LVC-Audio

Toned: Version 1.0.0 Page 1

Copyright © 2014 LVC lvcaudio.com
Contents
License Agreement ................................................................................................................................................. 4
Technologies Utilized ............................................................................................................................................. 4
Welcome, Thanks, and Contact Information ....................................................................................................... 4
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................. 5
Initial Setup and Requirements ............................................................................................................................. 5
Windows: .............................................................................................................................................................. 5
System Requirements: .................................................................................................................................... 5
Installation: ....................................................................................................................................................... 5
OSX: ....................................................................................................................................................................... 6
System Requirements: .................................................................................................................................... 6
Installation: ....................................................................................................................................................... 6
User Interface .......................................................................................................................................................... 7
Button and Selector Features: ...................................................................................................................... 7
Knob Control Text Entry: ................................................................................................................................ 7
Knob Control Scrolling and Dragging: .......................................................................................................... 7
Knob Control Reset and A->B Features: ...................................................................................................... 8
VU meters ............................................................................................................................................................. 8
VU and Peak Program Meters: ...................................................................................................................... 8
Loudness Output Meter: ................................................................................................................................ 8
Output Level Text: .......................................................................................................................................... 9
Scale Control: ................................................................................................................................................... 9
Gain Controls........................................................................................................................................................ 9
In Gain Control: ................................................................................................................................................ 9
Drive Control .................................................................................................................................................... 9
Output Gain: .................................................................................................................................................. 10
Tone Controls ................................................................................................................................................... 10
Frequency Controls ...................................................................................................................................... 10
Volume Controls ........................................................................................................................................... 10
3 Band Mode Button .................................................................................................................................... 11
Channel Mode Control ................................................................................................................................. 11
High Pass (HP) Filter Controls ........................................................................................................................ 11
On Button ...................................................................................................................................................... 11
Frequency Control ........................................................................................................................................ 11

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 HP Q Button .................................................................................................................................................. 12
Roll-off Button .............................................................................................................................................. 12
Channel Mode Control ................................................................................................................................. 12
Mixing Controls................................................................................................................................................. 12
Bypass Button: .............................................................................................................................................. 12
Feedback Control: ........................................................................................................................................ 12
Mix Control: ................................................................................................................................................... 12
Presets and Uses .................................................................................................................................................. 14
Preset Defaults & Format ............................................................................................................................... 14
Exporting and Importing Presets ................................................................................................................... 14

Toned: Version 1.0.0 Page 3

Copyright © 2014 LVC lvcaudio.com
License Agreement

Copyright © 2014 by Matthew Witmer – Landis Valley Consulting (LVC)/LVC-Audio

This software is provided as a free plugin. This plugin can be used for personal or commercial
purposes without limitations.

You are prohibited from redistributing this software in any form without expressed consent from LVC-
Audio. You are also prohibited from reverse engineer this software, and prohibited by any attempts to
circumvent the limitations of the free version of this software.

This software is provided 'as-is', without any express or implied warranty. LVC-Audio is not liable for
any damages arising from the use of this software.

By using this software, you agree to the above terms.

Technologies Utilized

 VST and VST3 are technologies and trademarks of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH.
 Audio Unit is a technology and trademark of Apple Computers, Inc.
 WDL-OL: Enhanced version of Cockos IPlug/WDL by Oli Larkin
(https://github.com/olilarkin/wdl-ol).
 Knobman and Skinman: from g200kg (http://www.g200kg.com/index_e.html).
 Ubuntu Font Family: (http://font.ubuntu.com/).
 Toned uses portions of fmath.hpp and Xbyak for fast math calculations. Both source codes
Copyright © 2010, 2012, Mitsunari Shigeo under the BSD 3-Clause License. More information is
available at http://homepage1.nifty.com/herumi/soft/fmath.html and
http://homepage1.nifty.com/herumi/soft/xbyak_e.html.
 Toned uses modified versions of knob images created by Sasha Radojevic, released in the CC0
Public Domain on http://www.g200kg.com/en/webknobman/gallery.php.

Welcome, Thanks, and Contact Information

Thank you for installing and trying Toned. We hope you find this useful, and we would like to hear
your suggestions for future enhancements. Please feel free to contact LVC-Audio with any ideas,
problems, suggestions, or comments at support @ lvcaudio.com. Please visit lvcaudio.com for
additional news about Toned and other plugins. Additionally, you are welcome to join the LVC-Audio
newsletter for the latest updates, new plugins, and sales events. To sign up for the newsletter, visit
http://lvcaudio.com/newsletter/.

