TheAudioMasterclassMusicProductionandSoundEngineeringCourse

MODULE07AUDIOEXAMPLESNOTES

Firstly,alittle'enhancementcontent'...abriefreviewoftheAltiverbreverbpluginbyAudioEase.

Altiverbisasocalled'convolutionreverb'thatcansamplerealacousticspacesandreproducethem
digitally.Providingthatthesourceisrecordedverydry,withaslittleambienceaspossible,thentheresults
canbeamazinglylifelike.

Hereareafewfascinatingdemonstrations,producedbyAudioEasethemselves.

Firstlyasportsannouncer.Thefilestartswiththedrysignal.Nextfollowaseriesofreverberantspaces...

UtrechtConservatoryoffice

Studiocontrolroom

WisseloordStudio1

OutdoorstadiumthroughPA

Carinterior

IndooricehockeyarenathroughPA

Storagebasement

Pianowithsustainpedaldown

Examplefile:altiverbsportscommentary.wav

Secondlywehavejazzdrums,recordeddry...

Examplefile:altiverbjazzdrumsdry.wav

AndthroughAltiverbwithareverbsampledfromWisseloordStudio1...

Examplefile:altiverbjazzdrumswisseloord.wav

ThroughAltiverbwithareverbfromanorganstudyroomatUtrechtConservatory...

Examplefile:altiverbjazzdrumsstudy.wav

ThroughAltiverbwithareverbfromasmallchapelatUtrechtConservatory...

Examplefile:altiverbjazzdrumschapel.wav

Forcomparisonhereisthedryrecordingputthroughastandardreverbplugin...

Examplefile:altiverbjazzdrumsdverb.wav

Next,aguitarandcello,throughavarietyofreverberantspacesimulations...

Examplefile:altiverbguitarcello.wav

Module07AudioExamplesNotes
('MontanaSkies'byJonathanAdams)

Hereisanexampleofasampledorchestra.Thisisentirelyunrealisticwhendry,butwhenreverbisadded
usingAltiverbtheresultisaltogethermoreconvincing...

Drysound...

Examplefile:altiverborchestralpositiondry.wav

WithAltiverb...

Examplefile:altiverborchestralpositionpositioned.wav

Onequestionthatarisesishowsimilarissampledreverbtotherealthing.HereisAudioEase's
demonstrationofadrumsetrecordeddry,thenplayedbackthroughloudspeakersinWestlakeStudioD
andrerecorded.

Thisisthedryrecording...

Examplefile:altiverbdrumssource.wav

Hereisthererecordedversion,withnaturalacoustics...

Examplefile:altiverbdrumslive.wav

AndthedryrecordingthroughAltiverbusingaprogramsampledfromthesamestudio...

Examplefile:altiverbdrumsaltiverb.wav

Itisveryconvincing,butasonelastfinessewecanaddthebackgroundnoiseoftherealroom...

Examplefile:altiverbdrumsaltiverbroomnoise.wav

Inconclusion,providingyoucanstartwithaverydrysourcethathasno'acoustic'ofitsown,Altiverbcan
recreateacousticspacesveryconvincingly.

ReverbPlugins

Herewecomparetworeverbplugins.TheDigidesignDVerbpluginissuppliedatnoextracostwithPro
Toolssoftware.Wecanthereforeexpectittoturnina'cheapandcheerful'performance.Digidesignwould
notwanttogiveawaysomethingthatwoulddiscouragepeoplefrombuyingsomethingmoreexpensive.

TheotherreverbpluginistheLexiconLexiverb.Lexiconhaslongbeenregardedasproducingthebest
hardwarereverberationunitsintheworld,particularlytheclassic224XLand480Lmodels.TheLexiverb
pluginwasarguablyjustalittletoogoodandmayhavebeendepressingthesalesoftheirmuchmore
expensivehardwaremodels.ComparedtotheDVerb,itshouldbeinstantlyrecognizableassuperior.

