MANUAL 1.

Manual 1.5 Version 2

Quick Start
Step 1: open the setup panel on the button in the upper right corner

LIQUID MANUAL 1.5

1 Welcome 2 Installation
2.1 Install the L.I.S. Engine 2.2 Register the Soundbank 2.3 Soundbank activation (challenge response)

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3 Overview The most important things at a glance 6 4 Sound Browser

Step 2: add the .liquid file via the add button. For more information see page 5 4.1 Navigation 4.2 Setting preview modes 4.2.1 Plain (default) 4.2.2 Cycle 4.2.3 Folder 4.3 Set pitch and scale for preview 4.4 Transpose or Map Scale? 4.4.1 Map Scale (Default) 4.4.2 Transpose Scale 4.5 Autosync Scale 4.6 Setting Tempo

Table of Contents

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Step 3: navigate through the sound browser till you find a sample

5 Key Assignment Area

5.1 Mapping 5.2 Mapping a folder 5.3 Finding the sample source 5.4 Copying, erasing and moving 5.5 Setting audio output for each sample 5.6 Saving the keyboard layout 5.7 Saving or loading a single key 5.8 Play Sample 5.9 Exporting a single phrase

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6 Editor Page

Step 4: drag and drop it to the Key Assignmet Area to trigger it by Midi

6.1 Changing the pitch of notes 6.2 Scale snap 6.3 Microtuning 6.4 Changing tone lengths and setting the grid 6.5 Microtiming 6.6 Erasing tones 6.7 Undo 6.8 Auto Select 6.9 Changing the key and scale in the editor 6.10 Sample start and end points 6.11 Previewing

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7 Other sample settings

Attention: The file "soundbank.liquid" will have a different name, depending on your product. For example, if you own "Electric Bass", your soundbank will be named "Electric_Bass.liquid" In any case you can recognize the soundbank by its extension ".liquid" For more information please take a look at our tutorial videos at: www.ueberschall.com

7.1 Volume, Panorama, Pitch and Formant 7.2 Action Menu 7.3 Multi and Solo operation

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8 Setup Page

8.1 Soundbank Area 8.2 Setting the color of the grid display 8.3 Sample display 8.4 Autosync Tempo to Host

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9 Automation 10 Credits

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Welcome

Welcome to something new and exciting: ueberschalls Liquid Instrument Series (L.I.S.). In close cooperation with Celemony (Melodyne) we have developed this hot new tool. L.I.S. offers you a whole new array of features to control and redo sampled material. Make your selected phrase sound the way you want it to! Enter a new world of music technology! L.I.S. opens up unimagined ways of controlling existing musical phrases in realtime. Parameters such as single note pitches, formants, note lengths, scales, tempo, starts and endings can now be edited easily and directly to suit your arrangement. Quick and simple access, just like having the studio musician right next to you, responding to your desires in expression and phrasing. Unchanged, high-quality sound even after intense processing. In this combination of firstclass samples with the unique Melodyne functions you can create countless variations - from simple licks and phrases to complete solo lines. In this new product series we employed only the best musicians, using high-end studio equipment to achieve state-of-the-art sound quality. No additional effects such as compression or any other processors have been used in ueberschalls Liquid Instrument Series (L.I.S.) to ensure the purest results possible, giving you timeless and inspiring material to work with. Enter a new world of sample versatility - with Liquid Instrument Series (L.I.S.) from ueberschall!

Installation
d) Assigning the Soundbank is accomplished by pressing the Add button. After clicking on the button a Finder (Mac) or an Explorer (PC) window will open, which you can use to find the Soundbank file on your hard drive. e) After a successful assignment, the path to the Soundbank file appears in the display. Alternative proceeding: Soundbanks (*.liquid) can be dragged from the Finder (Mac) or Explorer (PC) into the Liquid setup plugin window.

