The PARIS Blog

A "post official development" blog for users of (or even for those who fondly remember) that rare and beautiful beast - the late-nineties Ensoniq PARIS Digital Audio Workstation, a unique blend of hardware and software that can still to this day hold its head up amongst its peers for "what comes out of the speakers". Be sure to read the Welcome post as it's assumed you've read it and understood it. Have fun! 

NEW (Q4 '08): After a lengthy testing process, new drivers for PARIS are now available for purchase from Mike Audet's site!

Monday, March 31, 2008

PEPI - PARIS Effects Presets Initiative

I used to wish there was a better stock library of FX settings included with PARIS, and a better system of saving, organizing and exchanging them.

To that end, I hope to maintain a repository of PARIS effects settings in some form or other (text right now - but I'll find something less Stone Age when I'm "hands on" again and eventually arrive at a standard way of packaging them). Until I get my own rig running I'm relying on the work of others, for now chiefly scavenged from previous FAQs. I'm going to assume that their previous wide public posting was a de facto grant of permission for non-commercial personal use and retransmission, but if anyone has any objections contact me and I'll remove them - similarly if you have a refined "version" of your preset you'd prefer used instead,

Feel free to grab what's up here if you don't have them already. And if you've got a good 'un - or if you know of places that previous efforts have been stored, in whatever form, that I appear to have missed - or you just want to leave input - feel free to post in comments.

[Browsing the FAQs to scavenge presets, I suddenly realized I hadn't specified "EDS" presets, which these obviously are. I briefly considered changing the thread title to specifically state "PARIS EDS Effects Preset Initiative". Then I considered the resulting acronym; never mind, I'll just stick with what I've got; consider "EDS" to be assumed - K]

18 comments:

kerryg said...

COMPRESSION:

Subject:Here Is a Good Vocal Setting for Paris Compressor
Date: Sat, 11 Jan 2003 22:11:24 -0500
From: "Bill Lorentzen"
Newsgroups: idea.emuensoniqparis

I started out doing some tests of Chuck's NoLIMIT, which devolved into a compressor plugin shoot-out. I didn't go totally crazy - really I was just trying to see if I could get the regular Paris compressor to sound like the UAD1 1176LN "Gentle Vocal Comp" preset.

While I was at it, I threw in Waves Ren Comp on a vocal setting. I then tweaked the Paris and the Waves to sound as close to the 1176 as I could get them. I then tested them on male and female vocal. The listeners were myself and my wife, who is an excellent singer and a pianist, and actually has great ears (and she digs doing these tests).

The winner by a very, very small margin was the UAD1. After that came the Paris comp, and last was the Waves. My wife said the Waves sounded slightly "metallic", which I interpreted to mean it had artifacts and was a little flangey sounding. I agree, but it didn't sound bad, just not as good. The UAD1 just sounded the most pleasing. The Paris compressor was really close though - totally usable IMHO - and I thought it might be useful for some folks if I shared the settings I arrived at, especially as the Paris comp is by far the hardest compressor plug I have ever knobulated.

I started with the "gentle crush" setting (I mention this because there has been a theory that there is a different algorithm used in the "Opto" setting. I have no idea whether this is true, nor do I know which algo is in the gentle crush.)

-67.4db 1.25:1
0.0030 0.0076
0.007 8.7

The important settings to change for your vocal application would be the threshold and the output. I set the threshold so I was getting up to around 14 dB of reduction. Hope this may be useful to those who don't have a UAD1.

As to the NoLimit plug, I found it not so useful on vocals. Maybe I didn't set it right - not sure. I wish it has a meter (Chuck, was that why you were asking about good examples of plug in meters?) I will be testing it for mastering program tomorrow. I will let y'all know what I think.

Bill

kerryg said...

COMPRESSION: Meter behaviour mod

This one scares me to look at. Not a preset per se.

kerryg said...

REVERB: Not a preset per se, but a technique of stereo compression using EDS plate.

kerryg said...

REVERB: TC M5000 "Vocal 2" emulation

Subject: Reverb setting for vocals
Date: Sat, 21 Oct 2000 22:07:20 -0400
From: "Bill Lorentzen" Organization: In Your Ear
Newsgroups: IDEA.EMUEnsoniqPARIS

Some folks have mentioned a shortage of good presets for the Paris verbs, so I thought I would try to help out a little. This is an emulation of my favorite TC Electronic M5000 vocal reverb, called simply "Vocal 2". "Vocal 1" and "3" are essentially shorter and longer versions of the same thing. I got this as close as I could, using the plate algorithm. It's not identical, but it's pretty close. See if you like it.

