MARTINIC AXFX Effects Rack Plugin User Manual
- June 16, 2024
- MARTINIC
Table of Contents
User Manual
Version 1.0.0
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing or downloading the Martinic AXFX. This 8-unit Effect
Rack plugin is a direct descendant of the External Effects present in the
iconic AX73 Synthesizer.
Harnessing the power of Martinic’s ACE (Advanced Circuitry Emulation)
Technology, we’ve meticulously created both the analog and digital effects
units of the AXFX, making these cherished 80s effect characteristics available
for any synthesizer. It’s no surprise that our AXFX also exhibits
extraordinary versatility in enhancing the sonic depth and richness of both
vocals and guitars.
Features
The 8-unit Effect Rack includes: Compressor, Phaser, Flanger, Chorus, Delay, Reverb, Distortion and EQ. The effects can be arranged in any order using the FX Chain.
The AXFX includes over 100 presets designed by renowned sound designers such as Daniel Stawczyk, Charis Linos, and Solidtrax.
Installation
System Requirements
AXFX is available as an AAX, AU (Audio Units), CLAP (CLever Audio Plugin), or
VST 2.4 effect plugin, which means it needs to run inside AAX, AU, CLAP, or
VST hosting software, e.g. Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Cubase, GarageBand, Logic
Pro, REAPER, Studio One, etc.
Although AXFX should be able to run at any sample rate the host provides, a
rate of at least 44.1kHz is recommended.
The plugin is designed to run on Windows 7 or newer as a 32-bit or 64-bit
plugin, or Mac OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) or newer as a 64-bit plugin.
Windows Installation
To install AXFX on Windows, download the Windows 32/64-bit AAX/CLAP/VST
installer, and save it on your computer (e.g. in your Downloads folder).
Navigate to this folder, locate the installer and double-click on it, and then
click on the Next button to start the installation process.
Carefully read the license, and then click on the I Agree button to continue. Next select which formats of the plugin you want to install. Select Customize GUI Scale to manually override the scaling factor of the plugin in a later screen. You can select Reset Preset
Database to undo any previous changes to the database and return it to factory
defaults.
Before you do this, make sure you have backups.
Optionally you can select License Key if you have purchased a license. Click
on the Next button to continue.
Optionally change the install location, and again click on the Next button.
Then select your VST2 32-bit and/or 64-bit plugin folder, and optionally
select your license key file (if you have purchased a license), confirming
each selection by clicking on the Next button.
If you have previously chosen to customize the GUI scale, you will be able to
select different options before selecting Next to begin installation.
Now wait for the installation to complete (this should take only a few seconds), click on the Close button, and you are ready.
Mac Installation
To install AXFX on Mac OS X or macOS, download the Mac AAX/AU/CLAP/VST
installer disk image (DMG), and save it on your computer (e.g. in your
Downloads folder).
If you have purchased a license, then you should copy your license key file to
the same folder in which you have saved the installer disk image (DMG), so it
can be installed along with the plugin. Optionally place the license key file
on the desktop in case the installer cannot locate it.
Navigate to the folder in which you have saved the installer, locate the
installer disk image (DMG) and double-click on it, and then double-click on
the AXFX Installer.pkg icon. Click on the Continue or Allow button to confirm
that the installation package will run a program, and then click on Continue
(in the bottom right corner of the installation window) to start the
installation process.
Carefully read the license, click on the Continue button, and then click on
Agree. Next select which formats of the plugin you want to install (it is
recommended that you install the AAX, AU, CLAP and VST formats, just to be
sure). You can select Reset Preset Database to undo any previous changes to
the database and return it to factory defaults. Before you do this, make sure
you have backups.
Optionally select License Key if you have purchased a license, and click on
the Continue button. Optionally change the install location, and then click on
the Install button.
Now wait for the installation to complete (this should take only a few seconds), click on the Close button, and you are ready.
Loading the AXFX in your DAW
Once the plugin has been installed, start or restart your DAW. The plugin
should be available in AAX, Audio Units, CLAP, and VST formats (if all four
have been installed).
The plugin may be named AXFX or Martinic AXFX. This may be different between
plugin formats.
Getting Around
Using the controls (plus fine-tuning and value entry)
You can adjust controls by clicking and dragging them up or down using the
mouse. To fine-tune a parameter to a more exact value, hover your cursor over
it, hold the Ctrl key
(Mac and Windows), and scroll the mouse wheel. You can also right-click on a
knob to enter a value using the computer keyboard.
