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Audio FX 1

Four essential dynamic processor stereo
DirectX plug-ins

  • Cakewalk Compressor/Gate
  • Cakewalk Limiter
  • Cakewalk Expander/Gate
  • Cakewalk Dynamics Processor

Cakewalk Audio FX 1 is a suite of real-time audio processing plug-ins for Windows software. All Cakewalk Audio FX plug-ins are Microsoft DirectX- compatible, allowing you to use them with any digital audio software that supports DirectX - including Cakewalk Guitar Studio, Cakewalk Home Studio, and Cakewalk Pro Audio.

Audio FX 1 plug-ins use 32-bit, floating-point processing, providing you with fast, precise, mono and stereo audio effects.

  

£
£ ex VAT


In More Detail
 

The Cakewalk Compressor/Gate
The Cakewalk Compressor/Gate keeps audio signals from getting too loud or soft. It acts like an automatic volume control that keeps the volume from getting above or below a level that you define. The result is that soft sounds seem louder, and the dynamic extremes are smoothed out.

Compressors add punch to drum tracks and smooth out performances that have a wide dynamic range, like those of vocals, bass and guitar. After recording, producers use compressors to tighten up a final mix.

 
The Gate portion allows you to keep the Compressor from "pumping the noise floor," or bringing unwanted low-level sounds into the audible range.

Sample applications:
"I recorded an electric guitar and when the guitarist isn't playing, I can hear the noise of his amplifier. How can I remove this noise?"

The Cakewalk Compressor/Gate can remove this noise by being set to engage when the guitar isn't playing.

"I play the tape of my song on my friend's stereo. Afterwards, when I play a tape of my favourite band, it sounds so much bigger and louder than mine. Why?"

A compressor gives your mix that extra 'punch' which creates that full, professional sound which all producers depend on. The Cakewalk Compressor/ Gate will give your recordings the punch you're looking for.

"My music has parts that are too quiet and other parts that are too loud. How can I smooth them out?"

The Cakewalk Compressor/Gate will automatically make the loud parts quieter and the quiet parts louder, making the mix more consistent overall.

The Cakewalk Limiter
The Cakewalk Limiter prevents audio signals from exceeding a threshold that you define. A common use for a Limiter is to avoid distortion in the final mix. The Cakewalk Limiter has a high "ratio" or gain reduction level.

Sample Applications:
"My mix sounds great, but when I play my song at a loud volume it distorts even though the quiet sections sound fine."

The Cakewalk Limiter will prevent loud passages from distorting without affecting the rest of the recording.

"When I apply certain effects in real-time, some tracks distort during loud parts."

The role of the Cakewalk Limiter is to prevent your audio signals from exceeding a certain level. By adding the Cakewalk Limiter to your Effects chain, you prevent this problem.

The Cakewalk Expander/Gate
The Cakewalk Expander/Gate makes loud parts louder and quiet parts quieter by increasing the dynamic range of the recording. The Cakewalk Expander has the opposite effect from the Cakewalk Compressor.

Sample applications:
"How can I get rid of breaths and noises on my vocal track without spending hours editing each one separately?"

By setting the gate portion of the Cakewalk Expander/Gate to "kick in" below the signal level of the voice, the breaths and noises will be muted.

"I've mixed my song - but there's a hiss at the beginning (fade-in) and end (fade-out). How can I remove this for a clean signal to my tape deck?"

You can configure the Cakewalk Expander/Gate to trigger at the fade-in and fade-out of the song, automatically ensuring silence at the beginning and end.

The Cakewalk Dynamics Processor
The Cakewalk Dynamics Processor is a multipurpose tool for controlling signal levels. It combines all the functionality of the Cakewalk Limiter, Expander/Gate, and Compressor/Gate in one integrated plug-in, and is intended for advanced users who prefer having all of the Cakewalk Audio FX 1 dynamic processing capabilities accessible from a single editing window.

 

Technical Specifications

General Specifications

Plug-in architecture DirectX
Recommended System Requirements Windows 95/98: P120, 16MB
Window NT (4.0 or higher): P120, 32MB
Video Display: 256 colours/ 640x480 resolution
Internal Processing Specifications 16 and 32 Bit Floating Point calculations, 96 dB S/N
Real-time Processing Supported Yes
Audio Formats supported Dependent on DirectX-compatible host application
Internal Maximum Audio Frequency Response 20 Hz to 22 kHz, approximately.
(Actual frequency response will be determined by sampling rate and hardware analogue-to-digital converters.)
User-definable Presets Yes
Maximum number of presets Unlimited
Storage space required for installation 10 MB

 

