sonible pure:unmask AI-powered unmasking plug Owner’s Manual

: August 30, 2024
: sonible

sonible pure:unmask AI-powered unmasking plug

Product Specifications

CPU: Intel Core i5, Apple M1
RAM: 4GB
Operating Systems:
- Windows 10+ (64 bit)
- Mac OS 10.12+
OpenGL Version: 3.2+

Product Information

Welcome to pure:unmask! This plug-in helps tidy up your mix by preventing clashes in the frequency spectrum between two tracks. It dynamically ducks competing frequencies in a background track to create space for a prioritized track that should stand out, such as vocals over a piano.

Product Installation

System Requirements:

For Mac OSX and Windows systems
Admin privileges required

Mac OSX Installation:

Open sonible_pureunmask_osx_x.x.x.dmg
Run pureunmask.pkg
Follow the installer instructions
Default installation folders provided

Windows Installation:

Extract sonible_pureunmask_win_x.x.x.zip
Run the installer
Follow the installer instructions
Default installation folders provided

Product Authorization

Licensing Systems:

Machine-based: Install on two computers with unique system IDs
iLok: Transfer activation to iLok via user account

User Manual FAQ

How many computers can I install pure:unmask on with a machine-based license?
Each license key allows installation on two computers with unique system IDs.
What should I do if I don’t receive the email with the license key for pure:unmask?
Check your junk folder first before contacting support at support@sonible.com.

Welcome to pure:unmask

pure:unmask effortlessly tidies up your mix and prevents clashes in the frequency spectrum between two tracks. The plug-in creates room for a prioritized track (e.g. vocals) that should always stay in the limelight by dynamically ducking (lowering the volume of) competing frequencies in a background track (e.g. piano).
High resolution spectral processing ensures that the two tracks are merged together smoothly – without any unwanted pumping effects – leading to a natural and transparent sound.

Install

System requirements

CPU
- Intel Core i5
- AppleM1
- RAM
- 4GB
Operating systems
- Windows 10+ (64 bit)
- Mac OS 10.12+
- OpenGL Version 3.2+

Mac OSX

To start the installation process, please open the disk image sonible_pureunmask_osx_x.x.x.dmg. This will mount the image and open a finder window showing the content of the installation package.
To install pure:unmask on your system, run the installation file pureunmask.pkg.
The installer will now guide you through the necessary steps to install pure:unmask on your computer. pure:unmask will automatically be installed in the default locations for audio plug-ins.
Default folders:
- Audio Unit
  /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/
- VST
  /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/
- VST3
  /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/
- AAX
  /Library/Application Support/Avid/Audio/Plug-Ins/

Windows

To start the installation process, extract the downloaded zip-file sonible_pureunmask_win_x.x.x.zip onto your hard disk and run the installer.
The installer will now guide you through the necessary steps to install pure:unmask on your computer. pure:unmask will automatically be installed in the default locations for audio plug-ins.
Default folders:
- VST3
  C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\
- VST
  C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST\
- AAX
  C:\Program Files\Common Files\Avid\Audio\Plug-Ins

Authorization

Licensing system

You can select between two licensing systems: machine-based or iLok (USB dongle).
By creating a user account on www.sonible.com and registering your products – if they are not already visible in your Dashboard, you can manage your plug-in activations.

Machine-based

Each license key allows you to install pure:unmask on two computers with unique system IDs. These system IDs are computed during license activation.
The same license can be used by multiple users, but each user has to individually unlock the full version of pure:unmaskunder their account.
In case a system-ID is changed (e.g. replacement of the hard drive), you can revoke/activate the plug-in next to the respective system-ID in the Dashboard of your sonible user account.

iLok
If you want to transfer one activation to your iLok, just make sure the plug- in is registered in your sonible user account. Click on the button „transfer to iLok“ next to the plug-in in your Dashboard and follow the instructions.
Note: 1st gen iLok dongles and the iLok Cloud are currently not supported.

Unlocking

If you purchased a license for pure:unmask online, you receive your license key via email.

Machine-based unlocking

When opening pure:unmask for the first time, a notification window will be displayed asking you to unlock pure:unmaskwith a valid license key.
Please make sure that your computer is connected to the internet before starting the registration process.
Enter your license key and click „register.“ The plug-in will now communicate with our server to check if the license is valid. If it is – enjoy! 🙂

iLok

If you transferred your license to an iLok, simply attach the iLok to your computer. The plug-in will then be automatically registered – enjoy!
If you don’t receive the email within minutes please check your junk folder first before contacting our support ( support@sonible.com).

Trial version
To run pure:unmask in demo-mode, simply click ”try” and you will then be able to use true:unmask for a couple of days without any limitations. (Please refer to our website to find out more about the current demo period of pure:unmask) When the demo period expires, you will need to purchase a full license in order to continue using the plug-in.

Internet connection requirements
sonible plug-ins only needs an internet connection during the trial period and for initial license activation. During the trial period, the plug-in needs to go online every time it is used. Once the license of your plug-in has successfully been activated, an internet connection is no longer needed.

User interface

Signal Routing

pure:unmask creates space for a prioritized track by dynamically ducking frequencies in a background track that cause cluttering. Common scenarios are e.g. a vocal competing with a piano track or a kick drum overlapping with a bass.

Load the plug-in
To get started, load pure:unmask onto the channel of your background track. That’s the track that will make space for the prioritized track.
Route the sidechain signal
Select the prioritized track (the track that should take center stage) as the sidechain signal for pure:unmask. Once you have routed the sidechain correctly and pressed play in your DAW, you‘ll see two spectra (grey area = background track, blue line = prioritized track) in the spectral display.
Example
Imagine you aim to elevate a vocal track in your mix by dynamically reducing the volume of competing frequencies of a piano track. In this instance, the vocal serves as your prioritized track (sidechain signal), while the piano acts as your background track (input signal).

Learning Parameters

Select a sidechain profile
Choose a profile that best matches the prioritized track (sidechain signal) routed to your plug-in. The profile calibrates the processing of pure:unmask to a certain sound source. You can always start the learning process with the “Universal” profile and switch to a more specific profile later.
Playback and learning
pure:unmask needs an incoming audio signal on its sidechain input for the learning process. Once the playback has started, click the green record button and let pure:unmask listen to your signals. During learning, the plug-in will pinpoint crucial spectral areas where the background track interferes with the prioritized track.
Hint: It is recommended to let pure:unmask learn from a section where both signals – the prioritized and the background track – are simultaneously present.
Done!
When the learning process is finished, pure:unmask automatically sets parameters and unlocks all plug-in f eatures.
Hint: If you want the plug-in to learn from a different section of your sidechain signal, you can simply start the audio playback from there and click the learn button again.

Fine-Tuning

While the intelligent processing of pure:unmask easily merges your prioritized track with the background track, the plug-in also allows you to fine-tune the results to match your sonic vision.