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English
SPARK

M A C H I N E

USER MANUAL

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
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English
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

INTRODUCTION-WELCOME

Chapter 1
G E T T I N G S TA R T E D
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
INSTALLATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Chapter 2
MASTER VIEW
MASTER SECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
CORRELATOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
MASTER FADER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
LEVEL METERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
DRY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
DITHERING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
FX MACHINE ROUTING MATRIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
WHAT IS THE FXMACHINE MATRIX? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
WHICH PLUG-IN FORMATS CAN BE USED WITH THE FXMACHINE? . . . . . . . . . . . 12
NAVIGATION INSIDE THE FXMACHINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
ADDING A PLUG-IN TO THE FXMACHINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
MOVING PLUG-INS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
HOW TO COPY PLUG-INS INSIDE THE MATRIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
REMOVING EFFECTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
AUTOMATIC WIRING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
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LEVEL INDICATION FOR EACH PLUG-IN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

CONTEXT SESITIVE MENU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
English

PLUG-IN STATUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
IN/OUT/MIX SETTING FOR EACH PLUG-IN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
LOAD AND SAVE FXMACHINE SETTINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
PLUG-IN EDIT VIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Chapter 3
PLUG INS
TC NATIVE CL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
MAXIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
SPARK EXPANDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
SPARK REVERB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
SPARK DELAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
SPARK CUTFILTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
SPARK BANDPASS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
SPARK ONEBANDEQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
SPARK 3 BAND EQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
SPARK RESFILTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
SPARK FUZZSAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
SPARK GRAINALIZER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
TOUCHWAH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Chapter 4
S PA R K M O D U L A R
TCO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
TCF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
TCA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
TCSEQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
TCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
TUTORIAL: IN USE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
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INTRODUCTION-WELCOME

English
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR PURCHASE OF SPARK FXMACHINE,
THE OPEN MULTI -FX PROCESSING P LUG -I N FOR VST!

No matter, if you are planning on creating off-the wall FX, complex mastering processors
or unique VST instruments – this power-tool for signal-processing will no less than
revolutionize the way you work with Plug-Ins and signal processing in general!
The SPARK FXmachine has been designed to work within any VST-compatible sequencer
or audio application.The product comes in two flavors:
The FXmachine and the FXmachine INSTRUMENT Plug-In. Both of them can load VST
Plug-Ins, but only the INSTRUMENT version can be used to build modular synthesizers
and played via MIDI.
Over 20 TC-quality FX and synth modules provide you with an extensive collection of
processors to start with – but of course you can add any of your VST Plug-Ins inside the
matrix (please note: the supplied Plug-Ins can only be used within the FXmachine – VST-
compatibility is provided through the Matrix).

ENJOY!

THE TC WORKS TEAM

If you would like to get in touch with us please e-mail to: info@tcworks.de, contact our
local distribution partner or write to:

TC WORKS Soft-& Hardware GmbH

Customer Support
Flughafenstrasse 52B
22335 Hamburg
Germany

www.tcworks.de
e-mail: info@tcworks.de

For the US:

TC Electronic Inc.
TC Works Customer Support
742-A Hampshire Rd.
Westlake Village, CA 91361

www.tcworks.de
e-mail: us@tcworks.de

W E L C O M E
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G E T T I N G S TA R T E D
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SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
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WINDOWS
• PII 400 or faster
• 128 MB RAM
• VST compatible Host Application
• System must meet requirements of the Host Application

MACOS
• G3/300 or faster
• 128 MB RAM
• VST compatible Host Application
• System must meet requirements of the Host Application

INSTALLATION
WINDOWS
1 Insert the Installation CD-ROM into your computer’s CD- or DVD-drive.
2 Double-click on the SPARK FXmachine Install.exe to start the installation process.

3 Read the license agreement carefully.When you are sure that you understood the
terms of the license, click on "Accept” to continue.

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4 Read the ReadMe.There might be last minute notes in the ReadMe that didn’t make it
into this manual, so please make sure that you read the ReadMe prior to installation

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5 Select a VST Plug-In folder on your computer that you want to have the

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SPARK FXmachine and included Plug-Ins installed to.
6 In case you have more than one VST Plug-In folder, you can either copy the
SPARK FXmachine plug-ins into the additional VST Plug-In folders, or you simply
restart the installer and choose a different install location.

MACOS
1 Insert the Installation CD-ROM into your computer’s CD- or DVD-drive.
2 Double-click on the SPARK FXmachine Installer.

3 Read the license agreement carefully.When you are sure that you understood the
terms of the license, click on "Accept” to continue.

G E T T I N G S T A R T E D
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4 Read the ReadMe.There might be last minute notes in the ReadMe that didn’t make it
into this manual, so please make sure that you read the ReadMe prior to installation.
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English

5 Choose "Easy Install”.The installer will automatically search for VST Plug-In folders on
your hard drives and will let you choose one of the folders for installation afterwards.

6 In case you have more than one VST Plug-In folder, you can either copy the
SPARK FXmachine plug-ins into the additional VST Plug-In folders, or you simply
restart the installer and choose a different install location.

G E T T I N G S T A R T E D
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MASTER VIEW

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The FXmachine Plug-In provides master level controls and the FX-routing matrix.In
short: Everything you need for processing at a single glance!

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You load the Plug-In, just like any other VST Plug-In, from your sequencing application’s
Plug-In menu. Please consult your host application’s manual for details!
The Plug-In window consists of two main parts: the Master Section on the left - and the
FXmachine routing matrix on the right side.

