SPL Attacker2980 User manual

Analog Code

® MicroPlug

Manual

Attacker

2Attacker Analog Code® MicroPlug

Manual

Attacker

Analog Code® MicroPlug

Model Number 2980

Manual Version 2.0 –12/2011

This user‘s guide contains a description of the product. It in no

way represents a guarantee of particular characteristics or results

of use. The information in this document has been carefully com-

piled and verified and, unless otherwise stated or agreed upon,

correctly describes the product at the time of packaging with this

document.

Sound Performance Lab (SPL) continuously strives to improve its

products and reserves the right to modify the product described in

this manual at any time without prior notice. This document is the

property of SPL and may not be copied or reproduced in any way, in

part or fully, without authorization by SPL electronics GmbH.

SPL electronics GmbH

Sohlweg 80, 41372 Niederkruechten, Germany

Phone: +49 (0)2163 983 40

Fax: +49 (0)2163 983 420

E-Mail: software@spl.info

Website: spl.info

The SPL logo, Analog

Code®, Vitalizer® and Atmos® are registered trademarks of SPL electronics

GmbH.

All other logos and brand names are registered trademarks of their

respective owners.

Attacker Analog Code® MicroPlug

Content

Installation 4

Plugin Alliance Activation 4

System Requirements and Compatibility 4

MAC and Windows Installation 4

Introduction 5

The Analog Code®

Attacker & Transient Designer 6

Working with the Attacker ... 6

Control Elements 7

Mouse Wheel Control 7

ON 7

ATTACK 7

OUTPUT GAIN 8

SIG. LED 8

OVL LED 8

Applications 9

Drums & Percussions 9

Guitars 9

Keyboards & Sampler 10

Post Production 10

Mastering 10

Your Notes 11

4Attacker Analog Code® MicroPlug

Plugin Alliance Activation

Your Analog Code plug-in must be activated in your Plugin Alliance

account. You can set it up and log into your account anytime at

http://www.plugin-alliance.com

For details about the activation process, read the Plugin Alliance

Activation Manual. The PDF file is stored in the same folder of your

computer like this product manual file.

Alternatively, the following web page provides the same informati-

on: http://www.plugin-alliance.com/activation

System Requirements and Compatibility

For details about system requirements and supported platforms or

formats visit http://www.plugin-alliance.com/compatibility

MAC and Windows Installation

1. Check for the latest plug-in software version before installation:

http://software.spl.info/download

2. Execute the installer file and follow the instructions.

Installation

Attacker Analog Code® MicroPlug 5

Introduction

The Analog Code®

While SPL hardware products have been fascinating audio pro-

fessionals from home studio owners to mastering engineers in

the world’s most renowned facilities for years, the need for this

technology in the form of plug-ins has also been an ever-growing

demand. With the Analog Code® plug-ins we have finally accom-

plished our much desired goal: to transfer to the digital domain the

high quality we have striven to achieve with our analog processors

throughout several decades.

The ﬁrst time we ever heard a software that fulﬁlled our expecta-

tions, one of our hardware developers said to the programmers:

“you have cracked the Analog Code” — thus was coined the name

of our digital products.

The Analog Code MicroPlug Series is derived from our Analog Code

plug-ins, offering single functions or controls of plug-ins such

as the Transient Designer. While the Transient Designer offers

ATTACK and SUSTAIN controls, the Attacker MicroPlug focuses on

amplifying the attack event.

6Attacker Analog Code® MicroPlug

Attacker & Transient Designer

The Attacker MicroPlug employs the same processing technique

like the original Transient Designer. SPL’s Differential Envelope

Technology revolutionized dynamic processing with a level-inde-

pendent method.

This radically different approach allows to forego the setting of a

threshold. Other parameters are set automatically and in a musical

manner as they follow the characteristics of the input signal. After

all, only one control allows to reshape the attack characteristics of

a sound.

Working with the Attacker ...

... is disarmingly simple: All attack events can be amplified – re-

gardless of their signal level. However, the possibilities for studio

and live applications are seemingly endless.

Usually equalizers are used to separate instruments in a mix.

