VST Plug-ins?

GoldWave general discussions and community help
tokyodan
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Joined: Sat Apr 08, 2006 10:02 am

VST Plug-ins?

Post by tokyodan »

Doesn't Goldwave recognize VST plug-ins?

I want to use different compression than what Goldwave offers as default. But it doesn't recognize my VST compressor plug-in.

Are there any good DX Compression plug-ins.

Tokyo Dan

What's Happening In Tokyo podcast
www.WHITokyo.info
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dda
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Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2005 11:55 am
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Search the forum!!!!

Post by dda »

If you search this forum for "VST" you will find lots of interesting reading, including the possibility of using DX-VST "wrappers".

DDA
donrandall
Posts: 550
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2004 11:06 pm
Location: Denver, Colorado

Post by donrandall »

http://www.db-audioware.com Select "Products" then scroll down to "DirectX Mastering Plug Ins".

Good stuff, works well, price is right. I use it everyday.
Stiiv
Posts: 335
Joined: Sat May 15, 2004 7:29 pm
Location: Fallentown, PA

Post by Stiiv »

Thanks for the tip, Don! The FREE plugins available there are wonderful.
Stiiv
piano nick
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Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2004 8:33 pm

Post by piano nick »

Don and Stiiv:

How do they compare to the built-in stuff in GW? Say the Parametric EQ and the Compressor?


PN
donrandall
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Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2004 11:06 pm
Location: Denver, Colorado

Post by donrandall »

Nick - I am really a big fan of the built in processing available with Goldwave and I use it for most smaller projects. I am convinced that the Goldwave "Noise Reduction" filter is incredibly good. I was tempted to spend the dough and get "Sound Soap" - - but, the native Goldwave filter is so good that it really wouldn't make sense.

The Goldwave compressor is quite good. Remember, I do voiceovers and I process voice, not music, and the dynamics may be very different. Generally I will select one of two presets that work well for me - "Reduce Peaks" or "Hard Limit at -6db". Then I "Maximize" (normalize) at 90% and listen to see whether or not I have brought any artifacts from the filtering up to a noticeable level. If so, I can copy a sample of the tinkling and then use that to let the "Noise Reduction" filter work it's magic.

Sometimes I will use the downward expansion - or "Noise Gate". I have not found any of the three presets to be useable for me, so I have my own preset - I set it at: Threshold @ -45, Multiplier (ratio) @ -8 and I set the Attack and Release settings at .020 and it works well for me under most any conditions, with my setup.

I don't use the graphic equalizer, but I am satisfied that the Parametric Equalizer is quite good.

I find that the "Smoother" is quite handy at times - but trying to figure out how to use it is difficult and the information available is nearly useless. Trial and error is our friend, and I have gotten to the point where I can often get perfect results and at other times I can only make improvements - but an improvement means it is better that it was, eh?

I use the "Silence Reduction" tool frequently - and it saves a lot of time and work - it is a valuable tool for me and works very well.

I have used the "Doppler" and "Time Warp" tools from time to time and find them to be excellent.

The "Echo" works well enough and the "Reverb" is passable but not outstanding. I have the free copy of a reverb called the "Anwida Soft DS Reverb Light". Supposedly, it is a bare bones version of their deluxe unit which they sell. For a stripped down version, it does everything I have ever needed and it is very high quality.

I also bought -and often use - the DirectX processing plug-ins from db-Audioware. I was looking for a de-esser and someone here suggested I check db-Audioware. I did, and decided to buy the rest of the toys as well - the De-esser is very good and so are the other tools. The Dynamics Processor is exceptionally good. I recently ran into a problem with a few minutes of audio in a track of over 70 minutes and the Goldwave tools - the compressor was causing a bogus noise that was not there in the uncompressed audio - just couldn't quite come through for me. I thought I was going to have to recut the segment, which can create new problems like voice matching discrepancies, which I really wanted to avoid. Instead, I went back to the beginning and used the db-Audioware preset "Hard Limit at -6db" and the defect cleared right up.

Anyway - you were asking opinions on the tools inherent in Goldwave - and I am convinced that Goldwave is the outstanding product of it's kind and the built in tools are beyond good, they are quite impressive. Goldwave is one product that gives us more than expected at a wonderful price.
piano nick
Posts: 423
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2004 8:33 pm

Post by piano nick »

Don:

Thanks for the information and enlightenment. I really had no idea how well these features performed, but you've given me some renewed optimism.

I have learned of other plug-ins, but until GW will incorporate VST plug-ins without a wrapper, I won't bother with them.

If you are interested or know of others that are looking for plug-ins, the following site is often recommended by musicians:

http://www.kjaerhusaudio.com/classic-series.php

Kjaerhus Audio has a very good reputation - the above noted (Classic) series are free downloadable plug-ins, but they have an apparently excellent set of reasonably priced professional level plug-ins too.

