Symphonic Manual

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EASTWEST/QUANTUM LEAP SYMPHONIC CHOIRS and Kompakt Instrument Operation Manual
Kompakt Instrument English 1
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Native Instruments Software Synthesis GmbH or East West Sounds, Inc. The software and sounds described in this document are subject to License Agreements and may not be copied to other media. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or otherwise transmitted or recorded, for any purpose, without prior written permission by Native Instruments Software Synthesis GmbH or East West Sounds, Inc. All product and company names are or trademarks of their respective owners. Operation Manual by Doug Rogers, Nick Phoenix, John Philpit, and Brian Tester East West Sounds, Inc., 2005. All rights reserved. Native Instruments Software Synthesis GmbH, 2005. All rights reserved. Kompakt is a trademark of Native Instruments Software Synthesis GMBH. East West Sounds, Inc. 9000 Sunset Blvd., Suite 1550 West Hollywood, CA 90069 USA 1-310-271-6969 voice 1-310-271-6968 fax info@eastwestsounds.com www.soundsonline.com Native Instruments GmbH Schlesische Str. 28 D-10997 Berlin Germany +49 30 6110 35 0 voice +49 30 6110 35 35 fax info@native-instruments.de www.native-instruments.de
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Table of Contents
Welcome 8 Producer: Doug Rogers 10 Producer: Nick Phoenix 11 Recording Engineer: Prof. Keith O. Johnson 12 Recording Notes 13 Recording Practice 14 Post Production 14 Three-Dimensional Samples 15 One-Dimensional Samples 15 Two Revolutionary Concepts 16 Overview 17 The Samples Library 17 WordBuilder 18 Kompakt 19 Hardware and Software Recommendations 20 Minimum Systems 20 Recommended Systems 20 Supported Software Interfaces 20 MIDI Loopback Connectors 21 Installing Choirs 23 Starting Symphonic Choirs 27 WordBuilder as a Stand-alone Module 28 WordBuilder as a VST MA Plug-in 29 WordBuilder as an MFX Plug-in 30 WordBuilder Running Stand-alone with Logic 30
Using the Choir Samples 32 Using Multis with WordBuilder 32 The Multis in Symphonic Choirs 33 Full Mens and Full Womens Choruses 35 Memory Considerations When Choosing Multis 36 The Component Programs 36 Full Chorus, Church 40 Using The Soloist Samples 41 Soloist Files 42 A Tour of the WordBuilder Interface 44 Your Settings 45 The Text Modes 45 Typing English 46 Typing Phonetically 48 The Time Editor 49 The Tools 51 The WordBuilder Menus 53 Using WordBuilder 57 Starting the Program in Stand-alone Mode 58 Starting the Program as a Plug-in 59 Data Flow 59 Setting Velocities for Letters 59 Controlling Segment Transitions 61 Adding New Words and New Pronunciations 62 Soloing a Word 63 How WordBuilder Learns Timings 63 Draw Only Mode 65 Whether to Use Learning 66 Making Changes to Learned Text 67 Other Ways to Adjust Timings 67 Resetting the Syllable Cursor 68 Using Built-in Cross-Fades 69 Other Envelopes 71 Note Volume 71
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The WordBuilder Options Dialogs 72 The General Tab 72 The Timers Tab 72 The Voices Default Tab 74 Default Voice Properties Dialog Box 74 Default Voice Advanced Midi In 75 Default Voice Advanced Midi Out 76 The Events Tab 77 The Phonetic Alphabets 79 Lists of The Phonetic Symbols 79 Comparison Table: English Vowels 80 Comparison Table: Latin Vowels 81 Playing Music with Symphonic Choirs 82 Programs and Multis 82 The Choir Multis 82 The Choir Programs 83 Full SATB Choirs: 3 Approaches 83 The Soloist Multis 84 Cross-Fades and the Modulation Wheel 85 Segment Transitions and Keyswitches 86 Volume, Velocity, and Expression 87 MIDI Envelopes and Control Data 89 Release Trails 90 Panning 91 Understanding DFD 92 The Basics 92 Sizing Considerations 93 The 3 Mic Positions 96 Reverb Control 99 Some Sound Advice 99 Various Ways to Combine the Samples 101 Using C and S Mics Sparingly 101 Blending All Three Mics 101 Go for the Intimateor the ExpansiveSound 101 Beyond the Panning Controls 102
Surround Sound Samples 103 Stereo Mixing 103 Surround Sound Mixing 103 Notes from the Producers 105 Hints 105 Credits 108 Product Authorization 109 What is the Product Authorization? 109 Conducting the Product Authorization 110 Registration support 115 Installation under Windows 116 System Requirements and Recommendations 116 Software Installation 117 DXi 2 Plug-in Setup 118 Installation under Mac OS X 119 System Requirements and Recommendations 119 Audio Interfaces 121 Stand-alone Application 121 Plug-In 122 KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT as Plug-in 125 VST 2.0 Plug-in 125 DXi 2 Plug-in 129 RTAS 130 KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT Stand-alone Version 131 KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT Architecture 134 Kompakt Instrument Interface 135 The Multi Instrument Section 136 Options Menu 139 General Options 139
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Group Edit 141 Group Amp 141 The Instrument Section 142 Sampler 142 Filter 142 Instrument Amp 144 The Modulation Section 145 Envelopes 145 Volume Envelope 145 Filter Envelope 146 Free Envelope 146 LFOs 147 The Effects Section 149 Reverb 149 Chorus 150 Delay 150 Master Filter 151 Index 153
Welcome
The EASTWEST / QUANTUM LEAP SYMPHONIC CHOIRS virtual instrument is the result of years of planning, scoring, recording, editing, and programming by over 100 creative professionals. Our goal was to create a Symphonic Choirs virtual instrument that would blend perfectly with the multiple-Award-Winning EASTWEST / QUANTUM LEAP SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRAand could be reproduced in surround soundrecorded where choirs and orchestras sound most natural, in a state of the art concert hall. First, we had to find the right team to execute the plan. To capture the sounds, we needed someone with an impressive history of recording choirs and orchestras live. The answer was Prof. Keith O. Johnson. His 90-plus recordings have long been considered the standard for high fidelity, and include two GRAMMY awardwinners and eight additional GRAMMY nominations. All of the recording equipment used in the project was either hand-built or extensively modified by him to optimize fidelity. Prof. Keith O. Johnson had previously recorded EASTWEST / QUANTUM LEAP SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA, so it was an obvious choice. Next, we had to find the right concert hall in which to record EWQLSC. Fortunately, his experience was invaluable here as well. He had recorded in most of the critically acclaimed concert halls throughout the world, and had a short list of favorites. After the success of EWQLSO we decided to use the same concert hall to record EWQLSC. After the recording was completed, the post-production team was put to work, which included some of the finest sound designers and programmers in the business. Special software was developed to edit the multiple tracks simultaneously, and keep them in phase. An advanced version of our revolutionary WordBuilder software for both PC and MAC was developed specially for EWQLSC. Nearly a year of post-production was necessary to achieve the final resulta result we are all extremely proud of. We hope you enjoy EWQLSC as much as we doand we would love to hear what you create with it. Explore the many sections of this Guide, especially the section on the WordBuilder software
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where we expect you will spend most of your time, and use it to spark the endless creative possibilities of this ground-breaking virtual instrument! Producers DOUG ROGERS and NICK PHOENIX
Producer: Doug Rogers
Doug Rogers
Doug Rogers has over 27 years experience in the audio industry, and is the recipient of many recording industry awards including Recording Engineer of the Year. In 2005, The Art of Digital Music named him one of 56 Visionary Artists & Insiders in the book of the same name. In 1988, he founded EASTWEST, the most critically acclaimed sound developer in the world, and recipient of over 40 industry awards, more than any other sound developer. His uncompromising approach to quality, and his innovative ideas have enabled his company to lead the soundware business for 17 years. In the late eighties, he released the first commercial drum sample CD, and followed it with the multiple-award-winning Bob Clearmountain Drums. His last production Symphonic Orchestra, was awarded a Keyboard Magazine Key Buy Award, EQ Magazine Exceptional Quality Award, Computer Music Magazine Performance Award, and G.A.N.G. (Game Audio Network Guild) Best Sound Library Award, plus endorsements from the Whos Who of the music industry. He persuaded audio legend Prof. Keith O. Johnson to record EWQLSO and EWQLSC, and came up with the revolutionary idea of recording all instruments and voices with 3 simultaneous stereo mic setups so users can control the tone of the performances and the acoustics of the concert hall, as well as create surround sound mixes.
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Producer: Nick Phoenix
Nick Phoenix
Nick Phoenix is a Los Angeles-based composer. He founded Quantum Leap Productions in 1997 to fulfill his needs as a working composer. Surprisingly, this is quite unique in the sound design business. He has produced all of Quantum Leaps AWARDWINNING sound libraries (QL Guitar & Bass, QL Brass, QL Rare Instruments, QL Voices of the Apocalypse, QL 56 Stratocaster, QL Hardcore Bass, QL Stormdrum, QL RA, and QL Colossus) with the exception of EWQLSO and EWQLSC, which he produced with Doug Rogers. His composing credits include television series for Fox, NBC, CBS, Disney, and the History Channel. Nick recently completed the first season of Nightmare on Elm Street Real Nightmares for CBS. He is also responsible for music in over 600 film trailers. Some recent examples are: War of the Worlds, Kingdom of Heaven, Matrix Reloaded, Minority Report, Spider-Man 2, Sahara, Lord of the Rings Return of the King, Harry Potter 3, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, The Island, Miss Congeniality 2, Bruce Almighty, Bewitched, The Ring 2, Fantastic Four, and Madagascar. His composition skills, real world experience producing top sound tracks for film and television, technical ability, innovative programming ideas, and energy, proved to be an invaluable contribution to the team.
Recording Engineer: Prof. Keith O. Johnson
Prof. Keith O. Johnson
Prof. Keith O. Johnson has spent over 30 years developing a reputation for innovative thinking, technical achievement and musicianship which has elevated him to a position in the audio industry occupied by only a handful of visionaries. His intensive investigation of electronic behavior and acoustic perception have led most recently to his development (with digital engineer Michael Pflaumer) of the revolutionary High Definition Compatible Digital encoding process, produced and marketed by Pacific Microsonics (recently acquired by Microsoft). HDCD is widely considered to be the most accurate recording process ever invented. His 90-plus recordings have long been considered the standard for high fidelity, and include two GRAMMY award-winners and eight additional GRAMMY nominations. SOME REVIEWS OF HIS RECORDINGS: How Johnson got that huge climax at the end of the Dances cleanly onto tape transcends engineering and goes into the realm of magic. -- Harry Pearson, THE ABSOLUTE SOUND. Keith Johnsons engineering, mastering and production have, in this case, produced the finest orchestral recording I have ever heard... -- Russell Lichter, SOUNDSTAGE
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Recording Notes
EWQLSC is a sample library that can produce full multichannel sound like that from a good recording session in a concert hall. The user can manipulate multichannel files within each sample to move a section of the choir, create fully diffused or highly focused sound, as well as offstage effects that have the same acoustic character as having microphones on stage and mixing them. Each choir sample contains high-resolution components recorded in a good concert hall from microphone groups placed to achieve close, full, and ambient sound. Microphone placement is modeled after traditional Decca setups. The choir and soloists are placed on stage as they would perform, so that signals from these microphone groups can be mixed and have the general technical feel and acoustic properties of a live session. In addition, the placement of the choir correlates with the orchestral instruments recorded for EWQLSO, achieving a unified choral and orchestral mix when the two libraries are used together. Consistent microphone placement for the two sets of samples allows them to work together perfectly whether building stereo or surround sound recordings. Much post-production work and active DSP is mandatory to align the multiple time-phase paths from all of the sample groups. In addition, a large concert space was required to avoid claustrophobic wall sounds and to capture the choir sound we hear at an appropriate distance. These ultimately achieve overall mix clarity. To provide process headroom for this work, a super resolution recording chain was used. FM microphone responses extended to at least 26 kHz, all signal paths had minimal discrete circuit electronics, and conversions and files were at least 24-bit, 88.2kHz. (We also recorded everything at 176.4kHz for future updates). Hence the Gigabytes of data needed to access the sounds of instruments from different angles, placements and distances. The six-channel high-resolution files containing close, full and reverberant feeds can produce a real 3D orchestral sense like that from a good recording. To do this, simplified user commands or presetable instrument placements replace outmoded pan and gain controls functions. The new controls make complex adjustment of
direct-to-reflected sound, time-phase relationships, and equalizations to track a sections placement. In this manner, a section can be accented within the whole choir, brought forward in the mix, or moved off stage and the acoustic sound will correlate.
Recording Practice
A good recording setup often requires a close mic accent pickup to assist the ear in focusing on an important phrase in the polyphonic mix. Once used, the accent is often removed, as only a few of these spots are effective at any one time. Sometimes, a reverberation pickup is added or increased to restore a correct sense of hall response to instrumental and choral power. Generally a good recording setup for a concert hall has accent capability and will be much like early big sound Decca setups: omni- or non-directional pickups at front; a center tree, often of directional microphones; several close placed accents; and a hall sound microphone group. Combinations of phase interferences, sonic bleeds to microphones, time arrivals, and special energy convey a best seat perceptual experience even though the microphones are much closer to the performers than is the listener in the hall. The sense of vocal directionality and its effect on stage and hall sound is evident.
Post Production
The EWQLSO and EWQLSC samples originate from this Decca setup. The user can manipulate or mix file perspectives to work a composing project with the same mix capability as are available in most soundstage and classical recordings. Microphone pickups are selectable, allowing the user to mix and create a complex full sounding performance. External equalization adjustments can make soloists be very soft yet have pinpoint resolution in a lush full ensemble. Offstage singers can sound diffuse and merge into 5-channel surrounds without creating distraction. Stereo accents with time-phase control can extend near field images beyond the speakers, a useful effect for computers and gaming.
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Three-Dimensional Samples
Three file groups operate in conjunction for each choral section, soloist, or sample. They provide: a full soundstage a close, focused sound the hall response All three pickup signals are synchronized to the choirs position for correct time-phase arrival, as well as pre-equalized so they will fit into a traditional large-scale mix, with both other sections and instruments from EWQLSO. In this manner, other preset synchronization and mix variations can be made to modify the placement of a section or soloist within the full sound of all choral parts and instruments. Such automatic options are not only convenient but they perform very well and reduce processing requirements to help allocate computer resources to create the complex real sound of a good recording.
One-Dimensional Samples
Note that a one-dimensional sample, even with extensive electronic support, doesnt create the varying spatial energy relationships that occur when singers sing different notes. The reflected sounds from all the surfaces of a concert hall mix audibly in a good space to provide the whole listening experience. Small room and anechoic samples lack this complexity, a serious problem when attempting concert hall reality. Convincingly complexand therefore, realisticsound radiation cannot be achieved with current sound processing software; the EWQLSC sample library was made in a big space, where multiple paths for reflections achieve the sense of space appropriate to a concert hall. PROF. KEITH O. JOHNSON
Two Revolutionary Concepts

The first of these revolutions actually began with the companion library, EASTWEST / QUANTUM LEAP SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA, but bears repeating here: the recording of 3 microphone positions to achieve concert hall realism unparalleled in sampled orchestras. This feature is described in detail starting on page 96. The second revolution, unveiled with EASTWEST / QUANTUM LEAP SYMPHONIC CHOIRS, is WordBuilder, an application that lets the composer type sentences that the choirs sing. A large part of this manual is devoted to various aspect of WordBuilder, starting with a tour of the program on page 44, and continuing with an in-depth look at how to use the application starting on page 57.
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Overview
The EASTWEST / QUANTUM LEAP SYMPHONIC CHOIRS is a revolutionary advancement in the ability to use sampling technology to create realistic choral tracks for live performances and studio recordings. It goes far, far beyond the ooh and aah sounds of many of the earlier choral sample libraries. The Symphonic Choirs package consists of three parts: the samples of live choirs and soloists singing the various sounds of sung speech WordBuilder, a software program that allows the user to write out the words that the virtual choir is to sing and map those words to the various sung samples at the correct pitches. Kompakt, an instrument from Native Instruments that turns the digital samples into continuous digital audio and allows the user to control parameters that affect the playback of the samples. These three components work together seamlessly to provide a single tool for creating and editing virtual choral performances.
The Samples Library

Five choir sections have been sampled to provide the full spectrum of the most common vocal ranges: Soprano section Alto section Tenor section Bass section Boys choir The four adult sections also have range-limited versions that allow you to create a womens chorus and a mens chorus with a wider range than any section on its own. For example, you can send a vocal line to both sopranos and altos without the risk of doubling where the two natural ranges overlap. And a full church choir with a range of more than 5 octaves is also available when you need to quickly generate that SATB sound for mock-ups or background use.
The library also includes soloist samples. Note that these samples are not designed to work with WordBuilder. Instead, EWQLSC provides individual instrument files for each consonant, vowel, and some vocal effect. Three soloists have been sampled: Solo soprano Solo alto Solo boy soprano These solo voices are used quite differently from the choral sections. See details later in this manual. These samples were recorded in the same hall, and with the same recording engineers and equipment as the EASTWEST / QUANTUM LEAP SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA. Therefore, SYMPHONIC CHOIR blends perfectly with the samples in this earlier title. It has all the same technical characteristics as the Platinum Edition of that library: 24-bit samples, amplitude-matched release trails, and phase-matched recordings from 3 separate mic positions. For a further discussion of the sample libraries, see page 32.
WordBuilder
This software tool is the primary interface for constructing a choral performance. It is here that the composer or recording engineer literally spells out the words that the choir sings and specifies the fine details of the performance. The user is given complete control over how long the choir holds each consonant and vowel as well as the constantly changing dynamics that can give a choral track added realism (if thats the goal). Or the user can accept the default settings and get less polished but faster results, perhaps for a preliminary mock-up. When setting English words, one has a choice of typing the text with: 1 standard spelling 2 an easy-to-learn phonetic alphabet 3 Votox, a phonetic alphabet that EastWest / Quantum Leap created specifically to match WordBuilders sung speech components
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WordBuilder includes a 100,000-word dictionary (from CMU) for translating American English spelling to phonetic spelling. When typing with one of the phonetic alphabets listed in items 2 and 3 above, the symbols are listed on the screen to assist the memory. When setting text in languages other than English, or with pseudo-words, like be-bop-a-doo, one must specify the sounds in one of the two phonetic alphabets listed as 2 and 3 above. WordBuilder runs in either of two modes. As a plug-in it is hosted in another program, usually a sequencer. As a stand-alone module it runs on its own, having equal status with the other programs with which it communicates. The choice of which mode to use depends on factors discussed later in this manual.
Kompakt
This sample player listens for MIDI events and converts the digital data of the various samples into the continuous digital output of the EWQLSC voices. In its graphical interface one can specify which sample files to load into the computers memory and what extra processing to perform on the samples (if any). This is not a general purpose sample player; it only plays the EWQLSC samples.
Hardware and Software Recommendations

Listed here are the system requirements for WordBuilder plus the Symphonic Choirs samples, programs, and multis. Requirements for the Kompakt instrument are listed separately, starting on page 116 for PCs running Windows and page 119 for the Mac OS.
Minimum Systems
Windows PC: Windows XP, Pentium III or Athlon 1 GHz, 512 MB RAM, DVD drive Macintosh: MAC OSX 10.3, G4 800 MHz, 512 MB RAM, DVD drive Both: The Symphonic Choir samples require 38 GB of free space on the hard drive.
Recommended Systems
Windows: Windows XP, Pentium IV or Athlon 3 GHz, 2 GB RAM, DVD drive Macintosh: MAC OSX 10.3 or higher, G5 1.8 GHz, 2 GB RAM, DVD drive The EASTWEST / QUANTUM LEAP SYMPHONIC CHOIRS is very demanding of the computers resources. Some sample sets require more processing and more RAM than others. A general recommendation is to run this program on the most capable computeror computersavailable to you.
Supported Software Interfaces

The requirements for Kompakt start on page 116 for Windows PCs, and on page 119 for the Macintosh. The requirements below are specifically for WordBuilder. Sonar 4.0.3 or higher: MFX version of WordBuilder plug-in in Windows XP only.
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Cubase/Nuendo versions 2/3: VST-MA version of WordBuilder plug-in, in Windows XP or Mac OS X, 10.3.
MIDI Loopback Connectors

