Quantum Room Simulator | Plugin Operation Manual 1

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The cosmos works
by harmony of tensions,
like the lyre and bow.
-Heraclitus

Copyright © 2023 Savant Audio Labs.

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Welcome to the original room simulator.

For the first time in over 40 years, the sound of the original German Room Simulator from 1982 is available in plugin form. The legendary
characteristics of its signature room simulation algorithm still remain unsurpassed in many regards today. The underlying reverb algorithm uses
an incredibly novel approach to room simulation that relies on modeling the inherent resonant modes of a natural space, rather than the static
ray-tracing methods employed by many other reverberation devices. This allows for a natural, modulation-free reverb that beautifully envelops
the source while providing incredible depth and realism.

Overview of Parameters:

01: CORRELATION PATTERN Selects the Correlation Pattern (CORR. PTN.) of the stereo output channels
02: INPUT/OUTPUT METERS Output meters display all channels of material regardless of which correlation pattern is selected
03: ENTER When held, allows audio to enter the Freeze Room
04: MUTE When held, mutes the current reverb output
05: FREEZE Creates an infinite reverberation tail
06: ENHANCE Provides an alternate room algorithm with differing reflection pattern and no reverberation
07: PRESET MENU Allows for the selection of various factory presets and expanded presets
08: 1st REFLECTION DELAY Controls the delay (1-200ms) of the discrete first reflection
09: 1st REFLECTION LEVEL Controls the level of the discrete first reflection
10: REVERB DELAY Controls the predelay (1-200ms) of the main reverb
11: REVERB LEVEL Controls the level of the main reverb
12: PARAMETER KNOB Allows for rapid “coarse” adjustment of the currently selected parameter
13: HIGH END Adjusts the multiplier coefficient (absorption) of the reverb’s high frequency decay time
14: MAIN REVERB TIME Adjusts the main decay time (RT60) of the reverb in seconds
15: LOW END Adjusts the multiplier coefficient (absorption) of the reverb’s low frequency decay time
16: ROOM SIZE Selects between one of the seven room size algorithms
17: SYSTEM BANDWIDTH Allows selection of the original hardware bandwidth (10kHz) or full bandwidth (20kHz)
18: LEVELS A simple mixer for Direct, 1st Reflection, Reverb, and Main Levels
19: POWER SWITCH Turns off the plugin and clears the reverb memory.

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01: Correlation Pattern (CORR. PTN.)

The correlation pattern selector (sometimes known as discorrelation pattern) allows the user to select between the stereo correlation
patterns used by the output pairs of the original hardware unit. The algorithm of the Room Simulator is designed to simulate microphones
placed in a virtual space with a 50% correlation between their signals. If correlation were to be 100% between two microphones, the result
would be mono, whereas a 0% correlation would sound as if the microphones had been placed in two distinctly separate rooms. Although
the two correlation patterns available within the Room Simulator are statistically identical from a mathematical standpoint, the differences are
necessary for facilitating an accurate and artifact-free representation in a Quadraphonic (4.0 Surround) configuration.

Tip: In most stereo production cases, correlation pattern “1|2”will be sufficient to cover the needs of all sources. Occasionally, mixing
correlation patterns can prove useful in combating situations where multiple close mics might be experiencing unwanted comb filtering or
phasing artifacts at the source (for example, a brass section with multiple close mics).

02: Input/Output Meters and Quadraphonic Output (4.0 Surround)

The input and output meters provide simple reference for input and output levels. The original hardware unit allowed for Stereo Input
> Quadraphonic Output. Although only stereo operation is currently supported with this release, two plugin instances can easily be
configured to perform identically to the original hardware if quadraphonic output is desired. There are a number of benefits to running two
stereo instances of the plugin in favor of a single quadraphonic instance. The CPU demands of the plugin can be quite high, especially when
used at higher sampling rates, and running multiple stereo instances will allow your CPU to distribute the processing more effectively to the
CPU’s multi-threads. Additionally, for the first time it is possible to achieve different reverb decay or frequency attenuation characteristics for the
front and rear channels by utilizing multiple instances. For example, you might want to simulate greater high-frequency attenuation on the rear
channels to more accurately simulate your desired space. Finally, running two separate instances allows for greater flexibility and creativity in
routing sends to the reverb, allowing the user to effectively achieve a Quadraphonic Input > Quadraphonic Output, if desired.

