This Tutorial is really great my acknowledgement too!!!

But I wonder why youre GigaPulse "Large Hall" Picture looks so fresh and modern. My GigaPulse only shows such ugly Pictures of several instrument players.

Maybe its because Im using the Effekt bank from my Gigastudio Gigapulse Pro?

@Rap-Rookies said:

This Tutorial is really great my acknowledgement too!!!
But I wonder why youre GigaPulse "Large Hall" Picture looks so fresh and modern. My GigaPulse only shows such ugly Pictures of several instrument players.
Maybe its because Im using the Effekt bank from my Gigastudio Gigapulse Pro?

No you do every thing correct. I created some own settings with external IRs and its pictures. By the way I changed also the pictures of Tascam with some settings.

> See "Edit Current IIS"
... > Image Path for this Impulse Set (Overall Image)

There you will find:Overall Image Path for this Impulse Set:

Next is the Overall Image Path for this Impulse Set edit box, which provides a place for you to specify the path for the “Overall Image” of the impulse set. Once the iis is compiled, this image is placed in the graphic window of the Acoustic Space pane.
There is a browse button to open a navigation window to make it simpler to find a pre-existing .BMP or .PNG image file.
Note that the image to be inserted needs to be 225x127 pixels in size (Width by Height) and 24 bit true RGB.


Best wishes
Beat Kaufmann

cool and where did you get you Pictures from?

@Rap-Rookies said:

cool and where did you get you Pictures from?

By searching in the net with google/pictures or an other one ("Music and Hall" for example).
Then you have to prepare the size with a graphic tool (Corel Paint...).

Cool again, isn't it? [[;)]]
But it is also a little lavishly...
On the other hand we have to spend our time on earth with something. [:D]

Beat

@Beat Kaufmann said:

On the other hand we have to spend our time on earth with something. [:D]

of course [:P]

But there is still one thing wich is "cooler" with the original IIS Files: The pictures change with the Microphone Position [[:|]] - Thats reeeealy coool!!!

btw: I just found out to render my configuration to save CPU Power thats coool too

its gettin cold in here [:D]

@Beat Kaufmann said:

On the other hand we have to spend our time on earth with something. [:D]

of course [:P]
...- Thats reeeealy coool!!! ...thats coool too
its gettin cold in here [:D]
Ja, saukalt. - 5°C at the moment (outside).
Brrrrrrr
Bea t tt tt t

bei uns isses wärmer zum glück [:P]

Well Beat, you've certainly got your work cut out for you!

Dear Beat & the rest of the VSL;

I can't tell you how relieved I am to have found your tutorials! Although I've been composing for many years, I'm new to using hi-end samples, and had been warned that they require far more time and attention than what I believe some have called 'multi-samples'. I bought VSL based on its sound and reputation, but have not been looking forward to trying to teach myself how to use it! Although I just downloaded your pdf's (and have yet to study them), I'm sure they will make my journey into VSL-usage much easier!

What a nice surprise to find a music software company with this level of consideration and support!

Thank-you! [:)]

Beat:

I echo Michael's words exactly. I am also new to all this and your tutorials have already beagun to help. I don't mind the work but it really helps to get some sort of clue about how to proceed. I'm actually surprised there is not more step-by-step info available for people with musical traiing but no sample based experience. Thank you.

Be well,

Poppa

PoppaJOL and michael_maberly

Thank you for your praising words.
The tutorials... It was a pleasure.


All the best from Switzerland
Beat

@Beat Kaufmann said:

Hi to all
I'm glad to present you some tutorials on my home page:

Hello Beat,

Once again thanks for a wonderful web site which is absolutely filled with marvellous tutorials, tips, downloads and all sorts of superb information about producing music with VSL. [[:D]]
I emailed you when I first found your page and you were kind enough to reply but unfortunately I had an enormous computer catastrophe which meant I lost everything [[:|]] including my emails! (fortunately it wasn't my music machine!)

I hope you get many many visits to your website Beat because I'm sure that everyone could learn something from it - or at the very least be entertained by the brilliant recordings you have made. Your production skills are excellent and you have a very fine voice too. I love the slightly [:O]ops: imperfect rendition of "Stille Nacht" by your pupils! As an ex-music teacher in schools it's a sound that I remember well! [:D] (albeit in English in my case)
I'd be very interested to know how you realise the live recordings together with your computer rendered recordings. I ask this because the computer tracks sound so clean - i.e. it doesn't sound as though you have any 'leakage' onto the vocal tracks - and I can't imagine that all the children wore headphones! I'm really curious as to how you managed that.
I've got to say that I shall be making many more visits to your site - I learn
something new each time I look there - and I've so much to learn! [*-)]

Once again - congratulations on a very fine web site and many thanks for sharing your skills. [[:D]]
Good wishes to you and your singers [[;)]] for Christmas & the New Year!

Best regards,

John

@mistersynth said:

Hello Beat,
... I'd be very interested to know how you realise the live recordings together with your computer rendered recordings. I ask this because the computer tracks sound so clean - i.e. it doesn't sound as though you have any 'leakage' onto the vocal tracks - and I can't imagine that all the children wore headphones! I'm really curious as to how you managed that.

