!
U-HE - HECKMANN AUDIO GMBH - BERLIN
Version 1.0.1"
22. Jul 2021
Table of Contents
Introduction 3
Installation 3...................................................
The Twangström Story 4................................
Operation 6
Control Bar 6..................................................
Main Panel 7..................................................
Input Parameters 7.....................................
Filter Parameters 8.....................................
Tank Controls 9..........................................
Amp Modulation 11....................................
Output Parameters 11................................
Lower Panel 13..............................................
Envelope (ENV) 13....................................
Modulation Matrix 14..................................
Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO) 17...........
Preset Browser 18
Directory Panel 19..........................................
Presets Panel 22............................................
Preset Info Panel 24.......................................
Installing Presets 25.......................................
Preset Tagging 26..........................................
Search Functions 27......................................
Configuration 29
MIDI Remote Control 29................................
Preferences 31...............................................
NKS 34
TOC
INTRODUCTION
Introduction
Installation
Go to www.u-he.com/twangstrom, download the installer for your system (Mac or PC) and unzip
the compressed file. Open the “Twangstrom” folder, start the installer and follow instructions. The
only demo restriction is a mild crackling sound at irregular intervals after about two minutes of
use, which disappears after entering a valid serial number. For more information including our
terms of use, please refer to the “ReadMe” file that comes with the installer. Twangström uses the
following directories by default (note that paths do not use the umlaut “ö”):"
Windows
Presets (local)# C:\Users\YOU\Documents\u-he\Twangstrom.data\Presets\Twangstrom\$
Presets (user)# C:\Users\YOU\Documents\u-he\Twangstrom.data\UserPresets\Twangstrom\$
Preferences# C:\Users\YOU\Documents\u-he\Twangstrom.data\Support\ (*.txt files)"
macOS
Presets (local)# MacHD/Library/Audio/Presets/u-he/Twangstrom/$
Presets (user)# MacHD/Users/YOU/Library/Audio/Presets/u-he/Twangstrom/$
Preferences# MacHD/Users/YOU/Library/Application Support/u-he/com.u-he.Twangstrom...
u-he online
For downloads, news articles and support, go to the u-he website$
For lively discussions about u-he products, go to the u-he forum at KVR$
For friendship and informal news updates, go to the u-he facebook page$
For u-he presets (commercial and free), go to the u-he patch library$
For video tutorials and more, go to the u-he youtube channel"
u-he team 2020 (Q3)"
Twangström code by Sascha Eversmeier"
Urs Heckmann (boss code, concepts)"
Jayney Klimek (office management)"
Howard Scarr (user guides, synth presets, necessary grump)"
Rob Clifton-Harvey (IT admin, backend development)"
Sebastian Greger (GUI design, 3D stuff)"
Jan Storm (framework, more code)"
Alexandre Bique (all things Linux)"
Oddvar Manlig (business development)"
Viktor Weimer (support, presets, the voice)"
Thomas Binek (QA, bug-hunting, presets)"
Henna Gramentz (office supervision, support)"
Frank Hoffmann (framework, new browser)"
Alf Klimek (tagging, rock-stardom, studio)"
Sebastian Hübert (media, synthwave)"
David Schornsheim (more code)"
Stephan Eckes (yet more code)"
Luca Christakopoulos (communication design)!
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TOC
INTRODUCTION
The Twangström Story
As a highly flexible and springy box-of-tricks, Twangström didn't jump out of nowhere! It grew out
of the reverb unit in our Bazille modular FM/PD synth. So many Bazille users asked whether we
could turn it into a standalone plug-in that we simply couldn’t resist…"
Twangström emulates a hand-picked selection of the most popular units you will find in classic
guitar and instrument amplifiers. It recreates the odd character of real springs. The sparse echoic
pattern and the upward ‘chirp' create a special texture that preserves the rhythmic structure yet
remains ‘washy’. Its warm, metallic timbre is reminiscent of the early days of Rock & Roll, Surf
music or Reggae/Dub. Whatever your tastes, Twangström certainly delivers a blast from the past!"
As a faithful emulation of a mechanical device, Twangström needs to be handled well. Many of
the technical parameters are adjustable in real time, and these can be controlled via MIDI and/or
the built-in LFO and envelope generator. Complete with a multimode resonant filter, Twangström
is a unique and powerful tool which can deliver highly unusual, evolving textures… especially
when the signal is being tossed around using the modulation matrix!"
The Reverb Tank
Often referred to as a ‘tank’, spring-reverberation units typically consist of two or three metal
springs suspended in a long metal case. The springs are excited by electromagnetic transducers:
The principle is similar to loudspeakers, with a spring replacing the membrane. Sound waves
travel along the spring to the opposite end, where another transducer converts the mechanical
energy back into an electronic signal. Although a lot of the energy is reflected at both ends, the
system-inherent mechanical damping ensures that the reverberation fades out naturally."
Several springs often share a transducer pair. In such systems, the transducer houses each
spring’s cylindrical end-stop magnets, distributed evenly within the air gap (and enclosed by the
laminated core, a stack of thin magnetic iron plates). Sharing a transducer pair minimizes
mechanical and electric complexity, but the signals can only be treated as a whole. "
Units that can be operated in stereo (like Twangström) require multiple transducers, and are
therefore quite rare. Some stereo systems even used two complete tanks for this purpose."
Transmission springs follow a principle physicists call the “spring-mass system”, and you might
recall classroom experiments in which a weight was attached to a hanging spring, making it
oscillate at a specific frequency. Apart from the external mass, the physical properties of the
spring (material, length, wire gauge, number & diameter of coils) have a significant effect on the
vibration and audio transmission. The longer the spring, the lower the frequency at which it
oscillates. Longer springs also decay more slowly than shorter ones, as more windings can
accommodate more kinetic energy."
Typically, multiple springs are chosen as differing delay times create more dense reverb. Length
ratios based on prime numbers also help by strictly avoiding any repetitive echo patterns."
In a reverberation tank, the rigid suspension mounts at both ends act as a constant mass, thus
damping the spring's energy. However, some energy is transferred to the other parts of the unit. In
a multi-spring arrangement, all springs share a common mounting plate, so vibration becomes an
interactive process. As a result, springs interchange their wave fronts and the sound becomes
more ‘washy’ with each reflection."
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INTRODUCTION
If there were no mechanical coupling, a minimum (static) density could be achieved by choosing
suitable delay times, but there would be no buildup of echoic complexity. In real tanks a certain
degree of coupling is always present, so we made it switchable in Twangström."
In some units the echo-density buildup has another cause: the division of each spring into two
shorter segments. For instance, at first glance the popular Accutronics Type 4 tank appears to be
two springs, but it is actually four: Each sub-system is a pair of springs with a small joint in the
centre. What happens there is pretty much the same as what happens at the suspension end of
normal systems: Waves are partially reflected while most of the wavefront is passed on to the next
spring. These joints seldom divide the two springs perfectly, and this fact helps spread the echos
around, making the reverb tail more diffuse."
