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EVENTIDES and the art of Looping



Well...it was a lot of work. Worth the time, though!
Hopefuly you all will find enough information and inspiration to start
looping on an Eventide, integrating your creative forces with a seriously
creative tool that your systems deserve.
I really hope Kim will use this information in the "TOOLS of the TRADE"
section: it's sadly missing info on Eventides since the beginning of time!

Here we go:


The Eventide DSP7000, DSP7500 and ORVILLE Processors can integrate looping
and/or sampling with all sort of FX. The open nature of these platforms
allows the
user to build his/her own custom algorithms, using VSIGFILE, a freeware
Windows PC graphical algorithms construction application.
If the end user doesn't find what he/she needs in the extended factory
presets libraries Eventide provides (more than 500 presets in the 7000, 
more
than 700
in the 7500 and over 1000 in Orville), he/she'll be able to modify them or
to create new structures from scratch, customizing with extreme details
audio,
modulation, control and UI.
Looping on Eventides is basically delay-based; you won't be able to do
looping exactly like on a Jamman or EDP,but you will definitely get many
other
flavours that those units can't provide.

A few notes on hardware features of these machines:
DSP7000/7500 are 24bit/up to 96KHz STEREO units, w/2 analog ins/outs,
AES-EBU and S/PDIF in/out.
ORVILLE is a 24bit/up to 96KHz unit, w/4 analog ins/outs and 4 digital
ins/outs, 2 AES-Ebu or 1 AES+1S/Pdif.
We are releasing 2 ADAT boards:
One will add stereo ins/outs for DSP7000/7500.
The other will add 8 ins/outs to Orville.

In the near future we will release another board for ORVILLE only, w/8
AES-EBU ins/outs.
This version of Orville willonly have a stereo analog in and out!
Both boards can be added to Orville.

Orville DSPs have 4 inputs/4 outputs each, so programming of complex
structures is possible, thanks to "Anything-to-Anything" routing. You can
build all
possible routings, feedback paths, just about anything you like...from the
front panel or using ROUTING, a Windows PC applications.
Routings can be saved on your PC, into Orville RAM and on Pcmcia cards.

Orville does QUAD audio! Imagine lopping+processing on 4 cabinets, or 8.

All machines have 2 rear panel inputs that can accept 1 pedal or up to 3
footswitches EACH for parameters real time control.
MIDI protocol is fully supported. All parameters can be modulated by midi
cc, notes, pedals, switches, audio level, pitch....

We also have a remote controller, EVE/NET, that can control up to 4 units
(any combo of DSP7000s/7500s/Orvilles), thru ethernet connection.
Evenet has 8 rotary encoders that are hard wired to the 8 parameters that
you see on the display. Each encoder also features a click that allows
storage of a
full setup+routing+presets loading!

Hopefully this gives you an idea of available possibilities.


ORVILLE/DSP7000/7500 share an open modular nature: the user will be able to
combine a big number of audio, control, math, UI, modulation modules from
the
unit database, working in a graphic environment and connecting modules with
virtual patch cables. Currently database has about 250 different modules.


A group of fundamental modules are the core for looping applications:

DELAY : a classic digital delay line with up to 32500ms.

MICRODELAY : delay line with finer resolution, max 10920 ms.

MODDELAY : delay line w/modulation input, max 10920 ms.

REVDELAY: a classic Eventide Reverse delay, max 32500 ms.

MULTITAP : a multi-tap delay line, with a selectable number of delay taps.
Each tap has adjustable level, pan and delay. It can have up to 100 taps
w/2000
ms. delay each.

STEREOTAPS : another multitap delay line, w/stereo input and output, max 50
taps w/2000ms each.

RAMPDELAY : a delay whose time increases linearly according to a control
input, giving a high quality pitch shift until the maximum (or minimum) is
reached,
at which point, the pitch returns to normal. Max delay is 32500ms.

REVERSE SHIFTER : another classic Eventide backwards playing pitch shifter.
Max delay time is 32500 ms.