The L.I.S. engine works with the multi-soundbank concept. Different soundbanks from the L.I.S. series (such as saxophone, trumpet, bass, etc.) are managed by a single L.I.S. engine interface, so that when you purchase a new L.I.S. instrument you dont have to reinstall the engine, just the new soundbank. The installation is undertaken in the following steps: 2.1 Install the L.I.S. engine 2.2 Register the soundbank 2.3 Activate the soundbank with challenge response Before you begin the installation, please have the following: Have your serial number ready. This is found on the inside of your DVD case. You will need internet access to activate via the challenge response system. It is not necessary to have internet access on the computer where the L.I.S. engine is installed. You can also request the response key using the computer of someone else you know. We recommend using the latest version of the L.I.S. engine. Please visit our website at www.ueberschall.com to download the current version. Ensure that your system meets the minimum requirements:

2.3

Soundbank activation (challenge response)

In order to use the Soundbank in the L.I.S. engine, an activation via the challenge response system is necessary. Of course, this does not apply to the demo-Soundbanks. a) After registering a Soundbank, a special identifying code for your computer appears in the Challenge Code display. b) Copy this code to the clipboard by using the Copy button or make careful note of the code on a piece of paper. c) On the internet, go to the webpage: http://www.ueberschall.com and navigate to the heading USER AREA. Select here my products > register product d) Enter the serial number. The serial number is found on inside of your DVD case. e) Enter the challenge code from the clipboard or enter it manually from your paper note into the challenge code field. f) After confirming you will receive the response key. Copy this into the clipboard or make written note of it. g) Now open the L.I.S. engine again. Enter the response key into the appropriate field on the setup page. If you copied the key to your clipboard, just press the "Paste" button. h) After confirming with the OK button the setup page will close. i) The activated Soundbank will now appear in the first column on the left in the sound browser. j) If the Soundbank does not appear, repeat steps a) through i). If this does not work, please contact Support via the Support form on the website http://www.ueberschall.com

Mac OS X 10.4, 512 MB RAM minimum, G4 500 MHz minimum - RTAS (req. ProTool 7.0 or later) - AU - VST Windows XP SP2, Vista 32, 512 MB RAM minimum, Pentium 800 MHz minimum - RTAS (req. ProTool 7.0 or later) - DirectX - VST

2.1

Install the L.I.S. Engine

a) Place the DVD in the appropriate drive on your computer. b) On the DVD you will find folders for the platform and subfolders for the supported ports. Open the file appropriate to your system and follow the instructions in the setup dialog.

2.2

Register the Soundbank

a) The Soundbank file is located on the DVD. It has the file extension liquid. Copy this file to a folder of your choice on your hard drive. b) Now start your host program (sequencer) and call the L.I.S. engine. c) Open the setup page by clicking on the Setup button in the upper right.

Overview - important things at a glance

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4.1

Sound Browser
Navigation

The Sound Browser allows navigation through the soundbanks which have been registered on the setup page. The registered soundbanks appear in the first column on the left.

(1)Tempo automatically syncs to the host (3) Set key and scale for the whole Library (5) Map samples in the Key Assign area

(2) Navigate through the Library (4) Preview and select samples (6) Save and load personal programs and keys, export sounds to .wav files and enter the setup By clicking on a soundbank a sub-grouping according to instrument type (e.g. baritone sax, tenor sax, alto sax, soprano sax) appears in the adjacent column. By clicking on an instrument type, groups will appear in the adjoining column to the right. Eachv group contains a selection of related samples, which match each other in style, expression and dynamic (such as A-Funk).

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By clicking on a group, the samples will be listed in the adjacent column to the right. The single samples are displayed in the so-called Wave Notes representation by default. In this view the melody streams can be visually judged, even before they are heard. To the right of each sample list entry is a play button, so that the sample can be individually previewed. The sample is played as long as the mouse button is held down.

4.2.1 One Shot (default)

Pressing the mouse button on the Play button in the sample list plays the selected sample. The sample plays as long as the mouse button is held down.

4.2.2 Cycle
A sample played with the Play button is played as an endless loop in this mode. By clicking on the Play button again the playback stops. (1) Edit single notes (pitch, length, delete) (3) Set key and scale of the current sample (2) Change sample start & end point and duration (4) If Autoselect is active, the sample currently triggered by MIDI is shown. (default)

4.2.3 Folder
In this mode a complete sample list (folder) can easily be heard through. The playback begins with the sample whose Play button was activated. To stop playback, simply click on any Play button in the list. The start of each sample in the list takes place synchronized to each counting time of the sequencer. This makes it possible to listen to the samples of a folder in the correct timing. To listen to a complete folder you can also click on the triangle to the right of the folder name.