To configure two plug-in instances to simulate the original hardware, simply select the “1|2” correlation pattern on the first stereo instance,
and the “3|4” correlation pattern on the second stereo instance. Please note that there is no added benefit to combining the two output
patterns to a single stereo output; in fact, approximately 50% of the signal will cancel.

03-05: Enter, Mute, and Freeze Mode (ENT, MUTE, FRE)

Freeze Mode provides an infinite room in which the captured sound continues to develop and evolve without ever repeating itself (e.g. there
are no detectable patterns or repetitions within the algorithm). When Freeze Mode is initially active, the room will immediately begin to fill with
the source audio. If you wish to control the source audio entering the Freeze Room, begin by pressing “Mute” immediately after engaging
Freeze Mode. You can then hold the “Enter” button to control the gating of the source audio into the Freeze Room. Pressing “Mute” at any time
will again clear the Freeze memory. Please note that while in Freeze Mode, the reverb time and high/low reverb time multipliers will have no
effect on the sound. Adjusting Room Size will vary the character of the room. Before exiting Freeze Mode, it is recommended to either mute the
freeze buffer or transition to a longer reverb time in order to avoid clicks.

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06: Enhance Mode (ENH)

Enhance Mode provides a unique alternative to the standard reverberation algorithm. With the ENH button engaged, the Enhance Mode
provides a different reflection pattern and no reverberation tail. The reflection pattern might be compared to the “Early Reflections”
provided by some other devices, but is still unique in its operation. Please note that while in Enhance Mode, the reverb time and high/low
reverb time multipliers are fixed (e.g. changing these parameters will have no effect on the sound). The Room Size parameter will still operate
in its typical manner. Enhance can be incredibly useful for providing a sense of space and depth in a muddy mix where a dense reverb tail may
be undesirable, or for blending close microphones with more distant ambient microphones in an orchestral or cinematic setting.

Tip: In a multi-mic orchestral session or larger acoustic session, Enhance can be effective at blending close microphones with more ambient
room mics or a main Decca Tree array. Experiment with muting close/section mics altogether and rely on their sends to Enhance to provide a
sense of immediacy or detail to the source.

07: Preset Menu (PRGM)

The Preset Menu provides access to the original factory hardware presets as well as newly expanded presets inspired by real-world spaces.
Please note that the original Factory Presets were designed for loudspeaker playback, while the Binaural Presets were intended for
headphone playback. Please references section 16 (Room Size) for more details.

08-09: First Reflection Delay and Level (1st REFLECTION)

First Reflection provides a discrete, single reflection that operates independently from the underlying main reverb algorithm. Please do not
confuse First Reflection with the “early reflection” parameters found on many other reverb devices. First Reflection is primarily useful for
enhancing the definition of the early reflection patterns contained within the reverb algorithm. It provides a sort of “slap echo” that, when
utilized correctly in tandem with the delay controls, can provide increased definition to the positioning of instruments within the stereo field. As
an example, one might use the First Reflection to simulate the immediate reflection of an orchestral trumpet or horn section against the back wall
of a large room. You will note that the first reflection parameter is rarely used in the factory presets from the hardware unit. The First Reflection
delay and volume parameters can be adjusted via their respective “-” and “+” controls, or via the central rotary knob (coarse control).

10-11: Reverb Delay and Level (Reverb)

Reverb Delay provides simple predelay controls for the onset of the reverb algorithm. Please note that the underlying reverb algorithm
already contains various predelays as an inherent component of the various room sizes. In most cases, the user will not find it necessary to add
any predelay if a natural room simulation is desired. The Reverb Delay and Level parameters can be adjusted via their respective “-” and
“+” controls, or via the central rotary knob (coarse control).

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12: Central Rotary Knob

The central rotary knob provides for rapid adjustment of the currently selected parameter. The rotary knob is most useful for quickly
navigating between extreme values of a selected parameter. For example, begin by clicking the “-” or “+” buttons to make the 1st Reflection
parameter active. Then use the central rotary knob to rapidly advance the delay time from 1ms to 200ms. Note that the currently selected
parameter will periodically blink to indicate its active status.

