Cytomic "The Scream" stomp box distortion plugin

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The Scream

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izonin wrote: B still sounds a bit rounder, but the differences are now tiny. I can mainly hear it in the 100-200Hz range where B has a bit more weight.
Thanks for all your feedback, it has helped me get things sounding better. I am glad to report I haven't changed the underlying analog model in the slightest, I've only updated a few component values, and also changed the oversampling around the plugin. Can you please have a listen to and comment on the latest "minimum phase" version?
https://cytomic.com/files/scream-vs-ts8 ... ive050.mp3
The Glue, The Drop - www.cytomic.com

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I hear no difference at all...good work!!! :)

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Congrats Andy, you've done a really incredible job! That's a smaller difference than I've heard between actual Tube Screamer pedals. It's a lot better than the Universal Audio emulation, as well.

tbh, I'm not particularly enthusiastic about a Tube Screamer plugin, given that the real thing only sounds good in front of a good amp, but I'm excited to see what you'll do next now that you've accomplished this. For example, a precise Sansamp model makes a lot of sense, both because it's made to work on its own and because there's a long history of people using it on everything from drums to vocals.

Regarding your mod questions:

Asym - diode asymmetry
This is a popular and useful mod.

Starve - battery starving
This is not a popular or useful mod.

Bias - adjusting the bias level
This is not a mod I've heard of but I can imagine it being useful

Fat - lower the cutoff of the distortion high pass filter
This is a popular and useful mod.

Another popular mod is adding mosfet opamp, transistors, and diodes.

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Uncle E wrote:Congrats Andy, you've done a really incredible job! That's a smaller difference than I've heard between actual Tube Screamer pedals. It's a lot better than the Universal Audio emulation, as well.

tbh, I'm not particularly enthusiastic about a Tube Screamer plugin, given that the real thing only sounds good in front of a good amp, but I'm excited to see what you'll do next now that you've accomplished this. For example, a precise Sansamp model makes a lot of sense, both because it's made to work on its own and because there's a long history of people using it on everything from drums to vocals.

Regarding your mod questions:

Asym - diode asymmetry
This is a popular and useful mod.

Starve - battery starving
This is not a popular or useful mod.

Bias - adjusting the bias level
This is not a mod I've heard of but I can imagine it being useful

Fat - lower the cutoff of the distortion high pass filter
This is a popular and useful mod.

Another popular mod is adding mosfet opamp, transistors, and diodes.
Thanks for the quick feedback Uncle E! Good to have it confirmed from you that things are sounding good, especially with regards the UAD offering.

Thanks for the suggestion about the sansamp. Is there are particular "best" model you would recommend to model? I had a quick look at a bunch of schematics for different models and most of them are hard clipping op-amps to the rails and providing some EQ shaping options, which doesn't look that interesting, so I'd be interested to hear what they do.
The Glue, The Drop - www.cytomic.com

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andy-cytomic wrote:
izonin wrote: B still sounds a bit rounder, but the differences are now tiny. I can mainly hear it in the 100-200Hz range where B has a bit more weight.
Thanks for all your feedback, it has helped me get things sounding better. I am glad to report I haven't changed the underlying analog model in the slightest, I've only updated a few component values, and also changed the oversampling around the plugin. Can you please have a listen to and comment on the latest "minimum phase" version?
https://cytomic.com/files/scream-vs-ts8 ... ive050.mp3
That's really close! The only difference I hear on my k701 headphones is that the second riff is always slightly duller in the transient, so the first example sounds a bit sharper on each pick/finger down. Feels almost like it has a little less high-frequencies overall.

Having said that, I prefer the sound of the 2nd riffs. :)

EDIT: I guess what I'm describing is actually the same the izonin said, except I hear it mainly during the actual transient stage, at the impact/start of the pick. There's a bit more oomph and thickness.. or "realness" to the 2nd example.