4.3

Set pitch and scale for preview

To change the key and scale, click directly on the corresponding display field. A popup menu will open in which the desired keys and scales can be chosen. A large number of common and less common scales (modes) are shown. Even if you dont know all the individual scales, it is valuable to experiment with them for getting unexpected melodic variations.

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5.1

Key Assignment Area

Mapping

All samples which are previewed with the play button are always played in the same pitch and scale! This is a great advantage so that the entire library can be previewed in the desired key and scale!

To use the samples selected in the Sound Browser in a song, they must be mapped in the engine. These samples will then be triggered by MIDI during the song arrangement. The triggering can be done via MIDI notes in a matrix editor in the host software, or via an external MIDI-keyboard.

The key assignment of a sample is done in the right column of the browser page, in the Key Assignment Area. Here youll find a vertically-oriented software keyboard comprising four octaves (C1 to C4). Mapping is done by drag & drop: just pull the desired sample from the sample list with the mouse key held down and release on a key of the software keyboard. The sample name will appear to the right of the selected key. The sample has been mapped. Tip: A melody can be set to as many different keys as you wish. If you change the respective pitch in the editor page you can create multi-voice melodies. A mapped sample is played in the key and scale that was set during the mapping process! If another key/scale is set in the browser after the mapping process it will not change the previously mapped sample! The key/scale settings of a mapped sample only affect the preview in the sound browser! Changing the key/scale afterwards is only possible on the editor page or by remapping the sample.

4.4

Transpose or Map Scale?

After selecting the key and scale the sample is played in the desired way. How does this work? The individual notes of a sample are rearranged by the L.I.S. engine, which is based on Melodyne software. Each sample of the L.I.S. Libraries was precisely analyzed after recording with respect to note separation, note construction, melodic shape and many other parameters. The L.I.S. engine evaluates this information and reconstructs the melody according to the rules of harmony. This can be in one of two ways:

5.2

Mapping a folder

You can also drag complete folders onto the keyboard. To do this, drag the folder name to the software keyboard with the mouse key held down. The keyboard area required to map the entire contents of the folder will be lit up. The starting point for the key assignments is achieved by pushing with the mouse key held down. When the key is released, the samples are automatically mapped.

4.4.1 Map Scale (Default)

With this method, individual tones of the original melody which do not fit the scale are altered so that they do fit.

5.3 5.4

Finding the sample source Copying and erasing

The source folder of a sample already mapped can be determined by pressing the SHIFT key and clicking on the mapped sample in the Key Assignment Area.

4.4.2 Transpose Scale

This method works on the same principle as the classical pitching of a sample. All notes of the sample are raised or lowered by a certain number of half-steps. After this step, the adjustment of the individual notes is made in order to fit the scale.

To copy a sample to another key, first press the ALT key. Then copy the sample via drag & drop to another key. A mapped sample is erased with the BACKSPACE key.

4.5

Autosync Scale

5.5 5.6

Setting audio output for each sample Saving the keyboard layout

If Autosync is activated, each sample shown in the sample list next to the Autosync button will be played back in the key and scale. If Autosync is deactivated, the Samples are played in the original pitch and scale!

To the right of the sample names the audio output setting is visible. By default output 1-2 is set. By clicking the mouse on this display a menu pops up where other output channels can be selected, depending on hardware.

4.6

Setting tempo

A keyboard layout (=program) can be saved and used in other projects by selecting File from the menu to the right of the sliding controls in the upper part of the L.I.S. engine. When saving, you will need to enter a file name for this keyboard layout. This name appears in the display to the left of the tempo reading when it is loaded. Tip: You can name the keyboard layout even during the collection of the samples: just enter the desired name in the display labelled Program. This name will be used when saving.

All samples are automatically played back in the the tempo of the host sequencer. This can be deactivated by unchecking the box Autosync Tempo to Host on the setup page. The tempo can be manually set using the +/- keys. Alternatively, the tempo can be exactly entered with up to two decimal places by clicking on the display field. The tempo display field is found on the upper left of the L.I.S. engine. 8

By selecting New the entire keyboard layout will be cleared. In this menu you can also save your leyboard layout, load a new one export the chosen sample to wav or to midi.

