TC Electronic NonLin2 User manual

MANUAL

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TC SUPPORT INTERACTIVE
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contact & Support Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Table Of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
NonLin2 Stereo Effects Reverb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Global Plug-In Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
The Plug-In Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Preset Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Converting NonLin2 Presets from System 6000 and Reverb 4000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Compare settings with A/B Mem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Locking Parameter values using the Parameter Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

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4/ NonLin2
NONLIN2 STEREO EFFECTS REVERB
Congratulations with the purchase of your new Effects Reverb plug-in for PowerCore.
The NonLin2 Stereo Effects Reverb for PowerCore is another world class reverb direct-
ly ported from the System 6000. NonLin2 is an effect reverb, which differs from the
traditional natural sounding TC reverbs.
NonLin2 is capable of generating compact vocal ambience, percussive and dramatic
drum sounds, reverse reverbs and completely new “twisted” effects. Featuring an
amplitude envelope that is capable of rendering an untriggered gated reverb and a
‘twist’ parameter, which can radically alter the sound, this plug-in delivers a serious
advantage over other gated reverbs.
The NonLin2 plug-in runs on all available PowerCore at the common sample rates
from 32 kHz to 96 kHz.
The plug-in can be inserted in any VST or Audio Unit compatible host application as
Stereo-to-Stereo Effect or as Mono-To-Stereo Effect (depending on the host application
and the individual track settings).
The NonLin Stereo Effects Reverb algorithm occupies*:
Enjoy!
The TC Electronic Team
Sample Rate PowerCore PCI / Element PowerCore Compact / FireWire / MKII
44.1 kHz 67% DSP Load and 58% DSP Load and
75% Memory (of 1 DSP) 18% Memory (of 1 DSP)
48.0 kHz 69% DSP Load and 64% DSP Load and
75% Memory (of 1 DSP) 18% Memory (of 1 DSP)
88.2 kHz 91% DSP Load and 87% DSP Load and
75% Memory (of 1 DSP) 18% Memory (of 1 DSP)
96.0 kHz 100% DSP Load and 95% DSP Load and
75% Memory (of 1 DSP) 18% Memory (of 1 DSP)
* All values subject to change

GLOBAL PLUG-IN CONTROLS
KEYBOARD COMMANDS
In most host applications, the NonLin2 Reverb supports keyboard commands for certain
functions. The following key commands are available for all plug-in parameters:
Key Commands in Mac OS X:
Fine Adjust = Apple key + mouse movement
Reset To Default = Alt key + mouse click
Key Commands in Windows:
Fine Adjust = Alt + mouse movement
Reset To Default = Shift + Control + mouse click
User Assignable Key Commands:
Depending on your host application, you have the ability to add your own keyboard
shortcuts to certain buttons. The supported buttons in NonLin2 are: Mem., A/B, the
previous/next preset buttons and the 2 page buttons: Main and Modify.
A right mouse click on the button will open a pop-up menu. Here you can select to
assign a new keyboard shortcut or to remove a previously assigned shortcut.
Note: The ability to use the assignable key commands highly depends on the host
application. Some applications do not pass key commands on to the plug-in.
SCROLL WHEEL SUPPORT
If you are using a host application that supports this feature, all of the NonLin2 knobs
and faders support scrolling on both Windows XP and Mac OS X. Simply roll your
mouse over a knob or slider and use the Scroll Wheel to increment / decrement the
associated parameter.
USER INTERFACE DISABLED
Should your PowerCore be fully loaded and there is not enough free processing on
your DSPs, the plug-in will come up in a “disabled” state. Should this occur, it is
advised to remove the plug-in from the mix.
Note: In case any PowerCore plug-in gets disabled either while loading a session or
during your work (e.g. you forgot to switch on PowerCore prior to loading a session),
you can always save your session without losing any of the plug-in settings. The last
setting of the plug-in will always be saved, even when it is in “disabled” state! This
also applies to saving presets.
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6/ NonLin2
FOCUS FIELDS
You can place your own set of parameters in the 6 focus fields at the bottom of the
plug-in. Making use of the focus fields can give you a better workflow, since you will
not have to switch pages all the time to find the parameters that you work with. You
can assign any parameter to the focus fields, and the focus fields are stored with the
session as well as when you save your presets.
To change the assignment:
• Press the Assign button. The Assign button as well as one of the Focus Fields
will be highlighted.
• Select the Focus Field you wish to link a parameter to, by clicking on that field.
• Click on the parameter you wish to link to the selected Focus Field.
• To get an unassigned (empty) Focus Field, click again on the selected parameter.
• Once you have finished the assignments, click again on the Assign button to
leave the assign mode.
OVERLOAD INDICATION (O/L)
The two LEDs in the metering section, between the input and output meters, will light
up in case internal DSP overloads are detected. You should lower the input level to
avoid these overloads. To reset the indication, click on the O/L LED.

