Audio Damage Ronin Audio Effect User’s Guide

Ronin User’s Guide

Audio Damage, Inc.

Release 1.0

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The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Audio Damage, Inc. The software described by this document is subject to a License Agreement and may not be copied to other media except as specifically allowed in the License Agreement. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or otherwise transmitted or recorded, for any purpose, without prior written permission by Audio Damage, Inc.

VST is a trademark of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH. All other product and company names are trademarks of their respective owners.

© 2005 Audio Damage, Inc.

All rights reserved.

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License Agreement

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Customer may make one (1) archival copy of the Software provided Customer affixes to such copy all copyright, confidentiality, and proprietary notices that appear on the original.

EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY AUTHORIZED ABOVE, CUSTOMER SHALL NOT: COPY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART,

SOFTWARE OR DOCUMENTATION; MODIFY THE SOFTWARE; REVERSE COMPILE OR REVERSE ASSEMBLE ALL

OR ANY PORTION OF THE SOFTWARE; OR RENT, LEASE, DISTRIBUTE, SELL, OR CREATE DERIVATIVE WORKS

OF THE SOFTWARE.

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Except for the foregoing, the Software is provided AS IS. This limited warranty extends only to Customer as the original licensee. Customer's exclusive remedy and the entire liability of Audio Damage and its suppliers under this limited warranty will be, at Audio Damage or its service center's option, repair, replacement, or refund of the Software if reported (or, upon request, returned) to the party supplying the Software to

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This warranty does not apply if the software (a) has been altered, except by Audio Damage, (b) has not been installed, operated, repaired, or maintained in accordance with instructions supplied by Audio Damage, (c) has

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been subjected to abnormal physical or electrical stress, misuse, negligence, or accident, or (d) is used in ultrahazardous activities.

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Credits

Software Design and Construction, Documentation

Chris Randall

Adam Schabtach

Field Testing

Wade Alin

Carl Downing

Mike Fisher

Made Possible By

Tracie Bork

Lisa Randall

Fuzzy Logic

Alex

Chica

Fatty

Widget

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Welcome

Thank you for purchasing Ronin, Audio Damage’s modular multi-effects plug-in. While Ronin was built primarily for delay-based effects and looping, its modular architecture and complement of filters and lowfrequency oscillators allows it to create a wide range of sounds.

This manual provides a brief overview of Ronin, followed by detailed descriptions of all of its modules. You’re entirely welcome to plunge ahead, install Ronin, and flip through its presets without reading any further.

However, to make full use of Ronin’s extensive capabilities, you will find it helpful to return to this document for a thorough reading. This manual provides detailed descriptions of all of the modules, information about using MIDI hardware to control Ronin, and in-depth explanations of four example presets to illustrate how

Ronin patches are created and used.

Warning

Ronin is a powerful and flexible plug-in which allows you to connect signal processing modules together in almost endless ways. There is nothing that will stop you from creating feedback loops, howling oscillations, and badly distorted signals. This power comes with a price: Ronin can generate extremely loud sounds, suddenly and without warning. Please be cautious and use moderate volume levels with your speakers or headphones. As with any new audio toy, you should be particularly careful when you are first learning to use

Ronin.

Throughout this manual, we call attention to feedback configurations that are particularly likely to create loud sounds. Remember, though, that the health and safety of your ears (and your speakers) is your responsibility.

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System Requirements

To use Ronin, you'll need the following as a minimum.

For use with computers running Microsoft Windows:

 Windows 98 or later

 256 MB RAM

 Pentium III 600 MHz CPU

 High Color S-VGA Display

 Steinberg VST-compatible host application, preferably conforming to the VST 2.0 specifications. In addition, your VST host must be able to route MIDI messages to plug-ins if you wish to use Ronin’s

MIDI features.

For use with Apple Macintosh computers:

 Mac OS X version 10.2 or later. We do not support the use of our plug-ins with versions of the MacOS earlier than10.2, and we strongly recommend using version 10.3.

 256 MB RAM

 G4 500 MHz CPU

 Display capable of “thousands of colors”

 Steinberg VST-compatible host application, preferably conforming to the VST 2.0 specifications. In addition, your VST host must be able to route MIDI messages to plug-ins if you wish to use Ronin’s

MIDI features.

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Installation

Installation is straightforward: Double-click the Ronin Installer icon, and follow the instructions. During the installation process the installer will ask you to enter your registration code. Your registration code uniquely identifies your purchase, and you will need it if you need to reinstall your plug-in (for example, after upgrading to a new computer). Keep a copy of the code in a safe location and please don’t share it with your friends. We’re delighted if you like our products so much that you want to share them, but please ask your friends to buy their own copy so that we can keep making cool new products.

To un-install from OSX, simply delete the plug-in from your VST folder. To un-install from Windows, use the included un-installer application.

We assume that you are familiar with using VST plug-ins with your particular VST host. If you have general questions about using VST plug-ins with your host, please refer to its documentation.

Note for MacOS X users: you must be logged in to a user account with administration privileges to run the

Ronin installer.

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Overview

Here is a picture of Ronin’s editor window, followed by brief descriptions of its modules and their controls:

1. Delays – two delay modules, each up to 12 seconds long, with coarse and fine time controls, looping, reverse playback, time sync to your VST host’s current tempo, and bypass switches.

2. Filters – two multi-mode filters, with morphing between low pass, band pass, high pass, and notch frequency response modes.

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3. Saturators – two saturation stages for creating tube-like distortion.

4. Output and Panning – two sets of output level and stereo panning controls.

5. Master Level Controls – gain controls for the input signal and the processed and unprocessed output signals, switches to mix the input signals to mono and to silence the input signal altogether.

6. Meters – level meters for visually monitoring the loudness of the plug-in’s input and output signals.

7. LFOs – two low-frequency oscillators for modulating the signal-processing modules, or each other, with four basic wave shapes, a shape control which warps the wave shapes in different ways, and a sync button which causes the LFO to follow the tempo of your VST host.

8. Envelope Follower – a modulator that measures the loudness of the incoming sound and generates a modulation signal for creating effects such as automatic filter sweeps, triggered flanging, and ducked delays.