When physical MIDI devices communicate, they do so through hardware cables. And when an external physical device, such as a keyboard controller, sends data to its computer, it also uses a cable, typically a MIDI cable, though nowadays USB and FireWire cables can also carry the required data. But when the two devices are virtualthat is, they are computer programs acting like more traditional MIDI boxesyou cannot run a cable from one program to another program inside the same computer. Instead of running a MIDI cable from your computers MIDI Out port back to the MIDI In port, you need whats called a Loopback Connector. This is a software driver that exposes several ports. Each port can be connected to a MIDI In or MIDI Out within a program that knows how to talk MIDIfor example, Kompakt, a sequencer, or WordBuilder. Think of a Loopback Connector as a set of virtual cables. Consider one that exposes multiple MIDI In ports and MIDI Out ports. Connect the same-numbered In and Out ports between a program that sends data and one that receives it, and you have a way for them to communicate. On the Apple Macintosh, a Loopback Connector is already part of WordBuilder, and the ports appear in dropdown lists that ask for MIDI In and Out connections.
On a Windows PC, you have to obtain one. There are many to choose from. Some are a free download; others are commercial versions with extra features. One of the recommended free drivers is Maple Virtual MIDI Cable, available for download at www.marblesound.com. Some other suggestions are: MIDI Yoke Musiclabs MidiOverLan (commercial and which also works between separate computers, including PCs to/from MACs) Hubis MIDI Driver Make sure you obtain one that works within the operating system you intend to use. With the MapleMIDI installed, the choices for a MIDI Out connection might look something like the dropdown list at the left. The four choices with Maple in them are the ends of four virtual cables. If you select Out Port 3 in WordBuilder, for example, then select In Port 3 in Kompakt to make the connection. The following diagram shows where to do that in Kompakt. Choose Setup from the File menu and click on the MIDI button at the top of the window. Click on the off to the right of Port 3 to turn it on, and also turn off any other selection that was on.
When using WordBuilder as a plug-in within a host program, theres no need for a Loopback Connector; the plug-ins interface, such as VST MA or MFX, handles the MIDI data. When you run WordBuilder as a stand-alone program, the Loopback Connector is usually the best way to connect the programs together.
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Installing Choirs
A complete installation of EASTWEST / QUANTUM LEAP SYMPHONIC CHOIRS comprises several steps: 1 planning where youre going to install the various components 2 installing the software 3 copying the sample files from the DVDs to your hard drive(s) 4 upgrading the software to the latest version 5 upgrading the sound library to the latest version 6 authorizing the software These steps need to be done in order, and the instructions followed carefully. 1. Planning: Making decisions in advance about where to copy the various componentsspecifically, the software and the sound librariescan save you the hassle of having to move components later. EWQLSC works best when the Kompakt and WordBuilder software are installed on a separate hard drive from the sample library, but for smaller setups that may not be necessary. Take a realistic assessment of the complexity of the scores you intend to write, not only in the choral parts but instrumental libraries you may already own or are planning to acquire. Are there usually under a dozen tracks in your sequencer, or do you tend to write for large ensembles? Also consider how fast your computer and hard drive are: If you have a 10,000 RPM drive and a very fast processor, then you may have more leeway in how large your projects can grow before you need to separate the software and the sample libraries onto separate drives, or even separate computers. So, the first decision is often what media you want to copy files to. The files can be moved later if you need to, but its always best to get it right the first time. Whatever your arrangement, the goal is to keep the load on each processor within bounds. How much each computer can handle is a function not only of its clock speed, but also the amount of RAM and the speed of its hard drive. 2. Installing: Once you know where everything is going to be installed, youre ready to start running the installation software. Kompakt Instrument English 23
Load the first DVD into a DVD drive on the computer where youre going to load this library. Open this drive on the screen so you can see the files and folders in it. Read the ReadMe file, if any, for any recent changes to the installation procedures. Run the file whose name ends in Setup.exe by double-clicking on it. A Welcome Screen appears. Follow the directions that lead you through the setup. You will need the serial number on the back of the card sleeve that contain the DVDs. (Note that WordBuilder and Kompakt have separate serial numbers. Take care not to confuse them.) When asked which components you want to install, unless youre an advanced user with a reason not to install all of them, leave all the components checked. When asked for the locations in which to install the various components, enter the paths to folders on the hard drive you chose in step 1 above. At the end of this series of screens, several things will happen, including: The Kompakt program for the library will be installed. A directory (folder on your hard drive) will be created and two subdirectories, Instruments and Multis, will be added. 3. Copying the Sample Files: The previous step has added to your hard drive the definitions of the Instruments and Multis, but the files containing the actual samples have not been copied. That process has to be done manually. There are a few large files with extensions of .nks on the DVD already in your drive. Copy these files to the same folder that contains the subfolders Instruments and Multis. When those files have been copied, continue by placing the next numbered DVD in the drive and copying any .nks files to the same directory on the hard drive. At the end, the directory listing should start something like this figure; the exact details may be different.
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4. Upgrading the Software: Changes may have been made to the software and to the instruments and multis after the DVDs were created. The next step is to update the software to the latest version from the SoundsOnline web site. (If your DAWshort for Digital Audio Workstationis not directly connected to the Internet, you can download the files on another computer and then copy the files to your DAW.) Direct your Internet browser to www.soundsonline.com/techsupport.shtml and click on the link for EWQLSC. Scroll down to find the OS-specific instructions for updating the Kompakt software. There are different sections depending on whether youre running on a Microsoft Windows PC or an Apple Macintosh. Note that the details of this section can change when new versions are posted. Follow the directions on this web page carefully. Some of the downloads about upgrading Kompakt are accomplished at the Native Instruments web site. (NI is the author of the Kompakt instrument.) Before you can download there, you will need to register as a licensed user of NI software. Use the registration application inside the product folder which is in the East West folder. Click Register Now and follow the directions. If your computer is not online then use the Save Registration File and copy the saved file to the computer you have online and register from this file. (That file contains the other computers System ID and the product serial number). If you do not have any Internet access then you will have to mail or fax the information requested in the registration application. At the Kompakt web site, there are two parts of the software that need to be updated: The Kompakt software may have been improved. Click on the link; it will direct you to a page at the native-instruments.de web site. Make sure you select the correct operating system. Download the file. If given a choice of opening or saving the file, choose Save; select an appropriate temporary folder. When the download is finished, go to that folder. If necessary, extract the contents of the compressed file. Run the downloaded program.
The DFD extensions also need to be updated. (If you have already downloaded the DFD extension because youre running EWQLSO on the same computer, then this step is not necessary.) Click on the link to download the .zip file (Windows) or .sit file (Mac). If given a choice of opening or saving the file, choose Save; select an appropriate temporary folder. When the download is finished, go to that folder and extract the contents of the compressed file. Run the setup program after it has been decompressed.
Also look on the SoundsOnline.com web page to see whether WordBuilder requires upgrading. If so, follow the directions. 5. Upgrading the Instruments: From time to time, EastWest / Quantum Leap may modify the Instruments and Multis. Such changes may not affect the large .nks sample files you copied manually from the DVDs. Only the .nki files in the Instrument folder and the .nkm files in the Multis folder might be affected. Go back to the page at SoundsOnline.com that lists all available updates to the edition being installed. There you may see a section for EWQLSC Sound Library Updates. Click on the link, downloading the zip file. This compressed file contain replacement folders for Instruments and Multis. Its prudent to save the folders originally created from the DVDs before replacing them. Create a EWQLSC Backup directory somewhere, then copy the folders for Instruments and Multis to the backup folder you just created. Then, in the folder where youre installing the sample libraries, replace the two folders (Instruments and Multis) with the corresponding directories in the compressed file. 6. Authorizing the software: You will be able to play the libraries as soon as you finish all the previous steps, but not for long. After 14 days, you will no longer be able to open Kompakt unless you have authorized your use by registering your license with Native Instruments. See the instructions starting on page 109 for complete instructions of how to do this step.
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Starting Symphonic Choirs

After installing EWQLSC, you are ready to run it. Assuming you are planning to use WordBuilder, you need to follow the instructions below carefully. To let the various components work together and communicate with each other, they must be set up compatibly. WordBuilder makes EASTWEST / QUANTUM LEAP SYMPHONIC CHOIRS different from most other sample players in that theres an extra stage in the MIDI-processing data flow. Two modules work together inside the sequencer: WordBuilder and Kompakt. WordBuilder intercepts the MIDI data from the sequencer and sends new MIDI data based on syllables and letters to the Kompakt sample player. Not all music-generating hosts support this architecture. Note that it is possible to play some of the samples without running WordBuilder. You can load the EWQLSC Kompakt instrument as you would any other sample player, but in doing so, you lose the most powerful and revolutionary features in this package. In this case, follow the instructions provided by the authors of your sequencer describing how to load a plug-in. You then have access to the component soundsthe vowels and consonants but not the ability to type in words for the singers to sing. The rest of this section describes the three configurations that allow the sequencer/keyboard and WordBuilder and Kompakt to communicate. They differ in which version of WordBuilder you use: Stand-alone: this setup can be used in both Windows and Mac OSX, and it works with any sequencer/keyboard that can send MIDI signals on a specified channel and port. In most configurations MIDI loop connectors are required. VST MA plug-in: this setup works in Cubase/Nuendo versions 2 and 3 on both Windows and Mac OSX. VST MA (for VST Module Architecture) is not the same as VST. MFX plug-in: this setup works in Sonar 4 on Windows. The stand-alone approach works whether or not your sequencer or other music-writing programsupports one of the plug-in formats discussed below. Music notation programs, such as Sibelius
and Finale, do not support plug-ins (at least not at the time this manual is being written). They need to use WordBuilder and Kompakt as stand-alone modules. For sequencer hosts that do support plug-ins, the sequencer needs to host two programs: WordBuilder and Kompakt. The sequencers mentioned below have been tested using the plug-in architectures described. If your sequencer is not mentioned here, then you can always take the stand-alone route, but also check with EastWest and on their online forum at www.soundsonline-forums.com to see whether other options have been tested after this manual was printed.
WordBuilder as a Stand-alone Module

Start your sequencer (if not using a keyboard in real time), WordBuilder, and Symphonic Choirs Kompakt, each as its own program. Use a MIDI loopback connector, a sort of virtual MIDI cable inside your computer, to create a port between the sequencer and WordBuilder, and a separate port between WordBuilder and Kompakt. See a description of loopback connectors on page 21. For example, using a sequencer, you can connect the components as follows. This setup provides the required MIDI data flow from sequencer to WordBuilder to Kompakt. Connections, with a sequencer
Sequencer MIDI track WordBuilder MIDI In port WordBuilder MIDI Out port EWQLSC Kompakt Input Interface Port 1 Out Port 1 In Port 2 Out Port 2 In
When using a keyboard, you need only one port on the loopback connector. The keyboard exposes a connector that appears in the dropdown list in the dialog that opens when WordBuilder starts. Kompakt Instrument English 28
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Here are the connections you need to make when driving WordBuilder from a keyboard: Connections, with a keyboard
WordBuilder MIDI In port WordBuilder MIDI Out port EWQLSC Kompakt Input Interface Keyboard In Port 1 Out Port 1 In
WordBuilder as a VST MA Plug-in

First, go to the Key Commands option in the File menu. In the dialog box that opens, choose the Clear All preset to disable the Cubase/Nuendo shortcuts. In the MIDI track where you want to run WordBuilder, click on one of the Insert Slots where to want to insert the plug-in.
If you have installed the WordBuilder plug-in correctly, you can select WordBuilder [VST].
Then choose VST Instruments from the Devices menu. In the VST Instruments dialog, click on an instrument slot and choose Symphonic Choirs VST. Then select Symphonic Choirs VST as your MIDI Output. A picture of the two plug-ins inserted in the host appears below.
WordBuilder as an MFX Plug-in

Inside Sonar, right-click in the Effects Bin of a MIDI track. If WordBuilder has been installed correctly, then it should appear in the context menu. Insert the Kompakt player in the Sonar Synth Rack, and load it into the MIDI Out port of the same track. The picture below shows the Kompakt Symphonic ChoirsVST already in the Out port and the WordBuilder MFX being inserted into the Effects Bin.
WordBuilder Running Stand-alone with Logic

The following steps allow you to run EWQLSC with Logic: 1 In WordBuilder, route a voice to and from virtual WordBuilder ports 1 and 2 (in and out).
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Open a new song in Logic. Go to the Environment window and select the Click and Ports environment page. There you will see the physical and virtual ports available on the system (including the two WordBuilder virtual ports). You will also see here a Sum cable from the Physical Input ports going to a series of objects which lead eventually to an object called Sequencer Input. Remove this virtual cable from the environment, by clicking on the cable to highlight it and hit the Delete key. (Not doing this step causes a MIDI loop.) Create a new cable from your Master Keyboards port (usually port A or B) in the Physical Input object, and connect to the Input Notes objectit looks like a keyboardor where the Sum cable was before you deleted it. Create a MIDI Instrument object and name it Sopranos (or whatever). Go to the arrange page and go to a MIDI track. Choose Sopranos from the popdown menu. Because you created it in the Click and Ports environment you will see it in the Clicks and Ports menu. With this track selected, you see the track information on the left side of the Arrange window. Set the port to WordBuilder 1, channel 1. In WordBuilder, make sure Sopranos is also on channel 1. From the Mixer environment window, select the channel where you have Kompakt open and copy it into the clipboard. Go to the Clicks and Ports environment page and paste the channel into the page. Draw a cable from the Physical Input port splitter where it says Virtual WordBuilder Port 1. Connect this cable to the Kompakt instrument. Make sure Kompakt is set to receive on all channels. Set up Sopranos on channels 15. Create more MIDI instruments as above, sent to ports: Virtual WordBuilder Port 1 on MIDI channels 2, 3, 4, 5. Label them accordingly. When selecting these different instruments, Logic sends data to WordBuilder on these channels via Virtual WordBuilder Port 1, and receives the channelized data back on Port 1, which is cabled directly to the Kompakt player.
Using the Choir Samples

This section deals only with choir samples, not those of the soloists. For details of how to use the solo samples, see that section of the Guide, starting on page 41.
Using Multis with WordBuilder

To accommodate the large number of separate phonetic sounds associated with each note of the scale, a single section uses 5 sets of samples in a single collection known as a multi. Certain rules must be followed to let WordBuilder work properly: You must load the entire multi into an instance of Kompakt. Loading individual instruments will not work. The loaded multi must match the voice type specified in WordBuilder. For example, if you load an Altos multi, you must also set the instance of WordBuilder to Altos. Following these rules guarantees that when you request a z sound on the note E3, thats what you get. The tables below list the multis (.nkm files) for the full mics, hence the letter F at the beginning of each patch name. The close mics and surround mics use the same names, but with C or S at the beginning. See the section on the 3 mic positions, starting on page 96, for more detail about how to use them. Each of the multis (except Boy Sopranos) provides a choice among 4 separate articulations: normal: a natural attack legato: a fast, smooth attack staccato: short, level-3 velocity slurred: subtle and quick sliding up to the pitch These articulations are selected in the WordBuilder UI. Because they can be set for individual phonetic elements, this parameter is set in the Letter section. The setting for ks (keyswitch) controls the attack; v affects the velocity. The Boys multis contain only 2 articulations: normal: a natural attack legato: a fast, smooth attack
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The Multis in Symphonic Choirs

The following tables list the names of the multis and a brief description of their sounds. The names that include HRD MOD and SFT MOD warrant further explanation than what fits in the tables: HRD MOD multis are a 2-way dynamic cross-fade between medium volume, medium vibrato samples and loud, heavy vibrato samples. SFT MOD multis are a 2-way dynamic cross-fade between soft volume, non-vibrato samples and medium volume, medium vibrato samples. Sopranos
F SOPR WB DYN MOD 3-way Mod Wheel cross-fade
F SOPR WB DYN MOD N same as above, but normal attack only; memory-saving F SOPR WB HRD MOD 2-way vibrato Mod Wheel cross-fade
F SOPR WB HRD MOD R same as above, but range-limited to create Womens Choir F SOPR WB SFT MOD F SOPR WB SFT MOD R F SOPR WB NV F SOPR WB VBF F SOPR WB VBM 2-way non-vibrato/vibrato Mod Wheel cross-fade same as above, but range-limited to create Womens Choir non-vibrato vibrato, forte vibrato, medium
Altos
F ALTO WB DYN MOD F ALTO WB DYN MOD N F ALTO WB HRD MOD 3-way Mod Wheel cross-fade same as above, but normal attack only; memory-saving 2-way vibrato Mod Wheel cross-fade
F ALTO WB HRD MOD R same as above, but range-limited to create Womens Choir
Altos
F ALTO WB SFT MOD F ALTO WB SFT MOD R F ALTO WB NV F ALTO WB VBF F ALTO WB VBM 2-way non-vibrato/vibrato Mod Wheel cross-fade same as above, but range-limited to create Womens Choir non-vibrato vibrato, forte vibrato, medium
Tenors
F TENR WB DYN MOD 3-way Mod Wheel cross-fade
F TENR WB DYN MOD N same as above, but normal attack only; memory-saving F TENR WB HRD MOD 2-way vibrato Mod Wheel cross-fade
F TENR WB HRD MOD R same as above, but range-limited to create Mens Choir F TENR WB SFT MOD F TENR WB SFT MOD R F TENR WB NV F TENR WB VBF F TENR WB VBM 2-way non-vibrato/vibrato Mod Wheel cross-fade same as above, but range-limited to create Mens Choir non-vibrato vibrato, forte vibrato, medium
Basses
F BASS WB DYN MOD 3-way Mod Wheel cross-fade
F BASS WB DYN MOD N same as above, but normal attack only; memory-saving F BASS WB HRD MOD 2-way vibrato Mod Wheel cross-fade
F BASS WB HRD MOD R same as above, but range-limited to create Mens Choir
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Basses
F BASS WB SFT MOD F BASS WB SFT MOD R F BASS WB NV F BASS WB VBF F BASS WB VBM 2-way non-vibrato/vibrato Mod Wheel cross-fade same as above, but range-limited to create Mens Choir non-vibrato vibrato, forte vibrato, medium
Boys
F BOYS WB DYN MOD F BOYS WB HRD F BOYS WB SFT 2-way non-vibrato cross-fade non-vibrato, forte non-vibrato, piano
Full Mens and Full Womens Choruses

To create a Full Womens Chorus, load a Soprano R multi and the corresponding Alto R multi in one instance of Kontakt (not Kompakt, which is limited to 8 MIDI channels). A single instance of WordBuilder drives both voices. Because no note is in both sample sets, only one voice plays any given note. A Full Mens Chorus can be achieved in the same way by loading a Tenor R multi and the corresponding Bass R multi with a second instance each of Kontakt and WordBuilder for the men. If you dont own Kontakt, you can achieve the same results with 2 Kompakts and 2 WordBuilders for the Womens Chorus. The Mens Chorus also requires 2 of each. All of the samples for such an SATB Choir should fit in the RAM of a computer with 2 GB of memory. For those who own Kontakt, visit http://www.soundsonline-forums.com where youll find special programs designed for loading these Full Mens and Full Womens Choruses into Kontakt.
Memory Considerations When Choosing Multis

Note that the DYN MOD multis use a lot of memory and, therefore, require a high-powered computer. Use other multis when dynamic cross-fading is not crucial or when the computers power and/or memory is too low to handle so many samples at once. In addition, the multis with N in the name use much less memory because they contain only the normal attack. Another way to save on memory is to use the C mic position exclusively; these samples do not include release trails. Adding some artificial reverb will be more efficient in a memory-constrained system than using the F mic samples, as is usually recommended if only one mic position will be used.
The Component Programs