Master Section FXmachine

You can toggle between the matrix view and the Plug-In view by clicking on the “Plug-In
View” button on top of the matrix view or the “back” button (arrow to the left) in the
Plug-In view.
This is the Plug-In’s signal flow:

MASTER SECTION
CORRELATOR
The Correlation Meter provides feedback on the phase relation between
the left and right channels of your audio.This is valuable information regarding the
mono compatibility of your signal:
· If the indicated value is +1, your signal is mono (two channels, same signal).
· A value of 0 shows that there is no correlation between the channels, for example
because there is only audio on one of the two channels.
· A negative value of –1 means that the left and right channels are completely out of
phase. Switching to mono will cancel out the signal completely.

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The Correlator also indicates your maximum and minimum correlation values, like a
meter with infinite peak hold function.The range between the minimum and maximum
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values will be highlighted.To reset this indication, simply click on the Correlator’s display.
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Typical stereo mixes have correlation values between 0.4 and 0.7.

MASTER FADER
The Master Faders control the master audio output.This is the last stage
of processing in the signal flow, right before the dithering stage.
The two Master Faders are grouped by default for easy stereo-level
control. If an offset is required between the channels, press the <SHIFT>
key (Mac: <CONTROL> key) while moving the appropriate fader.
Changing the levels again without pressing the key will preserve the offset.
A numerical indication of the current fader setting appears below the
level meters.The level can be boosted by up to +6 dB.
To reset a fader to its default value of 0 dB, press the <SHIFT +
CONTROL>keys (Mac: <OPTION>) and click on the fader.
If you highlight a master fader by clicking on it or by stepping with the <TAB> key
through the different controls, you can adjust the fader settings with the cursor keys:
<CURSOR UP/DOWN> – small steps
<PAGE UP/DOWN> – bigger steps
<HOME> – maximum value (+6 dB)
<END> – minimum value (-96 dB)

LEVEL METERS
Keep an eye on the PPM (Peak Program Meter) Level Indication in the Master
Section to avoid Output Clipping.A numerical readout of the level appears right
above the LED meters.
When you click on a meter (PC: right-click), you will get the Peak Hold
Options for the meters.
The options range from “Disable Peak Hold” to “Hold Forever”. Here you will
also find the option to reset the Peak/Clip indication.
Above the Level Meters you will also find separate Clip LEDs for the left and right
channels.They will light up if the signal level exceeds 0 dB. Click on a Clip
Indicator LED to get the Clip Hold Options.These settings are independent
from the Peak Hold Options of the Level Meters. For example, you could set a Level
Peak Hold time of 6 seconds and an infinite Clip Hold time.

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DRY
Pressing the “Dry” button will bypass the entire FXmachine.You can also

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use the <D> key (Mac: also < + SPACE>) to perform this operation.

English
NOTE: In some configurations of MacOS, the key command < + SPACE> is used to switch
between different keyboard font settings (e.g. switching between Japanese and Western fonts).
If your system is configured this way, please use <D> for switching to “Dry” mode.

DITHERING
On very low signal levels, you might hear your digital recording’s
quantization noise.Adding dithering noise to your signal, the quantization noise artifacts
will be masked.The selected dithering bit depth should match your chosen output bit
depth. It doesn’t make sense to dither to 20-bit if your output is only 16-bit (the dithering
wouldn’t have any effect), or to dither to 8-bit if your audio signal is 16-bit (this would add
an unnecessarily high noise level).
You can set Dithering values from 22-bit to 8-bit (22, 20, 16, 8).

FXMACHINE ROUTING MATRIX

Switch between FXmachine Presets Add Plug -In

Remove Plug-In
switch to Plug -In View
Save/Load FXmachine
Preset/Bank Demo Mode

Empty Slot

Selected Plug-In

Loaded Plug-In

Status Bar

Select Slot Mix Settings

Plug-In Status In/Out Settings

WHAT IS THE FXMACHINE MATRIX?

The FXmachine supplies you with a powerful FX routing matrix.Think of this as a virtual
patch bay for your Plug-Ins.This routing matrix can be used to create multi-band dynamic
effects for mastering or unique complex audio processes!
By default, the FXmachine offers 4 parallel streams of Plug-Ins with 5 Plug-Ins in series.
The size of the matrix can be adjusted by loading (empty) presets of different size.

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WHICH PLUG-IN FORMATS CAN BE USED WITH THE FXMACHINE?

SPARK FXmachine supports VST Plug-Ins, the standard for native real-time effects.The
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supplied proprietary SPARK FXmachine Plug-Ins are a great starting point, but you can
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keep adding VST Plug-Ins to the matrix as long as you have slots or CPU-power left!
VST Instruments and FX can be mixed freely, however please note that only the
INSTRUMENT version of the FXmachine functions as a VST-Instrument shell with MIDI
support!

NAVIGATION INSIDE THE FXMACHINE

Select a slot by either clicking on one of the grayed out frames, by using
the cursor keys on your keyboard, or by selecting the desired slot from
the slot pop-up menu.You will find this at the bottom of the FXmachine
window.The selected slot is highlighted by a yellow frame.

ADDING A PLUG-IN TO THE FXMACHINE

Load a Plug-In to the selected slot by clicking on the “Add” button, which you will
find at the top of the FXmachine window. Don’t worry about the Plug-In’s slot position -
even after loading, you can freely move it to any other position in the matrix.
Alternatively, hold down the <CONTROL> key while clicking on a slot (Mac) or right-
click on a slot (PC) to display a context-sensitive selection menu right where you need it.
This way, you won’t even need to select the slot prior to loading.
To open the Plug-In’s user interface, double click on the FXmachine slot or click on the
“Plug-In View” button on top of the FXmachine window. On the PC, a seperate Plug-In
window will open, if you double click on the slot while keeping the <CONTROL> key
pressed.