These are tiny differences though!
"Wisdom is wisdom, regardless of the idiot who said it." -an idiot

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andy-cytomic wrote:Thanks for the suggestion about the sansamp. Is there are particular "best" model you would recommend to model? I had a quick look at a bunch of schematics for different models and most of them are hard clipping op-amps to the rails and providing some EQ shaping options, which doesn't look that interesting, so I'd be interested to hear what they do.
The most versatile SansAmps are:

PSA 1.1
SansAmp Classic
RBI
VT Bass Rack

The best selling SansAmps (in order) are:

Bass Driver DI
VT Bass DI
VT Bass
VT Bass Deluxe
Liverpool

If you decide to do the VT Bass, VT Bass Deluxe, or Liverpool, make sure to do the newer V2 versions that have the bypassable speaker emulation.

btw, I should mention that guitar amp products, from AmpliTube to Positive Grid to Kemper, continue to be some of our best sellers, with plugins doing even better these days than before. Given the quality of The Scream and the incredibly low price, I have no doubt that you're about to get the same results.

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I think the GT2 is pretty versatile
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.

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PSA-1 would be be great! Avid has forever hogged that one for Pro-Tools :x Sounds great on snare btw.

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Andy this thing sound amazing.

Take my money!!!

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Ichad.c wrote:PSA-1 would be be great! Avid has forever hogged that one for Pro-Tools :x Sounds great on snare btw.
How about this one? :)

http://www.soft-amp.com/softamp-psa

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EvilDragon wrote:
Ichad.c wrote:PSA-1 would be be great! Avid has forever hogged that one for Pro-Tools :x Sounds great on snare btw.
How about this one? :)

http://www.soft-amp.com/softamp-psa
I was about to mention that.

In fact, Alex coded more than the PSA-1 (see his pedals). But I'm getting worried about him. Wrote him several times via mail, left him a message on his blog - no response. Anybody heard from him?



Other than that, maybe another Tech21 Sansamp Bass Driver would be of interest indeed. The TSE BOD 2.0 is still my go to pedal for that task however.


Can really hardly wait for the open beta.

Maybe this particular pedal will be the "ITB boost pedal" to rule them all. (currently mostly jumping between the TSE Tube Screamer and Hornet Plugin's Boss DS-1 - unless I want to go "fuzz")




@Eric (sorry for the OT):
uhm... a lifesign, please?
Last edited by Compyfox on Mon Mar 27, 2017 5:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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andy-cytomic wrote:
izonin wrote: B still sounds a bit rounder, but the differences are now tiny. I can mainly hear it in the 100-200Hz range where B has a bit more weight.
Thanks for all your feedback, it has helped me get things sounding better. I am glad to report I haven't changed the underlying analog model in the slightest, I've only updated a few component values, and also changed the oversampling around the plugin. Can you please have a listen to and comment on the latest "minimum phase" version?
https://cytomic.com/files/scream-vs-ts8 ... ive050.mp3
Now this is approaching Kemper territory. The level of realism is impressive.
It seems that A has a bit more drive than B. Maybe the drive knob curve needs more tweaking.

In abstract terms, B sounds a bit more relaxed. A is more aggressive.

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bmanic wrote: That's really close! The only difference I hear on my k701 headphones is that the second riff is always slightly duller in the transient, so the first example sounds a bit sharper on each pick/finger down. Feels almost like it has a little less high-frequencies overall.

Having said that, I prefer the sound of the 2nd riffs. :)

EDIT: I guess what I'm describing is actually the same the izonin said, except I hear it mainly during the actual transient stage, at the impact/start of the pick. There's a bit more oomph and thickness.. or "realness" to the 2nd example.

These are tiny differences though!
Thanks for the feedback :) I just realised a backed out the junction and diffusion capacitance modelling of the main clipping diodes to see if that was causing issues with the "dive" in the response - which it wasn't. These are both non-linear capacitances that will change the tone of transients in particular. Time to add them back in!
The Glue, The Drop - www.cytomic.com

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The famed and popular analog man mods and history of the models/mods

http://www.analogman.com/ts9.htm

Schematics etc

http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/T ... sxtech.htm

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EvilDragon wrote:
Ichad.c wrote:PSA-1 would be be great! Avid has forever hogged that one for Pro-Tools :x Sounds great on snare btw.
How about this one? :)

http://www.soft-amp.com/softamp-psa
:hug: I completely missed this! :dog:

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