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THE PLUG-IN PARAMETERS
The plug-in parameters are spread amongst 2 User Interface pages – the Main page
and the Modify page:
MAIN PAGE
On the NonLin2 Main page, we have grouped the I/O and Envelope parameters of the
NonLin2. Also, on this page you can find the plug-ins preset handling. More about the
preset handling can be found in the section “Preset Handling” later in this manual.
LEVELS
Input Level
Range: Off to 0dB
Sets the Input Level for the algorithm. Reduce the input level in case you experience
overloads (O/L).
Output Level
Range: Off to 0dB
The overall Output level of the Reverb. Use this parameter to adjust the output level
to fit for following effects in your host application.

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Dry Level
Range: Off to 0dB
Adjusts the dry signal level passed through the algorithm. For a typical send/return
configuration, leave dry level off.
Wet Level
Range: Off – 0dB
Adjusts the wet (reverb) output level.
ENVELOPE
The envelope determines the shape of the reverb. Due to the envelope control, you
can create the typical “gate reverb” effect without the use of any noise gate or similar.
The triggering is done automatically for you, just by feeding the plug-in with audio.
Pre Delay
Range: 0 – 500ms
Pre Delay offsets the Output and timing of the Envelope Generator. It is typically used
to obtain depth and definition in a mix, or align the effect with a musical beat. Delays
in the 10-40 ms range can be considered for percussive sounds, while dense vocal
slap effects could use 70-150 ms of Pre Delay.
Attack
Range: 0 – 500ms
Sets the Attack time (= build up) of the Reverb Envelope. The build up time is the
time the reverb tail needs to get to the maximum level.
Max. range for this parameter depends on the Hold and Release settings: The total
time for Attack, Hold and Release can not be higher than 500ms.
Hold
Range: 0 – 500ms
Sets the Hold time (= fully open time) of the Reverb Envelope. The “fully open” time
is the time the reverb tail maintains its maximum level. For a typical eighties style
response, Hold should be set at 60-120 ms.
Max. range for this parameter depends on the Attack and Release settings.

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Release
Range: 0 – 500ms
Sets the Hold time (= Decay) of the Reverb Envelope. This is the time the reverb tail
needs to disappear and is causeing the “gated” effect. For a typical eighties style
response, Release should be set at 0-100 ms. The most gated and unnatural effect is
obtained at short Release settings.
Max. range for this parameter depends on the Attack and Hold settings.
Envelope Display
ENVELOPE DISPLAY
The Envelope display is a graphical representation of the 4 envelope parameters and
the wet level. The 4 dotted lines represent the 4 envelope parameters and their posi-
tion in time. Take a vertical line at the handle and move it to the left to decrease the
time for that parameter or to the right to increase the parameter. Moving the horizon-
tal line of the envelope curve up and down changes the wet level of the reverb from
0dB (fully up) to off (fully down).
Note: The total time for Attack, Hold and Release can not exceed 500ms!

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10 / NonLin2
MODIFY PAGE
REVERB STYLE
Style
Selects the basic Reverb Style subjected to the Envelope and Twist modifications. The
Style parameter should be seen as an algorithm selection inside the algorith. Different
Styles have different features with regards to density, diffusion type, spectral
response, stereo image etc. Choose one that suits your program material.
Note: Differences are more pronounced with low Diffuse settings and Twist Ratios.
Diffuse
Range: 0 – 100%
Sets the amount of diffusion applied to the Reverb Style selected.
Note: For high Diffuse ratios, the Attack and Decay times of the reverb Envelope may
be slightly affected.