9. Routing Matrix – two sets of switching matrixes for connecting the inputs and outputs of all signalprocessing modules, and for connecting the modulators to parameters of the signal-processing modules.

10. Status Display – displays the name of the control currently underneath the mouse cursor and its current value. As you move any control, the status display shows its new value.

Each of these modules operates completely independently. For example, you can use one delay module looping several seconds of audio while using the second delay module to add a slapback echo.

Routing Matrix

Ronin has two arrays of switches, together called the routing matrix, for making connections between audio modules and modulators. There are two arrays, one for connecting modulators to the audio modules that they control, and one for connecting audio modules to each other. This is because Ronin treats audio data and modulation data differently. You cannot use audio data as a source of modulation data, and you cannot listen to modulation data.

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The switch arrays allow the audio modules to be connected to each other in any order or combination. Signals from one module can be connected to several other modules, and the signals from several modules can be mixed together and fed to one or more other modules.

The audio routing matrix is the most dangerous part of Ronin. Because you may patch the audio inputs or outputs of any module to any other, you can create signal chains that would not be useful under normal circumstances, such as routing filters back in to themselves, a practice that will almost certainly result in banshee wails of feedback. For the most part, we have compensated for this with safety measures. However, if you find that a patch has gotten away from you, you may hold down the

CTRL

key on your computer’s keyboard and click on the routing matrix, and all switches will go to their “off” position, effectively removing the patch entirely.

Depth Controls

Each parameter in Ronin that can be modulated (that is, controlled by a modulator) has a small slider next to its main control knob. This slider is the modulation depth control. It determines how much the modulator affects the parameter. Thus you can make a modulator affect an audio module only slightly, such as to create a subtle vibrato by modulating the delay time of one of the delay lines. Or a modulator can vary a parameter over a wide range, such as creating dramatic timbral sweeps by moving the frequency of a filter up and down.

The depth controls are also bidirectional, in that moving them up makes the modulator increase the value of the parameter it controls, and moving them down make the modulator decrease the value of the controlled parameter. This affects different parameters in different ways; the detailed descriptions of each module found later in this manual explain specifically how their depth controls work.

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Audio Modules

Ronin is made up of several independent audio-processing modules. Like a modular synthesizer, the connections between these modules are not permanently fixed. You can connect the modules in any order you desire. This flexibility presents a wide range of signal processing configurations that aren’t available with other delay-based plug-ins. The connections between modules are made with a switching matrix similar to the ones found on EMS analogue synthesizers.

Delays

The two delay modules in Ronin are the main audio processors. The delay modules accurately emulate the behavior of older digital delays and tape delays, recreating their characteristic interdependence of pitch and time. If you lengthen the delay time while an audio signal re-circulates in the delay, you will hear its pitch drop. If you shorten the delay time, the pitch goes up. Most contemporary digital delays—both hardware and software—do not exhibit this behavior and cannot create the range of weird and wonderful sounds of their older counterparts. On the other hand, older digital delays usually had limited dynamic range and undesirable distortion. Ronin’s delays use 32-bit floating-point samples to create a full-bandwidth, noise-free delay.

Each delay has a maximum delay time of 12 seconds. The delay times are freely adjustable across their entire range, and can be locked to the tempo of your VST host sequencer. The delays can be used as loop recorders, letting you record new audio over a repeating phrase. The loops can also play backwards, even during recording.

With just one of the two delay modules, you can record a phrase as a loop, transpose it down an octave by slowing it down to half its original speed, record a new phrase over the top, turn the whole loop around and play it backwards, transpose it up by speeding it up, record another phrase on top, and so on—all in real time, without stopping. Of course you can also use the delay modules for all standard delay-based effects such as echo, ping-pong delay, flanging, chorusing, etc.

There are three main controls in the delay module:

Time

,

Fine

, and the multiplier switches. These three controls together determine the delay time of the module. The

Time

knob and the multiplier switches can be thought of as the coarse controls. The range of the time knob is zero

1

to one second. The multiplier switches multiply the

1

Because of the emulation of older delay lines, the minimum delay time is actually not quite zero. It’s a few samples more than zero, but less than one millisecond.

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setting of the time knob by one, two, four, or eight. For example, if you set the time knob to the 12 o’clock position (its halfway point) and the multiplier switch to x4, the coarse delay time is two seconds, because half of one second times four is two seconds.

The

Fine

knob multiplies the coarse time determined by the settings of the time knob and multiplier switches.

The range of the time fine knob is 0.5 to 1.5. At its halfway setting, its value is 1.0. The total delay time of the delay module is determined by multiplying the coarse delay time by the value of the time fine knob.

Continuing our example, if you set the time fine knob to its maximum value (1.5), the total delay time would be three seconds, because two seconds times 1.5 is three seconds.

Note that as you adjust any of these controls, the total delay time is shown in the status display. To set the delays to a specific time, first set the multiplier switch to determine the overall range of delay times, then use the time knob to set the delay time to the approximate value, then use the time fine knob to dial in the delay time precisely. (Note that most VST hosts have a “fine control” mode, usually enabled by pressing the

SHIFT key while manipulating a control. You may find this useful for setting delay times exactly.)

Usually we don’t think about delay times in terms of seconds and milliseconds when we’re writing music. We think in terms of rhythmic units, like an eighth note. Ronin can follow the tempo of your VST host sequencer and automatically calculate delay times to match rhythmic units, thus saving you from having to pull out your calculator in the middle of a recording session. Simply turn on the

Sync

switch in the delay module. Now, as you adjust the time knob, you will see that the status display shows the display time in metrical units. Delay times are expressed as fractions of a beat, with the assumption that a beat is one quarter of a measure, at the current tempo of your VST sequencer. Dotted times are represented with the addition of a period (.) in the display, and triplets are represented by a capital T. For example, a sixteenth-note triplet is shown as 1/16 T in the display.

The fine knob is not affected by the sync switch and the VST host’s tempo. Its value is still applied after the delay time is determined by the setting of the time knob, the multiplier switches, and the current tempo. This means that you can nudge the delay time a little shorter or a little longer than the precise metrical time shown in the status display, so that your delayed audio sits in the groove of your song. This also means that in order for the value shown in the display to be correct, you must set the time fine knob to its default center position, so that its value is 1.0. (Most VST hosts let you set a control to its default value by holding down the

CTRL

key on your keyboard as you click the control.)

