SOUND ON SOUND

[Martin Walker]

HI all,

The Elf has raved about his Roland Dimension D hardware chorus on numerous occasions, as it provides subtle but wonderful stereo enhancement and movement without obvious chorus swirling.

I've just heard that the excellent Dimension D plug-in developed by ERS (along with the other two plug-ins in the ERS range) have been taken on by DDMF (developer of the famous PluginDoctor along many others), and as a special introductory offer they have knocked 50% off their prices until March 1st.



Be quick and download the demo if you want to take advantage of this offer!

Suffice it to say that I've just bought Dimension D from DDMF for £17.50+VAT= £21.00, and I'm extremely impressed.

Dimension D link: https://ddmf.eu/ers-dimd/


Martin

[Guido3]

Downloading now. Thanks for the tip-off Martin. :thumbup:

[The Elf]

For that money I've grabbed it myself and I'll do a brief comparison. :thumbup:

[The Elf]

I've placed the order, but it's taking a while to get the serial/download/whatever back. :(

[time passes]

Still nothing.

Martin - how long did it take for you to get the order through? :?:

[The Elf]

I had to email them. All sorted out now, though.

But...

I'm hugely disappointed. :frown:

Here are two exports, one using the plug-in and the other using my real Dimension D. Both are set to position 2, stereo mode. Listen to the difference in the stereo width:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/qq2ylticja6aedw/New%20World%20-%20Voices%20Plug.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/z39hyyzm1cd7dg1/New%20World%20-%20Voices%20Real%20DD.wav?dl=0

The voices I've used as an example here actually sounder wider *without* the plug-in!

Buyer beware.

[Martin Walker]

I've placed the order, but it's taking a while to get the serial/download/whatever back. :(

[time passes]

Still nothing.

Martin - how long did it take for you to get the order through? :?:

I also had to wait to get the official confirmation email, but I bypassed this wait by just logging in to my DDMF account, where the download & license files were already waiting for me moments after placing my order.


Martin

[Martin Walker]

I had to email them. All sorted out now, though.

But...

I'm hugely disappointed. :frown:

Here are two exports, one using the plug-in and the other using my real Dimension D. Both are set to position 2, stereo mode. Listen to the difference in the stereo width:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/qq2ylticja6aedw/New%20World%20-%20Voices%20Plug.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/z39hyyzm1cd7dg1/New%20World%20-%20Voices%20Real%20DD.wav?dl=0

The voices I've used as an example here actually sounder wider *without* the plug-in!

Buyer beware.

Now this is weird, since I downloaded the previous before/after example WAV file you posted and still had it, so while I was investigating the demo version I tried the ERS DimD on the untreated part of your audio and got a very close match to your hardware version, yet I can hear the huge difference in stereo width between your two samples.

Paul - can you please Dropbox the untreated file for your latest so I can have a play myself, as the very audible stereo width enhancement was the other main reason I ended up buying this (apart from the lack of obvious swirling).

Many thanks!


Martin

[The Elf]

I'm prepared to believe it's something odd in my use - that's always a possibility. We're all capable of that 'doh!' moment! :lol:

Here goes - dry version - no Dim D of any persuasion:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/q3h8kfd15yxf7u9/New%20World%20-%20Voices.wav?dl=0

(The other two versions were done as inserts - 100% wet, BTW)

[desmond]

I can run this through the UAD version I have if you'd like too, for comparison?

Here you go: https://www.dropbox.com/s/c1dt3csotq0jb69/New%20World%20-%20Voices%20UAD.wav?dl=1

In the ERS plugin, it sounds to me like you had the "Mode" switch set to Mono...

[The Elf]

I can run this through the UAD version I have if you'd like too, for comparison?

:thumbup:

[Martin Walker]

OK - just done extensive tests, and two facts emerge ;)

1. The Elf test audio is exceptionally wide in the first place, and even the hardware DimensionD reduces this width (although not as much as the ERS plug-in).

2. I've managed to well nigh duplicate The Elf hardware sound by setting the ERS plug-in as shown, followed by the free bx_solo plug-in (also shown superimposed) with stereo width set to 200%.

Here's my render with the above settings: https://www.dropbox.com/s/n4zf9d61yrjki ... h.wav?dl=0

Overall, I'm personally still very pleased with ERS DimD, because many of the sounds I'll be treating with it will be mono anyway and will therefore get suitably widened, and it's rare that I'd want to end up with phenomenally wide sound anyway ;)


Martin

(N.B. link for free download of bx_solo plugin here: https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/prod ... _solo.html )

[The Elf]

I can run this through the UAD version I have if you'd like too, for comparison?

Here you go: https://www.dropbox.com/s/c1dt3csotq0jb69/New%20World%20-%20Voices%20UAD.wav?dl=1

In the ERS plugin, it sounds to me like you had the "Mode" switch set to Mono...

Nope - definitely in 'Stereo', but I had to check it over and over to satisfy myself. It made no difference.

[The Elf]

The one thing this thread has done is make me even more pleased that I have the 'real deal'! :lol: ;)

I make wide, spacious mixes, where everything has its place. It's a signature of what I do. To this end the DD is a favourite tool for getting things out wide, especially vocals. Without that innate ability I'm afraid the ERS plug is not for me.

[The Elf]

1. The Elf test audio is exceptionally wide in the first place, and even the hardware DimensionD reduces this width (although not as much as the ERS plug-in).

For me the DD does 2 things - it widens narrow material, but it also 'smudges' wide material across the stereo field, which may pull it in a little. I use it for both effects.

[desmond]

I tried the ERS plugin, it didn't sound noticeably different to me the "real" or my UAD versions (although it was a lot louder, I had to bump the output down)

And I used the actual "Program 2" preset, not just pressing the 2 button on the plugin, as the plugin has other parameters set that affect the sound that the original doesn't.

It did sound very different to your version, and if I pressed the mono button, it sounded a lot closer.

Dunno what's going on, but that's about as much effort as I'm prepared to invest in looking into it..! ;)