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TWIST TYPE
Type
Selects which type of funky effect treatment to be used on the reverb. Twist Type
should be regarded as a spice capable of sparking imagination in the mix process. Try
the effect on all sorts of different sources to add character or make them stand out. If
spectral shaping using the Twist parameters gets out of control, the Lo and Hi cuts
can be used to stay within limits.
Note: When the Twist Ratio is set at 0%, Twist Type has no effect.
Ratio
Range: 0 – 100%
Applies the selected amount of “Twist” to the reverb.
Note: When the Twist Ratio is set at 0%, Twist Type has no effect.
FILTER
LoCut
Range: 20Hz to 20kHz
Lo Cut on the Reverb Input.
Hi Cut
Range: 20Hz to 20kHz
Hi cut on the Reverb Input.
Note: Setting the two filter cut off frequencies is not limited in range: It is possible to
set a higher low cut frequency than the high cut frequency. Due to the design of these
filters, the output of the reverb will in this case be phase-reversed. Setting Low Cut
and Hi Cut filters to exactly the same frequency will not give any reverb signal!
WIDTH
Range: 0 – 100%
Adjusts the Output Stereo Width. 0% denotes mono, while 100% is max width. In
case the plug-in is used in a mono-mono configuration, the Width does not have any
affect and is therefore disabled.
Note: The reverb style and diffuse parameters also affect the perceived width of the
effect. Width difference between styles is most obvious at low diffuse ratios.

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12 / NonLin2
PRESET MANAGEMENT
TC’s comprehensive file based preset architecture makes archiving presets a simple
process. This allows you to organize your presets the way you find most comfortable
for your workflow, and to exchange presets with other users, no matter the platform or
application. Presets are saved as discrete files on your hard drive. Once a preset is
saved into the default location, it will automatically appear in the ‘File’ menu every
time you use the plug-in. The files can then be organized into subfolders, where you
can delete, rearrange or create your own sub-folders to accommodate your needs.
Note: A folder will appear in the Preset File Menu if it contains at least one preset.
Next/Previous Presets
From the plug-in’s Main page, you can directly jump from one preset to the next (or
previous) by clicking on the up/down arrows right from preset name.
All presets available at the default plug-in preset location will be considered, so you
could in theory reach every preset this way. Direct access to specific presets is done
via the “File” button:
Preset File Menu
Pressing the ‘File’ button will open the plug-in’s file menu. The following options are
available from the file menu.
Loading a Preset
By selecting ‘Load’, you can navigate to any folder on the system that you have read
access to, including any shared folder. By default, these will be loaded from the
default location for NonLin2 presets. Only presets located in the default file location
will appear in the NonLin2 pop-up preset menu.
Naming a Preset
• Double click on the name field
• Type in the new name
• Press Enter
Saving a Preset
By selecting ‘Save’, you can save your preset to any folder on the system that you
have write access to, including any shared folder. By default, presets are saved to the
default location for the NonLin2 presets.

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DEFAULT PRESET LOCATIONS
The following locations will describe where you can find the NonLin2 presets. The pre-
sets are stored in a folder that is unique to each plug-in:
Mac OS X
Files are stored in your user folder:
~ \ Library \ Application Support \ POWERCORE \ TC Electronic \ Presets \ NonLin2
(~ \ Refers to your user folder: Users \ Your Name)
Windows
Files are stored on the Windows OS hard drive.
~ \ TCWorks \ POWERCORE \ TC Electronic \ Presets \ NonLin2
(~ \ Refers to the path for your System Hard Drive \ Program Files)
• To delete a file, simply move it to the ‘Trash’ or ‘Recycle bin’.
• To create a new subfolder that appears in the plug-in menu, simply create a new
folder in the plug-in folder that resides in the PRESETS folder of the NonLin2 default
preset location.
Note: A folder will not appear in the Preset File Menu unless it has at least one preset
inside.

