SM Pro Audio V-MACHINE, Operation Manual

Page 1: ... 1 S M P r o A u d i o M e l b o u r n e A u s t r a l i a Hardware VST plugin player October 08 Operation Manual V1 5 ...

Page 2: ...nual other than those required by local law SM Pro Audio may update the contents of this manual at any time without prior notice The latest version of this manual is available from the SM Pro Audio website at all times http www smproaudio com 1 3 V Machine Team SM Pro Audio would like to thank our V Machine project partners VFX Systems Pty Ltd and Grey Innovation Pty Ltd A very big thank you goes ...

Page 3: ...es in the box 10 5 Overview and concepts 10 5 1 The VFX Platform 13 5 2 About Windows VSTi VST plugins 13 5 2 1 VSTi plugins 14 5 2 2 VST plugins 14 5 2 3 VST plugin hosts 14 5 3 Plugin considerations and limitations 14 5 4 V Machine additional Preset parameters 14 6 Freedom comes with responsibility 15 6 1 Building your own sounds Main considerations 15 6 1 1 Excessive gain staging resulting in d...

Page 4: ... Machine hardware connections 23 9 1 Hardware introduction 23 9 2 Top panel 23 9 2 1 Keypad button user interface 24 9 2 2 LCD Panel 24 9 3 Rear panel connections 25 9 3 1 Power connector 25 9 3 2 Power button 26 9 3 3 USB Slave connector 26 9 3 4 USB Host connectors 26 9 3 5 MIDI input 26 9 3 6 Audio input 26 9 3 7 Audio outputs 26 9 3 8 Headphone amplifier output 26 9 3 9 Headphone rotary volume...

Page 5: ...1 4 Menu MIDI Control 31 10 3 1 5 Menu System Info 32 10 3 1 6 Menu Import 32 10 3 1 7 Menu Export 33 10 3 1 8 Menu Delete 33 10 3 1 9 Menu Delete Plugins 33 10 3 2 Save command 34 10 3 3 Learn command 34 10 3 4 Panic command 35 11 V Machine specific plugin parameters 35 11 1 Patch Parameter 35 11 2 Mixer configuration specific additional parameters 35 11 3 Tempo Parameter 36 11 4 VFX Buffer Param...

Page 6: ... without the VFX Application 44 12 4 VFX Application layout and design 44 12 5 V Machine Pane 45 12 5 1 Standard keypad browsing 45 12 5 2 VFX Application Main Menu 46 12 5 3 V Machine Global System Settings Menu Icon 46 12 5 4 Save icon 47 12 5 5 Learn icon 47 12 5 6 Panic icon 47 12 5 7 Sync icon 47 12 5 8 Help icon 47 12 6 Plugin Pane 48 12 6 1 Channel Plugin Slot 48 12 6 2 Popup Plugin Selecto...

Page 7: ...ary Method 55 12 10 2 USB Synchronization Method to the V Machine s internal Flash memory 57 12 11 External USB memory devices and the V Machine 59 12 11 1 Importing a Bank from USB media to the internal flash memory 59 12 12 Formatting and recovering a V Machine 60 12 13 Uninstalling the VFX Application 61 Walk through examples and quick tasks 61 12 14 User without VFX Application software 61 13 ...

Page 8: ...______________________________________________________________________________________________29 Figure 15 Global Menu keypad combo _____________________________________________________________________________________30 Figure 16 Save command keypad combo __________________________________________________________________________________34 Figure 17 Learn command keypad combo_______________________...

Page 9: ...nly realised when connected to a computer and configured for use by the VFX Application software The VFX Application has the following requirements 3 1 Intel based Mac Minimal Any Intel based Mac Suggested 1 66 GHz Intel Core Duo processor 1 GB of RAM Mac OS X 10 5 or later 3 2 Windows based PC Minimal Pentium 1GHz Athlon XP 1 33 GHz 512 MB of RAM Windows XP Vista or later Suggested Pentium 2 4 GH...

Page 10: ...hine is used Load VST plugins into the VFX Application on a Mac or PC Use the VFX Application to create a VFX Library folder that contains Banks of Presets Each Preset consists of a particular configuration of one or more VST plugins Use the VFX Application to synchronize or Export VFX Libraries to the V Machine via a USB Cable or a USB memory Stick Drive The V Machine is connected to one or more ...

