Pyramix Virtual Studio - Overview

The Pyramix Virtual Studio is a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) that integrates the functions of digital audio Mixing, Effects Processing, hard disk Recording and Editing, and CD, DDP and DSD mastering. The unique architecture of the Mykerinos DSP board and Pyramix software affords users an extraordinary degree of flexibility in configuring their Virtual Studio system. The key concept behind Pyramix is to give the user a pool of digital audio processing power, which they can allocate for the specific job at hand. This means the system can be easily configured to have varying numbers of mixer channels and configurations, each with their own unique combination of external inputs and outputs, signal routing, internal effects processors, and hard disk tracks. In a very real sense, Pyramix puts you in control of your own Virtual Studio!

EDITING

There are far too many editing functions within Pyramix to explain here in detail, but with an unlimited number of editing tracks at your disposal all editing within Pyramix is performed instantly (no rendering required). Selecting a clip or group of clips and sliding it across an adjacent clip for example, will create a symmetrical cross-fade automatically between the moving and adjacent clip. This can be performed on a single mono or stereo clip, or across multiple tracks and adjusted at any time. For advanced cross-fade editing a detailed edit window of any edit point can be displayed giving you total control over the fades and cross-fades.
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MIXING

The Mixer interface is the visible part of the underlying Virtual Studio. All of the faders, pan knobs, source switches, mute switches, solo switches, monitor controls, effects parameters, automation, etc., can be controlled in real-time from the Mixer console, either via the mouse, or by a dedicated external hardware controller (see Controllers and Consoles for details). A vast array of different ex-factory mixer configuration presets comes with Pyramix. These presets may further be tailored, saved and recalled to suit any specific needs. An ultra-simple Wizard tool also allows the most sophisticated mixer to be configured from scratch in less than 10 seconds.		click to enlarge picture

SURROUND SOUND CONTROL

By configuring the Pyramix Mixer with a single or multiple surround sound bus, each mono or stereo strip is enhanced with a 2-D "panpot". A selected channel's panpot can be viewed and positioned from within the mixer, while a larger view offers additional "comfort" within the Surround Sound Controller. The Position Control is displayed as a green dot on a grid with 5 speaker icons. Each speaker icon represents a Surround Position (L, C, R, SL, SR). One (mono strips) or two (stereo strips) sound source positioners determine the spatial positioning within the surround sound space. To position it, simply left-click on the control and move it to it's desired location within the control. Double-clicking on this control will automatically center it and of course full dynamic automation is standard.		click to enlarge picture

		Level Meter Mode In this mode, the Surround control displays the current Surround Configuration using a bar graph meter type display. These meters represent a real-time simulation of the current Surround outputs. Input These meters display the input levels for the current Mixer Input Strip.
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AUTOMATION

click to enlarge picture		The Pyramix mixer features full dynamic automation of all surface controls including all plug-in parameters. In the automation Write mode Pyramix records the automation data generated by any control using the system time code as a location reference. Pyramix can then play the automation back in perfect synchronization to either internal or external time code, reproducing the movement and state of these controls just as it was recorded. This allows a mix to be built up in successive passes while each control is adjusted in turn. The mix automation can work with control of the mixer interface either via the mouse or an external control surface. Automation states (Isolate, Read, Write, etc.) can be selected for any mixer control individually, for complete mixer strips or for the entire mixer. All the automation passes of any control can be viewed, recalled and edited with the mouse. In addition to the dynamic automation Pyramix also offers snapshot automation.

Automation data can be edited directly with the mouse. Moving the mouse over the automation curve will turn the cursor into a hand. When moving the mouse over a breakpoint of the automation curve, the value and timestamp of the point will be displayed as shown in the example above. One can create as many versions of the automated mix as required and revue each of them instantly. The automation of Pyramix also works very well in conjunction with external MIDI controllers. When moving a mixer control using an external MIDI controller, this movement can be recorded and played back by the automation exactly the same way as when the control is moved using the mouse. When a mixer control has a MIDI control assigned to it, its movements are also output as MIDI data, so automation movements will be reflected on the external controller (e.g. by motorized faders, which are moving). A very important feature for a convenient control of the automation via MIDI are “sensitive” controls. These controls send an on/off MIDI message when they are touched or released without the necessity to move them. Thus in the auto-write state Pyramix can start to record automation data as soon as a control is "touched" in a similar way as when clicking onto it with the mouse. The same yields true in the case the control is released, according to the setting of the release mode.

