EVENTIDE ORVILLE HARMONIZER
Jun 1, 2001 12:00 PM, By Peter Freeman
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During the five years since Eventide introduced its popular DSP4000 UltraHarmonizer, processors have become considerably faster and cheaper. The company has capitalized on that trend in a big way with the Orville Harmonizer, its new flagship digital signal processor. The Orville is a fully programmable, multichannel, multipurpose, 24-bit device that shows a clear resemblance to its venerable predecessor, the DSP4000 (see Fig. 1). But the Orville goes far beyond the DSP4000's capabilities.
For starters, the Orville incorporates two independent Motorola 56303 signal processors (DSP A and DSP B), each with four virtual inputs and outputs. You can run the two processors in parallel, in series, or in various combinations. In addition, the Orville boasts four analog inputs, four analog outputs, four digital inputs, and four digital outputs (all available simultaneously), and you can route any input to any output (see Fig. 2). By combining its highly flexible I/O routing scheme with a staggering number of high-quality presets, Eventide has created a device with mind-boggling potential.
As a previous DSP4000 owner, I often couldn't combine patches because my patches used most or all of the unit's available digital signal processing (DSP) power. With the Orville's significantly greater resources and dual-machine architecture, however, combining patches is easy. (It's possible to combine two preexisting DSP4000 patches and run them on a single Orville processor.)
Not only does the Orville have more DSP power than its predecessor, but it also has much more delay and as much as 174 seconds of sample RAM. That RAM is separate from the 80 seconds of mono delay memory (40 seconds for each processor) that is also included. In fact, DSP A can use the sample time along with its 40-second delay allotment for a total of more than three and a half minutes of delay time.
The Orville supports a wide range of sampling frequencies as well as 16-bit and 24-bit resolution. The 24-bit resolution is hardwired, so if an input signal has only 16-bit resolution, the lower 8 least-significant bits are left blank to be filled by processing. Orville can output a 24-bit signal or dither from 24 to 16 bits. The preset sampling rates supported are 44.1, 48, 88.2, and 96 kHz, though the unit can lock to any incoming sampling rate within that range.
WORKING THE BOX
The Orville continues the now-familiar Eventide interface design, which includes a large backlit LCD, a rotary encoder knob, dedicated and soft function keys, and a numeric keypad. Like the DSP4000, the Orville provides Program, Parameter, and Select buttons and a PC Card RAM/ROM slot for adding or saving new patches. The Orville's expanded I/O capabilities are evidenced by its four LEDs, which are switchable to indicate analog, digital, or internal sources. In addition, the Bypass button functions independently for each processor. Because the Orville's LCD only shows one processor's parameters at a time, a Processor Select A/B button determines which processor's information is visible.
At its most basic level, the Orville is simple to use. You can easily choose a processor, call up a patch, and begin editing with the Parameter button, the four soft keys, and the rotary encoder. That is the same approach that Eventide has used for many years, and besides being familiar to many studio owners, it's efficient and speedy. Depending on the patch you select, there can be a fair number of parameters to tweak, even without delving deep into the editing operations. (Multitap delay programs, for example, may contain individual delay time, level, and filter settings for each of the eight taps.)
The sheer complexity of the Orville's routing capabilities can sometimes be confusing, and the LCD's text-based parameter pages don't make them any clearer. It's too bad the Orville doesn't employ its onboard graphic-display features more extensively.
At first I had a hard time grasping the routing scheme. For example, the Orville flashes a complaining LED if it thinks it needs a digital clock signal from a specific input. I set up a simple series A-to-B configuration using only inputs 1 and 2 of the two processors, but the Orville thought it wasn't getting the appropriate sync.
After a bit of head scratching and a call to Eventide, I figured out that with the Orville, connected routings are active regardless of signal presence; therefore, you must disconnect unused routings in the routing page. Even if you're only using the digital ins and outs, make sure that the analog I/O is not routed to or from anywhere else on the Orville.