Page 11: ...Special Notes 1 Previous Next interface keypads adjacent to each line of text allow the corresponding item to be navigated or adjusted 2 Dual press keypad functions pressing two buttons at the same time are designed to enter the Global System Settings menu ...

Page 12: ...V Machine Operating Manual Page 12 of 66 SM Pro Audio Figure 2 Operational overview ...

Page 13: ...uilt in support for leading audio processing technologies such as Steinberg s renowned VST Virtual Studio Technology plugin format means dedicated hardware units can take advantage of the benefits of computer audio plugin technology Expect to see the Powered by VFX platform bring powerful audio processing capabilities to mixers keyboards and guitar products in the future 5 2 About Windows VSTi VST...

Page 14: ...e VST Host is the V Machine hardware device 5 3 Plugin considerations and limitations Thousands of commercially developed and Freeware VST plugins are available today As is to be expected the quality of plugins varies considerably from excellent to not so professional You will notice when testing plugins you may experience a great sounding highly featured plugin that runs extremely efficiently on ...

Page 15: ... without proper gain staging consideration can result in digital clipping in the V Machines output converters Gain staging is the art of setting multiple gain controls in the signal path to achieve the cleanest possible resulting signal Too much gain in the signal path prior to conversion at the DAC Digital Audio converter results in digital clipping Possible gain stages in signal path when creati...

Page 16: ...ch if you can set mixer faders to zero dB efficiencies can be made It can be useful to keep the master fader at zero dB and adjust the channel volumes accordingly to reduce gain calculations Adjust each Presets Audio Buffer Parameter to achieve the best balance of performance latency and CPU usage The Audio Buffer Parameter setting can be configured on a per Preset basis See section 11 4 VFX Buffe...

Page 17: ...your V Machine The quick start guide outlines the basics to get you up and running without delay 8 V Machine Internal Architecture 8 1 VFX hardware host firmware concepts The V Machine audio architecture is designed around a flexible four 4 channel mixer concept Each mixer channel can be configured to host three 3 plugins and offers a dedicated volume pan mute solo and two effects sends Complex so...

Page 18: ...ou can import export and merge selected Banks Presets and plugins from one library to another The VFX Application offers users a choice of Active Library This is perfect for working on different libraries at different times Often you want to create a small compact library for a thumb drive for a specific purpose Can be copied from one location to another This is perfect for sharing your sounds wit...

Page 19: ...ds into Banks according to a particular performance Your performance may be the keyboard part of a song performed by your band requiring three different Preset sounds If you store the three Preset sounds together in a Bank named Song 1 you can access them quickly as needed during your performance Then simply move to the next Bank possible Song 2 for the next performance Banks can be loaded saved a...

Page 20: ...For a diagram outlining the internal mixer architecture see Figure 5 Mixer architecture 8 4 Audio routing The audio routing architecture of the V Machine is based around a simple four channel Mixer design incorporating two 2 FX return channels and a Main output Audio signal for each channel is either generated by a VSTi instrument plugin or received at the V Machine s analog audio hardware input A...

Page 21: ...es The file extensions vfxpreset vfxbank and vfxlibrary identifies files used by the V Machine and VFX Application Files using the vfxxxx format are used for storing individual Preset Bank or even full library configurations all bank preset plugins and additional files ...

Page 22: ...V Machine Operating Manual Page 22 of 66 SM Pro Audio Figure 5 Mixer architecture Audio and MIDI routing ...

Page 23: ...n such a way as to Provide a powerful yet compact unit suitable for live and studio applications Offer users a simple uncomplicated user interface Allow easy access for connection to peripheral devices Protect the V Machine s critical electronics Provide adequate heat dissipation and air flow to the internal electronics Many of the common connection options typical of audio processor units can be ...

Page 24: ...ing on and navigating the V Machine 9 2 2 LCD Panel The V Machine s LCD Panel displays information relevant for navigating and operating the system Automatic contrast control provides optimum LCD contrast settings under a wide variety of lighting conditions Contrast and backlight settings can be manually adjusted to suit preferred viewing angles from within the Global System Settings Special Note ...

Page 25: ...The V Machine features a power source input connector on the rear panel for connection of the included 12V 2A external 110 240V 50 60Hz plug pack The plug pack is a compact high efficiency low noise switch mode design that has been optimized and certified for audio applications Before you turn on the power check the following points Ensure all peripheral connections made correctly Turn down all vo...

