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Installing and getting started with Dotec-Audio DeeMonitor

1 DeeMonitor comes in VST format for PC, plus AU and VST formats for Mac. To install DeeMonitor on your computer, you’ll need to obtain the relevant install file for your system. You can download this at vault.computermusic.co.uk or find it on the DVD with the print edition. Copy the install files to the relevant folders on your computer – see the included text file for full details.

2 We’re going to take you through DeeMonitor’s features by applying it to a full mix. To follow along, load the plugin on the master bus of any of your projects. Alternatively, load Mix.wav from the Tutorial Files folder onto a fresh audio track in any DAW, then insert an instance of DeeMonitor on the audio channel.

3 DeeMonitor is divided into two sections: the upper section houses toggle buttons which engage one of three monitor speaker emulations; the centre contains large toggle buttons for L/R isolation and polarity invert; and the sliders to the right control M/S balance and output level.

4 Let’s take a look at DeeMonitor’s trio of speaker simulation algorithms, which mimic the sound of three nearfield monitor speaker designs. By listening to your mix through these emulations, you can hear how your mix would sound on the original speakers, greatly aiding mix decisions and translation to smaller playback systems.

5 Click one of the three buttons to activate that mode. The Normal mode is the algorithm from Dotec-Audio’s DeeSpeaker plugin, roughly based upon the Genelec 8320A. Type-A emulates the classic Auratone 5C (aka Horrortone) speaker. Type-N mode is based on the Yamaha NS-10 monitor found in countless pro studios around the world. Remember not to render your final mix with one of these modes active on your master bus!

6 Turn the monitor emulation off so we can check out the other functions. Hit either the L or R Solo button to isolate one side of a stereo signal and play it back as a mono signal down the centre of the mix – useful when you want to ‘monoise’ a stereo recording or sample but one side sounds more consistent than the other, or if a signal contains a hard-panned mix element you want to focus on.

7 The L and R Invert buttons will flip either the left or right signal’s polarity, inverting that channel’s waveform, essentially turning it upside down. Toggle both simultaneously to invert the entire stereo signal’s polarity. You can use the plugin’s Bypass button (the top-left orange lightning button) to disable the plugin’s effect at any time, which can be useful for critical A/B-ing tasks.

8 Now, over to the plugin’s far-right sliders. In its default centre (100) position, the Mid/Side slider is at unity, meaning we’re hearing the track’s original balance of mono and stereo information. Pull this slider down to the minimum 0 to isolate only the mono (mid) signal; push the slider up between 100 and 200 to reduce the mono signal and increasingly isolate only the stereo (side) elements.

9 The Output slider sets the plugin’s final output gain from -6dB to +6dB. Double-click a slider to reset it to its default centre position. Now it’s your turn to put DeeMonitor to work. Try it as a mixing aid on your master bus, a stereo tamer/enhancer for individual tracks, a polarity-inverting tool for signal testing, a simple gain/trim plugin, and many other utility applications.