OPERATOR'S MANUAL

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Table of contentsIntroduction ................................................................................................................. 3System requirements .................................................................................................. 4

Operating the controls ........................................................................................... 4Bitcrush ....................................................................................................................... 5Chorus......................................................................................................................... 6Comb Filter.................................................................................................................. 7Compressor................................................................................................................. 8Delay ........................................................................................................................... 9Distortion ................................................................................................................... 10Filter .......................................................................................................................... 11Formant Filter............................................................................................................ 12Frequency Shifter...................................................................................................... 13Gain........................................................................................................................... 14Gate .......................................................................................................................... 15Haas.......................................................................................................................... 16Ladder Filter .............................................................................................................. 17Limiter ....................................................................................................................... 18Phaser....................................................................................................................... 19Pitch Shifter............................................................................................................... 20Resonator.................................................................................................................. 21Reverb....................................................................................................................... 22Reverser.................................................................................................................... 23Ring Mod................................................................................................................... 24Stereo........................................................................................................................ 25Tape Stop .................................................................................................................. 26Trance Gate .............................................................................................................. 27Acknowledgements ................................................................................................... 28

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IntroductionSnapins are isolated audio effect modules, each performing a specific task. TheKilohearts product lineup will allow you to combine these snapins in different ways inorder to create interesting and unique combinations of effects. Snapins can be loadedinto your DAW as a standard VST or Audio Unit plugin, as well as into other Kiloheartsplugins that can act as snapin hosts, for example Multipass.

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System requirementsThese are the minimum recommended system requirements for running snapins.

CPU2 GHz or faster

Memory1 GB or more

Operating SystemWindows (7 or newer) or Mac OS X (10.7 or newer)

SoftwareA VST or Audio Unit compatible DAW

If you use a lot of snapins at the same time in your patch the CPU usage willincrease accordingly. Thus, we cannot guarantee that the snapins will work flawlesslyin all use cases even if your system does meet the minimum recommended systemrequirements.

Operating the controls

Most parameters of the Snapins are controlled by the knobs and the sliders seen inthe UI. To move a knob or slider simply click on it, and while holding the mouse buttondown move the mouse up or down.

Sometimes you might want more precise control when tuning a parameter. Hold theshift key while moving a knob or slider to enter fine tuning mode, where the knob orslider will move more slowly.

You can reset a knob to its default position by double clicking it.

Finally, most controls support entering the value using your keyboard by right-clickingon them.

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BitcrushThe Bitcrush can be used to create distorting effects thatsound like that of scraping analog radio, or inherently lo-fisound sources, like old video games. It simulates the audiobeing sampled and replayed using a low quality sampler withlimited sample rate and bit depth.

RateDown sample the signal to a minimum of 200 Hz.

BitsQuantize the amplitude of each sample of the signal. Alower value will result in a more distorted sound.

ADC QQuality of the analog-to-digital conversion. A lower value will add dissonantaliasing in the low frequencies.

DAC QQuality of the digital-to-analog conversion. A lower value will add dissonantaliasing in the high frequencies.

DitherAdds noise to the signal in order to reduce distortion caused by quantization.

MixThe dry/wet mix of this effect. A lower value will let some of the unmodified signalthrough.

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ChorusThe Chorus enhances the stereo effect and presence of asound by mixing it with delayed versions of itself.

DelayThe average delay for the delayed voices.

RateThe frequency of how fast to vary the delay.

DepthHow much to vary the delay.

SpreadStereo width of the effect. A lower value will go towards a mono output.

MixThe dry/wet mix of this effect. A lower value will let some of the unmodified signalthrough.

TapsThe number of chorus voices.

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Comb FilterThe Comb Filter will mix the signal with a delayed version ofitself, creating a filter with repeated troughs and peaksacross the spectrum.

CutoffCutoff setting for the filter, the distance between eachpeak.

MixThe dry/wet mix of this effect. A lower value will let some of the unmodified signalthrough.

PolarityThe polarity setting swaps troughs for peaks and vice versa, with the plus settinghaving a peak at 0 Hz, and the minus setting a trough at 0 Hz.

StereoThe stereo setting flips the polarity setting for the right channel, allowing the thecomb filter to be used for mono compatible stereo widening.

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CompressorThe Compressor will even out the audio volume by loweringthe volume when the signal is loud.

AttackThe attack time is the time it takes to lower the volumewhen the input volume is over the threshold.

ReleaseThe release time is the time it takes to return the volumeto normal when the input volume is under the threshold.

ModeIn RMS mode the compressor will measure the volumeusing the root mean square method, which gives anaccurate measurement of audio power. In peak modethe compressor will follow the peaks in the audio waveform, which makes it moreresponsive to transients.

RatioThe ratio decides how much the compressor will reduce the audio volume. At1:2, for example, the volume will be lowered until it is halfway between the inputvolume and the threshold.

ThresholdThe threshold for when the compressor will start lowering the volume.

MakeupThe makeup gain will increase the volume of the output signal to compensate forthe loss in overall volume that the compressor causes.