The Rights and Wrongs of Spring
No other reverb type sounds quite like a spring. Not even a plate, and for one simple reason: the
speed of sound! Investigating the cause might not be that easy, and perhaps you should read up
on rotational transverse waves… but it’s probably more than enough to know that a wavefront’s
low-frequency partials excite more coils than do the high frequencies, hence the latter travel for
much longer through the length of each spring without losing as much energy…"
This has two interesting effects: First, impulses create a “chirpy” or “splashy” component, which
sounds a bit like dropping something into a bathtub. Although often compared to plate reverbs,
springs sound very different – in fact the behaviour of frequencies over time is the inverse."
Secondly, the higher propagation time of treble signals tricks us into thinking that a spring always
has a “dark” quality. Sure, mechanical damping and loss effects through the transducers play a
role, ensuring that spring tanks rarely carry significant content over 5kHz, but the way we perceive
sound according to arrival of frequency components is important, too. Especially when trying to
judge whether it sounds “metallic” or “organic”. Funny how these guys swing between those
properties so freely, depending on the source audio. And it gets even funnier if you…"
… shake it up!"
The stage is plunged in darkness just before the show. The guitarist walks on, trips over some
cables and falls into the amp. From the audience’s perspective, the unholy racket emanating from
the abused spring tank is pure drama! If you’re more into the subtle side of performance comedy,
try using the “Twang” feature: Same bang, but also works over MIDI (as opposed to guitarists)."
The springs inside a real tank usually sit on a bed attached to the outer casing via short, rigid
springs. Designed to have no effect on the sound, the suspension system is only meant to stop
extraneous vibration from exciting the interior of the tank. That usually works fine, but beyond a
certain point (here: our stumbling guitarist), things can get out of control. The suspension can't
quite cope with the forces. The springs smash into each other, and multiple collisions create a
chaotic, shattering noise."
Tip: In Twangström, you can use this not only for the occasional burst of noise, but by applying
just a little continuous “Twang” modulation you can make the reverb sound more lively.!
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OPERATION
Operation
Values are adjusted by clicking and dragging vertically. For fine control, hold down a SHIFT key
beforehand. Alternatively, you can hover over any control and roll your mouse wheel. Doubleclicking on any knob will reset its value to a sensible default."
To guarantee that the value of a parameter doesn’t change whenever you switch
presets, use the Lock function. Right-click on any control and select the last entry
(often the only entry) from the context menu. Note that a locked parameter can still
be adjusted manually."
Control Bar
Along the top, either side of the data display, the Control Bar hosts a number of global elements:"
BYPASS
Connects the input directly to the output so that the audio signal is not processed. Although
the status of the BYPASS button is not saved with each preset, it can differ per instance."
Undo / Redo
The pair of curved arrows let you step backwards or forwards through your edit ‘history’. Note:
Undo even works if you happen to select a new preset by mistake before saving your edits!"
Data Display
The display field in the centre normally shows the name of the preset. While a parameter is
being edited it shows the name and value of that parameter. Simply moving the mouse pointer
(“hovering”) over a control also displays its value."
You can also load presets here: Click on the small arrows to step through them or click on the
centre of the data display to open a drop-down list (for the current folder only). Of course
Twangström also features a complete browser – see the Preset Browser chapter."
MIDI Indicator
The MIDI activity indicator flashes whenever Twangström receives MIDI messages. For information about how to route MIDI into effect plug-ins such as Twangström, please refer to the
documentation of your host application."
PRESETS
Opens the browser (see the Preset Browser chapter)"
SAVE
Opens a dialog box in which you can enter some helpful text before finally storing the preset
with the ‘Apply’ button. If you can’t see your newly saved preset in the currently selected
folder, check the status of the preference Save Presets To."
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OPERATION
Right-click on the SAVE button beforehand to specify the format. The standard is .h2p, which
has the advantage of being cross-platform compatible. The .h2p extended format is the same
but also lets you add comments to each line. If you loaded the VST2 version of Twangström
you will also see the option .nksfx at the bottom of the list – see the NKS chapter."
u-he badge
Click on the badge to open a menu containing links to this document, to our
website, to our user support forum and to our social network pages."
Configuration
Clicking on the cogwheel icon at the top right opens the configuration pages where
you can set up MIDI remote control and specify global preferences (e.g. GUI size). $
See the Configuration chapter for details."
Main Panel
Input Parameters
INPUT
-24.00dB to +24.00dB. Like a real spring reverb unit, Twangström’s “circuitry” is sensitive to
input levels: Adjust INPUT like you would adjust your instrument volume before an effect. The
green saturation indicator turns red whenever clipping occurs. See also OUTPUT below."
DRIVE
This parameter sets the amount of saturation applied to the signal before it is sent through the
springs. DRIVE emulates dual-stage analogue soft-clipping circuitry similar to guitar overdrive
pedals. The amount of added saturation/overdrive is displayed by the red LED next to the
DRIVE knob. Between the two stages is a tone-control network…"
TONE
The tone network resides within the drive stage, so the two controls are interactive. TONE is
basically a tilt filter like the single knob on old car radios. At minimum, bass frequencies are
enhanced while upper mids and treble are dampened (at maximum, the effect is the opposite).
Positions between 12 and 3 o'clock help retain clarity for most audio sources. "
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OPERATION
Please keep in mind that the tone network is unable to compensate for the natural treble loss
caused by the reverb tank, so 'treble' here means roughly 1 to 4kHz. The same applies to the
bass enhancement: the tank's output transducers will naturally limit any low-end ‘swing’, so
'bass' here means boosting or cutting frequencies around 100 to 150Hz."
Filter Parameters
Twangström includes a simple yet effective 12dB multimode filter. This is great for sound-design,
as the combination of dynamic filtering and spring reverb lets you create tonalities that go way
beyond traditional “Surf guitar” etcetera."
ROUTING
The filter can either be before the reverb tank (PRE) or after (POST). Where it is located in the
signal path becomes more important when settings deviate from a flat frequency response. "
Whether PRE or POST, the filter always defines the overall bandwidth of the tank. Routing
plays a significant role whenever the filter parameters are changed / modulated over time while
the reverb decays."
BLEND
Whereas most filters offer distinct operation modes e.g. lowpass or highpass, this one can
blend between lowpass and highpass as well as notch or bandpass (BP), with soft transitions
in between. Its only restriction is that the middle position must be either notch or bandpass.
This can be selected by clicking on the label NOTCH or BP (or the small triangle next to it)."
FREQUENCY
This knob controls the all-important cutoff frequency. As with many other u-he products, the
unit displayed corresponds to MIDI notes, hence the knob follows a logarithmic scale."
STEREO
This knob sets an offset (also measured in MIDI notes) between the left and right channels.
This way, filtering can be stereophonic for more drastic or interesting effects – especially when
filter parameters are automated or modulated internally (see the modulation matrix below)."
