Introduction Whether your drum needs are pop, hip-hop, world, funk, rock, or anything else, use Big Bang Universal Drums 2.0 and watch your tracks blow up! In addition to a slammin' versatile drum kit and SONiVOX's IRC technology, Big Bang Universal Drums is compatible with almost any kind of hardware MIDI controller, electronic drum kit, MPC, pad controller, or keyboard. All are instantly sync-able via the "MIDI Learn" functionality.
Installation Important: If you are using a version of Big Bang Universal Drums that is older than Version 2.0, this installation will not overwrite or uninstall that version. Also, any files you use or save with either version are neither backward-compatible nor forward-compatible—you cannot use files from Big Bang Universal Drums 1.0 with Big Bang Universal Drums 2.0 and vice versa. Windows 1. Place all of the installer's parts in the same location (we recommend a folder on your Desktop). 2.
Getting Started The Big Bang Universal Drums graphical interface is depicted below. 1 2 3a 3b 1. The menu bar shows the output level of Big Bang Universal Drums (at the far left) as well as icons (at the far right) that allow you to load and save your sounds. The output meters display the real-time level of the stereo output. Use these meters to gauge how "hot" your signal is. Change the volume knob in the main editing window to adjust the output level.
3. The main editing window is where you will modify your sounds. a. The window's left half contains controls affecting overall performance: IRC, the Learn function, Note Repeat, plus volume and pan knobs on either side of the center of the window. b. The window's right half changes depending on the selected tab (on the right side of the window). The Mix Page, Amp Page, Filter Page, Delay Page, and EQ Page each contain important—and editable—elements of your Kits' sounds.
Using Kits A Kit is simply a multi-sample—a collection of samples programmed into a Big Bang Universal Drums Kit. Over 200 Kits are included for you to play with, and any of these can be edited using the knobs and sliders and saved as new Kits. Any Big Bang Universal Drums file with the extension .svx is a Kit file. Loading a Kit To play Kits, you must first load one into the interface. To load a Kit: 1. Click the Load button (folder icon). 2. Choose Load SVX File. 3. Locate and select the Kit file (.
MIDI Learn Learn The MIDI Learn feature lets you to assign or "map" its controls to any hardware MIDI controller. To do this: 1. Click the Learn button to enter Learn Mode, which lets you to assign hardware MIDI controls to the parameters. 2. While in Learn Mode, adjust a parameter in Big Bang Universal Drums and then move a knob or slider on your hardware MIDI controller. That knob or slider will now control that parameter. 3. Click the Learn button again to exit Learn Mode.
Operation This section describes the controls and different sections of Big Bang Universal Drums. Adjusting the Controls • Knobs: Change the position of a knob (e.g., Vol, Velocity, Depth, etc.) by clicking and dragging it up or down. Release it when you reach the desired position. Double-clicking the knob sets it to the 12 o'clock position. If the knob's numerical value is displayed under the knob, you can double-click the value, enter it, and press your keyboard's Enter button.
Menu Bar Level Meters The level meters in the window's upper left corner indicate the audio output volume—both left and right channels. Adjust the audio output level with the Volume knob in the main editing window. Settings This window lets you configure various settings related to the application itself. Click the Settings button (gear icon) in the upper left corner of the main window to open it. • • • • Sample Content Directory: This is the file path for your audio samples.
Kit and Preset Controls You can load or save Kits or MIDI Learn Presets by using the buttons in the upper right corner of the window. The name of the current Kit is shown to the left of the buttons. Click the up or down ( or ) arrows to move to the previous or next Kit. Click the Load button (folder icon) to load a file: • Load SVX File: Select this to find a Kit (.svx) to load. • Load MIDI Learn: Select this to load a MIDI Learn Preset (.sml).
Browser Click the Browser button (files icon) to enter or exit the Browser, which lets you view and load your available Kits (.svx) and sort them according to their Attributes. Load a Kit by double-clicking it from the Filename list. Click various Attributes in the Genre, KickDrum, and SnareDrum lists to show only the Kits with those characteristics. To change a Kit's Attributes: 1. Double-click it to load it. 2. Click the Attributes button. 3. Click any Attribute(s) you want to select or deselect.
Main Editing Window Volume Click and drag the Volume knob to adjust Big Bang Universal Drums's audio output level. Watch the level meters in the upper left corner of the window to monitor the level. Pan Click and drag the Pan knob to adjust Big Bang Universal Drums's overall panning. On the left side, the values are negative. On the right side, the values are positive. 0 is the center. Double-click the knob to reset it to 0.
Active Pad What is Active Pad? The Active Pad display shows the current drum kit articulation that is "ready for assignment." "Assignment" means that any changes you make to IRC, Note Repeat, Amp Envelope, Filter Envelope, or effects will be applied to this articulation if its number is displayed in the Active Pad field and if Edit All Pads is not selected. Clicking on a pad in the graphical interface will make it "active.