VU MeterDisplays the current input level, the selected threshold, and the compressor'scurrent attenuation.

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DelayThe Delay will delay the input signal for an echoing effect.

DelayThe amount of time beore the delayed sound startsplaying. This will be expressed in milliseconds or asparts of a beat, depending on Sync Mode.

Sync ModeWhen sync is enabled the delay time will besynchronized to the song tempo.

FeedbackThe feedback setting will cause the delayed sound tofeed back into the delay. This will create an exponentially decaying echo.

PanAdjust the panning of the delayed sound.

Ping-PongSwaps the left and the right channel of the delayed sound when it is fed back intothe delay. When combined with panning this will make the echo bounce back andforth between the speakers.

DuckWhen duck is turned up, the output volume from the delay will automatically belowered when the input volume is high.

MixThe dry/wet mix of this effect. A lower value will let some of the unmodified signalthrough.

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DistortionThe Distortion is a versatile distortion effect with a wideselection of algorithms.

DriveThe drive setting will boost the input signal, causing aheavier distortion.

BiasThe bias will add a DC offset to the signal beforedistorting. Adding some bias can prevent the distortedaudio from sounding hollow and uninteresting.

SpreadThe spread will add different amount of bias to the left and right channels. Thiscan give some nice and subtle stereo widening.

TypeThe flavor of distortion. Select between overdrive, saturate, foldback, sine andhard clip.

DynamicsA common problem with distortion is that it can remove the dynamic content ofthe input signal, forcing the output to maximum volume. Turn up this knob topreserve the dynamics of the input.

MixThe dry/wet mix of this effect. A lower value will let some of the unmodified signalthrough.

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FilterThe Filter snapin provides a selection of common filters.

TypeThe type of filter. Select between low pass, band pass,high pass, notch, low shelf, peak and high shelf filters.

CutoffThe operating frequency of the filter. In a low-pass filterthis is the frequency where the signal is reduced by 3dB.

QThe filter Q setting. High values for Q will make the filterresonate at the cutoff frequency.

GainThe gain value for the low shelf, peak and high shelf filter types.

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Formant FilterThe Formant Filter will boost two frequencies to mimic thesounds of different vowels.

Vowel SelectorSelects two frequencies to boost.

QAdjust how powerful and narrow the frequency boost is.

LowsAllow low frequencies through the filter.

HighsAllow high frequencies through the filter.

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Frequency ShifterFrequency shifter will shift all the frequencies in the inputsignal up or down by a certain amount. This kind of shiftingwill ruin the harmonic content of the input signal, making itsound dissonant.

ShiftHow much to shift all frequencies by.

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GainThe gain snapin will increase or decrease the volume of asignal.

GainSet how much to increase or decrease the volume, indecibels.

VU MeterDisplays the current output level on the left and right channels.

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GateThe Gate will only let audio through when the input level isabove a set threshold.

AttackThe attack time is the time it takes to for the gate to fullyopen when the input volume is over the threshold.

HoldThe hold time is the minimum time the gate will stayopen.

ReleaseThe release time is the time it takes to for the gate to fullyclose when the input volume is under the threshold.

ThresholdThe volume threshold for when the gate will open.

ToleranceA hysteresis range requiring the volume to drop a set amount of dB under thethreshold before closing.

RangeThe amount to attenuate the signal when the gate is closed.

Look-aheadWhen enabled, a 5ms look-ahead will be used, allowing transients through at thecost of latency.

FlipWhen flipped, the gate will act in reverse attenuating the signal when the gate isopen.

VU MeterDisplays the current input level, the selected threshold & tolerance, and the gate'scurrent state.

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HaasThe HAAS effect will widen the stereo of the audio bydelaying the left or the right channel slightly.

ChannelWhich channel to delay.

DelayThe delay time.

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Ladder FilterThe Ladder Filter simulates low pass filters found in classichardware synths.

CutoffThe filter cutoff frequency.

ResonanceThe filter resonance setting. High values will make thefilter resonate at the cutoff frequency.

TopologySelects between transistor ladder and diode ladder topology. The diode ladderhave a slightly more gentle rolloff after the cutoff frequency. The two topologiesalso behave differently when saturation is enabled.

SaturateSimulates saturation of electronic components in the filter.

DriveSimulates overdrive of the components in saturate mode.

BiasSimulates bias voltage over the components in saturate mode.

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LimiterThe Limiter will prevent the audio volume from going over acertain threshold.

In gainGain to apply to the input signal before limiting.

Out gainGain to apply to the input signal after limiting.

ThresholdThe maximum allowed volume.

ReleaseThe release adjust how quickly the limiter returns the volume back to normal afterlimiting it due to a peak in the input volume.

VU MeterDisplays the current input level, the selected threshold, and the limiter's currentattenuation.

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PhaserThe Phaser will filter the input signal, creating a series ofmoving peaks and troughs in the audio spectrum.

OrderA higher order setting will increase the order of the filtersused by the phaser, creating a more pronounced effectwith more peaks and troughs.

