Audio plug-ins

Glass Viper is a synthesizer with unique waveform shaping, which has a deep and
natural sense of movement. Going beyond analogue simulation, into a truly organic
sound, from simple old synths to grungy filthy basses, or delicate pianos to strange
unnatural film effects.
Instead of taking a sample or oscillator and applying just filters and FX techniques,
Glass Viper bends the actual shape of its waveforms through a series of moving
control points. Up to four of these swirling and changing sounds can be layered
together to create a huge range of instruments. Glass Viper allows you to really
shake things up with a deep, natural sense of movement.

QuikQuak, Glass Viper and all materials (including without limitation all text, images, logos, software, and design) are
copyright 2005-2008 to David J. Hoskins. Its structure, organization and code are valuable trade secrets of David J. Hoskins.
The Software is also protected by International Copyright Law and International Treaty provisions. You will not to modify,
adapt, translate, reverse engineer, decompile, or otherwise attempt to discover the source code of this Software.
Once registered, the copying or reproduction of the software to any other location, or further redistribution is expressly
prohibited.
By using this software, you assume the entire risk as to its quality and performance. Should it prove defective, you and not
David J. Hoskins, QuikQuak, or its suppliers, assume the entire cost of all necessary servicing and repair. If you do not agree
to this copyright notice, please remove the software immediately.
Overview
From conception, Glass Viper's goal was to make sound creation visual, and distance itself
from mathematics. Making something with a unique sound was also a priority, and in a
world full of synthesizers, this was a challenge. Without the complexity of many changeable
modules, Glass Viper encourages play and experimentation. Most of the presets available
were born from experimentation, rather than setting out to make a particular sound.
Glass Viper is a polyphonic synthesiser plug-in, played through a VST or Audio Unit host.
The sound presets are called instruments, each comprised of up to four voices. Each voice
has its own sets of filters, envelopes, delays, EQ settings and wave shapers. Voices can
also be multiplied by another to create very complex sounds.
Glass Viper’s layout is designed for very fast editing and understanding, there are not vast
layers of hidden and complex ways of doing things, it’s simply just all there in front of you.
In brief, each instrument has the following:
4 editable waveforms, that can move independently during play.
16 independant LFOs for waveform movement.
8 bass and treble boost EQs.
4 unique waveshapers, with distorted top settings.
Multiple copy and paste options for quick editing and layering.
4 delay lines with BPM syncronisation option.
12 LFO’s with independant speed and gain envelopes.
Multiple ring modulation.
4 volume envelopes, with velocity sensitivity for amount and speed.
4 filter envelopes, using over sampled biquads with up to 24db slope per octave.
4 pitch envelopes.
Stereo chorus with feedback.
Reverb unit with simple EQ.
256 categorised factory presets.

Installation
PC: The file you download is in a simple plug-in format. Once you have ‘unzipped’ it you
will have a file with the plug-in name and extension ‘.dll’. Copy this file directly into your
plug-in folder. This folder is host specific but often found somewhere like “C:\Program
Files\Steinberg\Vstplugins.” Please consult your host’s manual for plug-in locations.

Mac: The zipped file contains a basic package installer, this will place the VST and Audio
Units (AU) version in a standard place. Which is “HD/Library/Audio/Plug-ins/” the
Component sub folder from there is for AU, and the other is VST. You are free to move
these to any location.

Note: Some hosts do not recognise new plug-ins, and a complete rescan is needed to pick
up on their existence.
Getting Started
The best place to start is with the presets sounds. The
256 presets have a wide selection of sounds that are a
good starting point for experimentation.
From the ‘preset’ menu you can access the various
categories and instantly access these sounds. The
categories and names are a playing guide for the sounds. The Pad sounds are often
background washes, the Key category is for keyboard/piano like playing, and so forth.

Glass Viper consists of paneled sections. Each panel has a green 1

selector next to the title. Left clicking this header button causes the
main display to show a panel's relevant information.
Each panel has a 'copy' button, this brings up a useful copy and
paste menu. Each panel can be copied to a similar panel elsewhere. Whole voices can be
copied at once, which is useful for layering voices quickly. Whole instruments can also be
copied. This copy and paste process greatly increases experimentation time.

On the ‘Voice’ menu there is a row of buttons marked 1 to 4, these

are used to switch between one of the voices that make up an
instrument. Under these are two self-explanatory buttons marked
‘on’ and ‘solo.’
Use ‘solo’ isolate a voice from the preset and uncover what layers
make up the instrument.

