Post
by xenoform » Thu Sep 27, 2018 12:25 pm
I contacted Bob, and bought a few libs also.
He's a very kind and honest man, was nice to communicate with.
I get a Xformer Verda and 78Five, which are both very useful tools even 10-12 years past their release.
Transcending Music tools are just so forward in time, even nowdays. They're truly unique and innovative in terms of approach to sound processing.
Also i find out that you really have to dig into them to get impressive results.
So i gathered lot of info around this forum, KVR, Gearslutz, TM's manuals ant other sources and compile it into kind of "TIPS" text file for myself.
To help people better understand Bob's tools and unlock their potential, i wish to share it with you.
Behemoth
/ LO END THUMP / CLNUP / HI DTL / DYN EQ /
Level 1 for single instruments, Level 2, 3 adding and apparent increasing overall effect.
+ Increase the Drive for tighter and defined sounds.
- Decrease your Drive to put back in any fundamental bass you feel was filtered too much.
- On a master with Level 2 low end dynamics are musically improved + subtle but nice balance achieved on the whole spectrum.
- Does wonder to a sub, it gives it so much weight and power, enhance low area without mudding up things.
- If you're struggling with the low-end to be defined better on the whole freq spectrum or being able to be heard on smaller speakers better, then this is definitely what you need.
- If you want loudness while mastering but finding yourself pushing the limiter too much to get closer to "that" sound, this library helps preventing over-compression ugliness.
- If you have the problem of the kick not being heard on the higher freq.s, not getting enough punch with plug-ins you already have...there's a good chance this library can work.
- Can help for a better "flow", to detect and deliver punch in some aural balance, to excite them somehow in a way with "tempo".
- Restoration! able to bring back definition and dynamics to brickwalled squashed tracks. It worked nice with setting 2 or 3, with a small tweak on drive. That thin sounding brick started to sound like something commercial.
My Son Max
/ LOW / HIGH / BALANCE / CLNUP /
- Just leave everything at 0 on the master, it really does something great in this case.
- Useful when mastering or even on the Master bus while mixing. A bit of high and low will balance your mix a lot! Mud cleaner.
- Always keeping it really smooth (like 2 dB LOW and 1 dB HIGH, or even less). It's not working if I want a really natural sound.
- As final touch for mastering: you can enhance in a subtle way a song or a mix after src and before dithering. It really helps to give more depth and clarity to the entire project.
- As a mixing tool, by emphasizing different frequencies on different channels or busses.
- On synth buss it does miracles, just glues the lows in a, let's say, unnatural but kind way.
- On a drum group track adds some shimmering highs (just a touch 2-3db HIGH) which helps the kit to cut through in the mix nicely.
- Able to restore dynamics and bring back live to totally brickwalled tracks.
So Transcited
/ HI END / TRANSIENT / XCTR / VTLZR /
- SPL Vitalizer-like Fletcher-Munson curve for Hi freq's, but transiens aimed.
- Try it on a full mix: 1dB on the lowest setting somewhere between 400 and 500hz does the trick.
- Import it in Metaplugin for some M/S excitement. Follow it by MS Smith boosting stereo by 1dB or so and you could be a little suprised.
- To sound more intense or cut better through the mix, without becoming "louder", this can be a great help, besides eq and compression.
- Loves percussive or transient rich signals where it can detect and grow new upper harmonics for clarity, fullness, and overall impact while virtually leaving the peak out put intact.
- Restores natural dynamics for mid-high-end of heavily cilpped brickwalled matherial.
Xformer Verda
/ LO END / XCTR / DE MUDIFIER /
Input transformer driven low band EQ, based on J*****k “Q”, with dark transformer distortion.
+ Boosts lows without adding mud.
+ Freq range from 40hz to 150hz, very colored eq.
+ Operating range is best around -16 dB. Always watch your clip indicators.
+ “Drive” can be used for more aggression and up to about 7 dB offers a good response.
- Really does warm the signal up, so compensate for high's if necessary.
- Mellows things out while at the same time creating an aggression and depth around the set frequency.
- Filling in harmonic gaps to create density and fullness but as highvoltage mentioned, without mud.
- Impart a thick and rounded sound to the low frequency.
