Controls
 |
| PSP MasterQ EQ VST PLUGIN |
The
graphic user interface of the PSP MasterQ is designed to be both elegant and
functional,
offering
a convenient and aesthetically pleasing layout which gives you easy access to
all of its functions.
Basic Operation
To
activate the buttons, simply click them. They will glow yellow to indicate that
they are active. To avoid accidental resets, the Reset button requires
double-clicking. The Latency numbers may also be clicked to force dynamic
latency compensation. To adjust the knobs, click on the knob and rotate
your mouse clockwise or counterclockwise. The numeric display of the current
value below the knob you are adjusting will change to reflect your mouse
position. All knobs react to your mouse movement speed. The faster the mouse
speed, the faster the knob’s value changes. If you press the SHIFT key pressed
before you click on a knob, for as long as you hold the key down the knob will
be in Fine Movement Mode, which allows you to make more minute value
adjustments. The knob value display below each knob can be clicked to reveal a
text box. You can directly type a desired numerical value into this box.
Clicking on the name of currently chosen LIM-SAT algorithm opens a popup with a
list of available LIM-SAT algorithms to choose from. You can also use the arrow
buttons below the LIM-SAT header to scroll through the available LIM-SAT algorithm.
You can also directly click on any of small LED-like buttons below the
algorithm name
to
directly switch algorithms. Finally, you can click on the PSP • Tested On
Musicians icon to switch the graph display to an information panel with
details about the plug-in authors, the version number, and to whom the plugin is
licensed. Simply click on the information panel to return to the standard graph
display.
Displays
EQ GRAPH
 |
| PSP MasterQ EQ Graph |
Certainly,
the PSP MasterQ’s most obvious display is the EQ graph. The EQ Graph shows the
exact EQ
curve of each activated filter in the same color as the line bordering that
filter’s Filter Activation button, as well as the thick black line indicating
the combined EQ curve of all activated filters. Note that the EQ graph is not
only just a display—you can manipulate the EQ curves by clicking active points
on the graph itself.
LATENCY DISPLAY
 |
| PSP MasterQ LATENCY |
Under the
LATENCY header at the bottom of the PSP MasterQ is displayed the current
internal latency of the plug-in in samples and milliseconds. Click on the
latency indicators, stop and resume playback, or reset the audio application’s
engine to force delay compensation. NOTE: precisely how to force the
host application to recalculate delay compensation depends on the application
used;this will only work properly if the application supports this feature.
LEFT/RIGHT LEDS
 |
| PSP MasterQ LEDS |
Next to
the LEFT and RIGHT buttons are the LEFT and RIGHT LEDs. These indicate when
yoursignal exceeds 0dBFS. They remain lit dark red until clicked after a
digital over occurs. Textindicators below the LEDs indicate the held peak
level.
BUTTONS
PROC
 |
| PSP MasterQ Proc |
The PROC
button switches the plug-in into processing mode. Without this button engaged,
theplug-in is bypassed. Please note that bypassing the PSP MasterQ using this
button is not the same asturning the plug-in off (or bypassing) using your
audio application’s plug-in window controls.
FAT
 |
| PSP MasterQ FAT |
This
button activates the Frequency Authentication Technique – a high quality double
sampling technology which results in more accurate and transparent high frequency
filtrations. This algorithm produces a slight internal latency of 128 samples.
In general, you will always want the FAT button engaged, however you might need
to turn the FAT off if you must have the lowest possible latency, or need to
conserve CPU computation power.
LEFT/RIGHT BUTTONS
 |
| PSP MasterQ L-R |
You can
use these buttons to turn on or off processing for the left and right channel
independently. This allows you to process only one channel while keeping the
second channel synchronized.
LIM-SAT
 |
| PSP MasterQ LIM-SAT |
These
arrow buttons allow you to switch between the different soft clipping
algorithms available to you. You can also choose to turn off the soft-clipping
algorithms completely. The small LED-like buttons below the algorithm name
allow you to directly select a Lim-Sat algorithm. Finally, you canalso click on
the algorithm’s name to open a popup list with all available algorithms.
RESET
 |
| PSP MasterQ Reset |
Double-clicking
this button will instantly reset the Range knob and all of the filters’
settings to their default values. This is particularly useful if you find
yourself wanting to zero out all your settings and start over.
FILTER ACTIVATION BUTTONS
 |
| PSP MasterQ Filter Activation Buttons |
Each of
PSP MasterQ’s filters can be turned on or off individually via its Filter
Activation button.Note that when you activate a filter, a line in the same
color surrounding that filter’s Filter Activation button will appear in the EQ
graph to represent that filter’s EQ curve.
24 dB/OCT
 |
| PSP MasterQ 24dB/oct |
Both the
low cut and high cut filters have a 24 dB/oct button. Activating this button
places low cut and high cut filters into 24dB/oct mode. If buttons are not lit
low cut and high cut filters operate in 12dB/oct mode.