Try clicking ‘solo’ on one of the voices, making sure that it is 'on'.
Now click on the wave ‘Design’ selector. Play a note at the same time as dragging one of
the control points, and you will hear the
changes of the waveform.
Left click into an empty space to add a
point, and right click to remove one. The
different labels are for real-time movement
of points and will be described in detail in
the wave design section.
Moving the waveform around as you go
through the presets, demonstrates how
easy it is to really change the sounds. You’ll
soon get to see what shapes create what
kind of sounds. Smooth rounded shapes
create flutes and soft sounds, whereas
spiky and sharp edged sounds create
similarly bright sounds. This is only a
general rule though, and the main trick is to use your ears more than your eyes, when
editing the waveform.
If you don’t generally create synthesiser sounds, this will hopefully show that just a short
amount of experimentation can quickly create new sounds.

Panels
Main display
The large screen displays useful information relating to each panel. The ‘global’ display
shows the actual waveform output of the plug-in. The ‘voice’ display shows the four (if they
are on) basic waveform outputs with their phase, movement and shape values operating -
this directly reflects the current note being played. All waveform and envelope editing use
this panel.

2
Information bar
The narrow window under the main display shows information about the currently edited
control. It also shows the current value if the mouse is 'hovered' above. When the mouse
cursor is away from a control, the display reverts back to showing the preset name.
Click on the information bar to rename the current preset.

Preset menu
The panel on the bottom left of the plug-in has the
preset controls. All instruments fall into various
categories making them easier to find, you can change
the current instruments category by simply selecting it
with the button on the right.
You can use the left and right arrow to step through them one at a time, or simply use the
menu to select a preset from a category. From here you can also load and save a preset, or
reset the program to its 'factory' settings. Also you can sort all the presets into category
and name order - sorting the preset category also physically moves the patches.

Global panel
Volume:
This is the global volume control for the whole instrument,
adjust this to prevent clipping when using a heavy polyphonic
playing style. It is good practice to keep the levels in the high
range, and use your host to alter the overall plug-in output
level.
Poly:
Sets the polyphonic (maximum number of channels playing at
the same time). Basses for example are generally set at one,
and keyboard sounds sixteen.
Porta:
Sets the speed of portamento for the instrument, and only
works for instruments of one channel.
Audio P.
Stands for Auto Panel. When selected the main display will
automatically change to reflect the current parameter being
altered. For example if you adjust a filter parameter, then the
main display will show the filter envelope.
E. Trig:
This means evelope trigger. When selected, any legato notes will be played without
restarting all the envelopes. Useful when a monophonic instrument like a synth bass is
played with two keys, and you want the note to slide rather than fire again.
HELP:
Displays this manual inside the plug-in window.
Stereo Chorus:
This is the first effect to be processed, and has five controls.
Stereo Chorus: Ratio
The ratio between the effect and the original sound. I.e. 50|50 is half the dry signal and
half the chorus.
Stereo Chorus: Time
Length if milliseconds for the doubling effect.
Stereo Chorus: Speed
The speed of oscillation.
Stereo Chorus: Depth
The amount if oscillation.

3
Stereo Chorus: Feedback
How much of the effect goes back into the chorus, which can make flange type effects.
With negative and positive values for different tones.
Reverb: Wet
Volume of the reverb.
Reverb: Dry
Volume of the original sound.
Reverb: Length
Time in seconds of the reverb tail.
Reverb: LP
Low Pass filter; everything below this value is let through.
Reverb: HP
High Pass filter, every above this frequency is let through.

Voice panel
The main display shows the four moving voices and their phases.
Voice selectors:
The large numbered buttons 1-4 causes all the dials to reflect that
particular voice for editing.
On & Solo:
The enable the selected voice, with solo option for testing each
voice.
Pan:
Left or right panning for selected voice.
Phase:
Phase offset for the waveform start, this value is shown graphically,
ranging across the whole wave.
Shape:
A form of effect, that causes the waveform to compress to the
upper limits, in extreme values this also distorts, which is useful for
harpsichord or other spiky sounds.
X By:
This is the 'multiply by' selector, commonly known as ring
modulation. The value shows the voice number that is multiplied by this voice. For
example, if voice 4 has an 'X By' 1, then output waveform of voice 1 is multiplied by voice
4 before being outputted as voice 4. The voice selected by this is multiplied BEFORE the
volume envelope so you can turn the volume right down for the multiplied voice.
Bass:
This is the bass boost; all frequencies below this value are given a boost by the 'B. Gain'
value (see below). Useful for adding bass boost to basses.
B. Gain:
This is the Bass boost gain.
Treb:
This is the treble boost, all frequencies above this value a given a boost by the T. Gain'
value (see below). Very useful for adding air and sparkle to a voice.
T. Gain:
This is the treble boost gain. Each voice has its own single tap delay:
Delay FX: Gain
The volume of the delay.
Delay FX: Time
The time between delay taps. This can either be in BPM or synchronised to the host tempo.
Delay FX: F. Back
How much of the delay is feed back into itself.
Delay FX: SYNC and BMP
Selects how the time dial is used. With Sync selected the delay will be a fraction of the
hosts tempo settings.

