stylus users guide

USERS GUIDETABLE OF CONTENTSFrequently Asked QuestionsIntroductionMac Set-UpInstallation on MacInstallation on Windows AuthorizationUpdatesOpening and Playing StylusMemoryMoving the Data File Moving the Plug-in Using StylusSelecting Sound Exploring the Core LibraryHost Synchronization Groove Control™Exploring the InterfaceZone EditingAutomationMidi CC ChartStylus Speed Tips Creative TechniquesKey CommandsOptimizationUsing Stylus as a Stand-Alone ProgramWrappersRendering to Audio TroubleshootingMissing Plug-ins/Data FilesInstallation Issues WindowsAuthorization Issues Stability Problems Out of Memory ProblemsLoading Time Transfer Problems (Mac) Transfer Problems (Windows) Audio ProblemsSupportStylus Glossary Credits Software License AgreementSound License Agreements

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSWhat is Stylus™?It’s a Virtual Groove Module plug-in, which combines a massive three gigabyte corelibrary with a powerful, yet easy to use interface for manipulating the sounds.

So is Stylus basically a “preset” machine?Not at all. The whole idea is to combine powerful flexibility, with an easy to use interface.You could think of it as a Groove synth with 38,000 waveforms! Because of the powerof Groove Control™, you can easily create and manipulate your own grooves usingthe core library as a starting point for your own explorations. It is not an exaggerationto say that there are millions of possibilities. Stylus is designed to be inspiring for manyyears to come.

Do I need a MIDI keyboard to use Stylus?No, you can use it completely with a mouse if you want. However, it is faster to useand more inspiring if you also use it with a MIDI keyboard, since Stylus can be“performed” in real-time.

Which libraries are included with Stylus?The entire core library in Stylus is brand new...specially created for this virtual instrument.Nothing is taken from our previous sample libraries.

What formats does Stylus import?Stylus is a virtual sound module, not a sampler. It doesn’t import or load samples otherthan its own core library. The interface and software exist to manipulate this particularsound set and because of this, we have been able to keep the interface very streamlinedand easy to use. There are already many good options for software samplers to importand load AKAI sample libraries or AIFF/WAV/SF2 files, etc

Can Stylus load Groove Control™ sample libraries?No. You need to use a sampler for that purpose.

Will there ever be any updates for Stylus?Yes. We have all kinds of exciting things planned for the future…stay tuned to our website for the announcements.

Is there a printed version of this Users Guide? How can I get it?If you would like the printed version, contact us and we would be happy to send thatto you when it becomes available.

Are there any legal limitations to how I can use Stylus?The main limitation is that you are not allowed to use it to make a sample library oranother kind of sample-based product. You are also restricted from giving away orposting online any loops or samples created using Stylus. However, you are able touse Stylus in all musical recording applications without paying any additional licenses.

Does Stylus use copy protection?Yes. You have to authorize the plug-in on our web site within 48 hours. It’s fast andeasy, and you’ll get your Response code for your computer immediately. You don’thave to use your music computer to do the web authorization.

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What if I need more than one install for laptop use, if my hard drive crashes orif I get a new computer?Not a problem...our web site is available around the clock to handle these situationsimmediately. It’s very easy to do it online.

Do I have to credit Spectrasonics if I use Stylus on a project?No, it isn’t mandatory for our instruments...but we certainly would appreciate it!

Do I need to obtain a special license to use Stylus on a commercial project?No, the lifetime license fee to use the samples is covered in the purchase price of theinstrument. You can use it on as many of your own projects as you like and we hopethat you make some hits with it!

Can I use Stylus on Music Libraries or Film Trailers?Yes, this is fine. Some soundware companies restrict this kind of use, but Spectrasonicsdoesn’t.

Can I use Stylus in multimedia or game music projects?Yes, this is OK unless you want to put Stylus samples encoded into the game. Thatrequires an additional license.

I work at a production music studio with several other composers/producers.Can we all use Stylus from our main server?No. It’s very important to know that each composer must have his or her own copy andlicense for Stylus. We make regular checks to verify that large production studios haveobtained the proper licenses for our instruments and sample libraries.

As a studio owner, can I include Stylus on a rental or studio computer for studioclients to use on their projects?No....the license to use Stylus is only granted to the buyer. If it is your own recordingproject that you are producing, of course that isn’t a problem…but your studio clientsaren’t licensed to use it for their own projects, and Stylus use can’t be “rented”.

Can my writing partner use a copy of my instrument on their computer?No....the license to use Stylus is on a per-person basis. They would need their owncopy of Stylus to use it on their computer.

Can I resell Stylus used to someone else?No, the sounds are licensed ONLY to you. You cannot transfer the sound license tosomeone else, and so you cannot sell it used. If you sell your computer, you mustdelete it from the hard drive.

Can I use the demo songs?No, they are just there to give you an idea of what Stylus can do.

Can the faders in Stylus be automated?Yes. All knobs and faders can be controlled from external MIDI controllers.

Does Stylus work with Pro Tools HD?Yes! You can use it at any sample rate/bit depth session up to 24 bit/192k.


Will you support Mac OSX?Yes. We have plans to support it in a future update, as it gets closer to being a viablehost platform for the main sequencers. Watch the web site for info about this update.

Will you support HTDM format for Pro Tools?We are currently investigating support for the HTDM platform. It is almost identical tothe RTAS format in actual use.

Will you support Pro Tools Windows RTAS platform?There are currently some limitations with using Windows RTAS for virtual instrumentplug-ins. We are investigating solutions for this.

Does Stylus work in Sonar?You can currently use the following VST-DXi wrappers that have been tested withStylus in Sonar 2.0: DirectiXer, FXpansion VST-DX Adapter and the Spin Audio VSTDXwrapper.

Does Stylus work with Logic Audio and TDM hardware?Yes, but you should have a lot of RAM (we’d recommend 700mb or more). And you’llneed the Emagic ESB software to use the VST plug-in with the TDM system.

Does Stylus work with Digital Performer and TDM hardware?Unfortunately, No it doesn’t. In Digital Performer, you have to choose the MAS systemOR the TDM system. Since the TDM implementation of Digital Performer cannot readRTAS plug-ins or MAS plug-ins, there’s no way to use Stylus in this configurationwithout switching over to MAS mode. Contact MOTU to see if there will be a fix for thissituation.

How is the latency in Stylus?It’s completely dependent on your sound card. Most current quality sound cards havedrivers that are very fast for real-time playing (as low as 1.5 ms).

What bit rate are the samples in Stylus?The custom UVI sampler engine that we use, can handle any bit rate/sample rate upto 32 bit 192k. This gives us the flexibility to use the highest rate necessary to capturethe best quality sound on a sample by sample basis….so you always get the bestpossible sound, with the optimum memory efficiency.

Who do I talk to if I have more questions?You can send us an email at [email protected]

The complete license agreement is located at the back of this guide.



INTRODUCTIONThanks for purchasing Stylus™!

Stylus is the first of Spectrasonics’ unique line of virtual instrument sound modules.We are extremely excited about this new direction for our company, as it frees us tocreate completely new musical environments, without dealing with the previous limitationswe’ve had in the past of the various competing sampler platforms. With virtual instrumentswe can now design the sounds, the features, the audio engine and the interface asone seamless instrument. The end result is a richer and more streamlined musicalexperience, where you can get right to the inspiration and music making, without havingto sort out sampler compatibility issues, etc. Our goal is to create instruments that arenot only powerful, and not just simple to use….but to merge the two concepts withinstruments that are “powerfully simple”.

Stylus is the first of numerous Groove Control™ virtual instrument plug-ins to comefrom Spectrasonics. Each one will focus on a particular area of Groove production. Inthe case of Stylus, the approach is geared towards Hip-Hop and Breakbeat orientedvinyl grooves. However, as you’ll quickly realize, Stylus can be used in a wide varietyof genres because of the power of Groove Control and the many ways that groovescan be created, combined and manipulated.

We hope you take the time to read this manual to get the most out of your instrument.Make sure to also visit our web site regularly as we will be including new mp3s, videosand articles about power tips on various creative ways to use Stylus.

We had a lot of fun putting Stylus together & hope you have even more fun using it!

All the best from Eric Persing and the Spectrasonics team


MAC SET-UP**BEFORE YOU INSTALL**

You must first assign enough memory to your sequencer program to use Stylus,or else you will have a wide variety of problems.

