OVERLOUD GEMS

USER MANUAL

Rev. 1.4
OVERLOUD GEMS

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................1

WHY GEMS? ........................................................................................................................................1

MENU BAR.......................................................................................................................................... 3

COMP76 .............................................................................................................................................4

EQ495................................................................................................................................................ 6

TAPEDESK .......................................................................................................................................... 7

EQ84................................................................................................................................................ 12

DOPAMINE........................................................................................................................................14

SCULPTUBE ...................................................................................................................................... 16

EQ550 ..............................................................................................................................................18

SCRIBBLES........................................................................................................................................19

PREFERENCES ...................................................................................................................................21

LEGAL NOTICE ...................................................................................................................................22

OVERLOUD GEMS

INTRODUCTION
OVERLOUD GEMS is a collection of top quality plug-ins for both mixing and mastering. We put the
best DSP algorithms and hardware emulation techniques available into each GEM and enriched
these products with additional parameters and features, a consistent preset management, A/B
comparison and undo/redo support.
OVERLOUD GEMS come in the following plug-in formats: VST, AudioUnit, AAX plus a standalone ap-
plication. All in both 32 and 64 bit, and for Mac and Windows. You will be able to load and use
them in all common DAWs.
OVERLOUD GEMS licenses need to be authorized. To authorize a GEM please follow the instructions
on our website: www.overloud.com in the AUTHORIZE section.

WHY GEMS?
In a world overcrowded by competing products doing just “the same thing”, how is it a good idea to
develop another collection of audio plugins?
Well, because: First, they don’t actually do the same thing, and then, even in that case, they don’t do it
in the same way.
Here at OVERLOUD we have been developing high quality DSP effects these last several years, and with
great passion and dedication. And as some of the best audio companies worldwide chose us for li-
censing our DSP effects, we realized that we are doing our job the right way.
So we decided to take a selection of our effects and let our vision of high quality plugins meet reality,
by wrapping these algorithms with gorgeous 3D graphical interfaces, and adding the wished-for fea-
tures that are missing from the modeled real equipments.
After the first couple of plugins were delivered to beta testers, we discovered that what we were actu-
ally achieving was a collection of brilliant products with great sounding DSP plus a set of extra fea-
tures that made each of them even more desirable.
The plugins looked precious and demonstrated that it was worth having them all. Like gems in a
necklace.
There is a common denominator across all the Gems, which sits in the upper part of the user interface:
the Gems bar. This bar contains the controls that are present across all Gems. Like Preset manage-
ment, to mention one. This way, Gems users have a consistent interface to deal with for standard
tasks.

• COMP76, the modeling of a legendary FET compressor, a piece of hardware which immediately be-
came a reference among audio engineers right from its release at the end of ‘60s.



Notable features:
• Added Parallel compression, which lets you sum the compressed signal along with the
original to improve the overall impact by still keeping the transients intact;
• Added Mid-Side processing, with a duplication of the interface to separately compress
both the mono and stereo components of the signal using different settings.


• EQ495, a very popular equalizer found in one of the most acclaimed vinyl transfer consoles from the
‘70s through to ‘90s.


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OVERLOUD GEMS


Notable features:
• Top quality and faithful modeling, to let you reproduce exactly the same tones as the real
gear with no compromises;
• Super musical EQ curves, providing a unique tone not available on any other channel EQ.


• TAPEDESK, another meticulous reproduction of the first microprocessor-controlled tape machine

from the late ‘70s. And including models of three different history-making mixing consoles from
the annals of analog recording: the same ones behind an endless number of world-class rock and
pop hits from those years. Combinations still very appreciated today for the character of their mic-
pre transformers and warm tape saturation.



Notable features:
• Includes the models of three different mixing consoles in order to reproduce the whole sig-
nal path just as in the real world, where console channel strips definitely play their role in
the final sound along with interactions with the tape machine itself;
• CPU load so low that you can use many instances, just as you would do in the real world:
where individual console channels are recorded across multiple tracks on tape; and then,
during playback, each track is summed through distinct mix channels back on the con-
sole.


• EQ84, an iconic mic preamp and EQ module providing fat, smooth sounds.



Notable features:
• Offers an additional mid range EQ band to improve flexibility;
• Original stepped knobs replaced by fully variable knobs to get smooth response and ac-
cess to intermediate values; but still with “snapping” to the original static values;
• Cue listen feature available for each EQ filter, to easily understand what frequencies a
band is processing.


• DOPAMINE, a model of another couple of ‘70s-‘90s ubiquitous equipments originally designed to en-
code and decode sound for noise reduction, but then was used to only encode signals for the sur-
prising effect of “reviving” sounds with improved brilliance and clarity without overdoing it.



