Antares Microphone Modeler user manual

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3) Preserve Source: Bass OTreble o
This, as you’ve probably guessed, is the reverse of No. 2. With the
Treble button pressed, the source mic’s bass characteristics are
neutralized while the treble characteristics are allowed through
unchanged. Then, at the model end, only the model’s bass characteris-
tics are applied to the signal. The net effect is that you get the source
mic’s treble characteristics and the modeled mic’s bass characteristics
4) Preserve Source: Bass oTreble o
With both buttons pressed, both the source’s bass and treble charac-
teristics are allowed through unchanged and no model is applied to
either range. This is equivalent to selecting Bypass in both the Source
Mic and Modeled Mic menus, with the exception that the Proximity
controls for both the source and modeled mics remain active.
Tube Saturation
The Tube Saturation section is designed to model the distortion that
is typical of a high-quality tube pre-amp.
When tube pre-amps are operated in their linear range, there is
virtually no signal distortion and their audio qualities are essentially
identical to solid state pre-amps. However, it commonly occurs that
transients exceed the linear voltage range, resulting in distortion.
The distortion characteristics of a vacuum tube pre-amp are vastly
different from that of solid state amplifiers and are often described
as adding a certain “warmth” to a sound (in contrast to what is
often described as the “brittleness” of the solid state sound).
The amount of tube saturation effect applied to your audio is
controlled by the Tube Saturation Drive control in combination with
the Input Gain control.
The Drive control determines the amplification factor of the mod-
eled tube pre-amp with the numeric display indicating the amplifi-
cation in dB. At 0 dB , no distortion occurs, even for full amplitude
(+1 or -1) signal levels. These levels represent the “rails” of the
amplifier. As the Drive is increased, the amplification is increased.
Any regions of the signal that increase beyond the rails generate
distortion. (But instead of the usual ugly digital clipping, they are
distorted the same way the tube pre-amp would distort the sound.)
Controls: Tube Saturation 
						

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Because the maximum drive is limited to +10 dB, using the Tube
Saturation model requires the original signal to be at a level greater
than -10 dB. If this is not the case, you should adjust the Input Gain
control to increase the level of the sound. (Be certain that Input
Gain is not increased so much as to cause the 0 dB meter “LED” to
light.) It may be necessary to go back and forth between Drive and
Input Gain a few times to get exactly the effect you want.
Note: If your audio was recorded at an exceptionally low level, it
may be that even maximum Input Gain and maximum Drive will
still not result in a level high enough to generate distortion. In
that case, either re-record your audio at a higher level (if pos-
sible) or use your waveform editing program to digitally increase
the level (keeping in mind that this may negatively affect the
signal quality).
If you want to add tube saturation distortion without otherwise
affecting your sound, set both the Source Mic and Modeled Mic
menus to Bypass.
Output Level
The Output Level control is used to fine-tune the
Microphone Modeler’s output level. This control is
strictly an attenuator (i.e., no gain is available). You
should always start with it at 0dB (the top of its
range) and then reduce level as necessary. It is
particularly useful when adding large amounts of
tube saturation.
Controls: Output Level 
						

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Chapter 4: The Microphone Models
Your copy of Microphone Modeler comes with a collection of mic
models that is automatically installed along with the plug-in applica-
tion. These mics will appear in the Source Mic and Modeled Mic
menus. In addition, we are constantly modeling more mics. Whether
new mics that have just come to market, or classics we’ve just
managed to get ahold of, you should find an ever-growing collec-
tion to download from our website.
We’d also appreciate any suggestions you have for specific mics to
model. Email your suggestions to us at [email protected] with
the words “Mic Suggestion” in the subject line. We can’t guarantee
that we’ll be able to include every mic suggested, but if we see
certain mics getting a lot of votes we’ll do our best to include them.
The Mic Model Files
Each mic model consists of two files: the model file, which is named
for the modeled mic, and a matching source mic file whose name
also includes the name of the modeled mic with the addition of the
suffix, “inv”.
These model files are found in a folder named “Antares
Models.” On Macintosh systems, this folder is located in
the Preferences folder inside the System folder. On PC
systems, this folder is located inside the same folder as the
Microphone Modeler plug-in. The Antares Models folder in
turn contains a “Modeled Mics” folder and a “Source Mics” folder.
Each folder contains one file for each microphone.
This version of Microphone Modeler includes the ability to add one
level of sub-folders in the “Source Mics” and “Modeled Mics”
folders. This results in easy-to-organize hierarchical menus in the
Source Mic and Modeled Mic pop-ups.
As you will see, we have used this feature to organize the mic models
by manufacturer. However, you are free to change this organization
to anything that works well for you. Simply add or rename sub-
folders as desired and put the appropriate models in each folder. 
						

