ChannelStrip 3 Users Guide Metric Halo Revision: v1.0.5 Publication date Mon Jun 24 12:11:12 EDT 2013 Copyright © 2013 Metric Halo. MH Production Bundle, ChannelStrip 3, Character, HaloVerb, Multiband Dynamics, Multiband Expander, Precision DeEsser, and TransientControl are our trademarks. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Table of Contents I. Installation .................................................................................................................................... 8 1. System Requirements .......................................................................................................... 10 2. Installation ......................................................................................................................... 11 Macintosh ...........................................................
ChannelStrip 3 Users Guide Manual Make-Up Gain ........................................................................................... Compressor Character ............................................................................................. Threshold Control ................................................................................................... Ratio Control .......................................................................................................... Attack Control ....
List of Figures 2.1. MH ChannelStrip.pkg ............................................................................................................... 2.2. Opening Dialog ....................................................................................................................... 2.3. License Agreement ................................................................................................................... 2.4. Accepting the License Agreement ...........................................
ChannelStrip 3 Users Guide 4.26. Dynamics Knee .................................................................................................................... 5.1. Signal Flow: Compressor is Pre-EQ .......................................................................................... 5.2. Signal Flow: Compressor is Post-EQ ......................................................................................... 5.3. Gate/Expander .....................................................................
List of Tables 6.1. Pro Tools Key Commands ........................................................................................................ A.1. Tooltip Control ........................................................................................................................ A.2. Control Knob Modifiers ............................................................................................................ A.3. Numeric Field Modifiers ........................................................
Part I.
Table of Contents 1. System Requirements .................................................................................................................. 2. Installation ................................................................................................................................. Macintosh .............................................................................................................................. Windows .................................................................
1. System Requirements • Pro Tools™ (Macintosh): Pro Tools 10 or higher running on a Macintosh computer. This software supports Native and AAX DSP operation. • Pro Tools™ (Windows): Pro Tools 10 or higher running on a Windows computer. This software supports Native and AAX DSP operation. • Native: Any Macintosh DAW that supports Audio Unit plug-ins. • An iLok copy protection key and account. Please note that one Production Bundle license authorizes the software on any platform.
2. Installation Screenshots to illustrate the installation process are from the Production Bundle, but the process is the same for individual plug-ins. Macintosh Please note – The following graphics show installation on an OS 10.7 system; the process may be slightly different in other versions of the OS, but the basic concepts are the same. Small details such as file sizes shown may vary with subsequent releases. • Double-click the “MH ChannelStrip.pkg” application Figure 2.1: MH ChannelStrip.
Installation Figure 2.3: License Agreement After you have read it, click “Continue”… • Next click “Agree” to accept the License Agreement: Figure 2.
Installation Figure 2.5: Selecting the Installation Disk We recommend installing for all users unless you have a specific reason not to. Select the drive and click “Continue”… • Next, you have the option to select the location on the disk you would like the software to be installed to: Figure 2.6: Selecting the Installation Location We recommend that you use the standard installation location unless you have a specific reason not to.
Installation • Plug-ins – (drivename)/Library/Application Support/Avid/Audio/Plug-Ins/MH Plug-Ins • Presets – (drivename)/Library/Application Support/Digidesign/Plug-In Settings Click “Install”… • You must now enter the name and password you use to log in to your computer, to give the Installer permission to write the software: Figure 2.7: Giving the Installer Permission Enter your credentials and click “Install Software”… • Once the installer has finished, you'll see this dialog: Figure 2.
Installation Windows There are two versions of each Windows installer: • Installers that end in .msi are intended for 32 bit versions of Windows, and install the 32 bit version of the plug-in(s). • Installers that end in _x64.msi are intended for 64 bit versions of Windows, and install the 32 bit and 64 bit versions of the plug-in(s). This allows you to run Pro Tools 10 or 11 on a 64 bit machine.
Installation Figure 2.11: Permission to Write Files Click “Yes” to begin the installation. • Once the files have been written you will see the completion dialog: Figure 2.12: Installation Complete Click “Finish” to close the installer. If you do not see the “Installation Successful” message, contact MH Support. • The final step is to go to http://www.ilok.com/ and install the software license to your iLok key.
Installation Figure 2.13: MHChannelStripGB.pkg • The installer dialog will appear: Figure 2.14: Opening Dialog Click “Continue”… • Now you will see the Metric Halo License Agreement: Figure 2.
