MAutoVolume beta available - need opinions! :)

[ObsoleteAcc99]

[DELETED]

[SuperFly76]

Another quick observation regarding the UI. It would be nice if the sidechain enable/disable switch changed colors or something to indicate whether it is off or on. As it is, it's really hard to tell at first glance whether or not it's enabled.

[MeldaProduction]

I've had a test with this plugin this morning and want to share my impressions and suggestions.

Firstly, I really like this plugin. When waves vocal rider first came out I was really interested. Almost bought it but the side chain feature didn't work with Samplitude, my host of choice. Research led me to Bluecat's Digital Peak Meter Pro, which can output an envelope based on the peak and RMS vales of the meter. The plugin has controls for the curves amount, offset, average between Peak and RMS, and can also invert the curve. The curve can be written as automation data. I've been using this as a volume rider ever since. I can actually get much better results with 2 instances (one to level vocal, other to float the vocal on the music), than I could get with waves vocal rider. The only problem with this is that it's not instant. I have to make an adjustment, write the automation, then listen back.

Your plugin seems to do this well! And, the sidechain input works with Samplitude, unlike the waves one. I still miss the amount of control I get with Bluecat's Digital Peak Meter pro. I like it though. I'm sold. Will be picking this one up as soon as it's available.

Thank you!

I'd like to share a few suggestions.

Write Automation Curve - Like other's suggested, I'd like to be able to write the curve so that I can edit it in my host.

Yes, it's in to-do list .

Breath Sensitivity - I've noticed that this will respond the same way to everything including breaths. It would be great to have a circuit and control over how it responds to breaths, so that it wouldn't turn them up. It doesn't need to be a deesser per se, but rather just not respond to breaths.

Well, I'll check. The trouble is to detect breaths. I'm not sure, but I think most "de-breathers" are based on spectral domain, which is not ideal here. I'll try some experiments.

Cleaner UI - When I first launched the program, I saw the sidechain button on the advanced tab. I also saw the background sensitivity slider at the bottom and then assumed that all of those controls were only for the sidechain. I'd suggest making an additional section pertaining to the sidechain part of the circuit. This also leads me to my next suggestion:

Right, it will probably make more sense to have a separate side-chain panel.

Balance between sidechain and main input - I'd like to have a slider that would control the balance of the main signal as it pertains to the sidechain signal. As it is, if I set all my general settings with sidechain off and then turn it on, there is a drastic volume drop. I know that there is the general output gain, however, I'd still like another slider that just changes the gain relationship to the sidechain input. This way I can A/B the sound with and without the sidechain and not have a massive volume drop. Also, it seems to me that the output gain has an effect on how the circuit responds, maybe I'm wrong there? Anyway, I'd still like it.

What you are describing is the background sensitivity. What you would really want is basically side-chain gain, so you can turn it up or down to the same level. This cannot be done automatically, because you never know the side-chain level. In fact, this is what the plugin does.
So side-chain gain? Does it make sense?

A few minor quibbles: Sensitivity should default to 50%. It's much too strong when the plugin first launches at %100. It sounds like a compressor set way too extreme to me. Also the speed in percentage? What is it in percentage to? That seems really weird to me. I still can't really figure out what's slower and faster. I would prefer it in a measurement that actually relates to speed. Just labeling it slow at one end and fast at the other end would do it for me.

Right, it's already 50% in my beta release, will be out soon. But it will stay in percents probably, because the number are kind of "weird", this way it is easier to use.

Vojtech, You've got a great plugin here. I really like the way it's sounding. You can count me in for a purchase, even if none of my suggestions are added. Thanks for this!

Great!

[MeldaProduction]

Please please a mac version. please. i mean it will come eventually yes?

Sure ! But probably the release, because it's just a real pain to build on Mac.

[bitman]

How do I use this?

I am running Sonar.
Am I correct in thinking that one instance goes in the mixtrack and another goes in the lead track? If so, no matter how I've tried, I cant seem to ever control one track from another. It seems like two separate dynamics processors working independently. And the documentation folders are empty.

:Ron

[MeldaProduction]

How do I use this?

I am running Sonar.
Am I correct in thinking that one instance goes in the mixtrack and another goes in the lead track? If so, no matter how I've tried, I cant seem to ever control one track from another. It seems like two separate dynamics processors working independently. And the documentation folders are empty.

:Ron

You don't need to do that. First, if you just use the plugin on say vocal track, it will fix the volume fluctuations and make the output level more consistent. And since the rest of the arrange may be also consistent, it would make the vocal on top of your arrange.
If you want to use the side-chain however, you can just enable it and send all other tracks to it. It would make absolutely no sense to put the plugin on master track, because even if it would work like "multi-plugin", it wouldn't know what part of the mix is the vocal anyway.

[bitman]

Ding! Ding! Ding!

I think we have a winner!

Thanks for the help.
Works well.

[MeldaProduction]

Ok, folks, next version

Windows 32-bit
Windows 64-bit

Check it out and let me know

[ians]

Yes! Mac version please. As soon as possible!

[pendle]

Only had 10 minutes to test but 64bit version is VERY crashy in 64bit Reaper (latest beta).
Loading yesterdays project containing the old plug beta caused instant crash with the new beta .
A new project with new beta version causes a crash when trying to use side chain.

Bloomin great plug though : )

[bitman]

Loaded up the 32 bit version under Sonar in a file with a pre existing ver 5 of this plug. Worked fine, The new interface is nice.

[paterpeter]

Just installed the new version b/c of the "The new interface is nice" remark.

OMFG - knobs in a Melda plugin!

Well done, Vojtech! Pleeeeeeaassse consider migrating the existing plugins to use knobs instead of sliders. I so much prefer knobs over sliders and I'd bet I'm not alone.

Edit: IMO the knob layout can be further improved, like so:


Why? Because of the spatial locality - all information about one parameter is now close together. The main problem with the sliders or your current knob layout is that the information is spread across a large horizontal distance, making it hard to grasp everything at a glance.

BTW: also notice how much space my suggestion has saved.

[MeldaProduction]

Thanks folks. So first, I'll check the 64-bit crashing, nothing so far, maybe it was some problem with the compatibility to previous beta.

With knobs - they will be available in almost all plugins, you will be able to choose between knobs and sliders .
But they will be horizontal for these reasons:
1) Vertical they just look bad
2) Sometimes the "units" are really long, so they need more space.
3) This way it is easier to "autoalign" them (the GUIs are more or less created automatically)

I basically inspired by the knobs from Studio One, because I just like how they look.

[paterpeter]

With knobs - they will be available in almost all plugins, you will be able to choose between knobs and sliders .

Awesome

But they will be horizontal for these reasons:
1) Vertical they just look bad

That's a matter of taste, I prefer vertical sliders both for aesthetic and practical reasons (see previous post), but you are of course free to like horizontal better. Vertical seems to be the de facto standard, though.

2) Sometimes the "units" are really long, so they need more space.

I understand this one. But could you consider making the alignment of the value configurable? If the value is centered as it is now, it is often very far away from the knob, especially when the GUI is scaled larger:

Note the large horizontal gap. If the value was left aligned it would stay with the knob all the time.

3) This way it is easier to "autoalign" them (the GUIs are more or less created automatically)

Again, understandable.

I basically inspired by the knobs from Studio One, because I just like how they look.

Interestingly, those are all vertical

Sorry if I appear to be nagging. I really appreciate your plans to add knobs and I'm sure you have good reasons for your design decisions. Keep up your awesome work!

[MeldaProduction]

Well, we'll see . But in Studio One, they are really horizontal (maybe except for a few).