6.3

Microtuning

The L.I.S. engine allows fine-tuning of tones. This means that tones can be bent slightly higher or lower. To do this, press the ALT key and then click on the note to be changed. Moving vertically with the mouse button pressed pushes the note flatter or sharper, depending on the direction. Tip: To check this visually, zoom in on the note to be changed with the + and keys (in the lower right of the grid). You can now see inside the glass tube the position of the note.

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Saving or loading a single key Play sample Exporting a single phrase

A key selected in the Key Assignment Area can also be saved separately. This key can for example be loaded into another keyboard layout. To load or save a key please select the key and choose Load Key or Save Key from the File menu.

The mapped samples can be played directly in the Key Assignment Area on the vertical keyboard. A sample is played on this virtual keyboard as long as the mouse key is held down.

The chosen phrase can be exported as a .wav file.

Editor Page
Every single note of a melody is shown as a tube in the display. This tube is located on a grid, similar to that of a matrix. On the left side of the grid the pitches are listed to show the pitch of the note. With the + and symbols in the lower right corner of the grid you can zoom in and out on the grid. The sliding bars on the edges of the display allow the visible portion of the selection to move up/down and left/right.

To get to the editor page, click the Editor tab or double-click on the left half of the sample name in the Key Assignment Area. The editor page will always show the sample which is marked in the Key Assignment Area. Whereas on the sound browser page the notes are automatically moved to fit the selected key, it is possible here to change individual notes. The set pitches and scale for this sample are shown in the display fields in the upper portion of the screen.

6.4

Changing tone lengths and setting the grid

The length of a note can be changed by horizontally dragging with the mouse. Note that if there are any following tones, they will also be changed. Example 1: A note should last longer and directly following is another note. If you now click on the right side of the note to be changed and drag the tone to the right, it will become longer. So that no overlapping with the following note occurs, it will be automatically shortened. The starting point of this following note is the ending point of the lengthened note.

6.1

Changing the pitch of notes

The pitch of a note can be easily changed by moving the tube vertically. Click the tube in the middle and move it up or down while holding the mouse button. Multiple selections can also be made. To do this, create a selection frame with the mouse around the notes you wish to edit. The notes selected will appear in a lighter color. Tip: All notes can be selected at once by double-clicking in the empty grid. In the default setting, the tones are set in half-tone steps. It is thus possible to play notes not in the key.

6.2

Scale snap

The L.I.S. engine makes it possible to limit the notes to only those found in the current key and scale. Select the mode Scale Snap from the menu above the grid to do this. Tip: With this option you have innumerable other variations with only one lick: Set scale snap on; then mark all notes and move them up or down. You have a completely new melodie, in the same key, scale and rhythmic order. 10 11

Example 2: A note should sound later in time. This note is directly preceded by another note. If you click on the left side of the note to be changed and drag the mouse to the right, the starting point of the note is moved. The duration of this note will thereby be lessened. So that no hole in the sound occurs between the note preceding and the changed note, the preceeding note is automatically lengthened. The degree of movement when moving is dependent on the time grid which is set. The time division of the grid can be set in the dropdown menu above the grid in 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/24. The movement grid is always a quarter of the visible grid set. This means a finer movement is possible when 1/24 is set than when 1/4 is set.

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7.1
Volume Panorama Quantize Pitch Formant

Other sample settings

Volume, Panorama, Quantize, Pitch and Formant

In the upper right part of the L.I.S. engine are other settings for each sample. The settings are valid for the sample currently shown in the editor page. It is not necessary to select the editor page to change the settings. It is enough to select the sample in the Key Assignment Area (Sound Browser Page).

6.5 Microtiming
Similar to microtuning, the start and end points can also be set more finley than the preset grid allows. To do this, hold down the ALT key. Then, with the mouse button held down, the start and endpoints can be finely moved.

The following parameters can be set with the five horizontal faders:

6.6 6.7

Erasing tones Undo

These parameters can also be automated via MIDI (see Setup Page). Fine-tuning of the faders is possible by holding down the ALT key before moving the control with the mouse. Tip1: With the formant control, the basic sound of the instrument can be structurally changed. Tip2: By automating the formant control via MIDI the changes to the sound can be done dynamically, as an effect. Tip3: With the quantize control, the starting and ending point as well as the duration of a note is set. It is possible to quantize the whole lick or only a selected note.

A note is erased by first marking it with the mouse and then pressing the BACKSPACE key.