PATCHES TOGETHER
The Orville has far too many effects programs (more than 900) to describe, so I'll highlight a noteworthy few. (For an overview of the Orville's onboard effects, see the sidebar “The Orville's Parade of Presets.”)
Eventide has always been best known for its industry-leading pitch-shifting technology, so it's no surprise that the Orville's pitch-shifting capabilities are truly awesome. For example, you can change pitches over an eight-octave range (four octaves up and down) with independent shifters (each with its own delay time) operating simultaneously within an Orville patch. In fact, one of the pitch-shift presets, Twelve Shifts, provides 12 shifters and quad operation. Keep in mind that it uses only one of the Orville's two processors, so loading the Twelve Shifts patch into processors A and B would provide 24 independent shifters. Add the Orville's vast internal signal-routing flexibility, and you begin to get an idea of its astounding capabilities.
One of the Orville's biggest improvements over its predecessor is the addition of formant shifting. Although that has become a rather trendy feature, it's powerfully implemented in several Orville patches. Ultra Interval, for example, is a corrective shifter with a three-octave range. It lets you specify a separate formant value for each semitone above the three octaves, making it a brilliant corrective tool for vocals. At the opposite end of the applications spectrum is formant manipulation, which can be used as an effect with modulations. Because the Orville's formant parameter can be addressed like any parameter, it is accessible not only by modulation sources within a patch but also by external sources such as footpedals and MIDI controllers.
Since Eventide's H3000, the Harmonizer series has done great things with delays, and the Orville continues that tradition. Stereo 3-D CircleDly is one of my favorite patches. It's a psychedelic panning and phase-shifting stereo delay that creates the illusion of going in and out of the speakers. The effect is not unlike the classic Dynotronics Cyclosonic Panner that was popular in the '80s. It's not a 4-channel patch like some of the Orville's Surround patches, but Stereo 3-D CircleDly goes a long way toward creating a dimension that seems to exceed the stereo field. Surround sound is one area that clearly figured heavily in the Orville's design; the unit offers a substantial number of 4-channel patches.
| Sampling Rates | 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96 kHz |
| Resolution | 16- and 24-bit |
| Digital I/O | (4) AES/EBU or (2) AES and (2) S/PDIF |
| Analog Inputs | Any combination of (4) balanced XLR or (4) unbalanced mono ¼" |
| Analog Outputs | (4) balanced XLR |
| Signal-to-Noise Ratio | >110 dBA |
| Frequency Response (+0/-0.1 dB) @ sample rate | 20 Hz-20 kHz@44.1 kHz; 20 Hz-22 kHz@48 kHz; 20 Hz-44 kHz@96 kHz |
| Sampling Time | 174 sec. mono |
| Digital Delay Time | 80 sec. mono (40 secs. per processor), or 214 sec. for DSP A using the 174 secs. of sampling time for delay |
| Remote Control Inputs | As many as (2) footpedals or (6) footswitches or a combination |
| Dimensions | 2U × 12.5" (D) |
| Weight | 12 lbs. |
The Orville sounds great and has a warm, smooth, and clear sound that takes advantage of its impressive processing capabilities. Because the Orville offers so many types of effects, it's hard to pick a favorite, but I found myself using the reverbs and delays more than the other factory programs. The Orville handles effects such as distortion and sonic degradation (using bit-depth reduction, for example) very well, so I used those programs a lot too.
Combining the A and B processors to create one massive effects program can yield spectacular results if the right programs are chosen. I tried many combinations, and among the most successful were distortion into delay or reverb, delay and reverb in parallel, sampler into delay or reverb (for triggered processed samples), filtering into delay or reverb, and distortion into filtering.