The multis listed in the previous section are designed to be used only with WordBuilder; you should not load any one of them into Kompakt and call it from a sequencer directly. If you try that, you will get unpredictable results. Instead, EWQLSC provides individual instrument files that you can load into the slots in Kompakt to play any single phonetic component directly. These files are documented below. The Instrument files for the four adult choirssoprano, alto, tenor, bassall have the same patterns of consonants, vowels, and vocal effects. To save space, only the bass articulation files are listed below. The others use TENR, ALTO, SOPR in their names. The file names below all start with the letter F indicating that they play samples recorded with the full mics. The close and surround lists are the same but with C or S at the beginning. That is, for each entry in the tables below, there are actually 12 articulation files (4 voices times 3 mic positions) on the DVDs.
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The first group listed is vowels. These are all dynamic cross-fades. The keyswitches provide access to the same four articulations available through WordBuilder: Articulations
normal legato staccato slurred, sliding
Keyswitch
C0 C#0 D0 D#0
The table below lists the vowels and some example English words that use those sounds. The third column provides the Votox equivalent. Vowels
F BASS uh DXF C0-D#0 money, rough F BASS ee DXF C0-D#0 green, ski F BASS oo DXF C0-D#0 blue, pool F BASS ih DXF C0-D#0 index, finger u E O i e o U a
F BASS eh DXF C0-D#0 red, steady F BASS oh DXF C0-D#0 yellow, ocean F BASS eu DXF C0-D#0 put, could F BASS ah DXF C0-D#0 copper, wander
Note that none of the effects listed below is available in WordBuilder. To generate one, you have to load the individual file listed here into an instrument slot in Kompakt. Effects
F BASS cluster oh F BASS whiswords The voices sing notes close in pitch but not the same Each MIDI note is a different unpitched, whispered word
Effects
F BASS ahiheh F BASS falls F BASS cluster fx F BASS eeoheh F BASS shouts A slowly evolving sound through 3 vowels: ah, ih, eh A held note with falling pitch Clustered slides, evolving shouts, etc. A slowly evolving sound through 3 vowels: ee, oh, eh Various short, unpitched shouted vowels
The whispered words are real words, such as blood, dream, evil, silence, and Hallelujah!
Consonants
F BASS b F BASS d F BASS g F BASS j F BASS l F BASS m F BASS n F BASS r F BASS rr F BASS th F BASS v F BASS w F BASS y F BASS z F BASS non-pitched blue, slab red, candor green, leg orange, fidget blue, less money, hammer green, snug red, car a rolling R the, nether olive, avert wait, awash yellow, yonder zero, poison see table below
The non-pitched consonants are those that carry no breath; in linguistic theory they are called unvoiced. The following table enumerates them. Because they have no pitch, only a single note is required to play any one of these consonants, and those note Kompakt Instrument English 38
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names are listed in the table. (The meaning of note names can vary with implementation; here C4 is MIDI note 72, one octave above Middle C.) Non-pitched consonants
ch f h k p q s sh t th x chair, catch file, enough hat, ahead black, coal pink, upper quick, acquaint silver, lace flesh, nation white, true theme, sloth fix, excess C4 C#4 D4 D#4 E4 F4 F#4 G4 G#4 A4 A#4
The individual instrument files for the boys choir are similar, but not exactly the same. Heres how they differ. The vowels have only two notes used as keyswitches. Therefore, all the file names end in C0-C#0 to indicate that. Use the C0 (MIDI note 24) for Normal Attack and C#0 for Legato. In every other way the same 8 cross-faded program files exist for the boys choir samples. The vocal effects are a different list than for the adults. See the following table. The consonants are identical to those of the adult choirs.
The sample set includes the following four vocal effects for the boys choir. Effects
F BOYS cluster F BOYS ah staccato F BOYS oh slur DXF F BOYS shouts Pitch-clusters on various vowels and M- and N-sounds The ah syllable sung staccato The oh syllable with a small upward slide at the start Various group shouts
Full Chorus, Church

One quick way to create the sound of a full chorus (SATB) over more than a 5-octave range is to use these component programs. Like other component programs, they are not designed to work in WordBuilder, but there are several instruments that can be used together to produce a varied sound. These are 2-way cross-fades from non-vibrato to light vibrato. Use the Mod Wheel to achieve the amount of vibrato you need. These programs are grouped in the Full Chorus Church folder. Heres a list of the available sounds. Full Chorus, Church
S FULLCHORUS AH MOD S FULLCHORUS OH MOD S FULLCHORUS OH2 MOD S FULLCHORUS MM/NN MOD ah oh, using adult sopranos at the top oh, using boy sopranos at the top mm and nn
These voices are only provided in S-mic versions, as a means to recreate quickly the spacious sound of a church choir.
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Using The Soloist Samples

This section deals only with soloist samples, not those of the choir. For details of how to use the choir samples, see that section of the manual, starting on page 32. The soloist samples are not designed to work with WordBuilder. Instead they are provided as expressive voices. Such usage is common in filmscores and ambient music. Three soloist voices are provided: Soprano Alto Boy Soprano There is no Tenor or Bass soloist because those solo voices are less popular and rarely appear in film scores. Each of these three voices is provided as three keyswitched articulation files, one each for the close, full, and surround mic positions. The first letter of the name, C, F, or S, indicates which is which. Only the F mics are listed below; the others are named identically. Soloists
F SOP Solo KS C0-F#0 F ALTO Solo KS C0-A#0 F BOY Solo KS C0-A0
As a convenience when creating surround sound recordings, the three mic positions of each vocal range have been collected into a predefined multi. The 5.1 refers to a common surround sound format. Multis
Soprano Solo 5.1 Alto Solo 5.1 Boy Solo 5.1
Soloist Files
Each of the soloist files uses keyswitches to control the syllable that is sung and the style of singing. The following tables describe the effect of each keyswitch. Soprano Solo KS C0-F#0
C0 C#0 D0 D#0 E0 F0 F#0 ah ah mm oh oh oo oo Non-vibrato Expressive, vibrato Expressive, vibrato Non-vibrato Expressive, vibrato Non-vibrato Expressive, vibrato
Alto Solo KS C0-A#0

C0 C#0 D0 D#0 E0 F0 F#0 G0 G#0 A0 A#0 ah ah ah oh ee mm oh oh oh oo oo Expressive, vibrato Non-vibrato Expressive, vibrato slur Expressive, vibrato slur Expressive, vibrato Expressive, vibrato Expressive, vibrato Non-vibrato Expressive, vibrato 2 Non-vibrato Expressive, vibrato
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Boy Solo KS C0-A0

C0 C#0 D0 D#0 E0 F0 F#0 G0 G#0 A0 oh ah ah oh oh oo 2 boys, non-vibrato Non-vibrato Slurred up, non-vibrato Non-vibrato Slurred up, non-vibrato Non-vibrato
Random syllables Random syllables Random syllables Random syllables
The last 4 keyswitches for the boy soloist generate common Latin syllables. Stringing these together on a melody makes it sound as if the boy is singing words in Latin or some language the user does not understand. You have 4 syllables to choose from for each note in the melody. As an example, play the lowest B in the boy sopranos range four times, and precede each note, in turn, with the keyswitches A0, G#0, G0, and F#0. That creates the text noo-mah-nah-fee.
A Tour of the WordBuilder Interface

When started as a stand-alone module, the WordBuilder window opens inside a frame, allowing you to work on several voice files at once within the same program. Each voice requires a setup like that described on page 58. Each voice uses its own MIDI ports for both input and output. For example, if First Sopranos and Second Sopranos each have their own tracks in the sequencer, then each is set to a different MIDI port, and those same two ports are assigned to the two voices in WordBuilder. When opened in a host program, you can insert as many instances of WordBuilder as your computer resources allow. The set of all voices open at once is called a choir. For example, a choir might have two Soprano voices and two Alto voices (SSAA). When you choose Save, all the voices are written to a single file with a .cho extension. If you want to write a single voice to the file systemfor example, to copy it into a different choirthen you need to Export it from one and Import it into the other. When a project is first created, it looks like the image below.
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Along the left side is various information about the setup and the text being edited. The large white rectangle, called the Text Editor, displays the text to be sung. Below that rectangle is a grid in which you can fine-tune the timing and dynamics of each phonetic segment of the text. Finally, in the upper right corner, below the EastWest logo, are several buttons that provide easy access to often used functions. Each region of the screen is described in more detail in subsequent sections of this guide. Across the top of the frame window are various tools: easy shortcuts to several of the most commonly useful menu picks.
Your Settings
The values you choose when you open a new voice are displayed in the upper left corner of the voice window. You are most likely to refer to these setting when you have more than one voice window open at once. Here you can see the voice type, your in and out MIDI ports, and your in and out MIDI channels. The two plug symbols next to the MIDI channel numbers flash whenever a MIDI message is received (the left symbol) or sent (the right symbol). The gray vertical bar to the right of these fields opens a dialog box, allowing you to change these settings.
The Text Modes

Below the display of your settings are three buttons labeled English, Phonetics, and Votox. The button in yellow indicates which of the three text layers appears in the Text Editor. Click on one of the other two buttons to change the text display to that mode. When you type English words in the English layer, WordBuilder automatically translates any word in its 100,000-word dictionary into the other two layers (though they remain hidden until re-
vealed by clicking on the button for that layer). When you type correctly formatted text into either the Phonetics or Votox layer, it gets translated into the other of those two, but not into English. When you place the cursor in the Text Editor, information about that selected word, syllable and letter appear near the bottom of the left side. And to the right of that are the Phonetics and Votox symbols. Because WordBuilder uses the Votox layer when dividing a syllable into its sung sounds, its the Votox symbols that are mapped to the colored bands at the right that represent the duration of each sampled sound. The user controls in this section of the interface are discussed in much more detail starting on page 59.
Typing English
When English words are typed into the Text Editor, they are color coded to indicate their status. medium blue: the word was found in the dictionary dark blue: the word has more than one entry in the dictionary; this happens when the word can be pronounced in two or more ways brown: the word was not found in the dictionary; if it is misspelled, correct it; or if not a common word, you will need to enter the word phonetically light blue: the word was entered in the Phonetics or Votox layer, and is displayed here phonetically, even in the English layer dark red: 1. the word that has been chosen as the solo word; see page 63 for more details about soloing. 2. Or there could be an error in syllable separation. If you separate an English word into syllables, WordBuilder may have to set the word in dark red to indicate it cannot make good automatic phonetic separations. In this case, make the syllable separations in the Phonetics layer.
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gray: a comment; the number sign, #, and all text after it on a line are considered comments and not sung The following screen shot shows many of these colors. If youre reading this in black and white only, then try typing it yourself.
The proper name Gerri is not in the dictionary, so its in brown. The words must fly and me were found, so theyre in medium blue. When WordBuilder looked for with in the dictionary, it found two possible pronunciations. Although the word is usually pronounced with the same th sound as in thigh, in certain phonotactic situations, it can be pronounced with the th sound in thy. Decide how you want it to sound in your piece, and make your choice by right-clicking (in Windows) or control-clicking (on a Mac). Youll see the context menu you see here. The choices at the top are the two possible pronunciations. If the one with the check is not the one you want, click on another choice. Because the scat syllables she-bop are not in the dictionary, they were entered by changing to the Phonetics layer and typing them in phonetically. Returning to the English layer, they appear in light blue. When writing in languages other than English, all text is entered this way. Finally, the text # sung at entrance is a comment to the user. It is not translated and not sung. It appears in gray. Note that you can also insert the #-symbol to remove text temporarily from whats being sung. Then delete the # and WordBuilder will sing that text again. But the effect of the # ends at the end of the current line.
Typing Phonetically
It is also possible to enter text using one of the phonetic alphabets. You have a choice of either traditional Phonetics or WordBuilders own Votox symbols. Most users will find it easier to use the traditional Phonetics alphabet, at least partly because the interface provides examples of English words that contain each symbol in the Phonetics alphabet. Next to each phonetic symbol is an English word; the capitalized letter in the word spells the sound represented by the phonetic symbol. If you dont see the list shown here at the left, then click on the small plus sign above the title Letters. You can also click on Tools>Phonemes in the WordBuilder menu. Note that some symbols are two characters long; for example, Au is the vowel sound in brown. These two-part vowel sounds are called diphthongs. The information in this listand moreis repeated on pages 80 and 81 in this guide. To type using the Phonetics (or Votox) symbols, click on the Phonetics (or Votox) button at the left. Whichever language has the yellow highlight is what youre typing in. Heres an example of a sentence typed in Phonetics. It defines the sounds of the Latin phrase, Sic semper tyrannis.
And when you click on the Votox button, you can see the same Latin spelled in Votox.
You are most likely to start a project in the Phonetics or Votox layer if you are writing lyrics in another language, or have lots of extra syllables in the setting, such as, I love you-hoo when the moo-hoon is bri- i- i- ight, be-bops-a-doodle.
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You might also start in English, let WordBuilder translate the text to one of the phonetic alphabets, then make adjustments phonetically to get the exact performance you want. If you plan to use WordBuilder a lot, then learning to work entirely in Votox is strongly recommended; that will give you much more control, and its easier than it might seem at first.
The Time Editor

Just as the Text Editor give you total control over the phonetic representation of the words, the Time Editor allows you to fine-tune how these sounds play out over the course of each note in the melody. Consider a syllable like sweet. Vocalists may sing the s and w quickly, but how quickly? A careful choral director may give the chorus direction to hold the w or to get into the long e as soon as possible. With the Time Editor, you have control of such decisions. Some of the long e may need to continue after the end of the MIDI note because human singers take a finite amount of time to get the tongue in position to close the t. With the Time Editor, you have control of that, too. The Time editor looks like this when the syllable sweet is selected in the Text Editor:
Note that the 5 Votox letters have been arranged one per row. Across the top is a timeline with 50 milliseconds per vertical grid line. The heavier vertical line just before the word Off divides the display into the sounds that take place during the note itself and the sounds heard during the release trail (that is, after the MIDI note ends). The five colored bars represent the duration of Kompakt Instrument English 49
each Votox symbol: three during the note and two at the end of the note. From this display, it looks as if the s will be heard for about 100ms; the w will start a little before the s ends, at about the 90ms point; the long E sound will start about 180ms into the melody note. The E bar seems to end at 500ms, but if you drag the heavy vertical separator to the right (with the mouse) youll see that it continues indefinitely. That is, it continues until the MIDI note-off event. You do not need to specify here the duration of the note in the melody. That is done in the sequencer, or when playing on a MIDI controller in real time. The two horizontal bars after the vertical separator are the sound of the syllable being closed, so they are triggered by the note-off event. The E persists until the tongue can move into position to pronounce the T sound. When you enter text in the Text Editor, WordBuilder uses default setting for how long to make each bar. You can use the mouse to drag the ends of the bars and change the start time and duration of each sound in the syllable. Even though the melody in the sequencer played only one note, WordBuilder triggered 5 samples in the Kompakt player. And you are given total control over when each sample begins and ends as well as how much they overlap. Sometimes the sounds of a syllable dont exactly follow one another; instead, one sound fades out as the next one fades in. This is known as a cross-fade. If you consider the ending of the word
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throw, the sound shifts slowly from mostly o to mostly w with no clear break between the two. WordBuilder handles this situation by controlling the relative volume of the two sounds.
WordBuilder has automatically added volume envelopes to both sounds, causing the o sound to disappear slowly while the w sound becomes louder. You can, of course, modify or eliminate these envelopes if youre looking for a different effect. This example shows the volume adjustments being added automatically when constructing the Phonetics layer, but manual control of volumeas well as other MIDI parameterscan be used on any sound in any syllable.
The Tools
In the upper right corner is a column of gray buttons that provide access to several important functions. The Undo button removes the most recent change made in the interface. Clicking on the button repeatedly removes more and more consecutive changes. Up to 100 of the most recent changes can be removed. The Redo button undoes the Undo operation. For example, clicking on the Undo operation 8 times in a row, and then the Redo button 8 times in a row, returns you to the state of the UI before you started clicking on the Undo button. The Reset Position button resets the syllable position from the point of view of the MIDI data. That is, the next MIDI note sent to WordBuilder will start again at the beginning of the text in the Text Editor. Kompakt Instrument English 51
The Bypass button sends the MIDI input data directly to an output port without any WordBuilder processing. In the Advanced MIDI Out dialog you can control to which MIDI port the data is sent. The Panic button turns off every MIDI note on every channel. This is an effective way to turn off a stuck note if, for any reason, the sample player does not receive a MIDI note-off message and a note starts playing indefinitely. The Options button displays a dialog box in which the user can set values relating to timers, voice defaults, events, and general data. See page 72 for more detail on this dialog box. The Help button opens a message box encouraging you to read this manual.
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The WordBuilder Menus

Here are images of the menus, followed by an explanation of each option. (There are no menus when used as a plug-in.) File
The
File menu options: New Voice Create a new voice within this choir Close Voice Close the active voice New Choir Create a new choir; the current choir and all its active voices will be closed first Open Choir Open a Choir File from the file system, including all its voices; the current Choir File will be closed first Close Choir Close all voices Save Choir Save a Choir File with all its voices Save Choir As Save a Choir File under a new name on in a new location in the file system Import Has two options: 1 Voice File Import a Voice File to a new voice 2 Voice Learn File Import a Voice Learn File, with its information about syllable timing, into the current choir Export Has two options: 1 Voice File Create a Voice File from the selected voice 2 Voice Learn File Create a Voice Learn File with timing information for the selected voice Exit Close WordBuilder
Edit
View
The Edit menu options: Undo Undo the last change; can be used repeatedly to undo up to 100 changes Redo Reapply the last Undo; can be used repeatedly until theres no more to undo Cut, Copy, Paste The usual features Paste Text Only Paste only text from the clipboard; no timing data is copied Delete Delete the selected text Select All Select all the text The View menu options: Horizontal Zoom Change the zoom of the time resolution in or out in the Time Editor; has no effect on timers values Vertical Zoom Change the height of the bars in the Time Editor Toolbar Show or hide the main Toolbar Mini Toolbar Show or hide the Mini (Auxiliary) Toolbar Status Bar Show or hide the Status Bar at the bottom of the WordBuilder window A check next to any of the last three menu items indicates that the toolbar or status bar is currently visible.
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Voice
Tools
The
Voice menu options: English Change the voice mode to English Phonetics Change the voice mode to Phonetics Votox Change the voice mode to Votox Reset Position Reset the syllable position so the next MIDI note will sing the first syllable Reset Position Reset the syllable position so the next to Text Cursor MIDI note will start at the current position of the cursor Letter KS/Velocity Edit the keyswitch and velocity of the current letter Syllable Speed Change the speed of the syllable timers Bypass Send all MIDI data for the current voice directly to output Bypass All Voices Send all MIDI data for all voices directly to output with no WordBuilder processing Properties/MIDI Open the dialog with the properties and MIDI setup of the current voice Adv Midi In/Out Open the Advanced MIDI In or Out setup dialog box for setting extra parameters Speed Learning Open a dialog box to initiate the Speed Learning feature
The Tools menu options: MIDI Panic Turn off every note on every MIDI channel Phonemes Show or hide the display of phonetic symbols with their example words Votox Letters Show or hide the display of Votox symbols Options Open the Options dialog box Save Options Save the options to a file (to be loaded every time WordBuilder is opened) Window Help
The Window menu options: Cascade Display multiple voice windows mostly overlapping Tile Display multiple voice windows overlapping as little as possible Arrange Icons When voice windows have been minimized, their icons are returned to their docked position at the bottom of the frame All open voice windows are listed at the bottom of the menu. Selecting one brings it to the front. The Help menu option: About WordBuilder opens the About Box (which is also the Splash Screen)
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Using WordBuilder
WordBuilder is a tool for approximating the sound of sung speech. Its effectiveness in that goal depends on the craft of the user in shaping the phonetic material into realistic patterns that the listener perceives as language. Where some projects require intelligibility, others may need only the perception that people are singing, without the need for conveyed meaning. The success of WordBuilder in creating recognizable words and meaningful phrases relies on the programming of many phonetic cues. Consonants often require the most care; their duration and their volume relative to the nearby vowels are often the keys to clearly enunciated and understandable words. The use of small gaps between phonetic elementsespecially before an initial consonantcan sometimes make consonants stand out more clearly. Or the opposite techniqueoverlapping the end of one segment with the start of the nextcan integrate the sounds into more recognizable patters. The duration and loudness of a consonant are interdependent. Often the longer the consonant lasts, the louder it will be, and vice versa. Experiment to see how this works on real words. Also, the type of attack chosen for a vowel after a consonant will have a noticeable effect on the sound of a word. There is no rule except always to listen to the words spoken and emulate what you hear. Be prepared to adjust any aspect of each phonetic component, if intelligibility is one of your requirements. You will soon learn many tricks that will improve realism. Look for hints at http://www.soundsonline-forums.com. This section of the Manual describes how to use the various features of WordBuilder in pursuit of those goals, including how to set the parameters that control its operation.
Starting the Program in Stand-alone Mode

Each time you start WordBuilder in stand-alone mode (without first choosing a file to work on), the splash screen appears for a few seconds, followed by a Voice Properties dialog box, like the image displayed at the right. If you do not want to create a new voice, but to open an existing file instead, then click on Cancel. If you do want to create a new voice file, then provide a name for a new voice by which you can refer to it later, and select which voice type in EWQLSC will supply the samples. WordBuilder sits between the source of the notes and the sample player. In this dialog, the MIDI In port identifies that source of notes, which is probably one of: your sequencer a MIDI keyboard or controller This connection is likely to be a MIDI loopback connection. See below and page 21 for more detailed information about loopback connectors. Also select the number of the MIDI channel on which note data will be transmitted. (The Advanced buttons are discussed starting on page 75.) In the MIDI Out section of the dialog box, select the port with which youre sending data to the Kompakt player. If youre running WordBuilder and Kompakt on the same computer, then you need to specify the same loopback connection as an output here and as an input in Kompakt. You also need to select a MIDI channel by which data will be sent to Kompakt. WordBuilder needs to talk to Kompakt across 5 channels; it reserves 5 consecutive channels starting at the number you select.
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Starting the Program as a Plug-in