13-15: Reverb Time (High End Mult., Main Reverb Time, Low End Mult.)
In conjunction with the Room Size control, the Reverb Time section provides the most powerful tools for shaping the sound characteristics of
the room simulator. Depending on the room size selected, the reverb time (RT60) can be varied from .1s to 100s. The operating values in
relation to room size are as follows:

Room Size Minimum Reverb Limit Maximum Reverb Limit

1m 3
0.1s 1s
10.1 m3 0.1s 2s
10.2 m3 0.1s 5s
10.3 m3 0.1s 10s
10.4 m3 0.2s 20s
10.5 m3 0.5s 50s
10.6 m3 1.0s 100s

When adjusting Room Size, please note that if the currently selected reverb time is out of range of the respective room size, the value will
automatically adjust to the limit of the newly selected room size.

The High End and Low End reverb time multipliers are incredibly useful for shaping the absorption characteristics of the simulated room.
In a large room, high frequencies die away at a much more rapid rate than low frequencies due to air absorption, material absorption, and
other characteristics. Therefore, selecting a lower value such as “0.16” for the High End multiplier and a larger value such as “1.6” for the Low
End multiplier is often essential in designing a realistic room simulation of larger spaces. Please note that the High End and Low End multiplier
controls operate in a much more dynamic and natural way than reverbs that simply utilize a static EQ to shape the high and low frequencies
either pre or post reverb.

Tip: The original room simulator hardware had a limited bandwidth of 10kHz, with an extremely aggressive high frequency roll-off beginning
at approximately 8kHz. This limited bandwidth is a crucial element contributing to the sound of many early digital reverb and serendipitously
mimics the effects of high-frequency air absorption in real-world rooms. For this reason, we recommend leaving the System Bandwidth at its
default setting of 10kHz, which will in turn allow you to use less aggressive attenuation with the High End multiplier parameter. Please reference
section 17 (System Bandwidth) for additional information.

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16: Room Size

The Room Size parameter is perhaps the single most important and novel feature of the room simulator. By obtaining a clear understanding of
the philosophy and functunality of the underlying room size algorithms, the user can quickly create and shape the characteristics of their sound.

The following notation is used throughout to indicate the seven room size algorithms:

Notation Room Volume

1 = 100 m3 = 1m3
10 = 101 m3 = 10 m3
10.2 = 102 m3 = 100 m3
10.3 = 103 m3 = 1,000 m3
10.4 = 104 m3 = 10,000 m3
10.5 = 105m3 = 100,000 m3
10.6 = 106 m3 = 1,000,000 m3

For reference, the following are real life spaces that roughly approximate the gross volumes of the seven room sizes:

1 10 10.2

Sound Isolation Booth Vocal Booth Electric Lady Studio B

1.2 m3 10 m3 108 m3

10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6

Abbey Road Studio Two Mechanics Hall Royal Albert Hall Our Lady of Aparecida Basilica
1,563 m3 9,512 m3 86,650 m3 1,200,000 m3

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The algorithms of the seven room sizes model the gross volume of the enclosed space, creating a method of room simulation that is
fundamentally different from competing reverberators. In contrast to the ray-tracing methods employed by many traditional reverb algorithms,
the room simulator algorithms model the desired space as a resonant body, where the inherent resonant modes and density of distribution
serve as the principal criteria for establishing a believable space simulation. Such a simulation also adheres to the laws of conservation of
energy, resulting in true feelings of pressure and phase balance within the room. Because the entire room is treated as a system that must remain
in proper balance, the traditional “early reflections” are inextricably linked to the late reflections or reverb “tail.” Although traditional predelay
is possible with the use of the “reverb delay” parameter, the room algorithms naturally emulate the proper attack envelope (buildup) and
delay of the early reflections appropriate for their respective room size.

Adjusting the room size parameter simultaneously adjusts the attack envelope, delay until early reflections, reflection density,and
room mode (resonance) distribution. You might be wondering why the room size is not continuously variable from large to small. Due to
factors such as air absorption and the non-linear absorptive and resistance properties of various physical materials, it is not enough to simply
“scale” a fixed room algorithm to accommodate different room sizes. Unique room algorithms have been designed for each of the seven room
sizes to optimize their respective physical properties and sonic characteristics.

Tip: Depending on the program material, the differences between the various room sizes may seem somewhat subtle at first listen. As you are
exploring the room size algorithms, we recommend that you audition full-range material. Listen to how the bass reacts as the distribution of
resonant modes adjusts. In many cases, you might prefer a room size model slightly larger than your intended room size. Working in tandem
with the reverb time controls, you can quickly find a room that responds in a natural and dynamic way to your desired program material.