WITH THE PROGRAM
Programming the Orville is conceptually simple, but the process is actually quite involved. The general paradigm is similar to that of a modular synthesizer: modules (in this case, DSP modules) are connected to create a final program (patch). Much of the complexity arises from the Orville's large number of modules. The module categories include Bridge, Control Math, Control Process, Delay, Detector, Dynamic, External, Filter, Interface, Math, Miscellaneous, Mixer, Node, Oscillator, Pitchshift, and Reverb. That substantial list yields 167 modules, and although it isn't necessary to learn them all in-depth, becoming familiar with the programming process (and the basic modules' functions) takes time.
Fortunately, Eventide offers a free-ware editor for Windows that has been available since the days of the DSP4000. The program, called VSigFile, has been updated to support the Orville and can learn new module definitions as the unit is updated and new modules are developed. Hardly elegant or pretty, VSigFile is an absolute necessity for serious programming. It lets you view and edit module parameters, and you can use it to transfer patches to or from the Orville if you want to modify an existing patch. VSigFile also lets you build programs from scratch and upload them from your PC to the Orville.
Dealing with the interface setup is arguably one of the thorniest aspects of creating patches with the Orville. That's because an Orville patch's interface elements — onscreen knobs, soft-key assignments, virtual meters, and so on — are modules that must be connected and configured down to the most minute detail (such as the increments in which a knob moves). Fortunately, you can look at existing Orville patches and reuse individual modules or even whole groups of modules in your patch-creation process; you don't have to start from zero every time. In fact, as you develop a patch library, you'll accumulate commonly used sets of controls and processing blocks that can easily be reused.
Connection to the VSigFile program is done through MIDI or the Orville's built-in RS-232 serial port, which I used during the review process. The connection couldn't be simpler — one serial cable and some menu selections, and I had bidirectional communication between the box and the PC. Everything worked as expected.
Another convenient aspect of the Orville's PC interface is its ability to receive operating-system updates through Flash ROM. An updating application can be downloaded from Eventide's Web site for free. I used that application to get the latest Orville operating system; it was a painless process that took less than ten minutes and required no chip swapping.
The Orville also provides a built-in RJ45 port, which connects to an optional hardware remote network called EVE/NET. You can connect as many as four remotes ($1,595 each) to as many as four Orvilles (in parallel), which allows for installation in a variety of studio situations. Connections are made with Ethernet cables (CAT-5). The remote duplicates the Orville's front-panel controls and adds eight soft rotary encoders (see Fig. 3). Those always address the display's first eight parameters, which are duplicated on the remote. Each rotary encoder has a built-in switch activated by pushing down the knob.
ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES
The Orville's documentation is divided into two main parts: the Operating Manual and the Programmer's Manual. The Operating Manual covers the basic functions, including audio connections, control layout, basic patch selection, and parameter editing. The Programmer's Manual explores the Orville's modules, offers patch-editing tutorials, and shows you how to create programs from scratch. The documentation is generally straightforward and clear, and the two manuals overlap very little.
The Orville was a long time in development, and that is apparent in its sonic integrity and great flexibility. If you're familiar with Eventide's products, you'll feel comfortable with the Orville's design. If you're new to the Eventide universe, it won't take long to become acquainted with the unit's basics, though the intricacies of patch editing take time to master. Nonetheless, the processor's sonic possibilities are truly world-class and should prove endlessly useful in just about any music or post-production situation. The Orville is a professional device, and it's priced accordingly; it proves the adage “You get what you pay for.”
Peter Freeman is a freelance bassist, synthesist, and composer living in New York City. He has worked with Seal, Jon Hassell, John Cale, Nile Rodgers, and Shawn Colvin, among others.
THE ORVILLE'S PARADE OF PRESETS
This partial list of Orville Harmonizer effects categories provides a glimpse into the powerful capabilities of an amazing device. The unit ships with more than 900 presets, and updates should make that number even larger.
