Merging Pyramix Quick Start Manual

Pyramix digital audio workstation
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USER MANUAL

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  • Page 1 Quickstart Quickstart Guide Guide ™ USER MANUAL...
  • Page 2 Merging Technologies makes no warranties express or implied regarding this software, its qual- ity, performance, merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. The software is supplied “as is” you, the purchaser, are assuming the entire risk of the results of using this Merging Technolo- gies software.
  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Contents Welcome to Pyramix Virtual Studio! Introduction Overview Pyramix documentation and Help Conventions Native, Card and Software Set or Pyramix Turnkey? Pyramix Versions MassCore™ NEW USERS START HERE System Requirements For Pyramix Virtual Studio Installing Pyramix Virtual Studio Hardware Mykerinos Board Installation...
  • Page 4 Edit Audio Starting a New Project Project Templates New Project from scratch Pyramix Virtual Studio Window Orientation Settings Recording Recording Audio into a Pyramix Virtual Studio Project Virtual Multi-track Dubbing Mode The Timeline Tracks Clips and Compositions Editing Clips in a Composition on the Timeline...
  • Page 5 Creating and Configuring Mixers I/O Busses Explained Internal Return Busses Input Strips Groups Mixing/Monitoring/Aux Buses External Effects Configuring a Blank or Existing Mixer Synchronized Creation/Deletion of Tracks/Strips Adding Strips Mixer I/O Assignments Adding Plug-ins Mixer Surround Components Strip and Bus Tools - Plug-ins Eq, Comp/Limiter/Expander Bus Tools Simple Mixer Automation...
  • Page 6 Quickstart Guide : Quickstart Guide Document: Pyramix™ Quickstart Guide 7 1 Date: 28th October 2010 Quickstart Guide : Page 6...
  • Page 7: Welcome To Pyramix Virtual Studio

    This Quick Start Guide and the Pyramix User Manual may be opened from the Help menu. Other documenta- tion can be found in the Windows Start menu in All Programs > Pyramix > Docs. Please check for the most recent versions at: http://www.merging.com...
  • Page 8: Conventions

    Go to the Settings pull down menu, choose Keyboard Shortcut Editor then click on the Active machine tab. The Pyramix Settings > All Settings dialog Has its own hierarchical tree structure in the left hand pane with fold- ers leading to pages.
  • Page 9: Masscore

    Pyramix Native offers 100% compatibility with the main Pyramix Virtual Studio (VS) system. Both the Pyramix Native and the Pyramix VS can be connected on the same standard Ethernet network and directly interchange audio and video media, or a Pyramix complete project between them.The Native software is USB dongle pro- tected and runs on Windows 2000 or Windows XP desk-top or lap-top computers.
  • Page 10: Installing Pyramix Virtual Studio Hardware

    Video and Pyramix on one PC To ensure a very smooth system (especially for seeking) playing video with Pyramix on the same computer, we rec- ommend a Quad Processor PC, a dedicated hard drive for the video and Windows XP...
  • Page 11: Multi-Board Installation

    External Audio D/A-A/D Converter Boxes Most of the I/O options for the Mykerinos board are digital. Pyramix will often be used with external audio D/A (for playback) and A/D (for recording) converters. Many such converters are available from Merging Technologies as options: for example, the Merging Technologies Dua II and Sphynx 2.
  • Page 12: Cabling Pyramix In Your System Environment

    Many users will have A/D Converters for feeding analog audio sources into Pyramix, and D/A Converters for play- ing analog audio out of Pyramix. In this case, connect your analog audio sources to the A/D Converter analog audio inputs, and the A/D digital audio output(s) to the Mykerinos digital audio input(s). Similarly, connect the Mykerinos digital audio output(s) to your D/A Converter digital audio input(s), and the D/A Converter analog audio outputs to your studio monitors or recorders.
  • Page 13: Installing Pyramix Virtual Studio Software

    A digital audio signal itself can sometimes be used as the master sync source, but a high stability video or word- clock signal is usually preferable. The Mykerinos board can be configured inside the Pyramix software to act as either a sync master, or to slave to a variety of incoming signals.
  • Page 14: Driver Signing