Installation • Next click “Agree” to accept the License Agreement: Figure 2.16: Accepting the License Agreement • Click the “Install” button: Figure 2.
Installation Figure 2.18: Giving the Installer Permission Click “Install Software” to begin writing files. • Next you will need to enter your serial number: Figure 2.19: Enter the Serial Number Click "Install" to continue. • Once the installer has finished, you'll see this dialog: Figure 2.
Installation Figure 2.21: Installation Error contact MH Support. Once you have installed ChannelStrip 3 for GarageBand, you will need to authorize it. • Double click the Authorizer application: Figure 2.22: Authorizer(CS-GB3) • Make sure that that ChannelStrip for GarageBand 3 is listed, and click “Authorize”: Figure 2.
Installation Figure 2.24: Authorization Method You may use our online form or call to register your software, but the quickest and easiest method is to register online with the compter you are installing the software on. If this is the case, click “Yes” and enter your registration info: • Figure 2.
Part II.
Table of Contents 3. Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 4. Operation .................................................................................................................................. Control Knob ......................................................................................................................... Toggle Button .........................................................
ChannelStrip 3 Sidechain Routing Button ................................................................................................ Sidechain Filter Enable .................................................................................................... Filter Type Button ........................................................................................................... Filter Band Boost/Cut Control ..........................................................................................
3. Introduction ChannelStrip is a plug-in for digital audio workstations which provides the essential basic channel processing found in the channel strip of a modern mixing console.
Introduction Figure 3.
4. Operation As with most channel strips, ChannelStrip provides many copies of controls that are all operated in a similar manner. The ChannelStrip user interface uses a few different control elements to control all of the processing. These elements are: Control Knob Control Knobs are used to control the value of various continuous parameters of a process. Examples of these types of parameters include: Attack time, Release Time, Threshold, etc. There are four styles of encoders: Figure 4.
Operation You can change the value of each knob in a number of different ways. Click and drag the knob to change the value continuously. Dragging up or to the right will increase the value, while dragging down or to the left will decrease the value. If you hold down the Mac ⌘ (Command) key or Windows Control key when you click, you will be able to adjust the value with finer precision. If you hold the Mac ⌥ (Option) key or Windows Alt key when you click, the knob will reset to its default value.
Operation Filter Type Each filter band in the strip (6 EQ bands and 2 Side-chain bands) has a filter type control that allows you to choose the shape of the filter applied by that band. Each band provides 6 different types of filter shapes: Figure 4.8: Peaking/Parametric Peaking/Parametric – a second order bell-shaped parametric boost/cut filter. Boost/cut has a range of ± 24 dB. When the boost is greater than +15 dB the filter gains a resonant quality.
Operation Each sidechain routing switch allows you to control the signal sent to the sidechain input of its associated gate or compressor. By default, the level detectors in the dynamics processors key off of the signal that they are processing. Under some circumstances, you may want to use a different signal to open the gate or compress the signal. Most DAWs allow you to specify an input or bus as the source for ChannelStrip’s sidechain input.
Operation ChannelStrip also uses a number of standard visual representations to give you feedback about what is happening within the processor. These elements are: Peak Meter Figure 4.21: Peak Meter ChannelStrip provides a peak-reading meter at the input stage of each processing block. The meter uses the fast PPM standard for decay time (0.9 seconds per 20 dB) and the digital PPM standard legend for calibration.
Operation For the main output stage of ChannelStrip we have provided meters driven with SpectraFoo™ metering technology. These meters show, in addition to the peak metering provided for the input stages, RMS level and VU level. The peak level is represented by the floating colored bar, the RMS level by the solid colored bar and the VU level by the overlaid gray bar. Both the Peak and RMS level are represented with fast PPM ballistics. The VU meter shows IEEE standard 300 ms RMS average level.
Operation associated band. Mac ⌘ (Command)–click, Windows Control-click or double-click the dot to toggle the band enable. Mac ⌥ (Option)–click or Windows Alt the dot to adjust the bandwidth (dragging right increases the bandwidth, left decreases the bandwidth). Mac ⌘⌥ (Command + Option)–click or Windows Control+Altclick the dot to switch the band filter type. Click and drag the smaller dots associated with a larger dot to adjust the filter bandwidth.
Operation The spectragraph analyses the signal post-filter, allowing you to see the effect of your EQ filter(s); the EQ's spectragraph is also after the Master Gain and Limiter. The spectragraph may only be used in one window at a time and will toggle between sections. For example, if your are viewing the spectragraph in the EQ window and then click the the SpectraFoo™ icon in the compressor's sidechain window, the spectragraph will switch to that window.