RESONANCE
Filter “quality” (Q). For lowpass or highpass, the higher the resonance, the narrower the area
around the cutoff frequency can be boosted, so the sound takes on a 'sharp' character in that
area. Notch mode is technically the same, but the sonic results are reversed: as increasing the
resonance narrows the notch around the cutoff frequency, more prominent notches are
achieved by setting the resonance to lower values.!
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OPERATION
Tank Controls
The elements in the upper half of the central display plus the DECAY, TENSION, DENSITY,
COUPLING and BRIGHT controls are used to set up the behaviour of the reverb tank. "
Twangström reverb is “physical modelling”. As opposed to plug-ins based on impulse responses
(IR), which have limited expression and control, our approach mimics the physics of mechanical
reverberation. By simulating the wavefront travelling through a medium we can include all the nice
(as well as the not-so-nice) aspects of excitation, reflection, dispersion, interference and other
audio properties. Twangström does not mimic the sonic result, but simulates the physical device.
This means that all dimensions of the device are controllable in realtime, on a per-sample-basis –
which all boils down to quite some power at your fingertips!"
We modelled three different reverb units by analysing the most prominent tanks in guitar amplifier
history. The available parameters revolve around each model’s unique base delay configuration
and typical sonic fingerprint, but the characteristics can be enhanced further. "
The following tank types are available (click on the name):"
Type (unlabelled selector)"
2 Springs – Type 4
# Loosely based on the mechanical properties of a large dual-spring ..............
tank like those in early Fender guitar amps. This is the sound most
people associate with spring reverb. The tonality can go pretty low. It
has a distinct splashy character and a perceivable echoic pattern."
3 Springs – Type 8
# Inspired by the shorter tanks used in some Marshall amps. The ..............
sound is quite dense, there is less echoic “boing”, but the tone is
rather mid-centric. "
3 Springs – Type 9
# A larger variant of Type 8, this one contains 2 springs per system ..............
with joint. Sounds more open, more “echoic”, better behaved."
Twang (the circle)
Hitting your computer won’t make Twangström shatter, so we added a “twang” control! You
might think this is a gimmick for which you have no further use (apart from waking up the
neighbours), but if you modulate it slightly, everything comes to life. For instance, try
modulating Twang with the envelope so that transients excite the springs. For details of how to
do this, go to the Envelope and Modulation Matrix sections."
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OPERATION
For a description of the AMP MODULATION controls, see the next page."
DECAY
This sets the amount of dampening the underlying model applies to the process. A dampened
spring attenuates reflections at both ends, hindering the signal from being reflected back into
the spring. The sound disappears faster, starting with the high frequencies. High Decay values
result in little dampening and vice versa: So if you want a longer reverb tail, crank this up. Easy!"
TENSION
The tension of a spring affects the time it takes for a sound to traverse it completely, and also
affects the timbre. The springs in a real tank have a fixed tension determined by physical
properties such as the thickness of the wire, its coil diameter and length. The Tension control in
Twangström goes from “very sloppy” to “super-tight”, and this completely changes the sound.
Turn it down for less tension / longer echo times, which makes things bigger. Turn up for
smaller acoustic spaces, with increased resonance and a more “tense” character."
Note: To the right of each spring you will see the delay time and corresponding pitch (as MIDI
note and cent offset) – watch those values change as you adjust the Tension. If you would like
to simulate the echo patterns of classic amp hardware tanks, try setting Tension to -33%, as
the result is close to the popular 33ms, 37ms and 41ms delay times (for Type 4 and Type 8)."
DENSITY
A tank's spring can consist of two shorter springs connected by a joint (as on Type 4 or Type
9), or single springs only (Type 8). Both variants allow reverb buildup by smearing a signal's
impulse response over time, but the buildup is faster in systems with joints."
Springs allow low frequencies to travel faster than high frequencies. This effect propagates as
the springs continue swinging and spreading echoes around. The Density knob determines
how pronounced this dispersion is in each spring. It likewise controls echoic “smear”, masking
repetitions to a certain extent."
COUPLING
Whereas density is a parameter entirely within a spring or series of springs, Coupling connects
them (as a single unit) to the outside world."
Coupling in the OFF position prevents each spring system from affecting its environment. As a
result, the sound you hear is just the sum of its components, at equal levels."
Coupling in the ON position makes the springs interchange signals at the ends, which means
that a certain part of the energy arriving at one end is not reflected, but rather gets passed on
to the suspension mount, and from there to another system (or several, in the case of multispring tanks). At the same time, noises from outside are picked up. There is a permanent giveand-take of kinetic energy. "
This has the effect of quickly spreading echoes that were previously uncorrelated, rapidly
increasing the density of the reverb tail. It becomes a “wash” of sound much faster than if it
were switched off. While this behaviour can be desirable for many reverb applications, some
situations call explicitly for such an echoic pattern. We could have boldly labeled the switch
positions DUB and EDM, but we prefer to encourage unbiased usage!!
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OPERATION
BRIGHT
By default, Twangström downsamples the tank part to a fraction of the project's sampling rate,
and processes the springs at a rate of 11-12kHz. In most cases, this is more than enough to
provide a convincing reverberation effect, and it is relatively light on the CPU. Most real-world
tanks don't have extensive treble contents either, and many of them cut off the audio quite
abruptly above 4-5kHz, so Twangström is generally in good company here. "
However, real tanks can reveal more “sparkle” above 5kHz, and these frequencies can be
audible even at low amplitude (e.g. -25dB). So whenever you want some extra sparkle, switch
BRIGHT on and Twangström will double the tank’s internal sampling rate (normally 22-24kHz).
This may provide a more detailed, brighter top end, but please remember that it comes at a
price: the CPU load will increase by about 30% per instance of the plug-in."
Amp Modulation
The bottom of the central display lets you modulate the level of either input to the reverb tank, or
its output. Note that this is different from modulating MIX, which would also affect the dry signal."
SOURCE
As well as Twangström’s own LFO and envelope, the list includes the MIDI
keyboard sources modulation wheel, pitch wheel and two user-definable
“MIDI CC” sources called Control A and Control B (see the Preferences)."
TARGET
Whether the amplitude modulation is applied to the input or the output of the reverb tank."
DEPTH
Bipolar amount control for amp modulation (i.e. you can set negative values)."
Output Parameters
11
none
ModWhl
PitchW
CtrlA
CtrlB
LFO
Envelope
Lock
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OPERATION
WIDTH
Real-world spring tanks usually have 1 input and 1 output: The send & receive transducer pair
typically treats all spring systems as a single mechanical entity, resulting in a monaural signal."
Twangström works a bit differently here: we simulate each spring system together with its own,
dedicated pair of transducers. This means that we can keep the individual sources and their
reverberated images separate."
Setting Width to 0 means that all signals are summed to mono, while 100% means fully stereo.
