Support .......................................................................................... 113
Index ............................................................................................. 115
4
1. Installation and Registration
1. Introduction
1.1 Power Suite AAX
This manual describes the Wave Arts Power Suite plug-ins for Avid’s AAX
format. Power Suite is a set of plug-ins for mixing and mastering, consisting
of the following individual plug-ins:
TrackPlug – channel strip with EQ and dynamics
MasterVerb – stereo reverb
FinalPlug – peak limiting and dither
MultiDynamics – multi-band dynamics
Panorama – spatial audio processor
The Power Suite plug-ins have been available in various native formats,
including Avid’s RTAS and AS native formats, but also in AU, VST, DirectX,
and MAS formats. Avid’s TDM format for operation on DSP cards was not
supported.
The AAX (Avid Audio eXtensions) format replaces RTAS, AS, and TDM, and
provides a single format for both native and DSP operation. Importantly,
Wave Arts is now supporting AAX DSP with three of the PowerSuite plug-ins:
TrackPlug, FinalPlug, and MultiDynamics. MasterVerb and Panorama have not
been ported to AAX DSP and remain native only.
1.2 Modifications for AAX DSP
In order to port to AAX DSP, some modifications were made to the
underlying algorithms.
TrackPlug EQs now use new 32-bit filter architecture which performs
nearly as well at the 64-bit implementation previously used. This is
done for efficient operation on 32-bit TI DSPs used in HDX hardware.
The above mentioned 32-bit filter architecture is now used for
TrackPlug brickwall filters and MultiDynamics bandpass filters.
The TrackPlug Real-Time Analyzer is operational only in AAX native.
The “Clean” dynamics processor in TrackPlug and MultiDynamics has
been jettisoned in favor of the superior “Vintage” processor.
The Vintage dynamics processor has been slightly modified for
increased efficiency on the TI DSPs.
MultiDynamics dynamics modes are now “Peak” and “RMS” (RMS mode
has been added).
Dynamics lookahead is maximum of 1 msec, for both TrackPlug and
MultiDynamics, due to limited memory on DSP.
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Wave Arts Power Suite
The limiting algorithm in FinalPlug has been rewritten for greater
efficiency on TI DSPs and has a new auto-release algorithm.
The dither algorithm in FinalPlug is now 32-bits rather than 64-bits.
We believe the above changes were necessary to provide reasonable instance
counts when running on DSP, without diminishing sound quality.
1.3 Reduced configurations for AAX DSP
Even with the above DSP optimizations, the full versions of TrackPlug,
MultiDynamics, and FinalPlug use a considerable amount of CPU (and
memory) on the HDX DSPs. This is because they were originally designed for
native operation and have a large feature set. In typical native operation,
many of these features may be disabled and will not consume any CPU. But
on HDX DSP, we must allocate enough CPU for the worst case situation of all
features enabled. For example, TrackPlug needs to allocate enough CPU to
run all 10 bands of EQ, plus both brickwall filters, with all of the Gate,
Comp1, and Comp2 dynamics enabled, all three running dual sidechain EQs,
plus the Limiter. Because most users do not use all these features, it makes
sense to provide feature reduced configurations that require less CPU (and
memory) and thus can run more instances on HDX DSP.
The various configurations of the three plug-ins are summarized in the table
below:
Plug-in Configuration Notes
TrackPlug TrackPlug Full version
TrackPlug E7GC 7-band EQ, Gate and Comp1
TrackPlug E7C 7-band EQ and Comp1
TrackPlug comes with two feature reduced configurations. TrackPlug E7C
provides 7 bands of EQ plus a single compressor (with optional sidechain
EQ). The TrackPlug E7GC configuration provides 7 bands of EQ, a
gate/expander, and a single compressor. Choosing 7 bands of EQ is
motivated by the Avid D-control and D-command interfaces that have
dedicated control layouts for 7 bands of EQ.
MultiDynamics comes with two feature reduced configurations consisting of
3-band and 4-band variations, as compared to the full implementation of 6bands.
6
1. Installation and Registration
FinalPlug comes with a limiter only configuration. This is because the dither
section consumes considerably more CPU than the limiter but most users
want only the limiter.