PITCHTIME : This module phase coherently pitch shifts and/or time scales up
to 8 channels of audio. It also has a built-in pitch detector whose results
are
made available through various control outputs.
When time compressing or expanding, the lost or gained time is represented
by a change in the delay through the module. For example, time compression
causes
the delay through the module to reduce, while time expansion causes it to
increase. When the delay value reaches its maximum or minimum the time 
scale
returns to real time.
If the maxdelay value is set at its maximum value and timeAmt is set at 
say,
0.9 (90%) the time expansion will continue for 160 seconds until all the
delay
is used, at which point the output of the module will be delayed by 16
seconds.
Time stretch or compression can be continuously retriggered.
Let's simply say that this module has a max delay of 16000 ms and can do
time stretching or time squeezing AND pitch shifting! In REAL TIME.
All these modules use the main board delay memory, 43 seconds @48KHz, which
is also used by reverb modules, pitch shifters and some filters.
Any module can be used in many instances, allocating variable amount of
delay memory, choosen by the programmer. For instance, you might have 4
delays using
10 seconds each.

PLEX : The plex module provides a simple way of creating high quality
reverberators.  To create a reverberator, the outputs several delay lines
are fed into
the plex module and the outputs of the plex module are fed back to the
inputs of the delay line.  The plex module combines the delay outputs to
produce an
exponentially increasing density of echoes, hence a dense reverb.
The signal that is to be used as the main input to the reverberator is
connected to the "in" of the plex module. This is a classic Eno sound.
You can make things even more interesting by experimenting with other
modules besides delay lines in the feedback structure.
If you only patch delay lines into the PLEX, you can get interesting
variations of looping/verb.

All these modules are common to DSP7000, DSP7500 and ORVILLE machines.
DSP7000 has one single dsp chip, 4 times more powerful than a DSP4000 or a
Pcm81 (to give you an idea). Its full delay memory is 43 sec.
DSP 7500 has the same dsp chip plus a sampling board with 174 sec memory
@48KHz. Its full delay memory is 43+174 sec, if the sampling board memory 
is
used
for delay applications (LONGDELAY module).
ORVILLE has 2 identical dsp chips plus the same sampling board. Its full
delay memory is 43+43+174 sec., if the sampling board memory is used for
delay
applications (LONGDELAY module). Orville DSPs are named A and B: the
sampling board is ONLY available on DSP A.
The sampling board CAN'T be added to a DSP7000!!! So, if you are thinking 
to
get an Eventide for looping, plan ahead of time; DSP7500 or Orville are the
choices w/bigger memory.


More modules:

LONGDELAY (DSP7500 & ORVILLE) : a LONG delay line that uses the sampling
board memory, up to 174 sec @ 48KHz sampling rate. Like all other modules,
it can be used in many instances: you could have a preset w/4 LONGDELAYS,
w/43 sec each, or 10 lines w 17 sec each or any combination of mono/stereo
delays, within the max delay memory available.

DELAYSAMPLER (DSP7500 & ORVILLE) : This is a small mono sampler that uses
delay memory rather than sampler memory. This means that it can be used in
either (or both) machine A or machine B in Orville. It also limits the
maximum recording time to a total of 40 seconds per preset (at 48kHz). Use
the normal sampler
in machine A if you need longer recording times, or higher quality
varispeed, as well as pitch change. From 4 to 8 of these samplers can be
used in a single
preset, so they can be paralleled for stereo or quad. This sampler is an 
old
style one: when you use change its speed (time compression), you will also
get
pitch change. So a speed of 50% will drop pitch down an octave.