Notable features:
• Two different module cards available for both generic and vocal sound processing;
• Enhances the signal without adding artificial harmonics as an exciter typically does.


• EQ550, modeled after a renowned American EQ created with custom op-amps, it has become fa-
mous thanks to its unique Proportional-Q design, meaning that the bandwidth of the filters be-
comes narrow when the gain of the filter increases.



Notable features:
• Unique Proportional-Q design, meaning that the bandwidth of the filters becomes narrow
when the gain of the filter increases.

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OVERLOUD GEMS

MENU BAR
All OVERLOUD GEMS have a menu bar at the top. The menu bar identical across all Gems, and im-
plements the same set of functions. Here is the description of this global menu bar.

POWER - Turns the “power” on or off for the Gem. This control actually works as a bypass: when it is
set to off, the plugin transfers the input channel signal unaltered to the output.
PRESETS - The presets area includes four controls: left and right scroll buttons, the preset name
box, and the drop-down list button. Each Gem can store an infinite number of presets. You can
scroll through them sequentially with the left/right (previous/next) buttons, or by clicking the
drop down list button which will list the presets, allowing you to scroll the list interactively and
load a preset with a mouse click.
SAVE/SAVE AS - When you have edited the cur- When you load a preset, its name appears in the preset name
rent preset, you can store it in the preset box. As soon as you change a preset after loading, you will see a
database with the SAVE button. If, instead, you dot next to the preset name; this dot indicates that the preset has
want to duplicate it you can press SAVE AS changed. If you try to load a new preset after editing the current
and type a new name for the copy of the pre- one, you will be prompted for confirmation that your real inten-
set. tion is to load the new preset and lose your changes.
A/B COMPARISON - The A and B buttons allow you
to compare two sets of settings for the Gem. The version you are currently editing is the one
highlighted in red, and you can switch to the counterpart by clicking the other button. You can
copy the selected setting to the other one with the arrow button in between.
UNDO/REDO - Each user action done inside the Gem is stored into an internal list. You can reverse
these actions one step at a time to restore a previous setting. And even to redo the undone steps
if you feel you went too far backwards.

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OVERLOUD GEMS COMP76

COMP76
COMP76 is a top quality FET compressor modeled after one of the most popular hardware com-
pressor units. It fits well on a whole mix, but its best application is on a single instrument or voice
track.

This diagram shows how the COMP76 processing blocks are connected and work together. The heart of
the processing is the GAIN REDUCTION section, where limiting and compression are performed. The INPUT
stage attenuates the input signal by means of the INPUT control. Gain Reduction and Attack and Re-
lease times are controlled by the GAIN REDUCTION CONTROL section. Next comes the PRE AMP section where
the level of the processed signal is boosted. The resulting signal is then mixed with a portion of the
INPUT signal to implement the Parallel Compression. Lastly, the OUTPUT AMP section adjusts the overall
final level.

PARALLEL - Sets the balance between DRY and When a short attack time is set, gain reduction happens immedi-
COMP (processed) sounds. This is commonly ately catching transient signals and reducing their level.
called Parallel Compression. The audible result is to soften the sound. Longer attack times let
INPUT - Adjusts the level of the input signal and short transients pass before the limiting begins.
the threshold. Higher levels correspond to in-
creased amounts of limiting or compression.
OUTPUT - Adjusts the final output level. Once you find the right amount of compression with the
Input control, you can use the Output control to compensate any possible gain reduction.

To set the output level press the OUT button and turn the OUTPUT knob as required.
ATTACK - Sets the time it takes the COMP76 to react to a peak of the input signal with gain reduc-
tion. The attack time ranges from 20 microseconds to 800 microseconds with the fastest attack
time corresponding to the full counterclockwise position of the knob.

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OVERLOUD GEMS COMP76
RELEASE - Sets the time it takes the COMP76 to return to its no gain reduction state. The release time
ranges from 50 milliseconds to 1100 milliseconds with the fastest release time corresponding to
the full counterclockwise position of the knob.
RATIO - Selects how hard the gain reduction is When the ALL setting is selected, a super compression is applied.
applied. Each setting corresponds to how The attack time gets delayed, so the perceived distortion on tran-
many input decibels will correspond to 1 dB sients is significantly increased. Attack and release times, as well
increase in the output level. For example, a as bias levels, do change with this setting, depending on the
ratio of 4:1 makes the output level increase by input signal’s shape and level.
1 dB when there is an increase of up to 4
decibels in the loudness of the input signal.
Higher settings of the ratio control let the COMP76 work more as a limiter than as a compressor,
which means that limiting the input level to the bias amount is predominant respective to com-
pressing the input signal dynamics.

