Modules: Combine
Every module on this page mixes the main input with a side channel, which you supply either by loading a file into the External audio area or by routing a side chain from your host.
Talking Wind
Section titled “Talking Wind”This is a classic vocoding effect, but with a SpectrumWorx twist! As you probably already know, vocoding uses the frequency spectrum and amplitude of one signal (the modulator) to modulate another (the carrier). Often a human voice will be used as the modulator and then applied to a sound such as white noise to produce the familiar “talking wind” effect.
The Talking Wind module offers a handful of controls. The Envelope border knob controls the perceived smoothness of the modulator. An Envelope gain knob can be used to add some gain to the envelope to amplify the effect. The Gain knob is provided to tame the final output, since it can often become quite loud. The carrier is loaded as an external audio file or fed into a side channel input; the modulator is passed through the main input.
Convolver
Section titled “Convolver”A multi-effect: a convolution reverb or a vocoder, depending on the Phase parameter! If Phase is set to Sum, this is in fact a convolution reverb, where the impulse response can only be as long as the frame size. The IR is fed via external audio.
Convolver has two basic ways of operation, triggered and continuous. The triggered option grabs the IR exactly at the time frames when the Grab IR button is pressed — this should be LFO controlled! The IR is then constantly convolved with the input signal, until the button is pressed again. In continuous mode the IRs are constantly taken from external audio, so every frame ends up with a different IR, which produces pretty chaotic results.
The Phase parameter controls what happens with the main and side channel phases. If Sum is selected, phases are added, representing a “normal” convolution. If Side is selected, phases are taken from the side channel, enabling a vocoding effect. The third option takes phases from the main channel, which is also a vocoding effect, but this time the main channel becomes the carrier.
Ethereal
Section titled “Ethereal”This is a strange one! It compares the side channel signal with that of the main channel, and it replaces the main signal with the side signal if certain conditions are met (main minus side greater than or less than a Threshold). It can replace magnitudes or phases, or both.
Vaxateer
Section titled “Vaxateer”Like Ethereal, this is another module that provides conditional replacement of the main signal with that of the side channel. It works by calculating the RMS value (Root Mean Square) of the target signal — which can be the main or side channel — and then, if the Swap condition is satisfied, replaces the main signal with the side channel content. There are eight available swap conditions, selectable via a combo box.
Shapeless
Section titled “Shapeless”An interesting effect that transfers the frequency “shape” from the side channel to the signal passing through the main input. A Shape width parameter regulates the coarseness of the shape estimators.
Colorifer
Section titled “Colorifer”This one also transfers the frequency shape from the side channel to the signal arriving through the main input. It calculates main divided by side over the selected band width, and then applies this “color” to the main channel. There is an option to also replace the phase of the main channel with that from the side. This produces some extremely bizarre and inspiring effects — for the experimentally minded among you!
Merger
Section titled “Merger”This effect provides conditional combinations of the main signal with that of the side channel. It copies the side channel to the main channel if the selected conditions are met, and depending on the Threshold setting. The conditions are available in the combo box.
Blender
Section titled “Blender”Provides linear blending of two channels. In the modules above, some frequencies in the main channel were replaced with side channel frequencies; in the Blender, all frequencies are instead combined. The Amount knob controls how much of each channel is sent to the output. A setting of 0 results in only the main channel passing through, 50 means both channels are equally considered, and 100 results in only the side channel material being heard.
Inserter
Section titled “Inserter”We’re getting pretty esoteric here! This module inserts a band of frequency bins from the side channel into the main channel. The Source value is the position (given in percentages) from where the spectrum is copied. The Destination is the target position in the main channel’s spectrum. The Size knob controls how much of the spectrum is copied.
“bw%” refers to bandwidth percentage. For example, if a signal is sampled at 44100 Hz then 50% would be half the spectrum, which is half of the highest frequency (22050 Hz) — so 50% would be 11025 Hz. You can select whether magnitudes, phases or both will be copied.
Burrito
Section titled “Burrito”The Burrito module copies the side channel to the main channel from random locations. The Range period parameter controls how often it will randomly change positions. The Target range value defines how many locations are to be replaced, or added if Sum is selected in the combo box.