The latter is dependent on the tank type:"
2 Springs – Type 4
! spring 1 fully left, spring 2 fully right"..............
3 Springs – Type 8/9! springs 1 and 3 fully left/right, spring 2 in the centre"...........
Why does the knob go up to 150%? Width above 100% further enhances the stereo field. In
this section, Twangström uses M/S (mid/side) processing, and by weighting the mid & side
signals differently, it can create a wider perceived image than normal stereophonic. Mind you,
this doesn't work in all cases: often the audio and the settings benefit greatly from the
widening effect, but sometimes it might even cause some discomfort. On the other hand: isn't
this whole deal about leaving the “lush, transparent audio” comfort zone?"
Mono or intermediate settings often have a great impact on complete mixes when several
instances of the plug-in create different spaces for each track, especially in conjunction with
the DAW pan / balance controls."
MIX
This knob sets the final ratio of dry/unprocessed vs. wet/reverberated signal. 100% means fully
wet, and this is where you might set it whenever Twangström is used on an AUX track. Should
you instead decide to put it on a track's insert slot, adjust MIX to taste. Often very low values
can already create pleasant ambient effects, especially with percussive signals or particularly
sensitive sources such as clean guitar. "
Spring reverberation is one of the more “invasive” effects types, and it can be rather dominant
when sculpturing sounds. Its unique character is simultaneously a blessing and a curse – the
latter when you are trying to make tracks blend."
For this reason, fine-tuning, the MIX behaviour is non-linear: fine adjustments at either end of
the range are not as drastic as they would be with linear scaling. "
OUTPUT
This sets the final output gain, which includes the mix setting and everything along the way.
You should keep an eye on the overload LED: Whenever that indicator blinks, the Soft Clip
button is your friend…"
SOFT CLIP
This engages a soft-clipping stage at the final output, gently rounding off peaks that would
otherwise exceed 0dB. If used sparingly you can treat it as a set-and-forget switch, as Soft Clip
will not affect lower signal levels. Of course there’s nothing stopping you from “misusing” this
feature, and cranking up the output gain can certainly deliver some massively fat saturation!!
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OPERATION
Lower Panel
The whole of the lower panel is dedicated to modulating the parameters described above. It’s all
about mangling the audio in wild and (hopefully) beautiful ways!"
Envelope (ENV)
Twangström constantly tracks the input signal levels and creates a corresponding control signal
which is available in the modulation matrix as well as the amp modulation section."
SOURCE
IN
# The regular input signal."..................
EXT# An external (sidechain) signal provided by the host application. Feeding extra ..............
sidechain signals into plug-ins is handled differently by each specific host – please
consult the appropriate documentation."
OUT
# The processed signal is fed back from Twangström’s output, which allows for more .............
complex textures and more interactive modulation."
MODE
EF
! Simple envelope follower. The ATTACK and DECAY knobs control smoothness.".................
AD! Attack / Decay. Once the source level surpasses the THRESHOLD (see below), it ................
rises to maximum at the rate set by ATTACK (see below), after which it falls back
down to 0 at the rate set by DECAY (see below).
AR
! Attack / Release. Once the source level exceeds the THRESHOLD it rises to ................
maximum at the rate set by ATTACK, and is sustained there until the source drops
below the THRESHOLD, when it falls back down to 0 at the rate set by RELEASE.
CYC
! Effectively a 2-stage LFO. Like AD, but continues to cycle through the ATTACK and .............
DECAY until the source level drops below the THRESHOLD, whereupon it falls back
down to 0 at the rate set by DECAY.!
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OPERATION
THRESHOLD"
Does not appear in EF mode. This determines the level at which “everything happens”. Watch
the LED bar to the right of the knob: When the source level hits the threshold, the green LED
indicates that the circuit is triggering. If nothing is happening, try lowering the Threshold."
ATTACK
The time the envelope needs to rise from 0 to maximum. Higher values mean longer times."
DECAY / RELEASE"
This knob sets the time the envelope needs to fall from maximum to 0. The actual behaviour
(and the label itself) depends on the selected MODE – see above."
Modulation Matrix
Apart from the hard-wired amplitude modulation mentioned above, Twangström has three general
purpose modulation slots for any kind of realtime control of internal parameters.
SOURCE
The left selector specifies a modulation source: Click (either left or right) to open the menu:"
As well as Twangström’s own LFO and envelope, the list includes the MIDI
keyboard sources modulation wheel, pitch wheel and two user-definable
“MIDI CC” sources called Control A and Control B (see the Preferences).!
14
none
ModWhl
PitchW
CtrlA
CtrlB
LFO
Envelope
Lock
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OPERATION
TARGET
The easiest way to make an assignment is via “drag & drop” from a target selector to any of the
knobs (or even the Twang control). Alternatively, right-click on a target selector to open a menu
containing all possible target parameters sorted into submenus:"
Slot Modifiers"
At the top of the target selector menu are five functions which can be used to modify the shape
of the modulation signal, individually for each slot. For fearless experimentation only!"
15
Curve
Quantize
Rectify
S+H Trigger
Slew Limiter
Assign Recent
not assigned
LFO
Envelope
Input
Ta nk
Filter
Output
Mod Matrix 1
Mod Matrix 2
Mod Matrix 3
Amp Modulation
Lock
none
ModWhl
PitchW
CtrlA
CtrlB
LFO
Envelope
none
half wave +
half wave full wave +
full wave -
MM01 #1 Curve
MM01 #1 Quantize
MM01 #1 Rectify
MM01 #1 S+H Trigger
MM01 #1 Slew Limiter
very compressed
compressed
none / linear
expanded
very expanded
none
integer
steps of 2
steps of 3
steps of 4
steps of 5
steps of 6
steps of 7 (fifths)
steps of 8
steps of 9
steps of 10
steps of 11
steps of 12 (octaves)
none
fast
smooth
slow
TOC
OPERATION
Curve
These options map the source onto an s-curve, like a waveshaper for modulation signals. A
bipolar ramp, for instance from the LFO, could be transformed into one of these curves:"
Unipolar modulation sources such as the envelope or modulation wheel only use the top half of
the curve. For instance, if you want the mod wheel to have a very subtle effect when only
pushed a little but still deliver the full effect when pushed all the way, choose very expanded."
Quantize"
After applying a curve, the modulating signal can then be forced to adopt discrete values. The
integer setting makes the modulation typically steppy, while the steps of 12 setting transforms
bipolar sources into maximum 5 values (unipolar = maximum 3) including zero. Note that
quantization is applied to the source signal before the modulation depth, so a lower modulation
depth value will often mean fewer steps: If you quantize the LFO to steps of 12, there will be no
modulation at all unless you turn the depth up to at least 25!"
Rectify"
Either half-wave or full-wave rectification, in positive as well as negative versions."
