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tarrtime « Make your drums snap »
Published on 12/17/12 at 09:31The Sonnox Oxford TransMod is a software plug-in to be used inside a DAW. It can be downloaded off the Sonnox website for installation, and authorized using an iLok.
The purpose of this effect is to change the shape of a transient in a signal. It can be used to make the initial 'attack' of a sound to be louder or quieter.
SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE
The Oxford TransMod is very flexible. The 'ratio' control is the basic way to increase or decrease the attack of the signal. The 'overshoot', 'threshold', 'rise-time', etc. control the timing of the effect. The 'Overdrive' is a unique control to add some saturation to the attack of a signal, adding extra snap or 'weight' to a transient.
I find that transient shapers are most useful for drums, and don't really use them on other instruments. If you find that your drum tracks don't really 'punch' in your mix, then you should consider the TransMod. Typically I like to add a subtle increase in the 'attack' of drums by using this effect on a drum bus. Sometimes I will use it on an individual kick drum track to decrease the sustain. Sometimes I will use it on a snare track to increase the sustain. A little can really go a long way.
OVERALL OPINION
There are many different 'transient shapers/designers' available (SPL, Native Instruments, etc). The Oxford TransMod has much more flexibility by making the length of time of the transient something that can be controlled. Most other effects of this type offer simple 'attack' and 'sustain' knobs without the ability to control the timing. The TransMod is intuitively useful for increasing the 'attack' of a signal, but can also increase the 'sustain' of a signal if you decrease the attack volume and bring up the volume of the signal. I don't really like this method because when I usually want to bring out the sustain of a signal (like the ringing of a snare drum), I don't usually want to decrease the attack. Therefore, when I want to shape the 'sustain', I usually use one of the other aforementioned plug-ins instead.
The purpose of this effect is to change the shape of a transient in a signal. It can be used to make the initial 'attack' of a sound to be louder or quieter.
SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE
The Oxford TransMod is very flexible. The 'ratio' control is the basic way to increase or decrease the attack of the signal. The 'overshoot', 'threshold', 'rise-time', etc. control the timing of the effect. The 'Overdrive' is a unique control to add some saturation to the attack of a signal, adding extra snap or 'weight' to a transient.
I find that transient shapers are most useful for drums, and don't really use them on other instruments. If you find that your drum tracks don't really 'punch' in your mix, then you should consider the TransMod. Typically I like to add a subtle increase in the 'attack' of drums by using this effect on a drum bus. Sometimes I will use it on an individual kick drum track to decrease the sustain. Sometimes I will use it on a snare track to increase the sustain. A little can really go a long way.
OVERALL OPINION
There are many different 'transient shapers/designers' available (SPL, Native Instruments, etc). The Oxford TransMod has much more flexibility by making the length of time of the transient something that can be controlled. Most other effects of this type offer simple 'attack' and 'sustain' knobs without the ability to control the timing. The TransMod is intuitively useful for increasing the 'attack' of a signal, but can also increase the 'sustain' of a signal if you decrease the attack volume and bring up the volume of the signal. I don't really like this method because when I usually want to bring out the sustain of a signal (like the ringing of a snare drum), I don't usually want to decrease the attack. Therefore, when I want to shape the 'sustain', I usually use one of the other aforementioned plug-ins instead.