MOVING PLUG-INS
To move an effect to another position in the matrix, simply drag & drop the effect from
its original position to the desired one.The Plug-In maintains all settings in its new
position.

HOW TO COPY PLUG-INS INSIDE THE MATRIX

If you want to have the same Plug-In in two (or more) places
in your matrix drag the desired Plug-In from its original position
to the desired destination while holding down the <CON-
TROL> key (Mac: <OPTION>), and drop it there.The copied
Plug-In will have identical settings to the original, which can of course be freely edited
and changed now.

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REMOVING EFFECTS

There are three ways to remove a Plug-In from the matrix:

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· Select the matrix field and click the “Remove” button.

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· PC: Right-click on the matrix field and select “Remove” from the context sensitive
menu.
· Mac: Click on the matrix field while holding down the <CONTROL> key to display the
context sensitive menu.Then click the “Remove” button.
· Alternatively, press <BACKSPACE>.
To remove all Plug-Ins from the FXmachine, hold down the <SHIFT> key (Mac:
<OPTION>) and click the “Remove” button.

AUTOMATIC WIRING
The FXmachine connects the Plug-Ins automatically.The signal flow starts on the left
(INPUT) and flows to the right (OUTPUT).You can have as many parallel mono or
stereo streams as you can fit in the matrix, all fed to the common stereo output!
Note:The wire does not represent a mono or stereo connection - there is always only one wire
visible!

SOME EASY ROUTING RULES :

· There is always at least one audio stream connected from the input to the output.
If there is only one Plug-In in a column, the signal streams from the previous column
will be automatically merged into one stream.Also, the Plug-In’s signal output will be
spliced into as many streams as there are Plug-Ins in the subsequent column.
· All Plug-Ins that are in a Plug-In’s subsequent column, and that are in the same or a
lower row than the first Plug-In, will be connected to it.
· If the automatic wiring doesn’t create the connection you want, simply insert a
“Line Through” element. Imagine this element as a virtual wire. It provides a simple way
to connect, and doesn’t alter or process your signal.The Line Through element can be
found at the top of the Plug-In list that is displayed when you click the “Add” button, or
in the context sensitive menu that is displayed when you right-click on a slot (Mac: click
on a slot while pressing the <CONTROL> key.

LEVEL INDICATION FOR EACH PLUG-IN

Each active slot indicates the input level of its Plug-In with its own small
input meters. Small LED meters display the level indication at the top and
bottom of each slot.These meters make it easy to keep an overview of the levels even
within a complex effect setting.To save a little bit of CPU power, you can deactivate this
metering in the context sensitive menu.

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CONTEXT SENSITIVE MENU

To get the possibility to add and remove Plug-Ins to/from the
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current Plug-In slot as well as some general display options for the
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FXmachine, you can open a context sensitive menu on the Plug-In

slots.
Mac: Press <CONTROL> and click on a Plug-In slot
PC: Right-click on a Plug-In slot.

ADD PLUG-IN
Will let you choose a Plug-In for the current effect slot.

ADD LINE THROUGH

Will insert a Line Through element to the current effect slot.

REMOVE
Will remove the Plug-In from the selected slot.

SHOW/HIDE INFO
This option will display additional info for all Plug-In slots:
The Plug-In delay in samples (Latency) will be indicated on top of each
slot (if this number is correctly reported by the Plug-In).Also, you will get
information about the number of input and output channels of each Plug-In:
· Mono: nothing is indicated on the input/output

· Stereo: the common icon for stereo signals will be indicated

· More than 2 channels: the exact number of output channels wil be indicated

SHOW / HIDE FX METERING

This option will enable/disable the input metering on all Plug-In slots. Disabling the
metering will free up some CPU resources, especially when you are using large
FXmachines.

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PLUG-IN STATUS
In the bottom line of the FXmachine you

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will not only find the “slot pop-up” with an indication of the selected slot, but also a status
indication for the slot, as well as the In/Out level settings.

English
The status of each block can be “Active,” which is the default setting,“Mute” (no audio
through) or “Bypass” (unprocessed audio through).To change between these settings,
select the status from the pop-up menu, or simply press “M” for mute and “B” for bypass
mode on your keyboard. Press “M” or “B” again to return to normal mode.With these
status settings, you have an easy-to-use tool with which to control the settings of single
effects as well as single audio streams.
NOTE:“Why is there no Solo?”, you might ask.There are simply too many situations with parallel
and serial Plug-Ins where it technically doesn’t make any sense to “Solo”. Our suggestion is to use
“Mute” instead to enable only the effect path you want to hear.

IN/OUT/MIX SETTING FOR EACH PLUG-IN

You will find additional In-, Out- and Mix level parameters for
the selected slot.These are in addition to any paramters the loaded Plug-In might offer:
You can attenuate or boost the Plug-In’s input and output, even if it doesn’t offer its own
input and output level controls.The Mix level allows you to adjust the ratio between
effected (100%) and dry signals (0%).

LOAD AND SAVE FXMACHINE SETTINGS

You can save entire FXmachine settings for total recall of your multi-FX
configurations.
Click on the File button to display the “Load/Save” pop-up menu. Here you can save your
actual FXmachine settings as a Preset, or load a saved setting.“Save Preset” stores the
current FXmachine layout, including all Plug-In settings.
“Load Preset” allows you to open a saved setting.