CutoffSets the cutoff of the filters in the phaser, moving the peaks and troughs in theaudio spectrum.

DepthAdjusts the depth of modulation of the cutoff.

RateAdjusts the rate of modulation of the cutoff.

SpreadAdds a phase offset for the cutoff modulation between the left and right channels,for a stereo widening effect.

MixThe dry/wet mix of this effect. A lower value will let some of the unmodified signalthrough.

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Pitch ShifterThe Pitch Shifter will adjust the pitch of the input signal up ordown.

PitchHow much to adjust the pitch, in semitones.

JitterHow much randomness to add to the pitch. A high jittersetting can give a unison-like effect.

Grain SizeDuring processing the pitch shifter chops up the audio into small snippets calledgrains. This setting adjusts the length of the grains, which can influence thesound.

MixThe dry/wet mix of this effect. A lower value will let some of the unmodified signalthrough.

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ResonatorThe Resonator snapin adds harmonic resonance to the inputsignal.

PitchThe frequency at which to resonate.

DecaySets how long it takes for the resonance to ring out afterthe input goes silent.

IntensityAdjusts how much the resonance amplifies the input signal.

TimbreSwitches between two different harmonic series for the resonance. Choosebetween all harmonics (saw tooth wave) or odd harmonics (square wave).

MixThe dry/wet mix of this effect. A lower value will let some of the unmodified signalthrough.

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ReverbThe Reverb adds the sense of space to any sound byemulating the sound bouncing off the walls in a physicalroom.

DecayThe reverberation time, i.e. the time it takes for thereverb to go silent after sound has passed through it.

DampenAdds damping to high frequencies so that they decay faster than low frequencies.

SizeAdjust the size of the virtual room that reverb simulates. Ranges from closet tochurch.

WidthAdjusts the stereo width of the reverb. At 100% the left and right channels arecompletely uncorrelated in the wet sound.

EarlyAdjusts the balance between early and late reflections. A higher value will give abrighter and more responsive reverb.

MixThe dry/wet mix of this effect. A lower value will let some of the unmodified signalthrough.

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ReverserThe Reverser plays back delayed reversed sections of theinput, mixed with the original dry sound.

Delay timeHow long sections to delay and reverse. For example,setting this to 1/4th means every beat will be playedback in reverse 1/4th of a bar later.

SyncWhen sync is enabled the delay time will be synchronized to the song tempo.

CrossfadeTime to ramp in/out the reversed audio to avoid pops, in percent of the reversedsection length.

MixThe dry/wet mix of this effect. A lower value will let some of the unmodified signalthrough.

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Ring ModRing Mod modulates the input with either an internal signalgenerator or a secondary input signal.

BiasAmount of positive bias to add to the secondary input.

RectifyAmount of positive or negative rectification to apply tothe of the secondary input.

MixThe dry/wet mix of this effect. A lower value will let someof the unmodified signal through.

FrequencyThe base frequency of the internal oscillator or filter cutoff for the internal noisegenerator.

SpreadShifts the frequency of the internal generator slightly for left and right channels toachieve a stereo effect.

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StereoThe Stereo snapin can adjust the stereo width and panning.It also displays the current balance and channel correlationvisually.

WidthAdjusts the stereo width. The input audio must have atleast a little stereo information for this knob to doanything.

PanAdjusts the panning.

Stereo MeterDisplays the current balance and channel correlation. When the meter movesinto the red area the correlation is less than zero, which can cause problems withmono compatibility.

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Tape StopTape Stop simulates the sound of slowly stopping andstarting a playing tape.

PlayThe current state of the tape motor.

Stop TimeTime until the tape motor reaches full stop whenstopping.

Start TimeTime until the tape motor reaches full speed when starting.

CurveThe speed curve of the tape motor starting/stopping.

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Trance GateThe Trance Gate will modulate the volume of your audiobased on a programmable rhythmic sequence.

Pattern SelectSwitches between the eight different pattern slots.

Pattern EditorEdits the current pattern. Click to toggle steps on or off,click and drag to tie steps together.

LengthThe length of the current pattern.

AttackAttack time for the amplitude ADSR envelope.

DecayDecay time for the amplitude ADSR envelope.

SustainSustain level for the amplitude ADSR envelope.

ReleaseRelease time for the amplitude ADSR envelope.

MixThe dry/wet mix of this effect. A lower value will let some of the unmodified signalthrough.

ResolutionLength of one step in the sequencer.

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AcknowledgementsThis development of this product was helped by the following pieces of excellent opensource software:

Boost C++ Libraries

Skia Graphics LibraryCopyright © 2011, Google Inc.

Symbiosis AU/VSTCopyright © 2010-2013, NuEdge Development / Magnus Lidström

LodePNGCopyright © 2005-2015, Lode Vandevenne

C++ optimized SHA1 algorithmCopyright © 2011, Micael Hildenborg

minizBy Rich Geldreich

FastDelegateBy Don Clugston

FFTRealBy Laurent de Soras

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