4
Design panel
The basic waveforms
are built by connecting control points together. These points can be
red(A), green(B), blue(C), yellow(D), or basic(o).
The different colour control points oscillate up and down, controlled by each of the four
colour band panels. For instance, the red(A) control points are ALL controlled by the first
row of dials.
The basic white dot points do not move.
You can create wacky, shimmering sounds or far more subtle movements.
When the voice is played, and actual moving waveform is displayed in real-time, and is
shown as a thin line moving around the control points.
Gain:
Sets the amount of movement, up to the whole vertical range.
Freq:
Sets the frequency of oscillation.
Phase:
Oscillation start phase is set with this, which is useful for creating varied and none
synchronised movements.
‘A B C D’ and 'o' buttons:
These designate the next control point's colour type. The white 'o' button means a control
point with NO oscillator will be created. This also changes a points colour type if the ‘paint’
options is set.
Paint:
Makes the currently edited point change to the selected colour type.
Line, Cosine, Cubic button:
This changes the interpolation type of the waveform. 'Line' is the simplest; 'Cosine' creates
a curve between two points that resemble half a cosine plot. Cubic creates a complex curve
that tries to smoothly fit between four consecutive points. It is best to experiment with
these types to get a good grasp of the differences.
Main display:
Use the left mouse button to add and move points around. If the 'PAINT' button is on, then
edited points will change to the select colour type.
Use the right button to delete points. The point on the furthest left cannot be removed or
move right, as one point is always needed to define a waveform.
When the voice is played, and actual moving waveform is displayed in real-time, and is
shown as a thin line moving around the control points.
Notes:
When the moving waveform exceeds the waveform vertical limits, it gets clipped to the
limits. Although a necessity, it also adds another variety in waveform control, producing
periodically distorted waveforms.
There is a maximum of 16 points allowed for each waveform.
The waveform will be automatically centred to prevent top or bottom heavy output. For
example, if a top heavy waveform was played with multiple layers, then the sound would
become very quickly clipped to the top of the plug-in limits. So the waveform is centred for
you internally. Even so, it’s sometimes useful to know what the output is doing, so simply
click on the Gobal panel, and the main display will change to the actual plug-in output.
5
Volume panel
Main display:
Edit the envelope by left clicking on the control points. You cannot
add or delete envelope points. Point values are given by height, and
the slope gives the time it takes to reach this value. When a value is
edited two values are displayed, first is the time is seconds it takes to
get from the previous point (or the start), and the second is it's
actual value, between zero and one.
The light green part of the envelope is the release part, which is the
point
Env.: the envelope goes to when a voice note is released.
This dial alters how much the gain the volume envelope has on the
voice's output.
Vel.Gn:
Velocity Gain. This causes the note velocity to affect the envelope gain. High positive values
will make the gain higher for harder hit notes, and lower for softer playing. Negative values
will do the opposite. Use this control to enable expressive playing to alter the volume.
Vel.Sp:
Velocity Speed. This causes the note velocity to affect the envelope's speed. If set to a
positive value then playing harder will speed though the envelope quicker. Useful for giving
faster attacks with more aggressive playing.
Kbf:
Keyboard Follow. This changes the overall volume of the note depending on the note
played. Positive values will make the note sound louder the further up the keyboard you
play from middle C. Negative values will mean the opposite, therefore notes played at C8
for example will be quieter.
Noise:
Noise gain. There is a built in random noise generator for each voice, use this control to
mix it. The noise follows the envelope gain. This is useful for giving a little dirt to the
sound, or simply creating breath or whoosh effects.
Volume controller and type:
The dial at the bottom left of the panel enables you to change the amount of gain a
controller will have. The controller type is selectable underneath this. You can use pitch,
modulation, and breath controllers. Use this to give expression to your playing style.

Filter panel
Main display:
Edit the envelope by left clicking on the control points. You cannot
add or delete envelope points. Point values are given by height, and
the slope gives the time it takes to reach this value. When a value is
edited two values are displayed, first is the time is seconds it takes
to get from the previous point (or the start), and the second is it's
actual value, between zero and one. The light green part of the
envelope is the release part, which is the point the envelope goes to
when a voice note is released.
Env.:
This dial alters how much the gain the filter envelope has on the
voice.
Vel.Gn:
Velocity Gain. This causes the note velocity to affect the envelope gain. High positive
values will make the gain higher for harder hit notes, and lower for softer playing. Negative
values will do the opposite. Use this control to enable expressive playing to alter the filter
cut-off.
Vel.Sp:
Velocity Speed. This causes the note velocity to affect the envelope's speed. If set to a
positive value then playing harder will speed though the envelope quicker. Useful for giving
faster attacks with more aggressive playing.