    ‘digitally signed’ . Please choose the “Install anyway” option in each case. Important! Before attempting to install the Pyramix Virtual Studio software in Windows XP please check the following setting: Start > Control Panel > System : Hardware Click on the Hardware Tab, then click on Driver Signing.
  • Page 15: Authorization System

    Enabling Pyramix Virtual Studio with your Software Key Pyramix Virtual Studio is protected by a special software Key. Once you have registered your software you will be provided with this Key or Keys (depending on the chosen options). Entering your Key(s) After the Pyramix installation process you will be prompted to enter your Authorization Key.
  • Page 16: First Launch

    Make sure there is a check mark in the On Bus boxes for each board installed. • Check that the Application combo box is showing Pyramix. If not, select Pyramix from the list. • Select XDTDM from the Buses Mode combo box •...
  • Page 17: Starting Pyramix Virtual Studio

    Double-click on the Pyramix Virtual Studio desktop icon to launch Pyramix. Alternately, choose Start > Programs > Pyramix > Pyramix Virtual Studio. The main User Manual is available from within Pyramix and may be accessed via the Help menu or by pressing F1, or online at merging.com ASIO and Rewire Please see the main User Manual for details about how to use the Rewire and ASIO support.
  • Page 18: Pyramix User Interface

    There are generally several ways of accessing any given function in Pyramix. This helps users to work in the way they find most comfortable for the type of projects they are undertaking. It also means ‘Power Users’ can develop highly efficient operating procedures.
  • Page 19: Mixer

    Mixer The Mixer, is the nexus of the Virtual Studio. The Mixer routes all audio into and out of a Pyramix Project. It also determines audio sample rates and synchronization. The user can configure the Mixer as appropriate, for the num- ber and type of inputs strips and output buses needed for a Project.
  • Page 20: Composition

    Pyramix, they are represented by Master Clips which reference the raw data files. Master Clips The concept of Master Clips is one of the keys to the power of Pyramix. An individual Master Clip is a set of point- ers that reference one or more Media Files.
  • Page 21: Libraries

    Pyramix uses libraries to help make Project organization tidier. Libraries are used to organize project material into logical groupings. However, Libraries are not the same as Windows directories or folders: they are only meaning- ful within the Pyramix environment. A Library is a database, containing a collection of pointers to different types of media object.
  • Page 22: Automation In Libraries

    N.B. In Pyramix User Libraries, there is no practical distinction between a section of a Composition (Region) and a complete Composition. Either can be added to a User Library or to an existing Composition. This is an extremely powerful feature. A single Clip or part of a Clip copied to a User Library from the Timeline appears there as a Composition.
  • Page 23: A First Simple Project

    The software has been registered, the registration key(s) entered and the initial settings entered in the VS3 Control Panel. Start Pyramix Launch the Pyramix application Start > All Programs > Pyramix > Pyramix Virtual Studio or by double-clicking the Pyramix Desktop Short-cut. The application will open with no Project loaded. Connect Physical I/O to Logical I/O Open the Settings >...
  • Page 24: Open A New Project

    Before any recording or playback can be undertaken you need somewhere to work so a Project must be created with a suitable Mixer. 1. Launch Pyramix Virtual Studio 2. Choose Project > New. 3. The New Project WIzard - Choose a Project Type window will open.
  • Page 25 7. Click Next. The New Project WIzard - Setup a New Project Workspace dialog will open. New Project Wizard - Setup a new Project Workspace dialog 8. Click in the Setup a new Project Workspace box to tick it. 9. Type a name for the Project and either type a suitable path to the Project and Media Location or use the ... button to open a Browse for Folder window.
  • Page 26: Configure The Mixer

    By default, and when the track monitoring switch (in the Track Header) is set to auto, Pyramix follows the ‘European’ monitoring convention. I.e. All tracks switch to Input on Stop. If this would cause feedback in your setup choose US Monitoring in the Settings > All Settings > Application > Playback/Record page. (Or you can...
  • Page 27: Before Recording

    Default Clock Source If Pyramix is set up to lock to an external clock source but cannot get a valid signal from this source, it will switch to Internal clock. The red light associated with Internal will be on, and the red light associated with the intended clock source will be blinking.
  • Page 28 button. Recording will begin when you press the Master Record button. Notice that red blocks appear in the armed tracks which grow as the recording proceeds. Play Button Master Record Button 2. Click on the Stop button after a minute or so has been recorded. The Record Name window appears: Record Name dialog 3.
  • Page 29: Edit Audio