You can also save and load entire FXmachine Banks.

A Bank contains up to eight different FXmachine settings that are
accessed by clicking on the “Preset” button which is located next to the “File”
button on top of the FXmachine.
Example presets for SPARK’s FXmachine can be found in the folder “SPARK :: Master
Presets” or by clicking on the “MACHINES” Button next to the matrix.

PLUG-IN EDIT VIEW

To open a Plug-In Edit View, double-click on the desired Plug-In slot in the FXmachine
matrix.This will change the FXmachine from the matrix view to the Plug-In user interface
(UI). If you press <CONTROL> on the PC, the Plug-In will open in a new window. If the
Plug-In doesn’t have its own interface, you will get a “Standard FX View” with a fader for
each of its parameters.

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If you double-click on another slot in the FXmachine, the Plug-In Edit View window will
be updated to view the new Plug-In.
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English

MULTIPLE PLUG-IN EDIT VIEWS (PC-ONLY)

If you would like multiple Plug-In windows open at the same time, keep the
<CONTROL> key pressed while double-clicking on the desired matrix slot. This will
open a Plug-In View for the selected Plug-In. This window will remain “reserved” for this
Plug-In and will not change or disappear when you select another Plug-In.
MAC: Unfortunately, this window behavior is currently not possible on the Mac!

THE HEADER OF THE PLUG-IN EDIT VIEW

On top of the Plug-In Edit View you will find the Plug-In header with “Compare”,
“Bypass” and “Mute” buttons, as well as the Plug-In’s preset management.

Select another loaded Plug-In Compare

Save/Load Plug-In
Preset/Bank

Select Plug-In Preset Bypass Mute

If you want to change to another Plug-In Edit View, simply choose one from the Plug-In
pop-up on top.
NOTE: Only slots with loaded Plug-Ins can be chosen from this pop-up list; empty slots will be
grayed out.

LOAD AND SAVE PLUG-IN PRESETS / PRESET B ANKS

The “File” pop-up lets you save and load your own presets.“Save Preset” will save the
current Plug-In setting to your hard disk;“Load Preset” will load a Plug-In setting.
The Load/Save Bank options allow you to handle complete Preset Banks with up to
16 presets.
The Preset pop-up enables you to choose one of the Bank’s Preset slots.

COMPARE / BYPASS / MUTE

Press <C> or the “Compare” button to compare two Plug-In settings.
Press <B> or the “Bypass” button to bypass the Plug-In processing.
Press <M> or the “Mute” button to mute the Plug-Ins output.

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PLUG INS

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SPARK FXmachine comes with an extensive set of Plug-Ins for use with the Matrix.
Please note, that you can only use them in VST-applications through the Matrix - the

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Plug-Ins themselves do not support VST, only the FXmachine Plug-Ins.

TC NATIVE CL
TC Native CL provides extremely powerful and flexible dynamics processing tools for
use on single tracks as well as in mastering situations.

SIGNAL FLOW

OVERVIEW
Compressor Parameters Limiter Parameters

P L U G I N S
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ROM – RECALL FACTORY PRESETS .

The Native CL includes factory presets to provide you with a good starting
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point, from track compression to mastering.

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Create your own presets using the Plug-In Preset Manager of the FXmachine.
To select a ROM preset, click on the ROM button and select the desired preset.

OPERATION OF COMPARE MEMORY

A/B – Temporary memories for quick comparison of two different
settings.
Store – To temporarily save your settings, select “Store” then
select “A” or “B”.
NOTE:These settings are lost when you close the Plug-In. Save your user presets with the
FXmachine’s Plug-In Preset Manager.

COMPRESSOR PARAMETERS
Threshold – Sets the level threshold at which the
compressor starts working (0dB – -30dB).
Ratio – Sets the amount of compression as a ratio
(1.0:1 – 64:1).
Attack – Compression attack time setting in milliseconds
(0.1ms – 100ms).
Release – Compression release time setting in
milliseconds (20ms – 7s).
Gain – Output Gain of the Compression stage
(–24dB to 24dB)(This Fader will be disabled if you
run the compressor in Auto MakeUp mode).
Soft – Switches the compressor between Hardknee
and Softknee compression.
MK-UP – Switches the compressor Auto MakeUp gain.

LIMITER PARAMETERS
Threshold – Sets the limiter’s threshold in decibels (dB)
(0dB to –12dB).
Attack – The limiter’s attack time setting in milliseconds
(20µs – 5ms).
Release – The limiter’s release time setting in milliseconds
(20ms – 7s).
MK-UP – Activates the limiter’s Auto MakeUp gain.

NOTE: Double-clicking on a value field will bring up a dialog for numerical entry.

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THE COMPRESSION PROCESS

The compressor is used to smoothen level jumps or level differences in your recording as

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well as increasing the subjective loudness of a track.

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Set the threshold and ratio to achieve the desired dynamics processing result.Whenever
your signal’s level exceeds the threshold, the compressor kicks in and will compress all of
the signal above the threshold level using the defined ratio. For settings with a high
threshold you will usually adjust lower ratio settings, and vice versa.
A fast attack time will result in cutting your signal’s peaks, which might result in drastic
sound changes. If you want to avoid this, you should set slower attack times.
The release time should be set to higher (longer) values if you want to avoid level jumps
(“pumping”) of your signal.
The “Soft” button will activate the Soft Knee curve, which gives you a soft and gradual
transition into compression.
This may produce better,“softer” sounding results when you are processing critical
material with extreme settings (such as very low thresholds and/or high ratios).
The output level of the compressor stage will be controlled either with the gain fader
between the compressor and limiter block, or you simply activate on the automatic
make-up gain (MK-UP).This will automatically bring your compressor’s output level to
0 dB.

