Small room ambience simulator

Precision Reflection Engine is an ambience processor for simulating small acoustic spaces, tight reverb effects, and mix positioning cues. The plug-in simulates a wide range of shapes and sizes to subtly or drastically alter the source material's reflection patterns. Also included are other shapes that do not represent acoustic spaces, enabling non-realistic ambience and other special effects.

Precision Reflection Engine Features:

• 19 available shapes for a wide range of ambience characteristics
• Predelay times can be beat-matched with tempo synchronization
• Low DSP requirements for high instance counts in complex sessions

Precision Mix Rack Collection

Precision Reflection Engine is part of the Precision Mix Rack Collection, which provides modern, high-quality production tools for tracking and mixing. The Precision Mix Rack Collection includes the following UAD plug-ins:

• Precision Channel Strip
  Five-band EQ plus dynamics processing
• Precision Delay Mod
  High fidelity stereo delay processor with modulation
• Precision Delay Mod Long
  Same as Precision Delay Mod with longer delay times
• Precision Reflection Engine
  Small room ambience simulator

Precision Reflection Engine

Precision Reflection Engine Controls

The Precision Reflection Engine's simple controls make it easy to setup a wide range of room simulations and/or non-realistic ambience.

Predelay

Predelay sets the time between the original dry signal and onset of the processed reflections. The available range is 0 to 300 milliseconds.

Note: When Sync is enabled, predelay times are expressed as a fractional bar value.

Size

Size defines the size of the reverberant space and determines the spacing of the reflections. The available range is from 1 to 99 meters.

Predelay/Size Interaction

When Predelay is set to its maximum value and the Size control is then moved to its maximum value, the Predelay value is decreased, and vice versa. This occurs because the maximum Predelay time has been reached; the available delay time is limited and is divided among the Predelay and Size values. Therefore, if the value of the Predelay or Size value is increased towards maximum when the other control is already high, its complementary setting may be reduced.

Recirculation

Recirculation controls the amount of processed reflections that are recirculated back to the processor input (i.e., feedback). Higher values increase the number of reverberations/delays and intensity of the processed signal. In typical use, smaller values provide more realistic small space reflections. Larger values may be used creatively for special effects.

Recirculation allows both positive and negative values. With positive values, the polarity of the recirculated signal is in phase with the original source signal. With negative values, the polarity of the recirculated signal is inverted.

Tip: Click the "0" label to quickly disable recirculation.

Shape

Shape defines the shape of the reverberant space, and the resulting reflective patterns. To change the Shape, either click the selection arrows on each side of the Shape display, or click the Shape display and choose one of the 19 available shapes from the drop menu.

Available Shapes

Sync

When Sync is enabled, Predelay times are synchronized to the host's tempo. Sync is active when the button is lit. Sync is disabled by default.

When Sync is off, Predelay times are expressed in milliseconds. When Sync is on, Predelay times are expressed as a fractional beat/bar value.

For complete details about this feature, see the "Tempo Synchronization" chapter in the UAD System Manual.

Low Pass

This control is a 6 dB per octave low pass (high cut) damping filter for reducing the amount of high frequency content in the processed signal. Rotate the control counter-clockwise for a darker ambience. Higher values yield a brighter ambience.

Tip: Click the "OFF" label to quickly disable the filter. Click again to return to the previous value.

Output Controls

Pan A, B

When the plug-in is used in a stereo-out configuration, these knobs are labeled PAN and determine the placement of the processed signal's output in the stereo panoramic field.

Tip: Click the "0" label to quickly center the signal in the stereo field.

Pan Link

When Pan Link is engaged (when the "L" button is lit), the Pan A and Pan B knobs are ganged, facilitating the ability to quickly narrow or spread the placement of the processed signals in the stereo panoramic field.

Note: When the plug-in is used in a mono-out configuration, this button is disabled.

Gain A, B

When the plug-in is used in a mono-out configuration, these knobs are labeled GAIN and determine the output level of the individual delay line.

Note: The Gain A, B controls cannot be linked.

Mix

Mix controls the balance between the original and the processed signal. The range is from 0% (dry, unprocessed) to 100% (wet, processed signal only).

Tip: Click the "0" label to quickly set the value to 0.

Mix allows both positive and negative values. With positive values, the polarity of the processed signal is in phase with the original source signal. With negative values, the polarity of the processed signal is inverted.

Mix control behavior is based on a logarithmic scale to provide increased resolution when dialing in lower values.

Note: When Wet Solo is enabled, the Mix value is ignored.

Wet Solo

The Wet Solo button puts the plug-in into "100% Wet" mode. When Wet Solo is enabled (when the "S" button is lit), it is the equivalent of setting the Mix control to 100% wet. The Mix value is ignored when Wet Solo is enabled.

Wet Solo is typically used when the plug-in is implemented in the "classic" reverb configuration (placed on an effect group/bus that is configured for use with channel sends). When the plug-in is used directly within a signal chain (such as in a channel insert), this control is typically deactivated.

Note: Wet Solo is a global (per plug-in instance) control.

Level

This knob adjusts the output level of the plug-in. The available range is -25 dB to +15 dB.

Tip: Click "0" to quickly set the value to 0 dB.

Power

Power is the plug-in bypass control. When set to OFF, all parameter and meter values are no longer visible, and the UA logo is dimmed.

Tip: Power can also be toggled by clicking the UA diamond logo.

Power is useful for comparing the processed settings to the original signal. Unlike the host application's plug-in disable switch, which can cause audio artifacts, the Power switch offers glitch-free bypass.