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@mboc said:
. If you're getting MIR, VSL is definitely best. The instrument profiles make life much easier,
Mboc,
Can you elaborate on what the instrument profiles are and how you use them? I have not been able to find anything on this feature. Is it simialr to the presets in Vienna Suite?
thx!
ds
An instrument profile is sort of like an uber-preset that refers to a specific VSL instrument within MIR. They are located at the top right of your MIR Pro/VEP5 GUI, in the instrument section. Once you load an instrument (say, OR Violins) select the appropriate profile from the pull down list or right click the icon on the MIR stage and select from the context menu. . They do a lot of the work for you, making mixing much easier. Here's a detailed explanation from the manual (preliminary manual pp22-23).
Understanding the concept behind MIR's unique Instrument Profiles is almost as IMPORTANT as having some insight into the variable Output Formats described above, if you want to make use of MIR Pro's features to their full extent.
As you may remember, MIR's impulse responses are not only taken from a multitude of sources and main microphone positions. MIR Pro handles directionality (i.e., “room”) both from the listener's perspective (the microphone) as well as from the signal source's perspective (the instrument).
This is why we implemented detailed, individual Instrument Directivity Profiles for almost every Vienna Instrument. The underlying data were gathered over (literally) years of extensive research and development, and are now saved within so-called Profiles. Measured with the aid of our newly developed method (based on sectorized microphone swarms), we gathered an enormous database of spatial frequency profiles for all kinds of instruments and other sources. Taking into account these directivity-dependent changes in sound, we can now supply MIR Pro with a direction-dependent acoustic fingerprint. This is made possible by the way we recorded the multi impulse sets of each room: The impulses were sent into the room in the same sectorized way we used for measuring the instruments – in 60° steps, plus the room’s ceiling and floor.
Instrument Directivity Profiles are not directly visible to the user, but selected from a list in accordance with the required Vienna Instrument's samples. Apart from directivity information, Instrument Profiles contain data about other aspects, too:
Natural Volume
The Stereo Width inherent in the original recording
Instrument and / or ensemble size
Natural timbres and possible changes to them
Typical playing techniques and ways of sound production
In combination with all these aspects saved in an Instrument Profile, the directivity patterns greatly enhance the possibilities of MIR, and thus the achievable realism of a virtual orchestral performance.
Please select the appropriate Profile from the pull-down menu below the Instrument Display in the Instrument Channel. Virtually every Vienna Instruments is listed here. (IMPORTANT: This is NOT a list of the valid Vienna Instruments licenses on your computer!) In addition we supply “General Purpose” Profiles for use with any source MIR Pro is able to process.
Thanks for spreading the word, Mike, and thanks for quoting the manual.
For everybody who's interested in some (easy to understand) technical and "philosophical" background, there's an add-on available for the manual, called "Think MIR!":
-> http://dl.vsl.co.at/downloader.aspx?ID=7629
Kind regards,
PS:
@mboc said:
[...] On a side note, I've found the plug Decapitator by Soundtoys to be very helpful in creating harmonic distortion, taking the edge off, coloring (esp when used in parallel). If I could afford a Culture Vulture or a Fatso I would get them but the plug is quite good at emulating. This is just my own personal taste, but the demo is worth trying.
+1!
Another great source for nice harmonic distortion are UAD's Ampex and Revox emulations.
Yes, thank you so much Mike. That was very helpful. And thank you Dietz. Very cool stuff.
Mike, do you use the instrument EQ presets from VSL Suite alongside the MIR instrument pofiles?
Now I just wish UAD was 64 bit (though I suppose VEP5 would take care of that!).
Now I just wish UAD was 64 bit (though I suppose VEP5 would take care of that!).
You could either use VE Pro as a 32bit application, or wrap the plugins using a utility like jBridge -> http://jstuff.wordpress.com/jbridge/
HTH,
Thank you very much for this reply, Dietz. You have really added to my understanding of what MIR does.
A few follow up questions to your reply...
Does MIR have a Compressor or is the compressor only found in the Vienna Suite?And, if MIR does have the compressor, does the compressor have the presets from the Vienna Suite?
Does MIR include an EQ that can be dedicated to each track or just to the master out?
Does the MIR Pro's own EQ have presets for for Vienna instruments like one can find in the Vienna Suite?
I know that MIR comes with the algorithymic reverb found in the Suite's Hyrbid rever, but does it come with Suite's convolution reverb presets as well? And if not, can one
Thanks, Dietz!
Vienna Suite and MIR Pro are different products which complement each other nicely.
I know that MIR comes with the algorithymic reverb found in the Suite's Hyrbid rever, but does it come with Suite's convolution reverb presets as well?
MIRacle - the algorithmic reverb add-on that comes with MIR Pro - is of course related to Vienna Suite's Hybrid Reverb, but it's a different plugin. For obvious reasons it has no convolution reverb section, and it is fully surround compatible. Therefore the presets aren't interchangeable.
HTH,
Thanks Dietz. That really helps.
I just wish you guys offered a complete software bundle: MIR Pro, VEP5, Vienna Suite and VIP2. Any chance?[:)]
d.
@mboc said:
On a side note, I've found the plug Decapitator by Soundtoys to be very helpful in creating harmonic distortion, taking the edge off, coloring (esp when used in parallel).
Mike-
I have noticed the same thing. What settings do you apply on the Decapitator? One has to be very careful with that plug!
thx.
ds
Thanks Mike!
Where do you insert it? Before or after your other effects?
Appreciate the help.
I typically run it in parallel, like you would with a compressor. The wet/dry mix allows you to do this as an insert, or you can dedicate a bus to it depending on your needs. I like to place it before effects on its own bus, but it can be used anyway you see fit. I've had good results using it after effects and even at the mastering or mix bus level. I personally like the T setting for strings, emulating the respective "saturation/warmth" setting on the Culture Vulture. Saving my pennies to get the real thing. The P setting is more for distortion and less for saturation, but has its own merits. Ever hear a rock bass through one (the real one)? Pretty sure Radiohead uses it on the bass on "Bodysnatchers."
Mike
Just wanted to post that i decided to start a new thread for tape saturation/ ahrmonic distoprtion and VSL if anyone can/ wants to contribute. (didn't want to hijack this thread).