Here’s how to do it:

• Highlight the program icon, Get Info, Show Memory, then enter the Preferred Size.

• Enter one of these memory settings in the Preferred Size:(depending on how many channels you want to use at once)

8 Spectrasonics plug-ins=100000k (100 megabytes)16 Spectrasonics plug-ins=175000k (175 megabytes)20 Spectrasonics plug-ins=200000k (200 megabytes)24 Spectrasonics plug-ins=225000k (225 megabytes)32 Spectrasonics plug-ins=325000k (325 megabytes)


Logic users with Pro Tools TDM hardware need much more RAM than other systems.We recommend at least 700 megabytes or more for the smoothest operation. (200mbto Logic and 250mb to DAE).

Since Cubase 5 is limited to 8 instruments, 100mb assigned to Cubase should beenough.

Digidesign users should add 25 megabytes to these numbers and assign the memoryto DAE (not the Pro Tools application.)


• You need Mac OS 9.04 or higher .

• You need 3.1 gigabytes of Free hard disk space on a drive formatted to Mac OSExtended (HFS+) format. (Use Get Info to check your destination drive’s available sizeand its format)

• You need at least 192 mb of RAM (512 or higher recommended).

Installation and use of Stylus will not be successful without these minimumrequirements.

• First copy the “Spectrasonics Stylus™” folder from the CD to your destination drive.

• After it is finished copying, open the Spectrasonics Stylus™ folder on your DRIVE.

• Launch the Stylus Installer inside the Stylus™ folder on your hard drive(NOT from the CD).

Disc 1 must be in your CD-ROM drive for it to work properly.

INSTALLATION MACThis product has some special requirements for installation on the Macintosh. Makesure that you follow these instructions carefully:

• Turn File Sharing OFF during installation.


The installer will combine the 5 CD-ROMs into the one big data file (Stylus.dat), in themain Stylus™ Plug-Ins folder, which contains all the sounds that the Stylus plug-inneeds to see to run properly. The process takes quite a while (20-40 minutes, dependingon your drive speed). 3 gig is a LOT of data!

Stylus uses two files:• The big “.dat” file which contains the sounds.• The small plug-in file which contains the interface.

The plug-in always needs to see the “.dat” file. The installer will put an alias of the .datfile in your host sequencer’s Plug Ins folder:

Cubase folder -> VstPluginsLogic Audio folder -> VstPluginsPro Tools : System folder -> DAE Folder-> Plug-InsDigital Performer: System -> Extensions ->MOTU >Plug-ins


•Clicking “Next” invokes the License Agreement and Frequently Asked Questions aboutStylus. Please take a moment to read these, and then click “Yes” if you agree to thelicense and want to continue the installation of Stylus.

•Next appears the “Select Destination Directory” prompt. C:\ProgramFiles\Spectrasonics\Stylus is the default path, but you may make another of your ownchoosing here.

•Clicking “Next” gives you the prompt for “Select Start Menu Folder”. Spectrasonics\Stylusis the default, but you may also change this path if you wish.

INSTALLATION WINDOWSThe Installation process takes approximately 30 minutes.

• You need 3.1 gigabytes of Free hard disk space.

• You need at least 192 mb of RAM (512 or higher recommended).

•Insert Stylus Disc 1 into your CD drive.

•The Setup prompt will appear asking, “This will install Stylus. Do you wish to continue?”(If the prompt does not appear, go to “My Computer” and double-click on your CD-ROM icon)

•Clicking “Yes” will initiate the Stylus Setup Wizard prompt.


•Clicking “Next” brings the “Ready to Install” prompt. This will show you where youhave chosen to create the Destination directory and Start Menu folder. If you aresatisfied with your choices, Click “Install”.

•The Installing prompt will appear. The Stylus plug-in, the MIDI Files and support fileswill now be installed.

•Once finished, a Graphic of the Stylus interface will appear. This is the second partof the installation: (Stage 2: Data file Joiner). This begins the process of assemblingthe single 3Gb sound data file from the 5 CDs. Click “Next”.

•The prompt “Browse for Folder” appears. You may choose the destination for the datafile to be installed. Make sure the destination drive has at least 3.1 gigabytes of availablespace. Choose your folder and Click “OK”

(IMPORTANT- You may not move the data file after installation, if you decide thatyou would rather have the data file elsewhere, you must Uninstall Stylus thenReinstall Stylus and select a different folder of your choosing)

•If the destination drive you have chosen does not have 3.1Gb you will be given theprompt, “This disk does not have room for the 3 gigabyte datafile. Please select anotherdisk.”


•If you have chosen a drive with 3Gb or more disk space available, then the progressbar will indicate that the process is active until you receive a prompt to remove thecurrent disc and insert the next disc. (Disc 2-5)

After Disc 5 is copied to your drive you will receive a confirmation prompt. Click “Finish”to exit the setup.

(If your host sequencer does not have the Stylus.dll file in the VST plug-ins folder, youcan freely copy it from the Program Files\Spectrasonics\Stylus to the destination VSTplug-ins folder of your host.)


Copy or write down the Challenge and go to our web site:http://www.spectrasonics.net/authorization

AUTHORIZATIONYou can get your authorization for Stylus directly and immediately online from anybrowser. You don’t have to use your music computer to do it. The grace period is only48 hours, so we suggest that you do it right away.

When you launch your sequencer and open the plug-in for the first time, you’ll get theAuthorization message with a Challenge number. This particular challenge number isdependent on your hardware. If you change your computer, hard drive or reformat youhard drive, you’ll need to authorize again.


After you’ve completed entering your information, you need two things:

The Challenge number AND your Serial number.(which is found on the inside flap of the printed book)

Both numbers are necessary to authorize the plug-in. After entering them, the site willgive you a Response number that you can copy and paste into the plug-in’s responsefield. Press the authorize button and you’re finished.

The web site is also equipped to handle additional authorizations for laptop use,reinstalls, crashed hard disk, or for installing on a new computer. We want theauthorization process to be as simple, fast and hassle-free as possible for you.

Each computer’s hard drive is authorized with a unique Challenge/Response combinationfor that particular drive. If you change or reformat drives, the authorization will be lostand has to be reauthorized. To re-authorize a drive, a new computer or a secondcomputer, here what to do:

Install Stylus, get the new Challenge from that computer, and authorize again on theweb site which will give you a new Response code for that computer.

If you encounter problems installing or authorizing STYLUS, please contact yourSpectrasonics distributor for immediate help.


UPDATESPlease download the latest version of Stylus at

http://www.spectrasonics.net/updates

We are updating the plug-in software on a regular basis for compatibility and performanceoptimization.

OPENING AND PLAYING STYLUSIf you’ve never opened a virtual instrument in your sequencer, this is how to do it:

CUBASE VST• Open the VST Instrument Panel• Open the Stylus Plug In, click Edit to see the interface.• Assign the selected MIDI track to the Stylus instrument and play.

LOGIC AUDIO• In an Audio Instrument track. Open the Stylus plug-in in the VST sub menu.• Select the track on the Arrange page and play.

DIGITAL PERFORMER• In the Mixing Board, open the Stylus plug-in on an audio track.• Assign a selected (record-enabled) MIDI track to Stylus and play.

PRO TOOLS• Create a stereo audio track.• Open the mixer and click on an insert of the audio track, choose Stylus from multi-channel RTAS plug-in list.• Assign a record-enabled MIDI track to Stylus.• Press play/stop in order to initialize Stylus. (This initializes the playback buffer, whichis necessary in order to hear audio.)• Now you can play MIDI through to the plug-in and hear it from the Audio track.

OMS/FREEMIDI (MAC)If you are using OMS or FreeMIDI, please note that virtualinstruments need an inter-application driver in order to be “seen” by your sequencer:In OMS this is called “IAC Driver”. If you don’t see it in your OMS Setup Window youmight need to reinstall OMS.

In FreeMIDI you must activate this driver by going to the file menu, selecting “FreeMIDIpreferences”, and make sure the Inter-application MIDI checkbox is ticked. In FreeMIDISetup, have OMS compatibility checked. (this is in French)


Special Considerations - Logic Audio™• Logic 4.x saving issue: Stylus will save and load global plug-in settings and patchesin Logic 4.x songs. However, any ZONE EDIT changes are not saved. This is due toa limitation in the Logic 4.x song format size limitation. This limitation also affects anypatches that have tuning or level offsets per zone, like the Groove and Swing menus.To recall the correct settings for Groove menus in Logic 4.x., simply reselect the patchagain and your song should play properly.