KNOBS
FREQ
 |
| PSP MasterQ Freq |
This knob
sets a cut-off or center frequency of individual filter. The range of each
filter’s FREQ knob depends on the chosen filter. Each FREQ knob has a different
default setting based on its range.
"Q"
 |
| PSP MasterQ "Q" |
The “Q
factor” knob sets the width for a filter. The lower the Q, the wider the range
of filter (which results in a softer slope to the EQ curve). Higher Q values
result in the filter affecting a narrow frequency range (which looks more like
a notch or resonance than a curve on the EQ graph) The default value for each
filter was set to match the purpose for that given filter (see Operations for details).
GAIN
 |
| PSP MasterQ Gain |
This knob
sets the gain/attenuation for a filter. Its range is –24 dB to +24dB with
increased
resolution
closer to 0dB. Note that the high and low cut filters do not have GAIN knobs.
RANGE
 |
| PSP MasterQ Range |
The RANGE
knob acts as sort of a boost or cut for the entire EQ. It sets the multiplier
assigned to all Gain controls of the individual filters. It allows you to
increase, lessen or even invert amplitude characteristics of all filters except
low cut and high cut.
You can
dial in settings from –150% to 150% giving you an extra 50% of filters’ boost or
attenuation.
Certain key numeric values are colored to make them stand out: 100% is
indicated by green numbers, -100% is indicated by blue numbers, and 0% is
indicated by red numbers. The default value is 100%, which does not alter the
gain settings of the filters at all.
OUTPUT
 |
| PSP MasterQ Output |
At the
bottom right of the interface, the OUTPUT knob sets the output signal level of
the EQ before it enters the limiting-saturation section.
OPERATIONS
Filter Frequencies
The
frequency range of each filter has been specifically tailored to be as useful
and dynamic as possible for its given range. You’ll notice that most of the
filters in the PSP MasterQ actually have a far wider range than most other EQ
plug-ins give their filters. This is to give you the maximum flexibility in
adjusting each filter. The frequency ranges and default values for each filter,
from left to right across the PSP MasterQ interface, is as follows:
- Low Cut Filter: 10 Hz — 20 kHz 10Hz by default
- Low Shelving Filter: 20 Hz — 2 kHz 100Hz by default
- Low Parametric Filter: 16 Hz — 16 kHz 250Hz by default
- Mid Parametric Filter: 20 Hz — 20 kHz 1kHz by default
- High Parametric Filter: 24 Hz — 24 kHz 4kHz by default
- High Shelving Filter: 300 Hz — 30 kHz 10kHz by default
- High Cut Filter: 10 Hz — 30 kHz 30kHz by default
Adjusting the Q
While
there are no hard and fast rules as to how to set the Q factor for each filter,
there are a few general rules that can help you get the most out of the PSP
MasterQ. The Low shelf and high shelf Q factors within the range of 0.35 to
0.71 result in a smooth shelf curve. Values as low as 0.35 give the smoothest
possible curve while values greater then 0.71 add a peak above and while below
the set frequency. The Low cut and high cut Q factors in the range of 0.35 to
0.71 result in a typical low cut and high cut curve without any resonance gain.
A value of 0.71 value creates a curve of 12dB/oct or 24db/oct depending on if
you have engaged 24db/oct switch. Lower values decrease the steepness of the curve
down to 6dB/oct (for 12dB/oct filter's mode). Values greater then 0.71 raise
the resonance. The Q ranges and default values for each filter, from left to
right across the PSP MasterQ interface, are as follows:
Low Cut Filter: 0.35 — 1.41 0.71 by default
- Low Shelving Filter: 0.35 — 1.41 0.5 by default
- Low Parametric Filter: 0.05 — 20 0.41 by default
- Mid Parametric Filter: 0.05 — 20 0.26 by default
- High Parametric Filter: 0.05 — 20 0.41 by default
- High Shelving Filter: 0.35 — 1.41 0.5 by default
- High Cut Filter: 0.35 —1.41 0.71 by default
Presets
 |
| PSP MasterQ Presets |
As Sakis
stated in the Forward, when you are dealing with EQ, you need to tailor the
plug-in to your specific needs; rarely will anyone’s else’s settings be exactly
what you need. But the PSP MasterQ includes a number of settings that should
offer you a good place to start your own explorations.
You can
access these presets from the PSP Audioware standard PRESET bar at the bottom
of the plug-in interface. Here you can select from among the factory presets,
and load and save individual, as well as banks of presets. There are three
sections to this bar, the PRESET section, the Preset window, and the BANK
section.
PRESET
SECTION
Click the green “from disk” icon to load a
preset
Click the red “to disk” icon to save a preset
PRESET
WINDOW
Click the
menu button to the right of the preset window to see the menu of all the
presets in
the
currently loaded preset bank.
Click the
name of the preset to rename it.
BANK
SECTION
Click the
green “from disk” icon to load a bank
Click the
red “to disk” icon to save a bank
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