EffectChainer 1.

0
User Guide
Acon Digital Media

EffectChainer Help
2007 Acon Digital Media
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indirectly by this document.
VST is a trademark of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents
1

Part I Introduction

Part II Features
Part III System Requirements

Part IV Installation

2
2

Part V User Interface

1 The Effect Menu ................................................................................................................................... 3

Add an Effect
Remove an Effect

......................................................................................................................................................... 4
......................................................................................................................................................... 4

2 The Options Menu

................................................................................................................................... 4
Close Editors
......................................................................................................................................................... 4
Clear List
......................................................................................................................................................... 4
Rescan DirectX Plug-ins
......................................................................................................................................................... 4
Manage VST Folders ......................................................................................................................................................... 5
Save Chain
......................................................................................................................................................... 5
Load Chain
......................................................................................................................................................... 5
Select Font
......................................................................................................................................................... 5
Toggle I/O-Warnings ......................................................................................................................................................... 5

3 Work with Effects................................................................................................................................... 6

Move an Effect
......................................................................................................................................................... 6
Mute and Solo Functions
......................................................................................................................................................... 6
Edit an Effect
......................................................................................................................................................... 6
Program / Preset
..................................................................................................................................................
Handling
7
Effect Information
.................................................................................................................................................. 8

Part VI Processing Information

Index

2007 Acon Digital Media

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EffectChainer Help

Introduction

Acon Digital Media EffectChainer is a free DirectX and VST capable universal wrapper and
multi-effect rack. With EffectChainer you can load, edit and chain as many DirectX and VST
plug-ins you want. EffectChainer itself can be used as a plug-in in any host application supporting
DirectX or VST.

Feel free to contact support@acondigital.com if you encounter bugs in / or problems with

EffectChainer.
Please also visit the Acon Digital Media website to get to know more interesting audio software:

http://www.acondigital.com

VST is a trademark of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH

Features
Universal wrapper and multi-effect rack
Use DirectX plug-ins in applications supporting only VST plug-ins
Use VST plug-ins in applications supporting only DirectX plug-ins
Can be used from DirectX and VST compatible host applications Supports VST and DirectX
plug-ins - you can load as much plug-ins your computer can handle
Processes audio successively by all loaded and active effects

2007 Acon Digital Media

Features
Supports mono and stereo inputs / outputs
Easy to use interface providing access to all features (effect menu, options menu, mute / solo
functions, drag & drop to change effect order, editor access)
Effect editor including complete parameter and program (VST) / preset (DirectX) handling
Possibility to save and load chains in the Acon Effect Chain file format, the common VST
program / bank system or as static presets (DirectX version)
Share effect chain files across different applications

System Requirements
Before you install EffectChainer, please make sure your computer fulfills the
following requirements:
A Pentium or compatible processor with a CPU clock rate of 500 MHz or more
A minimum of 128 megabytes RAM
A Windows-compatible sound card
Depending on the number of plug-ins you have loaded to EffectChainer, the requirements,
especially the CPU clock rate, can be considerably higher.
In addition, you will need the following software installed on your computer:
Windows 2000, Windows XP or Windows Vista
DirectX 8.0 or later (the current version at the time this is written is DirectX 9.0c)
A DirectX or VST plug-in compatible host application

Installation
To install EffectChainer on your System simply run the setup file "EffectChainer10Xus.exe" and
follow the instructions. You can use it directly after installation without restarting your system.
The DirectX version of EffectChainer will be shown as "Acon Digital Media EffectChainer" in the
plug-in list of your host application.
The VST version is named "EffectChainer.dll" and located in the VST folder you have chosen
during installation. It appears as "EffectChainer", "EffectChainer.dll" or "Acon EffectChainer" in
your host. If you need the "EffectChainer.dll" in a different folder, just copy it to the designated
target.
When you run EffectChainer for the first time, it asks you to scan all available plug-ins on your
system. The VST path is set by default to the VST directory you have chosen. In case you use
another directory just change the VST path in the options menu and perform a new scan.

User Interface
All functions of EffectChainer can be accessed within the effect list window. The right mouse
button opens the options menu. The remaining functions can be controlled with the left mouse
button. A highlight effect indicates the positions where interaction is possible.

2007 Acon Digital Media

EffectChainer Help

1: empty effect container

2: effect type symbol (DirectX or VST)
3: effect name
4: mute button
5: solo button
6: edit button

5.1

The Effect Menu

You can open the effect menu by pressing the left mouse button while you hover onto an empty
effect container or the effect name of a loaded effect. The effect menu is used to add or remove an
effect.

2007 Acon Digital Media

User Interface

5.1.1

Add an Effect
You can use the plug-in lists in "DirectX" or "VST" to load an effect to EffectChainer. In these lists
you can find all valid scanned plug-ins on your system. Please note that you have to perform a
new scan manually if you have installed new plug-ins. The "Recent Plugins" list contains the last
ten effects you have loaded. The "Select VST..." function makes it possible to load a VST effect
from any location of your System via a file-open dialog box.
After you have added a new plug-in successfully to the effect list, it is shown in a new effect
container marked with the effect type symbol on the left and the effect name. Loading a plug-in in
an existing effect container replaces the existing one.

5.1.2

Remove an Effect
With "Remove Effect" you can delete a plug-in from the effect list. So all subsequent plug-ins will
be moved one position to the top.

5.2

The Options Menu

5.2.1

Close Editors
All opened effect editors will be closed at once.

5.2.2

Clear List
Removes all plug-ins out of the effect list.

5.2.3

Rescan DirectX Plug-ins

Scans the system for valid DirectX plug-ins and makes them available in the "DirectX" list.
EffectChainer only supports stereo DirectX plug-ins.