It is also possible to start WordBuilder within a host program such as Sonar, Cubase, or Nuendo. The MIDI input from the host is managed by the chosen interface; therefore, the opening dialog is much simpler. Name the voice, select the sampled voice you intend to use, and select the channel over which MIDI data will be output. Remember that WordBuilder reserves 5 consecutive channel numbers for talking to Kompakt. The Port number is selected in the host program.
Data Flow
MIDI data entering WordBuilder is most often one MIDI note per syllable; the composer thinks in terms of the S, L, and Y sounds in sly being one sung entity. WordBuilder breaks the syllable into 3 notes (all at the same pitch) so that each can trigger its own samples. Many more MIDI events flow out of WordBuilder than flow in. The following sections describe how WordBuilder gives you control over the various aspects of the outbound MIDI data so that you can shape the performance. For the most part you are working in terms of words, syllables, and letters, leaving it up to WordBuilder to translate your intentions into data the sample player can understand.
Setting Velocities for Letters

The incoming note from the sequencer or keyboard has a MIDI velocity parameter, and that velocity will be passed through to the various samples that Kompakt plays. That is, unless you ask WordBuilder to change some or all of them. If the English word fun is being sung on a single note, there are three letters being played to enunciate the syllable; WordBuilder gives you the control to adjust the velocities on the Votox F and u and n separately.
To set the velocity for a letter, select it in the Time Editor and make sure it appears in the Letter display in the lower left corner of the WordBuilder UI. Then click on the gray button to the right of v: and below the letter. The dialog box at the right appears. It is shown here with the 6 possible selections displayed. Selecting Nothing leaves the notes velocity unchanged. Selecting the equal sign sets the velocity to the exact value specified in the box at the right. For example, selecting = 85 sets the velocity of the segment to 85, no matter what the velocity of the played note is. Remember that values for velocity range from 1 (almost silent) to 127 (played with maximum force). The other 4 symbols are the arithmetic operations plus, minus, times, and divided by. Consider an incoming note with velocity of 50. Here are some examples of how the settings in this dialog affect the outgoing velocity for the individual segment. Setting
+ 12 - 30 *2 * 1.2 /3
Result
62 20 100 60 17
All results are rounded to the nearest whole number between 1 and 127, inclusive. Using these relative settings (instead of absolute instructions, such as = 60) allows you to change the velocity of notes in the sequencer and have WordBuilder adjust the segments velocities proportionately.
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Controlling Segment Transitions

When setting lyrics, it is important to specify how the sounds flow into each otheror dont. Singing the word alone might need to be noticeably different than singing the phrase a loan, even though the sounds of the letters are the same, and even though the notes on the staff are identical. As in all musical linesinstrumental or vocalthe performers need to make choices about how connected, or disconnected, the consecutive notes should be. WordBuilder distinguishes between staccato and legato, as well as other styles. Not only was each sung note recorded with all the various phonetic sounds, but also with four different attacks for each vowel: Normal Legato Staccato Slurred, Sliding WordBuilder uses the concept of a keyswitch to move among these four articulations. Instead of writing extra notes in your score (as in EWQL Symphonic Orchestra) keyswitching can be managed with per-segment settings in WordBuilder. There are two ways to specify articulations: in a dialog box, or directly in the Text Editor. (Actually, there is a third, more traditional way: You can send the keyswitch notes directly, instead of having WordBuilder translate your instructions into MIDI note events. The note numbers are 24, 25, 26, and 27 respectively.) To open the dialog, select the letter whose articulation you want to specify. Then click on the gray button to the right of KS: in the lower left corner of the UI. The same dialog box thats used to specify velocities opens. You can select among 5 choices: [Text Syntax], use symbols in the text to specify the articulation of this segment. (More on this option below.) Normal Attack, the natural articulation of sung speech Legato, smoothly connected to the following syllable
Staccato, disconnected from the following segment Slurred, Sliding Legato, a transition between segments in which the voices slide upward into the note Click OK to save your selection. When the articulation in the dialog is set to [Text Syntax], the default, WordBuilder looks to symbols in the Text Editor to know which articulation to use. There are 4 symbols that can be typed anywhere in the text to affect the transitions: Symbol Articulation
= ( > < Normal Legato Staccato Slurred, Sliding
Here is an example of text whose articulation is specified with these symbols: >the why and (where-fore >of the <mer-ry =day
Adding New Words and New Pronunciations

If an English word is not found in the dictionary, and you intend to use it again, then you can add the word and its phonetic spelling so that next time it will get translated automatically. Right-click (in Windows) or control-click (on a Mac) to open the context menu, then select Add. A dialog appears that lets you enter the Phonetics layer for the word (not Votox). Do not type in hyphens to separate syllables. The same facility can be used to add new pronunciations of existing words. This way, you can even teach your choir to sing in certain regional accents or in other languages.
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Soloing a Word
Sometime when youre making changes to the sounds of a word, you would like to hear it over and over while you tweak the settings. You can do that with the operation known as soloing. In the Word box at the left side of the WordBuilder window is a button named Solo. Click on that button while the cursor is within the word in question. The word will turn to red to indicate it is soloed, and the button will turn light blue. Now every time you send notes into WordBuilder it will cycle through only this one word. If playing the word with a sequencer, you can set it to loop through the appropriate notes. Click on the same Solo button to turn off soloing.
How WordBuilder Learns Timings

When you first type text into the Text Editor, WordBuilder uses default lengths for each sound that makes up a syllable. As was shown in the example on page 49, WordBuilder assigns the ee of sweet to start at about 180 milliseconds after the start of the note. But if the tempo is fast, the note could be over by then, or the sw could take up most of the notes duration, making it sound unnatural. You could, of course, compute the number of milliseconds for each note and adjust the lengths of the sounds manually. But theres an easier way. The Learn button opens a dialog box where you can set two options. The first specifies whether you want WordBuilder to adjust the duration of the phonetic segments, called Change Speed mode, or only to indicate the length of each syllable in the timeline at the top, called Draw Only mode.
With the second dropdown list, you specify whether you want WordBuilder to learn durations for all voices or only the currently selected voice. Once you pick the options you want and click on Start, another dialog box opens and asks you to start the melody. Begin playing the notes for this part, whether from the sequencer or the keyboard. WordBuilder keeps track of how long the note for each syllable lasts. When the green stripes in the progress bar fill it completely, WordBuilder has received as many notes as there are matching syllables. Click on OK to return to the programs main interface. Cancel discards the learned information.
If you asked WordBuilder to Change Speed on the notes, then the horizontal bands that represent each phonetic sounds duration (in milliseconds) will change. Consider lyrics that include the word sleep. Before the learning process, heres what WordBuilder shows in the Time Editor.
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After learning, the timing of the five phonetic segments is quite different. The gray, red, and blue regions of the timeline at the top represent the note (in dark gray), the rest between notes (in red), and the next note (in dark blue).
In this example, the syllable is sung on a dotted eighth note with a sixteenth note rest before the next note. The tempo is 90 bpm. The staff at the left shows this configuration. Setting the words to quarter notes with no rests between the notes would yield similar, but not identical, results. Here the p that closes the syllable occurs during the rest; with no rest between notes all the phonetic segments happen within the duration of the note itself, though the last segment might intentionally overlap the start of the next note by a small amount. Once WordBuilder has learned the note-on and note-off events of a musical line, you can manually tweak the timings to fine-tune the performance. If you change the tempo or the note durations, you may want to rerun the Learn feature to conform the phonetic segments to the shape of the new melodic line. Changing pitches does not require rerunning Learn.
Draw Only Mode

If you choose Draw Only mode when starting the Learn feature, WordBuilder writes the length of notes and rests into the gray, red, and blue regions of the timeline at the top, but does not
change the actual lengths of the phonetic letters (the colored bands next to each phonetic letter in the Time Editor). You can manually drag the ends of the bands to achieve the desired effect.
The above screen shot shows the Time Editor for the syllable sleep after running Learn in Draw Only mode, but before adjusting the position and length of each phonetic segment. The gray and red bands in the timeline are the same as in Change Speed mode, and the colored bands in each row are unaffected. The last two segments are still timed to the Note Off event, as seen by their position in the rightmost pane. If you want them timed to the Note On event, then drag them into the left pane. Their timings will change from negative values to positive ones.
Whether to Use Learning

This Learn function is a way to automate some of the precision work needed to adjust letter timings to match note durations. It does not achieve with a single mouse-click perfect enunciation of the sung letters; you still need to listen to the result and fine tune the performance. Because Draw Only mode makes no changes to the output, it can provide information about how the notes timings relate to the default letter timings within the syllables. Even for those who prefer to adjust the timings of the phonetic segments themselves, this extra information can be useful. Change Speed mode provides the greatest benefit when used on fast-moving music, where the default durations of phonetic segments may not have time to play out before the notes end.
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Making Changes to Learned Text

To remove all modifications made by the Learn feature, place the cursor in the syllable you want to revert to its default timingsor select several syllablesand then choose Normal in the Syllable Speed dialog (see page 67). This action has the side effect of removing any change you made to the affected syllables, the same as if you deleted the syllable and then re-added it.
Other Ways to Adjust Timings

In the Syllable section of the UI, directly below the Learn button, is a field marked Speed: with a gray button to the right. Clicking on this button opens a dialog box for adjusting the speed of the selected syllable (by adjusting the duration of its segments). There are three options to choose from. The first, Normal: Hold on first vowel lets you use the default settings. That is, it removes any adjustments previously made to the syllable. It also removes any Control Changes that had been applied. It has the same effect as removing a syllable and adding it in again. The second option, Learn: Compress/expand by learning, is greyed and not available unless the Learn functionality has already been applied to this syllable. It is useful when a syllable has been learned in Draw Only mode. Selecting this option and clicking Okay completes the action that would have been done had Learning been done in Change Speed mode. You might also use this after changing a word in the text (leaving the notes as they are) and you want WordBuilder to learn timings for the new phonetic segments. The third option is Adjust Speed. If selected, the controls below it become active. In the left drop-down list, you can choose whether to apply changes to only the On pane, only the Off pane, or both panes. The right text box allows you to enter a number that specifies how long the new notes should be, compared to the old. Set-
ting it to 50% cuts all lengths in half. Setting it to 250% makes all durations 2.5 times as long as before; a bar that beforehand lasted 80 ms now lasts 200 ms (80 times 2.5). For each syllable in the Text Editor window, the Syllable section lists its speed in the UI. After the word Speed: appears one of: Normal, if the default lengths are still in effect Learned, if the lengths have been learned from either the Learn button or the Syllable Speed button Edited, if lengths or start times have been modified with the mouse Adjusted, if the Syllable Speed dialog box was used to Adjust the lengths
Resetting the Syllable Cursor

As WordBuilder receives each note event, it has no way of knowing whether the sequencer is playing the next note in the musical phrase or the melody has been restarted. WordBuilder always makes the assumption that it is being requested to sing the next syllable unless it receives a Reset command. There are three ways to tell WordBuilder to start again at the beginning of the text: click on the Reset Position button in the stack of buttons at the right of the window select Reset Position from the Voice menu, or press the F5 key (Menu options are only available in stand-alone mode.) send a MIDI message; see page 77 to learn how to specify the message WordBuilder looks for In either case, the Reset command performs three actions: repositioning the syllable cursor to the beginning of the text resetting any open keyswitch files back to normal attack, the default keyswitch (C0) resetting the Mod Wheel to a zero value It is also possible to reset the cursor to anywhere you want in the text. Use the mouse to position the cursor in the syllable you want to start with. Then select Reset Position to Text Cursor from the Voice menu, or press the F4 key.
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Using Built-in Cross-Fades

The EastWest / Quantum Leap Symphonic Choirs includes cross fades in some of its choral instrument files. These are voice files that respond to changes in the Mod Wheel by changing the mix between two contrasting sets of samples. You can use WordBuilder to simulate turning the Mod Wheel at specific times during a performance, thereby dictating which of these samples predominates and by how much. Changes to the Mod Wheel are transmitted using MIDI Control Change 1, sometimes abbreviated CC1. WordBuilder lets you set up envelopes that transmit via any Control Change number, though you will probably only use a few numbers in this context. Here is an example of how cross-fades are useful. The Full Soprano voices are used in this example, but this functionality is available in all of the vocal ranges and in all 3 mic positions. The vocal file named F SOPR WB HRD MOD uses the Mod Wheel to move smoothly from a value of 0 (medium volume, medium vibrato samples) to 127 (loud, heavy vibrato samples). This crossfade can create realistic swellseither within a note or over a phrasein which more vibrato is added at the same time. To send Mod Wheel Control Changes you first need to set up an envelope on any phonetic segment affected. Click on the small plus sign to the right of the Votox letter in the Time Editor. A new lane will open with a button for selecting the Control Change number. The default setting is Volume.
Click on the button that says Volume and select 1 - Modulation Depth from the drop-down. Click on Okay to effect the change. The button now says CC 1.
Theres a graph inside the long box to the right. You can drag nodes with the mouse and create new nodes by double-clicking with the left mouse button. (You can also delete nodes by double clicking with the right mouse button in Windows, or double-clicking with the Command button held down on the Mac.) Add as many nodes as you need to draw in the desired changes.
It is unlikely that you will want to draw complicated curves like the one above inside a single phonetic segment (unless the choir is holding the note for a very long time). Instead, you will probably be matching the position of the Mod Wheel as the choir progresses from one note to the next. When dragging a node, a small rectangle, called a tool tip, opens on the screen. The x and y values locate the exact position of the node as it moves. The x-coordinate locates the node in time, measured in milliseconds. In the accompanying screen shot, the x-value is -201 ms; its value is negative because it is in the right pane, calculated from the Note Off event. (The negative sign does not mean that its earlier than 0 ms; its only a convention.) The y-coordinate specifies the vale of CC1 on a scale from 0 to 127. In the screen shot, the node in the upper envelope is being dragged with the mouse (not visible in the image). The Mod Wheel is now at a position of 80, about 63% of the maximum 127. You can use these y-coordinates to match the position of an envelope at the end of one phonetic segment to the position at the start of the next one, if desired. Its also possible that you may want to set the position at a fixed value and leave it there. For example, if you like the sound of the tenors at a Mod Wheel position of 20 in the F TENR WB SFT MOD instrument, then you can set it to that level consistently. But be aware that you will get more realistic results if nothing in a performance remains static for too long. Real choirs dont retain an exact dynamic or a consistent level of vibrato over every note in a composition.
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Other Envelopes
You can use the techniques described above to create continuous changes in other MIDI parameters as well. Any Control Change can be transmitted, but if the downstream MIDI processors dont respond to that CC, then nothing will happen. Expression, CC11, is the best way to change the short-term dynamics that shape the singers nuanced performance. Small swells within a single vowel, or a natural decrescendo at the end of a long-held note can be important to making the final results feel more human and less like computer-assisted composition.
Note Volume
One envelope that warrants special mention is the one that appears at the top of the drop-down list: x - Note Volume. This parameter affects the given phonetic segment without affecting others. It can be used for fade-in and fade-out effects within a single phonetic letter. It can also be used to achieve cross-fades between phonetic elements. This use of Note Volume can be seen in some of the default Votox spellings.
The sound of the letter y in the English word my is spelled as aE in Votox. WordBuilder knows that the process of closing the syllable consists of moving the tongue in a way that smoothly changes from the ah sound of the held vowel to the ee sound at the end. This is achieved by fading out the ah and fading in the ee until the ah sound is complete replaced with the ee sound. The two envelopes in the screen shot effect this crossfade. You do not have to create these envelopes yourself; WordBuilder does it automatically for you.
The WordBuilder Options Dialogs

Among the buttons at the right side of WordBuilders window is one named Options. Clicking it, opens the dialog box shown below. From here you can change a number of parameters that affect the ways the program operates.
The General Tab

The first item, Sound Library, defines the library of samples that generates the sounds. At the time of this writing, EWQLSC is the only library available. In a second dropdown, called Language, you can specify from what language the dictionary will translate to Phonetics. Only English is available at this time. There are two modes in the Vowels drop-down list: English and Latin. They affect the symbols used for Votox sounds, but do not affect the sounds themselves. See page 79 for more information about these two modes.
The Timers Tab

The upper section of this tab, Timers Resolution, provides two slider controls. For Notes, you can set the resolution to any value between 1 and 10 milliseconds. A similar setting can be made for the resolution of Control Changes: any value between 10 and 50 milliseconds. Fine-tuning these two settings allows the user to specify how often the internal engine will convey note and Control Change data through the
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MIDI output. You should normally leave these settings at the minimum value, but they can be raised when it is necessary to conserve CPU processing or MIDI connection overhead. For example, when a cross-fade is in progress the ear cannot really hear a small change in dynamics every 10 ms. Therefore, Note Volume (and other CC) data can be sent less often to conserve the processing power in the computer. The Chord Timer, set at the bottom of the tab, permits the user to specify how far apart in time notes can be and still be considered a chord (that is, referring to the same syllable of text). Using this feature is especially helpful when playing melodic lines on a keyboard in real time. If youre not 100% accurate in hitting all the notes of a chord at once, you could end up triggering different syllables for what are supposed to be several voices singing the same syllable. You can turn this feature on and off by clicking on the small checkbox at the left and, when on, you can specify the tolerance in milliseconds. You can turn this feature off if you never use chords in a single choral voice. If you need to leave this feature on, then you may have to experiment to determine the value that works best for your playing style.
The Voices Default Tab

There are three dialog boxes that open from this tab. Each is used to set the defaults that appear when WordBuilder is opened. If ever you want to change the values that you have set in these dialog boxes to apply to a specific project, you should do that in the project-specific dialog boxes, not here. Details of this process are presented in the paragraphs below.
Default Voice Properties Dialog Box

This is the same dialog box that appears each time you start WordBuilder in stand-alone mode. If you never set values as the defaults in this dialog, then you will always see the same values as shown on page 58. But lets say you always use your keyboard to play the melodies, and always transmit on MIDI channel 9. Then you can preset those choices (and others) here and not have to reset them every time you start the program. The screen shot at the left shows these values entered into the Default Voice dialog box. And this dialog, filled in the same way, is exactly what then appears each time you start WordBuilder. Note that you must save the current choir file before these choices become the working defaults.
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Default Voice Advanced Midi In

Clicking on the button with this name opens a dialog where you can set values for the current voice. Changes made here will become the default values for this voice (Soprano, Tenor, etc.) once you save the choir file. The two Limit Notes controls specify the bottom and top notes that can be accepted for this voice type. Change these values if you expect to generate notes in the normal vocal range that you want to exclude from EWQLSC. Making the range wider has no effect on the generated track. The original defaults for the choral voices are: Sopranos A3 [69] to E5 [88] Altos F2 [53] to E4 [76] Tenors E2 [52] to D4 [74] Basses B0 [35] to A2 [57] Women F2 [53] to E5 [88]* Men B0 [35] to D4 [74]* Boys C3 [60] to B4 [[83]
* The Womens and Mens voices have been added for Kontakt users. If you own Kontakt, it is possible to set up a multi with both mens choruses in one multi. Use one of the multis for Basses with limited range (R in the name) on MIDI channels 15, and a similar multi for Tenors on MIDI channels 610. Likewise, it is possible to set up a multi with both womens choruses in one multi: use Altos with limited range (R in the name) on MIDI channels 15, and Sopranos on MIDI channels 610. Once you have created and saved such multis, the Womens and Mens voices in Wordbuilder will be available. You also need to select Men or Women as the voice type in WordBuilder. These multis are very useful because they provide access to a 3-octave range in a single patch. Kompakt Instrument English 75
The Transpose dropdown list allows the user to shift all notes that arrive from the MIDI In Channel by a specified amount when sent via MIDI Out to Kompakt. Possible values are: Up 2 octaves Up 1 octave No transpose Down 1 octave Down 2 octaves Once the choir file has been saved, these defaults remain in effect unless changed in the Voice Properties dialog box opened from the button near the upper left corner of the WordBuilder window.
Default Voice Advanced Midi Out

To understand what this dialog box does you have to know that each voice in WordBuilder connects to the Kompakt instrument over 5 separate MIDI channelsand 10 channels in the case of the Mens and Womens Choirs. Here you can set the default values for both the port and the channel over which the MIDI data is sent. Under normal circumstances, you do not need to set these values, but advanced users can control the parameters to accommodate special circumstances. In the sixth drop-down list, you can select the port over which to send any other MIDI data. The seventh control lets you specify a different channel to accept the data stream when the Bypass button in WordBuilder is turned on.
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The Events Tab

The fourth tab in the Options dialog box lets you set event triggersMIDI messagesthat control the position of the performance cursor while the vocal lines are being played. At the top of the page, you can specify the MIDI Control Change code (and its value) that will tell WordBuilder to reset the syllable cursor to the beginning. This MIDI event is the way for a sequencer to tell WordBuilder that it has stopped and gone back to the beginning. For example, without this setting, if you played the first 4 measures, stopped the sequencer, then started again from the beginning, WordBuilder would pick up at the words from measure 5. The original default setting is CC20 with a value of 127. It is recommended that you insert this messageor whatever you change it tobefore the first note in your sequencer (in all channels connected to WordBuilder voices). That way WordBuilder always knows when the sequencer starts over. In this dialog, you can reset the default to any CC code, but if you do change it, it is recommended that you use one of the unused codes. The drop-down shows you not only the numbers of the codes, but their usual meaning as well. Those with names that include General Purpose or Control are unassigned and good choices. The lower half of the tab allows you to specify CC codes and values whose meaning to WordBuilder is to start holding the syllable and stop holding the syllable. If you want the ee sound of the
word sweet to hold over five notes, send the Hold On event from the sequencer before the ee has started on its first note, and send the Hold Off event before the start of its fifth note.
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The Phonetic Alphabets