However, Emagic has fixed this song format problem in Logic 5.x, so you can nowsave and recall songs with Groove Menus and all ZONE edits perfectly. If you haven’tupgraded yet, we recommend getting Logic 5 as it works much better with Stylus.

• Logic 5 Automation: Since Stylus has over 1200 parameters in Zone Edit mode,standard Logic 5 plug-in automation is currently not available. However, you may useMIDI controllers (external MIDI faders or Hyper Draw) to automate any of the knobsand sliders. See the Automation section for more details.

Special Considerations - Logic Audio™ with TDM Hardware• RTAS Plug-Ins are not accessible from within Logic Audio, so you must use theEmagic System Bridge (ESB) Interface to use the Stylus VST plug-in for this configuration.

• In addition to the memory requirements for Logic and Pro Tools, DAE needs a highamount of memory associated with it. Therefore, to use Stylus effectively in numerousinstances inside a Logic/Pro Tools hybrid set-up, your computer needs quite a bit ofRAM (perhaps 700mb or higher).

Special Considerations - Digital Performer™• You must use MOTU Audio System version 2.33 or higher to use Stylus. It can bedownloaded at http://www.motu.com

• In FreeMIDI Setup, have OMS compatibility checked. (this is in French)

Special Considerations - Digital Performer ™ with TDM Hardware• Digital Performer can only address MAS or TDM one at a time, and not simultaneously.RTAS plug-ins also cannot be used with TDM hardware from Performer, so you’ll haveto switch to MAS mode to use the Stylus MAS plug-in. This is a limitation of DigitalPerformer, and there isn’t a solution until MOTU can address it within Performer.

Special Considerations - Pro Tools™• TDM users must open Stylus on an audio track. Aux tracks cannot be used becauseRTAS is not available for these tracks. (However, this is possible for LE and Freeusers)

• You must initialize Stylus again (by pressing play/stop) after a Bounce to disk andafter every Audio record operation.

• Automation: Since Stylus has over 1200 parameters in Zone Edit mode, standard ProTools automation is currently not available. However, you may use MIDI controllersto automate any of the knobs and sliders using a MIDI track. See the Automationsection for more details.


MEMORY USAGEThe memory you have assigned to the host sequencer is necessary for the plug-insto function, but you also need to keep enough memory free to load the sounds ofStylus. The patches and samples load into the computers RAM memory. The size ofthe patches range from a few megabytes for the individual loops to over 80 megabytesfor the Groove Menus. The memory requirement for each patch is different, and isindicated in the Edit Value display. Of course with multiple channels of Stylus and themore patches you load, the more RAM it will take.

On the Mac, you can always check how much memory for sounds is available bychecking the “About This Computer” from the Finder. The available memory forsamples is listed as “Largest Unused Block”:

On Windows 98 and ME you can check how much memory for sounds is available bychecking the “System Monitor”, located in the System Tools folder. On Windows 2000and XP, “System Monitor” is located in the Start\ControlPanel\AdministrativeTools\Performance folder.

In order to view the amount of available system RAM while working with Stylus in ahost application, Click the System Monitor’s drop down window Edit, then Add Item,then choose Memory Manager: Unused physical memory.

If System Monitor Shortcut is not located in your System Tools folder, you will needto install System Monitor from your original Windows Installation Disk.


MOVING THE DATA FILE

The Stylus.dat file can reside on another drive from your host program.

On the Mac, make an alias of the .dat file by holding COMMAND/OPTION-M, anddragging it to your plug-ins folder. (The installer does this during the install process).You don’t need to copy the Plug-Ins, they can simply reference the .dat file on whateverdrive it is on.

You CANNOT copy the file to another drive or computer over Appletalk or Ethernet,as Appletalk is currently limited to 2 gigabyte file size maximum and the Stylus .datfile is over 3gb. To transfer to another computer, we recommend using “Firewire diskmode”, which you can activate by holding the “T” key while booting up. This turns thatcomputer into a drive, which is easily accessible from another computer over firewire.

On Windows, you have to uninstall and reinstall Stylus from the original CDs andselect a new destination drive in order to move the Stylus.dat file. If you move itmanually, the Stylus.dll plug-in will not be able to find it.

MOVING THE PLUG-INFor the Mac, you can freely copy the Stylus Plug-In to any folder that needs it. Justmake sure the Stylus.dat file or an alias to it resides in the same folder.

For Windows, you may move or copy the Stylus.dll file to the VST plug-in folder of thehost application of your choice. After the initial installation, you’ll find the originalStylus.dll in C:\Program Files\Spectrasonics\Stylus.


You can also use the arrow up/down buttons to select sounds incrementally, movingup and down in the directory list. This is useful when you are already in the sub-directory you want, and you just want to listen to the variations that are available.

USING STYLUSOnce you’ve installed, authorized and opened Stylus, you can now play it from aconnected MIDI controller, or by using the Preview button on the interface.

The Preview button is convenient for quick auditioning grooves and functions the sameas playing a single “middle C” note (note#60 called C_4 in Stylus). You can use theup/down arrows next to the note indicator to change the note that is triggered by thePreview button. The purpose of the note value display is for selecting the previewtrigger note, and doesn’t indicate incoming MIDI note values.

The Preview button makes it possible to use Stylus completely with a mouse. However,if you also use a MIDI keyboard the workflow is faster and more creative, since Styluscan also be “performed” in real-time. You’ll find that using a MIDI keyboard is a fasterand more intuitive way to select sounds and grooves.

The colors of the Spectrasonics “prism” logo shift when Stylus is playing. This functionsas the MIDI reception indicator for Stylus.

We recommend checking out the included Quicktime demonstration Video and MP3Demo songs to get familiar with some of the possibilities that Stylus offers. More areavailable on the Spectrasonics website: http://www.spectrasonics.net

SELECTING SOUNDSSelecting sounds in Stylus is very easy. Click on the Patch name display, and a pop-up directory will appear with the full listing of patches in sub-categories and organizedby tempo group.


EXPLORING THE CORE LIBRARYYou might be wondering what is a “core library” and how is it different from a “samplelibrary”? The reason we refer to the Stylus sounds as a Core Library is that it is bestto think of it as the raw material that can be manipulated and shaped in many interestingand creative ways by using Groove Control and the capabilities of the Stylus interfaceand synth engine.

But let’s start with what the core library contains:

There are over 3,000 patches, and 38,000 individual samples available in the corelibrary of Stylus to work with. The patches are organized into the following types, fordifferent methods of working:

Loop patches, which consist of the main Stylus loops. These patches each containa single audio loop and are assigned to track the whole keyboard range, changingpitch and speed with middle C (note number 60 C_4) as the original tempo. To usethem in a sequence, you should retrigger the loop every four bars to stay in sync withyour sequence.

However, the better approach is to use the loop patches primarily to audition thegrooves that are available. Once you’ve decided which one you want, then switch tothe Groove Control version of that loop, played from the corresponding MIDI filesequence. Groove Control offers not only the tightest sync to the sequencer, but awealth of creative options for manipulating the loop in useful and interesting ways.

Groove Control™ patches, which consist of the loop “sliced” in a special way to allowa great deal of flexibility in how you decide to use the loops. Groove Control patchesare organized in the identical directory structure as the loop patches, and have a “GC”at the end of their patch name. While Groove Control patches are designed to beplayed by the corresponding MIDI file, they can also be played manually as “kits” witheach loop slice assigned chromatically starting from C_1 note number 36. See theGroove Control section for further details.

Breakbeats refers to the main drum loop section of the core library. The term “breakbeat”comes from the common DJ description of the open drum breakdown on many of theold R&B/Soul records. Since it was easy to sample this section, Breakbeats becamea widely used, essential ingredient in early Rap and Hip-Hop records. The use ofBreakbeats quickly migrated into just about every form of Dance and Pop music, andcontinue to be a major part of the latest styles and hits. Of course, the biggest problemwith using Breakbeats in the past, has been the copyright clearance issues. WithStylus, the good news is that every breakbeat loop is originally created and copyrightclean, but still has an authentically “vinylized” sound. We even went so far as to pressour own vinyl and resample it for you! You’ll find a wealth of brand new loop materialin this section to work with either as it is, or as a starting point for your own creativity.