Asalways,judgmentofreverbqualityisverysubjective.Sohereareaudioexamplesforyoutodecidefor
yourself.A'cheapandcheerful'plugincomparedtoaplugindesignedbythe'mastersofreverb'.Itisn't
reallypossibletocomparethemprogrambyprogram,sohereareselectionsofwhattheycando..

Module07AudioExamplesNotes
Examplefile:snaredry.wav
Examplefile:snaredverbambient.wav
Examplefile:snaredverbchurch.wav
Examplefile:snaredverbhall.wav
Examplefile:snaredverbnonlin.wav
Examplefile:snaredverbplate.wav
Examplefile:snaredverbroom.wav
Examplefile:snarelexiverbchurch.wav
Examplefile:snarelexiverbgatesnare.wav
Examplefile:snarelexiverbhallmedium.wav
Examplefile:snarelexiverbplatebigdrum.wav
Examplefile:snarelexiverbplatesnare.wav
Examplefile:snarelexiverbroommedium.wav

Examplefile:vocaldry.wav
Examplefile:vocaldverbambient.wav
Examplefile:vocaldverbchurch.wav
Examplefile:vocaldverbhall.wav
Examplefile:vocaldverbnonlin.wav
Examplefile:vocaldverbplate.wav
Examplefile:vocaldverbroom.wav
Examplefile:vocallexiverbhallvocal.wav
Examplefile:vocallexiverbplaterich.wav
Examplefile:vocallexiverbplatevocal.wav
Examplefile:vocallexiverbroommedium.wav

Applyingreverbtoavocalisnottheonlywayto'fatten'itup.Hereareexampleswheredelayhasbeen
usedtoaddanecho...

Examplefile:vocaldelay100.wav
Examplefile:vocaldelay200.wav

Thetwoexampleaboveuseda'plain'delayplugin.Hereareexamplesofapluginthatemulatesanold
fashionedtapedelay.First,anicemixofdirectanddelayedsignal...

Examplefile:vocalechofarmspin.wav

Asyoucanhear,therearerepeatedechoes.Thisissometimescalled'spinecho'.Youcanheartheraw
outputofthedelaybelow.Itsoundsprettyrough,buttapedelaysdidsoundprettyrough,andsometimes
worsethanthis.Yet,whenaddedtothedirectsignalitintroducesaninterestingtexture...

Examplefile:vocalechofarmwet.wav

Onemoreexample,theabovespinechomixwithjustatouchofLexiverbadded...

Examplefile:vocallexiverbechofarm.wav

Thisexampleissomuchthickerthanthedryvocal(vocaldry.wav),yettheeffectisnotoverdone.

Othereffects

Herewehaveaselectionofothereffectspluginsappliedtoanelectroacousticguitar.Firstlytheraw

Module07AudioExamplesNotes
signal...

Examplefile:electroacousticdry.wav

Nextwithanamplifiersimulatorplugintocreatealittledistortion...

Examplefile:electroacousticampfarm.wav

Anautopanplugin...

Examplefile:electroacousticautopan.wav

Achorusplugin...

Examplefile:electroacousticchorus.wav

Afilterplugin,withthecutofffrequencymanuallyaltered...

Examplefile:electroacousticfilter.wav

Aflangingplugin...

Examplefile:electroacousticflanging.wav

Aphasingplugin...

Examplefile:electroacousticphasing.wav

Apitchchangerpluginraisingonechannelinpitchalittleandloweringtheother...

Examplefile:electroacousticpitch+99.wav

Andanotherpitchchangersetting...

Examplefile:electroacousticpitchchange9cmix.wav

Thatjustaboutcoversthefullmenagerieofplugins.Rememberthatitisusuallybettertogetthesound
rightatsourcethanapplypluginsatrandom.

Onelastexample...thedryvocalagain,followedbyprocessingwithanAphexAuralExciter...

Examplefile:vocaldry.wav
Examplefile:vocalexciter.wav

Endofaudioexamplesnotes.

Module07AudioExamplesNotes