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Copyright © 2014 LVC lvcaudio.com
Introduction

Toned is a specialized tone shaping plugin with analog modeling. It is designed primarily for use in the
mastering process or on two-track audio busses. Toned uses two distinct equalization processes: a
three-band tone-shaping matrix, and a specially designed high pass (HP) filter.

The three-band tone-shaping matrix uses a crossover-style filter bank of first-order filters (-6dB per
octave). This type of equalization produces very gentle and broad filtering, with minimal alteration of
phase. Very wide boosts and cuts can be accomplished while still sounding natural. This style of
equalization also mimics some of the interactions between frequency bands that are commonly found
in passive analog EQs and analog tone controls. The tone-shaping matrix can be applied to stereo
channels, or specifically to the mid or side channel. Additionally, Toned can be switched to use a two-
band matrix.

The HP filter is specifically designed for accurately adjusting the low/sub bass energy. The filter has
selectable Q and roll-off. The scale of the HP controls is specific to low bass, and ranges from 10 Hz to
50 Hz (with accuracy to 0.01 Hz). Just like the tone controls, the HP filter can be applied to the stereo
channels, or specifically target the mid or side channel.

In addition to all of the tone and HP filter controls, Toned also includes an analog modeling engine to
simulate the sound of hardware devices. The Toned analog sound consists of numerous parameters to
simulate the unique frequency characteristics, saturation, self-noise, and other nuances of high-quality
analog equipment. There is also a feedback control to simulate the effect of using negative feedback
within an analog amplifier path.

Toned also includes many standard LVC-Audio features. This includes a mix control and adjustable
input and output metering. Additionally, Toned runs at a fixed 2x oversampling rate to ensure minimal
aliasing artifacts.

Initial Setup and Requirements

WINDOWS:
System Requirements: Toned requires Windows Vista or later, as 32-bit or 64-bit host, and a processor
that supports SSE2 (AMD or Intel processor from around 2004 or later).

Installation: To install the software, download and unzip the latest file from the LVC-Audio website.
Double-click the installer file to begin the process. The installer will prompt you for the installation

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location of the VST 32-bit folder, and VST 64-bit folder. The 64-bit plugin will include an “x_64” at the
end of the filename. In most DAWs, this should help differentiate between the 32-bit and 64-bit
plugins.

If VST3 plugin formats are installed, they will be installed within the VST3 folder(s) within the Program
Files directory.

OSX:
System Requirements: Toned requires OSX 10.5 or later, a 32-bit or 64-bit host, and an Intel Core2Duo
(or better) processor.

Installation: To install Toned, click to unzip the Zip file. Double-click on the Package file to start the
installation process. By default, Toned will be installed as Audio Units, VST, and VST3 Universal
Binaries. Any of the plugin formats can be excluded from installation by unchecking the checkboxes
during the installation process.

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User Interface

Button and Selector Features: The main controls of Toned are adjusted by using various knobs and
buttons. For buttons such as Bypass, clicking the button one time will enable the feature. Clicking a
second time will disable the feature. Some buttons, such as the Channel buttons, contain more than
two different setting (i.e., more than on and off). Each click of the button will cycle the control
through all of its settings.

Knob Control Text Entry: For each of the knobs in Toned, the text value is displayed below. Manual
entry of values can be entered by clicking on the text field, and typing in the desired value. If a value is
entered that is greater than the control’s maximum value, the control will automatically be set to the
maximum value. Conversely, values that are less than the control’s minimum will be set to the
control’s minimum value. When entering a value on a control that includes negative numbers (e.g., -3
dB), the negative/minus symbol must also be used.

Knob Control Scrolling and Dragging: When hovering over a knob, the mouse wheel can be used to
increase or decrease the value of the control. Scrolling produces large changes in the knob’s value. If
finer control is needed, the Alt key can be held down while scrolling. When more subtle adjustment is
needed, the Shift key can be held down for minute changes.

Similarly to using the scroll wheel to adjust a knob, the control can be set by clicking and dragging the
knob up and down. This produces large changes in the control’s value. For finer control, the Alt key

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can be held down while dragging the control. Additionally, the Shift key can be held down for very
small changes.

Knob Control Reset and A->B Features: Double-clicking (or clicking while holding the Control key) on
any knob or slider will return the control to the default value. At the same time, the previous value of
the control is stored. Double-clicking the control again will change the control from the default value
back to the previous setting. Using this double-click feature, it is very easy to make A->B type
comparisons on each of the controls.