Perc Loops consists of a very useful sub library of individual percussion loops, whichcan be mixed, matched and layered with each other or with any other groove by usingGroove Control. This is where the genres that Stylus can be used in begins to expand,since you can use it only as a percussion module if you want! This section is organizedby percussion instrument type.


Groove Menus are patches that have 61 different loops assigned to each keyboard,tuned to each other to playback at the same tempo. Groove Menus are the fastest wayto work, since you can work in sync with many loops in real-time. The actual loopscome from the Loops directory, but they sound quite different when played back atdifferent pitches/tempos. These patches are primarily designed for real-time performanceand “Groove jamming”. If you re-trigger and quantize your real-time performanceswhen recording, the loops will stay in sync with each other. (Input Quantizing is aconvenient feature to use if you have it on your MIDI sequencer).

Another useful way to use the menus is as a faster method of auditioning grooves forlater use in Groove Control versions. To do this, Press Zone Edit, play the Groove youwant, and then OPTION-Click the display to see the name of that groove, which isunderlined. (Use SHIFT-Click for Windows).

These patches were built utilizing a complex system of pitch tuning offsets to achievethis real-time sync result, at every BPM between 50 and 180 BPM). Adjusting the pitchof these patches will cause the loops to go out of sync with each other, so we don’trecommend doing that with these patches. (Not all of the tuning parameters we usedto create these patches are available on the interface).

One thing some people have asked is, “Why include the Groove Menu system, whichchanges the pitch with the tempo, when you already have the Groove Control system,in which tempo and pitch are independent?”

Number one, because Groove Menus work live and in real-time. (Groove Control is asequencer based process). Playing the loops as a live performance is a completelydifferent way of working with Stylus than by using Groove Control. Although GrooveControl is more flexible, the Groove Menus method lets you work in an intuitive,performance-oriented way. Both are valid ways, but it’s often a “left-brain/right-brain”kind of difference in musical approaches. Number two, the sound quality change ofthe pitch shifting often yields surprising musical results with Breakbeats, and can leadyou in unexpected ways. Here’s how we organized the Groove Menus to take advantageof these artifacts:

The menus are grouped in categories based on the tempo range of the original loops(Slow, Med, Fast, etc) So if you play a Slow menu (Groove Menu 1) at a fast tempopatch (126 BPM Groove Menu 1) the grooves will sound higher in pitch, giving you a"snappy" kind of sound. The opposite would be to take the Fastest Menu (Groove Menu4) and play it selecting a slow patch (65 BPM). This will produce the flabby, low-detuned, "slow motion" type of sound. Playing back a menu in the same range as theoriginal loops (selecting Medium Groove Menu 2 at 100 BPM), will be the most similarto the sound of the original Loops. It all depends on what sonic effect you want toachieve.

Swing Menus are the same idea as the Groove Menu section, but using loops with astronger Swing or Shuffle feel. All of the loops in the Swing Menus are different thanthe ones in the Groove Menus.


HOST SYNCRONIZATION

The Loop patches don’t automatically sync to the host sequencer. To do this, use theGroove Control version of the loop that you’ve decided to use. Drag or Import thematching MIDI file into the Stylus track in your sequencer and then the loop will playin perfect sync at any tempo.

…but that’s just the beginning of what you can do with Groove Control!

Turntable FXOver a thousand unique DJ effects samples are grouped into theme-based menupatches, with up to 61 samples each. Performance oriented DJs (called Turntablists)function musically more often as a soloist than as a rhythm player. In this section, theapproach is on shorter snippets of scratches, noises and FX, that you can put togetherto make your own patterns and riffs. You can get great results by using the pitch benderwhile you perform with the menus. Zone Editing is particularly useful with getting thescratch bits to sync up with your track. Applying creative use of Delay and Distortionplug-ins on the Turntable FX opens up many interesting possibilities.

Add-OnsAlthough this section is called Add-Ons, it’s a significant part of the core library.Essentially, this section is the “One-shot” part of the Stylus core library. It contains apercussion sample library, a variety of FX, a collection of cymbals, a wide selectionof handclaps and fingersnaps, and a huge library of dance/hip-hop oriented drumsamples including 1000 kick drums, 1000 Snares and 500 hi-hat samples. This is theplace to come when you want to build patterns completely from scratch, or add yourown accent touches to the loops.

Utilities contains some very useful patches like various click/metronome sounds, testtones, noise generators, professional tuning references and sync tones.


Stylus is built entirely on the foundation of our popular Groove Control system. SinceGroove Control is integrated into the instrument, Stylus offers some brand newcapabilities as well.

But what is Groove Control exactly?

Groove Control™ is a proprietary system of loop development, created originally bySpectrasonics and ILIO Entertainments for use in sample libraries. Groove Control isa powerful musical tool, and yet is extremely easy to use. Groove Control works on asimilar principle as the well-known “ReCycle™” slicing method, but offers more consistentand flexible results, with the highest possible sound quality. This is made possiblebecause the painstaking preparation of the Groove Control versions is created bytrained experts with special tools and techniques. Best of all, this difficult and time-consuming work is already done in Stylus, so you can get right to making music!

What makes Groove Control so special is that it gives you fully independent controlof the tempo, pitch, feel, pattern, and mix of every Stylus loop. This offers enormouslycreative possibilities, since every loop can be freely combined with any other loop.

Here’s the basic steps of using Groove Control:

• Select the groove you want to use by playing the loop version.

• When you find one you want to use, select the Groove Control version of that loopin the corresponding Groove Control directory. (It will have a “GC” extension to thename)

• Assign the corresponding MIDI file to play the Stylus plug-in.

GROOVE CONTROL™


The Stylus installer also puts the Stylus MIDI files in the Apple Menu on the Mac.

To use this handy “drop down” menu system for the MIDI files:Mac users should open the desired folder in the Apple Menu first, and then drag theMIDI file from the Desktop to the desired track.

In most sequencers, you can drag the MIDI file from the desktop directly to the StylusMIDI track.


On Windows, Stylus installs the MIDI files inside a Groove Control folder in the WindowsStart Menu. Windows users can drag the desired MIDI file from the Start menu directlyto the Stylus track.

(If you purchased an earlier “Mac-Only” version of Stylus, you can copy or make analias of the Stylus MIDI Files folder in the “Apple menu items” folder, located in yourSystem Folder).

Some hosts such as Pro Tools need to use the MIDI file import function, since theydon’t support drag and drop.


GROOVE CONTROL FAQs

How do you change the tempo?Simply change your host sequencer’s tempo and the loop will follow it.

How do you change the pitch?Change the coarse and fine pitch parameters on the Stylus interface.

How do you change the feel?Quantize the MIDI track. You can also use any of your sequencers swing and shufflefunctions too!

How do you change the pattern?The Zone editing function of the interface can be used to silence different slices, whichwill alter the pattern. You can also modify the MIDI data in your sequencer in manydifferent ways. In fact, if you want to create your own patterns, the Groove Controlpatches make excellent matching “kits” for programming your own unique grooves fromscratch.

How do you change the mix?Use the Zone Editing feature of the interface to change the levels and pan positionsof individual slices. You can also change the velocity data of the MIDI file notes to getthe same result.

Check out the Quicktime video demo for more in-depth information about techniquesand tricks using Groove Control™.


EXPLORING THE INTERFACE

Patch DisplayClick here to open the directory of sounds. You can also use the up/down arrows onthe right to move through the core library.

Edit Value DisplayTo the right of the Patch display, you’ll see the Edit value display which serves as themain parameter data indicator. When you select a patch, the Edit Value display willshow the megabyte size of the patch that has been loaded into RAM. When you movea knob or slider, the Edit Value display shows its precise value. (TIP: Use the Shift keywhile you move the sliders to get finer resolution values). To view the current valueof any knob or slider, simply touch it and the value will be displayed. Clicking the EditValue display again returns it to showing the megabyte size.

Zone EditThis button toggles the editing mode from Global (unlit) to Zone (lit). See the ZoneEditing chapter for details on using this powerful feature.


LevelChanges the playback volume level of the samples. An additional 8db of gain is availablefor getting the maximum, punchy sound. Independent control for each zone is available.

PanPans the samples from left to right. Independent control for each zone is available.Operates as a Balance control on stereo samples.

VelocityControls the amount of Dynamic Sensitivity of the samples. Independent control foreach zone is available.