Learn This features lets you assign or "map" its controls to any hardware MIDI controller. See the MIDI Learn section for more information. Edit All Pads This feature lets you apply an edited parameter across all pads in the current Kit rather than just a single pad. Click the button to activate or deactivate the feature. Note Repeat Note Repeat lets you to trigger the same drum repeatedly with one press of your MIDI pad or keyboard controller. To set Note Repeat: 1.
IRC: Intelligent Rhythm Control If you've written music with MIDI before, you know how difficult the concept of time can be to realizing an effective and artistically rewarding piece of music, especially if you're capturing a performance or creating a track in real time. What is IRC? IRC is a rhythm-enabling device that automatically adjusts and corrects your playing to make it "in time" in "real time," based on your host DAW's tempo and beat setting.
Pages The right side of Big Bang Universal Drums's window has four tabs that let you view different pages, containing different elements of your Kit's sound. Click the tab to view each page: • The Mix Page is where you adjust the mix of the kit's drums and cymbals. • The Amp Page is where you adjust your Amp Envelope. • The Filter Page is where you adjust your Filter Envelope. • The Delay Page has all the controls for setting up your delay effects. • The EQ Page has various equalization controls.
Amp Page This page contains several controls that adjust Big Bang Universal Drums's amp envelope and controls. Note: Unless Edit All Pads is on, these controls are pad-specific. Amp Envelope Big Bang Universal Drums uses AHDSR envelopes— Attack, Hold, Decay, Sustain, and Release. When you send a signal through this envelope, it passes through each of these five stages, shaping the sound. Adjust the envelope's shape by clicking and dragging points on the curve shown in the Envelope Pane.
Amp Pan Click and drag this knob to set the panning of the currently loaded Kit. Alternatively, you can enter a value manually by double-clicking the number under it, entering a value, and pressing your keyboard's Enter button. On the left side, the values are negative. On the right side, the values are positive. 0 is the center. Double-click the knob to reset it to 0. Amp Volume Click and drag this knob to set the volume of the currently loaded Kit.
Filter Page This page contains several controls that adjust Big Bang Universal Drums's filter envelope and controls. Note: Unless Edit All Pads is on, these controls are pad-specific. Filter Type Click this drop-down menu to set the type of filter used in the envelope. Filter Frequency Click and drag this slider to control the cutoff frequency of the filter assigned to the Kit. Moving the slider to the left closes the filter, while moving it to the right opens the filter.
Filter Envelope Big Bang Universal Drums uses AHDSR envelopes— Attack, Hold, Decay, Sustain, and Release. When you send a signal through this envelope, it passes through each of these five stages, shaping the sound. Adjust the envelope's shape by clicking and dragging points on the curve shown in the Envelope Pane. The five values shown under the curve are numerical representations of the five envelope stages.
Delay Page Adding some delay effects to your Kit allows for even more sonic possibilities. Effects (delay and EQ) settings are saved with each Kit. If you edit the settings of a default Kit, remember to save it if you want to use it again. We recommend saving it with a new name to keep the factory default Kits intact. Note: Unlike the Amp and Filter pages, these controls are "global," applying to the entire Instrument.
EQ Page The EQ section contains some basic equalization controls. Effects (delay and EQ) settings are saved with each Kit. If you edit the settings of a default Kit, remember to save it if you want to use it again. We recommend saving it with a new name to keep the factory default instruments intact. Note: Unlike the Amp and Filter pages, these controls are "global," applying to the entire Instrument.
Automation Many of Big Bang Universal Drums's parameters can be automated inside your DAW. This section has a few tips about automating those parameters. If you haven't used automation in your tracks before, though, consult your DAW's reference manual for specific instructions on automating plug-in parameters.
FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions Through our intensive testing and the feedback we've received from our beta team and users like you, we've compiled a list of some helpful tips in troubleshooting problems. If this guide isn't helpful in solving your issues, please first check sonivoxmi.com for the latest updates and information regarding this product. If this doesn't solve your issue, please contact our support team at sonivoxmi.com/support, and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
Issue: When I trigger a note with my MIDI controller, there is a noticeable delay in hearing sound. Solution: The audio buffer is set too high. Select a lower audio buffer. This is found in your sound card setup in your host software. Windows users: We recommend ASIO drivers for optimal low-latency performance (many sound cards have these). If your particular sound card does not, you can find a generic, free ASIO driver for your system online.
Issue: My plug-in does not show up. Solution: Before proceeding, make sure that you have the latest updates installed. Once you have the latest updates, try the following for your software: • Steinberg Cubase™ or Nuendo™: From the Devices menu, open the plug-in information window. Make sure that the installed plug-in can be seen. Click the checkbox next to the plug-in name to activate it. Restart Cubase or Nuendo and the changes should take effect.
Trademarks and Licenses Copyright © 2011 Sonic Network, Inc. This SONiVOX product and all its individual components referred to in this document are protected under United States and international copyright laws, with all rights reserved. Big Bang Universal Drums 2.0 is provided as a license to you, the customer. Ownership of Big Bang Universal Drums is maintained solely by Sonic Network, Inc.
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