XACT DSP Presets

Sounds can be associated with Digital Signal Processing (DSP) presets. DSPs change the way sounds render; effects like reverb are possible using DSPs.

To use a DSP in your project, complete the following steps:

• Create a DSP Preset
• Set DSP Parameters
• Attach and Detach Sounds and DSP Presets

Additionally, you may perform other actions with DSP presets:

• Modify DSP Levels
• Delete a DSP

Create a DSP Preset

You must first create a preset that can then be associated with sounds.

Note    As of this release, only one preset type, Microsoft Reverb, is available for use.

To create a new DSP preset

1. Right-click on the DSP Effect Path Presets heading of the project tree.

2. Select the new DSP preset you wish to create from the drop-down list.

Figure 1.  The project tree, showing the DSP Effect Path Presets heading selected

Note    Only one preset of each type may be created. If a preset of a given type already exists, you will not be allowed to create another preset of that type.

Set DSP Parameters

Once a DSP preset has been created, various parameters of the preset can be set to change how the preset affects the sounds it is associated with.

To set DSP preset parameters

1. Double-click on the DSP preset you wish to modify parameters for under the DSP Effect Path Presets heading of the project tree.

- OR -

1. Right-click on the DSP preset you wish to modify parameters for under the DSP Effect Path Presets heading of the project tree.

2. Select "Edit Parameters..." from the drop-down list that appears.

Figure 2.  The DSP preset parameter window showing various parameters

Attach and Detach Sounds and DSP Presets

A DSP can apply (be "attached") to multiple sounds. Likewise, any sound can be attached to multiple DSPs. Depending on what associations you wish to make between DSPs and sounds, you may attach a DSP to multiple sounds, or sounds to multiple DSPs:

To attach a DSP preset to sounds

1. Right-click the DSP you wish to attach in the project tree, and select Attach/Detach Sounds...
2. A new dialog box will appear, showing two lists. The list on the left shows sounds that are not attached to the selected DSP. The list on the right shows sounds that are attached. Use the Attach and Detach buttons to control the attachment of sounds to the DSP.
3. To complete the attachment, click OK.

To attach a sound to DSP Presets

1. Right-click the sound you wish to attach in the sound bank, and select Attach/Detach DSP Effect Presets...
2. A new dialog box will appear, showing two lists. The list on the left shows DSP presets that are not attached to the selected sound. The list on the right shows DSP presets that are attached. Use the Attach and Detach buttons to control the attachment of DSPs to the sound.
3. To complete the attachment, click OK.

Modify DSP Levels

Using Runtime Parameter Curves (RPCs), you can control the parameters of a DSP Preset at runtime by associating changes in the parameter values with changes in variables.

To use RPC to modify DSP preset parameters

1. Create a new global variable by right-clicking on the Variables heading under the project tree and selecting "New Global Variable" from the drop-down list that appears. You may use an existing global variable, if you have previously created one.
2. Right-click on the preset you wish to modify under the DSP Effect Path Presets heading in the project tree and select "Open RPC..." from the drop-down list that appears.
3. Edit RPC curves on parameters to achieve the desired effect. For information on editing RPC curves, see XACT Runtime Parameter Controls.

Figure 3.  The RPC window, showing various Microsoft Reverb parameters

Note    The RPC that controls the parameters of a DSP preset is created automatically when the DSP preset is created, and has the same name as the DSP preset.

You can also control the level of input (called the "Send Level") of any DSP preset to sounds. This affects how much the preset affects the sounds it is associated with as a whole, without changing individual DSP preset parameters.

To use RPC to modify DSP send level

1. Create a new global variable by right-clicking on the Variables heading under the project tree and selecting "New Global Variable" from the drop-down list that appears. You may use an existing global variable, if you have previously created one.
2. Create a new RPC Preset by right-clicking on the RPC Presets heading under the project tree and selecting "New RPC Preset" from the drop-down list that appears.
3. Double-click the newly-created RPC Preset. The RPC Settings dialog box will appear.
4. In the RPC Settings dialog box, click the text box under the Parameter heading. A drop-down list will appear.
5. Select the "Send Level" parameter corresponding to the DSP preset type you are modifying.
6. Edit the RPC curve to achieve the desired effect.

Figure 4.  The RPC window, showing the Reverb Send Level parameter selected

Note    The units given in the RPC curve for DSP effects are in decibels (dB).

Delete a DSP

If a DSP preset is no longer used, you may delete it.

To delete a DSP preset

• Right-click the name of the DSP preset in the project tree, and then select Delete.

  Note    You can also select the DSP preset and then press the DELETE key.

See Also

XACT Audio Authoring, XACT Overviews, XACT Reference