Pitch CoarseControls the tuning of the samples in semitone increments, within a two octave range.Independent control for each zone is available.

Pitch FineControls the fine tuning of the samples in cents, within a +/- 100 cent range. Independentcontrol for each zone is available.

Pitch Envelope DepthControls the amount of pitch modulation from the independent pitch envelope, withina four octave sweep range. Positive and negative modulation is available with the zeroposition in the center. Independent control for each zone is available.

Pitch Envelope TimeControls the decay/release time of the independent pitch envelope, within a four octaverange. No effect will be heard without using the envelope depth knob. Independentcontrol for each zone is available.


Filter SelectorsThese select the filter mode, which have independent control for each zone and fullmodulation capabilities.

HPF= 12db/octave Two Pole High Pass FilterLP3= 18db/octave Three Pole Low Pass FilterLP2= 12db/octave Two Pole Low Pass FilterLP1= 24db/octave Four Pole Low Pass FilterOFF= No Filter (uses less CPU power)

CutoffControls the Cutoff Frequency of the main sample filter. Independent control for eachzone is available.

ResonanceControls the Emphasis or “Q” of the of the main sample filter frequency. LP1 is ableto self oscillate at the maximum setting. Independent control for each zone is available.

Filter Envelope DepthControls the amount of modulation from the independent filter envelope to the filtercutoff frequency. Positive and negative modulation is available with the zero positionin the center Independent control for each zone is available.

Filter Envelope TimeControls the decay/release time of the independent filter envelope. No effect will beheard without using the envelope depth knob. Independent control for each zone isavailable.


Master FilterThis is an additional output shaping filter that is used like a master “tone control”. Itis very quick, useful and easy to use. The Master Filter slider is in its zero positionwhen it is centered. Moving the filter to the right activates a High-Pass Filter whichremoves the Low frequencies. Moving the filter to the left activates a Low-Pass Filterwhich removes the High frequencies. The RESONANCE slider controls the Emphasisor “Q” of the of the Master Filter frequency.

EnvelopeThis is main amplitude envelope for the samples. It has controls for Attack time, Decaytime, Sustain level and Release time. It is independent from the Pitch and Filterenvelopes. Independent control for each zone is available.


Modulation Source SelectorsThese buttons open up a pop up menu with the available options for modulating thefilter and the panning. Independent control for each zone is available.

The available sources for modulation include:The Pitch, Filter or Amplitude EnvelopesLFO1 or LFO2Key PositionAftertouchVelocityExpression (Controller #11)LFO1 or LFO2 with amount controlled from the Mod. Wheel (Controller #1)The Modulation Wheel (Controller #1)Alternating positive/negative values with each successive triggerRandom values with each successive trigger

Filter Modulation DepthControls the amount of modulation from the selected modulation source to the mainsample filter cutoff frequency. Positive and negative modulation is available with thezero position in the center. Independent control for each zone is available.

Pan Modulation DepthControls the amount of modulation from the selected modulation source to the samplepanning. Positive and negative modulation is available with the zero position in thecenter. Independent control for each zone is available.

LFO1/LFO2 rateControls the rates of each Low Frequency Oscillator. The waveform is a sine waveand is always free-running. The rates are global forall zones.


32 BitSelects 32 bit playback mode. This is slightly smoother sounding with some patches(percussion and hi-fi cymbals), and uses a little less CPU resources. However, beaware that 32 bit playback doubles the amount of RAM used to load the sound. Mostpatches have this parameter switched off to conserve RAM.

VoicesThis is the Polyphony limiter control for Stylus. Loops and drums require little polyphonyfor adequate playback. Most patches are set to use 3 or 4 voices. You can experimentwith optimizing CPU usage by lowering the Voices to just the minimum amount youneed for the musical part played. This can help increase your CPU performance evenfurther.

Bend RangeThis sets the range of the MIDI Pitch Bender controller. A two octave range is provided.

ZONE EDITING

Every sample in Stylus is assigned to a sample “Zone”. Unlike many samplers, eachzone in Stylus has its own unique set of parameters. When the Zone Edit button isOFF, all zones in the patch are Edited simultaneously. When the Zone Edit button isON, each zone is edited independently. To select the zone for editing, simply play thedesired note from your keyboard, the sequencer or the Preview button.

Zone editing is an extremely simple, yet powerful feature. For example, you can usethis to change the mix of elements inside the Groove Control loop, filter each loop ina Groove Menu independently, or radically transform a loop into something completelydifferent.


AUTOMATIONFADER/KNOB AUTOMATIONAll Knobs and Faders on Stylus can be automated on a global basis using externalMIDI controllers (see MIDI Control Change chart). However, the fader information isnot sent from the Stylus plug-in interface to the host application, so you must useexternal MIDI control change messages for automation.

Standard automation in hosts like Pro Tools or Logic Audio 5 is ignored, since eachzone in Stylus has it’s own set of parameters. (the host automation system would thenhave to handle over 1200 parameters per instance of Stylus!)

Logic 5 users must enable Logic to respond to “any MIDI controller” in the Song Settingspreferences. This must be done on a per song basis, since Logic defaults to a non-standard MIDI implementation for plug-ins. You can use Hyper-draw in Logic to set-up MIDI faders to automate the Stylus faders, which works very similar to the Logic 5automation system.

SLICE “AUTOMATION”Since every zone in a Groove Control patch can have independent parameters, it isquite easy to “automate” each slice. By enabling the Zone Edit mode, you can editslices one at a time while the sequencer is stopped, and you can even make parameterchanges while the sequencer is playing! These “on-the-fly” changes will appear to be“recorded” into Stylus! To “erase” or reset a particular fader, turn Zone Edit off andtouch the fader. Then you can re-“record” your movements for the fader, withoutaffecting the other faders. (tip: Real-time slice automation will work better if you slowthe tempo of the sequencer way down…which allows the CPU to update the graphicseasier.)


MIDI CC CHARTThe following Stylus parameters can be controlled from MIDI Control Change messages:

07=Level10=Pan11=Expression (assignable)71=Master Filter Resonance72=Release73=Attack74=Master Filter Cutoff75=Decay76=Sustain77=Filter Cutoff78=Filter Resonance79=Filter Envelope Amount80=Filter Envelope Time81=Filter Modulation depth82=Pitch Coarse83=Pitch Fine84=Pitch Envelope Amount85=Pitch Envelope Time86=Pan Modulation87=LFO1 rate88=LFO2 rate89=Velocity Slider

STYLUS SPEED TIPS• Use a MIDI Keyboard for auditioning instead of the Preview button.

• Save your Favorite patches and edits by using the host’s “save plug-in settings”function.

• Drag and Drop the MIDI files using the Apple Menu or Windows Start menu.

• Use the Groove Menus to find the Groove Control loop you want to use.

• “Play” the Groove Menus to create new rhythms.

• Use the Groove Control patches as “kits” to build your own groove tracks.


CREATIVE TECHNIQUESA few ideas to get you thinking:

• Steal the feel of a groove from one MIDI file and use it to quantize or humanize thefeel of another loop using your sequencer’s Groove Template function.• Turn a percussion loop like a Conga, into a techno groove by lowering the pitch andthen applying the pitch envelope. Vary the decay time, and assign random resonantfilter modulation!• Move the faders as the GC sequence plays with Zone Edit turned on to get Real-timeslice automation!• You can make a groove improvise its accents by applying Random to the Filter. This“Random Groove Control” works really well with Percussion loops and the Hi-PassFilter. Try it with multiple percussion loops…it’s amazing!• You can turn a Conga loop into a melody by changing the pitches of each slice!• Remove the kick or snare inside a loop by changing the level of the appropriate slices.• Alternate panning for each slice by selecting Alternate intead of LFO2 as the PanMod source.• Use external plug-ins to process the grooves and most of all:• HAVE FUN!

KEY COMMANDSFine Resolution mode for Sliders –SHIFT and move slider

Reset Controls MAC –CONTROL or COMMAND Click

Reset Controls WINDOWS –CONTROL Click

Display zone sample name MAC –OPTION Click Patch Display in Zone Edit

Display zone sample name WINDOWS –SHIFT Click Patch Display in Zone Edit

OPTIMIZATIONAlthough Stylus is quite processor efficient, you can try lowering the Voices parameterof each opened Stylus module to further optimize the performance of your system. Anyunnecessary polyphony takes valuable CPU power, that could be freed for otherpurposes. This can be helpful in optimizing complex arrangements with numerousStylus Modules playing.