5. Processing A Detailed Description In this chapter we'll discuss what each processing block does and how the controls work. Figure 5.1: Signal Flow: Compressor is Pre-EQ Figure 5.2: Signal Flow: Compressor is Post-EQ The block diagrams above illustrate the overall structure of the processing system provided by ChannelStrip. The diagrams do not indicate the various metering blocks.
Processing faded between the uninverted and inverted states so the signal level will drop briefly when you flip the state of the phase invert switch, but it will not introduce a glitch or click into your audio. After the the phase invert block the audio is routed through an input gain block that provides input gain of up to +24 dB. You can use this gain to condition signals that are low in level. This input gain may also be used to pad out signals by up to –24 dB.
Processing Gate Enable This button is in the Master Enables section. When this button is off, the gate will not change the signal. Threshold Control The “Thresh” knob controls the level at which the gate opens and closes. When the detector level is above the threshold level the gain through the gate is 0 dB. When the detector level is below the threshold level, the gain is reduced at a ratio of 1:2.
Processing Filter Band Boost/Cut Control Use this knob (labeled “dB” in the illustration) to adjust the gain of the filter band for the peaking, high and low shelf filter types. This parameter is ignored for the other filter types. In the shelving filters the maximum boost is +12 dB and the maximum cut is -24 dB. In the peaking filters the maximum boost/cut is ± 24 dB. When you increase the boost for a filter band above 15 dB, the filter gets nicely aggressive and resonant.
Processing important part of ChannelStrip because it allows you to test different processing scenarios quickly and easily. It also allows you to compare the two different approaches without having to stop the transport so you can get a much more visceral comparison. Theory Of Operation The operation of the compressor is very similar to the gate. Based upon your setting for the sidechain routing switch, either the sidechain input signal or the channel signal is fed to the sidechain filter.
Processing When the Knee control is set to 0, the transfer function of the compressor is a classic “hard-knee” in which the compressor applies no gain reduction when the detector is below the threshold, and the gain is reduced by the ratio when the detector level is above the threshold. Figure 5.5: Knee Control at 0 When you increase the Knee parameter from 0 to 1 the knee of the transfer function gradually softens until the compressor functions as a soft-knee compressor when the Knee parameter is 1.
Processing Manual Make-Up Gain The “O Gain” knob allows you to manually adjust the makeup gain applied to the signal after the gain reduction applied by the compressor. If the Auto Gain switch is off, this is the amount of makeup gain applied. If the Auto Gain switch is on, then this parameter is a trim added to the internally computed makeup gain. The makeup gain is enabled and disabled along with the rest of the compressor.
Processing Release Control The “Release” knob controls the release time of the compressor. This knob is calibrated in milliseconds and can range from 5 ms to 5 sec. The release time controls how quickly the gain reduction returns to zero after the detector drops below the threshold value. For settings below 40 ms or so the compressor releases pretty abruptly and may introduce unwanted artifacts into your audio, depending on the signal.
Processing (measured in octaves), not the quality factor (or “Q”). If you have been using Q controls, the numbers will be backwards from what you are used to. Small numbers mean narrow filters and large numbers mean wide filters. For peaking and bandpass filter types, this parameter controls the bandwidth of the filter in octaves. For the high and low shelving filter types this parameter adjusts the amount of dip/peak and the slope of the shelf. When this parameter is set to 0.
Processing Figure 5.8: EQ Section Theory Of Operation The equalizer in ChannelStrip work just like every other EQ under the sun with the exceptions that is more flexible, more efficient and sounds better. By adjusting the various parameters associated with each band in the EQ you can control the tonal and timbral balance of the signal. The resonance effect of the peaking filters provides a facility to recreate acoustic resonances that are lacking in the source material with which you are working.
Processing Master Enable Button This button is in the Master Enables section. When this button is off, the EQ section will not change the signal. The order of this button will change depending on whether the compressor is set to “Post EQ”. Filter Type Button This button (indicating a peaking/parametric filter in the illustration) is used to select the filter type of the single band of side chain EQ. You may choose from 6 different types of filters: Figure 5.
Processing Filter Band Boost/Cut Control Use this knob (labeled “dB” in the illustration) to adjust the gain of the filter band for the peaking, high and low shelf filter types. This parameter is ignored for the other filter types. In the shelving filters the maximum boost is +12 dB and the maximum cut is -24 dB. In the peaking filters the maximum boost/cut is ± 24 dB. When you increase the boost for a filter band above 15 dB, the filter gets very aggressive and resonant.