This section of the guide compares the various phonetic alphabets. It also provides examples of English words that use them to assist the reader in understanding the sound each symbol represents.
Lists of The Phonetic Symbols

The tables on the next two page list the symbols from the Phonetics alphabet and compare each one to the corresponding Votox symbol. Two English words are provided to give examples of the symbols sound. There are two table because WordBuilder provides two sets of Votox symbols that differ only in their vowels. In the Options dialog box, the user has a choice between English Mode and Latin Mode. The choice does not affect the sounds, only the symbols used to represent those sounds in Votox. Speakers of Romance languages may feel more comfortable using Votox in Latin Mode. Heres a table that compares the two sets of Votox vowels: English Mode
a A O E o e i u U
Latin Mode
a a! u i o e E A U
Because of the close relationship between the symbols of the Phonetics and Votox alphabets, you should only need to learn one. The EWQLSC team recommends always using Votox, sound-
ing out the words to achieve the desired sound. Use the other two modes to help you learn Votox, but once mastered Votox gives you more control.
Comparison Table: English Vowels

Phntcs Votox
a a! Ai Au b c! d d! e e! Ei f g g! h i i! j k l u a aE uO b C! d t! e A iE F g ng H E EE j K l money, rough copper, wander white, sigh brown, mouse blue, slab chair, catch red, candor the, nether red, steady black, after grey, slate file, enough green, leg ping, hangar hat, ahead index, finger green, ski orange, fidget black, coal blue, less
Phntcs Votox
m n o Oi Ou p r r! s t t! u u! v w x x! y z z! m n o oE oO P r ur S T T! U O v w X S! y z zj money, hammer green, snug orange, naughty oil, boy yellow, ocean pink, upper red, car purple, lower silver, lace white, true theme, sloth put, could blue, pool olive, avert wait, awash fix, excess flesh, nation yellow, yonder zero, poison vision, azure
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Comparison Table: Latin Vowels

Phntcs Votox
a a! Ai Au b c! d d! e e! Ei f g g! h i i! j k l A a ai Au b C! d t! e a! Ei F g ng H i ii j K l money, rough copper, wander white, sigh brown, mouse blue, slab chair, catch red, candor the, nether red, steady black, after grey, slate file, enough green, leg ping, hangar hat, ahead index, finger green, ski orange, fidget black, coal blue, less
Phntcs Votox
m n o Oi Ou p r r! s t t! u u! v w x x! y z z! m n o oi ou P r Ar S T T! U u v w X S! y z zj money, hammer green, snug orange, naughty oil, boy yellow, ocean pink, upper red, car purple, lower silver, lace white, true theme, sloth put, could blue, pool olive, avert wait, awash fix, excess flesh, nation yellow, yonder zero, poison vision, azure
Playing Music with Symphonic Choirs

This section of the manual describes how to take advantage of the musical and technical features of this sound library to create choral music that is expressive, varied, and realistic. Without this control of the available parameters, music created on a computer can sound static, lifeless, and dimensionless. Using the features described below is akin to a singer controlling dynamics, phrasing and technique to interpret the music. In other words, theres more to music making than perfecting the pitch, loudness, and duration of each note.
Programs and Multis

If you look through the tables of EWQLSC sample files, starting on page 32, you notice there are two types of files: multis programs, also called instruments A multi, short for multi-instrument, is a collection of up to 8 program files collected together and given a name. When using WordBuilder, you are always using multis. The solo voices can also he loaded as multis. For individual phonetic elements and for the vocal effects, you must use one or more program files. You can also collect together up to 8 programs into your own multi, name it, and save it, with the goal of being able to reload the same multi (the same collection) at a later time.
The Choir Multis

The core samples in the EWQLSC collection are the choir sections for sopranos, altos, tenors, basses, and boy sopranos. Each of these five sections has a number of articulationsfiles that differ in the way the sounds are sung. Example of different articulation parameters include amount of vibrato, dynamics, and style of attack. A listing of these 39 articulation files starts on page 33. For every item in those lists, there are 3 multis: one each for the C, F, and S mic positions. Therefore, there are 117 total multis for the choirs. The first letter of the multis name specifies which mic position it captures. Kompakt Instrument English 82
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The Choir Programs

The choir samples are also provided in individual programs, usually one program for each phonetic sound captured during recording. For example, every sung ooh note, as in the word blue, is in a single program file. Also every sung V note, R note, and so on. These are not individually available for use in WordBuilder. Note that many choral sample libraries in the past, those providing sung ooh and aah sounds, are just a very small fraction of this part of the EWQLSC library. In addition, the programs provide access to several vocal effects, such as shouts, calls, and clusters. The programs are listed in this manual, starting on page 36.
Full SATB Choirs: 3 Approaches

There are 3 standard ways to create a full choral sound with EWQLSC. They trade off the speed with which you can achieve your results against the realism of the final recording. Another deciding factor may be how demanding each approach is in its use of computer resources. One: For the most realistic results, use one of the complete multis for each part: Sopranos, Altos, Tenors, Basses. As with live singers, the four ranges overlap. This gives you the flexibility to create vocal lines in which, for example, Sopranos maintain their distinctive timbre in every part of their range, even below the top of the Altos range. This approach can use so many computer resources that its unlikely you can record all 4 lines at once on a single machine; you may have to split your parts across two or more computers, or else freeze some lines to audio while playing the samples for other lines. Two: For a more homogenous sound, EWQLSC provides Full Mens and Full Womens Choruses. How to load the multis is described on page 35.
The voices in these multis are range-limited, meaning there is no overlap between the Sopranos and Altos, and also none between the Tenors and Basses. If a single vocal line passes the split point, the samples change from, for example, Tenors to Basses. If thats not a problem in your project, then this approach is a good choice. Youre still using WordBuilder, so you have all of its power at your disposal. In addition, the computer resource requirements are reduced enough (when using DFD) that you can likely load the entire SATB Choir in 2 GB of RAM. Three: The last approach is to use the Full Chorus, Church files. These are not multis, but instruments, so they do not use WordBuilder. Instead, you have 4 sounds to choose from: ah oh (with adult sopranos at the top) oh2 (with boy sopranos at the top) mm/nn The range of each instrument is over 5 octaves. They all use the Mod Wheel to cross-fade. The first three (the vowel sounds) cross-fade between non-vibrato and light vibrato. The fourth choice changes smoothly from an M-sound to an Nsound as the Mod Wheel is turned. This approach is designed for quick mock-ups and projects where the chorus serves mostly as background to other instruments. As such, the patches are available only with the S mics, because they are designed as an easy solution to getting a big, full choir quickly. This approach uses the least memory and computer power of the three.
The Soloist Multis

Three soloist voices are provided: soprano, alto, and boy soprano. The sounds are collected in a multi that includes the 3 mic positions together. The soloists are not available from WordBuilder.
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The multis for the soloist samples collect together the 3 mic positions for each voice type. For example, the Soprano Soloist multi consists of the same Soprano programs recorded with the C, F, and S mics. Such a collection is especially convenient when creating full-dimension recordings, whether in stereo or surround sound.
Cross-Fades and the Modulation Wheel

A cross-fade uses two or more different samples on the same MIDI channel and provides a means to lower the volume of one sample while simultaneously raising the volume on another sample. This fading between the two sample creates a smooth transition from the sound of one to that of the other. In EWQLSC, the Mod Wheel controls cross-fades that affect the sound of the virtual singers. The parameters controlled include the amount of vibrato and the dynamics. Three types of cross fades are provided in the choir multis: DYN MOD (3-way dynamic modulation): an all-in-one collection of dynamic range. SFT MOD (2-way soft modulation): the lower end of the dynamic range in DYN MOD. From soft volume without vibrato to medium volume with vibrato. HRD MOD (2-way hard modulation): the upper end of the dynamic range. From medium volume with medium vibrato to loud volume with heavy vibrato. The first of these gives you the most flexibility to adjust volume with the Mod Wheel through the entire gamut of recorded dynamics, so it requires the most computer power and resources. The other two options use less memory and, therefore, may be better choices on hardware-constrained systems. There are, of course, other ways to control dynamics, including MIDI velocity and expression parameters. (These controls are discussed later in this chapter.) There are two main advantages of dynamic cross-fades (DXFs) over other means. First, a DXF controls not only the volume, but also the timbre of the sound. The sound of a soprano section singing loud is different from them singing softly, even if the volume knob on the ste-
reo is adjusted to normalize their output level. Because a DXF is shifting between samples and not only changing the volume, that change in timbre is preserved. As mentioned above, the vibrato also increases as the volume goes up. Second, unlike velocity, which is fixed for the entire duration of any MIDI note, the position of the Mod Wheel can be adjusted continuously to achieve swells and other expressive details midnote.
Segment Transitions and Keyswitches

The samples of the sung vowels are available in 4 versions (except for the boy sopranos, which use only two). The difference among them refers to how segments transition from one to the next. normal attack legato staccato (not with boy sopranos) slurred, sliding (not with boy sopranos) When using WordBuilder to drive the choir multis, the transitions can be specified either with one of the 4 symbols =(>< inside the typed text or by selecting properties from a dialog box. See page 61 for more details. When loading individual vowels, the segment transitions are managed with keyswitches. The file names for the adult-sung vowels end in C0-D#0 to indicate there are 4 keyswitches: C, C#, D, D# in the C0 octave. For the boy soprano files, the C0-C#0 shows that only the first two keyswitches are available. A keyswitch is a note out of the range of the singer that can be added to the MIDI output to specify which version of the sample to play. Kompakt interprets the keyswitch and plays the correct sample. WordBuilder generates keyswitch notes automatically; therefore, WordBuilder users will likely never use the manual keyswitches there. (They are, however, used extensively in the soloist files.) Advanced: When playing the individual vowel programs, if you want to use this feature it must be done manually. You can include the keyswitch note a little before the Note-On event of the
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first note to play the associated version. That version will continue to be used until another keyswitch changes the setting. If you want to accept the default setting, normal attack, for all notes, then no keyswitch notes are necessary.
Volume, Velocity, and Expression

There are at least four ways to make sampled voices sound louder, or at least make the real notes seem to have been sung louder. One of these, the dynamic cross fade, was discussed on page 85. Volume is just the loudness of the generated sound. Changing volume is basically the same as turning the volume knob on your audio system. A soprano singing softly can be cranked up; a soprano belting a note can be turned way down. Volume can be adjusted mid-note; that is, the listener can experience a crescendo or diminuendo for a held note. And as with a live choir, the various parts are changing their loudness independently, something you cannot do with the stereos loudness knob. Velocity, a term based on how fast a keyboard player hits the keys, controls how forcefully the note is sung. Adding force changes not only the loudness of the notes, but usually also changes the notes timbre. With a pianos action, the velocity cannot affect what happens to the sound after the hammers hit and leave the strings, and velocity works the same way here. In the current implementation of MIDI, velocity is usually designated by a number between 1 and 127. And most software sequencers display velocity as vertical bars, something like the diagram below.
Modern sample players, Kompakt included, play different samples for different ranges of velocity. For example, the team creating the samples recorded the alto sections Middle C at pp, p, mp, mf, etc. The team then assigns the pp samples to, say, velocities 125, the p samples to velocities 2645, and so on. Because each dynamic level of a voice has its own timbre, a notes velocity affects not only its loudness but also its timbre. Velocity changes are, therefore, a much better way than volume changes to achieve natural-sounding dynamics. The disadvantage of velocity is that it cannot be changed mid-note. Using the two together gives the orchestrator control over more aspects of the dynamics. In MIDI, velocity is an attribute of the Note-On message; it can only be transmitted at the onset of a note. Volume, in contrast, is a control change (CC7); it can be transmitted at any time. EWQLSC actually uses the Mod Wheel (CC1) to control volume inside dynamic cross fades (DXFs). The various layers within a DXF articulation vary not only in loudness, but also in timbre; therefore, using the Mod Wheel results in natural-sounding dynamics in which the voices not only get louder but also have the sound of singing louder. The parameter called Expression is represented by another MIDI control change (CC11). In EWQLSC, CC11 is used to control dynamics. It is possible to shape the dynamics of a line either by playing a CC11 controller in real time, or by drawing an envelope in a sequencer. Most MIDI keyboards and control surfaces have programmable knobs and/or sliders that can be set to send CC11 messages to a specific MIDI channel. (Sliders are generally more sensitive for real-time control.) If your sequencer supports automation, it can record your movements of the knob or slider and save them as part of the project. Such manual control over the shape of a vocal line is usually more efficient than drawing in an envelope, and often achieves more convincing results. EWQLSCs choice to use CC11 allows CC7 (volume) to be used in other ways. For example, you can use the volume slider in your sequencer to adjust the overall volume level of each track in the mix. The ability to do this is especially helpful when using more than one mic position. If you want to experiment with how much
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C, F, and S of a given choral section or soloist to include, use CC7 to do that. CC11 is somewhat independent of CC7 and can adjust dynamics to shape phrases within the tracks. Although the volume and expression controls can be adjusted separately, the volume setting does change how expression affects perceived volume. Think of CC7 as setting an upper limit on the dynamics at any moment. Expression, like most continuously changeable values in MIDI, takes values between 0 and 127. CC7 specifies how loud a sound to generate for the maximum expression, 127.
MIDI Envelopes and Control Data

Most modern sequencers let you draw an envelope for the most common MIDI control codes. The diagram with the light-colored curve at the end of this paragraph is an example of an envelope for CC11. Notice how the values are constantly changing, the same way a singer modulates his or her breath and tone to shape the musical line. (The horizontal lines near the top are the notes.)
When saved as MIDI data, this same envelope appears as a finite set of commands. In a sequencer track, these often appear as vertical lines, each line being a command to change the valuein this case to change CC11.
The other wayand many say the better wayto send CC11 events to the sample player is with a MIDI controller, either a keyboard or a control surface. As long as you have an extra handor foot, if you use a pedalyou can enter these control codes while
playing the notes into the sequencer. This allows you to hear the interchange among the notes, their velocities (how hard youre hitting the keys), and the expression being added with CC11. This process can also be done in two passesnotes first, then control dataif your setup allows you to record automation data to a track that already contains other MIDI data. Everything written about CC11 in this section also applies to CC1 (Mod Wheel) and all other MIDI control codes. Learning to shape musical lines the same way an singer does will give your work a more natural musicality. By combining velocity control, expression, Mod Wheel, and volume, you change digital samples into real, living music.
Release Trails
The EASTWEST / QUANTUM LEAP SYMPHONIC CHOIRS is an ambient library complete with release trails for the full F and surround S samples. (Note that the close C samples do not include release trails, partly as a measure to conserve computer resources. A small amount of artificial reverb can be added to make them mix appropriately with the other samples. And because the close samples are the one with the least natural reverb relative to the loudness of the sung notes, the lack of release trails on this component should not significantly degrade the mix.) Release trails capture the sound of the hall from the moment the singer stops singing: the natural sound of each notes decay within the space. The complex and subtle nature of the reflected sounds off the walls, ceiling, and other surfaces is nearly impossible to generate accurately after-the-fact with an artificial reverb. The release trail samples are triggered by the MIDI Note-Off event. Their parameters can be adjusted in Kompakt, or even turned off, if you want. The release trails are amplitude-matched to the wave form of the playing note, no matter where the playback is in the AHSDR envelope. The software analyzes the amplitude of the waveform at the time of the Note-Off event, then activates the release trail, automatically adjusting the release trail amplitude so the two samples blend seamlessly. The result is very natural. Kompakt Instrument English 90
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The release trails have been preset to a length that enables the library to work in most situations. The user can also adjust the release trails so that they play out all the way to the end with no fade at all, or very little fade, if desired. The default setting doesnt do this because it was felt that a slightly shorter setting was more pleasing, especially for medium to faster paced pieces. If you want a longer ambience, use the group editor in Kompakt. Make sure that the Edit All button is not red (is off). Select one of the release trail groups and add 2 seconds to the decay time. Then go to the next release trail group and do the same. Most programs have several release trail groups.
Panning
Panning is not usually necessary. Every section in the library has been recorded in its proper place on stage using custom equipment built by recording engineer Prof. Keith O. Johnson. The full and surround ambiences reflect the positioning perfectly: sopranos on the left down to basses on the right, as on a typical concert hall stage. The close mics do not reflect the positioning on stage, because they are close to each section or soloist. These have been prepanned in programming to match their true place on stage. You will notice that the close mics have panning values and the full and surround mics do not. You can of course, easily change any panning setting, but to do so may make less realistic the apparent natural positioning of the singers within the concert hall.
Understanding DFD
Direct From Disk (or DFD) technology allows the data within samples to be read directly from the hard drive without all the data being first loaded into memoryor at least most of it doesnt have to be preloaded.
The Basics
A sample playerin this case Kompaktalways reads sample data from buffers in memory. This buffer is necessarily smaller than the length of the whole sample, or else wed all need huge amounts of RAM. As long as theres always digital data in a buffer ready to be turned into sounds, the sample player can reproduce the original sounds with no delay. There are actually two types of buffers: preload and voice. There is always a short delay between the time the computer asks for data from the hard drive and the time the data can be delivered to the computers central processing unit (CPU). The average delay for any model of hard drive is called the access time. In modern, high quality hard drives, the access time ranges from 4 ms (0.004 second) to 50 ms (0.050 second); the average is about 10 ms. This is not a long time, but definitely noticeable. Plus if the sequencer asks for the samples of 10 notes at once (all on the same down beat, for example), the delay could be several times as long before all the data is read into all the voice buffers and ready to go. Once the data starts to stream from the hard drive, it can be delivered to a buffer much faster than the sample player needs it; that is, unless the CPU needs to load many, many samples at once. Drives with faster rotations can generally deliver data faster, which is why hard drives with at least 7,200 RPM are recommended, and those with 10,000 RPM are almost a necessity for highly polyphonic music. The sample player has to be ready for any note in any loaded articulation file at any time. If, for example, there are 20 articulation files loaded, with an average of 2 octaves (25 notes) per file, thats 400 notes with data ready in memory to be used. Layering of samples means that each note can
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play more than one sample at a time. There could be over 1000 samples on the ready in preload buffers in memory. And thats before we add the possibility of release trails. Anyway, lots and lots of samples need to have their own preload buffers. In order to be ready to play a sample, a short amount of the sample data is written into its preload buffer when the articulation file is first loaded. This buffer has to be long enough that the sample player can start right away and wont run out of data before the following data has been loaded from the hard drive. That is, there needs to be a seamless transition from the preloaded data to the data arriving on demand from the hard drive. As long as the CPU can keep up with playing the data already in buffers plus loading new data, continuous music is generated. But when the sample player runs out of data in one or more voice buffers, then gaps, pops, or other undesirable sounds appear. When an articulation file is loaded, the sample player needs to know facts about the buffers its going to create: how many, and how large. The number of preload buffers is fixed for each articulation file. How many voice buffers per articulation file is answered by the Polyphony setting that is configurable in the user interface of Kompakt. The length of the buffers is also configurable. It should be clear that the total amount of RAM devoted to buffers in memory can be very, very large. Thats one reason sufficient RAM is so important in a DAW.
Sizing Considerations
There are four numbers used when configuring buffers: Polyphony defines the maximum number of samples that can play at once from the given articulation file. The default number is 32, but that can be changed in the interface by double-clicking on the number 32 and typing in a new value. If voices are heard disappearing too soonespecially release trailsthen the
number has been set too low. But keep it as low as possible, because unused buffers are a waste of RAM. During playback, you can watch how many voices are playing at any moment. Set the polyphony to be right at, or a little above, the maximum value observed for that articulation file in that piece. And yet be aware that if you set the polyphony barely large enough, then you may encounter problems if you add more notes playing simultaneously, or faster phrases in which more notes start before the release trails for earlier notes are finished. As a general rule for projects still being developed, set the polyphony a little higher than the observed maximum, but not a lot higher. The next three parameters are all configurable in Kompakts DFD Menu dialog box. Select the Options dropdown and then DFD (Direct From Disk) to see the dialog. All settings here are global; that is, they apply to all samples. Changed values do not take effect until the next time buffers are allocated, which means its best to close and reopen all instances of Kompakt after making these changes.
Preload Buffer Size defines how many kilobytes of memory to allocate for each samples preload buffer. Larger sizes allow for slower responses from the hard drive, but also consume more of the computers RAM. A size of 192 KB is a reasonable starting point. Adjust it up or down to find the right balance for your computers hardware and your usage of samples. Voice Buffer Size defines how many kilobytes of memory to allocate for the buffers that store the data loaded from disk on demand. Here a good starting point is 384 KB. Reserved Voices defines how many voice buffers to create in advance. This value has a range from 8 to 256. In general, it
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should be set to higher values when working on projects that will play a lot of samples simultaneously. It can be set lower, if desired, on a small project using only a few instruments. A fourth number on this page, Memory Total, cannot be set on its own. This value is computed for you by multiplying Voice Buffer Size times Reserved Voices. It calculates the total memory requirements from the two other, so you can see how much RAM your settings will use. Note that you must click on Apply to have the settings saved; clicking on Exit closes the dialog without saving the changes. There is a dropdown list (shown with the selection Expert in the figure). Selecting Expert allows you to make your own choices for the three values. But there are also four presets with pre-configured settings for Preload Buffer, Voice Buffer, and Reserved Voices: Pre-configured settings
Normal (Medium polyphony / Medium memory) 192KB 384KB 64 voices
High Performance (Medium polyphony / High memory) 384KB 750KB 64 voices
Large Instruments (Low polyphony / High memory) 96 KB 384KB 64 voices
Small Instruments (High polyphony / Medium memory) 192KB 384KB 128 voices
If you find that one or more of these are a close fit to your needs, this dropdown is a quick way to adjust the configuration from one project to the next. You may, though, find that 64, and even 128, voices is too small for large projects. Finally, note that DFD can be turned on and off from this same dialog box. The lighter blue DFD Active button is a visual indication that DFD is currently enabled. Click on this button to toggle between Active and Inactive. When DFD is disabled, all samples in all articulation files must be loaded into RAM in their entirety.
The 3 Mic Positions