Page 26: ... a better choice to connect via USB as the USB host connectors on the V Machine deliver bus power 9 3 6 Audio input One 1 3 5mm stereo 10dBV mini jack audio input is provided on the rear panel The input level sensitivity can be adjusted in the Global System Settings see section 10 3 1 Quick Tip If connecting a mono input source for processing it is a good idea to activate only the Left input chann...

Page 27: ...n Computer The lock is a metal reinforced hole found on the front panel of the V Machine It is used for attaching a lock and cable product that can be purchased from Kensington and through their partner channels More information on the Kensington lock and associated products can be found at the Kensington website http www kensington com The Kensington lock is a registered trademark and owned by Ke...

Page 28: ...edy access to Presets during a performance it may be useful to store Presets in Banks according to the order you plan on performing them For example A Bank named Song1 might include all the Presets you will use in song 1 Special Note When a Bank is selected the first Preset residing in that Bank will be loaded automatically Bank navigation selection can also be accessed via a MIDI controller as de...

Page 29: ...ority parameter assignment can be configured per individual Preset in the VFX Application Preset navigation selection can also be accessed via a MIDI controller as described in section 1 1 1 1 10 2 4 Value adjustment Next Previous Use the Previous and Next buttons as shown to adjust the currently selected Parameter Value up or down as desired Quick Tips 1 Hold the Previous or Next button down to s...

Page 30: ... Delete a Preset Bank All Banks or All Banks Plugins Delete Plugins Delete a selected Plugin When in the Global System Settings use the Next Previous keypad buttons adjacent to the MENU label to scroll through the available settings When the Menu is selected the first setting option is System Info Keep in mind to click both Next Prev to go to all Menu options Menu items are located both to the Lef...

Page 31: ... the V Machine This can be handy if the V Machine controlled by a sequencer or is not within reach to click the keypad buttons manually Please refer to your MIDI controller devices operational manual for information on how to transmit MIDI Bank and program change messages The V Machine can be configured to pass MIDI program change messages to either Patches or Presets When set to Patch program cha...

Page 32: ...Machine hardware control the V Machine buttons and settings Plug in parameter control can also be configured individually on a per Preset basis so you have hands on control of all your plug in parameters 10 3 1 5 Menu System Info The system information provides the following information I The V Machine s current firmware version Updates to the V Machine firmware are released periodically and inclu...

Page 33: ...ption deletes the currently selected Bank and all Presets within All associated plug ins used in the Presets remain for use with other Presets in other Banks Delete All Banks This option deletes all Banks and all Presets All associated plug ins used in the Preset remain ready for use when new Banks and Presets are loaded Delete All Banks Plugins This option completely clears the V Machine internal...

Page 34: ...ne keypads adjacent to the LEARN command label activates the LEARN command The LEARN command is used for assigning plugin parameters to external MIDI controllers This is a great way to have hands on control during performances To use this function follow these steps 1 Make sure you have the plugin parameter selected that you wish to assign to an external controller knob fader 2 Activate the LEARN ...

Page 35: ...ows the user to escape the plugins GUI and return to the standard V Machine operational GUI 11 V Machine specific plugin parameters V Machine specific plugin parameters are parameters that have been added to each plugins normal parameter list to assist using plugins live on the V Machine 11 1 Patch Parameter Some plugins have the ability to store multiple patch sounds within the plugin themselves ...

Page 36: ...ts You will need to experiment to find the best setting for each Preset on the V Machine Quick Tip Only Presets that truly require low latency clav synth and drums sounds etc should be set to the lower buffer settings You may find that Presets with slow attacks such as Synth Pads and Reverb effects perform just as well with higher settings Think efficient You will need to SAVE your Preset after ch...

Page 37: ...aining layering keyboard mapping and mixing Auditioning of Presets Synchronization and exporting of all settings including VFX Libraries Banks and Presets to the V Machine or external media thumb drives etc It is important to understand that you can Save as many configurations of the mixer as Presets as you want Each Preset has it s own mixer state The basic process for using the VFX application i...

Page 38: ...downloads the most up to date version of the VFX Application and prompts for user for confirmation during the installation process on your computer After installation is complete the VFX Application is available for use from the Start Menu All Programs VFX VFX Application Note It is also possible to download the latest version of the VFX Application from the SM Pro Audio website at any time 12 2 2...

Page 39: ...tion is installed a default VFX Library is created in the following directory C Documents and Settings Username My Documents My Music VFX Library vfxlibrary The VFX Application also offers the choice of Preferred and Fallback libraries It can be desirable to change the current active working library for many reasons For example You may wish to work on a small thumb drive library file directly Simp...

