From bit@hyperreal.comMon Jan 8 11:10:55 1996 Date: Thu, 21 Dec 1995 14:30:46 -0800 (PST) From: Tom Butcher To: ".electronica soundwaves" Subject: Can your effect processor do this? Hi everyone. Sorry if I've been a little cranky about keeping things on topic lately. I just want to make sure we don't forget what this list was created to discuss :). So... here goes. I recently bought a DP/4 as a cost-effective way to get a lot of effects into my mixes. One thing that I wasn't too clear about is how the DP/4 works in its completely parallel mode: 4 source, mono in. I figured this meant each unit was configured as a single mono effect processor. While that is mostly true, an important part wasn't clear: in a 4-source configuration (ie, 4 separate inputs), each effect is *stereo*. Mono in, stereo out. So you can use the DP/4 as a general purpose effector, having, say, two stereo reverbs, a rotating speaker, and a DDL (or whatever). But wait, there's more. Look on the back of the DP/4, and you'll find some familiar 5 pin DIN jacks. Anyone want to take a guess? MIDI. Each of the four units on the DP/4 can have a total of two modulation routings. Modulation sources include one of 8 definable MIDI continuous controllers and a CV pedal input on the back. In case you missed that, I said "a CV pedal input on the back". LFO anyone? What's even cooler is the fact that modulation destinations can be any parameter in the effect algorithm. Any one you want. And how many of you spend a lot of time tweaking the delays in your mixes to sync in time with your song? Wasted time, right? One of the DP/4's delay algorithms is 'Tempo delay'-- you can tap in the tempo, define the tempo in terms of BPM, or just sync it to MIDI clock. aaaaaaaand, you can define MIDI control over the bypass function on each unit. So we're talking about a total of 12 MIDI controllers plus MIDI tempo, plus the CV input on the back. Some of the cooler effects you can get out of the DP/4 though obviously involve chains where the units are configured to go 1->2->3->4. I'm not going to give away the tricks I've learned so far, but I'll let a little bit go: put the DP/4 on its own MIDI cable coming from your computer (or whatever), use the DP/4 in one source mode (where the units are chained together), and blast MIDI controllers at it. Speed and slow the rotating speaker in realtime with your fadermaster... modulate a phase shifter's speed AND depth with one fader simultaneouly if you want, sync the DDL to MIDI, and ... ok, you get the picture. Bring out the sampler! So right now you're probably saying 'right, tom, and the thing cost 2 billion dollars'. Well it is pretty expensive. I justified it by thinking of the DP/4 as 'the only effect processor i'll really need for a while'. And it is. I got mine used at about $200 per unit. So if you have 2 midiverb III's and 2 quadraverbs or whatever, just sell them and pool the cash together to pick up one of these. You won't be sorry. Hope I didn't give away too many hints :) Tom Butcher [bit@hyperreal.com] Orbitrecords [412.392.1505] || orbitrecords information superlink || http://hyperreal.com/music/labels/orbitrecords/