All editing steps of notes in the grid can be undone with the Undo Button located above the grid. Be aware that after changing the editor page to a different sample no further use of Undo is possible!

6.8

Auto Select

7.2

Action Menu

Above the grid to the right is a check box labeled Auto Select. When Auto Select is activated the editor page shows the sample which has been currently triggered by MIDI. Tip: By means of this setting you can quickly switch between different samples by triggering the different samples on an external hardware MIDI keyboard.

To the right of the faders is a popup menu with the label Action. By selecting between: Double tempo Half tempo the tempo of the selected sample is doubled or halved. This alteration can be used multiple times.

6.9

Changing the key and scale in the editor

7.3

Multi and Solo operation

The key and scale of the currently displayed sample can also be changed in the editor window through the popup menus found above the grid. During the reformation, the L.I.S. engine observes the shape of the melody and the scale-determining notes. After selection of a key/scale the currently shown melody is used as a starting point. It is possible to change the key and scale of only part of a melody. To do this, just mark the notes to be changed with the mouse. When the key/scale is changed, only the marked notes are affected.

To the right of the faders is a popup menu with the selections: Multi and Solo. With Multi more than one MIDI-triggered sample can be played concurrently. This would be used if you would like to play multi-voice melodies. The setting Solo allows only one sample, even if more than one key is pressed. The behavior is similar to that of a monophonic keyboard instrument, except that an L.I.S. sample is being played. That means that if another key is pressed during playback of a sample, the sample assigned to the new key is played. The currently playing sample is immediately stopped.

6.10 Sample start and end points

The bar in the beat area of the grid which is colored differently shows the area that will be played when triggered by MIDI. This bar has a colored triangle on both the left and right ends. The playback area can be lengthened or shortened by moving these triangles with the mouse button held down. The start point of the sample is shown by a white triangle in the bar. This starting point can also be moved with the mouse. Tip1: By moving the starting point you can quickly create new rhythmic variations of a sample. Tip2: A melody can be put together differently by mapping the same sample to different keys and playing back different parts.

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8.1

Setup Page
Soundbanks Area

Clicking the mouse on the Setup button in the upper right opens the setup page:

The area Soundbanks is important for the installation and activation of the soundbanks. In this area you can activate the soundbank with the challenge and response system Detailled instructions for installing soundbanks are found in the Installation chapter.

6.11 Previewing
The currently displayed sample can also be played in the editor without a MIDI trigger. To do this, use the Play button to the upper left of the grid. To the right of this button is the checkbox for Cycle. When activated, the area marked by the green bar is played on a loop. Cycle is the default setting! Tip: The melody can also be changed during Cycle playback.

8.2

Setting the color of the grid display

Every sound library is assigned to a special color. The first soundbank installed determines the default setting of the L.I.S. engine. If another soundbank is installed, the color of the L.I.S. engine can be set to the color of the new sound library. The selection of the color is set in the popup menu below on the setup page. Example: If the first sound library installed is Liquid Sax the default color is green. If Liquid Bass is installed next the default color is still green, but now yellow can also be set from the popup menu.

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8.3

Sample display

The display of the sample in the sample list on the sound browser page can be set in the popup menu to the left of the OK button. The following views are possible: Titles Wave note Notes See also Sound Browser > Navigation

8.4

Autosync Tempo to Host

Credits
Idea & Concept & Realization L.I.S.
Carsten Gehle Peter Neubcker Uwe Kinast Michael Dommes

All samples are automatically played back in the tempo of the host sequencer. This can be disabled by unchecking the Autosync Tempo to Host box.

9 Automation
The settings for automation are done on the automation page.

Programming L.I.S www.celemony.com

Carsten Gehle Peter Neubcker Christoph Kreutzkamp Uwe Granzow

GUI Interface
Murat Kahriman (www.reklame-haus.de) The L.I.S. Engine has 8 assignable controller, with which the following target parameters can be automated: Parameter Volume Panorama Pitch Formant

Best Boy

These target parameters can be selected for each controller in the Target column through popup menus. In the last column the effective area of the controller can be set. The default setting is for the entire keyboard area C1 to B4. However, here it is possible to limit the area. 36-36 would only influence C1. 36-37 would influence C1 and C#1... and so on.

Credits

Bassim Aziz-Safi Wenzel Mehnert

Manual
Michael Dommes Wenzel Mehnert

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