C-SUITE C-Axe Guitar Noise Suppressor User Manual
- May 15, 2024
- C-SUITE
Table of Contents
www.csuiteaudio.com
C-Suite C-Axe
Getting Started
Welcome to C-Suite Audio plug-ins. Working in collaboration with the Academy Award and Emmy winning developer CEDAR Audio, C-Suite provides world-class processes for Universal Audio users. C-Axe runs on all Universal Audio platforms and is available exclusively from Universal Audio.
Installation
Please follow the usual installation procedure for your UA plug-ins.
Automation
C-Axe can be automated in the usual fashion.
Saving and reloading presets
You can save and load presets in the usual fashion.
Contact and support
Should you experience difficulties with C-Axe, please contact Universal Audio
with a precise description of the problem.
The Problem
You know the problem… whether you’re playing or recording guitar in your bedroom, on stage, in a home or small project studio, or even in a world-class facility, your performances can be marred by buzzes and hum. You can try to correct these problems using general purpose denoisers and EQ, but why not use a dedicated, zero-latency processor designed specifically to reduce or even eliminate them?
The solution…
… is C-Axe. Designed as an in-line processor that can sit between your guitar
and whatever follows, or as a post-processor that can clean up existing
recordings, it will give your mix the best possible chance to shine.
The Controls
50Hz/60Hz
Choose 50Hz when the electrical mains frequency where you’re playing or
recording is 50Hz.
Choose 60Hz when the electrical mains frequency where you’re playing or
recording is 60Hz.
C-Axe will then detect the fundamental frequency of the buzz/hum and track
this in the range ±1%.
Dynamic / Static / Learn
Choosing Dynamic mode tells C-Axe that you want it to calculate the spectral
distribution of the unwanted noise continuously. The process will calculate
the fundamental frequency and the strengths of the harmonics, and allow you to
attenuate them appropriately.
Choosing Learn tells C-Axe when to learn the spectral distribution of the
unwanted noise. When you release this, the switch will select Static mode, and
C-Axe will use the learned spectrum as the basis of the noise reduction. The
measured spectral distribution won’t be updated unless you Learn again or
return to Dynamic mode.
Attenuation
On most occasions, you will want to remove all of the noise. Unlike
conventional dehissers and denoisers, C-Axe tends not to damage the wanted
signal or create artefacts when processing at high values, so the default
position for the Attenuation in 100%. If you would like to retain a little
buzz or hum for a ‘live’ feel, or you feel that the sound is slightly over-
processed, you can reduce the value to find the balance that you want.
Bypass
Use this to bypass C-Axe’s processing and make before/after comparisons.
Shortcuts
The following shortcuts will speed your use and precision when using C-Axe.
Mouse wheel| Turning the mouse wheel while hovering over the ATTEN knob will
modify the value.
---|---
SHIFT key| Holding SHIFT while dragging the ATTEN knob will adjust its value
in finer increments.
CTRL-click &
double-click| CTRL-left-clicking and double-left-clicking will reset the ATTEN
to its default value.
Cursor keys| Pressing the Right and Up keys will increase the ATTEN by 1.
Pressing the Left and Down keys will decrease the ATTEN by 1.
Pressing the Page Up key will increase the ATTEN by 5.
Pressing the Page Down key will decrease the ATTEN by 5.
The Display
Although the vertical (Y) axis represents signal amplitude and the horizontal
(X) axis represents frequency, the C-Axe display is unconventional and it may
not be immediately apparent what it represents.
Note that the area above the horizontal axis represents the first channel
presented to the process, while the area below it represents the second. If a
single channel is presented, the upper and lower areas will be mirror images
of one another (simply because it looks nicer).
When processing is bypassed the display will be shown in grey.
The display elements
The outer halo of the signal display shows the incoming signal spectrum.
The white line within this shows the spectrum of the calculated buzz/hum. In
Dynamic mode this will be animated; in Static mode it will show a fixed
spectrum.
The inner, more intense area shows the amount of buzz/hum reaching the output.
With the Attenuation set to 100%, this should be a narrow line that shows that
little or no audible noise is passing. As you decrease the Attenuation, this
line will increase in width to indicate the increased amount of noise that is
passing through the process.