Remember that the two delay modules operate entirely independently, and have independent sync switches.

This can be handy if you want to use one delay for tempo-based delay effects while using the other for short delay effects such as doubling, chorusing or flanging. For these effects you should set the sync switch to off since they depend upon short delay times which have no relationship to your song’s tempo. (Of course,

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sweeping the delay time of a flanger in sync with your song’s tempo can be a cool effect, which you can achieve by using Ronin’s LFOs to modulate the delay time, with the LFO’s sync switch turned on. See the section on LFOs for more information.)

The feedback knob (whose name is abbreviated

Fdback

in Ronin’s window) controls the level of the signal that is fed into the delay line. The delay line has two inputs: a main input, which has no level-control knob, and a feedback input which has the

Fdback

level-control knob. Unlike most hardware and software delay processors, the feedback input is not directly connected to the output of the delay line. You can connect any signal to the feedback input, using Ronin’s signal switching matrix (described later in this manual). This means that you can connect other modules in the feedback path of delay, such as a filter to make the delayed signal change in timbre as it circulates through the delay. You can also connect the output of one delay module to the feedback input of the other, and vice-versa, to create “ping-pong delay” effects that bounce the signal back and forth in the stereo field. Note, however, that you must connect the feedback input to something with the signal matrix before you’ll hear anything happen when you turn up the feedback level knob.

The

Loop

switch makes the delay act as a real-time loop recorder. When you turn on the Loop switch, any signal that is currently in the delay line will play over and over again, indefinitely (or rather, until you turn off the Loop switch, turn off the power to your computer, etc.). Any new signal that enters the input of the delay is overdubbed onto the looped audio, building up layers of sound. You can use the delay time knobs to change the length of the loop and its playback speed, altering the pitch of the looped audio.

When the Loop switch is turned on, the feedback input is automatically turned off. This is to make it easier to switch back and forth between looping and non-looping delay applications. If the feedback input were left on when the loop was turned on, the audio in the delay line would be added to itself over and over again, rapidly creating a thick, distorted mess.

The Reverse switch (abbreviated

Rev

in Ronin’s window) causes the delay line to record and play back in the opposite direction. The effect of the Reverse switch is slightly different depending on whether or not the Loop switch is turned on. If the Loop switch is turned on, turning on the Reverse switch causes any audio currently being played in the loop to play backwards, over and over. You can record new audio over the backwards audio, and then turn the Reverse switch off to hear the original audio played forwards again and the newly recorded audio played backwards. If the Loop switch is not turned on, you will hear the audio currently in the delay line played backwards once, and then all subsequent audio will be played forwards, because the new audio coming into the delay line is being recorded in the same direction as the audio coming out of the delay line. Yes, this is a little confusing at first, but it becomes more understandable (and a lot of fun) as you play with it.

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The

Thru

switch bypasses the delay line, sending its input signal directly to its output. The delayed signal is still sent to the output. This enables you to use the Loop switch to record and loop some audio, then play new material mixed with the loop, but not added to the loop itself. For example, you can record a phrase in the loop and then solo over the top of the phrase without adding to the loop by pressing the Thru switch.

Filters

Ronin has two multi-mode filters, modeled after the filters found in analog synthesizers. “Multi-mode” means that the filters have different response modes: low pass, high pass, band pass, and notch (or band reject). An unusual feature of Ronin’s filters allows you to “morph” between the different response modes rather than simply choosing one of the four. The filters have a resonance control and will self-oscillate at high resonance settings. The two filters operate completely independently and, thanks to Ronin’s signal-routing matrix, can be combined to create more complex filtering effects.

The main filter control is the frequency knob (whose name is abbreviated to

Freq

in Ronin’s window). This control sets the center frequency, or cutoff frequency, of the filter. The filter passes and attenuates signals depending on their frequency relative to the center frequency, and the mode of the filter, as follows:

 Low pass: signals whose frequency is below the center frequency are passed unmodified, signals whose frequency is above the center frequency are attenuated.

 High pass: signals whose frequency is above the center frequency are passed unmodified, signals whose frequency is below the center frequency are attenuated.

 Band pass: signals whose frequency is near the center frequency are passed unmodified, signals whose frequency is further away from the center frequency are attenuated.

 Notch: signals whose frequency is near the center frequency are attenuated, signals whose frequency is further away from the center frequency are passed unmodified.

The resonance control (whose name is abbreviated to

Res

in Ronin’s window) causes the response mode of the filter to be sharper or more pronounced. For the low pass and high pass modes, turning up the resonance emphasizes signals whose frequency is near the center frequency. In the band pass mode, turning up the resonance narrows the band of frequencies that are passed without attenuation. In the notch mode turning up the resonance narrows the band of frequencies that are attenuated. This means, somewhat paradoxically, that

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the effect of the notch mode is most apparent when the resonance is turned all the way down, because this makes the notch widest.

Note that a resonant filter has greater than unity gain—it amplifies signals near the center frequency. This is what creates its unique sonic character, but it can have a tricky consequence within Ronin. If you set up the signal routing in the signal matrix such that the filter is included in a feedback loop, the entire loop will eventually start to oscillate and generate extremely loud signals. If you connect the output of a filter to its own input, or connect the two filters together so that the outputs of each are sent to the other’s input, you will almost certainly be rewarded by a loud and potentially piercing noise. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

The

Mode

knob sets the frequency response mode of the filter. Rather than clicking between the four modes, the knob rotates freely, providing response modes that are in between two modes. When the indicator mark points at one of the reference marks on the panel, the filter’s response corresponds to that mode. The modes are abbreviated on the panel to save space: LP for Low Pass, BP for Band Pass, HP for High Pass, and NT for

Notch. For example, if you set the knob to halfway between LP and BP, the filter’s response will be a blend of the low pass and band pass modes, and pass more low-frequency signals than the simple band pass mode.