6
Kbf:
Keyboard Follow. This changes the overall filter cut-off of the note depending on the note
played. Positive values will make the note filter higher the further up the keyboard you play
from middle C. Negative values will mean the opposite, therefore notes played at C8 for
example will have a lower filter cut-off.
Type:
This cycles through the various filters types. Low, band, and high pass filters of 24 and
12dB cut-off slope are available.
Freq:
Set the base filter frequency with this dial. This panel's envelope value is added to this
value.
Res:
Resonance can be added to these filters. High values give a strong ringing emphasis at the
selected frequencies. Useful for sharp sounds, and old analogue synth bass lines.
Filter controller and type:
The dial at the bottom left of the panel enables you to change the amount of gain a
controller will have, which can be negative and positive amounts. The controller type is
selectable underneath this. You can use pitch, modulation, and breath controllers. Use this
to give expression to your playing style.

Pitch panel
Main display:
Edit the envelope by left clicking on the control points. You cannot
add or delete envelope points. Point values are given by height, and
the slope gives the time it takes to reach this value. When a value is
edited two values are displayed, first is the time is seconds it takes
to get from the previous point (or the start), and the second is it's
actual value, between zero and one. The light green part of the
envelope is the key release phase.
Env.:
This dial alters how much the gain the pitch envelope has on the
voice.
Vel.Gn:
Velocity Gain. This causes the note velocity to affect the envelope
gain. High positive values will make the pitch envelope stronger for harder hit notes, and
lower for softer playing. Negative values will do the opposite.
Vel.Sp:
Velocity Speed. This causes the note velocity to affect the envelope's speed. If set to a
positive value then playing harder will speed though the envelope quicker. Useful for giving
faster attacks with more aggressive playing.
Kbf:
Keyboard Follow. This changes the overall pitch difference depending on the note played.
Setting to zero will play the notes normally. Positive values will make the pitch increase
more with each consecutive note. Negative values will mean the opposite; a value of -1.0
will mean that each note on the keyboard has the same pitch. Useful for special effect
patches where you want the pitch to remain the same across the notes.
Oct:
Octave selector. Changes base pitch to one of seven octaves.
Note:
Alters the base note within the above octave.
Fine:
Alters the base pitch with the above note. Useful for slightly detune a voice to give
interesting beating effects with other voices.

7
Pitch controller and type:
The dial at the bottom left of the panel enables you to change the amount of gain a
controller will have.
The controller type is selectable underneath this. You can use pitch, modulation, and breath
controllers. Use this to give expression to your playing style.
The pitch controller has a range of -24 to 24 semitones, and they can be different for each
voice some very strange textures can be created.

LFO panels
Each of the three Low Frequency Oscillators has a separate speed and gain envelope.
Gain and Speed:
Each envelope can be toggled with the blue buttons. You must have some gain AND speed
to hear the effect of the LFO. The light green part of the envelope is the key release phase.
Type:
You can cycle though the five types of LFO - Sine wave, triangle, square, saw tooth and
random. Random creates a different value at each phase cycle.
Trig:
Trigger. Enabling this forces the LFO cycle to reset when a new note is played.
Volume controller and type:
The dial at the bottom right of the panel enables you to change the amount of gain a
controller will have.
The controller type is selectable underneath this. You can use pitch, modulation, and breath
controllers.

Hints and Ideas

* The presets are very diverse, so use them to build new sounds by picking one that is
close to what you need.
* Use the copy and paste to copy voices from different presets together to make quick and
unique sounds.
* Many of the pad and background sounds use heavy amounts of reverb, try dropping out
the reverb on these presets to find out more about how they’re made.
* ‘Solo’ is useful in isolating a voice when building an instrument, but it can also help in
understanding how the presets can are made. Note how the bell and percussion sounds use
a voice just to make the short sharp hit at the beginning of the sound.
* Velocity speed sensitivity can be very useful for percussion and other struck instruments
like a piano. You can set it so when the note is hit with higher velocity, the note has a
faster envelope creating the effect of more immediacy and agression in the sound.
* Use a slow moving waveform to create slight instability in the voices, and if the same
waveform is copied to another voice, try varying the speed and phase of the the waveform
design points, just to make a more varied output.
* Slight differences in fine tuning of similar layered voices can create a thickening of the
sound, also panning and phase changing can make a fatter, wider stereo sound.
* Notice how many of the string presets have a couple of voices that are an octave or so
apart. This technique makes a broader symphonic sound, giving the impression of more
instruments playing togther.
* Using a band pass filter with high resonance creates a spike in the chosen frequency, this
is useful for picking out certain characters of the sound. Again, skim through the presets to
see which ones take advantage of this.
* Solo also isolates any voice that depends on ring modulation, so you will not get the
same resulting sound. Simply use the ‘on’ toggle to achieve the required isolations.
* If you only want to hear the noise part of a voice, then delete all but the first waveform
point, and make that point a basic white point to prevent it from moving.

Audio plug-ins 8