The left-hand edge of the display shows the fundamental frequency of the
buzz/hum, either in the range 50Hz ±1% or 60Hz ±1% as determined by the
frequency switch. The intensity and width of the bright band at this edge
represents the confidence with which the fundamental frequency has been
identified. In most cases, this band will become whiter and wider over the
course of a few seconds when you first present the signal to the process.
History
The display shows a short history of the changes in the audio signal. The
fainter the representation, the further in the past that it lies. The history
is displayed for around 0.5s before the current moment; beyond this point, its
intensity drops below 5% of the ‘current’ intensity.
Guitar Noise Reduction
Two processing modes are provided. The difference between them is how C-Axe determines the spectral distribution of the components that comprise the buzz/hum.
Dynamic mode
In Dynamic mode, C-Axe continuously tracks the fundamental frequency of the
buzz/hum and the spectral distribution of the components within it. Use this
mode when you can hear
the buzz/hum for much or all of the duration of the signal to be cleaned.
To reduce the noise, select the electrical mains frequency in your area (or,
if cleaning existing material, the location where the recording was made) and
check that the Attenuation is set to its default value of 100%. This will be
the correct setting in the majority of cases. If you feel that the sound is a
little over-processed, or if you wish to retain a ‘live’ feel by allowing some
of the noise to pass through the process, reduce the Attenuation to the value
that feels most appropriate.
Static mode
In Static mode, C-Axe continuously tracks the fundamental frequency of the
buzz/hum; it will only calculate the spectral distribution when you ask it to
do so. This allows you to determine a fixed amount of noise reduction. You
should select it if the wanted signal often obscures the buzz/hum.
To reduce the noise, select the electrical mains frequency in your area (or,
if cleaning existing material, the location where the recording was made) and
set the Attenuation to 0% to pass the original signal to the output. Now
select a period of music during which the noise is audible. While this is
playing, move the mode switch to the Learn position. The noise estimate in the
display will tend toward a steady shape. When you are happy that you have
measured the noise correctly, allow the switch to return to the Static
position.
Now increase the Attenuation to 100% so that the processed signal is sent to
the output.
This will be the correct setting in the majority of cases. You can reduce the
Attenuation if you feel that the sound is a little over-processed or if you
wish to retain a ‘live’ feel by allowing some of the noise to pass through the
process.
Licence and Limited Warranty
-
DEFINITIONS
In this Licence and Limited Warranty the following words and phrases shall bear the following meanings: ‘the Company’ is CEDAR Audio Limited of 20 Home End, Fulbourn, Cambridge, CB21 5BS, UK; ‘the System’ means any instance of a C-Suite product developed by the Company; ‘this Document’ means this Licence and Limited Warranty. -
ISSUE AND USE OF THE SYSTEM
2.1 The terms and conditions of this Document are implicitly accepted by any person or body corporate who shall at any time use or have access to the System, and are effective from the date of supply of the System by CEDAR Audio Limited to its immediate customer.
2.2 The Company hereby grants to the Licensee and the Licensee agrees to accept a non-exclusive right to use the System. -
PROPERTY AND CONFIDENTIALITY
3.1 The System contains confidential information of the Company and all copyright, trade marks, trade names, styles and logos and other intellectual property rights in the System including all documentation and manuals relating thereto are the exclusive property of the Company. The Licensee acknowledges that all such rights are the property of the Company and shall not question or dispute the ownership of any such rights nor use or adopt any trading name or style similar to that of the Company.
3.2 The Licensee shall not attempt to reverse engineer, modify, copy, merge or transcribe the whole or any part of the System or any information or documentation relating thereto.
3.3 The Licensee shall take all reasonable steps to protect the confidential information and intellectual property rights of the Company. -
LIMITED WARRANTY AND POST-WARRANTY OBLIGATIONS
4.1 The Company warrants that the System will perform substantially in accordance with the appropriate section of its accompanying product manual for a period of one year from the date of supply to the Company’s immediate customers.
4.2 The Company will make good at its own expenses by repair or replacement any defect or failure that develops in the System within one year of supply to the Company’s immediate customer.