Sometimes it might be desirable to compare two values that are not the default value. This can be
accomplished by right-clicking on the control. Right-clicking on a control will set a new default value.
After this is done, the knob can be readjusted. After double-clicking on the control, the control will be
reset to the newly defined default value.

Each time right-click is used on a knob, a new default value will be established. If it is necessary to
reset a knob to the factory default value, this can be accomplished by holding down the Shift key while
right-clicking on a knob. The knobs default value will be reset to the factory default.

Please note: Knob A B values are not saved, and are separate for each instance of the plugin. When
the plugin is closed or a saved session is reloaded, each knob’s A and B values will be reset to the
factory default values.

VU METERS

VU and Peak Program Meters: The audio meters on Toned display information
about the input and output signals. The input meters display the signal level after
gain is applied through the in Gain control. Typically, the input meter shows the
Left and Right signal. When the tone matrix is configured for Mid or Side mode,
the meter displays levels based on the mid and side levels, with the
corresponding level of In Gain added.

The meter bar responds similarly to traditional VU meters, but with a quicker rise
time (near instantaneous integration time, and 300ms to decrease -20 dB). The
dash meter responds more closely to a Peak Program Meter (PPM), with a slower
rise and fall (5ms integration time, and 3 seconds to decrease -20 dB). The dash
meter is always indicated in a slightly darker color. All meters are calibrated as
0dBFS, meaning that any signal that maximizes the meters represents digital
clipping.

Loudness Output Meter: An additional feature of the Output meter is a loudness

indicator. This is the smaller rectangular area within the output VU bar. This
indicates the relative loudness of the output. The top of the area is determined
by the peak output level. The bottom of the area is determined by the RMS value
of the output. The peak output is determined using a meter that has a fast attack

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time, with a long decay time (i.e., near instantaneous attack time, with a 2.5 second decay time). The
bottom RMS point of the meter uses a 750 millisecond time for both attack and release.

The height of the bar relates to the dynamic range of the material. When the output levels approach 0
dBFS and there is heavy saturation and/or clipping, the loudness meter will be shorter (i.e.
representing little difference between the peak of the audio and the RMS value). Audio with more
dynamic characteristics will have a relatively broader loudness meter. Although this can be useful in
determining the overall level of dynamic range, the meter is less accurate at lower audio levels.

Please note: The Loudness Output Meter will vary greatly depending on the dynamic nature of the
source material. Naturally loud and compressed signals (e.g., distorted guitars) will have a limited
dynamic range prior to any processing that is occurring with Toned.

Output Level Text: Above the Output meters are a text readout of the current output levels in
decibels. These numbers have an instantaneous integrations time, and a long decay time. The
numbers will only display volume levels above -60dB. Signal levels below -60dB will not be displayed.
Any signal that is above 0dBFS will be displayed in red text, indicating digital clipping. To reset the
values, click on the numbers. This will automatically reset the numbers to the default -60dB value.

Scale Control: Toned displays information on a decibel scale, with the maximum of the VUs and
waveform view equating to 0dbFS. The minimum value of the VUs and waveform view are controlled
by Scale Control. Turning the knob will change the lowest setting (i.e., the bottom of the display) on
the Input and Output meters.

GAIN CONTROLS

At the top of the plugin interface are the Gain Controls

for Toned. The Gain Controls determine the input and
output levels, as well as the amount of gain (and
subsequent saturation) that is applied to the analog
modeling module.

In Gain Control: The In Gain control is the first step in the processing chain. The In Gain control alters
the input gain to the remainder of the plugin. The Input VU meters will display the input signal with
whatever gain is applied using the In Gain control.

Drive Control: The larger Drive control simulates the hardware effect of increasing or decreasing the
input gain, while simultaneously adjusting the output gain to the opposite level. For example, if the
Drive control is set to +3dB, the level of the signal is adjusted by +3 dB before processing, and then
adjusted by -3dB after processing. After the In Gain control, Toned applies any additional Drive gain
before sending the signal through the analog modeling module. After the signal is processed, any

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additional Drive gain is removed. The overall result of changing the Drive control results in a net gain
of zero, since any gain that is added to the input is taken away before the signal is sent to the output
clipping control.

Output Gain: The Output Gain control on Toned adjusts the signal level of the output of the plugin.