THE LIMITING PROCESS

The limiting process allows to define a recording’s maximum level. For optimal sound quality
when mastering for digital media such as CDs, you need to use as much of the available
dynamic range as possible - without ever clipping. Just one clip would make it impossible
to produce a commercial CD from your recording – and the occuring digital distortion in
signal peaks beyond 0 dB, doesn’t sound all that nice in the first place!
The limiter section of the Native CL makes sure that you get the most out of your
material, without ever running into the danger of digital clipping!
Setup is easy: The threshold controls the amount of limiting.The further you move the
fader down, the stronger the applied limiting.
For example: If you set the threshold to –2 dB, no level will exceed –2 dB. However, your material
might be lower in volume than –2 dB. If you want a guaranteed level of –2dB , activate make-up
gain and adjust the output level.You can also drive your recording into stronger limiting by
increasing the output gain of the compressor stage (which is the input of the limiter).
That way you will amplify the signal and further maximize the subjective loudness of your track!
The attack time is the time the limiter requires to react to a signal that surpasses the
threshold. How to adjust the attack time depends on your audio material.You will usually
want fast attack times to avoid overshoots. However, fast attack times will affect thesound
of the signal more than slower attack times.
The release time setting depends mostly on the number of peaks you have to limit. If you
have a few short peaks, you can set fast release times. If you have to limit a whole bunch of
peaks, you should set slower release times, to avoid unwanted level jumps (“pumping”).

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HISTOGRAM
The histogram is a great tool to help you keep an eye on the amount of processing you
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apply. It displays your audio material’s “level distribution”.The histogram’s accuracy

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increases over time, as it is a cummulative statistical function. For that reason it will
change fast in the beginning, and will stabilize after a while.
When you click on the histogram display, the following display options appear:
RESET HISTORY – This will reset the histogram and
start a new calculation.
FREEZE/UPDATE HISTORY – This option will stop
updating the histogram (or switch back to updating).
SCALE –24.0 dB/–96.0 dB – This option adjusts the indicated dynamic range.“Scale –24.0
dB” will only display the upper 24 dB of your dynamic range, which is the most critical
range as it reaches to 0 dB – the absolute level maximum.

KEY COMMANDS
· Press the <SHIFT> key (Mac: <CONTROL> key) to ungroup the level faders.
· Hold down the <SHIFT + CONTROL> keys (Mac: <OPTION> key) and click on a control
to reset the control to its default value.

MAXIT
MaxIt is an easy-to-use, yet powerful dynam-
ics processing tool for mixing and mastering
applications.With only 3 parameters you’ll
have everything under control to boost the
loudness or “energy” of your audio material.
Energy determines the amount of “boost”.
The further you push it up, the more your
audio will be “squeezed” and sound
subjectively louder. Be careful – don’t push too far, this is strong medicine!
On the Energy meter you’ll be able to see how much processing is going on.
Character controls the strength of the dynamics processing. Of course you’ll only hear
an effect if the Energy fader is pushed up far enough so the algorithm is working.“Soft”
adjusts the algorithm to treat your material carefully, with clean-sounding results. But if
you’d like even more level boost – turn the knob towards “Strong” and you’ll notice how
the process will push the material even more. However, there’s a trade-off: depending on
your material, you might notice a “dirtier” sound. Like with the energy fader, handle with
care!
Headroom is an essential parameter when you’re mastering for CD:You can decide to
leave some “room”, so your audio doesn’t go up to 0 dB sharp, but is limited to a margin-
ally lower level of e.g. -0.1 dB. Some CD manufacturing plants do recommend to leave
such “headroom” to eliminiate the danger of having unnoticed clips in the material.
NOTE: Double-clicking on a value field will bring up a dialog for numerical entry.

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SPARK EXPANDER

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Expanders allow to reduce unwanted noise in recordings
by using the opposite dynamics process to a compressor.

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All signal levels below the threshold will be reduced.The
amount of reduction is defined by the range parameter.
With attack, hold time, and release, you will adjust the
dynamic behavior of the expander.The attack time defines
how fast the signal reduction starts after the level falls below the threshold.
The hold time defines how long the expander will stay in “expand” mode after the signal
exceeds the threshold.
The release time determines how long it takes to return to the unexpanded signal from
the end of the hold time.

SPARK REVERB
The included reverb employs the acclaimed TC Native
Reverb algorithm, combined with a simplified user
interface.The length of the reverb tail is set with the
decay time. Size will influence the early reflection pattern
and therefore change the basic impression of the room
size.The Mix Ratio balances the amount of dry and
effected signal.

SPARK DELAY
This stereo delay offers independent delay times for left
and right channels with a choice of displaying the time in
milliseconds or beats per minute (BPM).
Define the feedback level of the delay to get multiple
delays.The “Tape Echo” section, allows to simulate the
sound of an old tape delay, by increasingly degrading the
sound of each repetition.

SPARK CUTFILTER
SPARK CutFilter provides you with two switchable cut fil-
ters. Both filters can be either high-cut or low-cut type.
You can also adjust the filter slopes and, of course, the
cutoff frequency for each filter.
SPARK CutFilter is a great tool for splitting the frequency
band up.
NOTE: Double-clicking on a Plug-Ins value field will bring up a dialog for numerical entry.

