KORNEFF Amplified Instrument Processor User manual

Amplified Instrument Processor - User Manual
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Amplified Instrument Processor
The Amplified Instrument Processor is a complete suite of tools designed to help you sculpt
the ultimate guitar, bass or keyboard tone. But while it was designed initially to work with
amplified instruments, its power and versatility make it an excellent processor for virtually
any audio task. The AIP can work wonders on vocals, acoustic instruments, pianos, group
buses and even across the whole mix. Heck, you can even master a finished recording with
it. It's that good, and it's that versatile.
The AIP combines a seriously powerful four band EQ, a VCA based compressor, specialized
filter networks, a psycho-acoustic stereo widener, a frequency dependent compressor, and
a proprietary signal processing unit, a real time analyzer.. oh god... it's basically a killer
audio channel that has everything except delay, reverb and an assistant to get you coffee.
Using his years of experience shaping rock records behind the console, Dan Korneff
developed a processor that contains the entire mixing chain for his signature guitar and
bass sounds. Not only does it#speed up his work flow, but the result#gives him the extra
flexibility and features of the digital world without compromising analog vibe.
Behold, the AIP!
Minimum System Requirements Supported Plugin Formats
Quad Core i5 Processor Intel Mac 64bit: VST3, AU, AAX
4GB of RAM Windows 64bit: VST3, AAX
Mac OS X 10.14 or Later
Windows 7 & Above
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Amplified Instrument Processor - User Manual
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. Table of Contents
3. Specifications
4. Overview
5. Front Panel
6. Back Panel
7. Block Diagram
8. Processing Sections
9. Utility Panel
10. Usage Ideas
11. Conclusions
Copyright 2020 by KorneffAudio Inc.
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Amplified Instrument Processor - User Manual
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OVERVIEW
There is a lot going on with The Amplified Instrument Processor (we are going to call it the
AIP from here on out), and it has a lot of controls and functionality.
Many of the AIP processing sections have controls on both the front and back panels of the
plugin. Generally, the front panel controls can do 90% of what you need to do, and the back
panel provides additional tweakability to either get exactly the sound you want or add a bit
of vintage analog flavor and unpredictability to things.
FRONT PANEL
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Amplified Instrument Processor - User Manual
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The front panel is divided into an eq section, a compressor section, the Insufferable
Midrange Filter (IMF) section, the KorneffProprietary Signal Processing (PSP) section, and a
stereo widening section that includes a goniometer. There are ENABLE buttons all over the
place to insert the various sections in and out of the signal flow.
At the bottom of the AIP is our UTILITY PANEL, which allows you to trim the input and
output levels, access the preset library, AB compare settings, and bring tool tips and this
manual if you need information.
Click on the KORNEFF NAMEPLATE at the top to go to the back panel of the plugin.
BACK PANEL
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The"other side" of the plugin is dominated by a REAL TIME ANALYZER at the top. This RTA
lets you see the frequency response of whatever audio is going through the plugin, and it
also gives you visual feedback on how your eq settings are affecting the overall response.
Below the RTA are additional tweaks for the compressor section and the Proprietary Signal
Processing. There's also the FREQUENCY DEPENDENT REDUCTION (FDR) unit, which is a
compressor that is tunable to work on specific frequencies. You can also control the size of
the GUI and switch in OVERSAMPLING to reduce aliasing and digital artifacts. There's also
a DRY / WET control that lets you use the AIP as a parallel processor.
Click on the KORNEFF NAMEPLATE at the top to go to the front panel of the plugin.
SIMPLIFIED BLOCK DIAGRAM
The signal flow of the AIP is similar to that of an audio console channel strip. The biggest
difference is that all of the AIP's processing can be used in parallel via the DRY / WET
control. Please note that the position of the compressor is switchable—it can be before or
after the equalization section.
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PROCESSING SECTIONS
EQUALIZATION SECTION
HPF/LPF : These are first order high pass and low pass filters with gentle 6db/octave
curves. Use them to get rid of low end rumble and high end chiff. The IN button takes
them in and out of the signal path.
