Tom Wolfe Presets

[Karlyn Hemmerling]

TomWolfe is a British sound designer. Also an award-winning independent film composer, Tom is a prolific voice in the synthesizer preset world and, through his store tomwolfe.co.uk, has released soundbanks for some of the biggest and most popular software synthesisers and effects plugins on the market.

With his presets being celebrated for their uniqueness, creativity and usability by users and critics alike, Tom has worked with a number of industry-leading companies including Arturia, Kilohearts and G-Force Software. His sounds have been used by Oscar-winning film composers, Grammy-winning record producers and AAA game composers.

In the world of post processing (ie...editing your photos after you take them) the subject of presets and actions can tend to be a dramatic one. I've seen post after post in various group forums on the subject which can oftentimes get heated. The interesting thing is that the drama doesn't usually arise based on which one is "better" but rather on...

Of course, I have opinions on all of those things (which I will address a little later in the post) but I think one of the more important things to talk about is what these things are, how they differ, and if they do actually provide any sort of benefit.

Although the presets sound complex, Tom Wolfe has implemented a range of macro and modulation options for easy manipulation and full control. Each preset has been categorised by style for easy access in the Massive X browser, too.

When keyboard is in DAW mode, sliders send stuff to the control surface and if you are using BITWIG setting or the controller presets worked out via AZ Controller (like @Jacques Boileau pointed me to. However, if you click the PRESET button (next to the DAW button) then you have the keyboard in a different mode. Now, you can assign your sliders to automation lane parameters and write automation MIDI CC data (ie expression/CC11) into your track.

However, once I get a screenshot from Jacques, I will try to get into AZ Controller and get his patch working as it would be great to have those added features that Mackie out of the box doesn't provide.

Oh, and while I'm here, I noted that the HammerPro88 remembers what DAW you have selected when you power down, so unlike the Oxygen 61, you don't have to reselect the DAW every time you start up. I'm also noting that maybe Cakewalk fixed the issue with the Mackie rotaries using a regular ACT surface controller, as now the rotaries work correctly for track PAN.

Thanks @azslow3. I'll try the third option there to see if that will work. However, I don't want to free up the sliders to interact with a VSTi plugin. I want to be able to modify , say CC 11 when recording automation in Cakewalk. I can't quite do it when I have AZ Controller running with a setup with @Jacques Boileau's preset where my keyboard sliders are modifying WAI track volumes. I'm working on learning enough AZ Controller so that I can get CC11 working with my slider. My initial attempts don't seem to be making it to the DAW.

For the 3d option to work, the slider should send CC11. It will be assigned to AZ Controller logic, so initially CC11 will not come throw but modify WAI volume (or something according to preset logic). If the control is put in the group "A" and that group is toggles, it will no longer block CC11 and so it should be usable in plug-ins. And in that case it will be be processed by AZ Controller, so will not move WAI volume.

But switching presets on the Keyboard, so control is sending something not assigned in AZ Controller, is probably simpler approach to achieve the same goal. "Groups" in AZ Controller are primary for controllers which can't switch hardware presets easily or when "advanced" logic is used (f.e. auto move some controls to/from pure MIDI mode when particular VSTi is in focus... some AZ Controller users experiment with funny configurations, may be just because that is possible ? ).

@Jacques Boileau that would be great!! And if you highlight one of the sliders so I can see what you put in the details (doesnt all show on the overview) and maybe for one of the rotaries as well. Too bad those patch files are binary. I think that was a bad move on their part. If it were XML or JSON then one could build patches in a text editor.

Thanks @Jacques Boileau, thanks for remembering! You Rock! (or is it Roque? ). Curious about your use of the Out Port. What can you send from Cakewalk TO your keyboard? I thought the OUT Port was only useful if you had mechanical faders that could be moved by incoming MIDI?

I think this is left from all my trial and error when I programmed this. When you create a Controller in Preference/Control Surface, it defaults to setting an output port and you can't revert to none after the fact. Probably just that.

Yes. I did that because with the default Cakewalk behavior at the time, the full rotation of the pan knob only did half the pan rotation in Cakewalk and setting the knob in the middle did not put the Cakewalk pan in the middle. I believe with what you said earlier, this might be different now in Cakewalk?

@Jacques Boileau I am finally getting the hang of AZ Controller. Wondering... did you get the Rec Arm. , SOLO, MUTE, SELECT to actually turn off and on the keyboard fader button light to sync with the button in Cakewalk? I notice that with BITWIG in Mackie mode the lights do not change.. they are always ON. The only time they seem to go off an on is in native Keyboard use, when they are used to control ARP/LATCH/CHORD/SCALE features of the HammerPro88.

Unfortunately I have not found HammerPro88 protocol documentation. User Guide mention 2 things: "Output port for LEDs in DAW mode" and "most DAWs automatically configure the device". In BITWIG, are any LEDs follow the DAW? If some do (f.e. transport), but other don't (fader buttons), M-Audio has not foreseen the feedback for particular buttons (at least not "easy" way). If no LEDs have feedback... it may be worse checking output port is set correctly. But the fact "they are always ON" point to the first case (with incorrect port they should be "always OFF").

Theoretically they can support feedback for buttons and pads (so the possibility for a DAW control LEDs, pads colors, etc.) even in case Mackie mode is not supporting that, I mean in "native" mode. But without protocol documentation from M-Audio it is very hard (up to impossible) to deduct.

Here is what I get from pressing 'v' and '^'. It is the same in Bitwig preset or my Cakewalk preset. So no I guess I didn't change anything. But you are right, the editor does not mention or let you do anything when the shift key is pressed.

I just tried it and for the leds for Rec, Select, Solo and Mute, no they do not light up accordingly unfortunately. They are always off. I wonder if it is possible at all to give feedback. And if at all possible, would it then follow when we move the WAI focus?

A wisp of smoke. A flicker of light. A reflection. A truly great story is never quite clear, never quite ready to be grasped and held. But it is full of verve and soul and rising spirit. Just as is Animus, Tom Wolfe's characterful and evocative Content Bank.

Each preset tells its own tale, and raises its own questions. Your production will be enriched by delicate pads, organic strings, gritty, dramatic sequences, and dark pulsing basses. Conjure ephemeral images with these customizable sounds.

Tom Wolfe is a British sound designer specialising in Cinematic, Ambient and Industrial genres. Also an award-winning independent film composer, Tom is a prolific voice in the synthesizer preset world and, through his store, has released soundbanks for some of the biggest and most popular software synthesisers and effects plugins on the market.

With his presets being celebrated for their uniqueness, creativity and usability by users and critics alike, Tom has worked with a number of industry-leading companies and his sounds have been used by Oscar-winning film composers, Grammy-winning record producers and AAA game composers.

While Halide rules in iOS still photography and Filmic rules in iOS video, Pro Camera by Moment is probably the best pro-quality app for those who shoot as many stills as video. The added plus is that Pro Camera lets you save presets for various photo and video shooting functions and call them up with two taps. This article is a recipe book for how to create Pro Camera presets. While some are practical, others are wonderfully experimental.

Overexposing the image will result in areas that are burned into pure white and details in these areas will be lost. Underexposing is a trick photographers use to protect highlights and better saturate to color in images.

To use it, tap the Shutter button to start and again to stop. While actively recording, the blue ring around the button will cycle every second. The Ultra Wide lens gives you the most dramatic movement.

3a8082e126