Blue Cat's Freeware Plug-ins Pack II Tutorials

Tutorial - Connecting Plug-ins with Groups in Cakewalk Sonar

This tutorial shows how to reuse the envelopes generated by our plugins with output parameters in Cakewalk Sonar using groups. Other techniques exist (using MIDI or Automation curves), but this one has the advantage of being simple and completely integrated into Sonar's workflow. It also lets you use plug-ins that do not support MIDI control as destinations.

This step by step tutorial has been created with Sonar X1, but it will work with previous versions of Sonar (starting with Sonar 6). This technique can also be applied to other host applications that have such parameter grouping capabilities.

In this example we are using the DP Meter Pro plugin (DPMP) in order to control the gain of a destination track, according to the envelope of an other track (source). You can of course use the same technique to perform other side chain tasks in Sonar with any of our plug-ins with output parameters.

Tutorial - Real Time Ducking: the DPMP as a Voice Over Tool.

This tutorial shows how to perform real time ducking in your favorite host, using the DP Meter Pro plugin (DPMP). The following example is a typical "Voice Over" situation where you want to add a voice over a musical content, and you want the music to get quieter when the person is speaking, and the music louder when nobody is speaking. It's a typical radio station or movie making use case.

To do so we will use the DP Meter Pro analysis tool to control the volume of the music track with the freeware Gain Suite tools: the gain applied to the music track will be inversely proportional to the speach (voice) track volume.

This tutorial uses Cakewalk Sonar, but you can transpose it to any other DirectX or VST host such as Sony Vegas, Ableton live, Cubase... See our other Tutorials to learn the basics of the DPMP in these hosts.

Tutorial - Blue Cat's Digital Peak Meter Pro In Samplitude

This tutorial shows how to use the DP Meter Pro audio analysis plugin (DPMP) in MAGIX Samplitude, in order to modify the parameters of an effect on a track according to the envelope of an other track. This example shows a simple ducking application, using the envelope of a source track to modify the gain of a destination track. Note that Samplitude does not support VST MIDI output routing, so this tutorial uses automation curves for the control of parameters.

Tutorial - Using DXi plug-ins in Sony Vegas

This tutorial will teach you how to use any DXi plug-in in Sony Vegas: Sony Vegas does not support MIDI automation, so if your plug-in supports the MIDI Dxi protocol, it is removed from the plug-ins list, and you cannot use it!

You will learn here a way to activate the DP Meter Pro plugin (DPMP) for Sony Vegas, but it's applicable to any DXi plug-in. Please download our freeware DXi Manager tool to follow this tutorial.

Tutorial - Real Time Side Chain Dynamics Processing

This tutorial shows how to perform side chain compression, ducking or gating with the Dynamics plugin and the Gain Suite free plugins. Side Chaining consists in using a track signal to control an effect on another track:

In our case, the envelope detection is performed on the source signal, and the gain computed by the dynamics processor is applied to the destination track.

This tutorial uses Cakewalk Sonar as a host, but you can use any other host provided it supports MIDI CC. For more information, check our other Tutorials for other hosts (the Digital Peak Meter Pro tutorials explain how to use MIDI I/O in many hosts).

Tutorial - Monitoring an effect chain with the 'Multi' Series

The 'Multi' analysis plugins series offer the ability to compare the measurements made by several instances within an audio project. In this tutorial you will learn how to use this capability to monitor an effects chain and see the influence of an effect on the audio signal. In this example we will study the effect of Blue Cat's Widening Gain as a stereo widening/narrowing effect. We will use Blue Cat's StereoScope Multi multiple instances analysis plugin for our measurements.

This tutorial uses Steinberg Wavelab as a host application, but you can use any other VST or DirectX compatible host application.

Tutorial - Export Plugin Presets to Share them with the Community

This tutorial shows you how to export your presets in order to share them with the community on the Blue Cat Audio website.

This tutorial uses Blue Cat's Stereo Triple EQ for the demonstration but is applicable to all our plugins, on both windows and Mac.

The idea is to use Blue Cat Audio's cross-platform preset format so that your presets can be read on any platform / plugin format combination. The presets are exported one by one as a file and can then be read on any other platform.

Tutorial - Getting Started with Plug-ins User Interface

Get used to the user interface features of Blue Cat Audio products! They have been designed for an optimal workflow, so here are the tips and tricks to save time. All these functionalities are explained in details in the user manuals, but this is a summary of the main things you want to know before you start using the plugins.

Tutorial - Using MIDI Control in Sonar

This tutorial will help you understand how to use parameters MIDI control in Cakewalk Sonar. It is applicable to any DXi plug-in (MIDI enabled DirectX plug-in).