When running the reduced configurations, the same graphical user interface
is shown, but certain user interface controls will be disabled if they control
features not supported in the current configuration. The factory preset list is
tailored to each specific configuration. User presets (via Wave Arts preset
manager or Pro Tools preset manager) can be shared amongst all
configurations of one plug-in, with the obvious caveat that not all features
will be enabled or editable in the reduced feature configurations. Also,
changing from one configuration to another may cause the settings to
change. For example, when changing from the full 6-band MultiDynamics to
3-band and back to 6-band, only 3 bands will be enabled even if all 6 were
originally enabled.
1.4 Plug-in Instance Counts for AAX DSP
The table below gives the maximum number of instances that will run on a
single DSP chip for each plug-in configuration, at 48 kHz, 96 kHz, and 192
kHz sampling rates, for mono and stereo formats. These instance counts are
valid as of the writing of this manual, future updates will likely increase
instance counts as the plug-ins are further optimized.
Please refer to the following guide for information about the various ways
you can use knobs:
Function Mac
Increase/Decrease a parameter value
(rotate clockwise/counterclockwise)
Fine adjustment — increase/decrease
Reset knob to default value
Click on the knob +
drag up/down
Shift + click + drag
up/down
RTAS: Command +
click
Command + click
-or-
Double-click
Click on the knob +
Right click + drag
Shift + click + drag
RTAS: Ctrl + click
Windows
drag up/down
up/down
-or-
up/down
Control + click
-or-
Double-click
RTAS: Option +
click
RTAS: Alt + click
2.2 Text Entry
Many value displays are editable text. A text field is editable if your mouse
cursor changes to an I-beam when moved over the text. Following is a table
that fully describes how to use the text editing features:
Function Mac
Enter text entry modeClick in the display Click in the display
Select text Click + drag
Select entire text Double-click
Delete character to left of cursor
Delete character to right of cursor
Delete
Del
Windows
Click + drag
Double-click
Backspace
Delete
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Wave Arts Power Suite
Move the cursor left/right
Extend the current selection
Exit text entry mode
Select next parameter to editTab
Select previous parameter to edit
Left/Right arrow
keys
Shift + click + drag
-or-
Shift + left/right
arrow keys
ESC*
-or-
Click outside value
box
-orTab
-or-
Return/Enter
Shift + Tab
Left/Right arrow
keys
Shift + click + drag
-or-
Shift + left/right
arrow keys
ESC*
-or-
Click outside value
-or-
-or-
Return/Enter
Shift + Tab
*Typing ESC causes the text to revert its original value before editing.
You'll find that many parameters, such as frequency, will recognize units
typed into the text field. The following values, when typed into a frequency
value box, are equivalent:
2k = 2 kHz = 2000 = 2000 Hz
box
Tab
Tab
2.3 Selector button
The selector button cycles through a number of fixed values. Click on the
button to go to the next value. Click on the text to display a pop-up menu of
the available values. The table below describes the functionality of the
selector button:
Function Mac
Go to next valueClick on the knob
Go to previous valueShift + click on knob Shift + click on knob
Display pop-up menu of all choices
Click on text
Click on the knob
Windows
Click on text
10
2. Plug-in Control Operation
2.4 Sliders
Function Mac
Increase/Decrease a parameter
value
Fine adjustment —
increase/decrease
Click on the slider
handle + drag
Shift + click + drag
up/down
up/down
Click on the slider
Right click + drag
Shift + click + drag
Windows
handle + drag
up/down
up/down
-or-
up/down
Reset slider to default value
2.5 Buttons
Lighted buttons show a toggle state. A green, orange or yellow
light indicates "on" and a black (extinguished) light indicates
"off." Click the button to toggle the state.
Buttons that do not light up are used to activate certain
commands.
2.6 Output Meters
Output meters show the peak signal power in short time
updates — in green from -96dB to -6dB, in yellow between 6dB and 0dB, and in red above 0dB. Peak hold levels are also
drawn. The meter also stores the overall peak value for each
channel, and displays these values in the peak indicator
boxes above the meter. If the detector finds a peak value
above 0dB, the text color will turn red as a warning. Click on
either indicator box to reset them back to -96dB. Right click
(PC) or Shift-click (Mac) on an indicator box to automatically
increase or decrease the output gain so that the peak will be
-0.1dB.
Command + click
-or-
Double-click
Control + click
-or-
Double-click
11
3. Menu Bar and Preset Manager
3. Menu Bar and Preset Manager
All Wave Arts plug-ins in the PowerSuite Bundle have the following menu bar
displayed at the top of the plug-in:
This section describes the operation of the menu bar, preset manager, and
the other functions available in the menus.