This example shows how a bipolar ramp wave would appear after rectification. Tip: Applying
full wave rectification to a triangle (e.g. from the LFO) effectively doubles its rate."
none
# no rectification"........................
half wave +# removes negative values"...........
half wave -# removes positive values"............
full wave +# folds negative values up".............
full wave -# folds positive values down!..............
16
linearcompressedvery compressed expanded very expanded
none half wave + half wave - full wave + full wave -
TOC
OPERATION
S+H Trigger
Whenever the signal you select here crosses zero in the positive direction, the modulation
source will be sampled and held i.e. stepped."
Slew Limiter"
The Slew Limiter smoothes out any sharp changes in the input signal. The options are fast,
smooth or slow."
Modulation Depth (unlabeled)"
The amount of modulation. This knob is bipolar (“centre zero”) – negative settings multiply the
source with a value between 0 and -1."
Active (unlabeled)
Modulation assignments are set active by default. Press this button to temporarily disengage
the modulation assignment, thus saving you from having to turn the Depth down every time
you want to check the effect of modulation."
Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO)
TIME BASE
The basic ‘speed mode’, this parameter offers absolute i.e. non-synchronized times measured
in seconds (0.1s, 1s or 10s) as well as a long list of values synchronized to the song tempo as
specified by the host application. These include dotted times (50% longer) as well as triplets (3
in the space of 2). Modified by the RATE control. "
WAVEFORM
Selects the shape of the LFO: Sine, triangle, saw up (ramp), saw down, square high-low,
square low-high, stepped random (rand hold), and smooth random (rand glide)."
RATE
Shifts LFO speed relative to the Time Base.!
17
TOC
PRESET BROWSER
Preset Browser
As mentioned elsewhere you can load presets by clicking on the data display, or step through
them by clicking on the arrow symbols. However, Twangström also includes a preset browser…"
Click on the PRESETS button and select the DIRECTORY tab to open this view:"
Folders appear on the left, presets are listed in the centre and information about the currently
loaded preset will appear on the right (PRESET INFO: the path, author, description etc.. won’t
appear until a preset is selected)."
The ‘Local’ root contains a selection of presets copied from the 6 categorized folders. After
loading one of them by clicking on its name, you can step through the others using your
computer’s cursor keys. If no presets appear in the central area, click on ‘Local’ or one of its
subfolders. If you don’t see a ‘PRESET INFO’ label on the right, click on the [≡] button (top right)
and select Show Preset Info."
that’s all you really need to know!
If you do decide to dig deeper, Twangström’s browser offers many interesting features including a
powerful search engine. For complete details, please read the rest of this chapter."
Default preset
When a new instance of Twangström starts it checks whether the ‘Local’ root directory contains a
preset called simply ‘default’, which is then loaded instead of the standard one. If you would like
to change the default preset, make sure that the Local folder is selected and [SAVE] the one you
want under the name “default”. Note: Even if it exists, ‘default’ won’t appear in the browser."
If a fresh instance of Twangström is not loading your new default preset, it probably landed in the
‘User’ folder instead of ‘Local’ – see the preference Save Presets To.!
18
TOC
PRESET BROWSER
Directory Panel
If the DIRECTORY tab is selected you will see the following folders:"
Local
Twangström’s factory presets are sorted into
subfolders that reside within ‘Local’. It’s worth
finding out where the ‘Local’ folder resides on
your computer: Right-click on ‘Local’ and select
the function Open in Finder / Explorer."
Tip: It is best not to touch the contents of the
‘Local’ folder, but to put your own creations and
any 3rd party soundsets in the ‘User’ folder."
MIDI Programs
The ‘Local’ root also contains a folder called
‘MIDI Programs’ which is normally empty. When
the first instance of Twangström starts, all
presets (up to 128) in this folder are loaded into
memory so they can be selected via MIDI
“Program Change” messages."
Note: Some hosts route all received MIDI data
directly into effect plug-ins by default, while
others expect you to set this up yourself. For
information on how to do this, please refer to the
documentation of your host / DAW."
As the presets in MIDI Programs are accessed in
alphabetical order it is best to rename them,
prefixing each one with an index. For instance
“000 rest-of-name” to “127 rest-of-name”."
Unlike regular presets, MIDI Programs cannot be
added, removed etc. on the fly. Any changes are
only updated after the host has been restarted."
MIDI Programs can contain up to 127 subfolders (of 128 presets each), switchable via
MIDI ‘Bank Select’ message (CC#0) before the
Program Change message. ‘MIDI Programs’ is
bank 0 and sub-folders are addressed in alphabetical order starting with bank 1."
When Twangström receives a Program Change message, it will display the bank and program
numbers to the left of the preset name (e.g. “0:0” for the first preset in the first bank). In certain
hosts, however, the first bank / preset is designated “1” instead of the correct “0”. "
To avoid another possible source of confusion, please make sure that there are no junked presets
in the MIDI Programs folder: All files there are addressed, even those that are hidden!!
19
TOC
PRESET BROWSER
User
The best address for your own creations as well as presets from other sources. You can either
select ‘User’ immediately before saving, or set a global preference ensuring that it will always be
saved to this folder (or a sub-folder) – see the preference Save Presets To.
Tip: It’s worth finding out where the ‘User’ folder resides on your computer: Right-click on ‘User’
and select the function reveal in Finder (Mac) / open in Explorer (Windows). "
Smart Folders
The other top-level folders don’t actually contain files, but the results of querying a database. The
content is therefore dynamic; it will change whenever the underlying data changes."
Search History
Click on this folder to display the results of past searches (maximum 10). If you want the search
results to be more permanent, right-click and select Save Search... – see below. To remove all
searches from the list, right-click on the ‘Search History’ folder and select Clear.
Saved Searches
This folder contains searches that have been saved via right click from the Search History. To
remove individual saved searches, right-click on the search and select Delete."
Banks
These smart folders reference metadata about preset origin – the version of the factory or third
party library with which the preset was installed. See Preset Info a few pages down. Banks are
predefined for factory presets."
You can create your own banks: Drag & drop one or more presets onto the ‘Bank’ folder then
enter a suitable name into the dialogue box."
To remove Bank attributes from selected presets, either drag & drop them onto the ‘no Bank’
folder you will see at the bottom of the Bank list, or right-click on the Bank and select Remove
Presets from Bank. Empty Banks will disappear.
Favourites
8 smart folders, one for each Favourite colour (1-8). See Presets context menu a few pages down.
Only one Favourite colour/number can be set per preset. Presets dropped onto one of the
‘Favourites’ folders will be marked as such. "
The Favourite status can be removed from all presets of one particular colour / index by rightclicking on the ‘Favourite’ folder and selecting Remove All Favourite (n) Marks.
Junk
A smart folder pointing to all junked presets. See Presets context menu. Presets dropped here will
disappear from the rest of the browser unless made visible (via Show Junk in the Presets context
menu). Like Favourites, Junk can be ex-/imported (as Junk.uhe-fav). See External Drag & Drop.
