Airwindows DeRez2: Mac/Windows/Linux AU/VST
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 1320 posts since 7 Apr, 2007 from Bellows Falls, VT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7TWzu986eo
TL;DW: DeRez2 brings more authentic retro-digital hardware tones.
DeRez2.zip(359k)
Surprise bitcrusher update!
Sometimes when I bump version numbers it's because I've come up with a way to transform a plugin. Sometimes it's because I can leave the existing sound the same but add new functionality. This time it's both.
DeRez is the Airwindows bitcrusher that interpolates a sample between sample-rate-crushed outputs so the top end is smooth rather than gritty, and the only (far as I know) ANALOG bitcrusher (or at least floating point resolution?). That means you can set it to 32 and a third K sample rate, and seven point one three five bits. By ear, please: if you are needing to set a third of a K of sample rate without hearing it, I can't help you. The point being, DeRez was already cool as a continuous-rate rate-crusher and arbitrary bit depth linear bitcrusher. I don't think anyone else has that (of course now they can: it's open source MIT license, so just credit Airwindows and code away)
How do you make that not just better but way better?
DeRez2's 'Hard' control maxes out as the previous plugin (with a few behind-the-scenes upgrades, but exactly the same algorithm at the heart). But the interesting part is when you turn it OFF: set 'Hard' to zero. Two things happen.
The sample-rate crusher begins to incorporate intermediate samples in a different way. When it's changing, it saves up the previous sample… and uses that, not an interpolation, as the intermediate value. It's trying to bridge the gap between rate-crushed values with a dry sample value. This causes a strange grungy transparency and a zone between 'clean' and rate-crushed that's eerily reminiscent of old digital hardware. It stops sounding in-the-box, even though it remains completely bitcrushed with a totally different texture.
The bit-crusher remains 'analog' (arbitrary bit depth, like 12 and a half bits) but on full soft, it uses uLaw encode and decode, so it becomes nonlinear! Same as the famous Aphex Twin 'long play DAT' and old retro nonlinear digital hardware, the loud parts get bigger 'steps' and quiet stuff gets smaller 'steps', producing a totally different tonality. You can use this and the sample-rate crush at the same time, subtly or obviously, to dial in vintage-digital tonalities that are totally satisfying and convincing, but completely different from the source audio. You'd never know it started out different because it winds up sounding completely right.
I've been asked for dedicated emulations of vintage sampler gear. Instead, try this: no copying, but a new way to get that kind of tonality and dial it in to taste. If you need the darkening and texture of classic samplers, DeRez2 will do the same job in a new way with features the real retro gear didn't have.
Why does this one have the dry/wet? Because since the rate-crusher uses the previous sample for transitions, blending it with dry makes the transitions further softened with averaging. You can fade between pristine and clear, dark and cloudy, and totally retro-sampler thanks to that effect (which wouldn't have happened with the previous DeRez, though you can try it on full Hard and see)
What's with the halfway settings between Soft and Hard? It engages wet/dry balance on the uLaws inside the plugin. If you do that to uLaw, you get weird broken results and it doesn't work nicely. It just so happens that going from soft to halfway gives a big volume and grunge boost. So rather than have it as a clean off/on control, the Hard control lets you use that unforeseen weirdness as an intentional effect. If you have it dialed in but you'd like to punch up the aggression for effect, automate the Hard control and use it as a booster, for a unique result.
I forgot to specify in the video (since I was having far too much fun dialing in tones) but to keep me doing this type of work, join my Patreon. This week, keeping me on the job worked out really well for everyone!
TL;DW: DeRez2 brings more authentic retro-digital hardware tones.
DeRez2.zip(359k)
Surprise bitcrusher update!
Sometimes when I bump version numbers it's because I've come up with a way to transform a plugin. Sometimes it's because I can leave the existing sound the same but add new functionality. This time it's both.