3.1 Bypass
Clicking on the bypass button bypasses the effect, that is, audio will pass
through the effect without alteration. The button is lit when the effect is
bypassed.
3.2 Undo
Clicking the Undo button causes the parameters to revert to their settings
prior to the last edit. Only one level of undo is available, so clicking the undo
button again will restore the parameters after the edit. Both A and B buffers
(described below) have their own undo buffers.
3.3 Copy
Clicking the Copy button copies the current set of effect parameters to the
unused A/B buffer. Hence, if the A buffer is currently selected, the
parameters are copied to B, and if the B buffer is selected, the parameters
are copied to A. After clicking Copy, you can continue to make changes, and
then revert to the original copied settings by clicking either the A or B
buttons to switch buffers.
3.4 A/B buffers
The A/B edit buffers allow you to compare two different sets of parameters or
presets. One of the A or B buttons is always lit; the button that is lit shows
the current buffer. Clicking either the A or B button will switch to using the
other buffer, thus changing the effect settings (assuming different settings
are stored in A and B).
Here’s how to use the A/B buffers to compare two different presets. Select a
preset from the Preset menu, then switch to the other buffer and select a
different preset. Now switch between the two buffers to alternate between
the two different presets.
13
Wave Arts Power Suite
3.5 Preset name and arrow controls
The currently selected preset name is displayed in the text field in the menu
bar. Changing any parameters causes an asterisk (*) to be displayed at the
end of the name. This indicates that changes have been made to the preset.
In order to save the changes to a user preset you must select the “Save…”
item in the Preset menu, described below.
The arrow controls to the left and right of the preset name cycle through the
set of factory and user presets. Clicking the right arrow goes to the next
preset, clicking the left arrow goes to the previous preset.
3.6 Preset menu
The Preset menu contains lists of factory and user presets for easy selection,
and options for managing presets. The functions are described in the
following sections.
3.7 Factory Presets
Factory presets are selected from a rolloff menu at the top of the Preset
menu. Factory presets cannot be modified or deleted. The Default preset is
always first in the list; it defines all default parameter settings.
For AAX DSP plug-ins which have reduced configurations, the same set of
factory presets is presented for each configuration, even though the
14
3. Menu Bar and Preset Manager
configuration may not have all the features selected by the preset. For
example, when loading a 6-band MultiDynamics preset into the 3-band
configuration, the first three bands will be set up, while the top 3 bands from
the preset are ignored. Similarly, when loading a TrackPlug preset into the
TrackPlug E7GC configuration, only the first seven EQ bands, the gate, and
Comp1 will be set up according to the preset.
3.8 User Presets
User presets are selected from a rolloff menu just below the Factory presets
in the Preset menu. When you first run a Wave Arts plug-in, there will not be
any user presets and the menu will be empty. When you save a preset using
the “Save” option the preset is added to the User menu. All instances of a
plug-in share the same set of user presets. So, after you save a preset with
one instance of a plug-in, you can go to another instance and find that the
preset can be found in its User preset menu too.
You can delete an individual user preset by holding down the SHIFT key while
selecting the preset. The entire set of user presets can be deleted using the
Reset option, described below.
User presets are stored in a text file called “<plugin> Presets.txt”, where
<plugin> is the name of the plug-in you are using. The file is located in the
same directory where the plug-in was installed. If the file is deleted it will be
created automatically by the plug-in.
3.9 Save…
When you have created an effect you want to save as a preset, select the
“Save…” option. You will be asked to name the preset and the preset will be
saved in the set of User presets. If you supply the same name as an existing
user preset, the preset will be overwritten with the new preset without any
warning notice.
3.10 Import…
User presets can be written to files using the “Export” function, and read
from files using the “Import” function. Selecting the “Import…” option will
first ask if you want to replace or merge the imported presets. Replacing
causes your current set of user presets to be deleted and replaced with the
presets read from the file, merging will add the presets read from the file to
your set of User presets. Then you will be asked to choose a preset file for
importing and the presets are read from the file.
Import can also be used to convert presets from an older version of the plugin to the current version. If the p lug-in detects presets from an older vers ion
15
Wave Arts Power Suite
and it knows how to convert them to the current version it will ask you if you
want to convert the older presets to the current format.
3.11 Export…
Selecting the “Export…” option will first ask if you want to replace or merge
the exported presets. Replacing causes the presets in the file to be deleted
and replaced with the exported user presets, merging will add the user
presets to the presets in the file. Then you will be asked to choose a preset
file for exporting and the presets are written to the file.