Basics: stripped-down starting-point versions of reverb, compression, delay, pitch shift, filtering, EQ, sampling, and delay
Beat Counter: delay programs with an intelligent beat-interpretation mechanism that can extrapolate delay time based on almost any rhythmic input when fine-tuning parameters are set
Delays: parallel, ping-pong, multitap, reverse, and many others
Delays-Effects: more esoteric delay flavors, such as filtered-band delays
Delays-Loops: multitrack RAM-based delay loopers and recorders
Delays-Modulated: flange, chorus, detune, panning, Leslie simulator
Dual Effects: stereo reverb combinations and mixed effects
Dynamics: compressors, duckers, tremolos
Equalizers: graphic EQ, 8-band, 3-band, stereo, quad, and many more
Film-Atmospherics: complex atmospheric programs
Filters: Creamy Vocoder, Harmonic Enhance, Bandpass, EZ Leslie, Cup Mute, and others
Fix Tools: pitch correction for repairing pitch problems on single tracks
Front of House: programs for live sound, such as banks of compressors and instrument-specific reverbs
Inst-Clean: various preamp programs with effects
Inst-Distortion: distortion patches
Inst-Polyfuzz: complex distortion patches with effects
Manglers: patches that degrade input-signal quality, such as bit-depth reduction
Mastering Suite: stereo compressors intended for mastering applications and effects such as Class A Distortion and Tape Flange emulation
MIDI Keyboard: patches that respond in specific ways to MIDI keyboard input, such as harmonization, pitch/delay, and others
MIDI Clock: specific programs that derive timing information from MIDI Clock, such as delays, chorus, panners, and tremolos
Mix Tools: multi-effects toolbox patches intended for mixing situations
Multi-Effects: more effects combinations
Panners: Auto, Circle, 3-D Circle Delay, Fly-by, Gyroscope, Joystik, Quad
Percussion: drum- and percussion-specific effects such as delays and reverbs
Phasers: Static, Random, Sample and Hold, Techno
Post Suite: a unique category in which the Orville is used as a sound source; intended for film post-production — record scratch emulator, whoosh maker, 16 mm-projector simulator
Remix Tools: triggered versions of certain effects, including filtering, flanging, phasing, and panning
Reverb: Halls, Plates, Rooms, Small Rooms, Preverb, Quad, Unusual
Ring Mods: Envelope, Modulating, True ring modulator
Samplers: Timesqueeze, Multi Trigger, Panning, Varispeed, Triggered Reverse, VocalFlyer, Filter Trig
Shifters: normal, Diatonic, Ultra, Unusual
Sound Effects: another synthesis bank — Doorbells, Helicopters, UFOs
Spatialization: 3-D PhaseInverter, Quad, QuadDlyBasedPan
Synthesis: sample-and-hold FM, FM Timbre Factory, Rise or Fall Oscillator
Tap Tempo: delays, tremolos, filter, and other effects with Tap Tempo capabilities
Test Tools: signal generators, scopes, spectrum analyzers
Utilities: tuners, dither, metronome, delay calculator
Vintage Emulation: emulations of well-known pieces of outboard gear, such as the AMS DMX-1580S delay, EMT plate, and reverb
Virtual Pedals: simulations of stompboxes
Vox: vocal-specific effects, including pitch correction, pitch change, delays, and reverbs
Programming: tutorial patches designed to aid in the patch-creation process
PRODUCT SUMMARY
Eventide
Orville Harmonizer
multi-effects processor
$5,695
| FEATURES | 4.5 |
| EASE OF USE | 3.5 |
| AUDIO QUALITY | 4.5 |
| VALUE | 4.0 |
| RATING PRODUCTS FROM 1 TO 5 | |
PROS: Great sound. Four-channel operation. Remote capability. Extremely flexible dual-processor architecture. Software-upgradeable through Flash ROM. Patch creation with PC freeware application.
CONS: Expensive. Routing page is counterintuitive.
Manufacturer
Eventide, Inc.
tel. (201) 641-1200
email postmaster@eventide.com
Web www.eventide.com
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