PLUG-INS FOLDER : February 2002
PLUG-INS FOLDERDFX Super DestroyFXPublished in SOS February 2002  Printer-friendly versionReviews : Software DFX Super DestroyFX
DFX Transverb is a 'delay with a difference', which allows the contents of its delay buffers to be played back independently, and at different speeds. You can think of it as being like an old-fashioned tape loop delay, but with two automated, mobile playback heads. It's difficult to describe what this sounds like in practice, except to say that Transverb is capable of creating a wide variety of outlandish effects, many of which will be quite unlike anything you've heard before. I'll have to come clean and admit that I don't really understand what DFX Buffer Override does. The DFX web site tells us that "Buffer Override can overcome your VST host's audio processing buffer size and then (unsuccessfully) override that new buffer size to be a smaller buffer size." Which is probably true. All I would add is that if you're looking to make some truly scary stuttering, pseudo-vocoder sounds (and some other noises which frankly defy description), DFX Buffer Override is in a class of its own. DFX RezSynth (see screen shot, above) is a fascinating halfway house between an effect and a virtual instrument. It processes your sound via a bank of resonant band-pass filters, which can in turn be controlled by input from your MIDI keyboard. If you're working in Cubase, for instance, you select RezSynth as an Insert effect, create a new MIDI Track and, in the Inspector, set RezSynth as its output. You can then 'play' the filters in real time as they process your audio, allowing for the creation of some unique, pitched synth-like effects. Finally, DFX Skidder, as its documentation explains, "turns your sound on and off". Which might not sound very exciting. However, it is capable of doing this in literally dozens of different ways, and can create all kinds of interesting, rhythmic gating effects. These can be tempo-sync'ed or randomised, and fine-tuned via parameters including 'pulse width', 'slope', 'floor' and 'rupture'. The results are frequently surprising, and lots of fun. All the DFX plug-ins are available in three versions: Windows, 'normal' Mac OS and Mac OS X (great news for any Spark ME users). Curious programmers are also free to download the source code to found out how they work. Paul Sellars
Reverb.It's creator Hans Stadtherr has put a lot of thought into writing a native plug-in that is capable of generating high-quality reverb without crippling your CPU. For instance, you can adjust the amount of 'repeats' in the reverb tail to conserve CPU power at the expense of decay quality when mixing, then switch to a higher value for the best quality when you write your mix off-line to disk. Similarly, you can use Reverb.It as a standard 'one-band' reverb, but it also offers a true three-band mode where each frequency band's decay characteristics can be controlled independently: again, you can use the former while setting up a mix and the latter when bouncing it to disk. Support for 96kHz/32-bit audio and full automation capability are the icing on the cake. The quality achieved by Reverb.It matches that of many more expensive plug-ins, and at a mere $39 it should be considered a bargain. You can buy it or download a demo version from the web site; alternatively, US and European customers can order it by 'phone on the Share It! order line. Quote product number 145095 for the Windows version, or 149079 for the Mac version. Sam Inglis
The four bands can be switched in and out separately: each has a gain control and a four-way frequency selector. The turnover frequencies are identical to the hardware version, as follows: low shelving at 60, 120, 250, and 500 Hz, high shelving at 2.2, 5, 8, or 12 kHz -- both with a swing of ±20dB -- low-mid at 250Hz, 500Hz, 1 and 2.2 kHz, and high-mid at 1.5, 2.2, 3.6 and 5 kHz, both with gain swing of ±12dB. The graphic interface is attractively retro, but the faux 'valve' window can be replaced by a rather more useful graphic display of frequency response. There's also a Channel Selector switch to modify left, right, or both channels. Those used to the flexibility of fully parametric EQ designs may be underwhelmed, but the sound is the most important thing, and this doesn't disappoint. I've used this on various occasions in preference to any other EQ at my disposal: I love its transparent and musical results, and the way even a 0.5dB gain change has an audible effect. In keeping with its heritage, input and output gain controls also let you drive the 'output stage' harder to add subtle but warming 'valve distortion': I measured several percent of second- and third-harmonic distortion when fully driven. While not suitable for surgical EQ, EQ1 is perfect for mastering, sweetening, and working on critical sounds like vocals, solo instruments and drums. Martin Walker
The Reverb Control window lets you adjust both Decay Time and Room Size simultaneously by dragging the mouse, and displays helpful green and red areas to indicate sensible combinations. It's a great shame that you can't easily automate DX plug-ins, as moving this in real-time generates some very interesting effects! A little pre-delay before the reverb tail is useful to maintain clarity, but you can extend this for special effects. Early Damping restricts the bandwidth of the entire reverb path from bright to dull, while Late Damping simulates the effect of reflective surfaces ranging from tiles to carpets. Low Frequency Scaling lets you adjust the low-end decay time relative to the mid-range, which is useful to avoid rumble or add bottom-end clout. Selecting suitable settings for all these parameters is made easier by a 3D plot, which shows how the frequency response varies during the decay period. I found the MasterVerb DX reverb tails fairly smooth, and although they can occasionally exhibit slightly metallic tendencies on longer settings, they still eclipse the reverbs bundled with Cubase. Like all reverb plug-ins, MasterVerb DX has its own sound, and the closest comparison I could find was TC's Native Reverb. Wave Arts have paid special attention to CPU overhead, and their claim that MasterVerb DX is at least twice as efficient as most competing plug-ins, without compromising on sound, seems to be borne out by my measurements -- it only took 2.3 percent of my Pentium III 1GHz processor for a stereo 44.1kHz track, compared with 3.2 percent for the TC Native Reverb, 5 percent for Cakewalk's FX3, 6 percent for Waves' TrueVerb, and 11.3 percent for Waves Rverb, which makes it a prime candidate for anyone with a slower processor or who wants to run lots of different reverbs. You can download a demo version to hear it in action, and it only took me a few hours to create a further bank of 16 patches that stretched it in many other directions: I'll post this on the SOS web site so that you can try them out for yourself. Overall, while it's not as smooth as Waves' reverbs, I found MasterVerb DX a versatile performer with a good sound, and a very low CPU overhead. Martin Walker
When you add a global auxiliary plug-in such as a reverb to the elements of a mix, it's very easy to be misled into thinking that it's making your mix sound better by the fact that it will make it louder. It's a good idea to keep a close eye on the master output levels in your sequencer, and use the master fader to make sure you're A/B-ing the dry and reverbed mixes at the same average level. Sam Inglis Wavelab saves its settings in the Wavelab/System/PlugIns folder, where a SET file is created for each plug-in as soon as you create your first preset. It's well worth periodically copying the entire contents of this folder to another partition, drive, or even onto a CD-R. Then, if you ever have to reinstall Wavelab after a nasty crash, or onto a new hard drive after you've upgraded your PC, you can drag the SET files back into your new PlugIns folder, and all your carefully created presets will be immediately ready for use once more. Martin Walker AnaFX is an emulation of an analogue delay line, offering real-time pitch warping in the same way a real delay will bend the pitch of the signal when you move the delay length knob. The package includes four plug-ins: the basic delay plus three others which use the same principles to generate chorus, flanging and phasing. AnaFX promises plenty of control over your sound and some interesting modern twists on the vintage effects that inspired it. TC Works have followed the first Mac OS X audio application, Spark ME, with one of the first plug-ins for the format. Native PerformanceVerb is available by download only, and although it lacks the control available in TC's more sophisticated reverbs, it also lacks the substantial price tag. Published in SOS February 2002 | Tuesday 18th November 2008 December 2008
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