With the new ARA integration, the interaction between Cubase and Melodyne is manageable, faster and compelling. With Cubase, yet another major DAW has integrated the ARA Audio Random Access interface extension. This makes using Melodyne in Cubase much easier. ARA allows you to just open the desired audio events directly in Melodyne – almost as though Melodyne were one of Cubase’s own editors. Melodyne matches when you transfer, reduce, increase, repeat or mute audio events in Cubase. ARAs integration clarifies the consequent arranging of Melodyne-edited content. Use of Melodyne with ARA in Cubase requires Cubase Version 10.0.30 and Melodyne Version 4.2.2.

Melodyne update is available here, Cubase Version 10.0.30 is available here.

Inserting Melodyne

With ARA, Melodyne is no longer inserted as a plug-in in the channel strip; instead audio events are equipped with it directly. This can be done by right-clicking on the event (and selecting “Melodyne” under “Extensions” from the context menu) or, even more swiftly, via the Infoline. You can do this event by event or select multiple events and equip them all with Melodyne simultaneously.

As soon as you do this, Melodyne obtains access to all the audio data (of all the events) and can display their musical contents as audio notes and let you begin editing them immediately; the intermediate step that existed previously (when the material in question had to be ‘played through’ to Melodyne) has been eliminated.

However, since the data transferred by Cubase is limited to what lies between the boundaries of the event at the moment you first equip it with Melodyne, it is advisable to do this sooner rather than later. It is especially important to do it before narrowing the event boundaries in Cubase, as otherwise, you will be unable to widen them again subsequently.

Learn more about how to use Melodyne with Cubase you can go here.

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Walker by UVI Review

Walker is a complete and adaptable footstep foley tool for film, games, ads, and post-production. Walker was created to create realistic foley sounds quickly. UVI did send a review copy with no strings attached. Walker is not about Moonwalk; it is all about adding tension and dynamic to scenes.

Installation

After purchase you register a code with UVI and download the instrument, a quick iLok activation is needed. Walker runs in UVI Workstation version 3.0.3+, and Falcon version 1.6.2+

Sound

WALKER is a foley library, foley sounds are needed for movies when you need to add sounds that are not available for a scene. Any foley and post-production professional will need new sounds made by walking around in different spaces. Created on a library of over 25,000 samples, Walker lets you pick any blend of 3 different mic pairs (placed near and far), 6 types of shoes, 14 surfaces with ground effects and 8 varieties of clothing. With Walker, you are the Foley artist in post-production. As a foley artist, you have the freedom to experiment and customize the sound effects to perfectly match the visuals on screen. Walker provides the tools needed to create authentic and immersive soundscapes, giving you the ability to bring any scene to life with realistic and high-quality audio. In the world of post-production, the foley artist definition encompasses the crucial role of creating and adding custom sound effects to enhance the auditory experience of a film or television show.

• Realistic and customizable footstep sounds for film, video and post-production
• Includes 6 shoe types, 14 surfaces with texture layers and 8 clothing materials
• Optimized workflow with 100 presets organized by location

With the effect tool, you can perform steps in perfect sync with your movie source. To create an even more believable sound you want to adjust the volume of clothing, shoes, scuffing, floor and ground effects like creaking wood, dirt, leaves and branches, and water.

The sounds of legs brushing together and fabric movement during steps. Select from 8 material options including jeans, cotton, leather, leather with metal, polyester, raincoat, synthetic and tweed.

Six different shoe types can be selected – a few more I have myself: men’s dress shoes, heels, work boots, trainers, boots and bare feet. Choose shoe squeak variations, adjust step volume, volume variation and pitch.

Foley sounds are definitively needed, so far when I did need such sounds, I did reach out to BoomLibrary or Film Riot/ Triune Sound. With this tool, I can enhance scenes with the much demanded sonic reality.

User interface & Usability

The Interface is fully designed to help a professional sound artist to produce foley sound. You pick a shoe, surface, pants fabric and some special sauce like EQ, compression and reverb. Then you hit the floor running or if required walking…

Some direct Tips and Tricks from UVI foley Experts

Learning to Walk

• To use Walker, alternate between C2 and E2 keys, which are regular left and right footsteps
• Between these two notes, the D2 plays a “Stop”, which is when the foot rubs against the floor
• B1 and F2 keys play “Scuff” which are less perfect footsteps

Blend Heel and Toe

Footsteps are composed of two samples played successively, called “Heel” and “Toe.” If you want to bring these two sounds closer together for more realism, try increasing the Sens knob until Heel and Toe almost overlap when you play, and then, on the Adv page, lower the gain of either the Heel or Toe sound.

Distance

To match most of the scenes in movies, you will certainly have to turn the Distance more than halfway. Footsteps will naturally sound less in your face, with smoother transients and less presence. Your MIDI Modwheel is automatically assigned to the Distance knob which is convenient to change it very quickly and to make automation while you are recording.

Reverb

Concerning reverb, Walker uses a highly-optimized convolution-based reverb which will sound just right in most cases. You can tweak it in the Fx page. If you want to use another reverb in your DAW instead, unlink Distance and Reverb Send, and set the send value to zero.

Tweak the Footsteps in a Few Clicks

Starting from any preset, if you want to quickly modify how your footsteps sound:

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• Color: switch between the 3 microphones, change the pitch
• Enveloppe: tweak the Resonance; shorter to have a little decay and a tight result, longer to be less chirurgical and more natural
• Dynamic: the Compressor in the Fx page is simple but efficient, lower the Threshold and the dynamic is immediately contained

EQ is the Key

Don’t hesitate to mess with the EQ in the Equalizer section, which is pre-reverb, and can drastically change your footsteps’ sound. The second EQ, in the Reverb section, is post-reverb and it affects the feel of space.

Dynamic Range

If the character on-screen is thin or small, try to bring the Dyn Range slider to the left and increase the Pitch by a few semi-tones. On the contrary, if the character is more plump, bring the Dyn Range to the left and lower the Pitch.

Stairs Mode

The Stairs Mode simply inverts the Heel and Toe when you play, so that you hear the Toe then the Heel.

Rating:  Five out of five stars

Walker by UVI is a complete foley design tool that includes everything a professional foley artist needs to produce lifelike footstep and movement sounds. Walker was designed from end-to-end for a professional foley and sound-effects artist to meet the demanding tasks of the next job. It is a library for professionals.

UVI’s Walker is an amazing tool for sound production effects that you need in the post-production without spending money on building a foley studio.

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