USING STYLUS AS A STAND-ALONE PROGRAM

For live performance or to save CPU resources, Stylus can also be used as a stand-alone MIDI sound module on a separate computer. By running another VSTi hostprogram on the second computer and using separate MIDI/Audio interfaces, you canexpand your system’s power in a significant way. There are some inexpensive andfreeware hosts available on the internet.

(check www.kvr-vst.com for the best info on VST host applications)

This is also the same principal behind Steinberg’s VST System Link, which is also anexcellent way to expand a compatible VST system.

WRAPPERS

Cakewalk Sonar users may use Stylus Windows VST plug-in by using a "wrapper"application. Stylus has been successfully tested with:

DirectiXer http://www.directxfiles.com/manufacturers/dxiXer.htm

FXpansion VST-DX Adapterhttp://www.fxpansion.com

Spin Audio VST DXhttp://www.spinaudio.com

*Digital Performer users should use the native MAS version of Stylus and not the VSTversion with a wrapper.


RENDERING TO AUDIOSometimes, it is quite useful to export the audio that you are working on in Stylus, forfurther audio editing or to free up CPU resources. The best way to create an AIFF,WAV or SDII file from Stylus is to use the Bounce function of your host application.Here’s how to do it in a few of the popular apps:

Digital Performer: Assign the OUTPUT of your Stylus audio track to an unused stereobus pair, (example: Bus 11/12). You need to create a new stereo audio track andassign it's INPUT to that same stereo Bus (11/12 in this example). Record enable thenew blank track, and hit record. Audio will be silent while recording the new track.

Pro Tools: Route the signal to another audio track for a real time record operation(you can use a Bus for this purpose), or use the Bounce to Disk function to render arecorded MIDI sequence.

Logic Audio: Use the Bounce to Disc function in the Mixer’s Master section.

Cubase: Use the Export/Render Audio tracks function

(tip: When bouncing, sometimes you can get a better result if you have a free measurewith no audio in it. This depends on how the host handles the bouncing operation.)


TROUBLESHOOTINGHere are answers to some common technical questions regarding Stylus.

INSTALLATION ISSUES MAC

When I run the installer, the computer locks up. What’s happening?Are you launching the installer from the CD? Don’t do this. You have to copy theSpectrasonics Stylus folder to your hard drive and launch from the Folder within yourhard drive. Make sure to copy the top level folder.

The CD-ROM Disc won’t eject during installation. What’s wrong?ATTENTION MacOS 9.1 USERSIf you have any problems with the CDs not ejecting during installation, please updateyour System Extensions to Carbon Lib 1.4. (included on Disc1) Simply drag the CarbonLib to your System folder and then restart the computer. The CDs will then ejectproperly during installation. This doesn’t seem to be an issue with 9.04 or 9.2.

I get an Error -5000 Disc error message during installation....what does it mean?If you got this message it means that File Sharing is turned on. Make sure it is turnedOFF. This can be a little confusing because the Mac indicates “Turn File

Stylus gets to a certain point of the installation and then stops. What’s wrong?This is a rare problem, but it can happen for a variety of reasons. Here’s whatto check:

• Is the destination disk formatted as MacOS Extended/HFS+?• Do you have enough HD space on the disc (3.1 gig)?

If these issues are OK, there is probably an Extension conflict with the installer. Tryreinstalling from Base Extensions set in the Extensions Manager. If this fails, try allextensions OFF, then turn them on one by one as the installer asks for them. If thisfails, you may have a disc problem and you should contact our tech support departmentfor a replacement.


MISSING PLUG-INS/DATA FILEStylus doesn’t appear in the plug-ins list? What should I do?First check to make sure that Stylus is in the correct PlugIns folder. Digital Performerusers must use MAS 2.33 or higher (check your system extensions folder). Pro ToolsHD users will not see the Stylus plug-in at 96 or 192k sessions unless they are usingStylus RTAS version 1.01 or higher. Check this page for the latest version:http://www.spectrasonics.net/updates

Stylus can not load the .dat file, and it says “File not found”....what is wrong?On the Mac, make sure that the plug in folder contains the Stylus plug-in and the Stylus.datfile or an alias of it. If there is an alias, make sure the Stylus.dat file is still on your hard disk.If it is, it could be a broken alias. Make a new alias to the .dat file or place the original .datfile in the host plug-in folder. For Windows, you must uninstall and reinstall to fix this problem.

INSTALLATION ISSUES WINDOWSStylus doesn’t appear in my host application? What should I do?First locate the Stylus.dll file which was originally installed toC:\Program Files\Spectrasonics\Stylus using Windows Explorer. Highlight the file thenPress CONTROL "C" simultaniously to copy Stylus.dll to the copy buffer. Then locatethe VST instrument plugin folder that your host application requires launching VSTs.Press CONTROL "V" to paste Stylus.dll into the folder.

AUTHORIZATION ISSUESI reformatted by hard drive and now Stylus doesn’t work. What should I do?Make sure you have the latest web update of Stylus (important!).http://www.spectrasonics.net/updates/After updating, get the new Challenge and reauthorize on the web site.

How can I get another authorization for my laptop/second computer/new computer?Install Stylus on the new machine, get the new Challenge code and reauthorize on theweb site.

Stylus loses its authorization or cannot authorize when entering the correctResponse....what should I do?Make sure you have the latest web update of Stylus (important!).http://www.spectrasonics.net/updates/After updating, get the new Challenge and reauthorize on the web site. If problemspersist, contact tech support for help.

STABILITY PROBLEMSI’m getting serious crashing happening on my Mac. Is this because of bugs?Most likely the crashing is coming from not assigning the right amount of memory tothe host sequencer (MAC). Read the section "Before You Install", and "Memory Usage"sections to make sure you have the proper memory assigned. Having enough RAMassigned to the sequencer is very important for Stylus to function properly on theMacintosh.Be sure to update to the latest version of Stylus as well.http://www.spectrasonics.net/updates/


Stylus will play for a while and then audio will quit, or if I use a second instance,I get similar problems. What’s wrong?Either you don’t have enough RAM assigned to the host program (MAC), or there’sa problem with the driver of your audio interface. Please download the latest driverfor your interface and make sure you are using the latest version of Stylus. Pleasedownload the latest version of Stylus at: http://www.spectrasonics.net/updates

OUT OF MEMORY PROBLEMSI only have three Stylus open and already it says I’m out of memory…how canthis be?Stylus needs memory assigned to the host, and still have memory left over to load thepatches. Patches range in size from under one megabyte, to over 80 megabytes forthe Groove/Swing menus. If you had three of these open you would need nearly 300megabytes of available, unassigned RAM. The size of the patch will be displayed inthe edit value display after it is finished loading. To find out how much RAM is availablefor loading sounds:

MAC: Check "About this Computer" on the Mac Desktop Apple MenuWINDOWS: Check "System Monitor".

LOADING TIME

I have a song with 12 Stylus plug-ins that takes a long time to load. What’swrong?This is normal. When it opens, each Stylus plug-in takes a few seconds to scan thedata file of 38,000 samples. When you add the time it takes to load the samples, andmultiply that by the number of Stylus plug-ins open, you can see why it takes a littlewhile to open.

TRANSFER PROBLEMS (MAC)

I’m trying to copy the .dat file over an Appletalk network and I keep getting anerror message...what’s going on?You can’t do this successfully because of an Apple limitation. Currently Appletalkcannot recognize or transfer single files that are over two gigabytes. The Stylus .datfile is over 3gig. Your best method of transferring the .dat file from one system toanother is by using an external Firewire or SCSI hard drive. (Please also keep in mindthat you are free to transfer Stylus between computers that you own, but only you areallowed to use it. Giving your Stylus instrument to someone else is illegal accordingto the terms of the license agreement).

I’m getting error messages when I copy the files over to another Mac formatteddrive on my system. The drive should be OK, since I use it all the time for otherpurposes...what’s happening?Check to see if the drive is formatted as a Mac OS Extended drive (COMMAND-I onthe drive desktop icon). Extended format is also known as HFS+. You have to use thisExtended HFS+ format since the .dat file is so huge (over 3gig). The original Mac OSformat (HFS) can only handle files of up to two gigabytes in size. Older drives (especiallySCSI drives) could have been formatted before Mac OS 8.6, which is when ExtendedFormat was introduced.


