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Ok, I want an airchain that sounds like an Optimod or Omnia soundprocessor but I don't have that much money to spend... Now what?
I've been working on a solution for this question in the last 4 years: An Airchain build out of Direct-x plugins.
Before you ask me: Yes, it was hell of a job and took loads of time... pffff :-)
Let me tell you a brief story of a man who got a bit crazy about soundprocessing.
Let's say that the story started at the late 80's (1988-1989) when I did spend my holidays in France. I was 12 years old at that time (Answer this bonusquestion correctly and win an Optimod FM8400: how old am I now?) and loved to listen to the radio. I soon noticed that the sound on radiostations was different than it was on my 7" singles (besides the scratches). Especially these French stations had a warm and fat sound. Metropolis, Maxximum, Fun radio, Skyrock, NRJ; They all had that sound which quickly became the 'magic sound' because I had no clue how they did that.
Comparing to the French radiostations the Dutch ones sounded very dull and you could defenitely hear that the commercial french stations were way ahead of the dutch radio stations. Something that started to change slowly after commercial radio did its entrance on the dutch FM band.
In the years that past I learned what a compressor was, and a limiter... WOW! I was 13 when I bought my first 1,5 watt mono fm transmitter and a 20 Euro Limiter (which is almost antique now and lays somewhere in a dusty closet) and started to experiment. I soon found out that I couldn't reach the 'magic sound' with my 20 Euro limiter and a Yoko Equalizer. What a bummer... Damn.. Now what?
Between 'Now what' and 2000 I learned about the existance of the Optimod and Omnia, bought a couple of new compressors, limiters and some more crappy stuff and build my first 19" rack Multiband compressor/limiter made out of a 3 band car filter and three homemade compressor/limiters (Never finished that project by the way because I blew up my filter for an unknown reason. Lol).
At the end of the 90's when computers where more powerful they became more and more intresting for music productions and audio editing. And there they were: Direct-x plugins! Still I didn't have those 15.000 Euros for my Optimod so I started to play with the multiband compressor of Sekd's Samplitude software. I started to hate that plugin very quickly because it wasn't possible to listen to it in realtime. After every change in the setting I had to let my computer do all the work. And of course, you get my point here: This is not the way we want to work now, is it?
At the same time I discovered Direct-x plugins. After my failed Samplitude multiband project I started to play with Direct-x plugins. When Waves released its C4 Multiband compressor a little man started to speak to me saying me that it had to be possible to create a Virtual Broadcast processor made out of direct-x plugins. And that's where it began.
I had one goal when I started: Trying to reach the warm and fat sound of an Optimod.
The last 4 years I read a lot of the documention found on the websites of the various broadcastprocessor manufacturers. With that info in mind I trusted mostly on my ears to create the perfect hitradio sound. Slowly it started to be the 'magic sound' I was looking for.
Now, in 2004, I am some sort of satisfied with the results (I doubt if I will ever be fully satisfied) and therefore willing to share my airchain to the rest of the world.
I have been thinking for a long time if I wanted to share my 'secret' because I did spend so much time and effort in it but a couple of months ago I took te decision to do it with the idea to make the airchain sound better and better with the help from you soundprocessingfreaks.
In that last 4 years I actually created a soundprocessor with it's own unique sound instead of a copy of an Optimod, Omnia or whatever. I hope you will enjoy listening, tweaking and playing with the chain until we reach the ultimate sound. If you have made any interesting presets or changes just drop me a mail and I will put the settings (with credits of course) online.
A linedrawing of the chain. Click on the picture to enlarge it.
Before you can try your free airchain you'll need some software and most important of all: a FAST pc.
I'm running the chain on a Pentium 4, 3,0Ghz (Hyperthreading) with 1024Mb internal memory with an Echo Audio Darla soundcard. On my system the chain uses 20-25% of my processor.
I don't know what the exact 'system requirements' are but I think you'll need a Pentium 4, with at least 256Mb internal Memory and of course a GOOD soundcard.
You can of course delete some of the 24 Plugins the chain uses if your processor reaches its maximum and your computer starts to get hick-ups.
The software you need for the chain:
1. Winamp (www.winamp.com)
2. The Adapt-x direct-x chain plugin (www.soundprocessing.nl/adaptx)
3. Line-in plugin by Jasper v/d Gronde
(http://home.hccnet.nl/th.v.d.gronde/dev/lineinWA2/index.html)
(For those who want to broadcast directly from the input, via the airchain, to the ouput of their soundcard)
4. The Waves Platinum or Diamond bundle. Demo can be downloaded at (www.waves.com)
5. DB-Audio Multiband limiter. Demo can be downloaded at (www.db-audioware.com)
Please read the configuration instructions if you don't know how to configure winamp and the plugins
Before you start listening please read these important notes:
1. My intention was, and still is, to create a heavy (but not agressive), warm & fat hitradio preset. So if you are looking for a clean preset you defenitely have to change a lot of settings in the chain.
2. The chain contains 24 plugins which means that there are loads of knops, buttons and faders to play with. Very, very nice but don't forget that you can mess up the chain completely in a second if you change a knob/button/slider to an other setting. Therefore please read the changing settings page where I give you some tips about the chain and its settings.
3. As I told before I spend loads of time and effort in this project. I am sharing all my knowledge with you for free. The only thing i'm asking you is to send me the presets you made, please. Me and all other soundprocessingfreaks will be very thankful for that. Thanks!
Chain 1 This is the heavy hitradio preset.
Chain 2 A more 'decent' and cleaner version of the hitradio preset.
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