Scapes

Twisted Tools SCAPES Plugin

Welcome

Thanks for purchasing SCAPES. We hope you enjoying using this tool as much as we enjoyed making it!

SCAPES is an effect processor and sound generator that uses feedback techniques to produce abstract soundscapes, drones, rhythms and oneshots. It features six independent granular delays, extensive modulation options, a gate sequencer, and familiar synth-style controls for dynamic sound manipulation.

Have fun!

Twisted Tools

System Requirements

In order to use our Powered by Reaktor instruments and effects, you will need to meet the following system requirements for optimal performance:

System Requirements

Installation

All Twisted Tools plugins follow a similar installation process. To learn how to install Twisted Tools Powered by Reaktor plugins, please follow the link below:

Installation

Manual Conventions

Important warnings. Always read these!

Notes: Useful notes and relevant additional information.

Tips: Tips and advanced techniques.

What is SCAPES

SCAPES is an effects processor and sound generator based on feedback, built for Native Instruments Reaktor and free Reaktor Player. It uses six independent granular delays, extensive modulation options, a gate sequencer and familiar synth controls to dynamically manipulate the sound. With SCAPES you can create high quality and unique soundscapes, rhythms and sound effects perfectly suited for use in music, film and game audio. You can easily connect it to your favorite hardware controller or a touch screen tablet and immediately have fun.

How does it basically work?

SCAPES is a delay effect that runs in either plugin or standalone mode using Reaktor as a host. Like most delay effects, you need to feed it signal (and hit play!) to get it going.

You can feed SCAPES several types of signal. You can feed it live audio from your host, direct audio from your audio interface or by using the included sampler. Plus, you can also generate sounds internally by using any of the available sound sources described later in this guide.

SCAPES is made up of six independent granular delays (Delay Lines 1-6), all of which are built into one interface. Each delay can have its own source which sends signal into the effect. You can select from any one of eight sources in total per delay line.

The available sources for each delay are: External, Impulse, Noise, Saw, Self-Osc., Sine, Square, Triangle.

Who should use SCAPES?

Professional sound designers looking for modern or futuristic sound effects for film/television/radio/game.
Producers seeking abstract or rhythmic sounds to add dynamic elements to their music.
Anyone looking for unique and strange delays, auto panning, filtering and volume effects.
Producers looking to turn a sound into a chord using tunable comb delays.
Anyone seeking drones and massive sub bass drones built with feedback.
Producers looking for oneshot sounds or to breath life and movement into existing oneshot samples.
Anyone interested in improvising live with futuristic sounds by connecting standard MIDI controllers or touch screen tablets.

Getting Started with SCAPES

The following sections will give you a very quick overview of how to get going with ULTRALOOP. We will explain how to open ULTRALOOP and how to explore and use the default factory Presets and Scenes (sub-presets). Lastly, we’ll look at randomizing.

How to Open SCAPES [todo]

What to do when you first open SCAPES

When you first open SCAPES, hit play in your DAW or in standalone mode. Then, we recommend simply flipping through some of the included presets, hitting the random (RND) button at the top of the interface and playing with the Parameter Cell sliders. You really don’t need to know what you’re doing to get interesting sounds out of SCAPES. (For details, seesection 2.4)

Some SCAPES presets will require that you play a note on your MIDI controller in order to hear something. Presets that require MIDI will have a MIDI mode selected next to the envelope controls. Drag the menu to change the envelope mode to OFF if you just want to hear SCAPES all the time. (For details, seesection 2.4)

The next thing you may want to try is to setup external audio as a source. Click on the big Settings Tab, go to the area labeled source and drag all the source menus to ‘External’. This way incoming audio will be routed through all six of the SCAPES delays (known as ‘delay lines’). The incoming audio comes from either the sampler, your host or your audio interface. (For details, see section 2.3)

Setting Up SCAPES in Plugin Mode [todo]

Overview of SCAPES

Signal Flow Basics

SCAPES is a delay based on feedback and it requires that you feed it audio! It is made up of six independent granular delays built into one interface. Each delay can have an its own source feeding it. You can select from any one of eight sources in total per delay.

The audio path’s signal flow for each of the six delay lines is:

SOURCE -> DELAY (TIME) -> DELAY (FEEDBACK) -> GRAIN -> PITCH -> FILTER -> PAN/VOL -> FX -> MASTER

Global Controls

SCAPES has many global controls (located at the top of the interface) that are important to understand before diving into the deeper features.