SAMPLER (DSP7500 & ORVILLE) : The module is capable of recording and 
playing
mono or stereo samples with varying pitch and time scale.  Up to 16 sound
samples may be stored in memory so that various drum hits or vocal takes 
can
be easily accessed.  You can loop a sample, step thru multiple samples on
successive triggers, and trigger the sample from audio. To begin recording,
trigger the record input.  Recording will begin immediately and will
continue
until stop is triggered or all memory is used up.  Another way to begin
record is to trigger the triggered record.  Recording will start when audio
exceeds
record threshold.  There is a pre-trigger capture, causing a small section
of audio preceding the trigger event to be recorded.  For each new
recording, the
audio is stored into a new sample location. This can be done until all the
available memory is used up. A trigger to play causes the current sample to
be
played until the stop or pause inputs are triggered or the stop time is
reached.  You can have an audio signal trigger the playback by triggering
triggered
play.
The particular sample to be played back is controlled by the play select
control.  After recording, this control will be automatically set to the 
new
sample.
If a new play trigger is received while the current sample is playing, the
new sample will begin playing immediately.  The old sample will continue
playing
for the length of time set in the overlap control.  By changing the
nextplaymode setting, the playback can step through consecutive samples.
The samples to
be stepped through are controlled by the playmin and playmax controls.  If
looping is set to enabled, the sample will automatically repeat, and the 
end
of
the sample will be crossfaded to the beginning. Change start and stop to
single out what part of the sample you want.  If start is after stop the
sample will
be played in reverse.  When adjusting, you have a choice of either a tape
recorder scrub emulation, or pitchscrub mode where the sound at the point
will be
played looped.  Fadein and fadeout allow you to adjust how the sound is
turned off and on.  Use pitchamt to adjust the pitch of the sample and
timeamt to
adjust how fast the sample is played back.
This module allows real time editing of samples:
x-fading-looping-reverse-start & end points-time compression &
expansion-pitch shifting-modulation of all
its parameters.
The new OS, version 3.0, features System Tempo and Timer w/T_Delay, T_Rate
and T_Decay parameters that allow all delays times/lfos rates/reverbs 
decays
to be
synced to tap tempo, according to rhythmic subdivisions. You can use
absolute time (milliseconds) or rhythmic values.
Long Delay modules take advantage of system Timer w/bars multiply.




Let me go thru Orville looping presets (Bank 7 : Delays - Loops), trying to
explain what these presets do.

FRACTAL VORTEX
a recreation of Vortex dynamic layering of loops: Cascade looper with
envelope control ofthe looper's input mix. Its output isfed into a panner
which sprays
the effect into a stereo glide, fed also directly by dry input. Envelope
bias adjusts sensitivity of modulation for the input/feedback mix of the
looper.Loud
signals add new audio to loop,decreasing level of old layers.
Soft signals keep both in the loop. Echo balance: when set at min, the mix
is all Echo 1, at max. it's all Echo 2.
In between settings produce echo rhythmthat change over time.Assign 2: loop
door. Set fdback at 90/95%%.
Loop time is tempo tapped and you can multiply it by bars#.
Sum Mono In/Stereo Out.

HELIX LOOP:
Four 20 sec stereo loops. <loop#> chooses which pair sees input. Each 
stereo
loops flips left & right with each repeat.
Quad in,quad out.

HELIX MANIFOLD
Tap tempo pitch shifter w/dynamic swelling input feeding 4 stereo 20 sec
loopers w/cross-patched feedback paths.Each stereo loops flips left & right
with
each repeat. All is fed to a stereo verb and stereo slap delay.
Stereo I/O.

LEVITATION ALPHA
BPM loop + effects. Sums (1+3 and 2+4) feed stereo pitchshift (2 sec)>loop
(80 sec) >verb>slap(2 sec). Pitch: has envelope shaping and is bypassable.
Loop: vol pedal <mod2> is door to loop. Choose bpm and # of measures
forloops length.
Slap: has source selection as well as output selection (front/rear/both).
Quad I/O.

LEVITATION BETA
BPM loop + effects
Stereo sum (1+3 and 2+4) feed stereo reverseshift(10 sec)>loop(80 sec)>verb
>slap(2 sec). Pitch: if mix is set to 0%% then input to pitch is muted so
you are
not filling it with undesired data. Choose bpm, meter and # of measures
forloop length.
Slap: has source selection as well as output selection (front/rear/both).
Quad I/O.