Preset Export is also useful for making backup copies of your user presets. If
you have a large set of user presets, be sure to export them to a backup file.
3.12 Reset…
Reset is used to delete all of your user presets. Selecting “Reset…” will first
ask you if you really want to do this, and if you confirm, all the user presets
are deleted.
3.13 Tools menu
The Tools menu contains various important options, described below.
3.14 About…
The About option displays important information about your plug-in. An
example is shown below:
16
3. Menu Bar and Preset Manager
On the top line, the plug-in name and version are displayed, along with the
current plug-in format (AAX, DirectX, VST, AU, RTAS, or MAS). This is useful
if you aren’t sure which format of the plug you are running. The build date of
the plug-in is displayed on the next line. Buttons are provided for opening
the registration dialog and the user manual. Because AAX plug-ins are Pace
iLok protected, the unlock dialog is disabled.
3.15 Open User Manual…
Select this option to open the user manual in a browser. If the manual isn’t
found, you will be asked to navigate to it. Once the manual is opened
successfully the plug-in remembers the location.
3.16 Check for Updates…
If you are connected to the internet, selecting this option will launch a
browser and will navigate to the Wave Arts Downloads page.
3.17 Visit Website…
If you are connected to the internet, selecting this option will launch a
browser and will navigate to the Wave Arts home page.
17
4. TrackPlug
4. TrackPlug
4.1 Overview
TrackPlug combines a 10-band EQ, a realtime analyzer, two compressors, a gate, a
brickwall filter, and a lookahead peak limiter in one efficient, easy-to-use, and great
sounding pro audio plug-in, ideal for tracking, mixing, and post production. Here
are some of TrackPlug's key features:
a 10-band EQ section with 11 different filter types
integrated realtime spectrum analyzer
low and high pass brickwall filters
two compressors and a gate, each with optional side-chain equalizer, variable
knees and optional lookahead delay
choose between peak or RMS dynamics modes
dual EQ comparison sidechain modes for precise de-essing, de-ploding
external sidechain inputs
lookahead peak limiter
EQ routing pre or post dynamics
comprehensive metering
separate presets for each section
comprehensive set of factory presets designed by industry professionals
supports up to 192 kHz sampling rate
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Wave Arts Power Suite
TrackPlug's audio routing and meter placement is shown in the diagram below:
Gate
Meter
In
Brickwall
filter
Gate
EQ
(pre)
TrackPlug audio routing diagram.
Comp1
Meter
Comp1Comp2
Comp2
Meter
Output
Gain
EQ
(post)
Peak
Limiter
Output
Meter
Out
The input signal is processed first by the brickwall filter. This allows the user to
eliminate noise signals that are outside the frequency range of the recorded
instrument. Thumps, rumble and hum can be eliminated using a highpass brickwall,
while high frequency hiss or tones can be eliminated using a lowpass brickwall.
The signal is processed next by the gate. The gate is commonly used to attenuate
background noises when the main signal is not present. The gate can be used to
reduce amplifier noise, microphone leakage, etc.
If the EQ routing is set to "pre", the EQ runs after the gate and before the
compressors; if set to "post", it runs after the compressors. EQ is the principal tool
to shape the tonal character of the sound.
The realtime spectrum analyzer runs either just befo re or after the EQ section
depending on whether the RTA is set up to be pre or post EQ. The RTA is not
implemented for AAX DSP format.
The two compressors run next. They can be configured in a variety of ways, from
slow auto-gain control to faster compression, to aggressive distorting compression.
The compressors can also be configured as de-essers or de-ploders by using the
side-chain EQs.
If the EQ routing is set to "post", the EQ runs after the compressors. So me
engineers prefer this configuration because they find that compression dulls the
sound, requiring some EQ after compression.
The output gain and peak limiter run last. The peak limiter can be used as a hard
compressor / loudness maximizer, by cranking up the output gain, or used simply
to prevent peaks from exceeding -0.1 dB.
TrackPlug E7GC Configuration
For AAX DSP, the E7GC configuration provides a 7-band EQ, gate, and compressor.
The audio routing is shown in the figure below.
20
4. TrackPlug
Gate
Meter
In
Gate
EQ
(pre)
Comp1
Meter
Comp1
Output
EQ
(post)
Output
Meter
Gain
Out
TrackPlug E7GC audio routing diagram.
TrackPlug E7C Configuration
For AAX DSP, the E7C configuration provides a 7-band EQ and compressor. The
audio routing is shown in the figure below.