Much has been written about extra efforts of the EastWest / Quantum Leap team to record all samples from three separate microphone positions within the hall: both in Symphonic Orchestra and Symphonic Choirs. To understand how the three mic positions work, lets perform a quick Gedankenexperiment (thought experiment). Imagine yourself in Carnegie Hall with an entire a capella chorus on the stage. First, youre invited to sit directly in front of the tenor section while they sing their part. What you hear approximates the sound recorded in the close (C) mic position. The sound coming directly from the singers is so much louder than the reflections off the walls and other surfaces that these reverberations make up a very small part of what you hear. Next, youre placed in a chair at the very front of the stage or maybe the front row of the houseand you listen to the same tenor melody. Now you hear more of the natural reverberation of the hall because your ears are not so overpowered by the sound coming directly from the chorus. This sound is captured by the stage mics, also known as the full (F) mics, a cluster of microphones near the front of the stage. Finally, youre asked to sit nearer the back of the house and high up, maybe at the front of the Balcony. The same tenor melody is played. From this perspective, the full acoustics of the hall are most evident because you hear clearly the sound bouncing off the ceiling, the walls, all the reflective surfaces, in front of you and even behind. It can be a very lush sound, though perhaps lacking in the immediacy of a closer position; however, adding in a little of this sound (either in a stereo mix or in the rear speakers of a surround-sound recording) can add dimension to the recording. This mic position was used to create the surround (S) samples, sometimes called the hall mics.
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This is the first choral sample library to include user control of three simultaneous stereo microphone setups (close, stage and surround) for all singers and sections. You can mix together any combination of these microphone positions to control tone and ambience. Its like virtually repositioning the listener by incrementally moving out from the close mics, to the stage mics, to the hall mics (known as audio zoom), all in real-time! For the choral sections, Symphonic Choirs contains each mic position in its own multi. They can be loaded: individually, if you plan to use only one mic position one at a time, if you want to mix down bounced tracks at a later time two or three perspectives at once, to be mixed in real time All three sets of samples were recorded simultaneously for each note in the library. Therefore, there are predictable and natural delays in the time it take the music to reach the further mics. This latency is the natural reverb of the hall and produces a pleasing fullness to the sound when the samples are mixed. If you want to tighten up the reverb from the S samples, it is possible with modern sequencers and mixers to adjust the audio track from the S samples a little forward in time. Either perform a calculation using the speed of sound at sea level (approximately 340 meters/ second; 1100 feet/second, if you prefer) or let your ears decide what works best. The close mics, of course, have virtually no latency: only a small amount necessary to retain the sonic perspective of the choirs in the concert hall. If you dont use the close mics, and you play something that requires very quick and punchy attacks, you may notice some small delay, which can be cured by adding in some of the close mics. In most cases you would want to use the close mics to add definition to a section. The idea is to experiment until you find a combination that works. The picture on the next page shows the three mic positions drawn in a diagram of a typical concert hall. The semicircular area at the top is where the choir stands. All the Cs represent the various positions of the close C mics as they were set up in front of each section. The mics
were near enough to capture the presence of the vocalists, but far enough away to allow the sound of the singers to breathe. The F represents the approximate position of the cluster of full F mics. They provide a best-seat-in-the-house perspective. The S shows approximately where the hall S mics were positioned.
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During sampling, the simultaneous recordings from all three positions were phase-locked. This attention to detail ensures that the samples can be bounced down to a single audio track without introducing phasing problems. Many composers still work in stereo only. You can mix all three ambiences together without any phasing issues. You will actually hear a lot of dimension in your stereo mixes. Consider this: if you render a close mix, a full mix, and a surround mix of every song you write, you will have an archive that can be used to create surround mixes in the future. And you know it will workperfectly! This technique also allows you to do quick wetter or drier remixes in the future.
Reverb Control
Controlling the reverb can be as easy as adjusting the level of surround S mics, and turning on or off the close C mics. If you require more control, the volume of the release trails can be altered. Simply use the group editor in the Kompakt interface; choose the release trail group, with Edit All unchecked, and change the volume. Be very careful what you do though; some programs may have the release trails split into many groups. For these, you need to change the volumes of all groups.
Some Sound Advice

Generally, in our opinion, the full F mix has the best overall sound of the three mixes, but a combination of the three mic setups usually creates the most impressive sound. Although it may vary with the type of choral music being recorded, the sections often sound best with the close C mics turned down in volume (leaving only enough of the close mics to add definition). Try this: Boost the close C mics up to 6db (bell shape with a fairly wide Q) between 5K and 10K. Then roll off the frequencies below 800Hz so you are down about 10db at 50Hz. Then mix the C track into the F track at a low volume to add clarity and sheen to the stage mics. (Be careful not to use too much of the close mics
with this EQ curve.) Other styles may sound just right using an equal blend of all ambiences. The idea is to experiment until you find a combination that works.
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Various Ways to Combine the Samples

Using C and S Mics Sparingly
One possible approach when using EWQLSC to create a stereo mix is to use primarily the F samples and then blend in just enough of the C samples to provide more immediacy, plus enough of the S samples to create a more natural reverb to the overall sound. Theres no reason to keep the mix constant for the duration of the piece. Maybe youll want to add in a little extra C to a section that has the most important lyrics at the moment. Or give the altos the extra punch to stand out when they carry the melody, or push up the S perspective to make the chorus of townspeople sound more distant when they first arrive on the scene. Use your ear and your imagination to find the best mix for both you and the piece youre working on.
Blending All Three Mics

Another approach is to create three mixes of a piece that are identical except that they were played with the three separate sets of samples. Each of the three takes (C, F, and S) is bounced down to a stereo track. In a final bounce-down, the volume levels of the three perspectives are adjusted to achieve a single track with the desired sound. This approach can generate either stereo tracks or any of the surround sound formats (4.0, 5.1, LCR+LFE, Matrix UHJ, and many others). More on surround sound can be found on page 103.
Go for the Intimateor the ExpansiveSound

Note that some musical styles can benefit from using the C or S sound as the starting point. A recording of a Renaissance motet or other chamber ensemblemight benefit from the sound of using mostly the C samples. And a dreamy or mysterious film score might be more effective when based on the S samples. Such decisions may also apply with religious music, or if you are looking for a Lord of the Rings type of sound. Let your ears decide.
Beyond the Panning Controls

All EWQLSC voices take their traditional position on the concert hall stage. And the panning position is reinforced by tiny differences in the arrival of sounds to the left and right mics. Not only do the sounds directly from the different sections have different arrival times, but so also do the reverberations from the left and right walls. This is true, though, only for the F and S mics on the center line of the concert hall; for the C mics, any difference in timing is imperceptible. To fit properly in the soundscape, the C samples are programmatically panned left or right to simulate their respective positions on the stage (you can see that in the Kompakt interface). But panning only affects relative volume of the two channels. If you want to pin down perceived location even more strongly when using the C mics, its possible to time-adjust the left and right channels separately to move the singers where you want them. To reinforce panning the listeners left, first remember that the direct sound in the C mics is stronger than the natural reverb. Therefore, take its EQed left channel audio and move it earlier a few milliseconds; this will simulate the instruments sound arriving at the left mic first. Also, move its EQed right channel later, as if it took longer for the sound to get to the right microphone. Reverse those directions to pan the sound to the right.
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Surround Sound Samples

Stereo Mixing
When using the S samples for two-channel mixes, adding in a little of the lush sound of the S mics can convincingly convey the feeling of a live recording in a concert hall: well, at least as much as any stereo recording can do that. If you want a realistic concert hall sound, do not over-add the S samples; a little in the mix may be all you need. Those looking for other types of recordings (film scores, audio tracks for games, etc.) should feel free to experiment.
Surround Sound Mixing

This discussion focuses on the most popular format, 5.1, but the guiding principles apply to other standards as well. Heres a starting point for creating the 6 channels you need to create a 5.1 recording. Feel free to experiment with variations. Front Center: Take either the left or right signal from the stereo C micsbut not both left and right. Use this to create the immediacy needed for the front center. Front Left & Right: The F mics (left and right) are assigned to the front speakers (left and right). Add in a little of the S mics here for a lusher overall sound. Rear Left & Right: The two rear channels accept input from the two stereo S mics exclusively. Use your judgment about how much signal to send here, based on the type of recording youre creating. LFE: Unless youre creating a mix for a hardware environment with a discreet LFE channel, the system that plays your music can best determine its own crossover frequency between the sub-woofer and the other channels based on the characteristics of the hardware. Therefore, none of the music from the EWQL libraries should be added to the LFE channel. Only non-musical effects, such as explosions and dinosaur footsteps, should be added to this track directly.
Note that this is a change from earlier advice about surround sound mixing. If you are writing for specific hardware that does not provide its own crossover, then use the older advice, as follows. The low frequency and effects channel should be pulled from a mix of all the other channels; that is, the relative volume of the various mics (including any time delays and EQ applied separately to discreet channels) should be proportionally applied to the LFE channel. Be sure you use a crossover filter that removes from the other 5 channels the exact same range of frequencies added to the LFE. Not excluding the low-frequency sounds from the other channels results in inappropriate doubling of those frequencies.
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Notes from the Producers

This software was an enormous undertaking, but it is not something we plan to release and then forget about. Please check the EWQL forums at http://www.soundsonline-forums.com for a new section called WordBuilder Central. Here you can find hints and discussions about WordBuilder and its where to get the most from this software. We also allow users to post and share WordBuilder files there. For example, you might find a few sentences of random Latin for a video game project when youre on a tight schedule. Starting soon after the release of this software, you can find pre-edited WordBuilder files that you can download in seconds. We only ask that you also contribute some files of your own once in a while if youre benefitting from the downloads.
Hints
We want to mention a few things about the choir samples that may not be obvious. These hints will, we hope, be the sort of thing you will be able to find being posted on our forum on a daily basis: Hint 1: Normal Attack and Legato Attack vowels in the 4 adult choirs all have a hard, staccato accent that kicks in at velocity 102 and above. This means that independent of everything else, if you hit the keys hard, you will get a strong attack. This can be very useful for fast, accented passages. When writing smooth lines, avoid these hard velocities. Hint 2: Unusual and non-English vowel or consonant sounds can be created by layering vowels or consonants in WordBuilder. For example: the French word Louvre can be created in Votox with this text: lOU vrgU In the first syllable overlap O and U so that they play together until note off. (To accomplish this overlap, drag the ends of the horizontal bars in WordBuilders Time Editor.) In the second syllable, overlap r and g for a French R. Experiment to find your own combinations and post what you find on the WordBuilder forum.
Hint 3: The Latin word maximus can be written either like this in Votox: maX E mOS or like this: maX SE mOS In the second example, the S-sound at the end of the maX syllable gets connected to the next syllable because the S-sound is triggered again at the beginning of the next syllable. Hint 4: Many words work better if you repeat the first vowel twice. The word drum is usually written like so in Votox: drum But it can also be written like so: druum Now, when you let go of the note, u is triggered again for a short period of time before the m. You can overlap and cross-fade the u and the m for a smooth realistic effect. Hint 5: Consider a word like rain, which can be written like so in Votox: reEn The realism of the vowel sound can be enhanced by adjusting the curve on the eE cross-fade. Have the e decrease from 127 down to y=50, instead of near 0. This detail makes for a more convincing diphthong. Hint 6: Generally, the slurred legato is best for a rolling legato line. The regular legato is good for fast, clean connected notes. The legato attack is the least natural and most perfect sounding of all the attacks. In the Boys choir, the normal attack has a lot of the character of the boys and the legato attack is more perfect and synthetic. Nice lines can be created by mixing the two styles: Normal, Legato, Legato, Legato, Normal, Legato, etc. Hint 7: When consonants are even slightly too loud, it can sound unnatural. Real choirs in a hall are hard to understand. Consonants that are too soft are preferable to consonants that are too loud. Hint 8: Use the Mod Wheel and CC11 for expression. It really helps. See the sections starting on page 85 for more details.
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Hint 9: The preset, default relationship in volume between the vowels and consonants in all the multis is supposed to be consistent. That means that if you load the soft multi and create some text, then decide to switch to the hard multi, the vowel consonant relationship should be the same. In reality, though, there may be slight differences. For this reason, we recommend that you dont do any final tweaking in WordBuilder until you have loaded the multi you plan to use. Hint 10: If your choir is sounding fake: Maybe you need to leave more space between consonants, or perhaps make each consonant longer. Try overlapping certain consonants and possibly cross-fading them. Sometimes legato attacks can make things sound better or worse. Sometimes you need to use slurred legato on the vowel to improve a consonant-vowel transition. Sometimes an accent on a certain syllable is crucial to realism. Hit the keys hard for an accent. Sometimes its a good idea to fix MIDI velocity in your sequencer at a single value. This can improve smoothness and make editing in WordBuilder easier. Use CC11 and the Mod Wheel to inject dynamics. Hint 11. We really recommend using Votox exclusively. Once you get good at sounding things out and you learn the letter symbols, its powerful stuff. Look for more hints like theseand contribute some of your ownat WordBuilder Central, online at: http://www.soundsonline-forums.com Enjoy, Nick Phoenix and Doug Rogers
Credits
Produced by Doug Rogers and Nick Phoenix Recorded by Prof. Keith O. Johnson Custom recording equipment built and designed by Prof. Keith O. Johnson Assistant Recording Engineer Rhys Moody Director of Sample Editing Arne Schulze Sample Editing Arne Schulze, Nick Phoenix, Jonathan Marmor, Pierre Martin, Pacemaker, Nick Pavey, and Jared Selter Programming Nick Phoenix, Ashif Hakik, Pierre Martin, Pacemaker, Nick Pavey, and Jared Selter Art Direction Steven Gilmore and Doug Rogers WordBuilder concept by Nick Phoenix and Nuno Fonseca WordBuilder software by Nuno Fonseca Special thanks All of the singers (we salute you!), all at East West, and all at Native Instruments
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1 Product Authorization
Part of the KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT installation is a Product Authorization which has to be fulfilled in order to make permanent use of the software. We recommend that you take notice of this chapter first, then proceed with the software installation as described in the following chapters and finally return to this chapter.
1.1. What is the Product Authorization?

The Product Authorization includes a full registration. After having completed the authorization, you can make use of all online services related to the registered product. On the Native Instruments web site you can read online tutorials, get technical support, participate in the NI forums and download updates. KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT requires the Product Authorization in order to use the software permanently. You can run KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT for 30 days without any limitations. As long as the software runs unauthorized, a message at every program start reminds you that the authorization has not been completed yet and indicates how many more days the software will run without an authorization. The Product Authorization is performed by a small application called Registration Tool. The Registration Tool generates a System ID which serves as request code for receiving an Authorization Key. The System ID is based on some hardware components of your computer system, the operating system version and the serial number you have entered at the KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT installation. Note: Exchanging your audio card, MIDI interface or external equipment will not start the request for a new Authorization Key. Only exchanging a basic hardware component in your computer or installing a new operating system might produce a new Product Authorization request. In this case the Registration Tool will reflect the change by displaying a new System ID and you have to repeat the Product Authorization.
The System ID has to be sent to Native Instruments in order to receive the Authorization Key, which allows the permanent use of the KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT. Since the Product Authorization is part of the license agreement, the KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT will stop launching after 14 days if it was not authorized before then. Of course, it is also possible to complete the Product Authorization after 14 days. In this case the software will launch again as soon as the Product Authorization has been completed. Note: The data transfer at the online Product Authorization is done via a secure connection using 128-bit encryption. Native Instruments keeps your personal data such as email and postal address in confidence. No data will be shared with a third party.
1.2. Conducting the Product Authorization

Native Instruments has set a high value on making the authorization procedure as easy and comfortable as possible. In the following sections we describe three methods of conducting the Product Authorization. We recommend Method A and Method B since these result in the easiest and fastest way of receiving the Authorization Key.
Method A: KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT computer has direct access to the Internet

Important: This method requires a valid email address to complete the Product Authorization, since the registration code will be sent to you by email. Windows: Start the Registration Tool from the start menu (Program East West [Product Title] Registration Tool) or from the KOMPAKT installation folder (default path: C:\ProgramFiles\East West\[Product Title]\Registration Tool.exe). MacOS: Start the Registration Tool from the KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT installation folder (default path: Applications\East West\[Product Title]\Registration Tool). Kompakt Instrument English 110
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A click on the Register Now button opens the Native Instruments registration web page. Therefore your standard Internet Browser will be opened and an internet connection will be established according to your system settings. Your System ID will be automatically transmitted to the registration form. The first registration page asks for a valid email address. If the email address you enter is already known by the registration system, the next page will ask you for the password which you got from an earlier product registration. If the email address is new to the system, a new registration process will begin. Please follow the instructions on the registration web site to complete the registration. On the last page, you get the message Product is successfully registered, and the Authorization Code is displayed. Copy this number into the clipboard and go back to the registration tool where you can paste the code from the clipboard. Click on the Complete key. Within one hour you will receive an email from the Native Instruments registration system containing the Authorization Key. The Authorization Key is available in the email body and additionally as text attachment. This email also contains the password which is required for using the online services. Start the Registration Tool again and either (a) copy the Authorization Key from the email and click on the Paste from Clipb. button in the Registration Tool or (b) use the Open File button in the Registration Tool to open the email attachment which you previously saved to the hard disk. Click on the Complete button. Now the KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT Product Authorization has been completed. The authorization message at every KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT start has disappeared and you can use the software permanently:
Method B: Internet Connection on another computer

Important: This method requires a valid email address to complete the Product Authorization, since the Authorization Key will be sent to you by email.
Windows: Start the Registration Tool from the start menu (Program East West [Product Title] Registration Tool) or from the KOMPAKT installation folder (default path: C:\ProgramFiles\East West\[Product Title]\Registration Tool.exe). MacOS: Start the Registration Tool from the KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT installation folder (default path: Applications\East West\[Product Title]\Registration Tool). A click on the Save Registration File button opens a Save dialog for saving a HTML file. Save the HTML file to any storage medium. Transfer the HTML file to another computer where you have internet access (via floppy disk, CDR etc.). Open the HTML file in your internet browser. The HTML page contains a link for the registration page on the Native Instruments web site. When you click on this link an internet connection will be established according to your system settings. The first registration page asks for a valid email address. If the email address you enter is already known by the registration system, the next page asks you for the password which you received from an earlier product registration. If the email address is new to the system, a new registration process begins. Follow the instructions on the registration page to complete the registration. On the last page, you get the message Product is successfully registered, and the Authorization Code is displayed. Copy this number into the clipboard and go back to the registration tool where you can paste the code from the clipboard. Click on the Complete key. Within one hour you will receive an email from the Native Instruments registration system containing the Authorization Key. The Authorization Key is available in the email body and additionally as a text attachment. This email also contains the password which is required for using the online services. Transfer the text attachment to the computer where you have installed KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT.
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Start the Registration Tool again and either (a) copy the Authorization Key from the email and click on the Paste from Clipb. button in the Registration Tool or (b) use the Open File button in the Registration Tool to open the email attachment which you previously saved to the hard disk. Click on the Complete button. Now the KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT Product Authorization is complete. The authorization message for each KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT start has disappeared, and you can use the software permanently.
Method C: No Internet Connection available

