PhaseMistress Analog Phase Shifter User’s Guide Version 5 : For Mac and Windows
CONTENTS PhaseMistress — Version 5 THE BASICS / Pg. 4 LFO MODE / Pg. 13 About PhaseMistress.................................................................................... pg. 5 Rate / Shape .................................................................................................. pg. 13 LFO Mode Tweak Menu ............................................................................... pg. 14 Freq Mod ..........................................................................................
CONTENTS (continued) PhaseMistress — Version 5 ENVELOPE MODE / Pg. 23 STYLE EDIT MENU / Pg. 31 Threshold . ...................................................................................................... pg. 23 Stages . ............................................................................................................ pg. 31 Gain .................................................................................................................. pg. 24 Res Mode............................
THE BASICS - INTRODUCTION PhaseMistress — Version 5 Figure 1: The PhaseMistress Control Panel and Tweak Menu - Rhythm Mode soundtoys.
THE BASICS - ABOUT PHASEMISTRESS PhaseMistress — Version 5 PhaseMistress was designed to offer you an all-encompassing set of modulating the phase-shifted signal, the notch frequencies are moved phase-shifting tools, expertly modeled from the most sought-after up and down the frequency spectrum thus creating that classic swooshy hardware units. An extensive amount of research and development and swirly phase-shift sound.
THE BASICS - ABOUT PHASEMISTRESS (continued) PhaseMistress — Version 5 each sound progressively more pronounced. You may have noticed that all of these examples are even number combinations. Virtually all analog phaser designs stuck to evennumbered patterns. Odd numbers result in a totally different sound, more stuttered and effect-laden, and for whatever reason the vast majority of manufacturers did not incorporate odd-numbered stages in their designs.
THE PHASEMISTRESS CONTROL PANEL PhaseMistress — Version 5 Figure 2: The PhaseMistress Main Control Panel - LFO Mode INPUT AND OUTPUT LEVEL phasing can be lots of fun! If you saturate the input stage (by turning up The Input and Output level controls are used to either boost or the Input level), the distortion and harmonics added by the increased attenuate the input or output of PhaseMistress. The default setting of saturation will be filtered by the phase effect.
THE PHASEMISTRESS CONTROL PANEL PhaseMistress — Version 5 COMMON CONTROLS stuff we just mentioned you may find it preferable to use PhaseMistress The control layout you will see in PhaseMistress is dependent upon the as a channel insert and use the Mix knob to determine the mix between modulation mode that the plug-in is currently in. However, a few of the the dry and filtered sound. parameters are basic, common controls that appear in every mode.
THE PHASEMISTRESS CONTROL PANEL PhaseMistress — Version 5 FREQUENCY (continued) RESONANCE “Mod” knob (discussed shortly) all the way down and twist the Frequen- The Resonance control greatly enhances the effect of the phase shift cy knob from the lowest to highest setting. You will hear the standard effect by creating “resonant peaks” in each of the notch filters. This phaser effect across the full frequency spectrum.
THE PHASEMISTRESS CONTROL PANEL PhaseMistress — Version 5 MOD STYLE MENU The “Mod” control determines the amount of modulation signal that will The “Style” menu gives you access to dozens of different virtual be used to sweep the phaser Frequency. Turning up Mod will increase phasing ‘circuits’ with a click of the mouse.
THE PHASEMISTRESS CONTROL PANEL AUDITIONING STYLES (continued) PhaseMistress — Version 5 MODULATION The Modulation indicator serves as a visual reference of the phasing The front panel parameter settings suited best to auditioning the process. The blue LED-style indicators will light up in relation to the different Styles is as follows: current position of the phase sweep from left to right and back again.
PHASEMISTRESS MODULATION MODES PhaseMistress — Version 5 CHOOSING A MODULTATION TYPE/SOURCE PhaseMistress includes a number of different modulation options that can be selected using the small button at the bottom of PhaseMistress’s center section. The available modulation modes available in PhaseMistress are: • LFO • Rhythm • Envelope • Random Figure 4: The Modulation Menu • Step • ADSR The currently selected modulation mode will appear as text above the button.
THE PHASEMISTRESS CONTROL PANEL - LFO MODE PhaseMistress — Version 5 Figure 6: LFO Mode Control Panel LFO MODE RATE / SHAPE LFO Mode stands for Low Frequency Oscillator Mode. An LFO creates a Since LFO Mode is based around the repetition of a waveshape, we only repeating waveform that oscillates at a rate between 0 and 20Hz. This require two additional controls to manage it: Rate and Shape.