- Adds bass to a kick and retains the attack perfectly.
- Not just about boosting general resonance, but adding _relative_ musical harmonics; LOW 'So Transcited'
- Use it with a transparent compressor with transparent settings and listen to the beefiness.
78Five
/ COMP / SHAPER / FET DIST / SAT /
Thick as hell ! Fat ass дow end punch. Tons of mojo. Not typical comp.
Allows for so much sculpting. Transient shaping, emphasizing snap attack.
Сan compress more than 6dB in a natural way, has the famous Nebula analog mojo.
Reminds UBK-1, with the options of adjusting rhythmic and sonic character.
Adds a dark pulsating feel, rhythmic compression, driving forward movement, focus and punch.
- In instrument presets Threshold dictates how much presence is allowed, however punch is sustained throughout threshold adjustments, regardless. With higher thresholds you are just tickling the peaks, sonically, more or less, kind of a micro compression that is more about tone and letting the distortion breath that helps brightens the signal and presents less audible compression. In this state these instrument presets have an 'inflator' type behavior.
- Deeper thresholds starts clamping on the body of the signal and you get darker, rounder tones but still punchy results with again more or less level matched outputs. But be mindful of make-up gain and/or output when necessary.
- Upon insertion of these instrument presets, you are already dealing with level matched compression/excitation so just putting it on a track, with 0 threshold will give you some nice flavor.
* Clean crispy guitars gained a different snap and weight.
* Horns felt a little glassier and classier.
* Lead vocals took on a great grainy yet still clear quality.
* Kick - adds punch, removes mudiness.
* Snare - reduces mudiness, adds sparkle and transient attack.
* Vocal - saturate with harmonics, smoothly compress.
* El Guitar - leveller-compressed, adds glue, harmonics.
* Ac Guitar - evens up, adds nice finish and firm.
* Bass - snaps the attack, evens out sustains, cleanup mud, adds harmonics.
* FET - allround 'better maker', seems like kinda equalize to equal loudness curve, and adds warm harmonics.
VCult
/ FULLNESS / WARMTH / BITE / CLIP /
[T] - for master, buss or track, full control with BIAS and 2nd DIST.
- lower Bias causes subtliest signals affected. Gives polished, hi-fi sound.
+ higher Bias more of the signal enhanced, especially transients. They can get sizzling hot!
[P6] - darker, rounder, warmer. For solid thick vibe with obvious tone.
/ Simply use the Nebula Drive parameter to increase or decrease harmonic distortion.
/ Less Bias, more Drive = boost Mids and Highs, evens out Lows
/ Less Drive, more Bias = boost Lows, makes em viscous like honey.
- Insert T preset and boost both sliders, add 1-2 db gain with limiter... mastering finished.
- Boosting the controls+balancing levels, get very special glue thats not similar to anything I tried itb.
- Put this before S*L comp, and get that 'round' and 'full' sound compressing drums.
- Use on bass, adds perfectly smooth, a bit fuzzy harmonics to the lowerend while retaining transients.
- Effects of this library are not necessarily subtle, but not nearly as "heavy". It's a great weapon for adding fullness and "warmth" to a source. i typically use it on buses including master.
- Saved the guitars on a song! they sounded too smooth, I wanted a little more bite, tried EQ, saturation, distortion but wasnt .. satisfied. Then I put on the VCult and the guitars finally got that BITE. Not ear-piercing, not digital, fuzzing, artificial distortion .. just angrier!
- After it, tracks didn't need as much eq'ing and when loudness is required it worked great right before a compressor type plug-in (comp, lim or clip). To get more of that magic, more instances can be inserted.
- With Decapitator: use it at the end of the chain following vcult, to tickle peaks, "bend" them down, round them out and inject the sophisticated sound into the signal.
- With higher Bias values you can clearly hear how more and more of the signal is being enhanced, espially transients. At lower bias settings transients would still be affected but only high level ones.
- It can bring back or add dynamics in a very fast but still musical way, it can bring focus/save vocals that's level is lower than ideal, bring back punch either in micro dynamic or section beginnings of songs, widen very good when inserted to S (like in m/s), add some musical gain, glue alone or with compressor after it.
I really want to download Behmouth and VCult agian
