Setting Up Vocoders in Cubase Part 5: Image-Line Vocodex

This is part 5 of a multi-part tutorial on setting up vocoder plugins in Cubase. See part 1 if you missed the introduction.

Vocodex is a great-sounding vocoder produced by Image-Line, whose best-known product is the FL Studio DAW. This plugin only offers VST 2 format, not VST 3, meaning that configuring it for external carrier use is very different from what you do with Waldorf Lector or XILS V+. We're going to take a look at three different configurations: One using Vocodex's built-in synth engine as the carrier, one employing mono modulator and external carrier channels (similar to the TAL-Vocoder external carrier setup), and one that uses stereo channels for both modulator and external carrier.

The screenshots below use the Vocoder Tutorial Projects that you can download at the Ultimate Outsider Downloads page.

USING VOCODEX'S INTERNAL CARRIER

In this configuration we'll use Vocodex's built-in synthesizer as the carrier, what Image-Line calls the "immediate method." This means we need an audio track or group channel to serve as the modulator (voice), and a MIDI track to play the carrier signal on the plugin's synth. The Vocoder Internal Carrier demo project in the tutorial projects download is already set up for this.

1. In the Vocoder Internal Carrier demo project (or your own Cubase project), add Vocodex as an insert on the audio track or group channel you wish to use as your modulator. (If you are using a group channel in a Cubase project of your own, make sure that your modulator source's output is not routed to Cubase's "Stereo Out," because if it is, then you will always hear the raw modulator audio mixed in with Vocodex's outputs.)
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Not all of the Vocodex presets work in this configuration. I recommend starting with the Chord preset.
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. On your MIDI track's inspector, route the track's MIDI output to your Vocodex instance, as shown here:
   
4. IMPORTANT: Vocodex can be quite loud at its default settings. Dial back the volume of your Modulator Audio track to at least -6db before continuing.
   
   
   
5. Begin playback on a section of your project that loops your modulator and carrier tracks. You should now hear a vocoded harmony line. This plugin gives you a ton of visual feedback to indicate levels and incoming MIDI. If you don't hear anything, make sure you've got a known-good preset selected (like Chord), and check your audio and MIDI routing.
   
   

If you followed along using the tutorial project, the result should sound like this:

USING AN EXTERNAL CARRIER: INTERLACED METHOD

In this configuration, we'll pass mono audio signals for both modulator and carrier. The Vocoder External Carrier demo project includes an audio clip to use for the carrier, but the carrier could be a VST instrument as well if you have programmed MIDI that matches your audio material. Instead of using a sidechain input for carrier audio like we're able to do with Waldorf Lector and XILS V+, in this method Vocodex has to sit on a single stereo track or group that uses the left and right channels to carry the modulator and carrier audio separately.

1. In the Vocoder External Carrier demo project (or your own Cubase project), select Project > Add Track > Group Channel and create a Stereo group named Vocodex.
   
2. Add Vocodex as an insert on the newly-created group channel.
   
3. Select the Stereo interlacing preset in Vocodex to illuminate the L-R Encoding LED.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Pan your Modulator Audio channel all the way to the left and route the track's audio output to the Vocodex group.
   
5. If you're using an audio track or group channel as your carrier signal, select that track in Cubase. In the Carrier track's inspector, pan it all the way to the right and route its output to the Vocodex group.
   
   
   
   Otherwise, if you are using a VST plugin as your carrier, open the MixConsole, and on the channel strip where your plugin resides, pan the track to the left and change the output routing to the Vocodex group channel.
   
6. Some of the Vocodex presets can be pretty loud. Dial back the volume of your Vocodex group track to at least -6db before continuing.
   
   
   
   
7. Begin playback on a section of your project that loops your modulator and carrier tracks.  If you hear distortion, you might have to check the levels of your group channel, the modulator, or the carrier. If you don't hear anything, make sure the Stereo interlacing preset is selected and check the routing on your mod and carrier sources.

If you followed along using the tutorial project, the result should sound like this:

USING AN EXTERNAL CARRIER: PRODUCTION METHOD

In this configuration, we'll pass stereo audio signals for both modulator and carrier. The Vocoder External Carrier demo project includes an audio clip to use for the carrier, but the carrier could be a VST instrument as well if you have programmed MIDI that matches your audio material. Instead of using a sidechain input for carrier audio like we're able to do with Waldorf Lector and XILS V+, in this method Vocodex has to sit on a special group track with multiple stereo inputs for modulator and carrier. In Cubase circles, this is known as "the Quadro trick."

Note
This method only works in Cubase Pro. It can't be done in Cubase Artist, because that edition only allows mono or stereo group channels.

1. In the Vocoder External Carrier demo project (or your own Cubase project), select Project > Add Track > Group Channel. Enter Vocodex for Track Name, and for Configuration, select More > Quadro.
   
   
   
   
2. Go to Devices > VST Connections and select the Group/FX tab. Under Bus Name, right-click your Vocodex group, and then pick Add Child Bus to "Vocodex" > Stereo. This adds a new bus under the Vocodex group named Stereo.
   
   
   
3. Select the new Stereo bus and then click it once (don't double-click) to select its name, and name this bus Modulator In.
   
4. To create one more bus, right-click your Vocodex group again, and then pick Add Child Bus to "Vocodex" > Stereo (Ls Rs). This adds a new bus under the Vocodex group named Stereo (Ls Rs).
   
5. Select the new Stereo (Ls Rs) bus and then click it once (again, don't double-click) to select its name, and name this bus Carrier In.
   
6. Close the VST Connections dialog and then add Vocodex as an insert on your Vocodex group channel.
   
7. Select the Sidechained carrier preset in Vocodex, causing the MOD box to read 0 and the CAR box to read 1.
   
8. Select your Modulator Audio channel in the arrangement view and route the track's output to the Modulator In bus of your Vocodex group.
   
9. If you're using an audio track or group channel as your carrier signal, select that track in Cubase. In the Carrier track's inspector, route its output to the Carrier In bus of the Vocodex group.
   
   
   
   Otherwise, if you are using a VST plugin as your carrier, open the Cubase MixConsole, and on the channel strip where your plugin resides, change the output routing to the Carrier In bus of the Vocodex group channel.
   
10. Some of the Vocodex presets can be pretty loud. Dial back the volume of your Vocodex group track to at least -6db before continuing.
    
    
    
    
11. Begin playback on a section of your project that loops your modulator and carrier tracks.  If you hear distortion, you might have to check the levels of your group channel, the modulator, or the carrier. If you don't hear anything, make sure the Sidechain carrier preset is selected and check the routing on your mod and carrier sources.

If you followed along using the tutorial project, the result should sound like this:

Conclusion

If you were successful in following the above use cases, you should now be able to jump in and explore Vocodex's various features.

In the next part of this tutorial, we'll set up Native Instruments Razor...