Comp1
Meter
Output
In
EQ
(pre)
Comp1
EQ
(post)
Output
Meter
Gain
Out
TrackPlug E7GC audio routing diagram.
4.2 About TrackPlug
Brickwall filters
Brickwall filters are lowpass or highpass filters with very steep cutoffs, used to pass
all frequencies up to the cutoff frequency and eliminate all frequencies beyond the
cutoff. The frequency range that is passed unaltered is called the "passband", the
frequency range that is attenuated is called the "stopband". TrackPlug's bri ckwall
filters are implemented using 10th order elliptical filters, with at least 90 dB of
stopband attenuation and less than 0.1 dB of passband ripple.
Brickwall filters are used to eliminate unwanted frequency ranges. Typically, a
brickwall filter would be used when processing a noisy recording of an instrument
sound that does not use the entire frequency range. The brickwall filter would be
positioned at the edge of the instrument's frequency range to elimin ate out-of-band
noise. So for example, when processing voice, one could use the brickwall filters to
eliminate all frequencies below 100 Hz and above 8 kHz.
The brickwall filters can also be used to zero in on a particular frequency range just
for analysis purposes. For example, one could use the brickwall filters to listen to
selected overtones in an organ, or to isolate the click of a kick drum.
21
Wave Arts Power Suite
Equalization
The equalizer is used to boost certain frequencies and reduce others, thus changing
the tonality of a sound. When used in a mixing application, equalization is applied
to each track so that it sits better in the mix. Generally, you want each instrument
sound to be distinctly audible and sound natural, while maintaining a balanced mix.
A good approach is to use as little EQ as possible, and when doing so, try to reduce
frequencies rather than boost them, to give each track enough space in the mix.
When equalization is used as a sound design tool, it can be applied aggressively to
completely change the character of a sound.
It is helpful to have a general understanding of the frequency ranges in a mix:
Low Bass (20 – 60 Hz)- controls rumble, this range is best reproduced on a
subwoofer equipped system.
Bass (60 to 250 Hz)- the low end of the mix, where the fundamentals of bass and
other rhythm oriented instruments like the kick drum reside. Controls the overall
fullness/roundness of a track or mix. Reducing around the 100 to 200 Hz range can
help reduce “boominess”.
Low Midrange (250 to 2000 Hz)- many of the low harmonics of most instruments
are in this range, and some boost here between 250 and 800 Hz can improve
clarity of lower pitched instruments. Too much boost in this whole range can lend
to a telephone-like quality (boost from 500Hz to 1Khz can sound horn-like, from
1Kz to 2Kz can sound tinny), and often frequencies in this area can be reduced on
mid-range instruments like guitar, vocals and keyboards to improve a mix.
High Midrange (2000 Hz – 4000 Hz)- this range is an important speech recognition
area, and also determines projection and clarity of mid-range instruments. Too
much boost in this area can be fatiguing on the ear.
Presence (4000 Hz – 6000 Hz)- controls how close and distinct instruments and
vocals sound, too much in this range will cause harshness.
Brilliance (6000 Hz – 20 kHz)- this range is associated with clarity, “sizzle”, and
"air".
TrackPlug's equalizer provides up to 10 separate EQ bands, more than needed for
most jobs. Each band has a choice of 11 different filter types per band. Again,
we've erred on the side of providing more control rather than skimping. All of the
filter types are based on second order filters; this limits their rolloff slope to -12 dB
per octave. The filter types are described below.
Parametric EQ
The parametric EQ type is one you will use often, as it allows you to reinforce or
attenuate at a specific frequency point. The parametric EQ is defined in terms of the
22
4. TrackPlug
center frequency, the height of the boost/cut in dB, and the width. The width is
measured in octaves between the half height points in the response. For example, if
the center frequency is 2 kHz, the height is 12 dB, and the width is 2 octaves, then
the width is defined at the 6 dB points in the response, which will be at 1 kHz and 4
kHz (one octave below and one octave above the center frequency, respectively).
Parametric EQ with freq = 2000 Hz, height = 12 dB, and width = 2 octaves.
Shelf filter
The shelf filter boost or cuts by a fixed amount above or below a corner frequency.