MOD: Toggles all four of the SCAPES Modulation Sequencers (A,B,C,D) on/off.
RND: Randomizes all parameters in SCAPES that have a yellow dot next to them. Pressing the yellow dot next to the RND button in the Global section will toggle all Randomizers’ yellow dots on/off, so that they will be excluded from master randomization. This is handy if you want the RND ALL button or Cell Randomizers (described later) to only effect certain destinations.

Master Envelope Modes:

Drag the ENV MODE selector to choose an envelope mode which shapes the amplitude of the final signal.

OFF: Sound is always on and doesn’t require a MIDI note event to generate sound.
MIDI 1: Sound will be audible only when you play a MIDI note. MIDI 1 mode works like a noise gate whereby sending a MIDI note to SCAPES causes the envelope to allow audio to pass through. The shape in which audio is allowed to pass through is controlled by the ASR knobs to the right.
MIDI 2: Sound will be audible only when you play a note on your MIDI controller. MIDI 2 mode is like a trigger and causes the feedback path to be reset, therefor restarting the sounds evolution each time you play a note. MIDI 1 mode lets you hear what is happening during the sound’s evolution, whereas MIDI 2 mode lets you restart and listen to the evolution of sound.
SEQ 1: Activates the Gate Sequencer which is accessible via the Gate Sequencer tab. The Gate Sequencer has 6 tracks which send ‘Gates’ to the envelope (one for each delay line). When a gate event arrives at the envelope, the envelope will then shape the volume of that delay line based on the ASR knobs’ settings. SEQ 1 mode functions like a noise gate in that the gate allows you to listen to the sound at its current position in time.
SEQ 2: Activates the Gate Sequencer which is accessible via the Gate Sequencer tab. The Gate Sequencer has 6 tracks which send ‘Gates’ to the envelope (one for each delay line). When a gate event arrives at the envelope, the envelope will then shape the volume of that delay line based on the ASR knobs’ settings. SEQ 2 mode functions like a trigger in that the gate events from the Gate Sequencer cause that delay’s feedback source to be reset.

With MIDI 2 or SEQ 2 modes you can get repeatable sounds when you set the ABCD modulators and Gate Sequencer to ‘Gate’ mode. This is great for sound designers! When you stumble upon a cool sound after hitting randomize, you can repeat it and adjust it!

Master Envelope Controls:

A (Attack): Time it takes for volume to reach maximum amplitude once triggered via MIDI note or gate message.
S (Sustain): Volume (level) at which the sound sustains while you hold a note or while a gate message is present.
R (Release): Time it takes for the sound to return to zero level once a note has been released or the gate message ends.

Master Output Settings:

DYN: Compression amount applied to the processed SCAPES signal. While compression can make things louder, often times it may take away from some of the interesting things that occur as a result of feedback. We recommend that you always experiment with this setting.
FX: Amount of Reverb and Delay FX applied to SCAPES signal.
VOL: Volume control for SCAPES. This is only for sounds that have passed through SCAPES and does not affect the level of the dry signal you select using the MIX knob.
MIX: Adjust the volume balance of SCAPES versus the external audio coming into SCAPES.

The Settings Page

Source:

The first thing you’ll want to do with SCAPES when you’re ready to make your own sounds is setup the Sources. The Sources feed the delays and will have a drastic impact on your sound. You can have different sources for each delay.

EXTERNAL (LIVE AUDIO OR INCLUDED SAMPLER): The EXTERNAL source allows you to route audio from your host, audio interface or the included sampler, into a delay. Choose whether you’d like the external signal to come from outside of Reaktor or from the sampler by selecting LIVE (EXTERNAL AUDIO IN) or INTERNAL LOOP PLAYER from the Beatlooper instrument menu.
IMPULSE: an impulse train signal. Great for rhythmic and bubbling sounds when used as a source.
NOISE: a white noise generator with a built-in low pass filter, great for swishes, sweeps and atonal effects. Please note that when using the ‘Osc. Pitch’ setting in the Settings Tab, the Osc. Pitch determines the Low Pass Filter settings of the noise source.
SAW: a sawtooth waveform oscillator.
SELF OSC.: a short impulse causes a feedback loop to begin its evolution in Self Osc. mode.
SINE: a sine waveform oscillator.
SQUARE: a square waveform oscillator.
TRI: a triangle waveform oscillator.