LEVITATION GAMMA
BPM loop + effects
Sums (1+3 and 2+4) feed stereo diatonicshift >(2 sec)>loop (80 sec)
>verb>slap(2 sec). Pitch: has envelope shaping external modulation 
><mod1>and
is
bypassable.Choose bpm, meter and # of measures forloop length.
Slap: has source selection as well as output selection (front/rear/both).
Quad I/O.

LOOP_TIMESQUUEZE
St 80 sec.loops > timesqueeze > verb.
Loops crisscross feedback.
Timesqueeze allows independent 10 sec. duration and pitch control, w/time
compression-expansion.
Stereo I/O.

MANIFOLD ALPHA
looping preset, this one with a shifter+32 sec loop+4sec slap.
<door> is feed level to effect.
<inmix> to Pitch 0=input, 100=Loop.
<inmix> to Loop  0=input, 100=Pitch.
Loop has a volume pedal before it . Heel= no input, toe= <door> level.
in+loop+pitch feed slap
loop+pitch output left.
slap output right.
Summed I/O.

MANIFOLD BETA
Non-sampler looping preset, this one with a 4 sec. reverse shifter+32 sec
loop+4sec slap.
<door> is feed level to effect.
<inmix> to Pitch 0=input, 100=Loop.
<inmix> to Loop  0=input, 100=Pitch.
Loop has a volume pedal befor it set to mod2. Heel= no input, toe= <door>
level.
in+loop+pitch feed slap
loop+pitch output left.
slap output right.
Summed I/O.

MOBIUS LOOPS
Quadloops(40sec) feedback to next loop # and this rotates the loop 
clockwise
over time.
Second loop rotates counterclockwise.
Quad in, quad out.

ROTATION MANIFOLD
'rotation loop + effects.
Shifts>loops>verbs>slaps.
quadshifts (2sec). Second quad loop rotating counterclockwise.
quadloops(40sec) fback to next loop # > quadverbs > quad slaps
out1=shift1/loop1/verb1/slap4
out2=shift2/loop2/verb2/slap3
out3=shift3/loop3/verb3/slap2
out4=shift4/loop4/verb4/slap1
Quad I/O.

SKEW LOOP 1
Stereo loops. Right loop has a <skew> amount parameter which adds that
amount to its loop length. This one in
seconds. Max delay length is 80 sec left and 90 sec right.
Stereo I/O.

SKEW LOOP 2
Stereo loops. Right loop has a <skew> amount parameter which adds that
amountto its loop length. This one has
a percentage of loop length. Max delay is 80 sec on left and 90 sec on
right.
Stereo I/O.

UNDO MANIFOLD
Pitch signal feeds a stereo 30 sec loop used as a buffer. If you like what
you hear hit <merge>, If you don't hit <clear>.
During the 'event' no new data can be input. Event duration equal to loop
length. Verb and slap delays process loops and dry sound.
Stereo I/O.

UNDO LOOP
Signal feeds a stereo 30 sec loop used as a buffer. If you like what you
hear hit <merge>, If you don't hit <clear>.
During the 'event' no new data can be input. Event duration equal to loop
length.
Stereo I/O.

YOUR HARMONY DEVICE
Mono loop (max 10 sec) >3 shifters w/pre-settable values>autopanner >verb.
Build a sequence of chords w/tune 1/2/3parameters & step thru it w/triggers
or ext.triggers( Tip 2 & Ring 2).
<assign1> is volume pedal to loop.
<assign2> is loop feedback.
Great 4 E-BOW pads!!! Loop a Root tone & step thru chords while you solo on
top.
Summed in, stereo out.

4 TRACKER #3
Choose between the four loops inputs by hand or via <mod1>.
Master Time signature and bars number sets different lenghts for the loops.
Simple displays help in this four track loop/recorder.
Summed in, stereo out.

4 TRACKER #4
Like 4 tracker#3 with hicuts & pitches post each track.
Summed in, stereo out.

4 TRACKER #5
Like 4 tracker#3 with quad output mixing.
Summed in, quad out.


These presets are ALL included in Orville OS V3.0 ; most of them are also
included in DSP7500 OS V3.0, obviously in stereo format. No Quad is 
possible
on the
DSP series.