Compressor/Gate

Compression Ratio 1:1 to 100:1, 0.1 dB increments, 96 dB maximum compression
Compression Threshold Range -95.9 to -0.1 dB, 0.1 dB increments
Compression/Expansion characteristics Normal, Soft-Knee
Expansion/Gate Ratio 1:1 to 100:1, 0.1 dB increments, 96 dB maximum expansion
Expansion/Gate Threshold Range -95.9 to -0.1 dB, 0.1 dB increments
Attack time 0.1 ms to 20.0 ms, 0.1 ms increments
Release time 50.0 ms to 3000.0 ms, 0.1 ms increments
Output Gain Range -24 dB to +24 dB, 0.1 dB increments
Detection Types RMS, Average
Stereo Capability Yes
Stereo Coupling Independent Stereo Detection
(Largest absolute sample from either channel determines the effect applied equally to both channels)
Sidechain capability Yes
Controls
  • Compression Ratio knob
  • Compressor Threshold knob
  • Expansion Ratio knob
  • Expansion Threshold knob
  • Attack Time knob
  • Release Time knob
  • Output Gain knob
  • Soft Knee selector button
  • Reset button
  • Detection Algorithm buttons (Average/RMS)
  • Stereo Interaction buttons (Maximum/Sidechain)
  • Bypass Button
  • Save Preset button
  • Delete Preset button
Displays
  • Transfer characteristic graph
  • 8 segment input meter
  • 8 segment gain reduction meter
  • Preset Name pulldown menu

 

Expander/Gate

Expansion/Gate Ratio 0.1:1 to 100:1, 0.1 dB increments, 96 dB maximum expansion
Expansion/Gate Threshold Range -95.9 to -0.0 dB, 0.1 dB increments
Expansion characteristics Normal, Soft-Knee
Attack time 0.1 ms to 20.0 ms, 0.1 ms increments
Release time 50.0 ms to 3000.0 ms, 0.1 ms increments
Output Gain Range -24 dB to +24 dB, 0.1 dB increments
Detection Types Peak, RMS, Average
Stereo capability Yes
Stereo Coupling Independent Stereo Detection
(Largest absolute sample from either channel determines the effect applied equally to both channels)
Sidechain capability Yes
Controls
  • Expansion Ratio knob
  • Expansion Threshold knob
  • Attack Time knob
  • Release Time knob
  • Output Gain knob
  • Soft Knee selector button (on/off)
  • Reset button
  • Detection Algorithm buttons (Average/Peak/RMS)
  • Stereo Interaction buttons (Maximum/Sidechain)
  • Bypass Button
  • Save Preset button
  • Delete Preset button
Displays
  • Transfer characteristic graph
  • 8 segment input meter
  • 8 segment gain reduction meter
  • Preset Name pulldown menu

 

Limiter

Limiter Ratio 40.0:1
Limiter Threshold Range -38.4 to -0.1 dB, 0.1 dB increments
Attack time 0.0 ms
Release time 10.0 ms
Output Gain Range -24 dB to +24 dB, 0.1 dB increments
Detection Type Peak
Stereo capability Yes
Stereo Coupling Independent Stereo Detection
(Largest absolute sample from either channel determines the effect applied equally to both channels)
Sidechain capability Yes
Controls
  • Limiter Threshold knob
  • Output Gain knob
  • Reset button
  • Detection Algorithm buttons (Average/RMS)
  • Stereo Interaction buttons (Maximum/Sidechain)
  • Bypass Button
  • Save Preset button
  • Delete Preset button
Displays
  • 8 segment input meter
  • 8 segment gain reduction meter
  • Preset Name pulldown menu

 

Dynamics Processor

Compression Ratio 1:1 to 100:1, 0.1 dB increments, 96 dB maximum compression
Compression Threshold Range -95.9 to -0.1 dB, 0.1 dB increments
Compression/Expansion characteristics Normal, Soft-Knee
Expansion/Gate Ratio 0.1:1 to 100:1, 0.1 dB increments, 96 dB maximum expansion
Expansion/Gate Threshold Range -95.9 to -0.1 dB, 0.1 dB increments
Attack time 0.1 ms to 20.0 ms, 0.1 ms increments
Release time 50.0 ms to 3000.0 ms, 0.1 ms increments
Output Gain Range -24 dB to +24 dB, 0.1 dB increments
Detection Types Peak, RMS, Average
Stereo capability Yes
Stereo Coupling Independent Stereo Detection
(Largest absolute sample from either channel determines the effect applied equally to both channels)
Sidechain capability Yes
Controls
  • Compression Ratio knob
  • Compressor Threshold knob
  • Expansion Ratio knob
  • Expansion Threshold knob
  • Attack Time knob
  • Release Time knob
  • Output Gain knob
  • Soft Knee selector button
  • Reset button
  • Detection Algorithm buttons (Average/Peak/RMS)
  • Stereo Interaction buttons (Maximum/Sidechain)
  • Bypass Button
  • Save Preset button
  • Delete Preset button
Displays

 
  • Transfer characteristic graph
  • 8 segment input meter
  • 8 segment gain reduction meter
  • Preset Name pulldown menu
 

System Requirements

  • Windows 95/98: Pentium 120, 16 MB RAM, CD-ROM Drive
  • Windows NT: Pentium 120, 32 MB RAM, CD-ROM Drive

Cakewalk Audio FX 2 will work with any DirectX-compatible host programs, including Cakewalk Guitar Studio, Cakewalk Home Studio, Cakewalk Pro Audio, Cool Edit Pro, Cubase VST, Logic Audio etc.
 
£
£ ex VAT

 

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