Saturators

Ronin’s saturators distort signals that pass through them, somewhat like a guitarist’s distortion pedal or an overdriven tube pre-amp. The saturators distort the signal by amplifying it and flattening the peaks of the loud signals using a process known as soft clipping. The saturators have a number of potential uses within Ronin, such as distorting the original signal to give it a brighter, punchier, and more aggressive sound, istorting delayed signals to emulate the less-than-pristine characteristics of older hardware delays, and distorting signals to increase their harmonic content making subsequent filtering more noticeable.

The saturators each have a single control that adjusts how much they boost and distort the signal. If the knob is all the way counter-clockwise, the saturators have almost no effect on the signal passing through them. As you turn the knob up, the output signal becomes louder and more distorted.

Because the saturators work in part by amplifying the signal, use them with caution, particularly if you place them in a feedback loop with other modules. Turning up the saturator’s knob even a little bit will cause the signals in the feedback loop to grow louder quite rapidly. Also, connecting the output of a saturator directly to its own input is generally not something that you should do.

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Output Level and Panning Controls

The

Pan

and

Lvl

(short for level) knobs in the Master Controls section control the last processing stage that the signal passes through. Signals connected to

OUT 1

and

OUT 2

in the audio switching matrix are directed to this passing stage. The output level and panning modules are the last processing stage that the signals pass through before leaving the plug-in. You can think of this module as a simple two-channel mixer with stereo outputs. The order in which the other processing modules are connected can be changed freely with the signal matrix, but the signal always passes through the output and panning module last.

The pan knobs determine the position of the output signal in the stereo field. Obviously you must use Ronin in a stereo context in your host sequencer for these knobs to be useful. Ronin uses a special panning algorithm to create a more interesting sense of spaciousness than a standard equal-power panning algorithm. (What does that mean?

It means that it sounds cool.)

The

Lvl

knobs amplify or attenuate the

OUT 1

and

OUT 2

controls. Each has a range of –80dB, which effectively silences all but the loudest signals, to +3dB, which provides a small amount of boost. Often you will simply leave these knobs at their default position of 0dB (unity gain), but you can use them to adjust the relative signal levels of

OUT 1

and

OUT 2

when using them to process signals in two different ways.

Master Input and Output Controls

The input and output knobs, found just below the meters, provide adjustable amplification and attenuation of the signals as they enter and leave the plug-in. Each has a range of –80dB, which effectively silences all but the loudest signals, to +3dB, which provides a small amount of boost. Since Ronin is capable of creating effects with a wide dynamic range, the input and output controls are helpful for keeping signals within useful levels.

The

Input

knob adjusts the overall level of the signal arriving at Ronin’s input from your host sequencer. It affects both the left and right channels equally.

The

Wet

knob adjusts the level of the signals leaving Ronin. It affects both the left and right channels equally. This knob is useful for taming Ronin’s occasionally high output level, and for adjusting the balance of processed and unprocessed signals if you’re using

Ronin as an insert effect.

The

Dry

knob adjusts the amount of unprocessed signal that is send directly from

Ronin’s inputs to its outputs. If you’re using Ronin as a send effect, you’ll usually want turn this knob all the

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way counter-clockwise, since the unprocessed signal is already being sent into your mix via its channel strip.

On the other hand, if you’re using Ronin as an insert effect, you’ll usually set this knob to unity gain (0 dB).

If the

Mono

switch is turned on, the left and right input signals are added together and the summed signal is used for both the left and right input channels within Ronin. You may find this switch useful if you’re created a preset intended for stereo processing, and later decide that it would be useful for processing a mono signal.

The

Kill

switch, when turned on, silences the input signal altogether. This switch can be used for fun effects like dub delays, in which only an occasional snare hit or the last word of a vocal line is passed through the delay. Just turn the Kill switch on, wait for the snare hit, and turn the switch off then back on again just long enough to let the snare through.

The Kill switch is also useful when using the delays for looping. After turning the loop switch on, turn the Kill switch on. Now your looped audio will play indefinitely, and incoming audio will not be added to the loop.

Phase Switches

The two

Phase

switches near the lower right corner of Ronin’s window affect the plug-in’s left and right input signals as they enter the signal switching matrix. If the

Invert

switch is turned on, the corresponding signal is inverted, or given opposite polarity. Inverting a signal can cause interesting phase-cancellation effects when you mix the signal with the original, after delaying it or processing it in some other manner.

Meters

Ronin has meters that reflect the current level of the input and output signals. Separate meters are provided for the dry (unprocessed) output and the wet (processed) output.

The input meters measure the signal after it passes through the input level control, but before it is affected by the Mono and Kill switches. The dry output meters measure the dry signal after it has passed through the dry output level control, but before it is mixed with the processed signal, so you can see how much of the original signal is added to the overall output of Ronin. The wet output meters measure the processed signal after it has passed through the panners and wet output level control, but before it is mixed with the dry signal.

The meters represent the signal level relative to a full-scale digital signal, so if you

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see them banging regularly against the top of their range, you probably want to turn down the corresponding level control a bit.

Routing Matrix

The signal routing matrix, found on the right in the Routing Matrix section of Ronin’s window, is how you connect the audio processing modules to each other, and to the plug-in’s inputs and outputs. All of the inputs and outputs for each audio module are represented in the signal routing matrix. The audio signal from any module can be connected to the inputs of one or more other modules. Signals from several modules can be mixed together and connected to one or more other modules.

You can think of signals entering the routing matrix at the top and leaving on the right. The columns are labeled with the outputs of audio modules, and the inputs to the plug-in itself. This may seem slightly confusing at first, but consider that both of these are sources of audio signals within Ronin. The signal sources are labeled across the top of the matrix as follows, in left to right order:

IN L

,

IN R

: the left and right inputs to the plug-in. Audio signals coming from your

VST host arrive here. You have to connect at least one of these signals to something else in the matrix in order to process audio. (Note that the input signal is also always mixed with Ronin’s output, in an amount controlled by the dry level knob in the Master Controls section.)

DLY 1

,

DLY 2

: the outputs of the two delay modules.

FLT 1

,

FLT 2

: the outputs of the two multi-mode filters.

SAT 1

,

SAT 2

: the outputs of the two saturation modules.

The rows in the matrix are labeled with the inputs of audio modules, and the outputs of the plug-in itself.

