Freek Audio Plugin User Manual

Installation

If you have any problems with installation, authorisation or any other aspect of Freek, please contact us.

Windows: extract the Freek VST.zip file (Right click, ‘Extract All’), then run the installer. The default installation directory is C:\Program Files\Steinberg\Vstplugins but you can select whatever location you want.

Mac Audio Unit: double click the Freek AU.dmg file to mount it, agree to the license then drag the Freek icon to the Components folder icon. The default Audio Unit plugins folder is Macintosh HD/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components.

Mac VST: double click the Freek VST.dmg file to mount it, agree to the license then drag the Freek icon to the VST folder icon. The default VST plugins folder is Macintosh HD/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST.

If you are using OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion) or higher you will get a warning saying: “The item Freek.vst can’t be moved because VST [or Components] can’t be modified.” In this case just click the Authenticate button, enter your Mac login password and Freek will install.

What does it do?

The Freek is a stereo frequency shifter and (so-called) barberpole phaser. The left and right frequency shift may be phase-locked or independently modulated by two LFOs. The LFOs can be free-running or locked to tempo independently of one another. The output can be fed back into the input and a percentage of this feedback may be routed through a stereo, tempo-locked delay.

Frequency shifting is more closely related to ring-modulation than pitch shifting&emdash;instead of producing sum and difference frequencies like a ring modulator, it produces only the sum OR the difference frequency. Small amounts of frequency shifting, when mixed with the dry signal, produce a barberpole phasing effect, i.e. a phasing effect that only sweeps one way. Larger amounts of frequency shifting will sound increasingly out-of-tune and will tend to ‘squash” the harmonics of the sound together. When shifting frequency down, the algorithm used by the Freek will cause harmonics shifted “below-zero” to reflect back up again, turning the harmonic structure of the sound upside-down, i.e. a sine wave at 100Hz shifted down 110Hz will reflect back up to 10Hz.

What do the controls do?

Displays with yellow bars to either side may be clicked to select extra options. For example, clicking an LFO RATE display toggles the BPM (tempo) synchronisation of that LFO on-off.
Clicking the SPC Plugins logo opens an information window showing the plugin name (and version number), website address and copyright notice.

FREQ

Adjusts the amount of frequency shift for both channels. The maximum shift is determined by the RANGE control and is 5,000Hz in HIGH mode and 10Hz in LOW mode. Note that down-shifting can sound different to up-shifting, depending on the amount of shift, as frequencies can’t be shifted ‘below zero’, so ‘reflect’ and start to increase in frequency instead. For barberpole phasing, the shift direction determines whether the phasing effect sweeps up or down.The default setting is 0 Hz.

L-R LOCK

Selects whether the right channel shift is locked to the left channel shift. If it is ON, then the right channel shift is exactly the same amount as the left channel and only the left LFO will have any effect on the sound. This button has no effect on the direction (up or down) of the right channel shift#&emdash;that is selected using the R-INVERT button. The default setting is OFF.

R-INVERT

Selects whether the right channel shift is the same direction as the left channel or opposite. The default setting is OFF.

RANGE

Selects between two basic maximum ranges of frequency shift. The settings are HIGH, (5,000Hz) which is designed for frequency shifting, and LOW, (10Hz) which is designed for barberpole phasing. The default setting is HIGH.

MIX

Adjusts the balance between the unprocessed (dry) signal and processed (wet) signal output. For clean frequency-shifting, use 100%, for barberpole phasing, use a lower setting. The default setting is 100%.

NOTCHES

Selects the number of fixed phase-shifting stages (‘allpass filters’) to be inserted into the signal path of the Freek. The maximum number is 32 Two phase-shifters are needed for each complete notch in the Freek’s output so the maximum number of notches that can be added is 16. Setting the number of phase-shifters to anything other than OFF will increase CPU usage. The default setting is OFF.

FDBK (Feedback)

Adjusts how much of the output signal (both direct and delayed) is sent back into the input. The default setting is 0%.

L-DELAY

Selects the time-delay for the left channel. The maximum amount of delay available is 4 seconds. It is possible that at very slow tempos some of the longer settings will not produce the expected delay. The default setting is 1/64th of a beat.

R-DELAY

Selects the time-delay for the right channel. The maximum amount of delay available is 4 seconds. It is possible that at very slow tempos some of the longer settings will not produce the expected delay. The default setting is 1/64th of a beat.

DELAY MIX

Adjusts the amount of time-delayed 100% signal sent to the feedback (FDBK) control. The default setting is 0%.

L-R XFD

Adjusts the amount of cross-feedback sent to the feedback (FDBK) control. When set to 0%, each channel receives only it’s own signal, when set to 100%, each channel receives only the opposite channel’s signal. The default setting is 0%.

WAVE

Selects the waveform used by an LFO from within the current bank of 32. Waveform 32 is an envelope follower, which outputs the average level of the input signal. In this mode, the FREQ control determines the speed at which the envelope follower tracks the level of the input, and the LFO SYNC control has no effect. The default setting is SINE (wave 1, bank 1).

WAVE DISPLAY

Clicking inside a wave display advances the LFO bank number by 1, i.e. from BANK 1 to 2, 2 to 3, or 3 to 1. The default setting is BANK 1.

RATE

Adjusts the rate (frequency) of an LFO. Clicking an LFO RATE display toggles the BPM (tempo) synchronisation on and off. With LFO SYNC off, the range is 0.01Hz (cycles per second) to 10Hz. With LFO SYNC on, the range is 1 cycle per 128 beats to 64 cycles per beat. There are 24 different rates available. The default setting is 4 beats.

AMNT (Amount)

Adjusts the amount of modulation from an LFO. A setting of 100% will modulate an oscillator over it’s full range and the oscillators’ FREQ control will have no effect. When waveform BANK 3 is selected, AMNT becomes a semitone transpose control for the oscillators. The default setting is 0%.

PHASE

Adjusts the phase or start position of an LFO. When set to 50%, for example, the wave will start halfway through it’s cycle. 100% is the same as 0%. The default setting is 0%.

RND (Red button)

Randomises most control settings each time it is clicked. The randomisation algorithm attempts to choose musically useful control settings so it favours, for example, LFO RATE settings of 4 beats, LFO-1 and LFO-2 controls set similarly, etc. The (LFO) SYNC controls are unaffected. • Keep clicking this button!

MIDI LEARN BUTTON

Selects the MIDI learn mode. When MIDI learn mode is turned on, Freek listens for MIDI controller (CC) messages and will assign each MIDI controller number received to the most recently (manually) moved Freek control. • Control movements made while MIDI learn mode is active do not affect program settings. The default setting is OFF.

MIDI reception may not be available with certain VST hosts.

Minimum System Requirements

Mac: an Intel Mac running OS X 10.5 (Leopard) or higher and a VST 2.4 compatible DAW / sequencer host application.

PC: Any PC capable of running Windows XP or newer and a VST 2.4 compatible DAW / sequencer host application should be sufficient.