Double-clicking a knob or fader will reset it to its default value.
FX view and Settings view
The AXFX can be used in either FX view or Settings view.
FX view allows you to control some of the AXFX’s parameters, as you would on a physical effect rack.
Settings view provides an abstracted set of controls for the effects, giving you control over every parameter on the AXFX. Here you can access all the controls, including master volume, Mix, Sync and the arrange the order of the FX Chain.
Preset Browser
The AXFX’s preset browser allows you to select, find and organise presets with
ease. This is accessed using the Presets button alongside the FX and Settings
view buttons. Here you can find over 100 presets that come with the AXFX as
well as save your own presets and create exportable collections which you can
share or sell online.
We cover how to use the preset browser more in detail in the Presets and
Collections section towards the end of this manual.
To load a preset, simply click on its name once. You can also filter presets by Type, Category and Author using the Tags panel.
You can search through presets using the Search bar, and select from a Collection (Factory presets, Favorites and My Presets) on the left-hand side of the browser. Collections are discussed in more detail in the Presets and Collections section of this manual.
Default Presets
In the AAX, AU, VST plugin formats, the top bar allows you to navigate between
the Default Presets, which can also be selected from your DAW’s interface. You
can navigate between these 32 presets by clicking the left and right arrows on
either side of the name. In the CLAP plugin format, the arrows also work, but
there are no Default Presets displayed in your DAW.
Selecting a preset from the preset browser will replace the selection
currently in your default presets with the new one. Through this, it is
possible to have the same preset selected multiple times within the 32 Default
Presets.
The Default Presets can be useful for quickly accessing the “Default” patch: a
starting-point for programming the AXFX that will set all settings to neutral,
default positions.
If you have a DAW that uses the VST or CLAP plugin format, the Default Presets
are saved in your DAW project.
Set Preset as Default
You can replace each of those 32 Default Presets with the presets of your own choice and they’ll be there next time you open the AXFX. You can right-click a preset in the preset browser, click on Use Preset As Default and the Default Preset you were currently on will be replaced by the one you chose.
Bypass
You can bypass the AXFX output by clicking the Martinic logo in the top left- hand corner of the interface. The logo’s blue color will turn to gray when the AXFX is bypassed.
Master
The master section offers a global set of parameters – ie, settings that are applied independently of the AXFX’s effects.
Volume
Determines the global output Volume of the plugin.
Mix
The MIX knob controls the global dry/wet mix.
FX
The Martinic AXFX comes with eight effects that can be run in serial in any
order.
Available processors are Compressor, Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Delay, Reverb,
EQ and Distortion. Below we explain how each effect works.
Compressor
Turn the compressor on with the On switch. Set the onset time of the
compressor with the
Attack dial. The release of the compressor is controlled by the Release dial.
The Threshold knob determines the minimum volume at which the compressor
begins to take effect.
The Ratio knob controls the degree to which sound crossing the threshold level
is reduced back towards that threshold level. Increase the gain of the
compressor’s outgoing signal with the Makeup dial. Finally, control the
dry/wet mix of the outgoing signal with the Mix knob.
Phaser
Activate the phaser with the On switch. The rate of the phaser can be
synchronized to the DAW with the Sync button. When synchronized, the range is
16/1 to 1/64.
The depth of the phaser is controlled by the Depth dial, FB controls the level of feedback, Width the stereo image of the sound and Mix the dry/wet balance.
Flanger
Turn the flanger on with the On button. Synchronize the rate of the flanger to
your DAW with the Sync button. Set the rate with the Rate dial. When
synchronized, the range is 16/1 to 1/64.
Control the depth of the flanger with the Depth dial, the Feedback with the FB dial, the stereo image of the flanger with the Width dial and the dry/wet mix with the Mix knob.
Chorus
Use the On button to activate the chorus unit. The chorus unit has very
similar controls to the phaser and flanger units. Synchronize the rate of the
chorus to your DAW with the Sync and adjust the rate with the Rate dial. When
synchronized, the range is 16/1 to 1/64.
Delay
The delay unit acts like a standard delay. Turn it on with the On switch. The
delay time is altered with the Time knob and can be synchronized to your DAW
with the Sync button.
The Pan button introduces ping pong delay. Turning the dial right will pan the
first tap right, turning the dial left will pan the first tap left. The more
you turn this dial left or right, the more both left/right delays will be
spread out to their side of the stereo image.
Reduce the Tone dial to apply a low-pass filter to the delayed (wet) signal.