Again this may seem slightly confusing, but both of these are destinations for audio signals. So by turning on switches in the matrix, you connect audio sources to audio destinations. The signal destinations are labeled down the right side of the matrix as follows, in top to bottom order:

DLY 1

,

DLY 2

: the inputs of the two delay modules.

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FBK 1

,

FBK 2

: the feedback inputs of the two delay modules. Signals routed to these destinations are mixed with signals routed to the

DLY 1

and

DLY 2

destinations, and the mixed signals enter the delay lines. The levels of the signals routed through the

FBK

inputs are controlled by the fdback knobs.

FLT 1

,

FLT 2

: the inputs of the two multi-mode filters.

SAT 1

,

SAT 2

: the inputs of the two saturation modules.

OUT 1

,

OUT 2

: the outputs of the plug-in. Audio signals routed to these destinations are sent to your VST host, after passing through the output level and panning controls. You must connect something to these destinations in order to hear the audio processed by Ronin. Note that the

OUT 1

and

OUT 2

signal destinations are independent and not directly associated with the left and right output channels of the plug-in.

If a Ronin patch does true stereo processing, usually the

OUT 1

signal will be assigned to the plug-in’s left output by turning its pan knob all the way to the left, and the

OUT 2

signal will be assigned to the right output by turning its pan knob all the way to the right.

To make a connection in the matrix, click at the intersection of the source and destination that you wish to connect. The status display shows you the source and destination currently pointed to by the mouse cursor.

An orange dot indicates that a connection is made between the source and destination. Click again on the dot to remove a connection. Hold down the

CTRL

key on your keyboard and click anywhere in the matrix to remove all of the connections at once.

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Modulators

Like a modular synthesizer, Ronin has a number of modulators, that is, modules that affect the behavior of other modules. A modulator alters one or more parameters of the audio-processing modules, or of other modulators. For example, a low-frequency oscillator (LFO) modulator can be used to modulate (change) the delay time of a short delay line to create a chorusing or flanging effect, or to vary the frequency of a filter to create a synthesizer-like timbre sweep. Ronin’s modulators are connected to its audio modules with a switching matrix.

Also, all of Ronin’s controls can be assigned to MIDI continuous controllers, so that you can adjust them directly with knobs or sliders on your MIDI keyboard.

LFOs

Ronin has two low-frequency oscillators (LFOs) which generate modulation signals that repeat over time. They have a variety of potential uses, such as varying the delay time of a delay processor slightly to create a flanging or chorusing effect, varying the cutoff frequency of a filter to create a wah-wah effect, or controlling the output level and panning parameters to create tremolo, auto-panning, or rhythmic gating effects. The

LFOs can be locked to the tempo of your VST host for creating rhythmic effects that fit with the groove of your music, or can run freely and independently.

The

Rate

knob determines how fast the output of the LFO varies over time. If the sync button is not turned on, the LFO’s rate can be varied from one cycle every 100 seconds (that is 0.01 cycles per second, abbreviated 0.01 Hz) to ten cycles every second (10 Hz). The LFO’s rate is displayed numerically in the status display as you rotate the rate knob.

The

Shape

knob and

Wave

buttons work together to control how the LFO’s output varies over time. The Wave buttons let you choose one of four waveforms, with triangular, rectangular, sinusoidal, and randomly determined shapes. The Shape knob changes the basic waveform in different ways, depending on which waveform is chosen with the Wave buttons.

 If the triangle wave is selected, and the Shape knob is set to the middle of its range, the output of the LFO rises and falls evenly between its lowest and highest values, creating a symmetric triangular wave. If you rotate the Shape knob to the left, the LFO output rises more quickly and falls more slowly, creating what

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is often called a sawtooth wave. If you rotate the Shape knob to the right, the LFO rises more slowly and falls more quickly, creating what is called a ramp wave.

 If the rectangle wave is selected, and the Shape knob is set to the middle of its range, the output of the

LFO jumps between its lowest and highest values, staying for an equal period of time at both values. If you rotate the Shape knob to the left, the output stays at its highest value for a shorter period of time. If you rotate the Shape knob to the right, the output stays at lowest value for a shorter period of time. In engineering terms, the Shape knob varies the duty cycle of the rectangular wave.

 If the sine wave is selected, and the Shape knob is set to the middle of its range, the output of the LFO varies smoothly between its lowest and highest values. The difference between a sine wave and a triangle wave is that the triangle wave abruptly changes direction when it reaches its highest and lowest values; whereas the sine wave gradually slows down, stops, and speeds up again when it changes directions.

Turning the Shape knob warps and skews the sine wave without creating any sharp corners in its shape.

Its effect is far easier to hear than to describe.

 If the random wave is selected, and the Shape knob is turned all the way to the left, the output of the LFO jumps to a random value, changing at a rate determined by the rate knob. As you rotate the Shape knob to the right, the output moves more slowly from one random value to the next.

The following diagram illustrates the different modulation signals generated by different settings of the shape and wave controls:

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Note that the output of the LFO is bipolar, that is, it varies above and below zero. When you use an LFO to modulate a parameter, the parameter will change up and down relative to the value that you set with its knob.

If the

Sync

button is turned on, the LFO’s rate is determined by the tempo of your music as reported by your

VST host sequencer. The rate of the LFO is shown in note time values in the status display. A display value of

1/1 represents a whole note, a value of 1/8 represents an eighth note, and so on. Dotted notes, which have a duration equal to one and a half times a regular note, are shown with a period in the display. For example

“1/4.” is displayed to indicate a dotted quarter note, which has a duration of a quarter note plus an eighth note. Triplets, which are groups of three notes that have the same duration as two regular notes, are shown with a T in the display. “1/16T” represents a duration equal to 2/3 that of a sixteenth note.

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If LFO 2’s

Reset

switch is turned on, the second LFO always resets to the beginning of its cycle when the first

LFO starts its sycle. This switch has no effect if the Sync switch is turned on.

Envelope Follower

The envelope follower generates a modulation signal by measuring the amplitude (or loudness) of the signal arriving at the plug-in’s inputs. The envelope follower always measures the two input signals added together, regardless of any connections made in the signal matrix.

The envelope follower has three controls which determine how it responds to the incoming signal:

The Sensitivity slider (labeled

S

) adjusts the envelope follower’s overall sensitivity to the input signal. Essentially it acts like a gain control for the envelope follower. If the modulation signal generated by the envelope follower is too weak, raise the Sensitivity slider.