DeRez is the Airwindows bitcrusher that interpolates a sample between sample-rate-crushed outputs so the top end is smooth rather than gritty, and the only (far as I know) ANALOG bitcrusher (or at least floating point resolution?). That means you can set it to 32 and a third K sample rate, and seven point one three five bits. By ear, please: if you are needing to set a third of a K of sample rate without hearing it, I can't help you. The point being, DeRez was already cool as a continuous-rate rate-crusher and arbitrary bit depth linear bitcrusher. I don't think anyone else has that (of course now they can: it's open source MIT license, so just credit Airwindows and code away)
How do you make that not just better but way better?
DeRez2's 'Hard' control maxes out as the previous plugin (with a few behind-the-scenes upgrades, but exactly the same algorithm at the heart). But the interesting part is when you turn it OFF: set 'Hard' to zero. Two things happen.
The sample-rate crusher begins to incorporate intermediate samples in a different way. When it's changing, it saves up the previous sample… and uses that, not an interpolation, as the intermediate value. It's trying to bridge the gap between rate-crushed values with a dry sample value. This causes a strange grungy transparency and a zone between 'clean' and rate-crushed that's eerily reminiscent of old digital hardware. It stops sounding in-the-box, even though it remains completely bitcrushed with a totally different texture.
The bit-crusher remains 'analog' (arbitrary bit depth, like 12 and a half bits) but on full soft, it uses uLaw encode and decode, so it becomes nonlinear! Same as the famous Aphex Twin 'long play DAT' and old retro nonlinear digital hardware, the loud parts get bigger 'steps' and quiet stuff gets smaller 'steps', producing a totally different tonality. You can use this and the sample-rate crush at the same time, subtly or obviously, to dial in vintage-digital tonalities that are totally satisfying and convincing, but completely different from the source audio. You'd never know it started out different because it winds up sounding completely right.
I've been asked for dedicated emulations of vintage sampler gear. Instead, try this: no copying, but a new way to get that kind of tonality and dial it in to taste. If you need the darkening and texture of classic samplers, DeRez2 will do the same job in a new way with features the real retro gear didn't have.
Why does this one have the dry/wet? Because since the rate-crusher uses the previous sample for transitions, blending it with dry makes the transitions further softened with averaging. You can fade between pristine and clear, dark and cloudy, and totally retro-sampler thanks to that effect (which wouldn't have happened with the previous DeRez, though you can try it on full Hard and see)
What's with the halfway settings between Soft and Hard? It engages wet/dry balance on the uLaws inside the plugin. If you do that to uLaw, you get weird broken results and it doesn't work nicely. It just so happens that going from soft to halfway gives a big volume and grunge boost. So rather than have it as a clean off/on control, the Hard control lets you use that unforeseen weirdness as an intentional effect. If you have it dialed in but you'd like to punch up the aggression for effect, automate the Hard control and use it as a booster, for a unique result.
I forgot to specify in the video (since I was having far too much fun dialing in tones) but to keep me doing this type of work, join my Patreon. This week, keeping me on the job worked out really well for everyone!
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- KVRian
- 520 posts since 9 Aug, 2017
Trying this on drums and it sounds great, used subtly it's really nice grit and pushed it sounds mad - I think this will work well following fx sends. Definitely explore this side of things more Chris, doesn't have to be copying older digital hardware as you said, but some subtle tone shapers like channel but in the vein of vintage samplers would be most welcome... or some modulation fx, that would be great as well.
Thank you for this one.
Thank you for this one.
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 1320 posts since 7 Apr, 2007 from Bellows Falls, VT
Being tired and missing that one until it was time to do the video?
In fairness, for the primary use for this plugin you don't use it as a heavily quantized gating effect…
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- KVRian
- 1121 posts since 6 Mar, 2004
Sleep should always be the primary concern!
With (relatively mild?) settings like rate 100%, rez 50%, hard 50% I'm getting DC offset at around -30db. It's not a biggie, but in actual use I would always need to get rid of this myself because of the havoc it might wreak on other plugins further down the chain.