Solo/Mute:

You can click or drag across the solo or mute buttons in order to solo/mute any of the six delays.

MIDI In:

NOTE: MIDI note in messages will control oscillator pitch. Use your keyboard to play SCAPES like a synthesizer!
KEY: MIDI note in messages will change the Key when using any of the included scales found in the scale menu. Requires that NOTE be on.
GLIDE: When playing MIDI IN, notes will cause a glissando (similar to glide) from one note to the next based on the time set with the glide slider.

Key/Scale:

KEY: Changes the musical key of the scale setting.
SCALE: Allows you to force Osc., Delay and Pitch values into the scale selected in the menu.
OSC: Forces oscillator notes to be in the set key and scale.
DELAY: Forces the delay times to be quantized to values that are in the set key and scale. This setting is useful when using very short delay times with high feedback settings, so that you can get tuned comb filter chord sounds.
PITCH: Forces the grain delays’ pitch to be quantized to values that are in the set key and scale. Please note that in most cases this won’t result in anything sound like musical scales. This is because the grain size setting needs to be at about 25% in order for the pitch control to function in a way that sounds musical.

Osc Pitch:

MIN/MAX: Sets the Oscillators minimum and maximum pitches.
ABCD: Allows you to modulate the Oscillators pitch using any of the four modulation sequencers.
NOTE # DISPLAY: The display below will show you the resulting note # output to the oscillator. This display takes into account MIDI IN’s affect on the final output note #.

Master Reverb:

LO/HI: Low/Hi Shelf EQ.
SIZE: Reverb Size.
LEVEL: Sets the level of the reverb effect.

Master Delay:

DELAY: Delay Time.
OFFSET: Adds/Subtracts delay time from each side to create interesting stereo fx.
FEEDBACK: Amount of delay feedback.
LEVEL: Sets the level of the delay effect.

Parameter Cells

Once you’ve fed SCAPES some audio, it is time to start manipulating it. The most basic way to control sound in SCAPES is by using the 6 Parameter Cells. The Parameter Cells allow you to easily control all six delays’ parameters in one simple interface. You can think of each row as a channel, with parameters for an individual delay. The six sources enter the first Cell and signal then flows from left to right.

SOURCE -> DELAY (TIME) -> DELAY (FEEDBACK) -> GRAIN -> PITCH -> FILTER -> PAN/VOL -> FX -> MASTER

The Cells:

DELAY: Controls the delay time for each of the six delays. For external sources, if set to 0, no delay will be applied. This allows you to use the other Parameter Cells to process your sound without a delay effect. For example, auto panning, auto volume and auto filtering effects can be easily achieved. If you set the delay times very short values and feedback level very high, you can get nice comb filter sounds that can be tuned using the scale settings in the Settings tab. This way you can turn any sound into a chord.
FEED: Controls the amount of feedback applied to the delays.
GRAIN: Sets the grain size for each delay.
PITCH: Sets the pitch or speed of the grain playback for each delay.
FILTER: Sets the cutoff frequency of each delay’s filter. The filter is a highpass filter for external Source signal and a bandpass filter for internal Source signal (self osc., oscillator waveforms and noise).
PAN: Sets the left/right panning for each delay.
VOL: Sets the volume for each delay.

The Parameters Cells Settings:

SLIDERS: Drag left to right to adjust. Right-click to MIDI or OSC learn the slider. Double-click to reset all sliders for this specific Cell to default.
MIN/MAX RANGE: Sets the overall minimum and maximum range of all the Cell sliders. Double-click to reset.
SPREAD: Incoming modulation values are offset for each delay line in the Cell. This makes it possible to have a single source of modulation doing something slightly different for each delay line.
SLIDE: Sets the amount of ‘smoothing’ or ‘glide’ applied to incoming modulation and/or randomization. This way when you randomize a cell, the sliders will ‘slide’ from their current position to their randomized position.
RND: Click on RND to randomize all the sliders for the current cell. Use SLIDE to create morphing random effects. Click on the 'o' indicator to exclude or include the Cell from being affected by global randomization.
ABCD: Click on any combination of these letters to route the corresponding Mod Sequencer to the Cell parameters. Use the SPREAD option to offset the incoming values so that each delay line parameter is modulated slightly differently.

