitar/bass miking in a professional studio envi-

ronment.

The miking is made in 3 steps with the TORPEDO WoS III :

1. choose a power amplifier (or switch it off if you are using a loadbox), a speaker cabinet and a microphone

(Amplifier, speaker and microphone section),

2. place the microphone in the virtual studio (Miking window and parameters),

3. shape the signal (Low Cut, Eq, Exciter and Comp sections).

Two Notes Audio Engineering TORPEDO WoS III 7

About the TORPEDO WoS III

With each step, Two Notes Audio Engineering implements its know-how to propose the most advanced sim-

ulations on the market and ensure a total realism both for the musician (playing sensations) and the listener

(sound quality).

Note: only two cabinets and 8 microphones are available on the evaluation version of the TORPEDO WoS III.

2.1 Tube Stage Output

The TORPEDO WoS III handles any kind of instrument track. When using a guitar/bass preamplifier with other

speaker emulators, the guitarist/bassist may miss the power amplifier’s contribution to the overall sonic texture.

Many musicians get their sound from a particular use of this element and this possibility is present in the TORPEDO

WoS III . To do this, Two Notes developed an original tube stage modeling, giving you the choice between 4

different tube models in Push-Pull or Single Ended configurations. You can push this tube stage like a conventional

amplifier and look for this subtle yet particular distortion. If the TORPEDO WoS III is used as a super-DI for keyboards,

this feature, developed for guitarists and bassists, is also very interesting to warm-up the sound of a synthesizer,

organ or a digital piano.

2.2 The Torpedo technology

Two Notes developed a unique technology based on an adaptation of convolution techniques. Starting with

a measure of a real cabinet + microphone setup, the TORPEDO TORPEDO WoS III can accurately reproduce

the system as it was measured, as well as the microphone position in space and the natural distortion of the

loudspeakers.

This product has been thoroughly tested in professional studios and stage environments and is the alternative

many musicians were waiting for professional sound capture of their amplified instruments. The TORPEDO WoS III

will give you the elusive sound of the greatest recording studios and producers, every time, everywhere.

2.3 Post FX section

During a guitar/bass sound miking process, it is a common practice to apply some essential processes on the

signal before sending it to the recorder or the front mixing console.

In the TORPEDO WoS III , you will find most of these essential processes that you need to control your sound,

whatever the situation and the type of instrument.

• low-cut filter,

• 5-band graphic equalizer with two modes (guitar and bass),

• 1-band exciter to give the sound a certain character, or to add presence, or "air", in the sound,

• a powerful compressor to control the dynamics of the signal.

2.4 The new Wall of Sound III

What could be better than sending your guitar sound through the best cabinet miking simulation on the

market ? Sending it through dozens of the best cabinets and microphones and mix them down ! The Wall of

Sound Edition of the TORPEDO WoS III is a multichannel cabinet + microphone simulator:

• Up to 100 cabs and microphones simultaneously in one single plugin

• Low CPU usage

• Ultra-low latency (max <0,26ms)

• Linked or independent dual channel mixing

• Enhanced user interface to manage all the channels

• 3rd party Impulse Responses (or IR’s) compliant, fast switch between the IR’s

• Mix Two Notes cabinet files with any other IR files on the market

• Try all the cabinets FOR FREE and buy the ones you like using the embedded "Boutique"

Two Notes Audio Engineering TORPEDO WoS III 8