ProSound News - December 2008 - (Page 26)

[26] The Technology of Perfect Pitch W On his Continuing Adventures in Software, Rich Tozzoli explores a virtual twist on proven hardware. hen you think about using a tuner, plugging in a guitar, hitting a note and getting the needle to register at zero tends to come to mind—a quick, simple process that requires little more thought than turning the unit on. When it comes to software tuners, many people have found them to be frustrating to use—with notes that don’t always register properly onscreen. Long known in the business as having the most reliable and accurate tuners cro-host” and channels audio from your host software to the StroboSoft. While you can simply plug in and tune immediately, I recommend digging into the four Preferences tabs: SET-UP, TEMP, CALIBRATE and PREFS. SET-UP allows you to display an Oscilloscope, Spectrum Analyzer and a Pitch Graph (launched separate from the tuner window). There’s also a Measurement section for such things as Strobe Speed and Sensitivity. Its also where you choose your input device, tuning (440.0, etc), Temperament and Transposition, etc. Here you can also select Chromatic Tune or Instrument Tune. Each button changes the GUI to reveal more options, such as the selection of Presets for guitars/bass/12-string, various tunings and a “Sweetener” (for support of things like the Buzz Feiten Tuning System). Strobe tuning is incredibly simple, just play the note and visually watch the digital strobe stop moving when it reaches “0 Cents.” As your note gets closer to the desired pitch, the strobe action will slow down until you’re on the mark. Visually, it’s much easier to use than a traditional tuner. Many small touches make up the big picture of this software. StroboSoft includes a +24 dB boost, which is located in the SET-UP screen. It’s very useful for use on instruments with low input levels, etc. They wisely made the tuner’s GUI quite large (to see from across the room), but should you want to shrink it down, there’s a small button atop the plug-in that lets you make it a quarter its original size. A nice touch is the “StroboSoft Quick Tips”—a small box that opens when you launch the software (there is a checkbox to disable this from happening, should you (continued on page 72) S around, Peterson has a cool, easy-to-use product out called StroboSoft. It’s a full-feature AU/VST and standalone software strobe tuner for Mac and PC that can help you tune most any instrument to 1/1000th of a semitone. To begin with, this tuner can go deep. Want to tune a 5-string violin, a 7-string guitar, 5-string bass or a 5-string Bluegrass banjo? How about capos and drop tunings? No problem, there are presets and settings ready for all of them, and more. Installation of the new V2.0 software took me only a few minutes with an online auth/response system. I did have to also install something called an s/LINK component, which is a “mi- oftware has taken over many aspects of pro audio: Test and measurement, room correction, recording and signal processing have all become increasingly software-driven. And when virtual instruments appeared, they didn’t just show up on tracks in the studio—you could see adventurous keyboard players taking a MIDI controller onstage and a laptop to host the virtual instruments. One soft synth in particular, Native Instruments’ B4 Hammond organ emulator, hastened this onstage transition to virtual instruments. After all, who wouldn’t rather carry around a laptop than a Hammond organ? But there’s one area that hasn’t fallen—yet—to software domination: guitar, both in the studio and live. Sure, just about anyone mixing FOH would likely prefer a stereo feed from an audio interface compared to setting up and miking an amp. And the idea of replacing a rack of gear with a laptop is pretty appealing, too. Even in the studio, where amp simulation software has managed to gain a foothold, many guitarists still prefer to use an amp and effects pedals than tweak software parameters. So why the reluctance? One reason is that guitarists tend to be conservative. There’s a premium placed on vintage instruments, effects and amps. And in truth, “aged” guitars and analog electronics have unique characteristics. The idea of replacing familiar hardware you can touch with a virtual equivalent seems suspect. Another problem is the computer itself. Initially, computers didn’t have the speed to deliver quality sound at low latencies. But although that problem has pretty much been solved thanks to multi-core technology, the reliability issue remains. Laptops were designed to sit in boardrooms and run spreadsheets, not hang out onstage in a rock ‘n’ roll environment. Small desktop computers (like the Mac Mini or Shuttle XPC) are a sturdier option, but then you need a mouse, some kind of monitor and keyboard—and having a guitar player squint into a laptop screen while playing is not exactly a rock ‘n’ roll concept. Also, it’s important to remember that in many cases software has indeed taken over, but it’s disguised as familiar hardware. Line 6’s POD (it’s been 10 years since that little kidney bean showed up—how time flies!) is a good example of this, as are devices like DigiTech’s RP Series pedals. They use the same type of emulation algorithms featured in software-only amp emulation programs, but they’re controlled by real knobs and are housed in familiar, The Next Software Takeover? softwaretech Craig Anderton rugged metal cases. Still, there’s no denying the flexibility of software-only emulations. Programs like Waves’ GTR3 and Native Instruments’ Guitar Rig 3 allow for elaborate virtual pedal boards and amp combinations. Capabilities can include serial and parallel processing, as well as using search functions to find particular presets. Software also tends to provide access to more parameters than hardware devices, which usually have a far more limited GUI—typically just a few lines of text (plus a few symbols) in an LCD. However, three recent developments may signal a shift in the balance of hardware/software power for guitarists. IK Multimedia’s Stomp I/O is a seriously rugged footswitch that allows control over just about all aspects of their AmpliTube amp/effects emulation software. You do your sound design offstage, then onstage, step through presets, control parameters and use pedals for real-time control without having to touch your computer. Although there’s the flexibility of software, you can essentially bring your laptop to the gig, close the cover, store it someplace protected and not deal with it for the rest of the show. Another sign of the times is Gibson bundling a custom version of Ableton Live Lite and a full version of Guitar Rig 3 with their high-end, limited edition Dark Fire guitar. This instrument crosses the bridge from electric to electronic guitar, as it features software-driven automatic tuning technology, multiple outputs (standard magnetic pickups, piezo pickup and individual string outputs), and sophisticated pickup switching and routing. The typical Dark Fire customer might be more receptive to using software; besides, with a hex setup, using six different sets of processors becomes prohibitively complex and expensive, the software route makes far more sense. Furthermore, at AES I chatted with Chris Halaby from Muse Research. He’s looking into the idea of making a custom version of Receptor specifically for guitarists, which, in a way, echoes what IK is doing with Stomp I/O: providing the power of a computer, but rendering it invisible. Finally, there’s the matter of amp software in the studio. This has the potential to be a studio musician’s dream come true: If the producer wants, say, more of a Fender Twin sound than a Vox AC30 sound, it’s no longer necessary to call up the local gear rental company and set up another amp—just call up a different algorithm. The (continued on page 72) prosoundnews.com December 2008 http://www.griffinaudiousa.com http://www.griffinaudiousa.com http://www.prosoundnews.com

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ProSound News - December 2008 Sound Business Contents Hank’s Best Yet Sound Recording Studio Showcase: Great City Productions Software Tech Tracks Sessions Anticipating Post’s Future Post Showcase: Eargasm HD Audio Post The Business of Being Creative Sound Innovations: VRsonics VibeStudio Spatial Design Suites Field Reports: Product Profiles Yes We Can Hear Obama Live Sound Showcase: Stone Temple Pilots Centerstage Soundcheck Sound People View From the Top Product Spotlight Classifieds Advertiser Index Company Index Music, etc

ProSound News - December 2008

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