Modulation Sequencers

SCAPES comes with 4 modulation sequencers (A,B,C,D) which are used to send control messages to the Parameter Cells, the oscillators’ pitch controls and to other modulation sequencers for cross modulation. You can think of the modulation sequencers as automation (or CV) that you route by simply clicking the letters at the destination. You can simply drag and draw values in the modulation sequencer or use some of the modulation settings to create and manipulate patterns. Control-click and drag to lock the y-axis in place as you draw.

The Modulation Sequencer Settings:

CYCLE AREA: Sets the start and end position of the modulation sequencer.
BEND (ABCD): Bend will curve the waveform presets and ABCD lets you automate the bending by another modulation sequencer for complex patterns and changes.
WAVEFORM (SIN/TRI/RMP/PLS) PRESETS: Click a waveform button to automatically create a pattern based on a classic waveform shape. This way you can use the modulation sequencer like an LFO. The pattern will fill the whole modulation sequencer unless you’ve selected a specific area with the select tool.
SEL: Turns on the select tool which allows you select a cycle area or select an area for copy/paste. When clicking a WAVEFORM PRESET with select on, the waveform will fill the selected area.
C/P: Copy/Pastes the selected area (SEL) into another area of the modulation sequencer.
RND (SM): RND randomizes the modulation sequencer. SM smoothes the randomization out so that it is less ‘random’ sound. The ‘o’ indicator includes or excludes the modulation sequencer from being affected by the global master randomization button.
INVERT: Inverts the information in the modulation sequencer.
VAR: Performs a consistent variation of the sequence playback order. This way, you can get different patterns that repeat.
RSTP: Randomizes cells that are played back. Higher values will result in more randomization.
SM: Turns on smoothing for the Modulation Sequencer’s output so that there aren’t any drastic jumps between steps.
GATE (LOOP): Turn on GATE mode. Use this if you want to restart the modulation sequencer every time you play a MIDI note. This will help to get repeatable patterns that re-trigger when you play your MIDI controller. Turn on LOOP so that when you hold down a key on your controller, the modulation sequencer will loop until your release that key. This allows you to setup a modulation sequencer that works like a key synced LFO.
SEQ SPEED: Sets the playback speed of your modulation sequencer.
SHOW/HIDE Triangle: Allows you to hide the settings for all modulation sequencers so that the interface is more visually appealing and calming.
POWER SWITCH: Turns off the Modulation Sequencer.

Gate Sequencer

The Gate Sequencer has 6 tracks which send ‘Gates’ to the envelope (one for each delay line).

When a gate event arrives at the envelope, the envelope will then shape the volume of that delay line’s output based on the master ASR knob settings. In order to use the Gate Sequencer, you must set the master envelope mode to either SEQ 1 or SEQ 2.

In SEQ 1 mode, Gate Sequencer events trigger the ASR volume envelope and gate the audio output of each delay line. Use the SEQ 1 mode for a noise gate style effect.

In SEQ 2 mode, Gate Sequencer events re-trigger the feedback process for each delay line and trigger the ASR volume envelope. Use SEQ 2 mode to if you’d like repeatable sounds, especially in conjunction with the Modulation and Gate Sequencers’ ‘Gate Modes’.

To draw a step in the gate sequencer simply click an empty cell. To alter the velocity just drag up/down.

The Gate Sequencer Settings:

CYCLE AREA: Sets the start and end position of the gate sequencer.
SEL: Turns on the select tool which allows you to select an area for copy/paste.
C/P: Copy/Pastes the selected area (SEL) into another area of the gate sequencer.
RND (ACT): RND randomizes the selected gate sequencer area. If no selection is made, then the whole gate sequencer is randomized. ACT randomizes only the active cells, essentially functioning as a ‘velocity randomizer’. The 'o' indicator includes or excludes the Gate Sequencer from being affected by the global master randomization button.
CLEAR: Clears all steps or selected area’s steps.
VAR: Performs a consistent variation of the sequence playback order. This way, you can get different patterns that repeat.
RSTP: Randomizes cells that are played back. Higher values will result in more randomization.
SHUFFLE: Advances or delays 1/16th notes to create looser feeling grooves.
GATE (LOOP): Turn on GATE mode. Use if you want to restart the Gate Sequencer every time you play a MIDI note. This will help to get repeatable patterns that re-trigger when you play your MIDI controller. Turn on LOOP so that when you hold down a key on your controller, the Gate Sequencer will loop until your release that key.
VEL SENS: Amount that velocity determines the output amplitude of a delay line.
REL SENS: Amount that velocity determines the release time of the ASR envelope.
SEQ SPEED: Sets the playback speed of the Gate Sequencer for each delay line.
CELL RND: An active cell on a Gate Sequencer track will trigger the randomize buttons for all Parameter Cells for that delay line. You can easily exclude certain Cells from being affected by this randomization by simply clicking the small yellow circle on a Cell block.
SHOW/HIDE Triangle: Allows you to hide the settings for the Gate Sequencer so that the interface is more visually appealing and calming.