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Customizing Mic Menus
Note that the model files are not cross-platform compatible. When
downloading new models from the Antares web site, be sure to
select the files that are intended for your computer.
For each new model you download from the Antares web site, you
will end up with two files. As is probably obvious, you should place
the model mic file in the Modeled Mics folder and the source mic
file (the one with the “inv” suffix) in the Source Mics folder.
Customizing the Source and Model Mic Menus
The Source Mic and Modeled Mic menus will always reflect the sub-
folders and model files in their respective folders. Adding a new file
or sub-folder to either folder will cause that sub-folder or model to
become available in the appropriate menu.
Here are a few hints for managing your mic menus:
•It is not necessary to have the same mic models in each folder.
You could, for example, put only the source model files for the
mics you actually own at the top level of the Source Mic folder,
eliminating the need to constantly hunt in sub-folders for the
few you usually use.
•For quick access to a few specific mics on a particular project,
create two temporary sub-folders named Project Source Mics
and Project Modeled Mics and put all the mics you plan to use
for that particular project in them. When you finish your project,
just move all the models back into their respective folders.
•The mic names that appear in the menus reflect the names of
the model files. We have assumed that the actual mic names are
probably the most informative. However, if you’d prefer some-
thing else, you can change the names of the model files and
those new names will appear in the menus.
If you choose to do this, we strongly recommend that you give
both the source and model files the same name and keep the
“inv” suffix for the source file. (The Microphone Modeler will
automatically strip the “inv” from the end of the name when
displaying it in the Source Mic menu. However, if you acciden-
tally (or purposely) put a source mic file in the Modeled Mic
folder, the “inv” will appear as part of the name in the Modeled
Mic menu.) 
						

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Automation
Automation and the Mic Menus
Many host applications provide the ability to automate the settings
of plug-ins. Although the Microphone Modeler is totally automat-
able, you should be aware that the fact that you can add and delete
items from the Source Mic and Modeled Mic menus can result in
problems with some automation systems.
To understand why, it’s important to note that host applications
typically remember menu selections not by storing the actual item
selected, but by storing its position in the menu.
Imagine, for example, that you select a mic that is the 17th mic
listed in the menu and store that setting for later recall via automa-
tion. In the meantime, you check our website and download some
new models, two of which end up in the list above that formerly
17th mic. Your originally chosen mic is now 19th in the menu and
the next time you recall that automation setting, instead of getting the
mic you expect, you’ll get the mic that is now in the 17th position.
Unfortunately, there is no easy way around this. Simply be aware of
it and be prepared to update your automation settings if you add
mics to the menu. 
						

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Chapter 5: Realistic Expectations
(or, Microphone Modeler Meets the
Space-Time Continuum)
Although the Microphone Modeler seems in many ways to be
almost magic, it is, in fact, simply very clever science. And as such, it
remains subject to those pesky laws of physics.
To get the maximum satisfaction out of the Microphone Modeler, it
is important to have realistic expectations of exactly what it can and
can’t do. (Most of what it can’t do relates to the physical impossibil-
ity of recovering information that wasn’t in the original signal to
begin with.) Here are the main issues to be aware of:
•Choice of Input MicrophoneLuckily for all of us, the general
quality of “affordable” microphones has reached a remarkably
high level. Consequently, if you stick with well-known manufactur-
ers, most any reasonable quality mic will provide sufficient perfor-
mance to allow the Microphone Modeler to do its magic. (OK, we
said it wasn’t magic, but we’re speaking metaphorically here.)
On the other hand, you can’t expect to go into a large (but
unnamed) mass merchandiser of low-cost electronics gear and
pick up a $19.95 mic and expect the Microphone Modeler to
make it sound like a U87. If a source mic has massive roll-off in a
particular frequency range, there is no way the Microphone
Modeler can produce the signal that would have been captured
had the source mic had better response.
•Microphone VariationsWhile there are obviously major differ-
ences between various models of microphones, there are also
often more subtle differences between different samples of the
same model of microphone. Whether due to manufacturing
variances, age or condition, there is no guarantee that the mic
we modeled will be identical to your source mic or to a specific
mic you want to model. In the case of some well-known classics,
we have even provided multiple models of the same (but soni-
cally differing) mic from different sources. 
						