    1. Click on the clip you have just recorded. If not already selected, notice it darkens in color and Trim Handles appear at the beginning and end. This illustration shows a stereo clip selected. Assuming you recorded in stereo, Pyramix automatically groups the Left and Right clips. If you need to un-group them, Clips > Ungroup will do it.
  • Page 30: Starting A New Project

    Descriptions of the multitude of other editing tools and functions are to be found in the Pyramix User Manual. Editing can be as simple as we have just described or you can make use of the many ‘power user’ tools Pyramix has to offer.
  • Page 31 Use Default Mixer Loads the currently designated Default Mixer preset. Use a Preset Choose one of the large number of supplied Mixer Presets (and User Presets if any have been created) by clicking on its description. Mixer Wizard If none of the existing presets is considered suitable, or you just want to start from scratch then selecting Use Mixer Wizard and clicking the Next button opens this window: Buses Configuration Wizard dialog Select the type(s) of busses required using the check boxes and the number needed from the drop down lists on...
  • Page 32 Use right mouse button to configure your mixer This is the equivalent of right-clicking on a blank area of an existing mixer. We recommend only experienced users choose this option. Please see: Pyramix User Manual. Quickstart Guide : Starting a New Project...
  • Page 33: Pyramix Virtual Studio Window Orientation

    Media Management Global Libraries ADR (If you have this option) This guide cannot cover the all the Tab windows in detail. Please see the Pyramix User Manual for a full descrip- tion. Quickstart Guide : Starting a New Project Page 33...
  • Page 34: Settings

    The Settings menu groups All Settings, the Keyboard Shortcut Editor and the Macro Editor. Pyramix is massively configurable to suit diverse applications and personal preferences. To keep the vast number of parameters manageable, Pyramix has an intuitive Settings dialog window.
  • Page 35 Thus, clicking All Settings as above un-ticks everything and clicking again ticks all the boxes i.e. selects everything.. Saves any changes made to settings and exits the Pyramix Settings window. Cancel Cancels any changes made to settings and exits the Pyramix Settings window.
  • Page 36: Recording

    PMF file format is most efficient and is especially recommended for projects with a high track count. Finally, tick the One file per track box to generate a separate monaural Media File for each track recorded or imported into Pyramix rather than a single interleaved Media File containing all tracks recorded in a single pass. Recording Recording Audio into a Pyramix Virtual Studio Project Start a new Project, or open an existing one.
  • Page 37: Virtual Multi-Track

    Track will go into Record mode. It will stay in Record mode until a marked Out point is reached. To Record audio directly into the Tracks of a Project, using Pyramix Virtual Studio as if it were a tape machine: 1.
  • Page 38 This helps manage takes where there are mistake(s) but the user wishes to keep them anyway. To Punch In audio directly into the Tracks of a Project, using Pyramix Virtual Studio as if it were a tape machine with punch in capabilities: 1.
  • Page 39: Dubbing Mode

    The Fade Editor provides elegant alternative methods of viewing and adjusting the parameters of edits in the timeline. A Source / Destination Editing model is supported but is outside the scope of this guide. Please see the Pyramix User Manual for full details.
  • Page 40: Clips And Compositions

    Paste to insert the object under the mouse cursor. 5. Be aware that Pyramix allows clips of different sample rates to be placed in the Timeline. Where the sample rate of the Clip does not match the sample rate of the Composition it will play at the wrong speed unless autamtic sample rate conversion is set (default).
  • Page 41: Editing

    Editing Clips in a Composition on the Timeline As with objects in a Media Drive or Library, Clips in a Composition are just pointers to the original audio Media Files. Any actions performed on a Clip in a Composition will affect neither the original audio Media File, nor the master Clip in the Media Folder or object in a Library from where it came.
  • Page 42: Fades

    The timing of a Fade In at the beginning of a Clip and a Fade Out at the end can easily be adjusted using the top Control Point on a Clip’s Trim Handles. However, Pyramix offers much more precise and flexible means for adjusting Fades.
  • Page 43: Navigation

