‘ab vortEx’
ab vortEx is a spatial Spacetime designer aimed to completely takeover your sound with new colours - from conservative reverb/delay-like behaviours, all the way to completely out-of-this-world sound effects - everything with controlled flow thanks to its viscosity control.
ab vortEx was designed to work with Mono, Stereo and Ambisonics Signals (1OA to 7OA signals are supported. Processing and Reflections happen in up to 3OA).
Depending on the DAW you use, please refer to the end of this guide for punctual comments and tips.
For a user manual of ‘ab Vortex X’, please refer to the end of this page.
If you work in Stereo or up to 1st Order Ambisonics, you can use the ‘ab vortEx Lite’ plugin - its internals work in first order while using half of the resources - you will not hear any difference in sound.
Set-Up
Upon inserting into the DAW, ‘ab vortEx’ will try and adjust the input and output of the signal depending on the width of the channel. This assignment can be manually changed. Please mind that even if your input is Mono, your output should be either Stereo or Ambisonics (depending on your selection).
For working in native Ambisonics make sure your DAW is capable of handling 4-channel+ tracks (Nuendo, Cubase Pro, Logic Pro X, Pro Tools Ultimate).
The Ambisonics Order is automatically adjusted depending on your track’s width (For Logic Pro, up to 1OA).
To listen to an Ambisonics signal in your speaker-array, you must use a decoder. Any decoder that works with an Ambisonics signal (Ambix) works - we recommend you our ‘ab Decoder’ or ‘ab Decoder HOA’.
Cross OS | Cross DAW Presets
Factory Presets come ready to be used in any DAW or OS. You can delete the presets and even save new presets. Once a preset is saved, it will automatically be available in any Plugin format on your system (VST3, AU, AAX). Presets are saved as independent files, meaning you can copy them between Windows and Mac so that you can carry them with you or even share them.
On Windows, presets are in “\Documents\Audio Brewers”
On Mac, presets are in “/Users/Shared/Audio Brewers”
Input
The header of the plugin contains different controls that help you work with the dry signal before it is processed.
Depending on your Input Signal, some of the controls will be unavailable.
PRESENCE: Controls the focus of the input signal between discrete (focused) and omnipresent (sounds everywhere, with no spatial information). This control is available only when the input signal is Mono or Stereo.
WIDTH: Controls the stereo image of the signal, from mono, to narrow to wide. This control is available only when the input signal is Stereo.
DRY: Controls the volume of the ‘Dry’ input signal (double click to set back to default).
ab vortEx
For those who are looking for instant results, ab vortEx includes an XY Pad that upon touched, will recalculate all the basic parameters available in the plugin. The closer you are to the middle (double click to centre it completely), the more claustrophobic the sounds, the further you go from the centre of the Pad, the more distant the Spacetime correlation.
In a nutshell, if you keep the XY Pointer within the light-blue circle, you will get a natural-sounding reverb that can be used aesthetically in music or more traditional approaches. As you leave the circle, the Spacetime correlation will be big enough to start making the resulting reflections more experimental.
If the XY Pointer is brought to ANY corner of the Pad, the signal will be fed back to the engine - the results are similar to a “Freeze” in an ordinary Reverb, except this time, the signal is constantly being fed into the engine as opposed it being paused, this way, you can continue to throw sound at ab vortEx to keep making your reflections denser and more intense.
All the controls that are affected by the touch of the XY Pad can be locked so that they stay unaffected by the XY changed, simply click on the lock icon by the side of the control, and next time you touch the XY Pad, the control will remain in place.
The most important controls in the plugin are the Space, Time and Viscosity.
Space controls the space of the reflections, the lower this is control is set, the less spacious the reflections will be, t around 50%, the reflections should behave like an ordinary Reverb. At 100%, the reflections will constantly feedback the engine- the results are similar to a “Freeze” in an ordinary Reverb, except this time, the signal is constantly being fed into the engine as opposed it being paused, this way, you can continue to throw sound at ab vortEx to keep making your reflections denser and more intense.
