ValhallaÜberMod available for OSX/Windows

[henge]

Originally Posted by seancostello

Documentation would help as well. I hate writing documentation. I actually hate writing in general, as far as sitting down and writing something in a non-conversational tone. Still, ÜberMod is deep, and as much as I've tried to put documentation into the tooltip area, it needs a manual.

So, I've just written 3 more "manual" posts:

ValhallaUberMod: The EQ Parameters

ValhallaUberMod: The DRIVE Parameters

ValhallaUberMod: The WARP Parameters

I need to write up a description of the preset menu next, and then a few posts about "what is ÜberMod" and "WHY ÜberMod." After that, I'll put everything into a PDF, and ba-da-bing, ba-da-boom, there's your manual right there! Tips and Tricks will be posted as needed.

My wife put together a document for all the ValhallaRoom posts, as well. I'll review that in the next few days, and post that as a PDF manual.

Excellent reads! I've decided tomorrow morning is dig deep into Ubermod time.
Vroom is so easy to dial and the presets in Ubermod are excellent starting points, but this is a plug worth learning thoroughly.

[seancostello]

I just put up a blog post about the development history of ÜberMod:

ValhallaUberMod: The History

I left out a lot of non-Valhalla stuff that ended up taking a lot of time during the development process, so it isn't exactly accurate to say that there was 6 solid months of development time in there. Plus, there were several ValhallaRoom releases in there, and I spent several weeks during the summer tracking down some stupid OSX installer issues for the 1.0.8 VRoom release. Still, I figured that someone might be interested in how ÜberMod came into the world. If not, well, writing a blog post is cheaper than talking to a therapist about this stuff.

[seancostello]

And finally, the blog post I should have written in early December: What is ÜberMod?

What is UberMod?

I'm going to put the content into this thread, as it seems relevant to the wider ÜberMod discussion.

What is UberMod?

ValhallaÜberMod, at its heart, is a stereo modulated multitap delay line. The signal is written into parallel delay lines (1 for left, 1 for right), and is read out by one or more delay taps. The taps can be moved back and forth in time, by low frequency oscillators or user controls, in order to produce pitch changes via the Doppler effect. The plugin also incorporates diffusion delays, soft saturation, low and high cut filters, and a variety of other controls to shape the delay tap amplitudes, spacing, tone and movement.

So, what can you do with a stereo modulated multitap delay line?