2007 Acon Digital Media

EffectChainer Help

5.2.4

Manage VST Folders

Opens a dialog box to specify the VST folders you use.

Add Folder: You can add a folder from your system to the list via a browse-dialog. After this you
can perform an initial scan on this directory.
Remove Selected: Deletes the selected folders from the list (multiple selection is possible). The
plug-ins within the removed folder(s) are also not longer available in the "VST" plug-ins list.
Rescan Selected: Performs a new scan in all selected folders and updates the "VST" plug-ins list
(multiple selection is possible).

5.2.5

Save Chain
You can save the current effect list including all plug-in states via a file-save dialog box in the
AconEffectChain file format (*.aec).

5.2.6

Load Chain
A previous saved effect chain in the *.aec file format can be restored via a file-open dialog box.

5.2.7

Select Font
Opens a font dialog where you can select the font-style and font-size which are used to display the
effect name.

5.2.8

Toggle I/O-Warnings
Disables or enables the warning messages that are shown e.g. when you load a VST plug-in which
supports only mono inputs.

2007 Acon Digital Media

User Interface

5.3

Work with Effects

5.3.1

Move an Effect
To change the position of an effect in the list just use the drag&drop function accessible at the
effect type symbol. A white effect container frame helps to find the new position. The effect where
you release the mouse button swaps the position with the one you dragged in the effect list.

5.3.2

Mute and Solo Functions

You can activate / deactivate a plug-in with the mute button. While an effect is muted (red colored
button), audio data is not processed by it.
The solo button mutes all plug-ins except of the selected one. When you have activated the solo
function you can not use any mute button until you deactivate solo. After deactivating solo the
originally mute states of the plug-ins in the list will be restored.

5.3.3

Edit an Effect
Via the edit button you can open the effect editor of the respective plug-in. It is possible to open
and use several or all editors at the same time.

The title of the editor window shows the index of the plug-in in the effect list as well as the name
of the effect and the current chosen program (VST) or preset (DirectX).

2007 Acon Digital Media

EffectChainer Help
In case a plug-in does not have a custom editor (only VST effects) the standard editor will be
loaded.

To adjust the effect settings, the standard editor offers a slider for each parameter of the plug-in.
As an additional feature you can open an edit box to enter a value directly by pressing the left
mouse button in the text right of the slider. Depending on the values used by this parameter and
also to keep the average access time fast, it is possible that in some cases only an approximated
value or none result can be found. For string values like "-oo" or "LOW" can be searched too.
5.3.3.1

Program / Preset Handling

The menu in the effect editor provides all functions to load and edit programs (VST) or presets
(DirectX).

In a VST plug-in you can save or load a single program or the whole bank (all programs) with the
corresponding functions in the menu. With "Rename Program..." you can change the name of the
current program.
DirectX plug-ins use the "User-Presets Manager..." to save or restore an effect's state. Presets you
have added in this way appear with the prefix "[User]" in the menu list.

2007 Acon Digital Media

User Interface

5.3.3.2

Effect Information
VST effects can open an Info box that shows some information about the plug-in.It can be accessed
via the menu function "? - Effect Info...".

Processing Information
Here you can find some details how processing takes place in EffectChainer:
Muted effects are excluded from processing.
Solo mutes all other effects except of the selected one.
In case a VST effect supports only mono output, the audio data will be duplicated by
EffectChainer.

2007 Acon Digital Media

EffectChainer Help
If a VST effect supports only mono inputs or does not have any inputs or outputs you will lose
stereo information or complete audio data.
When you use EffectChainer in the VST version, it is not intended to apply DirectX plug-ins, that
change the block size during processing like time scale modification plug-ins. Indeed you can
load, edit and process them this will probably lead to corruption of the audio signal, because
bigger blocks will be cut off and smaller blocks filled up with zeros. The DirectX version of
EffectChainer can handle these kind of plug-ins clean.
EffectChainer counts the delay of all loaded an active VST plugins in the list. This value is
updated and transmitted to the host every time right before playback starts (VST version)!
Consider this if you need a correct delay compensation.

2007 Acon Digital Media

Index

Index

-I-

-*-

Information
Installation
Introduction

*.aec

1
5
4
4
4
5

-BBank

-CClear List
Close Editors
Custom Editor

4
4
6

-DDelay Compensation
Drag&Drop

8
6

6
2
6
2
6
8
2
3
2
2

-FFeatures
Font
Font Dialog
Font Size
Font Style

2007 Acon Digital Media

Load Bank
Load Chain
Load Program
Load VST

7
5
7
4

-MManage VST Folders

Move an Effect
Mute
Mute Button

5
6
6
2

-OOptions Menu

-PPresets
Processing
Programs

7
8
7

-R-

-EEdit an Effect
Edit Button
Editor
Effect Container
Effect Editor
Effect Info
Effect List
Effect Menu
Effect Name
Effect Type Symbol

8
2
1

-L-

-AAcon Digital Media

AconEffectChain File Format
Add an Effect
Add DirectX
Add VST
Add VST Folder

10

1
5
5
5
5

Recent Plug-ins
Remove Effect
Remove VST Folder
Rename Program
Requirements
Rescan
Rescan DirectX Plug-ins
Rescan VST Folder

4
4
5
7
2
4, 5
4
5

-SSave Bank
Save Chain
Save Program
Select Font
Solo
Solo Button
Standard Editor
Static Presets
Support

7
5
7
5
6
2
6
7
1

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EffectChainer Help

System Requirements

-TToggle I/O Warnings

-UUser Interface
User Presets

2
7

-WWarnings
Website

5
1

2007 Acon Digital Media