20
You can drag & drop any smart folder content onto e.g. ‘User’ or the desktop (see External
Drag & Drop) to create folders containing real copies of those presets!
TOC
PRESET BROWSER
Tags
Smart folders for each Category, Application and Character tag. Presets dropped onto these
folders will inherit the corresponding tag. Presets dropped onto the ‘Untagged’ smart folder will
have all Category, Application and Character tags removed."
Author
Smart folders for each preset author. Tip: Instead of signing each of your creations individually
you could sign just one of them then select and drag & drop them all onto your own author folder.
As the process cannot be undone, please use this feature with caution! "
Directory Context Menu
Right-clicking on any folder within ‘Local’ or ‘User’ will open a menu: "
Refresh
Update the browser contents (necessary for Windows users after altering any files in Explorer)."
Create New…
Insert an empty subdirectory. "
Rename…
Edit a folder’s name. "
Open in Finder / Explorer
Open a system window for the selected folder. Hold option (Mac) or ctrl (Windows) to switch this
to Show in Finder / Explorer, which highlights the folder instead of opening it."
On Open Expand to
These options determine how deeply the browser will open subdirectories whenever the GUI is
reopened or Refresh is called."
Show Folder Icons
Deselect this option if you find the folder icons distracting.!
21
Refresh
Create New…
Rename…
Open in Finder *
Move to Trash *
On Open Expand to
Show Folder Icons
TOC
PRESET BROWSER
Presets Panel
The central, unlabelled area of the browser is where you click to load presets..."
Presets Context Menu
Right-click to open a menu containing functions that can be applied to individual presets."
Mark as Favourite
Choose one of 8 Favourite marks. The selected entry will be replaced with Unmark as Favourite."
Mark as Junk / Show Junk
Instead of deleting unloved presets, mark them as ‘junk’ so that they disappear from the browser.
Activate Show Junk to display junked files instead, marking them with a STOP symbol."
Select All, Deselect
See ‘Multiple selection’ on the next page."
Rename
Change the name of a preset using this function."
Duplicate / Copy to User Folder
This entry depends on the status of the preference Save Presets To and whether the source
presets are in the Local or User folder. Selected presets are copied with an index appended to the
name (like the Auto Versioning preference)."
Show in Finder / Explorer
Opens a system window for the right-clicked file. In smart folders only, holding down an option
key (Mac) or ctrl key (Windows) replaces this entry with Show in Browser, which shows the
currently selected file in its original location within Twangstrom’s browser.!
22
Mark as Favourite 1
Select All
Deselect
Show Junk
Rename…
Copy to User Folder *
Show in Finder *
Convert to h2p *
Move to Trash *
Mark as Junk
Mark as Favourite 2
Mark as Favourite 3
Mark as Favourite 4
Mark as Favourite 5
Mark as Favourite 6
Mark as Favourite 7
Mark as Favourite 8
TOC
PRESET BROWSER
Convert to native / h2p / h2p extended / nksfx
Converts the selected preset(s) to the format previously selected via right-click on the SAVE
button. The nksfx option is only available in the VST2 version – see the NKS chapter."
Move to Trash / Recycle Bin
This function moves all selected preset(s) to the system trash. Caution: This also works on files in
smart folders i.e. the originals will land in the system trash."
Restore
While in the browser you can audition as many presets as you like without losing track of the one
that was previously loaded: Clicking RESTORE will always get you back to where you started. "
Multiple Selection
A block of adjacent presets can be selected via shift+click, and individual presets can be added to
the selection via cmd+click (Mac) / alt+click (Windows). Presets can be moved to a different folder
via drag & drop. To deselect, either click on a deselected preset or choose Deselect from the
context menu. "
Internal Drag & Drop
You can drag and drop single or multiple files from the preset panel onto any folders in the
directory panel. Files dragged onto regular folders will be moved unless you hold opt (macOS) or
ctrl (Windows), in which case they will be copied instead. Files dropped onto smart folders will
adopt the attribute of that folder: For instance, you can set the Author or Favourite status of
several presets at once."
External Drag & Drop
To manage your preset library externally you can drag presets and folders between Twangstrom’s
browser and your desktop (or any system window). On the Mac most Finder operations will
automatically update the browser. Updating might not be immediate when using multiple formats
or multiple host applications, but all it usually takes is a click on the GUI or in the directory tree
(sets focus to the clicked instance of Twangstrom). On Windows systems, a manual Refresh (see
Directory context menu) will be required before changes to the contents of the browser appear."
Another little helper: If you drag a Twangstrom preset from e.g. your desktop and drop it onto the
Data Display, that preset will be loaded (but not automatically saved)."
Exporting smart folders
Drag any smart folder onto the desktop to create a new folder containing those presets. Drag an
entry from your Search History, or the Category ‘Filter’, Favourites or one of the Authors."
Exporting favourite / junk status
You can export Favourite status, all at once or individually: Shift+click and drag the ‘Favourites’
folder onto the desktop to create a file called Favourites.uhe-fav. Similar for sub-folders: If you
shift+click and drag e.g. ‘Favourites 5’, this will create a file called Favourite 5.uhe-fav."
23
TOC
PRESET BROWSER
The same method also works for Junk status, creating a file called Junk.uhe-fav. Such files can be
imported into Twangstrom’s browser on a different computer (for instance), via drag & drop onto
or anywhere within the Favourites folder, or to the Junk folder."
Note that importing .uhe-fav files from another computer will only work 100% correctly if all preset
names and locations are identical on both computers!"
Preset Info Panel
The panel to the right displays information about the selected preset:"
If you can’t see this panel, click on the button in the top right corner and tick Show Preset Info."
Below the preset name you should see its path (from /Local or /User), the Bank and the Author
(which also appear as Smart Folders)."
DESCRIPTION and USAGE text is entered immediately before saving a patch. CATEGORIES,
APPLICATION and CHARACTER are the tags for the current preset. You can remove or add tags
directly – see ‘Tagging via PRESET INFO’ a few pages down."
If you prefer to see less information, hide the tags only or the entire PRESET INFO panel.!
24
Show Tags in Preset Info
Show Preset Info
TOC
PRESET BROWSER
Installing Presets
Any extra presets we distribute ourselves will be available in .uhe-soundset format. Third parties
are also encouraged to use this package format for their own commercial presets (for details
please contact our support team)."
Standard Method
To install, drag & drop the .uhe-soundset file into Twangstrom – anywhere will work. The soundset
should appear in the ‘User’ folder. If a soundset with the same name already exists there, any
modified files will be backed up and the location of the backup file will be displayed."
Alternative Method
Soundsets in .uhe-soundset format can also be installed by clicking on the u-he badge, selecting
Install Soundset... in the menu and navigating to the .uhe-soundset file. This option is especially
useful for Linux, as the browser version for that platform does not support drag & drop."
Regular Folders
Folders containing Twangstrom presets can be manually copied or moved into the ‘User’ folder.
