Black Rooster Audio BlueAsh SC-5 Installation guide

OVERVIEW & INSTRUCTIONS
WWW.BLACKROOSTERAUDIO.COM

BlueAsh SC-5
OVERVIEW & INSTRUCTIONS
1
About the BlueAsh SC-5
Classic VCA Compressor
Accurately modeled aer the original 70s
BlueAsh version of a classic and sought-aer VCA
compressor the SC-5 opens up a whole world of
versatility: You‘re going for super gentle com-
pression to sweeten up the signal on your mas-
ter buss? You‘re looking for a distorted, smas-
hed-up sound on your drum buss? You want to
tame lively and dynamic material?
The BlueAsh SC-5 handeles it all. The full-
blown set of parameters allows you to dial in
just the right setting for your application. Yet it
always maintains its own pleasant and charac-
teristic tone.
Plugin Activation & System Requirements
Black Rooster Audio plug-ins are equipped with
a straightforward and easy to use challenge-re-
sponse activation system. We did our best to
make sure our system works well for both online
and oline users. By supporting USB key activa-
tion, mobile use is supported and just as easy as
permanent activation of your computer‘s hard
disk.
For detailed information about the activati-
on process and the current system requirements
of our plug-ins please refer to:
www.blackroosteraudio.com/faq.html
Key features
Authentic circuit emulation
Our real time SPICE type component based cir-
cuit simulation approach allows to authenti-
cally capture the sound and feel of the analog
counterpart in all nuances. Every crucial part of
the circuit, including the custom VCA design, the
detector circuit, the feedback compressor loop
and the audio path have been faithfully mod-
eled.
SSE2 optimized code
DSP operations are pipe-lined using the SSE2
instruction set. This ensures highest possible
performance operation despite very complex
computations.
Auto-adjusted oversampling for maximum audio
transparency
Aliasing artifacts are eiciently attenuated us-
ing a low latency linear phase Dolph-Chebyshev
poly-phase design. The oversampling is auto
adjusted to your session‘s sample rate to save
valuable CPU power while oering the most
transparent sound possible.
HighDPI / Retina support
All our plug-Ins support high pixel density on
Mac OSX and Windows to bring you the most
enjoyable user experience on high DPI displays.
Please refer to your manual to nd whether your
DAW is HighDPI capable if you‘re working on
Windows.

BlueAsh SC-5
OVERVIEW & INSTRUCTIONS
2
Controls & User Interface
» Power
Engages or bypasses the processing altogether.
» Limit
Toggling this button engages or bypasses the circuit‘s compressor path. Using this switch
allows you to monitor the eect of your current setting. The output stage as well as the
meter LEDs (see below) will remain active also when bypassed.
» Link
This is an addition to the original circuit. Sets the unit into stereo linked operation when
depressed or dual-mono compression, otherwise. Only available in stereo instances.
» Gain
Controls the amount of gain in the compressor path. The BlueAsh SC-5 is a xed threshold
compressor: The more you drive the gain stage the more compression will be applied to
your signal.
Drag the knob with the right mouse button and the Output knob will move into the opposite
direction, this function allows for adding compression without increasing the volume.
» Ratio
Use this knob to adjust the ratio of the compressor in the range from 1:2 to 1:∞.
» Attack
Use this knob to dial in the attack time from 200us to 20ms.
» Release
Controls the release time in the range from 100ms to 2s.
» Output
Use the output gain knob to compensate for volume changes applied by the compressor
stage in the range between -∞ and +18 dB.
Drag the knob with the right mouse button and the Gain knob will move into the opposite
direction, this function allows for adding compression without increasing the volume.
» Gain Reduction LED Meter
The red LEDs monitor the gain reduction applied by the compressor stage.
» Threshold LED
The yellow LED monitors by which amount the compressor‘s threshold is exceeded by
the incoming signal. The brighter the LED lights up, the more compression will be applied
basically.

BlueAsh SC-5
PREFERENCES & INSTRUCTIONS
3
GUI Size
In the GUI size menu you can select your preferred GUI
scaling from a list of four settings, if the default mode
(Normal) is too big or too small for your taste. Please
note that the GUI size setting is a global preference that
aects all Black Rooster Audio plug-ins installed on your
system.
Check for updates
Click the Check for updates entry to see if the plug-ins installed on your system are up-to-date. This function
requires internet access.
Knob behaviour & keyboard shortcuts
Use the plug-ins settings menu to select your preferred knob mode globally, i.e. all of our plug-ins share the same
setting among all DAW applications. Choose between „Host Setting“, „Circular“, „Relative Circular“ and „Linear“:
• By default the knob mode is set to „Host Setting“ which means that the knob mode is dictated by the DAW
application. Some VST hosts allow to change the knob mode setting in their preference menu. Our plug-ins
will respect the host knob mode in that setting.
• In the „Circular“ or „Relative Circular“ modes knobs will react to circular mouse gestures and you have to
drag your mouse in clockwise or counter-clockwise direction to change a knob‘s value.
• In the „Linear“ mode you have to drag your mouse up or down when selecting a knob to change its value.
Use the knob sensitivity menu to adjust the knob sensitivity to taste. This function is only available in linear mode.
All of our plugins support the following keyboard shortcuts
AU Hosts on Mac OS
Alt + Click - Reset control to its default value
Shi + Drag - Fine control
Shi + Mousewheel - Fine control
VST Hosts on Mac OS
CMD + Click - Reset control to its default value
Shi + Drag - Fine control (only a applicable in linear knob mode)
Shi + Mousewheel - Fine control
VST Hosts on Windows
Ctrl + Click - Reset control to its default value
Shi + Drag - Fine control (only a applicable in linear knob mode)
Shi + Mousewheel - Fine control