Important: Following this method you will have to fill in a form which you send to Native Instruments. You will receive the Authorization Key either by email (recommended), by postal mail, or by fax. If you do not provide Native Instruments with a valid email address in the form, be prepared to type in the Authorization Key manually (about 60 digits). If you do not have access to the internet or if you do not have a working email address, the Product Authorization can also be done via postal mail or fax. Although Native Instruments goes after a fast handling of your authorization requests, it is generally recommended that you prefer Method A or Method B for shortest return times and most comfortable operation. Please note the following instructions to fulfill the Product Authorization: Windows: Start the Registration Tool from the start menu (Program East West [Product Title] Registration Tool) or from the KOMPAKT installation folder (default path: C:\ProgramFiles\East West\[Product Title]\Registration Tool.exe). MacOS: Start the Registration Tool from the KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT installation folder (default path: Applications\East West\[Product Title]\Registration Tool).
A click on the Fill Out Form button opens a local HTML file in the operating systems standard browser or another program which you have defined as standard application for opening HTML files. The HTML file contains all information Native Instruments requires for completing the Product Authorization and registration. Please fill in the required data and print it out, or write a letter containing the data. If you write a letter please attend to a legible handwriting to avoid mistakes at the Native Instruments registration team. Not legible email or postal addresses can cause problems with the Authorization Key delivery. Send the form to Native Instruments using one of the following contact addresses: Native Instruments GmbH Registration Schlesische Strae 28 10997 Berlin Germany Fax: +49 30 61103535 Native Instruments USA 5631A Hollywood Boulevard Los Angeles CA 90028 USA Fax: +1-323-372-3676
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You will receive the Authorization Key via email (recommended), fax or mail. Start the Registration Tool again and either (a) copy the Authorization Key from the email and click on the Paste from Clipb. button in the Registration Tool or (b) use the Open File button in the Registration Tool to open the email attachment which you previously have saved to hard disk. If you received the Authorization Key by mail or fax, type it in manually. Click on the Complete button. Now the KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT Product Authorization has been completed. The authorization message at every KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT start has disappeared and you can use the software permanently.
1.3. Registration support

If you run into problems during the Product Authorization the Native Instruments registration support team will be happy to help you. In this case write an email to: register@native-instruments.com Please describe the occurred problem as accurate as possible and provide the registration support team with the necessary details to solve the problem.
2 Installation under Windows

2.1. System Requirements and Recommendations
To use the KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT software, you need a computer with the following minimum specifications:
Hardware
Pentium III/Athlon processor with 1 GHz. Processors with low floating-point processing performance are expressly not recommended. 512 MB RAM 50 MB free space on your hard disk for the installation, 38 GB for the Choirs library. A sound card compatible with Windows XP. A MIDI interface for connecting a MIDI keyboard, another MIDI controller or an external sequencer. The MIDI interface integrated in many sound cards can also be used. DVD-ROM drive The audio engine in KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT has been designed to make optimum use of the available computing power in the CPU. The powerful FPUs integrated in modern CPUs are best suited to carrying out the complex computations of real-time synthesis. We recommend the following high-performance processors for using KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT: Pentium III or IV, Athlon or Athlon XP: with 3.0 GHz or faster. We also recommend that you use a large amount of RAM (2.0 GB or more) that is optimally matched to the architecture of your processor.
Software
Windows XP
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2.2. Software Installation

Insert the Installation CD into the CD-ROM drive. Use the Windows Explorer to view the contents of the CD. Start the installation by double-clicking [Product Title] Setup.exe. installation. For example: if the Kompakt Instrument title (i.e., the Product Title) is Symphonic Choirs, double click on SymphonicChoirs Setup.exe The setup program will suggest C:\Program Files\East West\[Product Title] as the path for the destination folder. You may also choose another folder if you wish.
Installed Folders, Files, and Links

The setup program creates a new folder called [Product Title]\ in the installation directory (Program Files\East West). This folder contains the files required to operate the software. If you do not choose a different program group during the installation, links to this KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT and a ReadMe file are added to the Start menu under Programs East West.
VST Plug-in Installation

Insert the Installation CD into the CD drive. Use the Windows Explorer to view the contents of the CD. To start, double-click the [Product Title] Setup.exe file. For example: if the Kompakt Instrument title (i.e., the Product Title) is Symphonic Choirs, double click on SymphonicChoirs Setup.exe When the choice is given by the installer, select VST Plug-in from the list of components to install. You can now choose to automatically search for the VST plug-in folder or manually select the VST plug-in folder of your choice. Please select the option that best suits your installation requirements.
Note: If more than one host program for VST 2.0 plug-ins is installed on your computer, simply copy the [Product Title] VST.dll file into the VST plug-ins folders of these programs (Note: [Product Title] means the title of the Kompakt Instrument: for example if you are installing the product Symphonic Choirs, the file you need to copy is SymphonicChoirsVST.dll). Windows: If the VST plug-in files are not visible in the Windows Explorer, select the Show All Files option. This option is located in the Explorer menu View Folder Options... on the View tab below Hidden Files. Optionally, you can set up your programs so that they all use the same VST plug-ins folder.
2.3. DXi 2 Plug-in Setup

DXi 2 is a plug-in interface for software synthesizers and instruments based on Microsoft DXi technology. Sonar from Cakewalk and Fruity Loops are the most well known host sequencers that support DXi.
Installation
Insert the Installation CD into the CD drive of your computer. Use the Windows Explorer to view the contents of the CD and double-click the [Product Title] Setup.exe file to start the installation. For example: if the Kompakt Instrument title (i.e. the Product Title) is Symphonic Choirs, double click on SymphonicChoirs Setup.exe Continue the KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT installation until you come to the Choose Plug-ins page. Tick the checkbox Install DXi Plug-in. The installation program copies the KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT plug-in to your hard disk and registers it as a DXi 2 plug-in for use in DXi 2-compatible host programs. After the installation, the KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT appears as a plug-in in the host program.
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3 Installation under Mac OS X

3.1. System Requirements and Recommendations
To use this KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT software, you need a computer with the following minimum specifications:
Hardware
Apple PowerMac G4 800 MHz or faster 512 MB RAM Audio interface compatible with Sound Manager/ Core Audio OMS-compatible MIDI interface for connecting a MIDI keyboard or an external sequencer (only for the stand-alone version) 50 MB free space for the installation, 38 GB for the Choirs library. DRD-ROM drive The audio engine in this KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT has been designed to make optimum use of the available computing power in the CPU. The parallel data processing expansions and powerful FPUs integrated in modern CPUs are best suited to carrying out the complex computations of real-time synthesis. This KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT makes extensive use of these expansions in order to achieve optimum performance. As a minimum requirement, we recommend using a G5 1.8 GHz with 2.0 GB RAM.
Software
Mac OS X 10.2.6 or higher (10.3 or higher recommended)
Installing the KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT Software

Insert the Installation CD into the CD drive of your computer. Double-click the CD icon. Kompakt Instrument English 119
Double-click the installation program [Product Title] Installer to start it. For example: if the Kompakt Instrument title (i.e. the Product Title) is Symphonic Choirs, double click on SymphonicChoirs Installer. The start screen appears first. After clicking Continue and confirming the license agreement, a dialog opens where you can select the installation location and the destination folder. The installation program suggests a path for the KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT folder; if you do not select a different destination, the KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT folder is created on the first hard disk. You can choose between Easy Install, where both the standalone and plug-in versions are installed, or Custom Install, where you can select which versions you want to install. (You must include basic installation on your first-time install, otherwise the registration tool will not be installed.)
MacOS VST Plug-in Installation

Insert the Installation CD into the CD drive and double-click the CD icon. Click the [Product Title] Installer application in the CD folder (for example: if the Kompakt Instrument title is Symphonic Choirs, double click on SymphonicChoirs Installer) and select the Custom installation type. Select only VST Plug-in from the list of components to install.
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4 Audio Interfaces
Audio interfaces allow KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT to communicate with the audio hardware of your computer and other programs that you may have installed. This chapter contains detailed information on the various audio interfaces and how to use them. The features of the various interfaces are described together with their suitable applications. Basically, there are two ways of using KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT: as a stand-alone or as a plug-in. In following, the two versions are described together with their corresponding interfaces.
4.1. Stand-alone Application

This method allows you to use KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT as a stand-alone program with any of the following the interfaces (drivers): MME, DirectSound, SoundManager, Core Audio or ASIO. In this case, your computer acts as a stand-alone instrument, similar to a hardware synthesizer with a MIDI port and analog inputs and outputs. The table contains an overview of which interfaces are suitable for stand-alone operation on the various computer platforms: Interface/driver
ASIO 2.0 DirectSound Core Audio Core MIDI
Windows
Mac OSX
4.2. Plug-In
Used as a plug-in, this KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT is not a standalone program but rather a program module that can be integrated into a host program such as a sequencer. Plug-in mode allows you to integrate it seamlessly with the sequencer. Furthermore, it has many other uses as a plug-in: MIDI sequencing of KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT and audio mixdown of the MIDI tracks within a single program Comfortable automation of KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT parameters in the sequencer Further processing of KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT signals using additional plug-ins Sample-accurate timing with MIDI controllers (when used as VST 2.0 plug-in) Restoring of all plug-in settings when the host document (such as a song file of the sequencer) is loaded Integration with other instruments into a virtual studio This table provides you with an overview of which interfaces are supported by which host programs: Interface/Driver Host Programs
VSTi 2.0 Cakewalk DXi RTAS Audio Units Cubase, Nuendo Sonar ProTools 5 and up, LE, Free Logic 6 and up, Digital Performer
Windows Mac
Overview of Operating Systems and Plug-ins

The interfaces described below are effectively different ways in which this KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT can communicate with your sound card. The interfaces that are available on your computer depend on the sound card you are using as well as your computer platform (Windows or MacOS).
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ASIO (Audio Streaming Input Output) is an sound card driver architecture developed by Steinberg. ASIO is available for MacOS and Windows computers. It offers low latency and supports multichannel audio cards. With its high performance and low latency, the ASIO driver interface is highly recommendable. DirectSound is an interface developed by Microsoft and is a component of DirectX 5.0 or higher for Windows 98/ME/2000/XP. Whether or not DirectX works well depends on the sound card you are using. If the audio buffer size that you set is too small with DirectSound, glitches and clicks may occur in the audio. MME is the standard Wave driver in Windows. Most sound cards support this interface and work with it quite well. However, MME is even less suitable than DirectSound for real-time applications. This is noticeable by a comparatively high latency. DXI 2 is a standard plug-in interface for software synthesizers and instruments based on Microsoft DXi technology. Sonar from Cakewalk and Fruity Loops are the most well known host sequencers that support DXi. SoundManager is the standard audio interface for the integrated audio hardware on Apple computers. The SoundManager audio interface has proven to be easy to use and reliable in real-time applications with an average latency of approximately 5 ms. With only the SoundManager interface, you can already play KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT well without need for an expensive sound card. Should you require even lower latencies or higher sound quality, then we recommend using an additional high-quality sound card. These sound cards also offer support for the SoundManager interface. Core Audio is a new audio interface available with MacOS X that allows you to use external audio hardware as well as the integrated audio output of the Mac. RTAS is based on an interface protocol from DigiDesign that allows you to use plug-ins with ProTools (or other software that is compatible with DigiDesign). RTAS plug-ins function independently from additional TDM hardware and are nonetheless able to offer the widest range of features. In this case, the host processor alone performs all of the computations for the plug-in.
Audio Units is a system-level Apple protocol for plug-ins. It was developed for the Macintoshs own suite of audio software (Logic, Garage Band, Sound Track). It is widely adopted as a plug-in interface (Digital Performer, Live).
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5 KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT as Plug-in

5.1. VST 2.0 Plug-in
In addition to the stand-alone version, this KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT can also be used as a VST plug-in. The advantages of the VST 2.0 format allow us to provide you with a powerful plug-in. For more information on the VST 2.0 format, refer to the user guide provided with your VST host program.
Using the KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT Plug-in in Cubase SX

Launch Cubase, go to the Devices menu option and select the VST Instruments menu option. A window showing the instrument rack appears. Click where it says No VST Instrument and choose KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT from the available list of instrument plug-ins. For example, Symphonic ChoirsVST
The plug-in will now appear in your list and automatically be turned on. It will also create a set of audio channels in your VST mixer that will be used for mixdown within your project. This will allow you to mix, pan, and process this KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT's output just like any other existing audio track in your Cubase song. Click on the Edit button to call up the KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT interface. Here you can control and edit all the features and functions that this KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT has to offer. Now go to the Project page and add a MIDI track (if you do not have one already created).
Go to the Output parameter section for this MIDI Track and click on the field. This will create a list of available MIDI out ports to assign to this MIDI track. Choose [Product Title] VST from the list. For example: if the Kompakt Instrument title (i.e. the Product Title) is Symphonic Choirs, choose Symphonic ChoirsVST. Note: If the title of this KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT product does not appear in the list of available VST instruments inside your VST 2 host application, then it is not installed correctly. Please refer to the previous section on installing the plug-in for both Windows and Mac platforms for more assistance on setting this up. After having loaded an Instrument from the library you should be able to trigger it via MIDI using a keyboard controller. The KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT's sound will generate through the VST mixer and directly to your sound card. If the plug-in does not receive MIDI or generate audio, then make sure to check the following areas: Make sure MIDI thru is enabled in Cubase. The MIDI channel of your MIDI track must correspond to the receive channel of the loaded instrument. Make sure that you have properly configured your sound card for use with Cubase. (Please refer to your Cubase manual for more information)
Using the KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT Plug-in in Nuendo 2 and 3

Launch an empty or current project in Nuendo. Click on the Devices menu and choose VST instruments from the menu options (or press F11 on your keyboard).
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A window showing the instrument rack appears. Click where it says No VST Instrument and choose this products title (for example, Symphonic ChoirsVST) from the available list of installed plug-ins.
The plug-in will now appear in your list and automatically be turned on. It will also create a set of audio channels in your VST mixer that will be used for mixdown within your project. This will allow you to mix, pan, and process KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT's output just like any other existing audio track in your Nuendo project. Click on the Edit button to call up the KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT interface. Here you can control and edit all the features and functions that this KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT has to offer. Now go to the Project Editor page and create a MIDI track (if you do not have one already created). Go to the Output parameter section for this MIDI Track and click on the field. This will create a list of available MIDI out ports to assign to this MIDI track. Choose [Product Title] (v1) from the list (where [Product Title] is the title of the product you installed]. Also make sure you assign the MIDI input port to correspond to whatever MIDI controller your are using.
Record enable the MIDI track. Note: If the title of this KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT product does not appear in the list of available VST instruments inside your VST 2 host application, then it is not installed correctly. Please refer to the previous section on installing the plug-in for both Windows and Mac platforms for more assistance on setting this up.
After having loaded an Instrument from the library you should be able to trigger it via MIDI using a keyboard controller. The KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT's sound will generate through the VST mixer and directly to your sound card. If the plug-in does not receive MIDI or generate audio, then make sure to check the following two areas: Make sure MIDI thru is enabled in Nuendo. The MIDI channel of your MIDI track must correspond to the receive channel of the loaded instrument. Make sure that you have properly configured your sound card for use with Nuendo (Please refer to your Nuendo manual for more information).
Using the KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT Plug-in in Logic

Launch Logic and create an audio instrument track or set an existing audio or MIDI track to an audio instrument track by clicking on it, holding down the mouse button and choose Audio Audio Instrument AudioInst 1.
Double click the audio instrument track to open the environment window. Logic scrolls automatically to the first instrument bus in the Logic mixer. Choose this KOMPAKT INSTRUMENTs AU plug-in in the appropriate insert slot of the instrument mixer bus. Therefore click onto the insert slot, hold down the mouse button and choose Stereo AU [Product Title]. The plug-in now appears in the instrument slot and is ready to use. The instrument mixer channel will allow you to mix, pan, and process the KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT's output just like any other existing audio track in Logic. Double click on the mixers KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT slot to call up this KOMPAKT INSTRUMENTs interface. Here you can control and edit all the features and functions that this KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT has to offer. Kompakt Instrument English 128
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Note: If the title of this KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT product does not appear in the list of available AU instruments inside your AU host application, then it is not installed correctly. Please refer to the previous section on installing the plug-in for both Windows and Mac platforms for more assistance on setting this up. After having loaded an Instrument from the library you should be able to trigger it via MIDI using a keyboard controller. The KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT's sound will generate through the AU mixer and directly to your sound card. If the plug-in does not receive MIDI or generate audio, then make sure to check the following two areas: Make sure MIDI thru is enabled in Logic. The MIDI channel of your MIDI track must correspond to the receive channel of the loaded instrument. Make sure that you have properly configured your sound card for use with Logic. (Please refer to your Logic manual for more information).
5.2. DXi 2 Plug-in

DXi 2 is a plug-in interface for software synthesizers and instruments based on Microsoft's DirectX technology.
Using the KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT DXi 2 plug-in in Sonar

Launch Sonar In the synth rack choose [Product Title] DXi 2.
Loading the KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT DXi 2 plug-in in the synth rack
Route a MIDI track to the DXi 2-Plug-in by selecting [Product Title] in the Out drop down list.
Assign a MIDI track to the KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT-DXi-Plug-in After having loaded an Instrument from the library you should be able to trigger it via MIDI using a keyboard controller. The KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT's sound will generate through the Sonar mixer and directly to your sound card. If the plug-in does not receive MIDI or generate audio, then make sure to check the following two areas: Make sure MIDI thru is enabled in Sonar. The MIDI channel of your MIDI track must correspond to the receive channel of the loaded instrument. Make sure that you have properly configured your sound card for use with Sonar. (Please refer to your Sonar manual for more information).
5.3. RTAS
The RTAS format is an interface protocol for Mac OS that allows you to use plug-ins with ProTools independently from additional TDM hardware, while nonetheless offering the widest range of features. In this case, the host processor alone performs all of the computations for the plug-in.
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6 KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT Stand-alone Version

The stand-alone version of this KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT allows you to use the application independently from other programs. In order to use the Stand-alone version you have to do the audio and MIDI settings first. You can call up the Audio + MIDI Settings setup dialog from the System menu of this KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT. For setting the stand-alone interfaces please choose Audio + MIDI Settings... from the System menu.
Audio + MIDI Setting dialog
Soundcard tab
Interface All of the supported (and installed) audio interfaces are available in this drop-down list. Select the desired audio driver (MME, DirectSound, ASIO, SoundManager, Core Audio) from this list. Sample Rate Depending on the sound card and driver you are using, various sample rates are available. Set the desired sample rate here. Output Device Here you can define which of the installed audio interfaces should be used for the audio outputs based on the driver selected under Interface.
Input Device Here you can define which of the installed audio interfaces should be used for the audio inputs based on the driver selected under Interface. Note: With some interface types (e.g. ASIO or Core Audio), the Input Device setting is not available. Instead of that you can set the inputs for the chosen driver on the Routing tab. Output Latency This box displays the output latency. With some drivers you also get a latency slider for setting an individual latency for this KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT.
Routing tab
If you are using a multi-channel sound card, KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT also allows you to freely select which channels to use for the output signals.
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MIDI tab
These two boxes (MIDI inputs and MIDI outputs) display all of the MIDI inputs and outputs that are correctly installed on your system. Click in the right column to off or on to activate or deactivate the corresponding MIDI input or output. From this point on, KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT sends and receives MIDI on the activated inputs and outputs.
KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT Architecture

The most basic element used by a sampler is, of course, the sample itself. This is a chunk of digitized audio that is loaded into RAM or streamed directly from a hard drive. KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT allows you to define a variety of parameters for a sample in order to turn it into a musical instrument. A sample loaded into KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT can be defined as an Instrument. Up to eight Instruments can be grouped together into a Multi (short for Multi-Instrument). Each Instrument can be assigned a key range, or zone, which represents the position and stretching of a sample across the keyboard. KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT's hierarchical structure allows you to create complex sounds, or to gather together associated samples for live performance. One or more Instruments associated together into a Multi can be edited and effected as a whole using the Group Edit capabilities. Since each Instrument in a Multi can have its own MIDI channel, you can easily group together a series of sounds to use in a live set. You can also create a layered performance from a group of Instruments with overlapping key ranges and global modulation.
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Kompakt Instrument Interface

Each Instrument has its own filter, amp, envelopes, LFOs, effects, and finally, a master filter.
KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT's interface is divided into five areas: the Multi, Instrument, Modulation, and Effects sections, and the Keyboard. The Modulation and Effects areas as well as the Keyboard can be folded up when not in use.
The Multi Instrument Section