Beatlooper

SCAPES comes with a time-stretching looper to feed audio into the effect. Essentially, this is like a tape deck that you can use to demo and try out the effect. We’ve included a large sample library as well which you are free to use in both commercial and non-commercial musical or artistic works. Please see the end user license agreement for more information.

The Beatlooper Settings:

INTERNAL/LIVE AUDIO MENU: When set to INTERNAL LOOP PLAYER, the samples in the deck will be routed into SCAPES. When set to LIVE (EXTERNAL AUDIO IN), SCAPES will look for audio from your host software when in plugin mode. In standalone mode it will look for audio from your hardware interface, so that you can route turntables, synths and microphones directly into SCAPES.
MIDI: Incoming MIDI notes will restart the sample playback.
BPM: An additional correction selector to multiply or divide the samples tempo by 2 in the event that the BPM was incorrectly detected.
SMPL: Selects the sample to be played back.
PITCH: Sets the pitch of the sample being played back.
START: Sets the start position of the sample in 1/16th notes.
LEN: Sets the end position or ‘length’ of the sample in 1/16th notes.
AMP: Sets the overall volume of the Beatlooper.

Troubleshooting and FAQ

Changelog

1.0.0 RP (Reaktor Player release)

Scapes is now Reaktor Player compatible and does not require the full version of Reaktor to run
NKS browser integration
Fixed some missing mappings for Lemur control template
Improved master envelope behavior (reduced volume bursts and clicks)
Improved Beatlooper instrument
Improved randomizers
Fixed bugs related to Presets recall
Fixed leaking smoothers for some parameters
Various minor fixes

Done:

implemented Automatin IDs/Names - NOTE THOUGH that beatlooper is included (IDs 120---125, base id starts from 120) so in case if you move it or change it

fixed presetrecall (replaced init recall macros)

fixed randomizers

Implemented osc for the latest version of scapes, tested osc, tony improved lemur template look

added delay for lissaj for better shapes

try to remove initial sample burst from scapes - done, the reason was master out smoother

Removed slow iteration from gateseq, fixed

what about snap recall and osc? do we need that? what about expansions/presets? - moved snap recall to the root level so it recalls beatlooper and scapes itself, removed hardwired connection between beatlooper and scapes and replaced it by resaving master snaps

Safe cp routers

bug - envelope mode triggering silence doesnt seem to work (try rythimic snaps for example and then switch to oneshot - theoretically oneshot should not play and be zero - was it working in the original like that? also keep in mind preset recall as well, maybe simply possible to use mode knob value for that purpose?inside Envelope macro - snap recall is triggering env off, should same happen with preset load? i guess, use init? >>> was happening in original too, ideally needs proper core envelope with Off function otherwise it was never properly turned off and voices just hang there ----->>>> done (basically stepfiltered env mode triggers env OFF), implemented new envelope with digital attack (most of snaps didnt use attack anyway so theres not much factory sound difference) it may produce clicks so i added 2ms smoother after envelope (which is not ideal and needs proper anticlick for v2 but for now its ok)

So indeed scapes seq didnt go to zero (0.01 was min) - fixed, applied same router logic as in slayer (giza plant snap because of that was slightly different because spread didnt work properly cus of 0.01 limit)

Leaking smoothers - fixed

Replaced beatlooper

at 96Khz sample rate there are red cpu spikes often - related to seq play - tried to optimize with new clock/wrap macros/tested, should be better now but still not ideal

added limiter (its post rev/del fx but pre ext/int mix so basically incoming external audio is not soft clipped) - seems fine, this fixed tons of red spikes but doesnt seem to noticably change the sound in any way ) -->MIDI2 mode causes big bursts of audio its because internal feedback normalizer reacts that way on abrupt volume change in midi2 mode because envelope controls the output level going to normalizer so in other words click happens when audio level goes to zero and then you trigger note again so zero crossing is kinda doing that problem because normalizer's envelope follower cant handle it or something)

Previoustemp NextS-Layer

Last updated 5 years ago

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