The Attack slider (labeled

A

) adjusts how quickly the envelope follower responds to increases in the incoming signal’s level. If the Attack slider is at the bottom of its range, the envelope follower’s output jumps almost instantly in response to increases in the input signal’s level. As you raise the Attack slider, the envelope follower reacts more slowly to signal-level increases. The Attack slider is useful for making the envelope follower’s output smoother when the input signal contains sharp transients, such as drum sounds.

The Decay slider (labeled

D

) adjusts how quickly the envelope follower’s output decreases as the incoming signal’s level decreases. If the Decay slider is at the bottom of its range, the envelope follower’s output drops almost immediately when the input signal’s level decreases. As you raise the Decay slider, the envelope follower reacts more slowly to signal-level decreases. The Decay slider is useful for stretching the envelope follower’s output, making it fade away more slowly than the input signal.

Note that unlike the LFOs, the envelope follower’s output is not bipolar. Its output is never less than zero, so it always acts to increase the parameters that it modulates.

MIDI

Data from your MIDI keyboard or other MIDI controllers can be used as a modulator in several ways, enabling

Ronin’s effects to respond dynamically as you play.

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One modulation signal is generated from MIDI note numbers received by Ronin. If you play middle C (MIDI note number 64) on your keyboard, a modulation value of zero is generated. As you play up the keyboard from middle C, the modulation value increases. If you play C one octave above middle C, the modulation value is +1. If you play below middle C, the modulation value becomes negative. Playing C below middle C generates a modulation value of -1. The modulation values, like all modulation values in Ronin, do not go above or below +1 or -1, even if you play outside of the two-octave range centered on middle C.

Another modulation signal, similar to the gate signal found in analog synthesizers, is generated from MIDI note messages. Normally this modulation signal has a value of zero. When you press any key on your MIDI keyboard, the gate modulation signal becomes +1. If you play additional keys while still holding the first key, the gate signal stays at +1. After you release all of the keys, the gate signal returns to zero.

A third modulation signal is generated from MIDI continuous controller messages. This modulation signal responds to messages from MIDI continuous controller #1, which is the message usually sent by the modulation control (or “mod wheel”) found on most MIDI keyboards. The modulation value is generated directly from the data value sent by the controller. When the value of this controller message is zero, the modulation signal is also zero. As the controller data value increases (e.g., as you push the mod wheel forward), Ronin’s modulation value increases. When the controller value reaches 127, the modulation value becomes +1.

These modulation signals are used within Ronin’s modulation routing matrix to modulate the parameters of the audio modules. You can also control any of Ronin’s parameters with MIDI controllers by using the MIDI

Learn mode, which is described later in this manual.

Routing Matrix

The modulation routing matrix, found on the left in the Routing Matrix section of Ronin’s window, lets you connect the output of the modulators to modulation destinations. Most modulation destinations affect parameters in the audio modules, but the rates of the LFOs can also be modulated.

All of the modulation signal sources and all of the modulation destinations are represented in the modulation routing matrix. Any modulation signal can be connected to one or more modulation destinations. Modulation signals from several sources can be mixed together and connected to one or more destinations.

You can think of signals entering the routing matrix at the top and leaving on the right. The columns are labeled with the names of modulation sources, and the rows

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are labeled with the names of modulation destinations. The sources are labeled across the top of the matrix as follows, in left to right order:

ENV

: the output of the envelope follower.

LFO1

,

LFO2

: the outputs of the two low-frequency oscillators.

NOTE

: the modulation signal generated from MIDI note numbers, in proportion to their pitch.

GATE

: the modulation signal which is +1 when any MIDI notes are played, and zero after all notes are released.

CC#1

: the modulation signal generated from MIDI continuous controller messages for controller #1.

The rows in the matrix are labeled with modulation destinations, that is, parameters that can be affected by modulators. The modulation destinations are labeled down the right side of the matrix as follows, in top to bottom order:

DLY TM 1

,

DLY TM 2

: the delay times of the two delay modules. Modulation signals connected to this destination are added to the current position of the delay’s Fine knob. Use this destination to create effects such as flanging or chorusing by connecting it to an LFO.

LFO RT 1

,

LFO RT 2

: the rates of the two low-frequency oscillators. Modulation signals connected to this destination are added to the current position of the LFO’s Rate knob. Use this destination to make the LFOs speed up as you move the mod wheel on your MIDI keyboard. Or, borrowing an old trick used on modular analog synthesizers, connect an LFO’s output to its own rate modulation destination to create different wave shapes.

FLT FQ 1

,

FLT FQ 2

: the frequencies of the two filters. Modulation signals connected to this destination are added to the current position of the filter’s Freq knob. Use this destination to create synthesizer-like filtersweep effects.

PAN 1

,

PAN 2

: the stereo panning position of the two output signals. Modulation signals connected to these destinations are added to the current position of the Pan knobs in the Master Controls section. Use this destination to make Ronin’s output move around in the stereo field.

LVL 1

,

LVL 2

: the loudness level of the two output signals. Modulation signals connected to these destinations are added to the current position of the Lvl knobs in the Master Controls section. Use this

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destination to create tremolo effects with an LFO, or ducked-delay effects with the envelope follower. Want to simply gate audio by playing a note on your keyboard to create transformer effects? Use the MIDI gate modulation source and this modulation destination.

To make a connection in the matrix, click at the intersection of the source and destination that you wish to connect. The status display shows you the source and destination currently pointed to by the mouse cursor.

An orange dot indicates that a connection is made between the source and destination. Click again on the dot to remove a connection. Hold down the

CTRL

key on your keyboard and click anywhere in the matrix to remove all of the connections at once.

Depth Controls

Each modulation destination—that is, each parameter that can be modulated—has a modulation depth control.

The modulation depth controls are the small, arc-shaped sliders to the left of some of the knobs in Ronin’s window. These controls determine how much the modulation signals affect the parameter. If the depth control is at its center position (which is its default position), the modulation signal has no effect on the parameter.