Predelay 0.050
Diff 1 57%
Decay 1.5
Def 53%
Bandwidth 10200 Hz
Diff 2 57%
Damping 14100 Hz

--

Bill Lorentzen
In Your Ear Music

kerryg said...

COMPRESSION: An informed opinion on the EDS "opto" compressor.

kerryg said...

REVERB:

Subject: Re: EDS-1000 Reverbs (REPRISE)
Date: Thu, 5 Oct 2000 16:48:04 -0400
From: Craig Mitchell
Newsgroups: IDEA.EMUEnsoniqPARIS
References: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7

Okay, unfortantely this thread has gotten away form the original idea for this post. I think DJ was the only one to offer up some specfic advice on the settings and what they do (Thanks!)

After tweaking around with the plate reverb I came up with something that is close to what I am shooting for which is a reverb that "thickens" the sound up without sounding like a washed out reverb or being in a airplane hanger.

It does not have much of a tail at this point, so I will tweak it some more or perhaps combine it with a slight delay to get the desired effect.

Here are the setting and some observations that go along with what DJ had posted before (warning- my observations are stirctly abritrary and subject to change.. not to mention I have no outboard reverbs to compare them to) LOL!

Plate reverb (used for a female vocal)

Predelay - 0.046
Bandwidth - 260 HZ
Diffuser 1 - 69%
Diffuser 2 - 53%
Decay - 2.5
Definition - 68%
Damping - 350 HZ

I _think_ the two most important settings here are Bandwidth and Damping. Both are cranked way up on all the presets but to my ears sound much better in vastly lower amounts.

To paraphrase DJ, the more you turn up the Bandwidth the more tinny "inside a garbage can" sound you get.

Damping _seems_ to have alot of control over the actual size of the room. This effects the "echo" of the reverb every bit as much as the Decay time. When this setting is cranked up to the preset levels you get that airplane hanger sound.

Decay is instictively the first thing I would go for if I wanted to adjust the size of the room, but I think it has to go hand in hand with the Damping adjustment to get a good sound. They seem to go hand in hand.

I'm not to clear on the Diffuser setting yet, especially since there are two of them! ;) and yes aI have read the help menu.

anyway, I welcome any discussion on this stuff.... I have heard actual spaces that sound like bad digital reverb so maybe some of these reverbs are more accurate than I realize ;)

best,

Craig

kerryg said...

COMPRESSION:

Derek's tips, aka "Better Know An EDS Compressor".

"Lookahead 1"

"Lookahead 2"

kerryg said...

REVERB: General techniques by DJ

... I've come to like the Paris reverbs. The key to this, for me, is to roll off the frequency presets immediately. Then proceed with the decay, diffusion, etc. until I get my settings the way I want them. The presets are not to my liking but the reverbs can be tweaked to something that works great, IMO. Takes some tweaking, but so does any box. I'm even starting to get the comprssors to behave as well. Regards, DJ

kerryg said...

COMPRESSOR: By Matt

... I think with the Paris and many other digital eq's you have to really shorten the attack to start off with. For some reason, digital compressors have a much slower attack. "Opto" and "Gental Crush" aren't a bad starting point. For Gtrs a comp. ratio of 2-1 to about 3-1 is gennerally acceptable. Bass 4-1, vocals 4-1 or maybe a bit more. You can use a little on the Kick and Snare with a ratio of 2-1, and you can generally crush the overheads with heavey comp. 6-1 or more. Waves Renisance comp. is very nice as well. You definetly have to shorten the attack and crush it a lot more then would seem normal on an analog comp.

Hope this helps a bit.
MrM

kerryg said...

REVERB:

Subject: Re: Sharing FX Comp etc settings - George Michael Plate

Date: Sat, 15 Jun 2002 07:52:22 -0400
From: "Sascha Duex"
Newsgroups: idea.emuensoniqparis

Hi all, hi Don,

I've tried for some time to get that lexiconish "George Michael Plate Reverb Sssssssound" w/the EDS verbs. I didn't actually get there, but was finally able to come a little closer w/PARIS 3.0 and it's multiple fx aux busses.