• Chorus. ValhallaÜberMod contains elements inspired by the Roland Dimension choruses, but vastly expanded in order and with fully parametric controls. The classic “Dimension D” sound can be emulated, but ÜberMod can also emulate the multi-voice choruses previously limited to high end rack gear.
• Ensembles. The modulation section of ÜberMod contains slow and fast LFOs, that can be mixed in together. In addition, some of the Modes are based around the specific modulation schemes of vintage string ensemble units, such as the 3-phase LFOs found in the Solina and Crumar Performer, and the dual triangle LFOs of the Roland VP330/RS505. This allows ÜberMod to dial in a variety of “classic” ensemble effects, as well as more realistic emulations of orchestral sounds.
• Flanging. By using one of the multitap modes, and keeping the delays short and grouped closely together, ÜberMod can create huge flanging sounds, that incorporate the through-zero effects of tape flanging, while adding random motion and complexity to produce an effect that is remarkably similar to a jet flying overhead.
• Delays. ÜberMod allows the user to sync the delays to the DAW tempo, as well as dialing in specific delay times in milliseconds.
• Multitap Delays. With up to 32 taps, ÜberMod can create dense clusters of delays, rhythmic tapped delays, strongly pitched comb filtering effects, and all sorts of multitap sounds. The TAPS controls allow the user to shape the spacing and amplitude of the delay taps via intuitive high-level controls.
• Ping-Pong Delays. The new WARP InputPan control (introduced in the 1.0.1 ÜberMod release) allows for any of the delay Modes to be turned into a ping pong mode. This goes well beyond the standard ping pong delays, and can produce ping ponging delay clusters, ping pong delays with strange rhythmic divisions, ping ponged multitap clusters, and tons of other effects that bounce back and forth between speakers.
• Tape and BBD delay emulations. ValhallaÜberMod has a flexible overdrive section, including pre and post gain, as well as noise that can be mixed into the signal. The delay time changes can also be slewed, using the WARP Smoothing control, to produce the slow delay transitions and pitch changes that are typical of analog delays. By dialing in overdrive, noise, and feedback, and adjusting the flexible EQ section, the user can get low-bandwidth BBD emulations, wobbly tape delays, and long echos that degenerate into shrieking oscillation.
• Diffuse delays. Many of the high-end Lexicon and Eventide rack units combined diffusion delays with longer delay lines, to soften the attacks of echos. ValhallaÜberMod has a flexible diffusion section, to create smeared echos, clusters of delays, and all sorts of diffuse effects.
• Reverbs. The diffusion section in ÜberMod has variable size and modulation parameters, similar to ValhallaShimmer, but more optimized for generic delay effects. Crank up the diffusion size and turn up the feedback, and all sorts of reverb effects can be produced: short ambiences, large rooms, huge halls.
• Nonlinear and reverse reverbs. Combine the diffusion section with a Mode that has a larger number of delay taps (8/16/32 taps) to generate short gated reverbs, “reverse” reverbs that fade in slowly over time, room reverbs with a truncated decay, etc.
• “Glitch Shifting.” The triangle oscillators in ÜberMod were designed to create “detuned” choruses, without an obvious sense of pitch wobble. Crank up the OverMod control, however, and all sorts of unpredictable pitch shifted and reversed sounds can be produced. I call this “glitch shifting,” although I still feel dirty whenever I type that phrase.
• Oscillations. Turn on the DRIVE, and crank up the feedback, and ÜberMod will start making sounds on its own. By adjusting the delay and modulation settings, all sorts of crazy burbling whirling machine noises can be generated.
• Stereo Widening. Use short Diffusion settings to widen the stereo image. Add a bit of modulation to create stereo choruses. Crank up the DEPTH control to create super-stereo effects.
• Chimeras. This is the term I use for sounds that combine aspects of several effects to create sounds that are new, weird, and in many cases defy easy categorization:
  • Reverbs with ensemble modulation
  • Ping-Pong Reverbs
  • Tape Reverbs, where the sound gets more distorted as it decays away
  • Sounds that don’t have names yet

So, why create a single plugin that covers all of these sounds, instead of several plugins where each plugin is tailored to a specific application? I’m not exactly sure. In many ways, I feel that ValhallaÜberMod was a plugin that designed itself, instead of me creating something that did exactly what I wanted it to do. At each stage during the development process, I uncovered new and exciting sounds that defied easy categorization. I decided to create a plugin that allowed for those sounds to be dialed in, as well as sounds that as yet remained undiscovered.

ValhallaÜberMod is “close to the metal.” There are a lot of controls, that have been grouped according to logical function. In some ways, ÜberMod is like a Swiss Army Knife for modulated delays, but this doesn’t really describe the chimera effects that are neither fish nor fowl. The oddball possibilities are what I find most interesting about ÜberMod. It explores the spaces, the shared commonalities, that lie underneath the common modulated delay effects, while making room for other effects that don’t fit within the standardized categories. I nearly went crazy designing ÜberMod, and I think that some of that over-caffeinated energy was captured within the plugin, in the context of a logical structure that allows the user to control the sanity/insanity ratio.

[seancostello]

I just reinstalled Pro Tools, and was playing around with ÜberMod. This is the preset I came up with:

<ValhallaUberMod pluginVersion="1.0.1" presetName="GatedSiamang" Mix="1" Depth="0.624000013" StereoWidth="1" Delay="1" Feedback="0" Spread="1" Slope="0.5" Skew="0.504999995" Random="0.39199999" TapGain="0.5" Diffusion="1" DiffSize="0.214285716" DiffModRate="0.0490490496" DiffModDepth="0.5" LowCut="0" HighCut="0.884422123" SpatialXover="0.145728648" DetuneRate="1" DetuneDepth="1" VibratoRate="0.714285731" VibratoDepth="0" OverMod="0.0191919189" DriveInGain="0.375" DriveOutGain="0.75" DriveNoiseGain="0" FeedbackRotate="0.5" SmoothingTime="0.0990990996" ColorMode="1" DelaySync="0.0588235296" type="0.375" DiffEnable="0" Drive="0" DrivePrePost="1" Speed="0" InputPan="0.375"/>

It reminds me of a bunch of siamang gibbons, or maybe seals under the Antarctic ice. Not necessarily "musical" but a cool sound nonetheless.