Regardless of which modulation signals you connect to this destination in the modulation switch matrix, the parameter will not respond to these signals if the depth control is at its center position. As you move the depth control’s slider upwards, the modulation signal has an increasing effect on the parameter. If you move the slider only slightly above its center position, you will hear only a small change in the parameter as it responds to the modulation signal. A small amount of modulation is useful for effects that require only small changes in parameter values, such as varying the delay time in a flanger. If you move the slider to the top of its range, you will hear the parameter change over a wide range in response to the modulation signal. Large amounts of modulation are useful for complete changes in parameter values, such as panning a signal all the way from one side of the stereo field to the other or sweeping a filter’s frequency from completely closed to completely open.

If you move a depth control’s slider downwards from its center position, the modulation signal is inverted before affecting the parameter. As you move the slider downwards, the modulation signal has a greater effect on the parameter—but in the opposite direction than if you move the slider upwards. For example, suppose the envelope follower is connected to one of the filter’s frequency controls, and the frequency control’s depth control is moved upward from its center position. The filter frequency will increase when the incoming signal becomes louder, because the envelope follower generates a positive modulation signal that is proportional to the loudness of the incoming signal. (Controlling a filter with an envelope follower in this manner is often called an “auto-wah” effect.) If you move the depth control below its center position, the filter frequency will

decrease when the incoming signal becomes louder, because the modulation signal coming from the envelope follower is inverted before it is applied to the frequency parameter.

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Things become more complicated when using bipolar modulation sources, such as the LFOs. Since these modulation signals vary above and below zero, they increase and decrease value of the parameters that they modulate. If you connect an LFO to a filter, and raise the depth control slider, you will hear the filter’s frequency vary above and below the frequency set with its Freq knob. If you move the depth slider below its center position, you will still hear the frequency vary above and below the value set with the Freq knob, because although the modulation signal is now inverted, it is still bipolar. However, if you connect the same

LFO to both of Ronin’s filters, raise one filter’s modulation depth slider above its center position, and lower the other filter’s slider below the center position, you will hear one filter’s frequency go up while the other one goes down, and vice versa. The inverted modulation signal causes the filter’s frequency to move in the direction opposite the other filter’s frequency.

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MIDI Controllers

Ronin responds to MIDI continuous controller messages. You can use hardware MIDI controllers, such as MIDI slider boxes or the knobs found on some MIDI keyboards, to adjust Ronin’s parameters. Every control in

Ronin’s user interface can be manipulated with a MIDI controller, except the switches in the routing matrixes.

Ronin’s delay times, filter frequencies, output levels, and so on can all be placed under the control of your

MIDI hardware.

Ronin has a simple “MIDI Learn” mode for assigning its parameters to MIDI controllers. To assign a parameter to a MIDI controller:

1. Hold down the

SHIFT

and

CTRL

keys (

SHIFT

and

CMD

keys on a Mac) on your computer’s keyboard, and click once on the parameter’s control. An orange box will be drawn around the control to indicate that it is ready to learn which MIDI controller it will be assigned to.

2. Move the MIDI controller to send a continuous controller message—turn the knob, press the button, move the slider, whatever is appropriate.

3. The orange square will disappear. Now Ronin’s control will move when you manipulate the MIDI controller.

Ronin waits until it has received two consecutive continuous controller messages with the same controller number before it makes an assignment. This filters out extraneous data sent by some MIDI controllers. If you are assigning a button or switch on a MIDI controller, you may have to press or move the switch twice before

Ronin recognizes the controller and assigns it to the desired parameter.

 To assign a different MIDI controller to a control, repeat the same procedure.

 To cancel MIDI Learn mode without assigning a controller, hold down the

SHIFT

and

CTRL

keys (

SHIFT and

CMD

keys on a Mac) and click in any empty area in Ronin’s window (i.e., don’t click on another control).

 To remove a MIDI controller assignment from a control,

SHIFT

and

CTRL

keys, (

SHIFT

and

CMD

keys on a

Mac) click on the control once so that the orange box appears, then click again on the same control.

Ronin’s MIDI controller assignments are stored with the plug-in’s preset data. If you use MIDI controllers frequently, you may find it helpful to store a template preset that contains the controller assignments that you

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usually use. Use this template preset as a starting point when making new presets so that you do not have to reassign the MIDI controllers every time.

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Putting It All Together: Some Examples

Here are detailed descriptions of four of Ronin’s presets, which you will find near the bottom of the preset list.

These descriptions illustrate some of the techniques you will use to create your own effects with Ronin. Place

Ronin as an insert effect on a channel in your VST host, then load the presets as you read about them here.

Stereo Delay with Cross Feedback and Filtering

This preset demonstrates Ronin’s ability to set its delay times based on your VST host’s current tempo, and how to use the signal matrix for creating filtered delay and stereo delay effects.

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Look first at the Routing Matrix section. There are no connections in the modulation matrix, so the LFOs, envelope follower, and MIDI have no effect. In the signal matrix, you can see that the left and right inputs are connected to the first and second delay modules, respectively. Each delay’s output is connected to a filter’s input, and the filters are connected to the plug-in’s two output channels. Hence signals pass first through the delays, then the filters, then out of the plug-in. Since we’re using separate delays and filters for each channel, this is a “true stereo” processing configuration.

Also notice that we’ve connected the output of delay 1 to the feedback input of delay 2, and vice versa. This means that signals emerging from one channel’s delay will be sent to the input of the other channel’s delay, which will cause the delayed signals to bounce back and forth in the stereo field. Of course, in order for this to work, we have to pan the outputs of the plug-in to the left and right sides of the stereo field, which you can see we’ve done by looking at the Pan controls in the Master Controls section. We’ve also set the Wet and Dry output level controls to the same value, so that the delayed signal will be as loud as the original signal. (If you want to use this preset as a send effect, turn the Dry knob all the way down.)

We’ve turned on both of the Sync switches for the delays, so the delay times will be calculated to match the

VST host’s tempo automatically. If you point at each delay Time knob, and look at the status display at the top of Ronin’s window, you’ll see that the delay times are set to an eighth note and a quarter note. The feedback knobs are set to moderate levels so that the delayed signals will fade out after a few repeats.