Page 40: ...lable from the SM Pro Audio website for more information regarding preferences for the Mac VFX Application 12 3 Import a plugin to the active VFX Library 12 3 1 Important preparation and concepts It is important to understand some key concepts and prepare before importing plugins into the active VFX Library 1 We recommend always installing plugins on your computer as per the plugin developers inst...

Page 41: ...hout them having been previously installed to your PC as per the developers instructions at any earlier stage you may not be able to audition the plugin via the VFX Application 12 3 2 Plugin Installation Wizard The VFX Application includes a Plug in Installation Wizard designed to assist in importing plug ins for use within the active VFX Library Selecting the Import VST Plugin option from the VFX...

Page 42: ...g to import is not included in the database you can check for Wizard file updates on the Internet by clicking the Check for Wizard Updates button The Wizard database is updated often adding support for more and more plugins over time If a Wizard file is still not available automatically there are several options 1 Attempt to import the plugin without a wizard file many simple plugins may work righ...

Page 43: ... import and function within the VFX Application it may not synchronize and function correctly or at all in the V Machine without an accompanying Wizard File 12 3 4 Plug in Authorization Firstly any plug in you wish to install to the V Machine and or VFX Application should first be installed and authorized to run on the PC as per the original manufacturers instructions This makes it much easier to ...

Page 44: ...all plug ins as some plug ins have much more complex installation requirements and require a Wizard File describing supporting files samples Windows registry settings etc The V Machine recognizes Plug ins Banks and Presets on connected USB drive Flash sticks when presented in the following format Flash USB Drive plugs directory plug in name directory plug in dll file Example Procedure for a plug i...

Page 45: ...ing and testing your Presets Use the V Machine Pane to navigate your Banks and Presets adjust parameter values assign external MIDI controllers and enter Global System Settings Figure 20 V Machine Pane 12 5 1 Standard keypad browsing The keypads on the V Machine Pane respond just as expected Browse up and down through Banks and Presets by mouse clicking the virtual Previous Next virtual keypads Pa...

Page 46: ...ter feedback On Off MIDI Control Options to control the V Machine hardware controls via MIDI System Info Firmware version number Internal flash storage usage Import Import elements from an external VFX Library folder Export Export elements to an external VFX Library folder Delete Delete a Preset Bank All Banks or All Banks and Plugins Delete Plugins Delete a selected Plugin Please refer to the Glo...

Page 47: ...ssages from your chosen controller 12 5 6 Panic icon Mouse clicking the PANIC icon activates the MIDI PANIC command The MIDI PANIC command sends an all notes off MIDI command to the V Machine engine This may be necessary to eliminate troublesome stuck MIDI notes as can sometimes occur with various combinations of MIDI controllers and VSTi plugins 12 5 7 Sync icon Mouse clicking the SYNC icon initi...

Page 48: ...n Slots provide a Plugin Name Display area MIDI Channel selector and a Plugin Slot Edit Menu Figure 21 Plugin Pane 12 6 1 Channel Plugin Slot Each Mixer channel features three 3 Plugin Slots A B and C VST instrument plugins can only be loaded into Plugin Slot A of each channel The Plugin Slot Name Display area shows the name of the currently loaded plugin Audio is routed through each of the three ...

Page 49: ...create keyboard splits and layers Different virtual instruments can be assigned to different or similar note ranges of the keyboard For example Consider loading a Bass plugin into Plugin Slot A on channel one and a Piano plugin into Plugin Slot A on channel two Configure the High Low MIDI note range of each of the plugins using the Plugin Slot Edit Menu making sure the ranges do not intersect This...

Page 50: ...tput channel Click and hold your mouse button down over the channel Gain control area and move up or down to adjust the corresponding channel Gain value Release your mouse button when you have made the desired adjustment Peak indicators will illuminate next to the Channel Gain control area during playback when a signal has overloaded the signal has clipped 12 7 2 Channel Pan The channel Pan icon a...

Page 51: ... fader Right clicking your mouse on the corresponding Send icon will display a Pre and Post menu option Select either Pre or Post as desired A pre fader output is independent of the channel fader The FX send output signal stays the same level no matter how the channel gain fader is set A post fader output depends on the current channel gain fader level Turning the fader down results in a reduced F...