John

Hi John
1.
The monitors are normally far away from the mics (behind)
The kids are close to the mics.
2.
I fiddle around to find the lowest possible monitor volume level for the children. > Almost no playback loudspeaker level on the "kids-track".
I know, the recording procedure is not very professional but it works so far.
3.
I always reduce the noise level with Samplitude's Denoiser program (mic -recorded tracks) to get clean vocal tracks.
By the way: This denoising procedure I use for my own vocal tracks too.

That's it

All the best
Beat

Hello, Beat;

Thanks again for these wonderful tutorials!

I'm new to this subject, so please forgive this naive question:
In How To Use VSL Audio , you use Cubase's "Surround Pan" to narrow the stereo field for each instrumental group. You write: "load it into the effect way". I'm assuming that one should "load" this as an Insert (rather than as a Send ) in each instrumental group's audio channel. Is this correct?

Many thanks, and the best of the season to you!

- Michael

P.S.
I forgot to ask: I'm thinking that one could learn a great deal about using VSL through studying the midi tracks used in creating the Handel Bourree in your Audio tutorial. Any chance we might be able to take a peek at them some time?

Best regards,

Michael

Beat, when I move the "sound sources" (the grey balls) toward the centre (in the Surround Pan window), I also notice a decrease in output volume - both aurally, and in the channel's level meter! Is this supposed to happen?! (The level I hear in your "Violins Stereo To Near Mono" matches the level I get when leaving the sound sources at complete stereo -- ie, with each "ball" at extreme L & R.)

I notice some differences between the picture of the Surround Pan window that you used in your tutorial, and what my Surround Pan window shows -- and I'm wondering if that's got something to do with this:

In yours, the 45-degree lines that emanate from the L and R speakers converge at the centre of the window -- even when your sound sources (the grey balls) are brought toward centre. On mine, the more I move the balls toward centre, the more the lines from L & R speakers retreat , back toward the speakers.
As well, your photo shows a number of "balls", moving toward centre. Unless you used some special photographic technique (or another version of Cubase), I don't know how you got this picture: on mine, there's a single ball for L and another for R.

I'm confused [*-)]

(And I'm using Cubase SX3.1.1.)

Any comments would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

- Michael

@michael_maberly said:

...
Any comments would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
- Michael

Hi Michael
I've noticed your questions. Be a little patient until tomorrow.
It is 03:00 AM. So it is time to go to bed.
I'll be back after having a "healthy christmas-sleep".
Good night [[;)]] !

All the best
Beat Kaufmann

@Beat Kaufmann said:

It is 03:00 AM. So it is time to go to bed.
I'll be back after having a "healthy christmas-sleep".
Good night [[;)]] ! Beat Kaufmann

Sorry to bug you this time of the night!! (It's still evening in Canada.) Have a great rest, a wonderful Christmas Eve (tomorrow), and please take your time in responding to my questions.

Best regards,

Michael

Hi Beat;

(For you to read only after your well-deserved time away from this forum!)

I wonder if this partially answers my previous question regarding output volume differences when using Surround Pan:

A tip from another user forum – and some research – led me to Surround Pan’s “Pan Law” options. Cubase’s manual explained that “without power compensation, the power of the sum of the left and right side will be higher (louder) if a channel is panned center than if it’s panned left or right. To remedy this, the Stereo Pan Law setting allows you to attenuate signals panned center, by -6, -4.5 or -3dB”.

So, I experimented with the different options, comparing peak levels obtained both before and after Surround Panning with different pan law options. Here's what I found: since volume output increases in direct relation to the amount toward centre one pans, one needs a corresponding "sliding scale" of pan law amounts (that is, pan law amounts that would move in very small increments, from 0dB to -.1 dB, -.2dB, -.3dB, etc) in order to exactly compensate for every possible amount of movement toward centre. So, while (for example) -3dB comes close to compensating for the volume increase when panning so that L/R = 30, it's way off when panning so that L/R = 60.

Naturally, the fixed settings of 0dB, -3dB, -4.5dB and -6dB only result in rough compensations. Is this the best one can do?

How did you manage to keep output levels the same, even after using Surround Pan to pan different amounts toward centre?

Thanks again!

- Michael

@michael_maberly said:

Hi Beat;
1. I don't know how you got this picture: on mine, there's a single ball for L and another for R.

2. Naturally, the fixed settings of 0dB, -3dB, -4.5dB and -6dB only result in rough compensations. Is this the best one can do?

3. How did you manage to keep output levels the same, even after using Surround Pan to pan different amounts toward centre?

Michael

Hi Michael
Sorry for my delay. I catched a cold > bed > no forum. But now I'm back.

To your questions:
1. As you suspect: It is a "photomontage". First I wanted to make an animated picture. But I noticed that it is a waste of time. So I realized a "quasi" animated picture.

2. and 3. I never had a problem with the default -3dB. Perhaps it is not optimized. My workflow is:
a) Placing each instrument in its width and in its position (between L and R)
b) Keeping the volume balance between all instruments

EvenI would have the maximum compensation I would fiddle around for minutes and ours to keep this balance between all instruments.

But you are right, the using of the Surround Panner Effect has disadvantages as you pointed out it...

Because of that I added a section in VSL GENERAL:
Panning/Panorama/Stereo/Mono
There you will find other possibilities to pan and monoize your signals...
particularly because you are a Cubase SX 3 user. [:D]


All the best
from the very cold Switzeland (in some parts -31°)

Beat Kaufmann