[wakestyle]

Originally Posted by seancostello

I just reinstalled Pro Tools, and was playing around with ÜberMod. This is the preset I came up with:

<ValhallaUberMod pluginVersion="1.0.1" presetName="GatedSiamang" Mix="1" Depth="0.624000013" StereoWidth="1" Delay="1" Feedback="0" Spread="1" Slope="0.5" Skew="0.504999995" Random="0.39199999" TapGain="0.5" Diffusion="1" DiffSize="0.214285716" DiffModRate="0.0490490496" DiffModDepth="0.5" LowCut="0" HighCut="0.884422123" SpatialXover="0.145728648" DetuneRate="1" DetuneDepth="1" VibratoRate="0.714285731" VibratoDepth="0" OverMod="0.0191919189" DriveInGain="0.375" DriveOutGain="0.75" DriveNoiseGain="0" FeedbackRotate="0.5" SmoothingTime="0.0990990996" ColorMode="1" DelaySync="0.0588235296" type="0.375" DiffEnable="0" Drive="0" DrivePrePost="1" Speed="0" InputPan="0.375"/>

It reminds me of a bunch of siamang gibbons, or maybe seals under the Antarctic ice. Not necessarily "musical" but a cool sound nonetheless.

holy f*ck

[seancostello]

Originally Posted by wakestyle

holy f*ck

I forgot about posting this yesterday (I got distracted by cutting off my own fingertip ). I just tried this on my standard testing file, "Pink Moon" by Nick Drake. OK, that was weirder than I remember.

Here's the same thing, only more so!!!!

<ValhallaUberMod pluginVersion="1.0.1" presetName="BlasphemousFishFrogs" Mix="1" Depth="1" StereoWidth="1" Delay="1" Feedback="0" Spread="1" Slope="0.5" Skew="0.504999995" Random="0.39199999" TapGain="0.5" Diffusion="1" DiffSize="0.440816313" DiffModRate="0.0490490496" DiffModDepth="0.5" LowCut="0" HighCut="0.884422123" SpatialXover="0.145728648" DetuneRate="1" DetuneDepth="1" VibratoRate="0.714285731" VibratoDepth="0" OverMod="0.0191919189" DriveInGain="0.375" DriveOutGain="0.75" DriveNoiseGain="0" FeedbackRotate="0.5" SmoothingTime="0.0990990996" ColorMode="1" DelaySync="0.411764711" type="0.375" DiffEnable="1" Drive="0" DrivePrePost="1" Speed="0" InputPan="0.375"/>

Play around with the DEPTH control to change the amount of up/down pitch change during the duration of the gated reverb.

[dmitri]

First, I wish your finger comes OK as soon as possible, Sean. Take care!

I encounter a strange behavior, both under Pro Tools HD 9.0.6 and PT HD 10.1.1 . When an ÜberMod preset is loaded OR a standard ProTools preset is loaded into UberMod, the newly loaded parameter values are not reported to the Pro Tools automation system. So, when I'm in LATCH mode, PT does not sense the changes to parameters. Even when I manually drop PT into WRITE, it writes the older values, not the newly loaded ones. To make Pro Tools write the new values I need to manually touch all the controls of the plugin.
Also, after loading a preset, even if the track is in READ and there's some automation written on the track, ÜberMod does not follow this prerecorded automation. To make it follow the automation you must go into play and pass by not just an automation breakpoint, but a change of value in the automation playlist.

[wakestyle]

Sean, what about 1/32 sync mode? Is that possible?

[seancostello]

Originally Posted by dmitri

First, I wish your finger comes OK as soon as possible, Sean. Take care!