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14 / NonLin2
CONVERTING NONLIN2 PRESETS FROM
SYSTEM 6000 AND REVERB 4000
In case you are the happy owner of the NonLin2 algorithm for System 6000 or the
Reverb 4000, here is something to get you in an even better mood: The NonLin2
plug-in is able to read your System 6000/Reverb 4000 presets.
In order to convert presets from System 6000/Reverb 4000 to NonLin2, you need to
store the System 6000/Reverb 4000 presets in a preset file. The file extension has to
be either “.syx” (for example: MyPresets.syx) or.mid for a MIDI file.
The easiest way to export System 6000/Reverb 4000 presets is to use the “export to
file” function from the Icon Editor for Mac/Windows (requires version 3.5 or higher).
Alternatively, you can save a bank to a floppy disk (System 6000 only) or do a SysEx-
Dump to a MIDI file in your sequencer.
Note: For details regarding the export of presets from System 6000 or Reverb 4000,
please refer to your System 6000/Reverb 4000 and Icon Editor documentation.
The generated SysEx/MIDI preset file needs to be placed in the default NonLin2
Preset folder (at the root level; subfolders are not considered). The file needs to have
either the extension “.syx” (for example: MyPresets.syx) or.mid for a MIDI file.
Note: In case you are running the Icon Editor on the same computer as the NonLin2
plug-in, the NonLin2 will automatically search for preset files in the default locations
for Reverb 4000 and System 6000 files. You do not need to copy the files! Once your
preset file has been placed in the default NonLin2 Preset folder, it will show up the
next time you click the “File” button. At the top of the pop-up list you’ll find a section
called “Convert”, and the name of your preset file will be listed here. To convert your
preset file to NonLin2 presets, simply select the name of the preset file. The conver-
sion will only take a few seconds and only needs to be done once. When the conver-
sion is done, all presets from your preset file will be available in a subfolder that has
the same name as the preset file had. The presets will show up in the same bank
structure as on the System 6000, and presets that are not based on the NonLin2
algorithm will not be converted. The preset file will disappear from the Convert section
of the file menu.

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COMPARE SETTINGS WITH A/B MEM.
With the A/B compare function you can easily compare different parameter settings
when you work with your music. You have two buttons: the “Mem” and the “A/B” but-
ton.
When you start working with your preset, the A/B button is grayed out. This state indi-
cates that the settings in both memory locations A and B are identical – so there is
actually nothing to compare.
As soon as you touch one of the parameters, the memory location “A” will get active,
and the “A”-part of the A/B button will light up. All parameter changes will be applied
to memory location “A”. If you switch to memory location “B”, you get back to your
starting point, and all further changes will now be applied to memory location “B”.
Every time you press the A/B button, you will toggle between these two memory loca-
tions.
Note: The A/B memory locations are temporary settings only! Saving a preset (e.g. via
the File button or with your session) will only save the currently selected memory loca-
tion. The setting of the other (hidden) memory location will not be saved!
The “Mem” button will reset the A/B memory locations to the current setting.

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LOCKING PARAMETER VALUES – USING THE PARAMETER LOCK
The parameter lock function allows you to lock the parameters In Level, Out Level, Dry
Level, Wet Level and the assignment of the Focus fields from changing when you
change preset.
By using the parameter lock, you can easily browse through the extensive set of pre-
sets that comes with the NonLin2, without having to change the with each preset
change.
To lock a parameter, simply click on the small lock in the parameter field. To unlock
it, click again.
The parameter lock only affects parameter changes made with the mouse. The param-
eter lock does not affect automation data or preset changes initialized from the host
application. These changes will always pass.
An example: You have inserted the NonLin2 on a channel. When you use the NonLin2
as an insert effect, you would probably like the dry part of the signal to go trough the
NonLin2, and therefore you’d probably turn up the “Dry Level”.
Now, if you browse through a couple of presets, using the up and down arrows on the
right side of the preset name, you will see that most of the presets have the Dry Level
set to “Off”. In other words, the Dry Level goes to “Off” all the time – which can
become quite annoying.
And here comes the Parameter Lock. Press the small lock in the Dry Level parameter
field, and the Dry Level will stay at the value that you’ve set it on – no matter what is
saved with the preset you choose.
Once you touch the parameter or send automation data, the lock will automatically
unlock.