# Audio Damage update... - Site: Analog Industries - Author: Chris Randall - Date: 2007-03-10 - URL: https://analogindustries.com/2007/03/audio-damage-update/ Work is proceeding on Dr. Device. We're not in alpha yet, which is where I generally drop a complete screenshot, but we're getting there. Adam won't let me put up a screenshot until we've finalized the feature set (in fact, I think he'd be happier if I didn't put up anything at all until it's actually on sale, truth be told) and it's usually a good thing, as the controls go through several revisions before we actually decide on what a given plug is going to do, unless it is a slavish clone like Phase Two or 914. In any case, Dr. Device is working well enough that I'm now comfortable telling you what it _is,_ exactly. It will be a multi-mode filter and a stereo delay, that handiest of combinations. There are several things that will set Dr. Device apart from the dozens of similar products out there. In no particular order: 1\. We've spent quite a bit of time on the filters, which are tuned for musical usefulness rather than any particular model. So our 4 pole lowpass flavor is something that makes me particularly happy; I can't say "hey, it's just like the filter in the Prodigy," because it's not. It is a custom design which has features that I like in a filter. There are seven filter models in all that comprise what we feel are the general filter toolbox of an electronic musician. 2\. The delay section is, for all intents and purposes, a two-tap true stereo Dubstation, and that's something that will make a lot of people happy. It also has a clean mode, which we have laughingly referred to as "digi" mode (ironic inasmuch as all plugins are inherently digital, of course), where the filters that are part and parcel to the Dubstation feedback sound are removed. 3\. All normal controls can be addressed by an X/Y pad. However, that's like saying "Diamond Dave is prone to rambling." It's an incredible understatement. This X/Y pad, which I'll talk about in a future installment, is a thing of beauty, and goes far beyond simple "click and drag" adjustment. The negative (for me) is that the Power Of The Pad won't be immediately obvious from a screenshot, so I can see a video demo in my future, and that's gonna be a pain in the ass. All that said, we're not that close to an alpha state (there aren't even any knobs on the UI at this juncture) and the plugin is barely usable at this point, so I can't even really give you an audio demo, and definitely not a prospective release date. Adam is going on vacation at the end of the month, and by default I will be as well (Oregon Shakespeare Festival, here I come!) and we're hoping to be in beta by that time, but at the rate things are going... well, we'll see. ## Comments (18) **quantize** (2007-03-10): As a happy Dubstation user/customer...this is GREAT news... briiiing it ooooooooon! **Aahzekiel** (2007-03-10): Apparently you guys are reading minds... no shit, I was wishing for something like this two days ago. Excited to play with it. **Diamond Dave McAnally 103** (2007-03-10): if you're looking for something that can just record what your screen is doing and record audio for that X/Y demo, Camtasia is pretty badass http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.asp **brandon daniel** (2007-03-10): Not too many comments here, the xy demo ought to get folks more interested, though. Anyhow, a Distortion->MultiModeFilter->TempoDelay is a really handy send effect, for those who may not have tried it before... **studio nebula** (2007-03-10): I don't let Chris put up screenshots until we have some confidence that we can take a shot that will closely resemble the final product. Call me old-fashioned, but I've grown to hate the common practice in the music industry of announcing products months or years in advance of having any clue about when the product might actually see the light of day. There will probably be more comments after this post has been up for more than a few hours. :-) That aside, the complete description of What It Does and How will generate some interest, I'm fairly sure. It's always a good sign when a plug-in makes me giggle with glee even before all of the features are in place. --Adam **space_monkey** (2007-03-11): Sounds sweet. I assume the filter section will have some modulation options, like maybe some LFO or envelope follower type stuff. Waveshapers on LFOs are always sexy. What would bee really really cool would be if there were some depth knobs so that you could use the mod section to modulate the delay settings, like delay time and maybe feedback. (you could get great pitch stretchy stuff this way with an lfo) Also, though it might be a PITA to implement in a plugin, I really have no idea about that, I really love the feature on my sherman that lets you plug a different signal into the envelope follower than the one you're filtering. Anyway, I'm sure whatever you guys come up with will be great, these are just a few things that popped into my head. **Artemiy Pavlov** (2007-03-11): I'd really like a step modulator similar or better than that one in the Big Seq. **tom** (2007-03-11): a stereo dubstation with filters, exactly what the Dr. ordered :D **inasilentway** (2007-03-11): space_monkey, AD's very own Discord already has LFOs to modulate delay time and filters, with stereo independence. If you're looking for awesome "pitch stretchy" stuff, that plug is a good place to start. **Chris Randall** (2007-03-11): There are no LFOs or envelope followers in this plug. We've come up with a unique modulation method, which will have to be seen to be believed. There are plenty of filters and delays out there with LFOs and env followers already. I'll explain all once Adam is done coding the mod section. We're not 100% sure it can be pulled off at this point. But suffice to say it is both much more direct and far more spontaneous than an envelope follower or LFO mod method. -CR **space_monkey** (2007-03-11): sweet. I can't wait to see it. I will get disccord and checck it out one of these days for pitch stretchy stuff. Whatever the mod method, being able to send the mod data to the delay params as well as the filter ones would be great. **studio nebula** (2007-03-11): The feature space_monkey describes of running one signal into a filter and using another signal to drive an envelope follower that's modulating the filter is unfortunately very much of a PITA in VST plug-ins. There are several contexts in which it is desireable to run two independent signals into one plug-in; compressor side-chaining and vocoders are the two most conspicuous examples. Most VST hosts do not provide a mechanism for doing this (including Steinberg's hosts, which obviously are the de facto standards for VST hosting) and there's nothing in the VST spec that supports it. Some clever manufacturers have invented workarounds. For example, the Orange Vocoder (I forget who makes it) has a separate plug-in that is used to send a signal from a different mixer channel into the vocoder plug-in as the modulator. Obviously it's easily done in the "modular" hosts like Bidule and MSP but hosts of that nature are used by a minority of our customers. Steinberg had a great opportunity with VST 3.0 to add this feature, but apparently they haven't because it's not a feature present in Cubase 4. It may be part of the VST 3.0 spec anyway but nobody knows since they haven't yet graced us with this spec. I think that AU provides ways to do this, but since our plug-ins have to conform to both specifications in an architectural sense, we can't use this feature of AU. --Adam **Chris Randall** (2007-03-12): There are six mod sources (sort of; you'll see) and every parameter of the filter and delay can be a destination. Your mod is covered on this one. But it has no LFOs or envelopes. ;-) -CR **space_monkey** (2007-03-12): ooops, double post Oh, well. That's too bad about the VST spec. I think there are ways to do this with AUs in Logic pro but I haven't really explored them cause it always seems more convenient just to run it out though hardware when I want to do that. **space_monkey** (2007-03-12): I love onnovative mod sources, so I'll definitely be getting this one. Thanks for the reassurance. **thesimulacre** (2007-03-12): MMM...! Sources? Destinations? You are starting so say things that make my ears tingle in anticipation, much like my tongue will when spicy food is about... **blinkman** (2007-03-12): Sounds crazy. Could this take the place of the updated Ronin I've been waiting for? Very exciting. You guys have yet to disappoint with your designs. Can't wait! c. **Stef Stabilizer** (2007-03-19): Just had a thought.. The delay section you mentioned has clean and "dubstation" mode.. Any chance of a knob to control the amount of "dirt" rather than an on-off type button? Sounds pretty interesting though...