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SPARK BANDPASS
The bandpass filter allows you to set a filter with a certain
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bandwidth around the center frequency.Also you can

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select the slope of the filter (6, 12 or 24 dB/oct).

The bandpass filter is ideal to narrow the frequency range.

SPARK ONEBANDEQ
This Plug-In supplies you with TC-quality equalization. By
loading multiple instances into SPARK’s FX slots, you can
e.g. build up to 4 bands of notch filtering to fix a noise
problem or a create a comprehensive 4-band parametric
EQ.
TYPE Low Shelf, Hi Shelf, Parametric and Notch
FREQ Frequency adjustment from 20Hz – 20 kHz
GAIN -18 – +18dB, preset to -96 dB for the “Notch” type
BW 3, 6, 9 or 12 dB/Oct. for shelving types, 0.1 to 4 octaves
for parametric and 1 to 100 for notch filter.

SPARK 3 BAND EQ
This EQ offers the same parameters as the OneBandEQ
but offers three bands.

NOTE: Double-clicking on a Plug-Ins value field will bring up a dialog for numerical entry.

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SPARK RESFILTER
This Plug-Ins supplies you with a classic synthesizer-style

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filter section. First, select the filter type (Low Pass or High

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Pass) and the slope.
Then adjust the resonance amount.The resonance will
occur at the filter’s cut-off frequency. Please note that a
filter with a slope set to 6 dB doesn’t have a resonance.
The ResFilter is controlled by an envelope follower which
has depth, attack, and decay time controls.“Attack” and
“Decay Time” define the envelope follower’s responsive-
ness.“Depth” defines the amount of modulation.Try the
different presets that come with this Plug-In to get an idea
of its sound modulation capabilities.
The SoftSat section provides more drive for the resonance filter’s output, allowing you to
create a warm-sounding “analog” distortion. High frequencies can be damped by activat-
ing the “Damp” switch.

SPARK FUZZSAT
FuzzSat simulates analog distortion utilizing a turbo-
charged version of our SoftSat algorithm.
Use the drive parameter to adjust the amount of
distortion you want to add to the signal.
The damp parameter will reduce the high frequencies, so the sound will be smoother
with a higher damp factor.

SPARK GRAINALIZER
The Grainalizer is a creative sound design tool.
The “Grain” setting is a kind of downsampling delay.
Detune allows you to detune the left and right channels
towards each other in a range of +/-24 semi tones
(+/-2 octaves). Set the “Radau” Factor to give the
Grainalizer it’s own singing sound.
If the Vanilla Flavor is too soft for your ears, turn to “Fudge”!
Finally, you can modulate the signal.Turn on modulation with the “Mod” switch and select
the desired modulation speed using the range buttons and the BPM-fader.The range is
1 to 300 BPM.

NOTE: Double-clicking on a Plug-Ins value field will bring up a dialog for numerical entry.

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TOUCHWAH
The TouchWah Plug-In lets you create vintage
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Wah-Wah effects.To adjust the setting, click on

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the pedal and move the mouse up and down

while you keep the mouse button pressed.The
TouchWah pedal can also be controlled via the
modulation wheel (MIDI controller #1).
The AUTO switch will set the TouchWah to
“envelope follower” mode to create automatic
Wah-Wah effects.

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S PA R K M O D U L A R

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SPARK MODULAR is a modular synth in the tradition of vintage modular systems, build
around the FXmachine window – providing you with truly powerful sound creation

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tools. Of course you can freely design a synth with the TCO,TCF and TCA modules –
but how about adding VST FX to the signal chain? What does it sound like when you send
the TCO into the Grainalizer and then into the Filter? Use your imagination and
creativity – the sonic possibilities are endless!

HOW TO USE SPARK MODULAR IN SPARK FXMACHINE

1 Load the SPARK FXmachine Instrument on an instrument track in your sequencer.
2 Load the synth Plug-Ins you like and start having fun! Make sure to also have
Oscillators or VST instruments in the matrix, and not just Filter and Amplifier Plug-Ins!
It is possible to load one sequencer into each stream of the FXmachine, controlling its
own synth – with the standard size of the FXmachine, this means already four TCSEQ!
NOTE:You can also sequence/gate audio with SPARK MODULAR Plug-Ins. Please check the
Setup examples at the end of this chapter for some ideas!

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TCO
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This monophonic dual oscillator module supplies you with all the classic waveforms,
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including Pulse Width Modulation, an additional Sub-Oscillator, Oscillator Sync, Ring

Modulation, and an integrated LFO – all the features you need for fat basses, convincing
synth leads, synth percussion or strange bleep sounds. And of course we’re not talking
sample-based oscillation here: the TCO emulates a real oscillator, actually generating
waveforms – not playing them back from sample memory!
So forget aliasing or weak bass – this oscillator sounds like vintage analog across the
entire keyboard range!

MIDI INDICATOR / COOKIE

If the light is flashing when you hit a key on the keyboard, the
Oscillator is receiving MIDI data.And if that’s not enough: with the
first MIDI byte coming in – the cookie will be eaten up.You might say “MIDI is taking a
bite”! If you would like to reset the Cookie, click on the crumbs.

OSC 1
The upper knob selects the waveform (Sine, Sawtooth, Square) – or
allows you to switch the oscillator to generate white noise.The lower
knob sets the oscillator’s octave from 4’ (very high) – 32’ (very low).

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OSC 2
The upper knob selects the waveform (Square with PWM, Square, Sawtooth,Triangle).

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The lower knob sets the oscillator’s octave from 4’ (very high) – 32’ (very low).