The main site is: http://www.kjaerhusaudio.com/

It seems that this Kjaerhus guy (a Dutchman) is also a one man operation that offers excellent products (like Goldwave).

My other software that I use for sequencing (PG Music Powertracks Pro Audio) will be VST compatible in the next issue (the beta testing was announced yesterday, and I signed up, although I may not be chosen).

Thanks again.


Glenn (my first name - Nicholas is my second name)
donrandall
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Post by donrandall »

Hi Nick - I would be interested in playing around with the Kjaerhus stuff too, they are offering some older stuff free of charge. If it all lives up to it's hype, it might be pretty nice to have - but like you, I am not interested in fooling around with VST wrappers and all that jazz.

Really, about the only thing I noticed that would be of interest to me is the compressor. I don't compress heavily - I just like to touch the audio track lightly to knock the tops off the tall peaks and make a little room to maximize the audio and add a little presence.

It would be more a matter of indulging my compulsion to play with more toys, because for short form stuff, I just use the compressor built into Goldwave and go to the db-Audioware stuff for longer tracks. The db-Audioware compressor seems to be more sophisticated than the built in tool and is very gentle with the track - it also has the virtue of working much more quickly too. In all honesty, I doubt the Kjaerhus tools would be much, if any, better.
piano nick
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Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2004 8:33 pm

Post by piano nick »

Don:

Wow, that was fast - I was on the other topic and when I returned you had already replied.

I too just use gentle comrpession: Reduce peaks with settings at -6.0 and -6.0 or so and zero values for attack and release. With any values other than zero for attack/release, the piano notes are clipped short a bit. Strangely I never noticed this until a few weeks ago.

On the wrapper/VST thing, didn't Chris mention that the next issue would be VST compatible without wrappers? That's what I understood.

Of course I have no idea how the Kjaerhus stuff works. If you do play around with them, I'd be interested in hearing your assessment.


PN
dda
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Dynamics

Post by dda »

Speaking of Compression Effects, I have been experimenting with the GoldWave effect called "Dynamics" lately.

This effect alllows some very interesting settings which I don't think can be achieved by compressor/expanders which work on a "threshold".

"Dynamcis" effectively allows multiple thresholds. It sounds very good too.

I have been able (recently) to replace a batch operation which user a "hard limit" followed by a "maximise" with a single "Dynamics" (modified S curve) which is:

1: much faster in processing
2: better sounding
Stiiv
Posts: 335
Joined: Sat May 15, 2004 7:29 pm
Location: Fallentown, PA

Post by Stiiv »

Hiya Nick!

I have used the DX version of dbTempoDelay for years now, & I could not do without it. The ability to sync delay repeats to bpm so easily is liberating, believe me. This task can be done using GW's built-in effects, but then I'd have to do the math myself. :shock: Seems I've forgotten much of what the nuns beat into me all those years ago. :wink:

Most of my experience with VST is with instruments, rather than effects, but the db stuff works via wrapper, seems well-written, & results in clean-sounding modifications.
Stiiv
Togglehead
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Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2006 1:37 pm
Location: Jersey

Post by Togglehead »

just as a VST note....as i use them all the time in sonar....both the instruments...and effects...are wonderful.

Just having the extra bit of "external" sound helps improve sound quality....and overall appeal....

..at least in MY travels.
donrandall
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Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2004 11:06 pm
Location: Denver, Colorado

Post by donrandall »

I too just use gentle comrpession: Reduce peaks with settings at -6.0 and -6.0 or so and zero values for attack and release. With any values other than zero for attack/release, the piano notes are clipped short a bit.
Yeah, me too. I stay with the presets at -6 threshold and -6 multiplier, the standard presets for attack and release are .001 and I don't change anything - for voiceovers, it works just fine as is.
Blandine Catastrophe
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Post by Blandine Catastrophe »

Concerning the preset "reduce peaks" of the compressor/expander, I cnfirm that it introduces some distortion on attacks like piano, drums etc... It works better on voice, but not always convenient in all situations.
Gloup? :-°
piano nick
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Post by piano nick »

Don:

I wouldn't think that the preset REDUCE PEAKS would affect voice too much - I have applied it to some tracks of midi choir with no noticeable affect (at least to me).

I had stated that I use the default values for multiplier and threshold, but in fact, I adjust the THRESHOLD or the overall level of the wave file somewhat. For example if the maximum peak on L/R channels is -8 dB, a threshold of -6 dB would have no effect. In that case I would MAXIMIZE so that the bulk of the song was below -6 dB, then apply REDUCE PEAKS with threshold = -6.0 and multiplier = -6.0 (attack/release = zero).

Blandine:

Have you found that setting the ATTACK and RELEASE to zero helped any with piano sounds? I haven't been able to detect any affect when using these parameters set to zero. However this may be because my piano is not an acoustic piano, but a digital piano.

In any event, the -6/-6 values are not high levels of compression. It has been suggested to me by others that one should apply only light compression to piano.


PN
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