A Legacy of older Looping presets from the discontinued GTR4000, DSP4500 
and
from Presets Cards like the Alchemy 101 is also available on Pcmcia flash
cards.
All 4000s can share these presets. Some presets of the DSP4500 will require
to install the sampling board on a 4000 to run.

>From the GTR4000: This unit had 10.5 sec delay. Its memory can be expanded
by adding the sampling board. 2 boards are available to expand all 4000
series

Harmonizers:
                Medium                Large
            Mono  Stereo      Mono   Stereo
32KHz   131      65   sec     262    131  sec
44.1KHz  95      47   sec     190     95  sec
48KHz     87      43   sec     174     87  sec

The DSP4500 special edition model includes the Large Sampler Board and ALL
presets ever written for the 4000 series.



Here are looping related 4000 series presets:


LOOPING & DELAYS Bank 42 (GTR4000/DSP4500/GTR4000 Library Card)

MONOLOOP
10-sec mono 'performance' delayloop. Summed stereo in ,stereo out.

STEREOLOOP
5-sec stereo 'performance' delayloop with metering. Stereo in, stereo out.

HELIXLOOP
5-sec stereo delay with crosspatched feedback paths. Stereo flips left and
right with each repeat. Stereo in, stereo out.

4RESONATORS+LOOP
4 voice tuned multitap resonators into a long delay. Summed stereo in,
stereo out.

NIMBUS
Rhythmic delays with stereo spread via non outputed feedback paths and
subtle modulation. Summed stereo in, stereo out.

RITUALDELAY
Dimminishing delay times, stereo spread and subtle modulation, make for an
interesting delay effect. Summed stereo in, stereo out.

LOOPVERB
Long mono delayloop into reverb, which spreads to stereo and gives depth 
and
animation to the loop. Stereo in, stereo out.

REFRACTIONLOOP
Stereo multitaps - refracts left and right timing within this stereo loop.
Stereo in, stereo out.

MANIFOLD TWO
A 5-tap delay into a long delayloop. Lets you play with polyrythms into a
loop. Summed stereo in, stereo out.

DUAL PINGPONG
Dual Mono PingPong-ing Moddelays. Dual mono in, stereo out.

TIME+PITCH MANIFOLD
This preset rearranges the time and pitch of whatever you play into it.

BPM POLYRHYTHM 3/4
Lets you play with true polyrythmic figures. Choose BPM, note values and #
of repeats. Play a note get 3 against 4 out. Summed stereo in, stereo out.

BPM POLYRHYTHM 5/4
Lets you play with true polyrythmic figures. Choose BPM, note values and #
of repeats. Play a note get 5 against 4 out. Summed stereo in, stereo out.




93 Loops  (DSP4500/ Alchemy 101 Presets Library Card)

This bank requires the DSP4000's Sampler option to be installed. They were
created with the larger Sampler, if yours is smaller, the maximum lengths
will be
limited by your system. Also, all of these are manipulations of stereo 
loops
with pre and/or post-loop processing. You will of course be aware that the
feedback does not contain post-loop manipulation data.

TAPTEMPOLOOP
UNDOLOOP
MEMNOSENE 1
MEMNOSENE 2
MEMNOSENE verb
MEMNOSENE crystals
BPM LOOP levitation
BPM LOOP psycholev
BPM LOOP verb
BPM LOOP gyroscope
BPM LOOP crystals
BPM DNA LOOP
DNA Loops
DNA Soundscapes
TT BPM LOOP
TT BPM LOOP verb



The massive power of DSP7000/7500 and ORVILLE allows to combine looping AND
fx in the same preset:
Distortion, bit dequantizing, eq, all sort of modulation fx, ring
modulators, pitch shifting, reverb, delay, modulatable filters, panning,
compression,
expansion, poly-fuzzes, multiband distortion, synths, tone generators and
many more fx can be combined in big patches.
ORVILLE also allows massive looping/sampling and processing, thanks to its
dual DSP structure. You could run two of those described presets at the 
same
time
on Orville, choosing your čpreferred routings between in/out and DSPs.
VSIGFILE is definitely the tool on which any user can build his/her own
personal variations of these presets or complately new structures.



