Tutorial 2 : Basic multichannel configuration and usage in PODIUM

PODIUM from Zynewave is not as well known as other multitrack softwares (like the Steinberg ones !) since it appeared only in the Spring of 2004, but it provides a very powerful base especially for multichannel work. It's main feature is its up to 32 channel busses, followed by a hierarchical track structure and a very special way of handling peripherals with "Device Mappings" (very good for automation !). Sure, some aspects of the workflow must evolve in order to be able to work with a comparable efficiency as with some other concurrent multitrack softwares (which are also much more expensive !) like the automation editing, grouping, and other little functions, but thanks to the excellent support of Frits, Podium is certainly the software (with EnergyXT in an other way) which offers, today, the greater potential for audio creation in general, and multichannel sound in particular.

needs : Podium (30 days demo version / 90 €), SpatSurround 12, MultiJoy 16

A. Configuration of the multichannel bus When creating a new project, Podium proposes a powerful "Project Wizard" which is good for stereo but doesn't suit our multichannel needs. So we will configure it in the manual way (which is also good to understand the Podium's logic). First, we must, of course, select the driver and the audio card :

and for example :

If you are not planning for audio recording, you can deselect the audio inputs to preserve some resources.

Then we must create a "Device Definition" for it and name it :

for exemple :

which gives you a first object on the Browser Window :

Now add a "Device Mapping" for that sound card, which will make the link between your project and the card, you can name it "Bus 8 channels" (since this tutorial is based on a 8 channel example), for the Device Definition you can select the name of the one that you have previously created, as Audio interface "Any available interface" will use the one that you have selected in the Setup,

and, the most important, the channels :

"Target" means here the input of the device, so as we want to hear 8 channels the audio interface must receive 8 channels from Podium. (the "First channel" offset is a very powerfull option, but not for now...) Now we have a second object in the Browser :

B. Importation of the SpatSurround 12

Importing the plugin. The author has provided a ready made Device Definition for this plugin, you can import the

SpatSurround12.pod file (attention, NOT Import Plugin):

and the corresponding objects will appear in the Browser :

According to the path that is given in the setup for VSTPlugins, you may need or may not need to tell Podium where the dll file is found (see below). Some .pod files for the AcousModules are provided in the File section of the Forum. Now you can jump directly to the Part 3 of this tutorial or continue with the plugin importation and definition process, because, unfortunately, all plugins have not yet a Device Definition...

Mapping of the plugin. Before being able to use a multichannel plugin, the correct mapping of inputs and outputs must be configured. - import the Plugin (the .dll file. If no .dll file appears in the Windows Explorer see this note) - Podium automatically creates a Device Definition object and a "folder" that contains several Device Mappings objects.

Since these are for stereo, you can delete the folder and keep only the Device Definition object.

So now we need to create a multichannel Device Mapping for the SpatSurround 12. You can proceed exactly like the mapping of the audio device :

with some differences :

Concerning the channels, it may seem strange, but Target is the Input of the plugin and Source means its Output... In fact, theses terms are not relevant to the plugin but to the hierachical objects that are below and among it. So "Source" is really the source of the object to which the output of the plugin is connected and "Target" the output of its source ! (there are some things like this in Podium, which are indeed very logical but often appear to be the contrary to the conventional workflow and terms used in general audio processing...) Since the plugin allows you to select mono/stereo input there is no need to create a second Mapping for a Mono Target. This is the minimum to do in order to be able to use the plugin inside a project (there are advanced

configurations concerning the Parameters of the plugin which may be done in the Device Definitions that you can download, so it is highly preferable that you use them instead of making your owns...)

C. Creation of the Arrangement and insertion of the SpatSurround 12

Creation of the Arrangement. First : creation of the New Arrangement :

which creates a new object in the Browser :

Double clickk on it and you get something like this :

(the apparence is highly customizable, so there would be some differences in the snapshots) Podium structure is based on a very powerful hierarchical tree which brings an extraordinarily flexible way to connect devices, but that is rather different from what you will find in all other multitrack softwares. Please consult first the GUIDE on the Zynewave's site.

Creation of the output track. All now will be very simple ! First we must create the topmost track, the output bus : - right click : Add New Track - name it "Bus 8 channels"

In the Track Inspector at the left side, click on the bar named "Map" and you will see the Mappings that you have created or imported :

Simply drag the "Bus 8 channels" object on your track, and voilà :

Creation of the plugin insert track. In a similar manner we will create two more tracks : one for the SpatSurround and one for an audio file. It is here that the hierarchical concept shows a part of its power : - insert a new track :

The hierarchy level is automatically set to "2" (the previous one was "1"), that is to say that the output of the SpatSurround will go to the input of the output bus. For the third track, set the Group level to "3" in order that the output of the audio file will go to the input of the plugin... Which now makes the Arrangement :

Drag the SpatSurround 12 object from the Track Inspector on the SpatSurround track :

and load an audio file, which is not so simple (no direct "import file" on the track for now). For this first example, return to the Browser Window with the left top Tab (here New project)

and import a wave file that will appear like others objects on the window :

Now return to the Arrangement (same way with the Tab) and... no, not drag it on the track from the Inspector :-( You must open the Object/File List with Control + L and drag the file from it to the position of the third track :

D. Playing with the SpatSurround 12

Working ! All is ready to play but you can't see the SpatSurround itself... The engine must be activated in order to be able to show the plugins :

(the appearance may differ) A new button named "E" appears on the plugin track :

and when you clickk on it, this wonderfull plugin interface appears !

... but with only six "outputs". You can select another Preset in the Track Inspector (for example the "Acoustigloo") : drag it on the plugin track or double-click on it

That's enough for today ! (for the usage of the SpatSurround series, please go the the first Tutorial)

(Thanks a lot to Franck Newmann for its comments and corrections)