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Realistic Expectations
•Microphone TechniqueIn getting the best possible recorded
sound, mic technique and placement are at least as important
as mic choice (if not more so). A good engineer can record a
great track with an SM57 while a poor one can make a U47
sound like doo doo. If your audio is not well-recorded in the first
place, the Microphone Modeler can to do very little to improve
it. If you start with a poorly recorded track, all the Microphone
Modeler will do is make it sound like a track that was poorly
recorded with a great mic.
•Excessive Frequency BoostAlthough the Microphone Modeler’s
processing does not itself add noise to your signal, any noise in
your original audio or noise added by intervening processes
(e.g., A/D conversion, pre-Microphone Modeler dynamics pro-
cessing, etc.) will be accentuated by any large amount of fre-
quency boost. This should only be a problem when your source
mic has a substantial bass or treble roll-off and the modeled mic
has a corresponding boost or, more likely, when your audio was
recorded with a low-cut filter on the source mic and you do not
use a low-cut on the modeled mic. In both of these cases, the
models will apply substantial gain to the affected frequency
ranges, raising the level of added noise along with the desired
signal. If the resulting noise level is unacceptable, you should
choose a different combination of mics and/or turn on the
modeled mic’s low-cut filter.
•Polar Pattern SelectionThe Microphone Modeler can’t recover
information that was not recorded as part of the original signal.
For example, if the original audio was recorded with a highly
directional pattern (hence picking up little room tone), you can’t
set the modeled mic to Omni and expect the room tone that
would have been recorded if the original was set to Omni
suddenly to appear. You can however, simulate that effect with
some judicious use of reverb or an environmental simulator.
Conversely, if your source was recorded with an omni mic and it
picked up some unwanted audio from the rear, you can’t realisti-
cally expect to set the modeled mic to hypercardioid and have
the unwanted audio disappear.
•Off-Axis ResponseThe purpose of the Pattern selection is to
model the varying frequency characteristics that result from
each of the available pattern settings, with the assumption that
the audio was recorded on axis (i.e., from the front of the
microphone). Since the Microphone Modeler has no way of
knowing the actual placement of the signal source, it does not
attempt to model off-axis performance. 
						

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Realistic Expectations
•Transient ResponseOne of the key characteristics of various
types of microphones is their transient response (i.e., the way
that their diaphragms respond to extremely rapid amplitude
fluctuations, typically during a sound’s attack phase).
Intuition would suggest that modeling changes in transient
response between mics would be next to impossible — particu-
larly changing a source mic with a slow response to a modeled
mic with a fast response. Amazingly, that turns out not to be the
case. The Microphone Modeler’s models do model variations in
transient response in both directions.
Rather than explain how this is done (which we are disinclined
to do, anyway), we suggest that you demonstrate it to yourself
with the following experiment:
1. In your waveform editor, use the Pencil Tool (or equivalent
waveform drawing tool) to create a single high-amplitude spike.
2. Process this file through the Microphone Modeler with the
Source Mic set to Bypass (so the spike is passed through the
Source section unchanged) and the Modeled Mic set to the
ATM31.
3. Examine the processed signal in the waveform editor. You
should see obvious evidence of the smeared transient. 
						

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Realistic Expectations
4. Now take that processed file (which is now a model of the spike
as it would have been recorded by the ATM31) and send it
through the Microphone Modeler again, this time with the
Source Mic set to the ATM31, and the Modeled Mic section set
to Bypass. If that Source Mic model is doing its job, it should
actually remove the characteristics of the ATM31, including that
smeared transient.
5. Once again, examine the processed signal. The evidence of
transient smearing will be gone and the spike restored to its
former spikey self. (Frankly, the first time we tried it, we could
hardly believe it ourselves. Thanks, Dr. Andy.) 
						

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Chapter 6: Get Creative
Up to this point, all of the instructions in this manual have focused
on how to use the Microphone Modeler for its primary purpose:
making one mic sound as accurately as possible like another. But
don’t let that limit you. We’ve purposely given the controls wide
ranges to allow you to move beyond what might be considered
useful for strict modeling. Try some of the following:
•Select a Source Mic that doesn’t match your physical mic. In fact,
try one whose characteristics are as different as possible from
your physical mic.
•Select Bypass in the Source Mic menu to combine the sound of
your physical mic with the sound of the modeled mic.
•Create a “Hyper” version of one of your source mics. To do this,
select Bypass in the Source Mic menu (to pass through the sound
of your mic unmodified) and then select your source mic in the
Modeled Mic menu. The result will be to accentuate all of the
characteristics that give your source mic its unique character,
making it sound like itself, only more so.
•Swap some model files between the Source and Model folders
(i.e., put the source file in the Modeled Mic folder and vice
versa). This is likely to result in some strange timbres, but some-
times strange is good.
•Extreme Proximity settings can give strange, but interesting
effects. Try wildly differing settings in the Source and Model
sections.
•Dynamically change Proximity settings during a performance.
•Overdrive the Tube Saturation section for some serious gruzz.
None of the above are likely to give you the sound of any mic that
exists in nature, but they can definitely give your recordings unique
and striking timbres.