4.3 The Company shall have no liability to remedy any defect, failure, error or malfunction that arises as a result of any improper use, operation or neglect of the System, or any attempt to repair or modify the System by any person other than the Company or a person appointed with the Company’s prior written consent.
4.4 In the case of any defect or failure in the System occurring more than twelve months after its supply to the Company’s immediate customer the Company will at its option and for a reasonable fee make good such defect or failure by repair or replacement (at the option of the Company) subject to the faulty equipment having first been returned to the Company. The Company will use reasonable efforts to return repaired or replacement items promptly, all shipping, handling and insurance costs being for the account of the Licensee.
4.5 The above undertakings 4.1 to 4.4 are accepted by the Licensee in lieu of any other legal remedy in respect of any defect or failure occurring during the said period and of any other obligations or warranties expressed or implied including but not limited to the implied warranties of saleability and fitness for a specific purpose.
4.6 The Licensee hereby acknowledges and accepts that nothing in this Document shall impose upon the Company any obligation to repair or replace any item after a time when it is no longer produced or offered for supply by the Company or which the Company certifies has been superseded by a later version or has become obsolete. -
FORCE MAJEURE
The Company shall not be liable for any breach of its obligations hereunder resulting from causes beyond its reasonable control including, but not limited to, fires, strikes (of its own or other employees), insurrection or riots, embargoes, container shortages, wrecks or delays in transportation, inability to obtain supplies and raw materials, or requirements or regulations of any civil or military authority. -
WAIVER
The waiver by either party of a breach of the provisions hereof by the other shall not be construed as a waiver of any succeeding breach of the same or other provisions, nor shall any delay or omission on the part of either party to exercise any right that it may have under this Licence operate as a waiver of any breach or default by the other party. -
NOTICES
Any notices or instruction to be given hereunder shall be delivered or sent by first-class post to the other party, and shall be deemed to have been served (if delivered) at the time of delivery or (if sent by post) upon the expiration of seven days after posting. -
ASSIGNMENT AND SUB-LICENSING
The Licensee may at his discretion assign the System and in doing so shall assign this Licence its rights and obligations to the purchaser who shall without reservation agree to be bound by this Licence. The original Licensee and any subsequent Licensees shall be bound by the obligations of this Licence in perpetuity. -
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
The Company’s maximum liability under any claim including any claim in respect of infringement of the intellectual property rights of any third party shall be, at the option of the Company either:
(a) return of a sum calculated as the price received for the System by the Company from its immediate customer depreciated on a straight line basis over a one year write-off period; or
(b) repair or replacement of those components of the System that do not meet the warranties contained within this Document.
The foregoing states the entire liability of the Company to the Licensee. -
CONSEQUENTIAL LOSS
Even if the Company has been advised of the possibility of such damages, and notwithstanding anything else contained herein the Company shall under no event be liable to the Licensee or to any other persons for loss of profits or contracts or damage (whether direct or consequential) arising in connection with the System or any modification, variation or enhancement thereof and including any documentation or data provided by the Company or for any other indirect or consequential loss. -
ENTIRE AGREEMENT
The Company shall not be liable to the Licensee for any loss arising in connection with any representations, agreements, statements or undertakings made prior to the date of supply of the System to the Licensee. -
TERMINATION
This Licence may be terminated forthwith by the Company if the Licensee commits any material breach of any terms of this Licence. Forthwith upon such termination the Company shall have immediate right of access to the System for the purpose of removing it. -
SEVERABILITY
Notwithstanding that the whole or any part of any provision of this Document may prove to be illegal or unenforceable the other provisions of this Document and the remainder of the provision in question shall remain in full force and effect. -
HEADINGS
The headings to the Clauses are for ease of reference only and shall not affect the interpretation or construction of this Document. -
LAW
This Document shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English law and all disputes between the parties shall be determined in England in accordance with the Arbitration Act 1950 and 1979.
C-Suite Audio and CEDAR Audio Ltd, © 2022
C-Suite and C-Axe are trademarks of C-Suite and CEDAR Audio Ltd
Manual v1.00, 13 September 2022
E&OE. Subject to revision at the Companies’ sole discretion