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 1320 posts since 7 Apr, 2007 from Bellows Falls, VT
Actually, I think I misunderstood. Thought you were asking why there wasn't a DC offset on input to make it gate out at higher quantizations
I often don't want to put added filters etc. on things, particularly something like this where you might want very extended lows out of it. To add a cheap and transparent filter might obliterate low bass, and to add a steep highpass would take a toll on the sound and eat a bunch of CPU. I get that analog gear typically has lots of highpasses everywhere (any transformer, any interstage cap) but DeRez2 might be used on control voltages.
Might be worth making a faceless Capacitor-like plugin designed to act like a typical interstage and HF-ringing-suppression situation in analog. That way it could address this type of scenario, give a slight added 'analog-ization' with very little heavy processing, and take the role of 'instantiate-and-forget'. It'd use an additional plugin slot but wouldn't use a window, to minimize the sense of clutter.
I've got someone asking for DeHiss urgently but I can try and get that one moving. I'd want to roll it off very low, but if it's not super-steep it WILL end up eating some extreme sub-bass, and degrading the sound a tiny amount (more if it's steep) I'll see what I can do
I often don't want to put added filters etc. on things, particularly something like this where you might want very extended lows out of it. To add a cheap and transparent filter might obliterate low bass, and to add a steep highpass would take a toll on the sound and eat a bunch of CPU. I get that analog gear typically has lots of highpasses everywhere (any transformer, any interstage cap) but DeRez2 might be used on control voltages.
Might be worth making a faceless Capacitor-like plugin designed to act like a typical interstage and HF-ringing-suppression situation in analog. That way it could address this type of scenario, give a slight added 'analog-ization' with very little heavy processing, and take the role of 'instantiate-and-forget'. It'd use an additional plugin slot but wouldn't use a window, to minimize the sense of clutter.
I've got someone asking for DeHiss urgently but I can try and get that one moving. I'd want to roll it off very low, but if it's not super-steep it WILL end up eating some extreme sub-bass, and degrading the sound a tiny amount (more if it's steep) I'll see what I can do
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 1320 posts since 7 Apr, 2007 from Bellows Falls, VT
Yes, it is. DeHiss is ready to go and someone's asking for it, the cassette/overkill one isn't as well developed but it is coming. It could easily bump planned stuff if it gets a burst of inspiration and suddenly becomes a working thing
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- KVRian
- 1476 posts since 26 Apr, 2019 from Netherlands
I'm looking forward to the tape wear plugin, but if the inspiration isn't there yet, then please take your time, Chris.
Going to try the DeRez2 later. I'm curious how this sounds different from the average bitcrusher plugin.
Going to try the DeRez2 later. I'm curious how this sounds different from the average bitcrusher plugin.
- Banned
- 7624 posts since 13 Nov, 2015 from Norway
Thanks! Will download right away
EnergyXT3 - LMMS - FL Studio | Roland SH201 - Waldorf Rocket | SoundCloud - Bandcamp
- KVRAF
- 1877 posts since 30 Mar, 2008 from MN, USA
You know, I used to joke about "analog bit crusher emulations." But then, damn it, Chris, you went ahead and made one.
CLAP Software Database: https://clapdb.tech. KVR Discussion Topic.
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- KVRian
- 653 posts since 13 May, 2017 from Virginia
Wow, this is a beautiful sound. Grabbing and thanks!
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- KVRAF
- 9132 posts since 6 Oct, 2004
Attached a 30 second example using D-Rez2 and the recent
Console6-Channel, on a reaper audio track with
my UNO analog synth
9 seconds of UNO at 40% volume, no effects
9 seconds of that same sound with D-Rez2 and
Console6-Channel chained
9 seconds with a basic U-he ColourCopy delay
added on the chain
Cheers
Console6-Channel, on a reaper audio track with
my UNO analog synth
9 seconds of UNO at 40% volume, no effects
9 seconds of that same sound with D-Rez2 and
Console6-Channel chained
9 seconds with a basic U-he ColourCopy delay
added on the chain
Cheers
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- KVRist
- 94 posts since 7 Aug, 2018 from Michigan
This is so good. I always get frustrated when the discrete sample rate options a bitcrusher gives me are never QUITE right. This totally solves that problem, and the "softer" sounds it can give are really pleasant, without sounding like a dull low-pass.