Here's the Settings:

1 - Chorus

Mix: 100% wet
Rate: 0.18 Hz
Width: 3.00 ms
Center: 25 ms
L/R Phase: 0 deg
Feedback: 0%
Lo Freq: 270 Hz
Lo Level: -7.0 dB
Hi Freq: 12300 HZ
Hi Level: 18.0 dB

2 - Plate Reverb

Predelay: 0.032 sec
Bandwidth: 20000 Hz
Diffuser 1: 41%
Diffuser 2: 54%
Decay 1.7 sec
Damping: 20000 Hz
Definition: 39%

If you want this as a mono verb, you might want to add

3 - Delay (M-M)

Mix: 100% dry

So, basically I use a chorus for eqing and a delay for panning/stereo width reduction. Kind of a workaround ... I always missed panning and eqing in the aux busses. I still miss a dry/wet mix ratio for the verbs, to create say a reverberated echo via EDS aux fx.

Best wishes,

Sascha

kerryg said...

Insert an EDS Comp.

Lookahead at zero
Ratio 0.0
Threshold to 0.0
Now you only have a gain element active.

Use the Output level on the Comp to push and pull audio level in contrast with the EQ Trim. They can both take gain past 0 and into nonlinear behavior, but they sound different when doing it.

There is an *amazing* amount of sound sculpting you can do with just those 2 knobs, regardless of the recorded level.

- John Bercik's PARIS NOTES site

kerryg said...

COMPRESSION: Telektronix LA-2A setting

Attack=0.0015 ms
Release=0.0150
Knee behaviour MUST be operated by the EQ (max 2 Bands) forcing the compressor to behave in "vintage" mode.You just have to figure out the ratio and the frequencies in the EQ.

The compressors behaviour WILL get it's character form the Eq curves.

- jb

kerryg said...

COMPRESSION:


I think with Paris and many other digital eq's you have to really shorten the attack.

For some reason, digital compressors have a much slower attack. "Opto" and "Gental Crush" aren't a bad starting point.

For Gtrs a comp. ratio of 2-1 to about 3-1 is gennerally acceptable.

Bass 4-1, vocals 4-1 or maybe a bit more.

You can use a little on the Kick and Snare with a ratio of 2-1, and you can generally crush
the overheads with heavey comp. 6-1 or more.

Waves Renisance comp. is very nice as well.
You definetly have to shorten the attack and crush it a lot more then would seem normal on an analog comp.

- jb

kerryg said...

COMPRESSION:

Dimitrios' LA-2A

Threshold -75.1 db
Ratio 1.10:1

Attack 0.00126 sec
Release 0.052 sec

lookahead 0.000
output 6.3 db

kerryg said...

try this - normally, one would think that 20 ms lookahead and a 0 ms attack setting would make the paris compressor a true brickwall limiter, but if you try it you will notice that that doesnt work.

the more appropriate setting would have to be i.e. 1 ms lookahead and say 0.9 ms attack time. that way, the attack would be triggered
*before* the peak even started, exactly 0.1 ms "too early".


so, the closest to a brickwall limiter would be more like 1 ms lookahead, 0.98 ms attack and say 30-70 ms release

- jb

kerryg said...

COMPRESSION:

... The bass sound on some of the songs on my project have been described as sounding "muddy"...teh bass player and others would like to hear more "attack"... I beleive this is one my weaker mixing areas... anyone care to offer some general Paris EQ tips

Definitely try: - shaping the bass by setting a compressor with fast attack (25-50ms) and
release (150-200 ms) times,
- try boosting around 90 Hz, cutting around 300-400 and boost around 2K.

- ?

kerryg said...

...I guess it´s chords played on the ac.guitar that you want to compress? If so, i used to do like this...

1. I start to set the attack for 60 ms

2. Release for 300 ms

3. Ratio about 4:1

4. I then set the treshhold to like -20-30 db
so it´s easy to hear how much i have to adjust the attack and release,you will most likely have it pumping pretty good at this point,but try to get it as equal as possible.(work with the attack/release)

5. Then set the treshhold so you get -4 to 10 of gain reduction and then start to increase/decrease the ratio ´til you think it suits the need for compression. This could be all wrong for your song,it depends of course,but maybe this is a good starting point...

- ?

kerryg said...

COMPRESSION:

... For sure try the "Opto" preset on the EDS compressors before you dismiss the internal compressor on Paris. On some tracks, I prefer it over the Waves RENCOMP. Just tweak the threshold to get 4 - 8DB of gain reduction on peaks.

Kills on acoustic guitar among other things.

Open the presets box and select "Opto" or "Gentle Crush" or "Smashed". They are different algos altogether, not just different parameter settings. If you don't like "Opto", I'm afraid no one here can help you.

- ?