The shelf filter has parameters of corner frequency and shelf height in dB. The
figure below shows a low shelf filter with a boost of 12 dB and a corner frequency of
200 Hz. The corner frequency is defined at the half height point in the response, so
for example, in the figure below, the response is 6 dB at 200 Hz. TrackPlug
provides three variations of the shelf filter which differ in the shape of the shelf
transition: standard, resonant, and vintage. The standard shelf filter as shown in
the figure has the steepest possible transition without having any overshoot. The
"resonant" shelf filter has a variable transition slope defined by a resonance
parameter. Filter resonances are usually defined using a Q parameter, called the
"quality factor"; higher values of Q are more resonant and hence sharply tuned.
TrackPlug uses the width knob to set the resonance, in units of Q. A shelf with a
high resonance has a steep transition, but also overshoots symmetrically on each
side, as shown in the figure below. The standard shelf filter is identical to the
resonant shelf filter with a resonance (Q) of 0.707. Finally, the "vintage" shelf filter
has a particular sort of as ymmetrical overshoot which is quite gentle and pleasing
sounding. The vintage shelf is modeled after the response shapes of certain analog
equalizers.
The notch filter cuts a specific frequency. It has parameters of center frequency and
width. The width of the notch is measured in octaves between the -3 dB points of
24
4. TrackPlug
the filter response. TrackPlug's notch filter eliminates the center frequency
completely, this would correspond to a height of minus infinity dB. The notch is
commonly used to eliminate hum caused by power line interference. In the US,
power lines oscillate at 60 Hz, in Europe and other parts of the world power lines
oscillate at 50 Hz. Overtones of the hum are common and require an additional
notch filter to cancel each overtone. Another commonly seen interference tone is
caused by the horizontal flyback oscillation of televisions. In the US, NTSC TV sets
oscillate at 15,734 Hz. In Europe, PAL and SECAM TV sets oscillate at 15,625 Hz.
Often you will find these tones in acoustic recordings made anywhere near TV sets.
Notch filter with freq = 60, width = 0.1 octaves.
Bandpass filter
The bandpass filter is the opposite of the notch, it passes only the frequencies in a
band around the center frequency. The bandpass filter has parameters of center
frequency and width. The width of the bandpass is measured in octaves between
the -3 dB points of the filter response. The bandpass filter would typically only be
used in sound design to simulate the sound of a reduced frequency response, such
as a telephone. One could also use the brickwall filters for this. The bandpass filter
rolls off at -12 dB per octave on each side of the center frequency, much gentler
than the brickwall, which rolls off at 60 dB/octave. The bandpass filter can also be
used in analysis to isolate a particular frequency. For example, if there is a
contaminating tone in a signal, one can sweep a narrow bandpass filter to isolate
the tone, then switch to a notch filter to eliminate the tone.
TrackPlug also provides lowpass and highpass filters. These pass frequencies up to
a corner frequency, then roll off at -12 dB per octave beyond. The lowpass and
highpass filters have only one parameter: corner frequency. The corner frequency
is defined at the -3 dB point in the response. The choice to use the lowpass and
highpass filters or to use the brickwall filters depends on how steep you need to
rolloff to be.
Lowpass filter with freq = 2 kHz.
Real Time Analyzer (RTA)
TrackPlug has a built-in real time spectrum analyzer which allows you to see how
the energy in the audio signal is distributed across frequencies. The RTA is only
available when running in AAX native format, it is not available when running on a
DSP. The RTA displays the instantaneous energy in each of 31 frequency bands
ranging from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. The width of each band is 1/3 octave which
corresponds roughly to the critical bands in the human auditory system. Spectrum
26
4. TrackPlug
analysis is incredibly useful to see at a glance which frequencies make up a sound.
The RTA can be inserted either before or after the EQ processing. Placing the RTA
before EQ processing is useful to see the unaltered spectrum of the input signal.
This can then guide subsequent application of EQ, perhaps to boost weak
frequencies in the input, or attenuate strong frequencies. Placing the RTA after the
EQ can then verify that the EQ has applied the intended adjustments. For stereo
signals, the RTA displays the peak value for left and right channels in each band.
The RTA will display a flat response with a pink noise input.
Dynamics
Dynamics processors are extremely useful and versatile tools. All dynamics
processors work by tracking the level of the input signal and applying a gain in
response to the input level. Compressors turn down the gain when the input
exceeds a threshold level, whereas gates (expanders) turn down the gain when the
input goes below a threshold. Compressors are often used to even out dynamics in
a performance; making loud portions softer and making soft portions louder. When
used more aggressively they can also add “punch” to a performance or to individual
sounds, and when used really aggressively can add overtones and hence change
the timbre of a sound. By combining a compressor with a side-chain equalizer,
functions such as de-essing (reducing sibilant speech sounds) and de-ploding
(reducing plosive speech sounds) can be done. Gates are typically used to squelch
background noises in noisy recordings.