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PWM (PULSE WIDTH MODULATION)
Oscillator 2’s specialties include the possibility for pulse width modulation.
Set the Oscillator to the uppermost waveform in order to activate this, and
then determine with the MAN/LFO switch, if you would like to set the Pulse
Width manually, or have it modulated by the LFO. Depending on the
switches position, the slider either sets the static pulse width (MAN) or the
modulation depth (LFO).

EDIT
Opens a menu for MIDI controller assignment.
Velocity, Modulation Wheel and After Touch
(reacts to both polyphonic and channel
aftertouch) can be assigned to a variety of synth
parameters like Oscillator Level or PWM for a more dynamic sound.

PITCH MOD
This slider allows the LFO to modulate both Oscillators and the Sub Oscillator.

INTERVAL
This parameter sets the interval for Oscillator 2 in relation to Oscillator 1 in
half-tone steps.

DETUNE
Detunes Oscillator 2 in relation to Oscillator 1 in a range of +/- 99 cent.

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TUNE
Sets the basic tuning for the Oscillator module in a range of 430 – 450 Hz.
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English

GLIDE
Bringing this slider up will create a glide between notes of different pitch – essential
for those classic bass and sequencer lines.The Glide parameter can be adjusted by
MIDI Controller # 5.Also, Glide ON / OFF can be controlled via MIDI.

MIXER
The mixer section allows you to set the output volumes of Oscillator 1, 2
and the Sub Oscillator.

SUB
TCO includes a Sub Oscillator, that generates a square wave 1 or 2 octaves
below the root octave set for the Oscillator 1.

MODE
The Oscillator module not only allows you to mix the oscillators, you can
also sync or ring modulate them. If the switch is set to “Mix” the Oscillators
run independently and the volume is controlled by the individual volume sliders.
“Sync” will synchronize Oscillator 2 to Oscillator 1. In this case the pitch is determined
by Oscillator 1, and any pitch offsets for Oscillator 2 only affect the sound.Also the LFO
works differently in this mode: it will only affect Oscillator 2. Same goes for the MIDI
Pitch Bender.
“Ring” activates the ring modulation – once turned on, the Oscillator 2 volume slider in
the Mixer section will then set the volume for the ring modulated signal, additionally
Oscillator 1 can be mixed to the signal unprocessed.

LFO (LOW FREQUENCY OSCILLATOR)

The LFO determines the pulse width modulation of OSC 2, if its control is
set to LFO.The “Wave” parameter is used to set the waveform of the LFO.
This waveform can be sine, sawtooth, square or sample&hold.The “Rate”
parameter sets the speed of the LFO.

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TCF

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The Filter module provides you with a 12, 18 or 24 dB Low Pass Filter with resonance,
an additional Hi Pass Filter, its own envelope, key follow, single and multi trigger – in

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short all you want in a synth filter module.

HPF CUTOFF
A 6 dB/Oct hi pass filter – bringing the slider up will adjust the frequency in a
range from 20 Hz (bottom) to 20 kHz (top).

LPF CUTOFF
Sets the Lo Pass Filter’s Cutoff frequency in a range from 20 kHz (top) to
20 Hz (bottom).

LPF RESONANCE
Resonance emphasizes or boosts the band of frequencies around the filters’ cut-off
point.At maximum resonance, the filter will self-oscillate, producing a squawky ringing
tone at the cut-off-frequency.

LPF SLOPE (12, 18, 24)

Sets the LPF filter’s characteristics to 12, 18 or 24 dB/Oct.

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ENV
Modulates the LPF’s Cutoff with the envelope curve.
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KEY FOLLOW
If set to 100%, the overtone structure of the sound will be identical across the
entire keyboard range. If set to lower values, the higher the note, the less
overtones will be present in the filtered signal.This results in a “softer” or
“darker” sound the higher the note you play.

TRIGGER
“Single” will trigger the envelope once – and won’t trigger it again if one key
remains held and additional keys are pressed.“Multi” triggers the envelope
every time a key is pressed, even when another key is still being held.

EDIT
Opens a menu for MIDI controller assignment.Velocity, Modulation Wheel
and After Touch (reacts to both polyphonic and channel aftertouch) can be
assigned to a variety of TCF’s parameters like Attack, Decay, Cutoff or Envelope Follower
for a more dynamic sound.

EG SWITCH (POSITIVE/NEGATIVE)
Depending on the switches position,TCF’s ADSR curve will be applied
positive or negative.
A – Sets Attack Time from 1 msec to 10 sec
D – Sets Decay Time from 1 msec to 10 sec
S – Sets Sustain Level
R – Sets Release Time from 1 msec to 10 sec

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TCA

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This Amplifier module offers the classic ADSR curve and more! “Drive” allows for analog
sounding distortion in this module, ensuring a truly “phat” sound whenever desired.

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Of course this drive stage employs our renowned SoftSat TM analog emulation circuit.
A – Sets Attack Time from 1 msec to 10 sec
D – Sets Decay Time from 1 msec to 10 sec
S – Sets Sustain Level
R – Sets Release Time from 1 msec to 10 sec

DRIVE
If SoftSat is deactivated, bringing up this slider will create hard clipping distortion –
if SoftSat is active, the result will be warm “analog” sounding distortion.

LEVEL
Sets TCA’s Output Level.
The Level can be adjusted by MIDI Controller # 7.

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TRIGGER
“Single” will trigger the envelope once – and won’t trigger it again if one key
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remains held and additional keys are pressed.“Multi” triggers the envelope
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every time a key is pressed, even when another key is still being held.