I encounter a strange behavior, both under Pro Tools HD 9.0.6 and PT HD 10.1.1 . When an ÜberMod preset is loaded OR a standard ProTools preset is loaded into UberMod, the newly loaded parameter values are not reported to the Pro Tools automation system. So, when I'm in LATCH mode, PT does not sense the changes to parameters. Even when I manually drop PT into WRITE, it writes the older values, not the newly loaded ones. To make Pro Tools write the new values I need to manually touch all the controls of the plugin.
Also, after loading a preset, even if the track is in READ and there's some automation written on the track, ÜberMod does not follow this prerecorded automation. To make it follow the automation you must go into play and pass by not just an automation breakpoint, but a change of value in the automation playlist.

I'll look into this. Odds are good that this is part of the Juce framework I use, and may not be a quick or easy fix.

[seancostello]

Originally Posted by wakestyle

Sean, what about 1/32 sync mode? Is that possible?

It is too late to add 1/32nd to the delay sync list. However, you could get 1/32nd delays by using a multitap mode in conjunction with the existing delay sync settings. For example:

<ValhallaUberMod pluginVersion="1.0.1" presetName="ThirtySecondPingPong" Mix="0.486000001" Depth="0.507000029" StereoWidth="0.5" Delay="0.141599998" Feedback="0.577000022" Spread="1" Slope="0.476000011" Skew="0.5" Random="0" TapGain="0.5" Diffusion="0.5" DiffSize="0.0204081628" DiffModRate="0.0490490496" DiffModDepth="0.5" LowCut="0.236180902" HighCut="0.324120611" SpatialXover="0.145728648" DetuneRate="0.0490490496" DetuneDepth="0.5" VibratoRate="0.298245579" VibratoDepth="0" OverMod="0" DriveInGain="0.375" DriveOutGain="0.75" DriveNoiseGain="0" FeedbackRotate="1" SmoothingTime="0.0990990996" ColorMode="0" DelaySync="0.117647059" type="0.0833333358" DiffEnable="0" Drive="1" DrivePrePost="1" Speed="0" InputPan="0.5"/>

[seancostello]

The new Computer Music Magazine issue has a review of ValhallaÜberMod. The Computer Music ranking: 10/10.

Online version of the review is available at Future Music:

ValhallaDSP ÜberMod | Tech Reviews | MusicRadar.com

A few choice quotes:

"The overall theme with ÜberMod is flexibility; it's fully adept at delay (both 'digital' and tape-style), flanging, chorus, reverb (of the 'unreal' type), pitchshifting and everything else that modulation makes possible. The sound is simply gorgeous, and the plug-in boasts power and ease of use in equal measure."

"ÜberMod is one of those plug-ins that you'll find yourself reaching for time and time again. It's a daily go-to for 'standard' chorus, delay and suchlike, and a powerhouse when it comes to special effects and sonic mayhem."

"Boundless modulation at a bargain price - don't miss this one, no matter what kind of music you make"

[dmitri]

Originally Posted by seancostello

The new Computer Music Magazine issue has a review of ValhallaÜberMod. The Computer Music ranking: 10/10.

Online version of the review is available at Future Music:

ValhallaDSP ÜberMod | Tech Reviews | MusicRadar.com

A few choice quotes:

"The overall theme with ÜberMod is flexibility; it's fully adept at delay (both 'digital' and tape-style), flanging, chorus, reverb (of the 'unreal' type), pitchshifting and everything else that modulation makes possible. The sound is simply gorgeous, and the plug-in boasts power and ease of use in equal measure."

"ÜberMod is one of those plug-ins that you'll find yourself reaching for time and time again. It's a daily go-to for 'standard' chorus, delay and suchlike, and a powerhouse when it comes to special effects and sonic mayhem."

"Boundless modulation at a bargain price - don't miss this one, no matter what kind of music you make"

Currently mixing a feature film with lots of ambience tricks and different unreal spaces merging and combining with each other. Can't imagine doing this without ÜberMod! Many thanks, Sean!

[wakestyle]

Congrats on the 10/10, well deserved.