Threshold and Ratio
A compressor has five principal controls: threshold, ratio, attack time, release time,
and makeup gain. The threshold is the input level at which compression will kick in.
The ratio parameter determines how much gain reduction will be applied as the
input exceeds the threshold. The definition is somewhat archaic and confusing. The
range of ratios is 1 to infinity. A ratio of 1 means no gain reduction, while a ratio of
infinity means the gain reduction is equal to the amount the input exceeds the
threshold (hence the input will be pinned at the threshold value). In general, for a
ratio R, the gain reduction is (R-1)/R of the amount the input exceeds the
threshold. So to take a typical example, if the input is 12 dB over threshold with a
ratio of 3, the gain reduction will be 8 dB.
But compressors are not really about decreasing gain, they are really about
increasing gain. What they do is decrease the peaks in a signal so the rest of the
signal can be boosted. This is what the makeup gain control does, it applies a
constant gain boost to increase the soft parts of a signal while the compressor
dynamically pushes down the peaks.
Attack and Release Time
The attack time and release time parameters are really important. The attack time
controls how fast the gain is turned down when gain reduction is to be applied and
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Wave Arts Power Suite
the release time controls how fast the gain is turned back up. Consider the example
of compressing a drum hit. With a small (fast) attack time, the initial transient of
the drum hit will be compressed because as soon as the transient exceeds the
threshold the gain reduction kicks in immediately. As you increase the attack time,
it takes longer for the gain reduction to fade in and the initial transient of the drum
hit passes through uncompressed. So in this case, when you want to hear more
drum attack, you increase the attack time. After the transient has passed and the
drum sound begins its decay, the compressor will begin releasing, increasing the
gain back to the nominal level as set by the makeup gain. A short release will
restore gain immediately, in which case the drum sound will have essentially the
same decay it had originally. A longer release time will restore gain more slowly,
thus increasing the decay ti me of the original drum sound. So the original “BUMPH”
of the drum sound becomes “BOOOOMMMMPH” after compressing. That’s punch.
The ability to change the decay time of acoustic instruments after they have been
recorded is a really powerful capability of compressors.
When gating, the attack and release time parameters are reversed. The release
time controls low fast the gain is turned down and the attack time controls how fast
the gain is restored. Consider the example of a drum recording containing
background noise, assuming the threshold has been set just above the background
noise and the ratio is large. When the signal goes below threshold the gate kicks in
and begins reducing gain. A short release time will decrease gain rapidly, abruptly
cutting off the decay of the drum. Longer release times cause the gain to decrease
more slowly, which may sound more natural but also allow the noise to be audible
at the end of the decay. On the next d rum hit, the gate will restore gain according
to the attack time. Using a short attack time is prudent in this case, otherwise the
attack of the drum will be lost due to the slow attack fade-in of the gate. So, when
gating, the attack and release times correspond to the attack and release times of
the instrument you are processing.
Peak and RMS modes
Dynamics processors often have peak and RMS modes. In peak mode, the
processor is tracking the peak levels in the signal, that is, looking at the peak
absolute values of the signal. In RMS mode, the processor is tracking the RMS
levels of the signal. RMS stands for “root mean square”, it essentially means you
square the signal, take the average value, and take the square root of this value.
This is a measure of the average power level of the signal, which correlates roughly
with the perceived loudness of the signal. In practice, computing a running
estimate of the RMS level requires doing a short term average of the recent input,
hence the RMS levels change much slower than the peak levels. Furthermore, peak
levels will tend to be much higher than RMS levels. The relationship between peak
and RMS levels depends on the signal. A square wave or a constant (DC) signal will
have identical peak and RMS values. A sinusoid (pure tone) has a peak that is 3 dB
higher than its RMS value. For many music and speech signals, the peak values
may be 10 dB higher than the RMS levels. One would typically use peak mode
compression when processing an instrument sound, or aggressively compressing a
mix, whereas RMS mode would typically be used to even out the loudness of mix.
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4. TrackPlug
TrackPlug dynamics modes
TrackPlug has three dynamics processors: a gate and two compressors. Each
processor has 3 modes: Peak, RMS, and Warm, while the gate is limited to using
either Peak or RMS mode.