STEREO - MID/SIDE - Switches between the two working modes of the COMP76. The normal mode is
STEREO, where the unit processes the two stereo channels. When in MID/SIDE mode, the stereo
signal is split into mid and side portions, where the mid portion is the center, mono part of the
stereo image – while the side portion is the outside: the left and right sides of the stereo image.
When COMP76 is in MID/SIDE mode, these two components of the input signal are processed sep-
arately. The upper interface, as you can see below the meter, works on MID, while the lower one
works on SIDE.

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OVERLOUD GEMS EQ495

EQ495
EQ495 is a high fidelity equalizer modeled after one of the best German mixer’s channel strip EQ.
Its typical usage is as bus or mastering EQ, but it also works very well as an insert effect.

INPUT - Adjusts the level of the input signal.

HIGH PASS - Optionally sets a limit to the lower spectrum of frequencies.
LOW PASS - Optionally sets a limit to the higher spectrum of frequencies.
OUTPUT - Adjusts the level of the output signal. When the EQ495 settings are cutting away much of
the original signal, you can use this to bring the level up again to a normal amount.
BASS Hz - Selects the frequency to attenuate or emphasize.
BASS dB - Adjusts the amount of boost or reduction to apply to the selected bass frequency.
MID Hz - Selects the frequency to attenuate or emphasize.
MID dB - Adjusts the amount of boost or reduction to apply to the selected mid frequency.
MID BANDWIDTH - Selects the mid filter bandwidth from three ranges: narrow, middle and broad.
HIGH Hz - Selects the frequency to attenuate or emphasize.
HIGH dB - Adjusts the amount of boost or reduction to apply to the selected high frequency.

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OVERLOUD GEMS TAPEDESK

TAPEDESK
TAPEDESK is the modeling of a full analog signal flow using simulations of both professional tape
recorder and a console bus.

The graphic interface has three areas: the console input channel on the left side, the tape simula-
tor in the middle, and the console mix bus on the right side. The signal path begins at the input
channel, travels through the tape machine,
and then ends up at the mix channel. The next You may notice that the console and the tape machine have in-
chapter includes a diagram and explains why dependent power switches. This means that you can use each
we joined the console channels with a tape component by itself, if you prefer.
machine. But, in a few words, this is the setup
necessary to have the most accurately modeled analog reproduction, with the same warm
sound you have with real instruments.

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OVERLOUD GEMS TAPEDESK

TAPEDESK DESIGN
When recording and mixing in the analog domain, the input signal enters into the preamp stage
of the console channel, and then is sent to the tape recorder. When the tape is played back, the
signal reaches the console again and then is summed in the analog mix bus.

TAPEDESK simulates this complete signal flow in order to recreate the tonal characteristics of the
original analog mixing process.
Since in the analog world a tape machine is always physically connected to a console, if you want
to replicate the warm tones of an analog mixing workflow, you need to simulate the tape ma-
chine, the console, and the interactions between the two. This is what TAPEDESK is designed to do.
TAPEDESK uses the best of Overloud’s DSP technology to emulate the complete signal path of
three different legendary analog consoles: the ones used every day in the last 20 years of audio
production to create thousands of hits by the world’s finest studios.
The 2-inch 24 track tape machine emulation lets you control any working parameter, from tape
speed to biasing, in order to recreate any desired classic analog tone.
Of course in the virtual world of plugins, the sound path described above can be reproduced us-
ing many separate plugins strung together as a chain of effects. TAPEDESK simplifies all these steps
by letting you insert the plugin on your track and enjoying the experience of analog mixing.

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OVERLOUD GEMS TAPEDESK

TAPEDESK SOUND
The original purpose of the tape recorder was to provide a transparent solution to store and re-
produce audio.
But at the time these early tape machines were developed, the latest technology still had specific
limitations which greatly influenced the quality of the sound reproduced while playing it back
from tape. Tape noise and saturation, modulation noise, harmonic distortion, phase shift and
non-linear frequency response are just a few of the examples of how the recorded audio was
quite far from the unchanged playback they intended.
For these reasons analog recording was superseded by digital technology.
But, the over-all tape-based recording and reproduction process, with all its intrinsic limitations,
conferred a pleasing character to the resulting sound.
If we described the way the sound changed using a few simple words (even with some margin of
subjectivity kept in account), we would talk about an increase in the amount and clarity of the
harmonic content, as if those frequencies were brought into better focus.
From this perspective, what here in the digital age is generally taken as a quite limited sound
processing, has turned out to be quite desirable. Digital audio has been described by many as
being cold and wet, while analog processing is considered as sounding warm and musical.
So this is the kind of sound that you can expect from TAPEDESK processing. And its parameters do
allow ranging from slight sound corrections and trimmings, all the way to dramatic saturation
and tape noise. The initial default preset settings provide an accurate and detailed model of all
the components of the TAPE DESK signal chain.