ECLIPSE
24bit/up to 96KHz STEREO units, w/2 analog ins/outs, AES-EBU, S/PDIF and
OPTICAL/ADAT in/out.
2 rear panel inputs that can accept 1 pedal or up to 3 footswitches EACH 
for
parameters real time control.
MIDI protocol is fully supported. All parameters can be modulated by midi
cc, notes, pedals, switches, audio input.

The unit is a dual engine processor: Eventide provides a collection of 
about
100 algorithms that can be combined in pairs in the 2 FX Blocks, choosing
your
preferred routing.

Looping:
Eclipse Engines have 20 seconds delay memory each. Looping is delay based,
like in Orville/DSP series.
Algorithms useful for looping are:

-all multi-voice delay algorithms: they have 4 ddl lines (often combined
w/modulation or filtering or resonators or ring modulators), w/2 sec delay
time
each- Useful for Tap Tempo multi tap looping.
Up to 8 voices can be obtained by combinig two algorithms in parallel.

-Loop10: Mono 10 sec looping delay

-Loop20: Mono 20 sec looping delay

-Dual Loop5: Stereo 5 sec looping delays

-Dual Loop10: Stereo 10 sec looping delays

-Mono Reverse20: Mono 20 sec reverse delay

-Mono Reverse10: Mono 10 sec reverse delay

-Dual Reverse 10: Stereo 10 sec reverse delay

-Dual Reverse 5 : Stereo 5 sec reverse delay

-Ultratap 2: a popular Eventide H3000 structure contains four serial
two-second diffusors feeding a
36 tap, two-second multitap delay  and a tempo-controlled two-second
feedback delay.

-T_Delay4 Plex:This plex has four two second tempo delay lines with 'level'
and 'pan' parameters for each
independent output.

-Reverse Crystals: two five second reverse shifters where the feedback
signal can be the sum of the outputs, the
channel output or the other channel for 'crisscross' effects.

-T_Delay_Diffchorus: This is a three tap delay (left, right and feedback-
max 2 sec delay each) and a stereo diffchorus.

-Manifold Alpha: This is a pitch-shifting loop(up to 16 seconds) and slap
delay. A mixer at the shifter input selects between the source and
the loop signals, while another mixer at the loop input selects between the
source and the shifted signals.
Both outputs (pitch and loop) are then mixed with the left input (channel
#1) and fed to the slap delay
output on the left side, while the loop and pitch also get fed directly to
the right output. Tempo may be
used to control delay as well as loop and slap length.

-Manifold Beta: This algorithm is essentially a version of "manifold 
alpha,"
but it uses a reverse shifter (16 sec) rather than the normal (forward)
pitch
shifter.

-Reverse+Dly+Reverb: This is a reverseshifter (max 5 sec) into a three tap
delay (left right and feedback-max 5 sec for each tap) and a reverb 8.


Most of these presets can be loaded twice in the same algorithm or combined
with distortion, eq, all sort of modulation fx, ring modulators, pitch
shifting,
reverb, delay, modulatable filters, panning, compression, expansion,
poly-fuzzes, multiband distortion.
Eclipse is a closed platform. The end user can't build algorithms from
scratch. It doesn't have sampling expansion.


For deeper details about DSP7000/7500/ORVILLE/EVENET/PRESETS
CARDS/VSIGFILE/ECLIPSE, please download manuals and visit the following:

http://www.eventide.com/profaud/orvillebro.htm

http://www.eventide.com/profaud/dsp7000.htm

http://www.eventide.com/profaud/dsp7500.htm

http://www.eventide.com/profaud/evenet.htm

http://www.eventide.com/vsigfile/index.html

http://www.eventide.com/routing/index.html

http://www.eventide.com/profaud/4000samp.htm

http://www.eventide.com/profaud/pcmcia.htm

http://www.eventide.com/eclipse/eclipse.htm


For support and users discussions, please visit:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eventidehelps/




Italo De Angelis