Recording - October 2010 - 46
Sonnox Oxford Transient Modulator and Inflator
By Gary Eskow
Sonnox offers a range of audio plug-ins named Oxford, after the popular Sony Oxford digital console (from whose signal processing the first two plug-ins in the line were taken, the rest being entirely new designs). I’ll be looking at several of the Oxford plug-ins and offering audio examples (in the Table of Contents for this issue at recordingmag.com) of what they can do; in this first pass we’ll look at two pretty remarkable effects, the Oxford Transient Modulator and Inflator. Transient Modulator This plug-in can let you accentuate or soften the impact of transients in your audio material. The manual defines this as follows: “The application was developed to address the common situation where there is a need to selectively tighten up percussive instruments or soften the unwanted percussive effects of acoustic musical instruments.” The plug-in is divided into three horizontally laid out sections. The input section includes a gain fader and controls labelled Threshold and Deadband. Threshold, as expected, controls the level at which the plug-in affects the signal. Deadband determines “the range of transient programme change that is ignored.” I get it, a variation on the threshold concept—if there’s too little change in the audio the plug-in takes no action. The next section includes controls for Ratio and Overshoot. Ratio values can be either positive or negative; if positive the sound will be accentuated, if negative the signal will be A word of advice: When you first play with this plug-in, turn down reduced. Overshoot controls the length of time that the TM will your monitors—the results can be dramatic! be active. A low Overshoot setting means that the processor The manual says that TM can help minimize the unwanted will affect the sound for a short period of time and will address, effects of a soupy mix, so I loaded up a convolution reverb and for example, only the attack of a drum hit. Higher settings will soaked the perc loop. I played with the settings but could not affect longer sounds—the decay of a tom strike, for example. dramatically affect the track. Enter Josep M. Solà, a Product The final section includes an Output meter, which tended to Specialist at Sonnox. Here’s what he had to say after listening clip before the master mixer meter inside Cubase 5 registered to the loop I sent him: an overload. Rotary controls labelled Rise Time and Recovery “Regarding the TransMod, this plug-in can alter the percepboth subtly affect the response of the Transient Modulator tion of the early reflections. “Soupy ambience” is a good sambased on the duration of input signal. Low Rise Time settings, ple for the test. for example, process all sounds, regardless of their duration. A “If you try setting # 1 (shown in Figure 3), you’ll notice some low setting combined with a negative Ratio can, therefore, elimpunchier bongos jumping out of the mix, whereas the shakers and inate peaks that occur from quick, perhaps even inaudible sigbells remain in the background. This is because the Transient nals. Overdrive, the final control, as per the manual, “provides Modulator is now enhancing the attacks or transients and, of course, additional harmonic and overload enhancement effects to the drums have a more prominent attack than cymbals, shakers, etc. TransMod output signal, from 0% to 100%.” Hence the results. We have here a perception of less room ambiThe unprocessed loop sounds fine (audio clip 1a), but listen to how ence.” I applied the settings and the resultant change was dramatic. much punch the Transient Modulator imparts to it (audio clip 1b). Notice in Figure 1 that I’ve set the Threshold and Deadband levels to minimum Delivery: Web download only levels, ensuring that the entire loop will be affectFormat: VST, AU, TDM, RTAS, TC PowerCore; Mac OS X 10.4+ or Windows ed. The Ratio and Overdrive settings are fairly XP/Vista/7 aggressive. The result is a punchier loop that will Copy Protection: iLok USB key have no trouble making an impact. License: single iLok (multiple installs, one active at a time) This brief synth phrase (audio clip 2a) was Documentation: PDF only (downloadable from website before purchase) made using the Spectrosonic plug-in Omnisphere patch “Anablizz.” As shown in Prices: $195 each (Native); $375 each (PowerCore); $470 each (TDM). Also Figure 2, I’ve widened the Overshoot setting to available in Sonnox Elite and Enhance multiple-program bundles, allow TM to affect more of the track and see website for pricing applied more aggressive Ratio and Overdrive More from: Sonnox, www.sonnoxplugins.com (audio clip 2b). Transient Modulator is one of those plug-ins that’s easier to use than describe.