The Multi-Instrument section (or Multi for short) is where you perform most global Instrument management functions, like opening and saving Instruments and Multi Instruments, setting preferences, etc.
Multi Instrument Section The top field, to the right of the Save button, is where you can load the Instruments and Multis that come with KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT. You can enter a name by double-clicking in this field and typing in the new name. To edit a name, drag over the text to be edited and type in your changes. To load a Multi Instrument, click the upside-down triangle in the top field and select a Multi from the drop-down menu. The Instruments that make up the Multi will load into a virtual rack, which can hold up to eight Instruments. To load an Instrument, click and hold on the upside-down triangle in one of the Instrument fields below the Multi text field and select an Instrument from the drop-down menu. It will be added to the Instrument rack. To save a Multi Instrument, type your chosen name for it into the Multi text field and click the Save button. To edit the settings of an Instrument in a Multi, click on that Instrument's name in the list. KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT's settings will change to reflect that particular Instrument.
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M: Clicking Mute mutes the Instrument, but allows other Instruments to play. S: Clicking Solo mutes all other Instruments so that only the soloed Instrument or Instruments play. To the left of the Instrument list, you will find the information area. This arrangement of text fields gives you information about each Instrument and lets you make changes to some Instrument settings.
Sample size: On the top, left of the information area the size of the current sample is displayed... This is easily identified by the RAM chip icon. Polyphony: The top right corner displays the instruments polyphony. The left digit displays the number of notes being played at any given time, while the right digit shows the maximum number of notes available. Click and drag the right field the increase or decrease the maximum number of notes. CPU usage: Shows current processor activity in percent. Keyrange: Set the key range of the currently selected Instrument by clicking and dragging up or down in the Keyrange field. Each sample's key range is represented by an area of green shading on the on-screen keyboard. Use this with multiple instruments to create keyboard splits. For example, a bass Instrument could cover the lower two octaves of your keyboard and a synth the rest. Transpose: Shift the key of the current Instrument by dragging up or down. MIDI channel: Lets you change the MIDI channel that each instrument responds to. To change the MIDI channel, click and hold on this field to access the drop-down menu.
Output: Makes it possible to route each Instrument to its own output if your sound card supports multiple outs. Click and hold on this field to access the Output drop-down menu.
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Options Menu
The Multi area also allows you to set preferences for KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT. Click on the Options button to select General or DFD (Direct From Disk) preferences. The DFD extension is only available on the Native Instruments web site. Follow the Update link in the About window in order to download the DFD extension from the Native Instruments homepage.
0.1. General Options
General Options window In the General Options window, you can set the overall KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT preferences. Master Tune: Adjust the overall tuning of KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT in cents. Sustain/Sustenuto Pedal mode: Use this to set the behavior of any foot-pedals that you wish to route into KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT via MIDI. Auto-Convert Loaded Samples to 32-bit: Enable this to convert all loaded samples to high-resolution 32-bit format. Display Mapping on Keyboard: Enable this to show the keymapping of each Instrument via colored keys. Use Std. CC#7/CC#10 Volume & Pan: Sets KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT to recognize the standard MIDI assignments for volume and pan controllers.
Solo in Place: When chosen, solo in place enables single instrument soloing only. For example, while having instrument 1 soloed, you click to solo instrument 2. With solo in place you would un-solo instrument 1 in favor of soloing instrument 2. Solo latch: Opposite function of solo in place. This function allows you to solo multiple instruments at the same time, simply by clicking on those you wish to solo.
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Group Edit
Group Edit options When the Group Edit button is selected, a number of options for global editing of group settings are activated. The Group Amp window in the Instrument area opens, as well. Edit All: When activated, applies any edits you make to all groups within the instrument. Group drop-down menu: Allows you to select individual instrument groups for editing.
0.2. Group Amp
Group Amp window The overall volume, pan, and tuning for each group can be adjusted with the Group Amp controls. Each of the three settings has an LFO amount knob for the associated LFOs. There is also a Vel knob to route velocity value to a groups volume.
The Instrument Section
The Instrument window The Instrument section is where you can make changes to the individual Instruments of a Multi. You can name an Instrument by double-clicking in this field and typing in the new name. To edit a name, drag over the text to be edited and type in your changes. To save an Instrument, simply click on the Save button to the left of the Instrument name field. The new instrument will be saved in your instrument directory.
0.3. Sampler
Microtuning: You can alter the tuning structure of KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT by selecting from the Microtuning drop-down menu. Click and hold the Microtuning button to access the menu. Velocity Curve: You can customize the way each Instrument responds to keyboard velocity by using the Velocity Curve control. Glide: Determines the amount of polyphonic pitch slide from note to note.
0.4. Filter
A filter shapes the frequency content of signals that pass through it. KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT includes a multi-mode filter. Engage it by clicking the header bar labelled Filter. There are six different filter types to help you shape your Instrument.
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Cutoff: Controls the cutoff frequency, or the frequency above which signals are attenuated, of the selected filter type. Reso: Sets the amount of filter resonance, or emphasis of frequencies at or just below the cutoff frequency. Env: Determines the amount of cutoff modulation by the Filter Envelope. Key: Adjusts key tracking for the filter cutoff frequency. High Key values cause the filter to sound brighter (to open more, basically) higher up the keyboard, while sounding duller (closing more) towards the bottom. This can mimic the effects of string tension on a piano (higher at the top of the keyboard, lower at the bottom), for example. When Key is set to zero, the filter frequency is unchanged by keyboard position. Vel: Controls how much effect velocity has on filter cutoff. LFO: Controls the amount of cutoff modulation by the Filter LFO. Select the type of filter by clicking one of the buttons listed below. : Activates a 1-pole, or 6 dB per octave, low pass filter. Low pass filters reduce high frequencies while allowing low frequency signals to pass through. : Activates a 2-pole, or 12 dB per octave, low pass filter. : Activates a 4-pole, or 24 dB per octave, low pass filter. : Activates a high pass filter. A high pass filter leaves high frequencies in places, but attenuates below the cutoff point. : Activates a band-reject, or notch filter. A notch filter cuts a narrow range of the frequency spectrum without affecting frequencies above or below the notch. : Activates a band pass filter. A band pass filter boosts a specific frequency band, and cuts frequencies above and below the band pass range.
0.5. Instrument Amp

The Instrument Amp controls the mixing parameters for each Instrument. This can come in handy when putting together a Multi with overlapping layers. You can position each Instrument layer precisely where you want it in the mix. Volume: Sets the Instrument's output level. Since KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT sums together all voices at the output, playing many loud voices at once could result in clipping. Be careful when you set each Instrument's Volume in order to avoid distortion (unless that's the kind of thing you are into). Pan: Allows you to position the Instrument's location within the stereo sound field. For fine adjustments, hold down the Shift key while dragging with the mouse. Tun: This control changes the Instrument's master tuning in semitones, up to +/- 12 semitones, or one octave. To enable fine-tuning in cents (1/100th of a semitone), holding down the Shift key while dragging with the mouse. Meters: These show the Instrument's signal output level. If the red clipping indicators light up, reduce the overall level to avoid distortion.
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The Modulation Section
The Modulation section KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT includes three envelopes and three LFOs to help you shape and add movement to your sounds. The Envelope and LFO headers act as both on/off switches and switch the view to the selected modulator.
0.6. Envelopes
Envelopes create a modulation curve over time for parameter control. KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT's envelopes are of the ADSR (attack, decay, sustain, release) variety, which is the most commonly found synthesizer envelope. The KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT envelopes include a Hold stage, creating an AHDSR envelope. A slight amount of hold time coupled with a fast attack is the secret of punchy synthesizer sounds, like basses and percussion sounds. Two of KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT's envelopes are hard-wired to their parameters, though the Free Envelope can be assigned to one of a variety of parameters. When an envelope is activated, the header will light up a bright green color. The currently selected envelope is a brighter green than those envelopes that are active but not selected.
0.7. Volume Envelope

To engage and access the Volume envelope, click on the Volume Envelope header in the Modulation section. When properly selected it will turn bright green, you can then edit the parameters. Attack: Sets the time required for the envelope to go from 0 dB to its maximum level. Hold: Sets the amount of time that the envelope stays at its maximum level.
Decay: Sets the time required for the envelope to drop from the maximum level, set by the attack and Hold controls, to the Sustain level. Sustain: Sets the level that will be maintained as long as the MIDI note triggering the envelope is held. Release: When the MIDI note is released, the Sustain parameter sets the time that the envelope decays back down to 0 from the sustain level. Retrigger: Allows you to re-trigger the envelope every time you play a key or send a MIDI note (i.e., the envelope starts from the same point each time it's triggered). If disabled, any key you play while another is down will not retrigger the envelope. CRV: Sets the amount and polarity of the curve of the envelope's Attack stage. You can use this to create sounds where the attack stage swoops in gradually (low CRV value), or where starts more immediately with a steeper curve (high CRV value).
0.8. Filter Envelope

The Filter Envelope offers the same controls as the Volume Envelope described above, but when engaged, affects filter cutoff frequency.
0.9. Free Envelope
The Free Envelope activated The Free envelope operates just like the Volume and Filter envelopes, but its modulation signal output can be sent to a choice of destinations, rather than being hardwired. The drop-down menu under the Retrigger switch lets you pick the modulation destina-
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tion. You can use the Free Envelope to modulate Pan, Tune, Filter Resonance, and LFO 1-4 amount and speed. The Amount slider at the far right sets the amount of modulation by the envelope sent to the destination.
0.10. LFOs
The LFO section (focused on the Filter LFO). An LFO (or Low Frequency Oscillator) creates continuous modulation signals at sub-audio speeds. Vibrato and tremolo are examples of LFO signals that effect pitch and volume, respectively. There are four LFOs available in KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT, allowing you to create complex modulation schemes. Each LFO is hardwired to its modulation target. You can activate an LFO by clicking on its header. The currently selected LFO will glow a bright green, while engaged but not currently selected LFOs will glow a dimmer green. Freq: Sets the LFO speed in Hertz. If the Sync switch (described below) is engaged, the LFO frequency is displayed in clock divisions (1/4, 1/8, 1/16, etc.). Key: Determines whether, and how much, the LFO tracks the current note pitch. You can use this to force LFO frequency to change to match playing position on the keyboard (i.e., faster speeds with higher notes, slower speeds with low notes). : Engages the sine LFO waveshape. : Engages the saw LFO waveshape. : Engages the square LFO waveshape.
Retrigger: Activates LFO retriggering every time a MIDI note is received (i.e., the LFO starts over from the same point every time you play a key). If disabled, any key you strike while another key is down will not retrigger the LFO. Sync: Allows you to synchronize the LFO frequency to any incoming MDI clock signal. You can set the LFO speed to musically useful clock divisions (like 16th note triplets, for example) by using the drop-down menu next to the Freq. Knob. When the Filter LFO is engaged, you will see a drop-down menu below the Sync switch. This allows you to specify whether the Filter LFO signal modulates Cutoff or Resonance.
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The Effects Section
The Effects section KOMPAKT INSTRUMENT includes three time-based effects modules and a Master Filter for special effects. Any combination can be engaged simultaneously (as long as your computer has enough processing power). You can activate each effect by clicking on its header. The currently selected effect will glow a bright green; while engaged, but not currently selected effects will glow a dimmer green.
0.11. Reverb
Synthesizes the reflections that occur when sound bounces around in an acoustic space, adding special dimension to a sound. Preset: Allows you to select from a variety of pre-programmed reverb settings. Size: Sets the room size, which affects how long the reverberation lasts. Higher values model larger rooms. Dam: The Damping control sets the amount of absorption of high frequencies in the room. In real life, absorption is accomplished with draperies, acoustic panels, bodies, etc. The slider at the bottom determines the wet/dry balance. Moving the slider to the right mixes in more reverb than dry signal.
0.12. Chorus
This effect thickens the audio signal by doubling the signal and detuning the copy compared to the original signal. It uses a very short delay to accomplish this. A pair of LFOs detunes each channel of the stereo signal to give the impression of movement. Depth: The amount of LFO modulation. Higher values give a more pronounced chorusing sound. Speed: Sets the LFO speed. The slider at the bottom sets wet/dry mix.
0.13. Delay
Produces echo effects. Very low delay times produce comb-filter and resonator-like effects. Higher time settings produce a noticeable echo compared to the dry signal. Time: The interval in milliseconds between hearing the dry signal and the first delay of the echo signal. If the Sync switch is engaged, delay time can be set in musically-useful clock divisions be selecting from the drop-down menu below the Time knob.
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FDB: Sets the Feedback amount. This sends a portion of the delayed signal back into the input of the delay line, creating multiple echoes. A value of zero produces only one repeat. Higher Feedback values produce multiple (up to infinite) repeats. Sync: Allows you to synchronize delay time to any incoming MIDI clock. You can then set delay times in clock divisions.
0.14. Master Filter
When activated, the Master Filter acts as a global filter or EQ, affecting the entire signal up until this point. You can use it emphasize or attenuate frequencies in your sound Preset: This drop-down menu lets you access a list of EQ presets for altering your sound. : Engages a resonant 4-pole low pass filter. You can alter the frequency and resonance by clicking and dragging on the small green dot in the filter display. : Engages a resonant high pass filter. Alter the cutoff frequency and resonance by clicking and dragging the dot in the filter display. : Engages a resonant band pass filter. : Transforms the Master Filter into a three-band parametric equalizer. Each band can be adjusted for cutoff and gain by clicking and dragging its control dot in the filter display. Control-clicking on a dot sets the gain for that band to zero. You can adjust the bandwidth, or cutoff steepness, for each band by clicking and dragging up or down in the Bandw. text field to the right of the filter display.
Cutoff: Lets you set the cutoff frequency for the selected EQ band or filter in Hertz by clicking and dragging up or down in the text field. You can also type in values by double clicking in the field. Gain: Sets the boost or cut of each EQ band or filter. Adjusts can be made by clicking and dragging or by double-clicking and typing in values. Bandwidth: In EQ mode, you can adjust the range, or bandwidth, of each selected EQ band by clicking and dragging in this field. You can also type in values by double-clicking on this field and entering numbers from the keyboard.
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Index
Symbols
=(>< (in articulations) 62 =+-*/ (in velocity settings) 60
C
CC11 (expression) 88, 106 CC7 (volume) 88 Choir 53 sections 17 Chorus mens 17, 35 womens 17, 35 Chorus FX (in Kompakt) 150 Component program. See Instrument Concert hall 98 Consonants 38, 106 non-pitched 39 Core Audio 123, 131 CPU usage 137 Credits, production 108 Crossover frequency 103 CRV 146 Cubase 21, 27, 59, 125 Cutoff 143, 152
Numerics
3 Mic Positions 96 5.1 103
A
Accent 107 AHSDR envelope 90 Altos multis 33 Amount 147 Articulations 32, 37 ASIO 123, 131 Attack 145 Audio interfaces 121 Audio Units 124 Authorization 26 Authorization Key 109, 111, 113, 115 Auto-convert to 32-bit 139
D
Dam 149 Decay 146 Decay, natural 90 Delays 97, 150 Depth 150 DFD 26, 92, 139 menu 94 DFD Active button 95 Dictionary 19 DirectSound 123, 131 Display mapping on keyboard 139 Downloads 105 DXF. See Dynamic cross-fade. DXi 129 DXi 2 123 Dynamic cross-fade 33, 85
B
Bandwidth 152 Basses multis 34 Bounced tracks 97 Boy sopranos 32, 40 multis 35 Boys choir 106 Buffers preload 92, 94 voice 92, 94 Bypass 55
E
Edit All button 91, 141 Effects 37 Effects section, Kompakt 149 English 45, 47, 55 Env 143 Envelope volume 145 Envelope, volume 51 Envelopes 145 EWQLSO 13, 15 Expert button 95 Export 44, 53 Expression 88, 90
H
Hardware Mac 20, 119 Windows 20, 116 Help 56 Hints 105 Hold 145
I
Import 44, 53 Input Device 132 Installation 23 Windows 116 Instrument 36, 134 Instrument amp 144 Instrument section 142 Interface 131 Interfaces, supported 20
F
Fade 91 FDB 151 Filter 142 Filter envelope 146 Filter LFO 148 Free envelope 146 French 105 Freq 147 Full chorus, church 40, 84
J
Johnson, Keith O., Prof. 12, 15, 91
K
Key 143, 147 Keyrange 137 Keyswitch 32, 61 Kompakt 19, 23, 32, 50, 59, 88 upgrading 25
G
Gain 152 Gaming 14 General options 139 Glide 142 Group amp 141 Group drop-down menu 141 Group edit 141
L
Latency 97 Latin, setting in WordBuilder 106 Learning 55 Legato 32, 61, 105, 106 Letters 59 LFE (Low Frequency Effects) 103 LFO 141, 143, 147 Logic 30, 128 Low Frequency Oscillator. See LFO
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M
Master filter 151 Master tune 139 Memory considerations 36 Meters 144 Microphone placement 13 Microtuning 142 Mics close 91, 96, 101 full 96 position of 88 surround 96, 101 MIDI channel 58, 137 channel numbers 45 Note-On message 88 panic 56 ports 58 settings 131 MIDI loopback connectors 21 MIDI out 30 MIDI tab 133 MME 123, 131 Mod Wheel 88, 90, 106 Modulation section 145 Multi instrument 136 Multis 32, 33, 41, 134 Mute 137
Output device 131 Output latency 132 Overview 17
P
Pan 144 Panning 91, 102 Phoenix, Nick 11, 107 Phonetic alphabet 18 Phonetics 45, 47, 48, 55 Plug-in 122, 125 Polyphony 93, 137 Post production 14 Preset 149, 151 Product authorization 109
R
RAM 92, 134 ReadMe 24 Recommendations hardware and software 20 Recording practice 14 Registration tool 109, 113 Release 146 Release trail 49 Release trails 90 Reserved voices 94 Reset position 55 Reso 143 Retrigger 146, 148 Reverb 149 control 99 halls natural 97 Rogers, Doug 10, 107 Routing tab 132 RTAS 123, 130
N
New pronunciations, adding 62 New words, adding 62 Normal attack 32, 105 Nothing 60 Nuendo 21, 27, 59, 126
O
Options 139 Output 138
S
Sample 134 Sample rate 131 Sample size 137 Sampler 142 Samples choir 32 in EWQLSC 17 soloist 41 SATB 40, 83 Save 142 Segment transitions 61 Sequencer 58 automation 88 envelope 88, 89 Setup.exe 24 Size 149 Slurred attack 32 Software upgrading 25 Solo 137 Solo in place 140 Solo latch 140 Soloing 63 Soloists sampled 18 Sonar 20, 27, 59, 129 Sopranos multis 33 Soundcard tab 131 SoundManager 123, 131 Speed 150 Staccato 32, 61 Stand-alone 121, 131 Stereo mixing 103 Sub-woofer 103
Surround sound 103 Surround sound mixing 103 Sustain 146 Sustain/Sustenuto pedal mode 139 Sync 148, 151 System ID 109, 111
T
Tenors multis 34 Timbre 88 Time 150 Toolbar 54 mini 54 Transpose 137 Tun 144
U
Use std. CC#7/CC#10 139
V
Vel 143 Vel knob 141 Velocity 32, 55, 59, 87, 105, 107 Velocity curve 142 Voice 53 Voice Properties dialog box 58 Volume 144 Votox 18, 45, 48, 50, 55, 105, 107 Vowels 37 doubling 106 VST 2.0 Plug-in 125
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W
Welcome 8 WordBuilder 18, 23, 105 colors in text editor 46 interface 44 MFX plug-in 27 plug-in 59 settings 45 stand-alone mode 27, 58 text editor 46, 61 text modes 45 tools 51 VST MA plug-in 27 WordBuilder Central 105
Z
Zoom 54

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EASTWEST/QUANTUM LEAP SYMPHONIC CHOIRS and Kompakt Instrument Operation Manual

Kompakt Instrument English 1

Kompakt Instrument English 2

Kompakt Instrument English 3

Kompakt Instrument English 4

Kompakt Instrument English 5

Kompakt Instrument English 6

Kompakt Instrument English 7

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Kompakt Instrument English 9

Producer: Doug Rogers

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Producer: Nick Phoenix

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Recording Engineer: Prof. Keith O. Johnson

Prof. Keith O. Johnson

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Two Revolutionary Concepts

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The Samples Library

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Kompakt Instrument English 18

Kompakt Instrument English 19

Hardware and Software Recommendations

Supported Software Interfaces

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MIDI Loopback Connectors

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Kompakt Instrument English 25

Kompakt Instrument English 26

Starting Symphonic Choirs

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WordBuilder as a Stand-alone Module

WordBuilder as a VST MA Plug-in

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WordBuilder as an MFX Plug-in

WordBuilder Running Stand-alone with Logic

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Using the Choir Samples

Using Multis with WordBuilder

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The Multis in Symphonic Choirs

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Kompakt Instrument English 34

Full Mens and Full Womens Choruses

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Memory Considerations When Choosing Multis

The Component Programs

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Full Chorus, Church

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Using The Soloist Samples

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Alto Solo KS C0-A#0