    Navigation Pyramix Virtual Studio offers the user a variety of ways of navigating around the Project Editing Panel. Playhead Cursor Position A vertical black line with a down pointing triangle at the top indicates the current Play Cursor, Playhead cursor or Now position within the Project Editing Panel.
  • Page 44: Time Scale Rulers

    A further option, View > Cursor Return after playing, when selected, returns the Playhead to the start point when playback is stopped) Time Scale Rulers Pyramix is equipped with many Time Scale options. Each Time Scale has an associated Time Scale Ruler and Tool Bar which appears above the Time Scale Ruler(s). Main TimeCode Ruler Near the top of the Project Editing Panel is a horizontal gray area with time code numbers.
  • Page 45: Cursor & Timescale Ruler Toolbars

    Cursor & Timescale Ruler Toolbars Above the Timescale Ruler(s) and below the Project Editing Panel Toolbar(s) are the Timescale Toolbars and Cursor Toolbar. When several Timescale Ruler Toolbars are displayed together each Toolbar will wrap into two rows as shown here: Timescale Ruler Toolbars Each Toolbar contains a number of Icons and TimeCode register boxes with increment / decrement up and down arrow buttons.
  • Page 46 Global Mute indicator. When unlit no tracks are muted. Global Mute indicator. When lit one or more Tracks are muted. Click on the lit incator to cancel all active Mutes. Global Solo indicator. When unlit no Tracks are Soloed. Global Solo indicator. When lit one or more Tracks is Soloed. Click on the lit indicator to can- cel all active Solos.
  • Page 47: Jog / Shuttle

    The transport can be shuttled with audio output at up to 8 times speed. Auto Jog Where a physical controller with a jog / shuttle wheel is available, Pyramix can be set so that moving the jog wheel automatically enters Jog mode.
  • Page 48: Transport Controls

    Head. Play in reverse by holding the Ctrl key while pressing Play. • The Record button puts Pyramix into Record mode, and creates a new recording to the disk on the Tracks previously armed for recording. The Play Head moves forward at normal Play speed during the recording.
  • Page 49: Scroll Wheel

    The Controllers button toggles exterrnal hardware controllers on or off line. Adjacent to the Controllers button, select Internal from the pop-up list to ensure you are controlling the Pyramix Composition Play Head and not some external device (I.e. an RS-422 playback machine).
  • Page 50: The Overview

    Markers or User Flags Pyramix Virtual Studio allows for setting named and numbered User Flags or Markers at user defined points in a Composition. Markers can be used as convenient reference points for notes or other text, or as locations for Paste operations.
  • Page 51: Using The Mixer

    Using the Mixer Mixer Components Basic Strip A basic mono channel strip contains: On /Off toggle switch Pan slider to Main output bus. In this case there is just a single stereo mix bus. Numeric display of fader output level value, if cursor is over a fader knob shows fader gain.
  • Page 52: Creating And Configuring Mixers

    The total number of available output busses, regardless of the number of Mykerinos cards, is 128. The maximum number of inputs to Pyramix is also 128. However, it is perfectly possible, and permissible, to have more than 128 physical inputs and outputs connected to a Pyramix system. The PS3 Control Panel Application acts as a router to assign physical inputs and outputs to Pyramix logical inputs and outputs.
  • Page 53: Multiple Mix Busses

    Provides several mono outputs. Any input strip can be routed to any or all of them Stereo Mix Provides a single stereo output. Any input strip can be routed to it Multiple Stereo Mix Provides several stereo outputs and allows any input strip to be routed to any or all of them Surround Mix - 5.1 format Multiple Surround Mix - provides several surround outputs and allows to route any mixer strip onto any of them.
  • Page 54: External Effects

    External Effects Any Pyramix Bus can be routed to any physical output. Thus, an Aux can be routed via a physical output to an external effect. The output of the external effect is simply brought back into Pyramix via one of the physical inputs.
  • Page 55: Mixer I/O Assignments

    When Full Delay Compensation is selected, Plug-in effects that correctly report their latency will have their delay compensated. This delay is maintained when the plug-in is in bypass mode. For full details of the advanced Delay Compensation features please see the Pyramix User Manual. Quickstart Guide : Creating and Configuring Mixers...
  • Page 56: Mixer Surround Components