These modes correspond the to the “Vintage” modes in non-AAX versions of
TrackPlug; for AAX, the so-called “Clean” modes have been omitted. The vintage
modes work like traditional analog compressors. If you select aggressive
compression settings, the vintage modes will distort. The Peak mode detects the
peak absolute value of the input signal; the resulting compression will affect the
positive and negative swings of the signal equally, and will thus create odd
harmonic overtones. As described earlier, RMS mode is better at tracking the
loudness of a signal. Like Peak mode, RMS mode also produces only odd harmonic
overtones. Warm mode is like Peak mode, but only the positive peaks of the input
signal are detected (using a half-wave rectifier). Thus the positive and negative
swings of the signal are processed differently, and this causes the production of
both even and odd harmonic overtones with aggressive compression settings.
When we refer to aggressive compression settings, we primarily mean combining
large ratios with fast attack and release times (say 0.1 to 5 msec), which are fast
enough to cause the compressor to reattack with every period of the incoming
signal. This in turn causes waveform shaping and the production of harmonic
overtones. When using long attack and release times the gain changes are spread
over many periods of the signal and distortion is substantially reduced.
TrackPlug sidechain modes
All dynamics processors track the level of the input signal using a peak or RMS level
detector. The signal path of the input signal leading to the detector is called the
“sidechain”. By inserting an EQ in the sidechain, one can build a compressor that
responds to particular frequencies. This architecture is typically used to create a deesser, which is a compressor that reduces the sound of sibilants (“ess” sounds) in
dialog or vocals. Sibilant energy is concentrated around 5 kHz, so one can insert a 5
kHz bandpass filter in the sidechain to create a compressor that will reduce gain
when sibilants are present. This is a standard de-esser circuit. It works better than
applying a high frequency equalizer to reduce sibilants, because the equalizer will
reduce high frequencies during voiced sound as well as sibilants.
Trackplug provides four internal sidechain EQ modes: Off, Internal EQ, Internal EQ
Compare, and Internal EQ Invert. The Off mode means the sidechain EQ is not
active, this is the normal dynamics mode. Internal EQ means the EQ is inserted in
the sidechain, as described above. This is the usual form of sidechain EQ found in
studio gear and software. The EQ can be one of the following types: lowpass,
highpass, bandpass, and notch.
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Wave Arts Power Suite
The remaining sidechain modes are Wave Arts innovations that further refine the
sidechain equalizer capabilities. Internal EQ Compare runs two sidechains: the main
sidechain uses the EQ type set by the user, while the alternate sidechain uses the
opposite EQ type. So if the main sidechain is using a lowpass, the alternate
sidechain uses a highpass; if main is using bandpass, the alternate uses notch, etc.
This way the main sidechain is detecting the “in-band” frequencies while the
alternate sidechain is detecting the “out-of-band” frequencies. The result of the
main sidechain detector is subtracted from the alternate sidechain detector, so the
dynamics processor responds to in-band minus out-of-band levels.
The EQ Compare mode makes an exacting de-esser. When the main sidechain is set
to a 5 kHz bandpass, the alternate sidechain uses a 5 kHz notch. The compressor
will only kick in when the main sidechain has energy in the 5 kHz band and there is
no energy outside of this band. This prevents the compressor from triggering on
voiced sounds that have energy in the 5 kHz band but also have energy elsewhere.
The EQ Invert mode simply negates the Compare mode: the dynamics processor
responds to out-of-band minus in-band energy. The Invert mode is useful to hear
the opposite effect of the Compare mode, so if the Compare mode is used to deess, the Invert mode will actually isolate the ess sounds.
Trackplug also supports external sidechain input. In Pro Tools, specify the source of
the external sidechain by selecting the “key input” source for the plug-in. Then in
TrackPlug, select one of the “External” side chain options. All the same EQ options
are supported for both internal and external sidechain. You can click the MON
button to hear the actual sidechain signal – this is useful for debugging.
Peak limiting
The TrackPlug peak limiter, when enabled, prevents any peak from exceeding -0.1
dB. It uses a 2 msec lookahead buffer to detect and respond to peaks before they
occur, and hence incurs a 2 msec latency when enabled. When it detects a peak
that will clip, it turns down the gain very quickly, then slowly restores the gain after
the peak has passed. The TrackPlug limiter is very transparent sounding when used
for light limiting, and it can be used to compress heavily. However, the TrackPlug
limiter was designed to be very CPU efficient, and it is not as good as the FinalPlug
limiter for heavy limiting and volume maximization.
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