I’ve got the Stylus .dat file on another drive. I made an alias of it and draggedit into my Plug-ins folder, but Stylus won’t recognize it...what’s the problem?If you make an alias or use COMMAND M, the alias contains the word “alias” whichis the problem. It will work properly if you delete the word alias in the name (includingthe space at the beginning of the word). HINT: The best way to make an alias is tohold COMMAND/OPTION and drag the file to the destination folder.

TRANSFER PROBLEMS (WINDOWS)When I move the Stylus.dat file to another drive or directory in my System, theStylus plug-in can’t find it. Do I have to have the .dat file on my C drive?No. The Stylus.dat file can reside on any drive in your system, but you have to reinstallfrom the CDs and select the new location during the install process. You can thendelete the original Stylus.dat file.

AUDIO PROBLEMSI’m getting audio clicks and pops. What should I do?Increase your audio card’s buffer size (number of samples). Your CPU may need alarger buffer. (Also, keep in mind that since this is a “Vinyl Groove Module” some ofthe grooves and samples have intentional vinyl noise and pops in them!)

There is a significant delay in the response time when I play Stylus from MIDI inreal-time…is this normal?Your audio card buffer size is probably set fairly high, which is why you are experiencingthe delay or latency. Try reducing the buffer size and that will improve the responsesignificantly. Either the settings of 256 or 512 samples are usually a good compromisebetween latency and performance.

Audio plays and then just stops. What’s wrong?It’s possible that there’s a problem with the driver of your interface. Please downloadthe latest driver for your interface and also make sure you are using the latest versionof Stylus. http://www.spectrasonics.net/updates

I’m using Logic 4.7 and when I reload a song, the groove menus are out of syncand it sounds different than when I saved it. Is this a bug in Stylus?No… it’s a limitation of Logic4.x song size limits (only 32k). This issue affects zoneedits and also prevents some stock patches from recalling properly in 4.x (Groovemenus will play out of sync, and individual zone levels, filtering and tuning stuff will belost in 4.x) Simply reselect the correct patch in Stylus and you’ll be back in business.....butwe recommend upgrading to Logic 5 as it allows totall recall with Stylus.

Stylus isn’t in tune and the loops are not playing back accurately at the listedtempo. What’s up?Version 1.00 of Mac Stylus had a bug with different sample rates when playing insessions other than 44.1k. Download the update to fix the compatibility with 48k andhigher sessions on this page: http://www.spectrasonics.net/updates


The loops don’t follow the tempo of the host sequencer? Why isn’t this working?The loops are there primarily to audition grooves at their original tempo and for theGroove Menus. Once you’ve decided on a loop to use, select the Groove Control "GC"version of the patch, and trigger it with the corresponding MIDI file. This syncs theloop to your sequencer and will follow any tempo changes etc.

Are there Groove Control versions of the loops in the Groove and Swing Menus?How can I figure out what loop is being used in a Groove Menu?Press Zone Edit, touch the key of the Groove, and OPTION-Click for MAC (SHIFT-Click for Windows), the patch display to see the name of the groove. The groove’ssample name will be underlined.

Why does my version 1.00 Stylus say ver 1.6 as the software version?This way a mistake in the original version of Stylus Mac 1.00. You’ll find that the recentupdates have corrected this numbering inconsistency. Correct software version ofStylus is in the lower left corner of the Stylus interface.


SUPPORTWe’ve done our best to provide a product that is reliable and easy to use. However,if you need immediate help, the fastest support response will come from contactingyour local Spectrasonics distributor. If you experience problems that your distributoris unable to handle, you can contact us directly, and we’ll try to help you as soon aspossible.

P.O. Box 7336Burbank, CA 91510

www.spectrasonics.net [email protected]

TECH SUPPORT888-870-4223 (Toll Free)

818-955-8444FAX 818-955-8613

STYLUS GLOSSARYSample: A digital recording encoded in StylusZone: The parameters for a single sample in StylusPatch: Main sound category of an assigned sample or group of sample zones to aMIDI keyboard map.Slice: a single sample contained in a Groove Control patch.Groove: A rhythmLoop: An digitally sampled audio rhythm that repeats.Groove Control: Proprietary sliced version of a loopGroove Menu: Patch which contains multiple loops at the same tempoSwing Menu: Patch which contains multiple loops at the same tempo with a distinctswing or shuffle rhythmic feel.Breakbeat: DJ term for a vinyl drum loopAdd-Ons: One shot samplesInterface: The virtual panel of knobs, faders and switches that controls StylusHost: The music software program that the Stylus plug-in is residing in.Sequencer: MIDI composition programRender/Bounce: To make an audio file from StylusExport: Saving Stylus data for use in another program


CREDITSProduced by Eric Persing

SOFTWARECustom UVI Engine development by Univers Sons, FranceSoftware development by Jankoen de HaanUVI concept and project management by Alain EtchartTesting and engine ideas by Eric PersingMac installer programmed by Geoffroy SoulaineWindows installer programmed by Art GillespieSpectrasonics web site management by Netkruzer

VISUALSInterface concept and layout by Eric Persing and Nick MansonInterface graphic design by Ridgley Curry and Jeff FreemanArt direction, logos, web and packaging design by Jon ConradBook design & Flash animation by Artist One Inc.Additional Graphic design by Steve PerettiEric Persing photo by Chris Gill courtesy of Remix magazineQuicktime NAMM video by Krister PersingPrinted by Green Street Press, Pasadena

SONICSSound and Groove design by Eric PersingGroove Control™ editing by Bob Daspit and Eric PersingAdditional MIDI programming by Nick Manson, Bob WilsonTurntable performances by Hector DelgadoPercussion performed by Michito SanchezAdditional DJ samples by Hans-Joerg SchefflerQuality Control/Groove Menus by Nick MansonPlatter lubrication by Armand HillsideMP3 demo songs by Adrian Clarida, John Lehmkuhl, Eric Persing, Chris O’Brien, DiegoStocco, Hans-Joerg Scheffler, Bob Wilson, Nick Manson and Bob Daspit. & DavidAbraham Fenton.


Special Thanks to:Alain and JB for the great opportunity to work together, Jankoen for having the extremelyrare combination of genius, patience and communication, Bob D. for being the king ofGroove Control, Nick for the commitment to excellence you show every day, Hectorand Michito for the beautiful finishing touches, All at Audioease, Jon for the all thewillingness to refine, Kevin Jordan for all the great web work, Ridgley and Jeff forputting up with our zillions of interface tweaks, and most especially to Lorey Persing,without whose determination and encouragement Stylus would not exist.

Thanks to our beta testers: Lennie Moore, David Abraham Fenton, Art Gillespie, AlexieKharlamov, Markus Kraft, Rick Schmunk, Daniel Holter, John “Skippy” Lehmkuhl, ChrisO’Brien, Adrian Clarida, Joel Heatley, Mike Prager, Phil Moore, Dennis Patton, BobWilson, Mikail Graham, Paul Haslinger, Diego Stocco, Hans-Joerg Scheffler, RichardSouther, Max Pol, Jim Watson, Tom Salta, Jim Miller and all at MOTU, Claudia Curcio,Kevin Miller and all at Digidesign, Ace Yukawa and all our friends at Roland Japan,Clemens Homburg and Bob Hunt at Emagic, Ben at KvR, Ernst, Fredrik and all thePropellerheads for the fine tools they make, Peff for those “secret weapon” MPC groovetemplates, Brother KP, Don and all at Green St. Press, Mark and Shelly Hiskey, Allour international distributors, Uncle Bob & Aunt Laurie, Ruth at “The Cottage”, Bill andVibeke Calvert, Aunt Barb, Pastor Mark Pickerill and our church family at ChristianAssembly in Eagle Rock, and the Persing kiddos Jaz, Soren and Sage.

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen.”Hebrews 11:1

http://www.spectrasonics.net

Copyright©2002 Spectrasonics. All Rights Reserved.More about the Universal Virtual Instrument engine at www.uviengine.com

THIS INSTRUMENT IS GUARANTEED TO BE 100% COPYRIGHT CLEAN

All demos ©2002 and published by Big Green Music ASCAP.Demos not for resampling, rebroadcast, remixing or reuse of any kind without priorwritten authorization of Spectrasonics.


