Waves Trans-X User Manual

Waves – Trans-X

Software Audio Processor

User’s Guide

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Chapter 1 – Introduction and Overview

The Waves Trans-X transient processor is a special breed of dynamics
processor designed specifically for detecting and shaping the transient attacks
of audio signals. This is useful for adding or reducing the punch or pluck of a
certain instrument. Trans-X is also a great tool for shaping the impact of the
impulsive transients vs. the continuous and sustained components of the
sound.

While normal dynamics processors detect when the level goes over a certain
reference level, the Trans-X detects when gain rises faster than a certain
velocity reference; hence the signal can be low at times and higher at other
times or even fade out gradually, and the transient attacks will still be detected
and re-shaped as required.

Many times we face a situation where a sound doesn’t transparently cut
through the mix, although its frequency response and dynamic range are
satisfactory. Other times the opposite happens: we need to tame the impact of
the attacks of a certain instrument to focus its continuous and harmonic
properties and reduce its rhythmic or impulsive attacks. Classic examples
include a drum set that never sounds close enough and a bass drum track
that kicks nicely when soloed but disappears when the other instruments join
in. An acoustic guitar track usually presents a very distinct pluck or strum
versus its rich continuous harmonics. The Trans-X is perfect for making it
sound as if it were recorded with different microphone placements or pick
material. A bassline track can enhance its rhythmic drive or tame it to become
a “Virtual Fretless Bass” (see the factory presets).

To control the detection of transient attacks, Trans-X allows you to specify the
Duration of the attacks you want to detect, and the Sensitivity to the attacks’
amplitude. Only attacks shorter than Duration will be detected, and as the
Sensitivity is lower, only attacks with higher amplitude will be detected.

To control the shape of your transient attacks, Trans-X allows you to specify
the Range of gain adjustments, and the Release time for the gain to return to
unity after the attack has ended.

Shorter attacks naturally have more impact and longer ones have less punch.
It is necessary to adjust the Duration according to the program material and
the nature of the attacks that you want to shape.

The Trans-X comes in two flavors, wideband and multiband. The wideband
consumes fewer process resources than the multiband component. It detects
attacks in the total program energy so it is especially useful for processing a
certain single instrument or single track.

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The Multiband plug-in splits the program to four bands by engaging three
phase-compensated crossovers. The crossover design is identical to the
Waves C4. In the multiband component you can specify a dedicated range
and sensitivity for each band. This allows you to make better adjustment on a
drum group auxiliary or a drum loop that needs improved punch.

Sometimes, using the Trans-X Multi on a single instrument, allows you to
design the spectral nature of the transient, so you are shaping not only the
attack but also the EQ of the transient. This process usually requires more
careful adjustment but can yield results superior to anything else we have
come across during the development of Trans-X.

The Trans-X has automatic level padding when the range is extended. The
reason for this is that a typical application will be to boost the attacks on a
signal that is already hot. Without the level padding this is sure to produce
clipping and distortion instead of the desired punch and impact. The output
level can be adjusted after the impact is satisfactory, and you can use the trim
button to bring the output peak gain to the full scale.

The Trans-X can co-exist with other dynamics processors, such as
compressors, expanders and limiters, and it can work before or after these
processors in the signal path. It may seem that using a fast-attack compressor
after the Trans-X will destroy all the good work of the Trans-X, but in reality it
doesn’t necessarily do that, and many times a lot of the punch survives post
compression with the shortest attacks. The reason for this is that normal
dynamics compression can’t change the attack time of the instrument, which
defines punch and impact; it can only lower its gain when the energy exceeds
a certain threshold. The secret is that the detail and settings of compressors
and similar devices can affect the punch regardless of using transient
processing. Transient processing can also be quite effective post
compression, expansion, limiting, etc.

The Trans-X is the mixing engineer’s secret weapon for the articulation of
transients as well as a handy tool for reaching the desired balance between
the continuous and sustained vs. the impulse and transient. It is not designed
for mastering or for human voice processing, although you may find creative
uses that are beyond the scope of its intended applications.

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