THE PHASEMISTRESS CONTROL PANEL - LFO MODE TWEAK MENU PhaseMistress — Version 5 Figure 7: LFO Mode’s Tweak Menu FREQ MOD knob on the front panel is turned all the way up is “8” octaves above The Freq Mod determines both the direction of the modulation applied the front panel Frequency setting.
THE PHASEMISTRESS CONTROL PANEL - LFO MODE TWEAK MENU FREQ MOD (continued) Mod knob. It is really important to note that the Freq Mod parameter is highly interactive with the front panel Frequency and Depth knobs. There is also a polarity reverse switch next to the control. This switch can be used to quickly “flip” or reverse the direction of the modulation being applied by the Freq Mod control. RES MOD Res Mod determines the number of resonant peaks independently of the number of Stages.
THE PHASEMISTRESS CONTROL PANEL - LFO MODE TWEAK MENU PhaseMistress — Version 5 RES OFS MOD (continued) L/R MODE The polarity of the Res Offset Mod control can be quickly reversed by The L/R Mode control alters only the modulation. When the “Normal” the sector switch next to the control. This switch can be used to quickly setting is selected, the modulation is the same for the left and right “flip” or reverse the direction of the modulation being applied by the channels.
THE PHASEMISTRESS CONTROL PANEL - LFO MODE TWEAK MENU PhaseMistress — Version 5 Figure 8: LFO Mode’s Shape Editor Section SHAPE EDITOR NAMING / SAVING CUSTOM SHAPES It is extremely easy to create entirely new shapes in PhaseMistress Once you have begun editing a shape you will see that the readout in using the built-in Shape Editor. You can use one of the shape presets as the Shape Preset Menu to the right changes automatically to “Custom”.
THE PHASEMISTRESS CONTROL PANEL - LFO MODE TWEAK MENU PhaseMistress — Version 5 SMOOTHING SMOOTHING MODE The Smoothing control allows you to round out the edges in the The Smoothing Mode determines the “shape” of the smoothing that wave shape between the points. When smoothing is set to zero (no will be used to connect the points. This further increases the variety of smoothing), the waveform will have a stair-step appearance and will waveforms you can create within the LFO Shape Editor.
THE PHASEMISTRESS CONTROL PANEL - RHYTHM MODE PhaseMistress — Version 5 Figure 10: Rhythm Mode Control Panel RHYTHM MODE only in determining the BPM for live tracks not recorded to a click track but also for finding the appropriate “feel” for your modulation. The Rhythm Mode is a much more sophisticated version of LFO Mode and toggle switch next to the BPM readout syncs the tempo to the project’s provides the means to sync the LFO (regardless of the shape) to a MIDI tempo. specific tempo.
THE PHASEMISTRESS CONTROL PANEL - RHYTHM MODE PhaseMistress — Version 5 RHYTHM (continued) shift either forwards or backwards to the “even” beats towards a triplet (which we will begin discussing on the next page). Note that when you select or create a custom rhythm, the Rhythm control will display the words “Custom” or the name of the custom Rhythm (if previously saved). When a custom rhythm is selected it dictates changes to the phase operation (instead of Rhythm Mode’s controls). type groove.
THE PHASEMISTRESS CONTROL PANEL - RHYTHM MODE TWEAK MENU PhaseMistress — Version 5 Figure 11: Rhythm Mode Tweak Menu RHYTHM MODE TWEAK MENU THE RHYTHM EDITOR Since Rhythm Mode is essentially a more sophisticated version of LFO The Rhythm Editor section allows you to create completely unique Mode, it makes sense that they would share similar controls. Indeed, rhythm patterns for PhaseMistress.
THE PHASEMISTRESS CONTROL PANEL - RHYTHM MODE TWEAK MENU PhaseMistress — Version 5 THE RHYTHM EDITOR (continued) are longer than one bar) to edit in the editor window. For example, in Figure 12 we currently have the editor window set up for 1 bar, 4 beats per bar, and the grid sectioned by 1/8ths. By default, the basic rhythm pattern is one bar long and is shown in the rhythm display, though multiple bars can be created and edited.
THE PHASEMISTRESS CONTROL PANEL - ENVELOPE MODE PhaseMistress — Version 5 Figure 13: Envelope Mode Control Panel ENVELOPE MODE THRESHOLD Envelope Mode employs an envelope follower that, well, follows the The Threshold knob works similar to the threshold control on a com- volume level of the input signal and dynamically controls the amount of pressor. It defines at what volume the envelope follower will start filter modulation based on volume changes in the input signal.
THE PHASEMISTRESS CONTROL PANEL - ENVELOPE MODE PhaseMistress — Version 5 GAIN RELEASE The Gain knob works together with the Threshold control, and is similar The Release knob controls how fast or slow the phase signal will react to to the ratio control on a compressor. It determines the overall “sensitivi- the input signal as it decreases (the opposite of the Attack knob).