Processing The final processing block in ChannelStrip 3 is a limiter. The limiter can be used to ensure that the final output of ChannelStrip doesn't distort due to extreme EQ boosts. This also makes it very easy to use ChannelStrip as a mastering plug-in on your final mix bus. The limiter threshold may be set between 0 and -12 dB using the Limiter Threshold knob. The gain reduction is displayed via the ring around the encoder, sweeping from right to left.
Part III.
Table of Contents 6. Pro Tools (Mac/Win) ................................................................................................................... Plug-in Window ..................................................................................................................... Key Commands ...................................................................................................................... 7. AU Hosts (Mac) ........................................................................
6. Pro Tools (Mac/Win) Your Pro Tools software provides a standard interface for controlling various aspects of AAX plug-ins. While you should refer to your Pro Tools documentation for a complete description, we will summarize the most important points here. If you wish to use a plug-in on multiple channels in your mix, you should Mac ⌥ (Option) or Windows Alt insert the plug-in on the desired channels and ensure that the plug-in is inserted on the same insert point on every channel (e.g.
Pro Tools (Mac/Win) Figure 6.3: Automation Window, Showing ChannelStrip's Parameters This dialog box allows you to enable any or all of the processing parameters for automation. When a parameter is enabled for automation you will be able to record and play-back automated parameter changes directly from your Pro Tools session.
7. AU Hosts (Mac) The Production Bundle is compatible with any Core Audio compatible host. Support for features like sidechains differ between hosts; please check your host's documentation for more info. As an example, we'll look at using the Production Bundle in Logic. Logic Logic provides a standard interface for controlling various aspects of AU plug-ins. While you should refer to your Logic documentation for a complete description, we will summarize the most important points here.
AU Hosts (Mac) GarageBand GarageBand provides a standard interface for using plug-ins. While you should refer to the GarageBand documentation for a complete description, we will summarize the most important points here. Inserting CS3 in GarageBand To insert ChannelStrip, first higlight the track you wish to put the plug-in on. You do this by clicking the name of the track in the left hand side of GarageBand: Figure 7.2: Select the Track Now go to the right side of the window and click on the "Edit" tab.
AU Hosts (Mac) Click on the slider icon to open the ChannelStrip UI. Figure 7.6: ChannelStrip's User Interface Plug-in Window The illustration below shows the settings in the GarageBand plug-in window. Figure 7.7: GarageBand's Plug-in Settings • On: This checkbox lets you turn the plug-in's processing on and off. • Preset list: Clicking on this menu will allow you to select from ChannelStrip's presets. The "Manual" setting starts as a blank slate where you can make your own adjustments.
Part IV.
Table of Contents A. Key Commands .......................................................................................................................... 57 B. Service and Support .................................................................................................................... 58 C. Changelog .................................................................................................................................
A. Key Commands There are several key commands used as modifiers combined with mouse actions: Command Table A.1. Tooltip Control Mac Key Sequence Windows Key Sequence Show tooltips Hold ? down Hold ? down Command Table A.2. Control Knob Modifiers Mac Key Sequence Windows Key Sequence Fine control ⌘ (Command)-click and drag Reset to default value Command ⌥ (Option)-click or double-click Control-click and drag Alt-click or double-click Table A.3.
B. Service and Support Metric Halo takes great pride in the reputation for customer service and support that we have built. If you have any problems, questions, or suggestions please get in touch with us at: • http://mhsecure.com/support • support@mhsecure.com • (727) 725-9555 Note for ChannelStrip 3 for GarageBand Users ChannelStrip 3 for GarageBand is not eligible for phone support. Please use one of the online methods listed above above. Please keep us informed about your successes and projects.
C. Changelog Please note that this changelog incorporates changes for all plug-ins across all supported formats. 1.0.
Changelog • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Soft Interpolation of band Bypass in ChannelStrip EQ Fix slight transparency on some controls Fixed problem with tool-tip tracking Fixed problem with phantom mouse clicks after dragging beyond UI boundary Fixed problem with silent output from CS2/CS3 on some hosts with disconnected sidechain input Fixed problem with compressor gain state on instantiation ChannelStrip: removed recall of Bypass from preset state (to match standard PT behavior) Add support fo
Changelog • Signed installer for Mountain Lion compatibility 1.