Alter the tonal properties of the delay signal and the Mix knob to control the
dry/wet balance.
Reverb
Activate the reverb with the On button. You can delay the start of the reverb
tail with Delay knob and adjust the length of the reverb tail with the Time
knob. Use the Tone dial to adjust the sound of the reverb, effectively
applying a low- pass filter to the wet reverb signal.
The Damp dial fades out high frequencies more quickly than low frequencies, to greater or smaller extents. The Width knob alters the stereo image of the reverb (with values below 50 reversing the channels) and the Mix dial dictates the dry/wet balance.
Distortion
Turn the distortion unit on with the On button. The distortion unit acts like
standard distortion: Drive controls the drive amount, Tone controls the tone
of the distortion and Level the output level pre Mix.
Set the dry/wet amount with the Mix dial.
EQ
The final effect is the EQ. The EQ has three bands: a low shelf, a bell filter
for the mid range frequencies, and a high shelf.
Turn the EQ on with the On switch.
The Low dial sets the frequency of the low shelf and the Level dial sets its
gain.
The Mid dial controls the frequency of the bell filter, the BW knob sets its Q
and Level controls its gain.
High sets the frequency of the high shelf and Level controls its gain.
FX Chain
The AXFX’s onboard effects run in sequence and can be placed in any order. Drag the units around in the FX Chain section to place them in the desired order. The signal runs from left to right.
Presets and Collections
Presets
The AXFX comes loaded with more than 100 presets designed by renowned sound
designers such as Daniel Stawczyk, Charis Linos, and Solidtrax.
To find the presets, click the presets tab at the top of the AXFX interface.
You will be presented with a list of all the presets. Choose one by clicking
it a single time.
You can search for specific presets with the search bar in the top left hand-
corner of the UI.
The Tags box lets you filter by type of Sound, Character and Author. Click on
a tag to filter the available presets in the Presets window.
Saving Presets (Save buttons)
The Save button (disk icon) will save the current settings, overwriting the
preset that is selected in the Presets view.
Note that the selected preset has to be in My Presets for this to work, as
this keeps Factory presets and other Collection presets from being
overwritten. If overwriting a Factory or Collection preset is attempted, a
dialogue will appear offering to Save As instead.
The Save As button (disk and pen icon) allows you to save the current settings
automatically in My Presets, rather than overwriting anything.
My Presets, Factory and Favorites Collections
To the left of the preset browser you’ll find at least three default
Collections: My Presets, Factory and Favorites.
My Presets is where presets that you create and save are stored. To save a
preset to My Presets click Save Preset As in the top toolbar of the AXFX, or
right-click on the preset you’ve adjusted in the browser and select Save
Preset As.
When in My Presets, add tags, rename presets and change the author by right clicking on either Name, Collection, Type, Character, Comment or Author in the Info panel in the bottom right of the interface.
Factory is where you will find all 600 presets that come with the AXFX.
You can add presets that you use a lot to the Favorites collection. To add a preset to the Favorites collection, right-click on it and select Toggle Favorite.
Creating and saving collections
To create a new collection, right-click in the collection window on the left
hand side of the interface and select New Collection.
You can name your collection anything you like, add Overlay Text and upload an
image to go with your collection. This is a useful feature if you plan to sell
presets and want to add a personal touch to your collections.
Once a collection is created, it’s easy to add premade presets to it. Find a
preset you want to add to your new collection and select it. Right click on
your new collection and select Add Selected Preset.
It is advisable to remove any presets from My Presets after adding them to a
Collection that you are creating. Presets in the My Presets category can be
saved over, so to keep the Collection consistent and protected, remove any
presets you wish to lock from My Presets.
Importing and exporting collections
To import a collection, right-click on the space behind the current
collections and select
*Import Collection. Select the .mcoll file that you have downloaded, and the collection will be added to the plugin.
To export a collection, right-click on the collection and select Export Collection. Choose where you would like your Collection to be saved. The collection will be saved as a .mcoll file which you can share as you like.
Backing up your preset data
To back up your presets (for example, when migrating to a new system), there
are two ways to work. Firstly, you can add all the presets you wish to keep to
a Collection and export it as a .mcoll file, re-importing that into the new
system (see above).
The other way to back up or restore your entire preset library is to back up
the presets.data file that can be found in your system’s file browser. On
Windows, this file is found in C:\Users\[Your
Username]\AppData\Roaming\Martinic\AXFX, and on Mac, in ~/Library/Application
Support/Martinic/AXFX.
© 2023 Martinic
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