Tutorial - Create your Own MIDI Controlled Wah Pedal

This tutorial will help you create your own MIDI controlled Wah pedal and customize its parameters to match an existing Wah pedal or create a brand new virtual one: yours. You can use this custom wah pedal with your guitar, but it is also very useful with an organ or a synthesizer (remember: in the good old days, many hammond organ players had fun with Wah pedals). This tutorial uses Cakewalk Sonar 5, but it is applicable to any other VST or DirectX host software. If you have issues setting up your host software to control MIDI parameters, please refer to our other Tutorials.

Tutorial - Mid Side Processing

Mid / Side processing explained.

Download this tutorial as a pdf file

Tutorial - Using MIDI Connectivity in a Modular Host (Plogue Bidule)

This tutorial shows you how to use the MIDI connectivity of our plugins in a modular host such as Plogue Bidule. We are using the Mac version of Bidule in this tutorial.

The scenario here is very simple: we will be using a first audio source (Audio Source 1) to modulate the volume of another one (Audio Source 2). It can typically be used for side chain compression, ducking, automatic voice over etc. We will be using the DP Meter Pro plugin, but the tutorial is applicable to any of our plugins with MIDI output.

Tutorial - Remote Monitoring and Control with Blue Cat's Remote Control

This tutorial shows how to use the Remote Control MIDI control surface and DP Meter Pro audio analysis plugin (DPMP) to monitor and control several tracks in a same screen. Before you read this tutorial, please read the Remote Monitor tutorial first and reuse the same project as a basis for this tutorial.

The principle is to add gain plugins from the freeware Gain Suite and control them with the Remote Control user interface which we already used to monitor the same tracks:

This tutorial uses Cakewalk Sonar 6 as a host application, but any directX or VST compatible host that supports MIDI routing will work. See our DP Meter Pro Tutorials for more information about how to use MIDI routing in other applications such as Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase, Energy XT etc.

Tutorial - Using Blue Cat Audio plugins connectivity in Reaper

This tutorial shows how to use our plugins MIDI connectivity within Reaper. We use Blue Cat's Dynamics plugin as an example, but you can use any other audio plugin which provides output parameters, such as our audio analysis plugins.

These capabilities let you use any characteristic of a source audio signal to perform a side chain on any parameter of the destination signal. Our example shows how to perform side chain compression with this system.

Tutorial - Connecting plug-ins together in Logic for advanced side chain effects

This tutorial shows how to use the connectivity capabilities of our plugins within Logic. We use Blue Cat's DP Meter Pro plugin (DPMP) as an example, but you can use any other audio plugin which provides output parameters, such as our audio analysis plugins.

These capabilities let you use any characteristic of a source audio signal to perform a side chain on any parameter of the destination track. Our example shows how to perform side chain filtering with this system: the DP Meter Pro plugin (aka DPMP) is used to generate an envelope based on this source track amplitude to control the band pass filter gain of the Triple EQ free plugin on another track.

Our Logic session is initially composed of two audio tracks: a source and destination track. We then use Logic's powerful environment to route the side chain control data from the source to the destination.

As of today (Logic Pro 9.1), Logic does not support MIDI routing between plug-ins, so the solution we propose here is based on Logic's environment. It requires a bit more learning if you are not familiar with it, but it is also more powerful than what some other hosts provide.

Tutorial - Using Blue Cat Audio plug-ins connectivity in Pro Tools

This tutorial shows how to use the MIDI connectivity of our plugins within Pro Tools. We use Blue Cat's DP Meter Pro plugin as an example, but you can use any other audio plugin which provides output parameters, such as our audio analysis plugins.

These capabilities let you use any characteristic of a source audio signal to perform a side chain on any parameter of the destination track. Our example shows how to perform side chain filtering with this system: the DP Meter Pro plugin is used to generate an envelope based on this source track amplitude to control the low pass filter gain of the Triple EQ free plugin on another track.

Our Pro Tools session is initially composed of two audio tracks: a source and destination track. We then add a MIDI track to carry the MIDI side chain control data.

Tutorial - How to Use the Free Presets Available on this Website

This tutorial shows you how to get and load free presets for your favorite Blue Cat Audio plugin.

This tutorial uses Blue Cat's Dynamics for the demonstration but is applicable to all our plugins, on both windows and Mac, provided that some presets have been published for them on this website.

Tutorial - Using Grouping Capabilities of Blue Cat's Gain Suite Plugins

The Blue Cat's Gain Suite free volume control plugins offer the ability to link several instances of the same plugin to control them with a single slider. This tutorial shows how to use this capability to control the balance between two tracks (the drums and bass tracks in this example) with a single slider.

This tutorial uses Cakewalk Sonar as a host, but you can use any other VST or DirectX compatible host application.

Tutorial - Simple Dynamic Stereo Enhancement

This tutorial shows how to use the Widening Meter Pro and the freeware Gain Suite plugins to enhance the stereo perception of a track. It's a very simple example of how to connect the measurements capabilities of the Widening Meter Pro to other plug-ins parameters:

The principle is to use the Mid channel level to influence the side channel gain. This way the stereo perception of the sound is dynamically modified, depending on how loud the mid channel is.