You might have to refresh the browser (see Directory context menu) before they appear there. A
refresh is generally necessary in Windows but not in macOS."
Note: As .uhe-soundset files are basically ZIP-compressed folders, you can rename them i.e.
replace the long file extension with ’zip’, then extract the presets and documentation.!
25
TOC
PRESET BROWSER
Preset Tagging
“Tags” are bits of metadata, information you can add to presets so that they can be found
according to certain attributes."
The Tagging Window
Right-click on the [SAVE] button and select Tag this preset:"
In Twangström, the Category tags describe a preset according to the type of effect, Application
tags describe typical usage, and Character tags are pairs of more or less opposite attributes from
which you can choose just one."
Tagging via PRESET INFO
In the PRESET INFO panel, right-click on CATEGORIES, APPLICATION or CHARACTER and
select or unselect tags from the menu. Tip: If you right-click on an existing tag, the first option in
the menu becomes Remove Tag..."
The function Create Search from Tags looks for presets with all the same tags."
Tagging via the Tags smart folder
You can tag presets by drag & drop onto one of the Tags smart folders. To remove all tags, drag
presets onto the ‘Tags/Untagged/‘ smart folder."
26
IMPORTANT
Tags are updated automatically – clicking on the [SAVE] button isn’t required! The main
advantage is that presets don’t have to be saved every time you edit a tag. The main caveat
is that you should only edit tags after saving your preset."
For instance, if you decide to edit tags while creating a 2nd version of an existing preset,
please remember that you are actually changing the tags in the original preset!
TOC
PRESET BROWSER
Search Functions
Search By Tags
In the preset browser, click on the [TAGS] tab. The buttons let you set up search criteria according
to existing tags with just a few mouse clicks. "
There are four sets of buttons: The first three correspond to the tags in the tagging window (see
the previous page), while the bottom row lets you find any presets tagged as Favourites. Clicking
on the [^] icon to the right of each label hides the options for that set of tags."
Practically…
Click on the [DIRECTORY] tab, right-click on the ‘Search History’ folder and select Clear. Doubleclick on ‘Local’ to restrict the scope to that folder (presets in the ‘User’ folder will not appear in
the results). The selected path appears below the Search field. To exit, click on the [^] symbol."
Click on the [TAGS] tab and select the [Filter] and [Pitch FX] categories. Presets tagged with either
will appear in the presets panel. "
Click on the DIRECTORY tab again: “#Filter #Modulation:Pitch FX” appears in the Search field as
well as in ‘Search History’. Adventurous souls can try editing the contents of the Search field now
– the results will be updated accordingly."
Note: Unlike selecting multiple Categories tags, which expands the scope of the search, selecting
Application, Character or Favourites tags restricts the scope i.e. you will probably get fewer hits.!
27
TOC
PRESET BROWSER
Search by Text
The Search field lets you find presets according to a string of text. Here’s an easy example: If you
remember that the preset you’re looking for has the word “space” in either its name or the
description, simply enter “space” into the Search field and hit [Return]."
The search routine normally looks into the preset name, the author, the DESCRIPTION and
USAGE (see the PRESET INFO panel). Searches are not case-sensitive, and quotes are not
required unless you need to include spaces between multiple words."
Search Path
To restrict the search to a particular path, double click on a folder. The path will appear below the
Search field. The [^] button to the left moves the search path up one level, while the [X] button to
the right resets the search path to the default (i.e. all Twangström presets). Alternatively, you can
navigate directly to any higher level by right-clicking on the search path."
Try it: Enter three or four characters then hit Return. For instance, “sta” will find all files containing
the text string “sta” (e.g. “instant” or “custard”). Entering "star wars" (including the quotes!) would
find e.g. “Battlestar Warship”, if such a preset existed."
Scope
You can limit the scope of the search to just the preset name or specific parts of PRESET INFO by
using name (preset name), author, desc (description) or use (usage) followed by a colon. For
instance, “author:the” finds all presets by sound designers whose author names contain “the”.
Similarly, “desc:space” will find all presets with the word “space” in the description."
Logic
These logical operators can be used between text strings, but not between tags:"
AND requires that presets contain both words. It can be written explicitly or simply left out. For
example, “star AND wars” or “star wars” will find presets that contain both “star” and “wars”. "
OR means that presets can contain just one of the words… or both. For example, “star OR wars”
will find presets that contain “star” as well as presets that contain “wars”."
NOT excludes presets containing the specified word. To find all presets that do contain “star” but
don’t contain “wars”, enter “star NOT wars”."
Including Tags in Text Searches
Tags can be entered into the Search field if preceded by a ‘#’. For example, “name:int #Filter” will
find all presets with "int" as part of the name that are also tagged with the [Filter] category."
In the current version of the browser, text items must appear before any tags. For technical
reasons, tags appear in the form #type:category (the type is invisible in the TAGS panel).!
28
TOC
CONFIGURATION
Configuration
The cogwheel at the top right is your entrance to the global configuration pages. You can adjust
the window size and brightness as well as Twangström parameters via MIDI remote control…"
Click on the cogwheel and select Close [X], MIDI Learn [L], MIDI Table [≡] or Preferences [tools]."
MIDI Remote Control
For instructions on how to route MIDI into effect plug-ins, please refer to the documentation
of your host application.
Note that MIDI assignments are truly global. They apply not only to all instances of Twangström in
the current project, but to ALL instances in ALL your projects!"
MIDI Learn
This page lets you assign MIDI CC (‘control change’) to individual parameters. The CC
data can be generated by hardware knobs / sliders or by tracks in the host application.
To open the MIDI Learn page, click on the [L] button. It should look something like this:"
This window shows all MIDI-learnable elements as selectable outlines. Those that are already
assigned will appear filled (like INPUT in the above image), and the currently active control i.e. the
one ready to be MIDI-learned is highlighted (like DRIVE here)."
Try it: Click on the filter FREQUENCY knob then send Twangström some MIDI CC data: Wiggle a
knob or slider on your MIDI controller to make the assignment. "
If you don’t want to keep the new CC connection, double-click on the knob to remove it.!
29
TOC
CONFIGURATION
MIDI Table
The MIDI Table page lets you review and edit the MIDI assignments created using MIDI
Learn (see the previous page)."
The Parameter field shows the assigned target. Click to select a different one."
At the bottom of the list is an experimental feature: Select Last Clicked Control, enter the number
of an unused controller and exit the configuration pages. The most recently clicked knob or switch
will now respond to that CC. The Fine option is similar, but with a significantly reduced range."
The Channel and Controller fields specify the MIDI channel (1 to 16) and CC number (0-127). "
The Mode setting specifies the range and/or resolution of values..."
normal
# full range, continuous"............................
integer# full range, whole numbers only"............................
fine# 0.01 steps between the two integers closest to the current value"..................................
The Type setting specifies the kind of hardware used (the most common is Continuous 7-bit)"
Encoder 127
! ‘relative mode’ endless rotary controls that repeatedly send the CC value ................
