What is Pyramid?
Meet PYRAMID: Audio Imperia’s advanced Kontakt-based framework for building state-of-the-art sample libraries.
A unifying engine that provides an incredible architecture for optimized and enhanced playability, PYRAMID gives you the freedom and control to deliver highly complex products as easy-to-use yet cutting-edge instruments. PYRAMID is carefully crafted, finetuned and truly ensures that all Audio Imperia instruments provide the highest possible level of realism.
Years in the making and successfully tested in products such as Audio Imperia’s critically acclaimed orchestral libraries “Nucleus” and “Areia,” PYRAMID delivers uncompromising quality products that can stand the test of time. Enjoy this cutting-edge technology and move from one Audio Imperia product to the next with an incredibly smooth transition experience. Audio Imperia – Creativity starts here.
UI Features
Below is an in-depth look of the notable features you will find within the UI of PYRAMID’s framework.
EZ-Mixer
In the EZ-Mixer, the slider can be used to quickly fade between the different microphone positions.
- Classic Mix features the raw and unprocessed sound of the original recordings
- Modern Mix adds subtle processing for a ready-to-go cinematic sound.
Reverb
Pyramid features the new algorithmic reverb that comes with Kontakt 6.
Basic:
- Amount: Controls the send amount for the reverb.
- On/Off: Toggles the reverb send bypass.
Advanced:
- Pre Delay: Controls the amount of reverb pre-delay
- Time: Controls the reverb time.
- Reverb Type: Selects from the two available reverb algorithms: Room and Hall.
Articulations (Tonal)
Articulations can be selected by clicking the articulation’s name in the list (1), or by using key switches.
The keyswitch display shows the currently mapped key switch for each articulation (2).
Individual articulations can be loaded or purged using the power buttons (3).
Articulation and Syllable Keyswitches Options (Tonal)
Keyswitches can be moved up or down the keyboard by clicking and dragging the keyboard icon or by clicking the small arrows to either side (1).
Keyswitches can be locked using the padlock button (2). When locked, key switch commands via MIDI are ignored, though switching is still possible by clicking the articulation’s name in the list.
NOTE: Choir patches have an additional set of key switches is available for the Staccastissimo Phrases articulation. The Phrases articulation cycles through nine different syllables, and the key switches reflect the next syllable that will sound. A specific syllable can be selected using the keyswitches.
Instruments/Articulations (Atonal):
Basic:
Clicking an instrument name (1) reveals the available articulations for that instrument.
Entire instruments can be purged or loaded by using the power button next to the instrument name (2).
Articulations can also be individually punched or loaded by using the power button next to the articulation name (3).
The instrument colour can be previewed on the basic page. This colour is reflected on all keys that trigger the instrument. (7).
Advanced:
Each articulations can be mapped to a maximum of two keys. Click the (+) button (4) to enable two-key mapping. to go back to one-key mapping, click the (-) button.
You can map an articulation to a key by dragging up or down on the key name (5), by typing in the value (double click the key name) or by using MIDI learn. To trigger MIDI learn, click the small MIDI icon (6) and press an key to map the articulation to that key.
The instrument colour can be modified on the advanced page by dragging up or down on the colour icon. This colour is reflected on all keys that trigger the instrument. (7).
Select by MIDI:
When turned on, the Select by MIDI function (1) allows you to visualise the instrument that is currently being triggered via MIDI.
Controllers:
Basic:
- Dynamics: When a long articulation is selected, the dynamics knob crossfades between the different recorded dynamic layers. Note that on short articulations, dynamic layers are triggered via velocity.
- Expression: An additional layer of volume control that affects the instrument pre-reverb
- Vibrato: On specific long articulations, the vibrato knob crossfades between the recorded vibrato and non-vibrato samples.
- Tight Toggle: When enabled, sets Sample Start to its highest value, making the patch play with very low latency. This is useful when playing live with a keyboard or other MIDI controller, but is best left off for playback. For more on sample start, see the next section.
Advanced:
- Dyn. Range: The Dynamic Range knob applies volume scaling to all articulations. With the Dynamic Range slider set at 0, samples will play back as they were recorded. As you increase the Dynamic Range, all but the loudest dynamic layer scale down, allowing the library to play quieter on the lowest dynamics than originally recorded. With the Dynamic Range slider at maximum, a modwheel (for long articulations) or velocity (for short articulations) values of zero will result in silence.
- Sample Start: The Sample Start controller can be thought of as a “realism/responsiveness| knob. When set higher (0ms), the instrument will respond with lower latency, by attacks, releases, and legato transitions may sound abrupt. Lower values (-250ms) have the opposite effect, introducing more latency, but with the benefit of smoother attacks, releases, and legato transitions. For an in-depth explanation of Sample Start, see “The Sample Start Methodology” section of this manual.
- Leg. Smooth: The Legato Smoothness controller affects the length of the crossfades used when playing legato articulations. Higher values tend to sound smoother and reduce legato “bumpiness”, but lower values can sound better when playing faster legato lines.
Additional Toggles:
- Sordino: On select instruments, the Sordino toggle enables an instrument-level sordino emulation based on real recordings of sardine and non-sordino samples.
- 2nd Violins: On violin patches, enables neighbour-borring to shift the timbre of the instrument. The arrows select whether the timbre is shifted up or down.
- Niente: When enables, Niente adds volume modulation in the lower range of the Dynamics controller, allowing the instrument to fade out to silence. Setting the Dynamic Range controller to maximum has a similar effect, though unlike Niente this also introduces volume scaling on all dynamic layers.
Options
Options can be selected from the main drop-down menu (1). Enable or disable options using the power button (2). An asterisk will appear next to the name of any enabled options (3).
The velocity curve option allows you to change how a patch reacts to velocity. There are three curves that can be selected using the drop down menu (2): linear, shelf and fixed. These can be further customised by clicking and dragging up or down on the velocity curve display (1).
Transpose (1): Shifts the playable note range up or down the keyboard. Note that this option does not affect keyswitches.
Range (2): Increases or decreases the playable range of an articulation above or below the recorded range of the instrument. Unlike the previous options, which are global, Range is set per-articulation. The extended range will show up as yellow on the keyboard.
Envelope: On articulations other Legato, the envelope controls set Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release for the currently selected articulation. This can be useful for creating pads for sustains, or to adjust the feel of a short articulation.
Polyphonic Legato: On legato articulations, this option allows you to control two independent legato lines by playing notes in a specific velocity range. The Velocity Splits control determines how many lines can be played simultaneously. For instance, with 2 velocity splits, any notes above Velocity 64 trigger one legato line, while notes with a velocity less than 63 trigger a second independent legato line.