Page 52: ...onding channel Gain value Release your mouse button when you have made the desired adjustment Quick Tips 1 Peak indicators will illuminate next to Main Gain control area during playback when a signal has overloaded the signal has clipped Clipping is to be avoided at all times If you synchronize Presets that clip in the VFX Application they will also overdrive the V Machine s DAC digital audio conv...

Page 53: ...rt Bank Banks can be created imported exported renamed cleared or deleted by clicking your mouse on the Bank name displayed in the V Machine Pane and selecting the appropriate option from the menu You can also access the Bank file management features from the VFX Application Main Menu see section 12 5 2 If your selection involved importing or exporting a Bank a file browser or dialog box will appe...

Page 54: ... Preset by clicking your mouse on the Preset name displayed in the V Machine Pane and selecting the Clone Preset From option from the menu You can also access the Clone Preset From option in the Preset file management features from the VFX Application Main Menu Special Note Preset files are stored in the VFX file format If you are interested you can open a Preset file in a text editor like WordPad...

Page 55: ...r creations to a new or previously created VFX Library on removable storage media Flash USB HD is the quickest and easiest method of transferring your data to the V Machine for playback It is possible to create new VFX Library files or to merge add the exported items into previously created VFX Libraries Step by step guide Select Export to VFX Library from the Main Application Menu A dialog box wi...

Page 56: ...V Machine Operating Manual Page 56 of 66 SM Pro Audio ...

Page 57: ...edia like a USB HD or memory stick Then all you have to do is connect to your V Machine and start browsing and playing your new Banks You can select Export functionality of either Presets or Banks directly on the Virtual V Machine Pane by right mouse clicking on the Bank or Preset name This automatically opens the Export dialog window and preselects the currently selected Bank or Preset VFX Librar...

Page 58: ...e entire VFX Library at one time Insert the select bank preset bit here The VFX Application checks the size of your VFX Library components and the available memory on the V Machine A dialog box will advise you prior to synchronization if your export data exceeds the available memory allocation of either the 1GB of internal flash An approximation of the time it will take to synchronize over USB is ...

Page 59: ...achine hardware USB memory devices can be hot swapped to the V Machines USB ports at any time after the V Machine has successfully completed its boot process USB power enables use with small portable USB 2 HD s tested up to 250GB The V Machine does not distinguish between VFX Libraries that are loaded from its internal flash memory or from external USB media devices Any VFX Libraries found either ...

Page 60: ...emory to import the selected Bank the import will not continue It can be beneficial to check the amount of internal memory you have available using the Global System settings Menu Menu System Info option as per section 10 3 1 5 prior to attempting import 12 12 Formatting and recovering a V Machine If for any reason you wish to delete all data from the V Machine completely you can use the Format V ...

Page 61: ...hine displays a progress bar during initialisation 4 When initialisation is complete the V Machine displays the name of default selected Bank Preset Parameter and Parameter Value 5 The Musician plays some notes on the USB MIDI Keyboard and hears the resulting sound in Headphones 6 The Musician explores the bundled Banks and Presets by pressing the corresponding next previous buttons on the front p...

Page 62: ...embedded into a hardware device It includes all the instructions required for the V Machine to operate successfully SM Pro Audio plans on offering regular firmware update releases to keep the V Machine up to date with new features and to fix known operational bugs brought to our attention 13 2 How to update the V Machine firmware The VFX Application software can update the firmware of your V Machi...

Page 63: ...Application may be limited by the amount of RAM non volatile memory and CPU performance Display of VST custom GUIs may be limited in the VFX Application Not all VST Plugins can be loaded onto the V Machine by simply copying the DLL files to a USB stick Some VST plugins demand complex installation procedures The V Machine works best when VST plugins are packaged as per the VFX API Support for plugi...

Page 64: ...ater or moisture Do not place the V Machine on an unstable surface Do not obstruct the air ventilation slots on the side of the V Machine Never place the V Machine near or over a radiated heat source Do not place the V Machine in an enclosure without proper ventilation Do not stack the V Machine below other electronic devices Only use the included plug pack Never insert objects of any kind into th...

Page 65: ...udio registration method as outlined below Electronic registration Register the product purchase online at http www smproaudio com Postal registration Print the PDF product warranty registration card included on the Getting Stated CD and post to your closest SM Pro Audio distributor as listed below The product warranty registration form will request such purchase details including serial no date o...

Page 66: ...r compliance could void the user s authority to operate equipment Note This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment This equipment generates uses and can radiate rad...