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Stereo Box - v1.0
A stereo field manipulator. Similar to the Waves StereoImager (DX) or PSP StereoControl (VST).
Parameters
* Gain
- Increases/decreases the input gain. Gain is from 0% to 200%
* Width
- Expands/shrinks the stereo field. Max is from 0% (mono) to 300%. No effect on mono sounds.
* LRBalance
- A "typical" left/right balance control. Shifts sound from full left channel to full right channel. This balance control is not linear-gain (i.e., the overall gain changes across the parameter range)
* Center Axis
- Balance control for the monophonic "center" part of the sound.
Rotates the center axis -45 to +45 degrees, keeping the stereo
information intact. Also known as center asymmetry.
Acts as a linear-gain typical balance control on mono sounds. (i.e.,
the overall gain does not change across the parameter range)
* Stereo Axis
- Balance control for the stereo part of the sound.
Rotates the stereo axis -45 to +45 degrees, keeping the center
information intact. Also known as asymmetry or stereo asymmetry.
No effect on mono sounds
(* the stereo axis control is inverted)
* Rotation
- Rotates both the center axis and stereo axis together, from
-45 to +45 degrees.
Acts as a linear-gain typical balance control on mono sounds.
Attributes
* Sub-Tick resolution - Determines how often (in samples) the anticlick
routine is triggered. Lower values = finer
resolution = much more CPU.
Default is every 32 samples.
* Anticlick strength - Value to reduce clicking on parameter changes.
Parameters will slide quickly from the old value
to the new value on every subtick (define above).
The strength value defines a maximum percentage of
change the value can make on each subtick until it
reaches the target value. Higher values = better
anticlick = longer sliding = more cpu.
Default is 80.
Usage
The following diagram resembles an audio vector/phase scope.
(And no, a vectorscope is not a symbol of peace =)
The top half of the graph resembles the control display of
the Waves StereoImager DX plugin. The full graph is a 360
degree circle that represents channel and phase information
in an audio signal.
(C) [0 degrees]
----------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------##############------------------------
-----------------------#####----##-----####---------------------
---------------------####-------##--------###-------------------
--------[-45] (L)--###----------##----------###--(R) [45 deg]--- C = Center Channel
------------------##############################----------------
-----------------####-----------##----------#####--------------- S = Stereo Channel
----------------##--###---------##---------###--##--------------
---------------##-----##--------##--------##-----##------------- L = Left Channel
--------------###------##-------##------###-------##------------
--------------##--------###-----##-----###---------#------------ R = Right Channel
--------------#-----------##----##----##-----------##-----------
-------------##------------##---##--###------------##-----------
-------------#--------------###-##-###--------------#-----------
-------------#----------------######----------------#-----------
--[-90] (S) -########################################- (-S) [90]
-------------########################################-----------
-------------#------------------##------------------#-----------
-------------##-----------------##------------------#-----------
-------------##-----------------##-----------------##-----------
--------------#-----------------##-----------------##-----------
--------------##----------------##----------------##------------
---------------##---------------##----------------##------------
---------------##---------------##---------------##-------------
----------------##--------------##--------------##--------------
-----------------###------------##-------------##---------------
------------------###-----------##-----------###----------------
--------------------###---------##----------###-----------------
-------------(-R)----####-------##-------####----(-L)-----------
------------------------#####---##----#####---------------------
---------------------------#############------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------
To understand the diagram, think about a stereo signal over time.
A normal signal would exist on most points on the graph. A perfect
stereo white noise signal would look like a square diamond shape going
from C to -S (on the right) -C (bottom) to S back to C. Decreasing the
volume of the stereo whitenoise signal would make the diamond smaller
(Amplitude exists as distance from the center). A monophonic sinewave
would exist only on the C axis, oscillating from C to -C (the bottom
of the graph). A sinewave on the Left speaker would oscillate only
on the L axis, from L to -L. (-L is the opposite part of the L axis,
if you follow the L axis through the center to the opposite edge of
the circle.
To understand the Axes (plural of axis not axe) and Rotation, think of
the sound being shifted to follow the axis. Specifically, the axis
component of the sound is shifted to follow the axis modification.
So, rotating the Center Axis 45 degrees to the right would merge it
with the Right Channel axis, making all of the center part of the
sound shift to the right speaker. However, the original stereo part
of the sound stays the same. Conversely, rotating the stereo axis 45
degrees merges it with the left channel (remember, the SAxis control
is inverted, so 45 degrees is actually -45 degrees).
Imagine the stereo whitenoise again as a diamond shaped-plot on the
graph, but this time imagine only the outside edge, being a bounding
box for the sound. If you connect the endpoints of the C and S axes,
you will have this bounding box. If you rotate the Center or Stereo Axes,
the points of the bounding box that lie on the C orS Axis will rotate
around the circle. The bounding box shape will change accordingly (See
the figures below). Note that the rotated axes are not the "new"
axes. The original axes still show the sound properties, but now of
the "new" sound. The best way to learn is to experiment. Using a
vector/phase scope helps too if you want to visualize things.
Fortunately, the Zephod Scope effect can be used as such (rotate the
display 45 degrees to the right, and swap the Left and Right channels).
If all of that confuses you, then play with the machine. You'll understand
what it does when you use it awhile =)
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
Sounds that exist on the S axis but not (or barely) on the
C axis are out of phase. This means that 1) when converting the
sound to stereo, you will diminish or convert parts of the sound to
silence (especially bad for bass), 2) when listening to the sound in
stereo, it may cause extra fatigue and uncomfortability (it is
stressful for your ears and brain), 3) when listening to the sound
in stereo, bass sections will be produced by the speakers but will be
muted in airspace, since the left and right speakers will cancel each
other out in the middle.
All of the controls are designed to preserve phase, or, not to make
sounds out of phase. However, special conditions can occur. Rotating
a sound that is purely on the left or right channels (which is
unnatural as it is btw) can cause a sound to become out of phase.
Read the rest of the text including hand drawn images here
Made by Rymix