1 when turned in the positive direction, or 127 (interpreted as -1) when
turned in the negative direction"
Encoder 64
! ‘relative mode’ endless rotary controls that repeatedly send the CC value ...................
65 when turned up, or 63 when turned down"
Continuous7bit
# 7-bit MIDI CC (normal resolution, common)"............
Continuous14bit# 14-bit MIDI CC (high resolution, rare)".........
Adding more assignments
You can either MIDI-learn them as described above, or click on the [Add] button at the bottom of
the window then select Parameter, Channel etc. from the options lists."
Removing assignments
Individual assignments can be removed by clicking on the small [x] to the right of each line. To
remove all assignments at once, click on the [Delete All] button at the bottom of the window."
Control A / Control B
Local (per instance!) versions of the Control A/B Default settings (see below)."
30
TOC
CONFIGURATION
Preferences
Click on the ‘tools’ button to open the ‘Preferences’ page, where you can set several
global defaults to suit your mouse and monitor:"
Controls
Mouse Wheel Raster
If your mouse wheel is rastered (you can feel it clicking slightly as you roll the wheel), set this to
on so that each click increments / decrements in sensible value steps."
Switch Behaviour
The ‘drag’ option lets you drag switches up/down while ‘toggle’ lets you click anywhere on the
2-way switches. In these modes you can also switch over by clicking directly on the position
you want. The ‘iterate’ option steps to the next position down, but clicking directly on a
position no longer works in this mode. "
Note: Like the knobs, switches respond to rolling the mouse wheel – no clicks required!"
31
TOC
CONFIGURATION
Appearance
Default Size
Sets the default GUI size for each new instance. You can temporarily change the GUI size
without entering the Preferences – simply right-click in the background."
Gamma
Determines GUI brightness."
Spring
Affects the spring animation: eco, fast or glow (in order of CPU usage)."
Text Antialiasing
Switches the smoothing of labels and values on / off. Only in special cases will switching it off
improve readability."
Presets
Auto-Versioning
If ‘on’, an index is automatically appended to the name and incremented each time it is saved.
Saving ‘Space’ 3 times in a row would give you 3 files: ‘Space’, ‘Space 2’ and ‘Space 3’."
Save Presets To
Choose the ‘user folder’ option if you want all saved presets to land in the User folder instead
of the currently selected one."
Scan On Startup
Determines whether the preset library should be scanned and the database recreated when the
first instance of Twangström is started, e.g. when you reopen a project."
Others
Base Latency
If you are sure that your audio system – hardware and software – uses buffers that are a
multiple of 16 samples in size (refer to the respective documentation), you can safely disable
this. Otherwise leave it set to the default ‘16 samples’ to prevent crackles."
Note that the new Base Latency only takes effect when the host allows, e.g. on playback or
after the sample rate is switched. Reloading Twangström will always update Base Latency. "
See the info box on the next page."
Control A Default / Control B Default
Apart from the modulation wheel, the list of modulation sources in all u-he plug-ins included
two extra fixed MIDI controls: Breath (CC#02) and Xpress (CC#11). While retaining backwards
compatibility, we have replaced those with the user-definable Control A and Control B sources."
32
TOC
CONFIGURATION
MIDI Control Slew
Determines the strength of parameter smoothing for all performance controls – pitch bend,
modulation wheel, Control A/B and Pressure. With MIDI Control Slew set to ‘off’, Twangström
is more responsive to modulation wheel data (for instance), but the result of rapid modulation
can sound rather grainy. The default ‘Fast’ setting is a good compromise between speed and
smoothness. The ‘Slow’ option is adaptive: Whenever incoming control data jumps instantly
between values that are further apart, no slew is applied."
33
MORE ABOUT BUFFERS
Internally, Twangström processes audio in chunks of n x 16 samples. The ‘block
processing’ method reduces the CPU load and memory usage of all our plug-ins."
For example. if the number of samples to be processed is 41, Twangström will
process the first 32 and keep the remaining 9 in a buffer (16 samples is enough).
Those 9 samples are then processed at the start of the next call... and so on. The
extra buffer is only necessary if the host application or audio driver processes
‘unusual’ audio buffer sizes. Many hosts process buffers of 64, 128, 256 or 512
samples (all multiples of 16), in which case you could try switching off Base
Latency so that Twangström can work latency-free.
TOC
NKS
NKS
Twangström supports Native Instruments NKSFX format so that it can be integrated into the
Komplete Kontrol software or Maschine environments. Twangstrom’s factory presets are
optionally also installed as tagged .nksfx files. A few pages of performance controls mapped to
common parameters are automatically generated and saved together with each .nksfx preset."
Saving in NKS format
While the native, h2p and h2p extended options cause Twangström to save presets into the
currently selected preset directory, .nksfx files go directly into the preset location used for
Komplete Kontrol or Maschine, so they do not appear in Twangström’s preset browser. To make
them visible in Komplete Kontrol, open its preferences and rescan the preset locations."
Batch conversion
First, right-click the [save] button and set the target format to nksfx. Via cmd-click (Mac) or altclick (Win), select all presets in the current folder you want to convert, then right-click any of the
selected presets and choose convert to nksfx. Note: The original files are not affected."
What to do if Twangström doesn't show up in Komplete Kontrol / Maschine.
First of all, make sure your NKS software is up to date: Komplete Kontrol V1.5+ or Maschine V2.4
are the minimum requirements for u-he. In Windows, Komplete Kontrol must know the Vstplugins
folder containing Twangström: Open Komplete Kontrol preferences, go to Locations and add your
Vstplugins directory if necessary, hit Rescan and check whether Twangström appears. Maybe the
NKS preset folder is empty? If so, please reinstall Twangström with the correct VST path and the
NKS-option checked. Here are the preset folder locations:"
Mac# Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/u-he/Twangstrom/NKS/Twangstrom/"
Win# C:\Users\YOU\Documents\u-he\Twangstrom.data\NKS\Twangstrom\
Perhaps the XML-File is missing from this location:"
Mac# Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/Native Instruments/Service Center/"
! u-he-Twangstrom.xml"
Win:# C:\Program Files\Common Files\Native Instruments\Service Center\u-he-Twangstrom.xml
A re-install with the NKS-option checked should also remedy this issue."
What to do if Komplete Kontrol / Maschine is unable to load Twangström
Either Twangström wasn't installed as VST2, or it wasn’t installed with the correct path. The
default VST path is fixed in MacOSX, but in Windows it can be freely assigned during installation:"
Mac:# Macintosh HD/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/u-he/
Win:# <User VST Folder> / (path for the VST plug-in set during installation)"
If Twangström’s VST plug-in cannot be found in one of these locations, run the installer again
making sure that you set the correct path and have activated ‘VST’ as installation option.
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Saving as .nksfx is only possible in the VST2 version
Mac owners can use – temporarily if necessary – any host application that supports VST2
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