In addition to the original factory hardware presets, for the first time ever, new presets are included (studios, scoring stages, halls,
sacred spaces) that accurately emulate the enclosed volume and spatial properties of several real-world spaces. Note that each of these
presets is singularly unique and derived completely algorithmically (e.g. no convolution is utilized). When using these new algorithms, we
recommend staying relatively close to the prescribed settings; however, various creative and potentially unexpected creative results might be
achieved by exploring more extreme parameters.

Please Note:
The room simulator modeling algorithms are unique for each of the room simulator’s seven room sizes (e.g. they are not simply scaled
algorithms). During the course of its 13+ years of production (1982-1995), the hardware underwent minor revisions that influenced how some
of these room models sounded and behaved in subsequent generations. These changes were not particularly well-documented to the public,
so it is somewhat difficult tracking and determining which hardware units are running particular algorithms. One of the most audible evolutions
occurred in the “10.4” room size. At its initial release, the 10.4 room size performed more similarly to the larger 10.5 and 10.6 room sizes
in regards to the onset envelope and dispersion of early reflections. At longer reverb times, this model also carries slight inherent ringing in the
tail. We hypothesize that there was customer demand to modify the 10.4 algorithm to utilize a higher pulse density at onset (e.g. a higher
density of early reflections) and to reduce metallic ringing in the tail. Sometime in the mid-80s, the 10.4 algorithm was modified to utilize
characteristics of some of the smaller room models (10.3). We generally prefer the original 10.4 room algorithm when used at moderate
and natural settings across the majority of program material, and so have modeled the plugin on this version. In the future, we may allow the
user to access alternate versions of the hardware to explore different sonic variations.

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17: System Bandwidth (SYS. BW.)

The System Bandwidth control allows selection between the modeled bandwidth of the original hardware unit (10kHz) or full bandwidth
(20kHz). Many early digital reverbs such as the Lexicon 224 had reduced bandwidth due to their limited sampling rates. In the case
of the German Room Simulator, a fixed sampling rate of 20,000 Hz dictated that the bandwidth would be limited to 10kHz. As a result, the
anti-aliasing low-pass filters at the AD/DA stages needed to be very affective at attenuating signals directly below 10kHz. The German Room
Simulator utilized a novel design consisting of custom cascaded high-order filters to achieve an abrupt, yet natural high frequency roll-
off that begins at approximately 8kHz. The sonic character these filters impart on the sound is often a desired characteristic of early reverbs,
simulating the high-frequency absorption characteristics of many real-world rooms while having the added benefit of attenuating any harsh
artifacts that might exist in the extreme ranges of the reverb algorithm. Finally, the phase distortion that occurs with such high-order filters
creates additional discorrelation from the source signal and serves to enhance reverb depth in a natural way. Because of this discorrelation,
you might find that you are able to use a lower-level of reverb return when set to 10kHz to achieve your desired effect.

Please note that System Bandwidth operates independently of the High End high-frequency reverb time multiplier. Please reference section
13-15 on Reverb Time for additional information on the simulation of high-frequency attenuation or boosting. Please also note that the 10kHz
bandwidth setting does not affect the Direct Level, as there was no way to pass through the direct signal on the original hardware.

18: Levels (Dir. Level, 1st RFL Level, Rev. Level, Main Level)
New to this plugin, the Levels section provides a convenient mixer to quickly establish desired levels from within the plugin interface. Note
that the 1st Reflection Level and Reverb Level continuously update their respective counterparts in the central GUI section. Traditionally, the
hardware room simulator has been used as a “Send” as there was no way to pass direct audio through the unit. To optimize CPU efficiency,
we generally recommend this configuration in favor of using the plugin as a channel insert. Please note that Direct Level always defaults to the
“off” position when the plugin is first initiated. When using the plugin as an insert, the user must manually turn on the Direct Level.

19: Power Switch

The power switch provides a simple and convenient way to reset the memory (buffer) of the reverb. On startup, the current version number of
the plugin will flash briefly on the Preset (PRGM) LCD.

Notice: as with any audio plugin using high internal feedback-

loops, we highly recommend utilizing proper safeguards to protect
against accidental overshoots that can potentially damage audio
equipment. At the minimum, we recommend inserting a limiter
directly after any instances of Quantum Room Simulator.

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