Four Band Fully Parametric Equalizer: This is a ridiculously powerful and wonderful
sounding eq. Based on the response curves of old German Klangfilm eq's, the AIP adds full
continuous control of frequency, gain and Q (bandwidth). It covers from 20hz to 20kHz in
four separate bands that have reasonable overlap and are independently switchable.
Back in the good old Klangfilm days, equipment was handmade and the tolerances on
components was pretty loose. Hence, there was variation in the frequency response of
individual channels in equipment. In modern gear, the right channel and the left are very
likely identical in sound. In the old days, not so much. The AIP's ANALOG CHANNEL
VARIANCE has 16 different response curves that you can set between the two channels to
recreate a vintage difference in channel tone. If you want the channels to sound the same,
set them to the same number. Press the RANDOM button to generate almost infinite
channel mismatch. The effect is subtle, but it is definitely there. We'll have some hints on
how to use this effect later in the manual. And no, we won't tell you what the 16 different
response curves are. And there are also some more EQ controls on the Other Side...
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Oh! There's that nifty REAL TIME ANALYZER that shows the frequency response of your
recording and the curves of your eq's. Please note that this wasn't a feature on Klangfilm
eq's made in 1957, but we thought you would like it.
You can further futz with the eq by using the FREQ CURVE control to switch the eq's
response curves from MODERN to VINTAGE. The VINTAGE setting simulates a passive eq
curve, which adds a slight dip at each of the bandwidth cutofffrequencies. You can see all
this in action on the RTA.
GAIN SCALE is a multiplier for the front panel eq gains. At 100% , each gain knob has the
has +/- 18dB of gain. Set it to 200% if you need something insane, like 36dB of boost! Set it
lower than 100% and the gain control for each frequency will become more precise to use
but with less overall gain, similar to how a mastering eq might feel. Dan loves the CIRCUIT
AGE control, which simulates capacitors and other components in the eq circuit wearing
out. Turn it towards OLD and you'll introduce ripples in the response of the eq that bring it
to life in an old analog way—you can see this on the RTA. Click INVERT to reverse the curve
of the eq.
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VCA COMPRESSION SECTION
VCA Compressor: The VCA compressor is built around an emulation of the venerable DBX
202 VCA integrated circuit. Sound wise, this compressor is similar to a cross between a DBX
160 and an SSL channel compressor, but smoother and perhaps cleaner. If you want huge
amounts of punch and color, go patch in our Pawn Shop Comp or Talkback Limiter. But if
you want to beautifully smooth things out while still controlling articulation and details, the
AIP's VCA compressor is your new best buddy.
It has a full range of controls.
THRESHOLD: 0dB to -100dB
RATIO: 2:1 to 12:1
ATTACK: 3ms to 200ms
RELEASE: 10ms to 4 seconds
MAKEUP: 0dB to +24dB gain
Use THRESHOLD to set the level at which the compressor kicks in. Use RATIO to adjust
how much the signal is compressed, and use ATTACK and RELEASE to adjust articulation
and detail. ENABLE puts the compressor into the signal chain, and PRE POST places it
before the eq section or after it. And there are more compressor controls on the back!
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There are two additional controls for the compressor on the back panel. DISTORTION
NULL lets you adjust the amount of grit and saturation you get when you hit the
compressor hard. Set it high to get more of a gnarly, vintage 70's sound. The VCA
SYMMETRY introduces inconsistencies between the compression curves of the right and
left channels of the compressor. This is analogous to the the ANALOG CHANNEL
VARIANCE function of the equalizer.
PSP - PROPRIETARY SIGNAL PROCESSING SECTION
PSP: This section adds a sweet secret sauce to the input section of the plugin. It packs a lot
of functionality into its very minimal controls—you'll be amazed at what the PSP can do for
your tracks.
Pop the PSP in and out by pressing the big red button on the front panel. Hopefully you'll
be able to find it...
On the back, the TONE SHAPE lets you select between three different shaping options that
simulate the effects of various tubes, transformers, transistors and whatnot. All three
sound different and all are very useful.
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