Thereby, the tonal aspect of the signal is considered but not

the temporal aspect. The Attacker now opens this new dimen-

sion in signal processing. By amplifying the attack curves of a

sound event, the mix can be made to sound more transparent.

Instruments can be mixed at lower levels while still maintaining

their positions in the mix—but occupying less space.

The Attacker also offers an output control gain control that allows

to compensate for level changes after processing the signal. This

ensures a simple and safe adjustment of levels and helps avoiding

internal clipping.

Introduction

Attacker Analog Code® MicroPlug 7

Control Elements

Mouse Wheel Control

All SPL Analog Code plug-ins, including the MicroPlug Series, sup-

port mouse wheel control for rotary controls and faders. Place the

mouse cursor over a rotary control and move the wheel or scroll

ball of your mouse to adjust the control. Hold the CTRL (Windows)

or APPLE/COMMAND key while moving the wheel or scroll ball for

fine adjustments with higher control resolution.

With the ON button you can turn the Attacker on or off. The ON

button illuminates after activation.

ATTACK

With the ATTACK control you can amplify the attack(s)

of a signal by up to 15 dB. You can operate the con-

trol by ear actually ... for an extensive description

and explanation of the possible applications of the

ATTACK control please refer to “Applications” on page

9 cont.

8Attacker Analog Code® MicroPlug

Control Elements

OUTPUT GAIN

The OUTPUT GAIN control allows you to reduce the

output signal by up to -20 dB or boost it by up to

+6dB. This ensures that following devices receive

an optimized level. The center position at 12-o‘clock

equals 0 dB output. If the OVL-LEDs keeps flashing

you have to reduce the output level to avoid internal

clipping.

SIG. LED

The SIG. (signal) LED indicates the presence of an audio sig-

nal. In the analog world this LED helps the operator especially

in complex setups to determine immediately if the device

receives any signal. In the digital domain it tells you that the

channel where you inserted the plug contains a signal that is loud

enough to ensure correct processing.

OVL LED

The OVL (overload) LED indicates internal clipping. Whether

the clipping is audible or not depends on the kind of audio

material you are processing.

You should always avoid that the OVL LED illuminates. Use the

OUTPUT GAIN control to reduce the output level if the OVL-LEDs

keeps flashing.

Attacker Analog Code® MicroPlug 9

Applications

The following examples are given as suggestions and examples.

The described procedures with specific instruments can of course

be transferred to others which are not mentioned here.

Drums & Percussions

The processing of drum and percussion sounds is the most typical

Attacker application.

• Emphasize the attack of a kick drum or a loop to increase the

power and presence in the mix.

• Adjust the apparent distance of the microphone by simply vary-

ing the ATTACK values.

• Enjoy an amazingly simple integration of drum sounds into a

mix. If the acoustic level of a snare is expanded to approximately

+4 dB by increasing the attack value, the effective increase of

peak levels in the overall mix is merely about 0.5 dB to 1 dB.

• If your drums happen to sound as if they have been placed in a

shoe closet, the Attacker can immediately get them out of there.

Just crank the ATTACK control to emphasize the first wave.

Guitars

Increase ATTACK for in-the-face sounds, which is very useful and

works particularly well for picking guitars. Or blow life and juice

into quietly played guitar parts.

Distorted guitars usually are very compressed, thus not very

dynamic. Simply increase the ATTACK to get a clearer sound with

more precision and better intonation despite any distortion.

10 Attacker Analog Code® MicroPlug

Applications

Keyboards & Sampler

Sounds in keyboards and samples usually show a lot of compres-

sion, not maintaining enough of their natural dynamic. Increase

the ATTACK values to re-gain a more natural response characteris-

tic. The sounds occupy less space in the mix and appear more iden-

tifiable even at lower volumes.

Post Production

When dealing with overdubs in movies you can easily add more

punch and definition to effect sounds from any sample library.

The same applies to outdoor recordings that suffer from poor

microphone positioning—simply optimize them afterwards.

Mastering

Like with any good thing, you also have to know where not to use

it. For example, using the Attacker in mastering a summed signal

usually is not recommendable, as it is rarely a good idea to treat

a whole mix at once. Instead, treat individual elements within the

mix.

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