And that is what makes you a true Nebula Jedi Tim!!!

Hi Shaolin, I fear I need some help. Just got the Shape Modifier because of all the raving reception. But I am a little underwhelmed maybe I do not understand it yet. Used it on a kick drum in attack mode where it shaped the attack in quite a nice way no doubt but the kick overall looses some serious punch. It sounds a little like thinning out the whole dynamic envelope and by this strengthening the attack. For my taste I've achieved a far better result with Elysia Nvelope plugin - if the task asked for is to accentuate the attack (and only do that and not change the whole sound). Do I have to use the sustain mode in parallel to get back the body, maybe? How many dBs you raise the Attack? Do you change the Shape and Detect parameters?

Hey Geronimos, Tim suggests using the sustain before the attack and in series not parallel. It's kinda counter intuitive I know - like his 'postamps'.

If you're losing body on the attack, try increasing the sustain. The different envelopes will help you sculpt too. Try the longer envelopes for more body.

Tim has some helpful tips on his site. Check them out too. These plugs definitely are a pair worth experimenting with. There's not too many parameters. Have at it!

Hi Shaolin, thanks for fast answer. I have just tried to use the sustain mode before the attack mode and it works quite good! It is giving back a lot of the body and the final sound spots a fine nuancing of the attack with an overall tighter sound. But this is subtle and I doubt that it will survive in a mix. What I can‘t do still is sharpen the attack in a way that makes it cut through a little more obvious in a busy mix - the way I can easily do that with Nvelope.
In what specific scenarios would you all use this tool and why would you prefer it to Nvelope or Transient Designer? Or is the real accomplishment here that Nebula is finally capable of doing transient shaping at all (serious question)?
Thanks for your help in advance, Cheers, Geret

Well, it is interesting. Checked the transient mode now on a slightly crunchy electric guitar (superbly recorded) and here, again, the Shape Modifier seems to excel more in what it takes away then in what it adds or focusses on. It definitely cleans up the frequency spectrum of the guitar in a very pleasing way. But is this what it is supposed to do?
I insist on this because it happened quite a few times in the last months or year that I was not all the time convinced about the performance of some of the praised Nebula libraries but instead of asking and trying to understand how everybody else uses them (in comparison to other solutions) I rather stopped using them. And this is not good, I want to learn to use them properly and really get the most out of them. So please com in and help me... Thanks, Geret

I've not had your issues I'm afraid. Maybe your usage is more extreme than mine...

Anyway another thing to try is adding further attack instances or changing the envelopes. I found reducing sustain enveope to be quite noticeable for example.

Or mix in transient designer? It's still a good plug.

Might just be a case of taste and ears. Nothing wrong with that. Many tools that are well loved and respected by others do nothing for me, and vice-versa.

. . . just out of curiosity, are you gain matching the results you get from Nvelope vs Shape Modifier when comparing them?

Just a simple observation, I've yet to try the library myself but when I saw JPN making a video about the Shape Modifier attack, I thought it was very noticeable when he dialed in very high settings passed the + 10 to 12 level on the plugin.

You are more than welcome to send me some of your clips of guitar and show me what is missing. I'm always happy to listen if you think there is something wrong. Things don't have to be set in stone the way they are if something is particularly bothering you. Although I've had lots positive feedback so I won't be changing these presets. There could be additional ones. These shape changing tools are imo are very subjective, I happened to tweak this one In a way that I thought was best.

Hi Geronimos Guitar you might have missed this.
Next to power switch there are 2 more controls

sustain: shape & durtn
attack: shape & detect
could be what you are missing

Excellent plugin

I'm gonna probably add a attack feedback detection preset. This will be a alternative and add a more aggressive edge. I'll send out emails once done

That sounds very interesting Tim.

Attack feedback ? Hahaha

What's that ?

You mean decay ?

Teach me !

Hello Tim, thanks a lot for helping out. I will render the files accordingly and send them to you over the weekend. Really appreciate that. Kindly yours, Geret

Hey, yes, I have matched gain carefully.