All Trademarks are the property of their respective holders.Stylus™ and Spectrasonics™ are registered trademarks of Spectrasonics.Groove Control™ is a registered trademark of Spectrasonics and ILIO.UVI™ is a trademark of Univers Sons, SAVST™ is a trademark of SteinbergRTAS™ is a trademark of DigidesignMAS™ is a trademark of Mark of the Unicorn

OTHER PRODUCTS BY SPECTRASONICS

Virtual Instruments:Atmosphere –Dream Pad ModuleTrilogy –Total Bass Module

Sample Libraries:Bass LegendsHans Zimmer Guitars vol.1 & 2Heart of AsiaHeart of Africa vol.1&2Supreme Beats PercussionBurning GroovesLiquid GroovesDistorted Reality 1&2Bizarre GuitarSymphony of VoicesVocal PlanetRetro FunkBackbeatMetamorphosis


SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENTNOTICE TO USER: THIS IS A CONTRACT. BY INSTALLING THESE SOFTWAREAND SOUNDS, YOU ACCEPT ALL THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THISAGREEMENT.

This copy of the Software is licensed to you as the end user. Please read this Agreementcarefully.

This Spectrasonics End User License Agreement accompanies a Spectrasonics computersoftware program and sounds and its documentation and other related explanatorymaterials (collectively, the “Software”). In addition to the program and the documentation,the term “Software” shall also include any upgrades, modified versions or updates ofthe Software licensed to you by Spectrasonics.

ALL USE OF THE SOFTWARE IS SUBJECT TO THIS LICENSE AGREEMENT. YOUARE AGREEING TO ALL THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT,AND CONSENT TO BE BOUND BY AND BECOME A PARTY TO THIS AGREEMENT.SPECTRASONICS’ ACCEPTANCE IS EXPRESSLY CONDITIONED UPON YOURASSENT TO ALL THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT TO THEEXCLUSION OF ALL OTHER TERMS; IF THESE TERMS ARE CONSIDERED ANOFFER BY SPECTRASONICS, ACCEPTANCE IS EXPRESSLY LIMITED TO THESETERMS.

1. License Grant, Use, and Restrictions. Subject to the terms and conditions of thisAgreement, Spectrasonics hereby grants you a nonexclusive, nontransferable license(the “License”) to use the computer software program in machine executable objectcode form only, and only in accordance with the applicable end user and technicaldocumentation provided by Spectrasonics. All rights not expressly granted herein arereserved.

YOU MAY: (a) use the enclosed Software on more than one computer; (b) physicallytransfer the Software from one computer to another provided that it is used only by thepurchaser of Stylus, and on only one computer at a time; (c) make copies of theSoftware solely for backup purposes. You must reproduce and include the copyrightnotice on a label on any backup copy, and must take reasonable measures to ensurethat any copy is used only as allowed by the terms of this Agreement.

YOU MAY NOT: (a) distribute copies of the Software to others; (b) rent, lease or grantsub-licenses or other rights to the Software; (c) provide use of the Software to thirdparties, or in a computer service business, network, time-sharing, multiple CPU ormultiple user arrangement without the prior written consent of Spectrasonics; (d)translate or otherwise alter the Software without the prior written consent of Spectrasonicsand Univers Sons; (e) reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble or otherwise attemptto discover the source code of the Software, except and only to the extent applicablestatutory laws specifically prohibit such restrictions; nor (f) create derivative worksbased on the Software,

This License does not specifically entitle you to any updates, enhancements, orimprovements to the Software. Spectrasonics may release these at times, and fromtime to time, at its sole discretion.


2. Title, Copyright, and Other Rights. The UVI code is owned by Univers Sons, andits structure, organization and code are the valuable trade secrets of Univers Sons.The Software is also protected by United States Copyright Law and International Treatyprovisions. As between the parties, Univers Sons and/or its licensors and suppliersretain all right, title and interest in the Software and all copies and portions thereof.Title, ownership rights, and intellectual property rights in and to the content accessedwith the Software is the property of the applicable content owner and may be protectedby applicable copyright or other law. This License gives you no rights to such content. You may use Spectrasonics or Univers Sons trademarks only to identify printed outputproduced by the Software, in accordance with accepted trademark practice, includingidentification of trademark owner’s name. Such use of any trademark does not giveyou any rights of ownership in that trademark. Except as stated above, this Agreementdoes not grant you any intellectual property rights in the Software.

3. Disclaimer of Warranty. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND UNIVERSSONS AND ITS LICENSORS AND SUPPLIERS MAKE NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS,IMPLIED OR OTHERWISE, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES,INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD-PARTY RIGHTS, AND FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. UNIVERSSONS AND ITS LICENSORS AND SUPPLIERS DO NOT AND CANNOT WARRANTTHE PERFORMANCE OR RESULTS YOU MAY OBTAIN BY USING THE SOFTWARE. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW EXCLUSIONS OF AN IMPLIED WARRANTY ORLIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY MAY LAST, SO THISDISCLAIMER MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

4. Limitation of Liability. NOT WITHSTANDING ANYTHING TO THE CONTRARY,NEITHER UNIVERS SONS, SPECTRASONICS NOR ITS LICENSORS AND SUPPLIERSSHALL BE LIABLE WITH RESPECT TO ANY SUBJECT MATTER OF THISAGREEMENT UNDER TORT, CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY OR ANY OTHERLEGAL THEORY (A) FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, ORCONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY CHARACTER INCLUDING, WITHOUTLIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF GOODWILL, DATA, PROFIT OR SAVINGS,WORK STOPPAGE, OR COMPUTER FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION, OR (B) FOR ANYDAMAGES IN EXCESS OF SPECTRASONICS LIST PRICE FOR A LICENSE TO THESOFTWARE, OR (C) FOR ANY CLAIM BY ANY THIRD PARTY; EVEN IFSPECTRASONICS, ITS REPRESENTATIVE, OR ITS LICENSORS OR SUPPLIERSSHALL HAVE BEEN INFORMED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOMESTATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL ORCONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THIS LIMITATION AND EXCLUSION MAY NOTAPPLY TO YOU.

5. Termination. The License granted in Section 1 will terminate automatically if youfail to cure any material breach of this Agreement within thirty (30) days of writtennotice, or immediately without notice in the case of a breach of Section 1. Upontermination, you shall immediately cease all use of the Software and return or destroyall copies of the Software. Except for the License granted in Section 1 and except asotherwise expressly provided herein, the terms of this Agreement shall survivetermination. Termination is not an exclusive remedy and all other remedies will beavailable whether or not the license is terminated.


SOUNDS LICENSE AGREEMENTNOTE: COPYRIGHT LAWS HAVE RECENTLY BEEN STRENGTHENED. IT IS INYOUR BEST INTEREST TO READ AND FOLLOW THIS AGREEMENT.

You cannot transfer ownership of this CD-ROM or the sounds or programs it contains.You cannot re-sell or copy thisCD-ROM.

DO NOT USE THIS PRODUCT UNTIL YOU HAVE READ THIS LICENSE AGREEMENT.BY OPENING AND INSTALLING THIS PRODUCT, YOU ACCEPT THIS LICENSEAGREEMENT.

Reproduction or duplication of this collection or any of the sound recordings containedin it, either as they exist on this disc or by any means of reformatting, mixing, filtering,re-synthesizing, processing or otherwise editing for use in another product or for re-sale, is strictly prohibited without the express written consent of Spectrasonics.

All unauthorized giving, trading, lending, renting, re-issuing, re-distributing or re-sellingof this product or any of the sounds it contains are expressly prohibited.

The license to use this product is granted for a single user only. You cannot resellStylus™ as a used product to someone else because this is a non-transferable licenseof the contained sound recordings. You cannot electronically transfer or post samplesof Stylus to another person or group of persons over the Internet or place them in acomputer/sampler network to be accessed by multiple users.

Use of these sounds in Multimedia/Game Music projects is limited to use within originalmusical compositions.

Spectrasonics constantly monitors other Soundware and Software releases to checkfor copyright infringements, and will prosecute all piracy and copyright violations to thefullest extent of the law.


For Translations of this guide in different languages, download the translatedPDF files from these web pages:

Spanishhttp://www.spectrasonics.net/stylus/espanol

Germanhttp://www.spectrasonics.net/stylus/deutch

Frenchhttp://www.spectrasonics.net/stylus/francais

Japanesehttp://www.spectrasonics.net/stylus/japanese

stylus users guide

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