FX Chain Idea - What Do You Think?

[Craig Anderton]

I think it would be great if users could attach a text file to an FX Chain, with documentation for the Macro controls.

For example, the following bullet points are the description for the Macro Controls in my "Mixmaster" multieffects that's in the Studio One tips book. The control names are in bold, which is a start. However, if the control descriptions could be recalled from a doc that's attached to the FX Chain itself, I think that would be handy for those who want to know what's going on under the hood. With many of my tips book FX Chains, I have to look up exactly what the Macro controls do in the book, because I don't remember all the details unless I use an FX Chain frequently.

• Louder: Lowers the Limiter Threshold from 0 to -6 dB. This gives a modest boost to the average level.
• More Center: The FX Chain uses mid-side processing. The More Center control boosts anything that’s panned to center. For more voice, bass, kick, snare, etc., turn this up.
• More Sides: Boosts the sides by 0 to 9 dB. Turn up this control to widen the stereo image.
• More Kick: Bass boost at 65 Hz, 0 to +6 dB. Rotate clockwise to increase low-end punch.
• Less Mud: Cuts at 300 Hz, from 0 to -5 dB. If your mix sounds muddy, rotate clockwise to reduce mud.
• More Voice: Boosts at 3.2 kHz, from 0 to 4.8 dB. Turn up for more intelligible vocals, or to add some zing to midrange instruments (like acoustic guitar).
• Fairy Dust: Boosts at 9 kHz, from 0 to 9 dB (with a narrow Q). Use this subtly.

Before I propose this to the powers that be, I want to see if a) anyone agrees this would be helpful, and b) has ideas on how to improve the idea. I kind of put it in the same class as being able to include an image in the External Effect (formerly Pipeline) plug-in.

 

[TDF1981]

+1

 

[Gerran]

Totally agree. I'm hesitant to use any of the "exchange" content just because of this. I'd like to know what's happening and have a plan instead of slapping on plugins and chains and see where that's going (although that can be fun at times).
I think the "attachment" button like the pictures in pipeline is perfect. I think a pdf file format would be best, multi platform and capable of displaying markup edits (although a simple .txt would be good as well).

 

[soundofdrums]

Great idea. On a slight tangent I always thought it’d be great if fx chains made with the splitter could be somehow packaged as one insert so it’s easy to move them around. @Craig Anderton i really enjoy using your splitter chains from your book but I find it can start getting really busy on the insert slots, particularly if combined with other inserts. If a splitter fx chain was all bundled into a ‘splitter package’ on one insert slot it’d almost be like having the ability to make your own plugins. Perhaps within that ‘insert package’ could also be what you’re proposing with the description text

 

[Sebastian Holtzer]

 

[Stuart Welwood]

it’d be great if fx chains made with the splitter could be somehow packaged as one insert so it’s easy to move them around.

Ditto. I also have been messing around with some of FX chains from the book. Although an enable switch is available as a macro switch on many or most of these chains, it would be nice to have a way to quickly disable a packaged chain without affecting any other parts of the chain. I'm thinking of something like the the way that it takes a single click to bypass all of the inserts in a channel, so why not do something similar with an FX chain?