46
RECORDING OCTOBER 2010
PLUG-IN OUTLET
http://www.recordingmag.com
http://www.sonnoxplugins.com
Recording - October 2010
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - October 2010
Recording - October 2010
Fade In
Contents
Talkback
Fast Forward
Cakewalk V-Studio 20
Abbey Road Sessions—Good Reasons To Be Prepared
AKG Perception 820 Tube Microphone
A Basement Conversion—The Borla/Mouse Basement Studio
DAW Details
SM Pro Audio P-Control, DiDock, and CT-3
Green Glue
Alesis PalmTrack
It’s Your Music—Know Your Rights. Chapter 7: Income Earned By Songs—Part 2
Reviewed and Revisited
Plug-In Outlet
Do It Yourself: Rack Panels For Under Four Dollars
Cockos REAPER—A Walking Tour
Recording’s Showcase of Sounds
Readers' Tapes
Advertiser Index
Fade Out
Recording - October 2010 - Recording - October 2010
Recording - October 2010 - Cover2
Recording - October 2010 - 1
Recording - October 2010 - Fade In
Recording - October 2010 - 3
Recording - October 2010 - Contents
Recording - October 2010 - 5
Recording - October 2010 - Talkback
Recording - October 2010 - 7
Recording - October 2010 - Fast Forward
Recording - October 2010 - 9
Recording - October 2010 - Cakewalk V-Studio 20
Recording - October 2010 - 11
Recording - October 2010 - 12
Recording - October 2010 - 13
Recording - October 2010 - Abbey Road Sessions—Good Reasons To Be Prepared
Recording - October 2010 - 15
Recording - October 2010 - 16
Recording - October 2010 - 17
Recording - October 2010 - 18
Recording - October 2010 - 19
Recording - October 2010 - 20
Recording - October 2010 - 21
Recording - October 2010 - AKG Perception 820 Tube Microphone
Recording - October 2010 - 23
Recording - October 2010 - A Basement Conversion—The Borla/Mouse Basement Studio
Recording - October 2010 - 25
Recording - October 2010 - 26
Recording - October 2010 - 27
Recording - October 2010 - DAW Details
Recording - October 2010 - 29
Recording - October 2010 - 30
Recording - October 2010 - 31
Recording - October 2010 - SM Pro Audio P-Control, DiDock, and CT-3
Recording - October 2010 - 33
Recording - October 2010 - Green Glue
Recording - October 2010 - 35
Recording - October 2010 - Alesis PalmTrack
Recording - October 2010 - 37
Recording - October 2010 - It’s Your Music—Know Your Rights. Chapter 7: Income Earned By Songs—Part 2
Recording - October 2010 - 39
Recording - October 2010 - 40
Recording - October 2010 - 41
Recording - October 2010 - Reviewed and Revisited
Recording - October 2010 - 43
Recording - October 2010 - Plug-In Outlet
Recording - October 2010 - 45
Recording - October 2010 - 46
Recording - October 2010 - 47
Recording - October 2010 - Do It Yourself: Rack Panels For Under Four Dollars
Recording - October 2010 - 49
Recording - October 2010 - 50
Recording - October 2010 - 51
Recording - October 2010 - 52
Recording - October 2010 - 53
Recording - October 2010 - 54
Recording - October 2010 - 55
Recording - October 2010 - Cockos REAPER—A Walking Tour
Recording - October 2010 - 57
Recording - October 2010 - 58
Recording - October 2010 - 59
Recording - October 2010 - 60
Recording - October 2010 - 61
Recording - October 2010 - Recording’s Showcase of Sounds
Recording - October 2010 - 63
Recording - October 2010 - Readers' Tapes
Recording - October 2010 - Advertiser Index
Recording - October 2010 - 66
Recording - October 2010 - 67
Recording - October 2010 - 68
Recording - October 2010 - 69
Recording - October 2010 - 70
Recording - October 2010 - 71
Recording - October 2010 - Fade Out
Recording - October 2010 - Cover3
Recording - October 2010 - Cover4
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