    Mixer Surround Components When a Surround Bus is added to the mixer an surround panner appears at the top of the Input Strips Surround Stem Select Front Speaker controls Joystick Panner Rear Speaker controls Open Surround Control Sub Level Strip Surround controls Surround Stem select If a Multiple Surround Bus has been added to the mixer Stem ‘X’...
  • Page 57: Strip And Bus Tools - Plug-Ins

    Surround Control window Surround Control floating Win- Options available will depend on whether the Mixer Channel is single source (mono) or 2 sources (stereo). For an in depth description of all the functions please see the User Manual. Position/Speaker Control When a single source is used, the Position Control is displayed as a green dot on a grid with 5 speaker icons.
  • Page 58 Both may be freely used in Strips or Busses if the need should arise for a limiter in an Input Strip or a Compressor in a Bus. Modules The Strip and Bus Tools plug-ins consist of several Sections or modules. Each Section has a title bar at the top con- taining an On/Off switch for the section and a control triangle which toggles between showing or hiding the sec- tion.
  • Page 59 To add a control to a link group, right-click on the knob or button to display its Link Status and Automation Sta- tus pop-up window. E.g. this is the pop-up for an input gain control.: Strip Tools - Automation Status Group assignment mode buttons These four buttons define the link mode of the control.
  • Page 60: Input Level

    Sections From top to bottom, Strip Tools contains the following Sections: Input Level This section contains the input level control and shows the name of the mixer strip this instance of the plug-in is assigned to. Dynamics This section contains a compressor. It can be switched, as shown here, to act as a decompressor.
  • Page 61 To recover the name of the parent strip, simply remove the strip name. The strip name is saved with presets and within Pyramix projects. Activate/deactivate plug-in This button switches the entire Strip plug-in on or off.
  • Page 62 The bar graph shows the gain reduction/increase generated by the Dynamics Section or by the Expander. The range of the display can be switched between +-10 or 20 dB by clicking on the bar graph. Scale markings in 1dB increments on the right-hand side of the bar graph make it easy to see if the range is 10 or 20 dB. Colors are used to denote a gain reduction or increase generated by either the compressor or the expander: •...
  • Page 63 Release and Hold Time controls These two parameters work together and control the amount of time the compressor takes to react when the input level is above the threshold level and starts fall. During the hold time the gain of the compressor remains constant.
  • Page 64 Inverse switch Switches the between normal and inverse expander modes. Expander normal mode Inverse mode Output level Output level Input level Input level Threshold Threshold Attack/Release/Hold controls The Expander Section uses the settings of the Attack/Release/Hold controls in the Dynamics Section to control it’s timing.
  • Page 65: Output Section

    Band Selector Click onto one of these five buttons to select the band to be manipulated by the Gain, Frequency and Q control underneath. A band gets also selected if it is manipulated in the small or big graph window. Selected band characteristics These five buttons determine the characteristics of the selected EQ band.
  • Page 66: Bus Tools

    handle and dragging with the mouse. Handles of bands which are not selected are displayed as small gray squares. Grabbing and drag a handle selects the band. Big Graph floating Window The frequency response display uses two separate gain scales. The left hand, blue scale shows the scale used for individual bands.
  • Page 67: Simple Mixer Automation

    Mixer levels, pans, effects, etc. See the Pyramix User Manual for more details on these various kinds of automation. The following describes a simple kind of automation. At the bottom right side of the main Pyramix window you will see Off, Play and Write buttons. These are the mas- ter automation control buttons.
  • Page 68 2. For speed, select a suitable simple Mixer Template (E.g. Mix 8 X 2 (Stereo) 3. Open the Media Management or Library window where the material is located. 4. If the original material is not already at 44.1kHz, use Convert > Quick Convert > Samplerate Converter to make 44.1kHz versions.
  • Page 69 11. Select CD Mark Groups from the Markers menu to add CD Start Markers to each clip with a CD End Marker at the end of the last clip. CD Mark Groups dialog 12. If you wish to change any details of the track titles, type in the fields in the right-hand pane. 13.
  • Page 70: Cd Markers