VIRTUAL STUDIO CORE FEATURES

PARAMETRIC EQ
The parametric Equalizer is a four band fully parametric EQ with control of boost and cut, frequency, and bandwidth (Q factor) independently for each of the four bands. The master section appears at the top of the Parametric Equalizer window depicting which channel or channels the EQ is affecting. All these parameters can be instantly stored and reapplied at will from any Pyramix Library with the added ability to be dynamically automated. In real-time.
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DYNAMICS PROCESSING
		The comprehensive dynamics processing module in Pyramix provides functions for automatically controlling the output level of the signal, which pass through it. The functions available on this module include one gate, one expander, two compressors, one limiter, and a de-esser. The operation of each of these effects is interrelated in this comprehensive dynamics processor, and the user interface shows the user dynamic range where each process takes effect.
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STRIP TOOLS
Strip Tools combines the most frequently used processing blocks you would normally need on a mixing console in one single device. A three band fully parametric Equalizer, a Compressor and an Expander. Strip Tools was designed to use little DSP processing power, so it is possible to have this on all mixer channels for even medium to large size projects. Another advantage is that each processing block can be activated or deactivated individually, and deactivated blocks do not consume DSP power.
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BUS TOOLS
		Like Strip Tools, Bus Tools combines the most frequently used 'mastering' processing blocks you normally need on the stereo bus of a mixing console. Bus Tools features a three band fully parametric Equalizer and a very advanced limiter. Again designed to use little DSP processing power and each processing block can be activated or deactivated individually, and deactivated like Strip Tools. Whenever instantiated in a stereo or a 5.1 Surround bus, a smart channel link contextual menu allows several channel groups to be defined and linked for every sub-effect contained in Bus Tools.
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VU/PEAK METERING
The Metering offered by Pyramix is a very precise measuring instrument displaying the audio level of the audio signal on every channel strip where it is activated. Its goal is to serve as a master level display in any studio application, replacing expensive external hardware metering units. The plug-in contains three different level displays, VU, PEAK and Dynamic metering each of which can be displayed simultaneously or individually.		click to enlarge picture

		A choice of predefined reference settings is available with the option to fully customize your own preferences to suite your particular requirements..
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PHASE METER/VECTORSCOPE
The phase meter displays the phase relationship of a stereo signal or of any given set of two channels in a 5.1 bus within the range of -1 to +1. A value of +1 means that both channels are completely in phase. A value of -1 indicates that the two channels under analysis are completely out of phase causing complete cancellation if they were to be summed into a mono signal.
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SINE/PULSE/NOISE GENERATOR
click to enlarge picture		The Pyramix Effects section includes a signal generator that can be inserted into any of the channels with an effects insert point. It can be used to produce a sine wave, a saw-tooth signal, a square pulse signal with a variable duty cycle and white/pink noise. The sine wave can be set for any frequency from 20Hz to 20kHz at any level from 0dB (unity gain) to -144dB. The Pulse wave allows for setting the length of the two parts of the pulse independently. The smaller length cycle can be set for a length of 1 to 10 ms in 1 ms increments, while the longer part of the cycle can be set for any length from 10 ms to 5000 ms in 1 ms increments. The gain range for the pulse wave is 0 dB (unity gain) to -144 dB. This tool is useful as a test signal generator anytime such signals can contribute to check signal path, signal delay or calibrate other audio devices to/from Pyramix.

NEED MORE INFO ?

The best way to fully appreciate the unique capabilities of the system is to see it for yourself by organizing a demonstration with your local Merging Representative.