THE PHASEMISTRESS CONTROL PANEL - RANDOM MODE PhaseMistress — Version 5 Figure 14: Random Mode’s Control Panel RANDOM MODE TAP TEMPO Random Mode (also known as Sample and Hold) produces a waveform Tap Tempo does what it says; start tapping on the grey button and it that jumps from one value to another at each cycle. This type of effect will determine the BPM tempo of your tapping.
THE PHASEMISTRESS CONTROL PANEL - RANDOM MODE PhaseMistress — Version 5 SMOOTHING (continued) RANDOM MODE TWEAK MENU same way as it does in the LFO Mode Tweak Menu (discussed back on Random Mode features a slide-out Tweak Menu accessible by selecting page 18) and can be used to smooth out transitions between the ran- the Tweak Button located underneath the Input/Output controls. dom values. A setting of zero equals no smoothing and the values will jump from one to the next.
THE PHASEMISTRESS CONTROL PANEL - STEP MODE PhaseMistress — Version 5 Figure 15: Step Mode’s Control Panel STEP MODE TRIGGER Step Mode combines the Sample and Hold effect from Random Mode As mentioned in the last paragraph, the Trigger section includes a with an envelope follower.
THE PHASEMISTRESS CONTROL PANEL - STEP MODE PhaseMistress — Version 5 SMOOTHING (continued) shape between added points. The Smoothing knob works much the same as it does in the Tweak Menu (discussed back on page 18) and can be used to smooth out transitions between the random values. A setting of zero equals no smoothing and the values will jump from one to the next. The maximum setting will give you a smooth, constantly changing random phase variation sometimes referred to as the “drunken walk”.
THE PHASEMISTRESS CONTROL PANEL - ADSR MODE PhaseMistress — Version 5 Figure 16: Control Panel layout in ADSR Mode ADSR MODE press a key. In PhaseMistress, the “ADSR” is triggered either by pressing ADSR Mode is a recreation of the standard envelope generator found on most synthesizers. If you’re new to synthesis technology, ADSR stands the Trigger button, by receiving a MIDI note event, or when the input signal exceeds the set Threshold.
THE PHASEMISTRESS CONTROL PANEL - ADSR MODE PhaseMistress — Version 5 A ( ATTACK ) S ( SUSTAIN ) The Attack knob determines how fast the envelope will increase to its The Sustain knob controls at what level (between 0 –100%) the enve- maximum value once it has been triggered. The lower the setting of lope will “hold” or sustain at as long as the Trigger button is held down, the Attack knob, the faster the attack time.
THE PHASEMISTRESS CONTROL PANEL - STYLE EDIT MENU PhaseMistress — Version 5 Figure 17: The Style Edit Menu THE STYLE EDIT MENU STAGES The Style Edit Menu gives you the ability to alter the included phasing As previously discussed in the “About PhaseMistress” section, ‘circuits’. The listed styles are a combination of emulated vintage gear the number of stages in the circuit is perhaps the most important and PhaseMistress exclusives.
THE PHASEMISTRESS CONTROL PANEL - STYLE EDIT MENU PhaseMistress — Version 5 STAGES (continued) RES OFFSET The Stages control allows for odd-numbered circuits as well, a true The Res Offset control tunes the frequency of the resonant peaks rarity in the world of analog phasers. As a general rule, odd numbered relative to the frequency of the notches. Decreasing the Res Offset circuits will sound quite different from even-numbered ones.
THE PHASEMISTRESS CONTROL PANEL - STYLE EDIT MENU PhaseMistress — Version 5 PHASE The Phase switch determines the polarity of your phasing circuit, either Positive (most common) or Negative. In general, a positive setting will provide more bass in the effect whereas a negative setting will have a thinner sound with less low end information. RES PHASE The Res Phase switch is very similar to the Phase switch but in this case it determines the polarity of the notches.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PhaseMistress — Version 5 SUPPORT INFORMATION Now that you’ve taken the time to learn all about PhaseMistress, have fun, experiment, and make greatness! If our plug-ins helped you take your production to the next level, let us know, we’d love to hear from you and what you were able to create with our software. If along the way however you should run into any hiccups or anything unexpected, we offer free technical support for all registered users.
PhaseMistress — Version 5 Wave Mechanics, Soundtoys, Crystallizer, EchoBoy, FilterFreak, PhaseMistress, PitchDoctor, PurePitch, SoundBlender, Speed, Decapitator, PanMan, Tremolator, Devil-Loc, Radiator, MicroShift, PrimalTap, and their respective logos are all trademarks of Soundtoys, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Soundtoys.