TONE CONTROLS

The tone controls of Toned are

constructed using a crossovers
network bank of first-order filters (-6
dB per octave). First-order filters
cannot produce surgical EQ cuts and
boosts. Instead, first-order filters
have a gradual roll-off with minimal
phase effects. This makes this type of
control perfect for mastering and
two-track busses were gentle EQ
curves are needed.

Frequency Controls: The Frequency Controls determine the crossover points of the tone control
matrix. The Low control determines the crossover point between the Low and Mid frequency bands.
Similarly, the High control determines the crossover point between the Mid and High frequency bands.

The Frequency Controls have a purposefully wide range. The frequencies can overlap (e.g., the Low
frequency extends into the High frequency range and vice versa). This makes the tone matrix
extremely flexible; however, there can be some unintended side effects. When the Low and High
Frequency Controls are close together, the Mid band will begin to increase in volume. This is due to
the overlap between all three of the frequency bands. Keeping the frequencies separated will avoid
this issue.

Additionally, turning either the Low or High Frequency Controls will adjust the minimum or maximum
range of the other knob. For example, if the Low frequency is turned to 2500 Hz, the lowest setting of
the High control will be set to 2500 Hz (even though the default minimum range of the High control is
1000 Hz). This prevents the controls from being set so that the frequencies are overlapped (and the
Mid volume is overly boosted).

Volume Controls: The Volume Controls determine the actual amount of gain that is applied to each of
the frequency bands. The gain ranges from -12 dB to +12 dB. When 3 Band mode is disabled, only the
Low and High Volume Controls will appear.

Since the tone matrix uses a series of first-order filters, volume boosts and cuts are interactive across
the other frequency bands. This is highly dependent on the specific settings of the Frequency controls

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and the subsequent “width” of each of the frequency bands. Toned does not directly emulate the
frequency interactions found on hardware passive EQs or tone circuits; however, there are similar
effects. Boosts and cuts on the Mid frequency band will alter the gain of any High or Low boosts/cuts,
and vice versa. For this reason, the decibel readout under each Volume Controls should only be used
as a reference, and not as an exact level of boost or cut.

3 Band Mode Button: The default setting for Toned is

to have a three band tone matrix (i.e., High, Mid, and
Low). The 3 Band button switches the tone matrix into a
2 band tone control, with a Low control and High
control. When in 2 band mode, the Low and High
Frequency Controls are replaced with a Center
Frequency Control. This determines the crossover point
between the bass and treble frequencies.

Channel Mode Control: The tone matrix can be configured in three different modes: stereo (LR), Mid
Channel (M), and Side Channel (S). The default mode is LR.

In LR mode, the controls perform the same equalization on the left and right channels. Adjusting any
of the Frequency or Volume controls applies the same amount of equalization to the left and right
signals (there are slight variations due to the analog modeling). In M mode, the equalization is only
applies to the mid channel. The stereo signal is first processed into mid and side channels. The side
channel is unprocessed through the tone matrix, while the mid channel receives the equalization. In S
mode, the reverse is true. The side channel is processed while the mid channel is not.

HIGH PASS (HP) FILTER CONTROLS

The HP Filter Controls are specifically designed

to alter the low/sub bass energy of a track. The
controls have a very narrow and specific
frequency range and settings to eliminate
unwanted bass frequency build-up. The HP
Filter controls are the last process (prior to the
output clipper) within Toned.

On Button: The On button enables or disables the HP filter.

Frequency Control: The large Frequency knob determines the frequency of the high pass filter. The
control ranges from 10 Hz to 50 Hz. The knob allows for control to the hundredth of a Hertz (i.e.,
0.01). Since the slope of a high pass filter extend above the cut-off frequency, setting the control to a
point below 20 Hz may still have a noticeable reduction in audible bass. That is the primary reason that
the range of the control extends to 10 Hz.

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HP Q Button: The Q button determines the type of high pass filter, or Q. There are three different Q
settings: Bessel (Bs), Butterworth (Bu), and Chebyshev (Ch). Each setting corresponds to the filter
topology that is utilized (for Chebyshev, the filter is configured for a +1 dB Chebyshev filter).

Roll-off Button: The Roll-off button determines the filter order, and corresponding slope of the high
pass filter. There are three settings for the Roll-off control: -12 dB, -18 dB, and -24 dB. The -12 setting
is a second-order filter, with a corresponding slope of -12 dBs per octave below the corner frequency.
The -18 dB setting is a third-order filter, and the -24 dB setting is a fourth-order filter.