    Burn the CD 18. Open the DiscWrite application. Start > All Programs > Pyramix > DiscWrite DiscWrite Application Window 19. Click Open Image and open the Image file you've just created. 20. Select the CD-Writer from the Target list. 21. If the Info box does not show Disk At Once, click on Target : Settings….
  • Page 71: Exporting Projects To Cd Image Files

    Generate Image button. You can use the DDP import function in pyramix to import your DDP tape or file and generate a new CD image file. From this CD image file you can burn a CD or generate a new DDP tape.
  • Page 72: Burning A Cd-R

    Burning a CD-R DiscWrite is a separate application bundled with Pyramix Virtual Studio that is used to write the CD-R (or DDP) image file out to a CD-R disc (or DDP tape) unit. To burn a CD-R from a CD image file created above: 1.
  • Page 73: Customizing The User Interface

    5. Now press the desired Key or combination of Key and modifier (e.g. the Ctrl, Shift, Alt, etc.). These will appear in the Press new shortcut key box. Note that Pyramix will warn you if the chosen Key or combination is already assigned to another function.
  • Page 74: User Macros

    10. A table can be exported as a Text File along with some comments about commands. This is very useful since it enables you to print it as a command reference guide with your own keyboard shortcuts. User Macros Macros are sequences of commands which can be invoked by a single keypress or combination. Macros can be a very powerful aid to productivity.
  • Page 75: Appendix I Mouse Modifier Keys

    Appendix I Mouse Modifier Keys This table shows the valid modifier keys which can be used in conjunction with some mouse operations Main Editor Left Mouse Button Click In the TimeCode Scale Set Cursor to the mouse None Set Mark In to the mouse Shift Set Mark Out to the mouse Ctrl...
  • Page 76: Middle Mouse Button

    While moving Auto-crossfade while moving clips Ctrl Force crossfade while moving clips lower handle Ctrl Detach crossfade while moving clips middle handle Ctrl Don't merge Envelope points Ctrl Constrain Envelope in time Constrain Envelope in value Don't merge Automation points Ctrl Constrain Automation in time Constrain Automation in value...
  • Page 77: Overview

    Overview Left Mouse Button Draw a region to zoom in Drag the current composition (to a library) Shift + Alt Notes Left Mouse Button Drag the notes (to a library) Shift + Alt Media Folder Left Mouse Button Replace media for target clip(s) Ctrl Quickstart Guide : Appendix I Mouse Modifier Keys Page 77...
  • Page 78: Appendix Ii I/O Daughter-Card Options

    DB-25 connectors and terminate in 8 XLR connectors. The Dual DC is the most cost-effective I/O daughter card for Pyramix users. It is an ideal I/O solution for mixed ana- log/digital requirements, as encountered in Broadcast production, and Video post-production environments. It allows direct connection of up to two dynamic or condenser microphones, typically for quick and easy voice-over recording.
  • Page 79: Tascam Tdif I/O Option

    TASCAM TDIF The TASCAM TDIF daughter card offers 24 channels of I/O over 3 Tascam TDIF connections. Connection is via three DB-25 connectors, One on the main card attached to the Mykerinos and two more on a separate bracket con- nected via internal ribbon cable to the main card.
  • Page 80 Quickstart Guide : Index Quickstart Guide : Index Page 80...
  • Page 81: Index

    Index Enabling Pyramix Entering Keys Adding Plug-ins Export to a File Adding Strips Exporting Projects to CD Image Files Archiving Projects External Audio D/A-A/D Converter Boxes ASIO External Effects Audio Connections Audio I/O Options Automation in libraries F.FWD and REW nominal speed ratio...
  • Page 82 Media Files Pyramix Native Media Folders Pyramix Turnkey Meter Bridge Pyramix Versions MIDI Connections Pyramix Virtual Studio Board I/O Mix Bus Pyramix Virtual Studio Window Orientation Mixer Components Mixer Strip Plug-in Controls Mixer Surround Components Mixing Down Projects Quick CD...
  • Page 83 Surround Components (Mixer) Surround Control Surround Control window Vari Speed Audio Quality Surround Mix - 5.1 Video and Pyramix on one PC Surround Panning Algorithm Virtual Multi-track Sync, Video and Time Code Connections VS3 control panel Synchronized Creation/Deletion of Tracks/Strips...

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