Proximity is a collaborative effort by Tokyo Dawn Labs and Vladg Sound (Molot, Limiter 6) for KVR'S Developer Challenge 2012.

This plug-in is an easy to use distance "pan-pot" based on several psycho-acoustic models. The idea is to give mixing engineer a reliable tool which allows him to manipulate the "depth" of several sound source in a straight forward and convincing manner.

Several models can be combined:

Distance signal delay by speed of sound.
Distance gain loss.
Absorption of high-frequencies in air.
Stereo width manipulation.
Proximity effect of virtual microphone.
Distance based early reflections.

All of them can be turned on and off to taste. Distance modulation options extend the creative possibilities even further. Units can be switched from metric (meters) to imperial (inches).

The plug-in is available in 32 and 64-bits versions for Windows and Mac OS X in VST and AU format.

Vote and download here!



Demo Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahXP8ZEl4iQ

In Depth Infos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l8HWKB7ghg


Edit: Screenshot updated
Last edited by FabienTDR on Sat Nov 17, 2012 5:12 pm; edited 4 times in total

Thank you, it loosk good, and it seems a very handy plugin, i will check it out

I posted about my wishes for a Distance plugin at the beginning of the year so I couldn't have been more excited to see this. Easily gets a good place in my voting list.

The skin/layout shown in your post here looks kinda nicer than the one in the final version.

Finally something to pull "down" some upfront sounds in mix.Now we can do quality mixed bass layers with nice tight but spacey sound and not get clutched

Will be trying this at work tomorrow. This coupled (with decent reverb) will make sfx positioning easier, if it works convincingly.


Btw, is TDR somehow related to the old tracker music label?

tasty! Nice to see 2 of my kvr favorite developers together

@miedex: Oh thanks, it seems I messed something with the screen-shot in this post.

@sauli: Yes, it's still the same team and the same label. But the technology improved!

@all: Thanks everyone!

The alternative GUI is gorgeous !

Nice work, thanks! Now, please can you use your collaboration with Vladg Sound to make the Feedback Compressor available for us poor Mac users as well? Pleeeeease!

Trapmoo, Precisely you are "poor" because you bought a MAC

Agree with Waltercruz, we have the cream of developers here!
I'll give it a try when I have some time (besides ThrillseekerXTC and PTeq-1A...).

Nice work anyway

And can you please make all your GUI's that fantastic?

Forgive my ignorance, but it seems that this plugin benefits mostly those who record bands. Can anyone mention various situations where Proximity can be used for those who create electronic/Dance music?

Good question!

Proximity is basically just a generic tool which combines several psycho-acoustic facts into one fader control. These "clues" usually work well, no matter which music genre.

IMHO, electronically generated music often sounds flat and not very convincing stereo-image wise. Our ear/brain feels much more comfortable if the mix contains some acoustic clues known from nature. It becomes easier for the brain to "sort" all infos and rewards the listener with a more impressive experience.

PROXIMITY can be used in both "directions". That is, you can correct an already present impression of distance/depth, but you can also add an impression of depth to electronic sources.

Practically, you can try some of the following experiment:

Use an instance per track and activate "true delay", "air absorb", "width" and "reflections A" (oops, just wondering why we don't have such a preset yet). Adapt to taste, try to use "PROXIMITY" instead of the regular gain in your mixer. It should quickly create a much more convincing "image" than a simple "gain" mix. The true delay will slightly shift all tracks in time relative to each other, lower level sounds will be more damped than proximate event, like in nature. Additionally, the reflections will greatly help to brain to better sort all sounds on the z axis which will sound clearer, deeper and wider.

So, the easiest approach is to use Proximity as a more natural alternative to the gain faders of your mixer.

Hope this helps you somehow!

@anyone: Thanks for the flowers! I'm working on the mac port for the feedback comp since a while, but apple punished be with lion (I bought a modern imac with lion preinstalled, I should have known better ), so that any attempt to build my plugins (UIs) in that xcode mess just fails and fails and fails (if xcode doesn't crash before). Vlad takes a slightly approach to his UI programming, it's not possible to simply "port" the code, it needs a significant amount of work. No fun, I tell you However, I'm still hoping and waiting for apple to finally fix their mess.

Thanks, will come in handy for extra automation duties, whoever you are , but anyway Ta very much