Channel Mode Control: The HP Filter functions similarly to the tone matrix, and can be configured in
three different modes: stereo (LR), independent mid (M), and independent side (S). The default mode
is LR.

In LR mode, adjusting the Frequency, Q, Roll-off, or On button applies the same high pass filter to the
left and right signals. When the Channel Mode is switch to the M mode or S mode, the signal is first
split into Mid and Side channels. The selected channel is then processed through the HP Filter, while
the other channel remains unfiltered.

MIXING CONTROLS

The Mixing Controls of Toned provide additional

features for adjusting the final output and sound
quality of Toned.

Bypass Button: The Bypass control temporarily bypasses all audio processing for Toned. In addition,
the Bypass button will inform the host DAW that the plugin latency has returned to zero.

Feedback Control: The Feedback control works in conjunction with the analog modeling module, and
the tone controls. The control simulates the effect of applying negative feedback back into the input
(or earlier stage) of the plugin. This is a common technique used in electronics to minimize distortion
and noise within amplifier stages. Despite this usefulness in decreasing unintended effects in the
amplification stages, some people feel that negative feedback produces additional problems.

The feedback control interjects an inverted signal back within the processing (while also adjusting
some of the internal parameters of the analog modeling module). In general, the overall saturation
and noise levels are decreased. The specific saturation “sound” also changes.

Please note: The saturation levels of Toned are very low when compared to traditional distortion
types of plugins. Adjusting the Feedback control may not have a noticeable effect, depending on the
source material. To experiment with the Feedback control, try greatly increasing the Drive until the
distortion is noticeable.

Mix Control: The Mix control is used as a wet/dry control to blend the output of Toned with the input
signal. The default setting of 100% corresponds to an output that is entirely processed audio from

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Toned. A setting of 0% corresponds to completely bypassing the plugin since the output will be
entirely from the dry signal.

The Mix control compensates for any latency introduced via oversampling when mixing in the dry
signal. Different DAW programs handle latency differently. Some hosts are able to change latency
dynamically. Other hosts only change latency when the “play” button is pressed within the DAW
software. Since DAWs handle latency differently, it is highly advisable to use the Mix control within
Toned over using the any mix knob available within the DAW.

The Mix control of Toned compensates for many internal settings in order to make the Mix control
behave as expected. For example, there are phase changes due to the analog model. Without
compensating for this, turning the Mix knob would produce large frequency null points. In addition,
the Mix control occurs prior to the HP Filter. Therefore, any HP Filter settings are also applied to the
“dry signal” used for the Mix Control.

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Presets and Uses

PRESET DEFAULTS & FORMAT

Toned can save and load presets using the standard format for VST, VST3, and AU. There are 20 slots
for user presets. Saving and loading these presets is controlled by the audio host program.

EXPORTING AND IMPORTING PRESETS

Toned can also export and import presets. Exporting presets
produces a text file that can be loaded at a later time. The files are
not specific to a particular user, so the files can be sent to other
Toned users to load.

To export a preset, set all of the controls and buttons to the desired configuration and left-click on the
Preset Button at the lower-left corner of the plugin. A file entitled “Toned_preset.txt” will be created
within the same folder as the plugin dll file. If a preset.txt file already exists, the file will be
overwritten each time the export button is pushed.

Please note: Some computer configurations and plugin formats may have the plugin file for Toned
located within a systems folder. In these cases, Toned is not able to save the preset.txt file since the
folder requires administrator privileges. When the Preset button is pressed, Toned will test if the
location has write-only access before creating the file. If not, no file will be created and an “Error
Saving” message will appear at the top of the plugin. In most cases, this issue can be resolved by
installing Toned to a new folder that is read/write accessible.

To import preset via the preset.txt file (currently Windows only), open the file in a text editor like
Microsoft notepad, or Notepad++. Select all of the text and copy the text into the clipboard. This can
easily done with keyboard shortcuts (ctrl-A to select all text, ctrl-C to copy the text). When the preset
text is in the clipboard, right-click on the Preset button to load the preset. All of the controls will be
automatically set to the selected values within the preset.txt file.

It is important that the entire text is selected while copying the settings into the clipboard. Settings
that are not copied will not be loaded correctly. Additionally, some programs such as Microsoft Word
may introduce additional formatting characters to the text file when opening. Therefore, a “simpler”
program might work more consistently.

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