This control is affected by the XY Pad. If you wish to lock it, simply click on the ‘lock’ icon by the control.
Time controls the time at which the reflections move, this of it as the “size of the room”, the lower this control is, the tighter the reflections (more claustrophobic). At around 15%, the time should behave like a normal Reverb - going above will start stretching the time and making the reflections or noticeable.
This control is affected by the XY Pad. If you wish to lock it, simply click on the ‘lock’ icon by the control.
Viscosity is the speech at which the control changes flow - sort of an elasticity control. Changes are instant if this control is set 0%, changes go very slow and lazy if this control is set to 100%.
At the Bottom-left of the XY Pad, a button will display six under-the-hood controls that can help you customise the colour of the reflections. This means that if you change any of these controls, the reflections will change colour, allowing you to have millions of unique unique configurations to make the sound of your reflections unique.
These controls are affected by the XY Pad. If you wish to lock them, simply click on the ‘lock’ icon on their left.
Additional controls exist below the XY Pad.
Damp will dampen the high frequencies of the reflections.
Pre works as a Pre-delay, however, with the slider above, you can chose to feedback the signal into the engine at the Predelay’s rate, meaning the Predelay becomes a short-time Delay. If the slider is all the way to the right, the Delay will never stop being fed back to the engine.
Buoy is a great tool that will help you fill the three-dimensional acoustic field with sound. Because the Mono/Stereo signals lack of three-dimensional properties, this knob is very useful for filling the space and being able to control the sonic size in each dimensional plane. If you are mixing a Mono/Stereo sound in a Dolby Atmos bed or Surround Object, this knob will fill your room with sound.
This control is affected by the XY Pad. If you wish to lock it, simply click on the ‘lock’ icon by the control.
Definition will give more content to the middle of your resulting sonic sphere - this can be useful if you want to keep a good presence of your signal in the middle, where the listener is.
This control is affected by the XY Pad. If you wish to lock it, simply click on the ‘lock’ icon by the control.
Four modulators with independent behaviour are available to keep any of the controls in motion.
To enable the Modulators, toggle the button next to the MODS title, by doing it, you will see most of the controls will have four small circles underneath. Use the circles to assign to any of the four modulators.
On the Modulators square, you can select the rate at which the controls modulate (from a few milliseconds all the way to 20 seconds) and below each modulator, a horizontal knob will help you set the minimum and maximum boundaries of each.
EQ
An Equaliser is also available.
Gain: Raises-Lowers the gain of the Frequency from -48dB to +24dB
Q: Controls the Q of the EQ
Frequency: Helps you select the frequency to be equalised, from 20Hz to 20kHz
Spatial Control
The digital space you have designed on your reverb can be rotated three-dimensionally towards any side (horizontally and vertically). This helps you control your space reflections against the dry signals. It’s a very cool way to achieve different levels of immersion.
Finally, a visualiser is also included to visually guide you on how the final output of the sound is being shaped in the sonic field around you.
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Insert a track with the width of your audio file (if you are working with a MONO WAV, insert a MONO Audio Track, for STEREO WAVS, insert a STEREO Track, for Ambisonics WAVS, insert a 1st/2nd/3rd Order Ambisonics track.
Insert this plugin with your desired Output configuration, and upon insertion, it will automatically set the Input and Output.
If you are adding this plugin to an Instrument Track with Kontakt (5.1) with one of our Audio Libraries in Ambisonics, you’ll need to insert the ‘ab Companion’ BEFORE this plugin to convert the track to Ambisonics.
If you are working in Ambisonics, remember to add a decoder at the end of your insert chain to be able to properly listen to the signal.
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If you are working in Mono or Stereo, regardless of your audio file type, make sure your track has a Stereo configuration. Also, make sure you manually adjust the “Input” setting to match the WAV file.