Second, glad you checked into it. I thought it would be particularly useful for the other posted presets (gatedsiamang, blashphemousfishfrog), in which the delays are running somewhere around 1/32 rates (or more I'm not certain)...

I guess I could also double the speed of the project if I really wanted to...

Originally Posted by seancostello

It is too late to add 1/32nd to the delay sync list. However, you could get 1/32nd delays by using a multitap mode in conjunction with the existing delay sync settings. For example:

<ValhallaUberMod pluginVersion="1.0.1" presetName="ThirtySecondPingPong" Mix="0.486000001" Depth="0.507000029" StereoWidth="0.5" Delay="0.141599998" Feedback="0.577000022" Spread="1" Slope="0.476000011" Skew="0.5" Random="0" TapGain="0.5" Diffusion="0.5" DiffSize="0.0204081628" DiffModRate="0.0490490496" DiffModDepth="0.5" LowCut="0.236180902" HighCut="0.324120611" SpatialXover="0.145728648" DetuneRate="0.0490490496" DetuneDepth="0.5" VibratoRate="0.298245579" VibratoDepth="0" OverMod="0" DriveInGain="0.375" DriveOutGain="0.75" DriveNoiseGain="0" FeedbackRotate="1" SmoothingTime="0.0990990996" ColorMode="0" DelaySync="0.117647059" type="0.0833333358" DiffEnable="0" Drive="1" DrivePrePost="1" Speed="0" InputPan="0.5"/>

[kingocounty]

Finally got around to buying this. It rules. Nice work.

[Beatworld]

Originally Posted by seancostello

The new Computer Music Magazine issue has a review of ValhallaÜberMod. The Computer Music ranking: 10/10.

Congratulations Sean.
Nice you have your efforts/talents recognised in the industry

[seancostello]

Originally Posted by Beatworld

Congratulations Sean.
Nice you have your efforts/talents recognised in the industry

Thanks! I should also say at this point that I really appreciate the support, suggestions, and discussions here at GearSlutz. This is an amazingly useful and helpful forum.

[keithl]

Originally Posted by Beatworld

Congratulations Sean.
Nice you have your efforts/talents recognised in the industry

WELL DESERVED! Congrats!

[seancostello]

Here's a preset that shows off the weird random reflections you can get by combining a delay mode with a lot of taps, a high setting of OverMod, and a low setting of MOD SlowRate:

<ValhallaUberMod pluginVersion="1.0.1" presetName="RandomAmbience" Mix="1" Depth="1" StereoWidth="0.5" Delay="0.0159000009" Feedback="0" Spread="1" Slope="0.5" Skew="0" Random="0.995999992" TapGain="0.5" Diffusion="1" DiffSize="0.0183673464" DiffModRate="0.0490490496" DiffModDepth="0.5" LowCut="0.0301507544" HighCut="0.300000012" SpatialXover="0.145728648" DetuneRate="0" DetuneDepth="0.620999992" VibratoRate="0.298245579" VibratoDepth="0" OverMod="0.49494949" DriveInGain="0.375" DriveOutGain="0.75" DriveNoiseGain="0.333333343" FeedbackRotate="0.5" SmoothingTime="0.0990990996" ColorMode="0" DelaySync="0" type="0.375" DiffEnable="1" Drive="0" DrivePrePost="1" Speed="1" InputPan="0.125"/>

The triangle LFOs have a huge maximum delay range (due to the high setting of MOD OverMod), but the low setting of MOD SlowRate keeps the pitch changes from becoming too obtrusive. The maximum delay of the random reflections can be controlled by the DEPTH control.