EDIT
Opens a menu for MIDI controller assignment.Velocity, Modulation Wheel and
After Touch (reacts to both polyphonic and channel aftertouch) can be assigned to a
variety of TCA’s parameters like Attack, Decay or Drive for a more dynamic sound.

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TCSEQ

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SPARK MODULAR comes with its own sequencer Plug-In, allowing you to recreate
those classic monophonic sequencing lines. Other great features include the ability to

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sync to MIDI, change pattern direction and of course to use multiple sequencers in the
matrix at the same time!

TEMPO
The Tempo knob allows you to set the speed in BPM (Beats Per Minute) in
a range from 10 – 300 Beats.

SYNC
When the SYNC button is activated, the host application’s timing information determines
TCSEQ’s speed.The button turns green, if a sync signal is detected. If no sync signal is
present, the SYNC button will turn red.

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DIRECTION
The sequence can be played back in any of the following – forward one-shot,
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in a forward loop, alternating, backward loop, or backward one-shot.

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SWING
The Swing knob allows you to add “groove” to your sequence. By moving the
knob, the relevant notes are moved respectively to create that “swing” feeling.

ACCENT
This parameter determines the boost factor for notes that are assigned to
“ACC” in the beat matrix.

PITCH
This is where you type in the pitch for each step of the sequence.
Double-clicking will bring up the value field, the pitch is entered in the fol-
lowing format: <Letter> - <octave>.
Sharp/Flat notes are entered always as sharp notes, i.e.A# and Bb are entered as “ a # ”.

GLIDE
If you would like a glide effect between notes for those classic TB-style lines, activate this
button.

ACC
Adds the selected accent level to a sequencing event.

FLAM
Creates a “Flam” effect (3 notes following each other rapidly) when active.The 3rd note
is on the beat – the other 2 are slightly earlier.This is great for drum sequences!

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ON / LEGATO / METRONOME
The 16 buttons not only indicate the bar position (red), this is where you

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activate a beat (green) or lengthen a note with the legato function (yellow).

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Clicking on the button multiple times will toggle between all states.

THE POWER USER FEATURES

TCSeq has some power user features, that’ll make your programming job faster and easier:
• Shift + click on upper/lower part of pitch display = transpose one note up/down by a
semi-tone per click.
• Control + click on upper/lower part of pitch display = all notes following the one you’re
clicking on will be transposed up/down one semi-tone per click.
• Alt (Option) + click on pitch display = all notes following the one you’re clicking on will
be brought to the clicked-on note’s pitch.
• Click + hold mouse button while moving on Glide/Acc/Flam area = toggles state of
those buttons you’re moving across. So you can kind of “draw” in that area, which
guarantees for unexpected, creative results!

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TCK
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This virtual MIDI keyboard helps out in those times you have no physical one at hand!
A great tool to try out your settings for true portability – complete with Pitch Wheel
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and 2 Modulation Wheels, no plugging to play!

PANIC
Sends “All Notes Off” Reset message

PITCH WHEEL
Controls pitch bending.

WHEEL 2 & 3
These wheels have an assignable MIDI controller function,Wheel 2 is pre-set to
modulation (001) and Wheel 3 is set to channel volume (007). By double clicking
on the virtual LCD display, you get a value field allowing for entry of any of the
128 MIDI controllers.

OCT
Allows you to shift the octave of the Keyboard. If set to “O OCT”, MIDI
Note 60 (c4) is the second C on the keyboard.

TRANSPOSE
Transposes the keyboard in semitones.

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TUTORIAL: IN USE

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The true power of SPARK MODULAR is the VST Instrument version of the
FXmachine: you may freely combine VST instruments and VST FX Plug-Ins in the same

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chain, thus creating new instruments by combining new elements! In the following, we’ll
give you some set up examples for different applications – we’ll leave it at 5, because
operation is easy and only your creativity is the limit!

COMMON MONO-SYNTH
STRUCTURE

Most monophonic synthesizers

share the same structure:
Oscillator – Filter – Amplifier.
Load TCO,TCF and TCA in this
order, as pictured here.This is the most common way to create a “classic” synth.

“TC 303”
Using the TCSeq, you can create a
TB303-like setup.The sequencer
needs to come first, then you load
TCO – TCF – TCA. Please make
sure to deactivate OSC2, the SUB
OSC and only use the Square and Sawtooth waveforms – as well as switching the TCF
LoPass filter to 18dB and use identical ADSR curves in TCF and TCA. Otherwise it’ll
sound too fat!

AUDIO PROCESSING : T EMPO GATE

Now for a really cool and easy to
create off-the-wall effect: Load a
TCSeq and a TCA, load an audio file
and set the tempo in the sequencer
so it matches the tempo of your song.
Now the on/off states of the sequencer steps will open/mute the audio throughput,
according to the envelope curve you set.
Of course you could also “play” the whole gating from your keyboard!

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MULTI OSC SYNTH

How about using multiple Oscillator

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Plug-Ins? No problem – in our

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example we are using 3 Oscillators,

each with its own characteristic
sound – but of course you could
also use the modules with identical
settings for a truly “fat” sound or add
multiple filter Plug-Ins as well!

THE SEQUENCE
And here comes a 16 beat playback
with Kick drum, Snare, Hihat and
Bass line – all generated with
SPARK MODULAR.
This Preset is heavy (it was created
on a G3/400 Power Book), but
shows best in what different ways
SPARK MODULAR can help to
give you new ideas for your music.
Of course you are not limited to the Synth Plug-Ins, you can also freely add VST effects
Plug-Ins, as you can see from the Reverb on the Snare track.

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