Try playing a drum loop or other strongly rhythmic audio phrase through Ronin. You’ll hear the delayed audio playing in time, and bouncing back and forth between the stereo channels as it decays. Also notice that the delayed signals sound a little darker than the original signal. This is because the delayed signals pass through the filters before leaving the plug-in. The filters are set to their low-pass mode, with a cutoff frequency of about 8kHz. This setting filters out the higher frequencies of the signal. Filtering the delayed signal make it

“sit behind” the original signal in the output of the plug-in.

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Filtered Auto-Panning

This preset doesn’t use Ronin’s delays at all. Instead it uses filters modulated by the LFOs to create a swirling effect.

As you can see by looking at the signal matrix, the signal connections are simple: the left and right input channels are connected to filters 1 and 2, and the filters are connected to their corresponding output channels. We’ve turned on the Mono switch in the Master Controls section so that if the input signal is stereo, its two channels are added together. We did this because this patch uses modulated panning to create a sense

33

of stereo movement. Also, we turned the Dry input level control all the way down, so that only the processed signal is heard. You might want to try turning this control up to mix in some of the original signal.

The connections in the modulation matrix are a little more complicated. LFOs 1 and 2 are connected so that they modulate the frequencies of the filters. Notice that the depth controls for both filters are turned all the way up, so that the LFOs create large changes in the frequencies of the filters. The LFOs are also connected to the two Pan modulation destinations. The Pan controls are at their center positions, but their depth controls are also turned all the way up. Since the LFOs are bipolar, their modulation signals will cause the plug-in’s output signals to move back and forth in the stereo field.

Finally, the output of LFO 1 is connected to the rate modulation destination of LFO 2, and vice versa. The depth controls for these two parameters are turned up only slightly. Connecting the LFOs to each other in this manner causes both of their outputs to vary in an unpredictable manner, making the effects of their modulation more interesting (or at least less predictable).

Try running a signal with a wide range of frequencies, such as a bright synthesizer pad or a guitar sound, through Ronin. You’ll hear the output signal get brighter and darker, and move around, as the LFOs change the frequencies of the filters and the pan positions of the outputs.

The filters are set to their low-pass modes, with the resonance controls turned up somewhat. This gives them a familiar “synthesizer-like” sound. Try turning the Mode knobs to their other positions to hear the effects of the different response modes. The Bandpass mode can be particularly effective in this preset.

If you want to make the panning and filtering move in time with your song’s tempo, turn on the Sync switches for both LFOs, and turn off their connections to the LFO rate modulation destinations in the modulation matrix.

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Ducked Delays

“Ducking” is the process of lowering the loudness of one signal in response to the loudness of another signal.

For example, ducking is used in radio broadcasts to lower the volume of the music while the DJ talks. In this preset, we use ducking to lower the volume of the output of delays so that the delay effect is not heard until after you stop playing.

The signal matrix has a straightforward stereo-delay patch: the left and right inputs are connected to delays 1 and 2, and the delays are connected to their corresponding outputs. The outputs of the delays are also fed

35

back into their inputs. The feedback levels are set high enough so that the delayed signals will repeat several times as they fade out.

The Wet and Dry level controls are set to the same value so that the delayed signals are as loud as the original signal. The Pan positions are set to the left and right to give the delayed signals balanced stereo placement without extreme panning.

Here’s the tricky part: the output of the envelope follower is connected to both output Level modulation destinations. The depth controls for both of these destinations are at their lowermost positions. This means that the modulation signal from the envelope generator is inverted before being applied to the output levels, which means that as the input signal gets louder, the output levels will be decreased.

Try playing a drum loop or other fairly dense musical passage through Ronin. As the music plays you will hear little if any delayed signal. Then stop your VST host. When the input signal stops, you’ll hear the delayed signal fade in. The length of time it takes for the delayed signal to fade in is determined by the envelope follower’s decal slider. Try lowering the slider to hear the delayed signal fade in more rapidly.

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Fun With Looping

This preset will introduce you to some of the fun things you can do with Ronin’s looping delays. You’ll need a synthesizer, guitar, microphone, or some other way of getting audio into your VST host in real time to follow our explanation.

Look at the signal matrix. The left input is connected to delay 1, but we’ve turned on the Mono switch in the

Master Controls section, so both input channels are sent to delay 1. (This is simply to make it easier for you to

37

connect a signal to the plug-in within your VST host.) The output of delay 1 is connected to the plug-in’s first output channel, and also to delay 2. Delay 2 is connected to the second output channel.

Delay 1 is set up for interactive looping. The Sync switch is on so that the length of the loop is determined by your sequencer’s tempo, which should be set to some moderate value like 120bpm. The Loop switch is turned on so that audio recorded in the loop will play indefinitely.

Delay 2 is set to a very short delay time. Outputs 1 and 2 are panned slightly left and right. This creates a stereo chorusing effect, since the left and right outputs of the plug-in are delayed slightly with respect to each other. We use both LFOs to modulate the delay time of delay 2, to add motion to the chorus effect. The LFOs are set to different frequencies and somewhat different wave shapes. Mixing both LFOs together makes the chorus effect less repetitive.

Play a short phrase on your instrument (or say something into your mic). You’ll hear the audio playing over and over. If you don’t like what you hear, turn the Loop switch off, wait ‘til the last repetition of the loop has played, then turn it back on.

Turn delay 1’s Fine knob all the way counter-clockwise. You’ll hear the loop slow down to half its original speed, playing one octave lower. Turn on the Reverse switch. You’ll hear the loop playing backwards, still one octave lower.

Play another phrase. The new phrase will be overdubbed on the loop.

Hold down the ctrl key on your computer’s keyboard and click the Fine knob to return it to its default, center position. Now you’ll hear the first phrase playing at its original speed and pitch, but still backwards, and the new phrase playing at twice its original speed and pitch.

Click the Reverse button. Now you’ll hear the first phrase as you originally recorded it, and the new phrase playing backwards at twice its original speed and pitch.

Repeat as desired. We used only one of the two delays for looping, and used the second one to create a chorus effect just for the sake of illustration. Of course you can use both delays for looping, building up a new phrase in one while the other continues to loop.

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And Finally…

Thanks again for purchasing Ronin. We make every effort to ensure your satisfaction with our products, and want you to be happy with your purchase. Please write [email protected]

if you have any questions or comments.

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