Thanks Martel, I've tried it and the results are good. This shows though that the Shape Modifier is not a common transient designer, because you cannot boost 10dB with them without seriously overdoing it.

Thanks moge, I will experiment a little more with them.

Tim's delay has been out a week and no mention here? I didn't realise it was out... Anyway I bought it just now but too sick to test. It was a big effort - back to bed now.

Hope to read a few views on it when the next dose of meds wears off...

My pleasure sir.

That's one thing for sure, Tim never do conventional. I always see him doing the extra EXTRA mile to get a great product out.

Wow, big thanks for putting this together. They're very useful.

This is what I just sent out -

Hey Guys,

I've added a extra preset, this new attack preset simply turns the
detector into feedback mode. This will mean that when adding attack it
will multiply via a feedback loop in detection, giving a more aggressive
sound.

as always download from your accounts area.

Oh Waow !

I bet people will need to be careful with that Feedback thing.

Good job !

It may not increase the amount of attack in db so much but more change the character. It may even sound a bit more even over dynamics.

Like if it was compressed and gain compensated ?

For attack a good example would be that if detection resides after the vca, that it will hold on to the attack longer as it's being re detected over and over again. I will subtly alter the shape in a organic way.

Just try it and see what you think, you may find it sounds more natural than the other preset. Note this is for attack only.

I may add some sort of side chain version for more effects in the near future but I need to experiment with it.


What you are saying about feedback in a compression has some truth in it, The compression effect when going into attack kinda self rectifies. This is where that feedback dip in attack comes from in that style of compression, it's basically the detector forcing the attack to go into a small amount of release as the signal went to far in compression.

Well THAT is VERY interesting.

I still need time to try it so when I'll buy it, I'll report with examples.

Good job men !

hey tim,

thanks for your effort. like that you done an extra step for feedback mode on shape modifier. downloaded, but there is no skin for the new preset

best regards!

edit: okok, i figured out that i had just to duplicate the xml files in properties folder and give them a "FB" in there name.

Hey Tim, your N60A / L Buss did WONDERS to my mix. It’s currently charting as we speak. Thanks so much for giving us the tools that i couldn’t afford as a young engineer trying to get my foot in the door.

Ah thanks for the heads up!

yep I've updated this now!

Thanks

Hello folks,

I've been steadily working my way through this thread to get a better understanding of the popular Nebula libraries that people use. I'm not a Nebula user yet but keep thinking about jumping in.

I discovered Acqua plugins only a few months ago and they have really had a positive impact for me on a project that I have been working on. I have purchased Gold, Amethyst 3, Lemon, Crimson and Azure. I tend to use the EQ and preamps and have not really used the compressors much so far.

I have been demoing Coral, Cobalt and Titanium with a view to getting a compressor for mastering and mixing. I guess its early days but I keep going back to Tokyo dawn Labs Kotelnikov and feeling more confident using that. This probably says more about my reliance on the meters, and my level of experience than it does the comparative results of these tools. I am on a steep learning curve and relatively inexperienced.

I keep wondering if it is better to jump to Nebula rather than purchasing another one or two Acqua plugins, especially with regards to compressors. There seems to be a lot of love here for Tim P's compressors.

Is it an oversimplification to say that long time Acqua & Nebula users tend to prefer Tim P's compressors to the various compressors offered in Aqua land?

As an additional question, I was also lining up a purchase of Ebony which I have demoed and really like. Would anyone be so kind as to offer any advice on how Ebony's plate reverb compares with similar offerings in Nebula land such as those from vnxt and cupwise?

It is mainly acoustic music (vocals, guitars and other stringed instruments, double bass, very stripped back drums and percussion) that I am working on if this is relevant to any comments or advice regarding the above.

Many thanks in advance for any advice anyone is willing to share.

I can advise that if you are indeed thinking of going into Nebula then wait a little while for the new business model to be set up. Free N4 player and then purchases of libraries through the market place. And you will still be able to purchase libraries from the Tim's and AlexB and the other 3rd party devs who may not work with this new system.