Blue cat annouce Axiom

[Telematix]

We are still thinking about the best way to simplify IR browsing, but as you can see there is not much space left .

Maybe left-right arrows after IR-file name in the top-center?

[krraqk]

Im trying the demo of Axiom vst plugin, and i want to use the "mono to stereo" configuration in order to use it with my mono guitar signal but it remains in stereo, how I can change it?
I read the manual and it strongly recommend to use the mono to stereo configuration, but I dont see how to change it.
Anyone can help?

From the manual

Mono vs Stereo
Blue Cat's Axiom can be used with several audio I/O configurations, depending on the host application, plug-in format or the audio format of the track it is inserted on: mono, mono to stereo (M2S) or stereo.

When used with regular mono input, it is strongly recommended to use the mono to stereo configuration. In this case, the signal remains mono until the post effects of each amp channel. So input effects, pre effects and amp simulations only process a mono signal, which can save a lot of CPU cycles.

The GUI will show a different icon in pre and post effect chains to show if a mono or stereo signal is being processed:


Mono (left) vs stereo (right) effect chain

[Blue Cat Audio]

Which host application are you using?

[krraqk]

Im trying it with Cantabile 3 Lite, so I create a mono input, but Axiom remains stereo.
I thought I could change the mono / stereo configuration within Axiom, but I cant see how.

[Blue Cat Audio]

Im trying it with Cantabile 3 Lite, so I create a mono input, but Axiom remains stereo.
I thought I could change the mono / stereo configuration within Axiom, but I cant see how.

This is actually entirely dependent on the host application that may choose a different i/o configuration. By the way, you could maybe use the standalone version of Axiom since it lets you load plug-ins into it as well.

[Blue Cat Audio]

Heads Up! Blue Cat's Axiom 1.1 is now officially available as part of a larger software update.



It is a free update that includes the following:
- Load impulse responses (IR) in pre or post filters of the amp simulator. The frequency reponse of IRs can be shifted and mixed together with the usual filter settings.
- The built-in EQ plug-in can also load and manipulate impulse reponses.
- Drag and drop support:
-- drag and drop plug-ins between slots (copy or move).
-- drop the plug-in before another to insert it in the chain
-- drag and drop plug-ins between several instances of Axiom or accross plug-ins (compatible with the latest preview of Late Replies, MB-7 Mixer and PatchWork).
-- drag and drop .dll, .vst, .vst3, or .component files directly from the Finder or Explorer onto plug-in slots.
-- drag and drop .plgnfo files (previously saved from the software) directly from the Finder or Explorer onto plug-in slots.
-- drag the amp simulator, and drop it on any slot, like any other plug-in.
-- drop the amp simulator onto channel A or B to copy the amp model to the other channel.
-- drag and drop amp channel (A or B) to copy the entire channel settings to the other channel.
- Fixed Joe's Bowl factory preset that included an instance of PatchWork.

Also, with the "Guitar Month" on bluecataudio.com, you can get Axiom for $149 (or 149 EUR) instead of 199 until November 1st.

We hope you will like it!

[GreyLion]

Ooh! Cool thing that I discovered yesterday!

Axiom resizes VST GUIs when Windows 7 Aero is turned on! The larger you set Axiom, the larger the inserted VSTs appear. And they're completely non-fuzzy, at least the ones that I've tried so far. This is another game-changer for me. For instance, I haven't been able to use Eventide's UltraChannel since I moved to 4K, because it has a tiny and extremely cluttered GUI. Now it's large enough to be completely readable and usable. This works with both the Axiom standalone and in the plug in Reaper.

I normally have Aero off, in the interest of simplifying my rig, but Cubase LE refused to load until I turned it on. There's a fair amount of arguing on the net about how much Aero might affect audio streaming performance, and I haven't tested that yet. You definitely want to turn off all the little additional enhancements and run Aero as bare as possible.

Anybody else got any thoughts or experience regarding this?

[Blue Cat Audio]

This is actually not expected... If you just turn Aero on and you change the zoom level of Axiom you get larger GUIs for hosted VSTs?!? There must be something else happening behind the scenes...

[Burillo]

I normally have Aero off, in the interest of simplifying my rig, but Cubase LE refused to load until I turned it on. There's a fair amount of arguing on the net about how much Aero might affect audio streaming performance, and I haven't tested that yet. You definitely want to turn off all the little additional enhancements and run Aero as bare as possible.

a bit off topic, but turning off Aero helping performance has been a long running and popular myth that just won't die, mostly because it's so intuitive to think that "bling => more CPU usage, no bling => less CPU usage".

fact is, the opposite is the case. when Aero is on, most GUI processing is done on the GPU, freeing up your CPU resources to do other things. when Aero is turned off, then all of the stuff that was done on the GPU before, is now done by the CPU, thereby lowering system performance.

[GreyLion]

This is actually not expected... If you just turn Aero on and you change the zoom level of Axiom you get larger GUIs for hosted VSTs?!? There must be something else happening behind the scenes...

Ah. I've figured out what's going on. It's a rather bizarre confluence of settings and interactions in Windows itself. Enhances VSTs, but not VST3's, as far as I can tell at the moment. I'm going to do some more testing of the edges this evening, and plan to start a new thread in Effects tomorrow. But I wouldn't have discovered this if not for fooling around with Axiom's settings!

Burillo -- Yep, that's the way that I read it, too, though I've turned off the extra bling in Aero and set it to highest performance. But I encountered postings on the net where people were saying that turning off Aero got rid of crackles and pops in audio recording with various interfaces. Some interaction with ASIO drivers? No idea how accurate those posters were, but there have to be some sort of interrupts happening when the Windows GUI is being handed off to the GPU. I think.

I personally haven't noticed any difference, but I'm also new to Aero, have never turned it on before this week. In any case, the benefit of being able to enlarge VSTs is likely worth it to me.

[glokraw]

It is a free update that includes the following:
- Load impulse responses (IR)
- Drag and drop support:

We hope you will like it!

Axiom has so many features, my beard might get caught
Cheers

[Blue Cat Audio]

Axiom has so many features, my beard might get caught
Cheers

[Blue Cat Audio]

In any case, the benefit of being able to enlarge VSTs is likely worth it to me.

This is definitely odd... Please tell us more when you find out what is happening!

[Blue Cat Audio]

fact is, the opposite is the case. when Aero is on, most GUI processing is done on the GPU, freeing up your CPU resources to do other things. when Aero is turned off, then all of the stuff that was done on the GPU before, is now done by the CPU, thereby lowering system performance.

That's indeed the principle, however on some systems, using the GPU for intensive graphics computations can cause conflicts with the audio interface (mainly due to data streaming on the bus)... So in the end it's hard to know - there is no other way than trying to find out

[Blue Cat Audio]

BTW, as promised for the "Guitar Month"on bluecataudio.com, don't forget to download the free Metal Presets Pack for Axiom and Destructor:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE_6jWxVqFY