If you want your output to be Ambisonics, make sure your track is set to Surround, and of course, make sure you decode the signal.
If you are working in Atmos, make sure you use a decoder at the end of the insert chain (e.g. our ab Decoder) to properly listen to the signal.
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If you want this plugin to work in a Group Track (we recommend this), simply create an Ambisonics group track (1OA, 2OA or 3OA), insert this plugin, and send any of your current tracks to the group track. Cubase Pro | Nuendo will take care of converting the signals automatically!
If you want to work in Stereo, simply insert this plugin in a Stereo Track.
If you want to work in Ambisonics with a Mono/Stereo WAV file, insert an Ambisonics Audio track with your Mono/Stereo WAV file, and upon inserting this plugin, set the Input to Mono/Stereo, and leave the Output as Ambisonics.
If you are working in Ambisonics, remember to select a Decoder (e.g. our ab Decoder) in the panner.
Ambisonics signals are only available in Nuendo / Cubase Pro.
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If you are working in Ambisonics, remember to set the track width to at least 4 channels. If the track contains 10 channels, this product will work in 2OA format. If the track has 16 or more channels, this product will work in 3OA format.
If you are working in Ambisonics, remember to add a decoder at the end of the Inserts chain.
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If you’re working with Immersive Audio, Regardless of your final Output, use this plugin in a 9.1.6 track.
If you are using this plugin in a BUS, and receiving signal from a Mono/Stereo signal, make sure your BUS is 9.1.6 AND that you have ‘ab Encoder’ encoding from 9.1.6 to Ambisonics, then this plugin should work from AMBISONICS to AMBISONICS.
The Panner of your track should always be a Decoder (we suggest ‘ab Decoder HOA).
If working in Stereo, work with Stereo tracks just like with any other plugin.
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If you’re working with Immersive Audio, Regardless of your final Output, use this plugin in a Dolby Atmos 9.1.6 track.
The final insert of your track should always be a Decoder (we suggest ‘ab Decoder HOA).
If working in Stereo, work with Stereo tracks just like with any other plugin.
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This plugin is compatible with ALL DAWs. If your DAW only supports Mono/Stereo signals, make your you set the appropriate input/output settings. All ‘under-the-hood’ processing will happen in Ambisonics :)
ab vortEx X
ab vortEx X comes as a Standalone App or an AUv3 Plugin for iOS devices.
As a Standalone App, ab vortEx X will occupy your entire screen.
As a Plugin, ab vortEx X can be resized so that you can interact with your Virtual Instrument as you manipulate the Plugin.
As Standalone:
Upon opening, the input will be Muted to avoid feedback., make sure to unmute it by touching the button on the Top-Right.
We recommend you use an external Sound Card as well as headphones to avoid Feedback on the Signal.
As a Plugin:
On your iOS DAW, simply insert the plugin in any of the tracks. Make sure your DAW supports AUv3 Plugins (e.g. Garageband)
By touching the XY Pad, you can manipulate the Spacetime reflections. If you touch within the light-blue circle, you will get a natural-sounding reverb that can be used aesthetically in music or more traditional approaches. As you leave the circle, the Spacetime correlation will be big enough to start making the resulting reflections more experimental.
If the XY Pointer is brought to ANY corner of the Pad, the signal will be fed back to the engine - the results are similar to a “Freeze” in an ordinary Reverb, except this time, the signal is constantly being fed into the engine as opposed it being paused, this way, you can continue to throw sound at ab vortEx to keep making your reflections denser and more intense.
You can Manually adjust the Space, Time and Viscosity controls by manipulating the knobs on the right.
Finally, there are also Dry and Wet volume controls to keep the sound levels in check.
Note: ab vortEx X works exclusively in Stereo, although all the calculations under-the-hood happen in Ambisonics, the output will automatically be decoded to Stereo.
Controls that are not present in ab vortEx X but are present in ab vortEx, will play no role in the Reflections Engine of the iOS App (we did this to save CPU).