[Stolle]

Originally Posted by seancostello

Here's a preset that shows off the weird random reflections you can get by combining a delay mode with a lot of taps, a high setting of OverMod, and a low setting of MOD SlowRate:

<ValhallaUberMod pluginVersion="1.0.1" presetName="RandomAmbience" Mix="1" Depth="1" StereoWidth="0.5" Delay="0.0159000009" Feedback="0" Spread="1" Slope="0.5" Skew="0" Random="0.995999992" TapGain="0.5" Diffusion="1" DiffSize="0.0183673464" DiffModRate="0.0490490496" DiffModDepth="0.5" LowCut="0.0301507544" HighCut="0.300000012" SpatialXover="0.145728648" DetuneRate="0" DetuneDepth="0.620999992" VibratoRate="0.298245579" VibratoDepth="0" OverMod="0.49494949" DriveInGain="0.375" DriveOutGain="0.75" DriveNoiseGain="0.333333343" FeedbackRotate="0.5" SmoothingTime="0.0990990996" ColorMode="0" DelaySync="0" type="0.375" DiffEnable="1" Drive="0" DrivePrePost="1" Speed="1" InputPan="0.125"/>

The triangle LFOs have a huge maximum delay range (due to the high setting of MOD OverMod), but the low setting of MOD SlowRate keeps the pitch changes from becoming too obtrusive. The maximum delay of the random reflections can be controlled by the DEPTH control.

Cool! I liked it on guitar with the mix on 50%. Doesn't really sound like anything else I've heard.

[javahut]

Sorry, not read through the entire thread, but have a question maybe Sean can answer quickly.

Why does Ubermod seem so noisy in the upper mids and high end on some (a lot?) of presets? I haven't delved into the plug-in deeply yet, but just noticing it is noticeably noisier than probably any other effects plug-in I have on some presets.

Thanks.

[cebec]

Look on the drive tab and turn the noise level down. That might be it.

[seancostello]

Originally Posted by javahut

Sorry, not read through the entire thread, but have a question maybe Sean can answer quickly.

Why does Ubermod seem so noisy in the upper mids and high end on some (a lot?) of presets? I haven't delved into the plug-in deeply yet, but just noticing it is noticeably noisier than probably any other effects plug-in I have on some presets.

Thanks.

The NoiseGain is probably turned up higher than you prefer. To turn this down, click the DRIVE menu button, and then turn NoiseGain down to its lowest setting.

[javahut]

Gee, guys, that WAS quick!

Thanks so much for your help and the quick response.

[seancostello]

OK, I just had to post this:

Originally Posted by Sampleconstruct

Today I finally found the time to compile an album from the dozens of demos and experiments which I created over the last 18 months or so. I distilled 26 tracks out of that heap of sound and named it The Valhalla Tapes, dedicated to Sean Costello who has brought to us all that vast and beautiful spaciousness.

I compiled the album using the original wavs in 44.1 Khz/16 Bit which is the format I use for uploading to Soundcloud.

Here is the Bandcamp link:
The Valhalla Tapes | Simon Stockhausen

I think Simon could turn a Casio into a symphony, so I feel really honored that he put together these tracks.

[Izzi]

That's ****in' awesome!!!

[Brian Cares]

Hey Sean,

There´s one tiny little nitpick with your plugins in Protools.

In PT there is this shortcut strg+start+alt+click plugin parameter to enable automation or strg+start+click parameter to show automation lane. This does not work with your plugins. Is there any chance to implement the feature?

Its so much fun automating Vroom & Übermod. The parameter click option would improve workflows tremendously

[dmitri]

Originally Posted by Brian Cares

Hey Sean,

There´s one tiny little nitpick with your plugins in Protools.

In PT there is this shortcut strg+start+alt+click plugin parameter to enable automation or strg+start+click parameter to show automation lane. This does not work with your plugins. Is there any chance to implement the feature?

Its so much fun automating Vroom & Übermod. The parameter click option would improve workflows tremendously

+1

[henge]

Mr. Stockhausen that was excellent. Gorgeous textures. What did you use to create them...oh wait, it's Ubermod and vroom!!
Great stuff.

[SCDBM]

Ubermod as only FX
on a Voyager, P08 Phatty, Mbrane and Tempest

[woodsdenis]

Having been blown away by VRoom I just bought Ubermod and Shimmer. These plugs are a steal at this price range or any other for that matter. Besides with a name like Sean Costello he must have some Irish ancestry in there .

Greetings from the Emerald Isle and keep up the great work

BTW Plus 1 to implement PT shortcut for automation if possible.