TAPEDESK IN THE DAILY WORK

One of the most powerful features of TAPEDESK is that it is very light on the underlying computer
system, so you can feel free to assign it to a sub-mix bus as well as to individual tracks.
Use TAPEDESK whenever you need a clearer and warmer sound. Use it with single instruments, en-
sembles, drum sets and orchestras. And don’t forget the mastering stage, where TAPEDESK may
quickly become indispensable.

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OVERLOUD GEMS TAPEDESK

TAPEDESK CONTROLS AND PARAMETERS

VU METERS - TAPEDESK has three Meters: two from the mixer and one in the tape machine. All three
can be switched between VU or PPM modes.
PPM mode shows peaks because it works with instantaneous levels of the measured signal, so
you would expect to see the needle moving a lot while following the waveform of the processed
audio. PPM meters are used while adjusting
the recording level of an analog machine, so You can use the tape machine VU meter to control how much you
that the audio won’t saturate the input stage are saturating the tape. The mix VU meter lets you adjust the
and let it introduce undesired distortion. TAPEDESK output level to keep it close to the input level visible on
VU mode shows the perceived loudness of the the input VU meter.
signal, which is a complex but standard and
well defined way to show signal levels, focusing more on a kind of “resulting average” level. This
setting for a meter reflects more the perceived loudness of measured audio material.
Since both modes are useful in evaluating the characteristics of the processed audio, we support
them both.
A last point is about how these digital meters are configured, they are calibrated to show a level
of 0 VU when fed by a 1 KHz sine wave with a peak level of -14 dBFS. This is the factory setting for
meters. You can change this calibration from the Preferences (see chapter PREFERENCES).
INPUT & MIX - Input trims the signal level on the console bus input channel by also controlling how
much the console’s typical sound will take part in the audio processing. Mix adjusts the level of
the console bus output channel and it works as a level control.
MIC PRE - Enables the mic-pre transformer emulation.
TOLERANCES - Adds a certain amount of drift to the console modeling, to emulate the original’s dis-
crete component tolerances. It’s important to note that having TAPEDESK loaded in a project with
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OVERLOUD GEMS TAPEDESK
TOLERANCES enabled, that the internal amounts of drift will be preserved when saving and
restoring the project.
CONSOLE MODEL - You can switch the console emulation between three available models: S4000,
N80, and T88. The features are the same for all, but of course each console has its own character-
istic timbre.
S4000 is a very famous mixing console, with a clean, wide and somewhat aggressive kind of
character that made it the first choice for high gain rock, metal and pop music.
N80 is another very popular console, with a rich, warm sound which can give your mix some
classic vibe.
T88 is a particularly sought-after console, with a thick, fat tone and a renowned personality due
to its midrange push.
TAPE SPEED - Three speeds are available: 30, 15 and 7.5 inches per second. Low speed provides bet-
ter low frequency response, but with some loss in the higher frequencies. Higher speeds re-
sponse is more full range but with slightly less low end.
REC & PLAYBACK LEVEL - REC LEVEL adjusts the sound level before the virtual recording head, and
includes tube circuitry, mic-pre transformer and saturation. PLAYBACK LEVEL adjusts the sound
level after the virtual playback head, and includes the effects of tape speed, bias, wow & flutter,
and noise (as well as, indirectly, mic-pre transformer modeling and saturation).
BIAS - In the original machine, the bias control was an adjustment which added an ultrasonic sig-
nal in order to reduce some limitations of the magnetic heads. This practice has been popular-
ized over the years because adding bias, even at higher ranges, allowed many engineers to get a
better sound. The tape machine modeling of TAPEDESK provides two settings for bias: NORM for
nominal bias and OVER for a +3 dB overbias.
WOW & FLUTTER - These two words describe fluctuations and modulation in the playback speed
and frequency response, caused by the mechanical parts of the tape itself. Even if those ma-
chines were designed to minimize wow and flutter, these effects have become part of what we
refer to when we have to do with an analog tape. Adding more wow & flutter makes the sound
rougher and worn.

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OVERLOUD GEMS EQ84

EQ84
EQ84 is modeled after a masterpiece British EQ of the recent past. It has great character and per-
sonality with its biting and aggressive vibe, which gives the sound great clarity and presence.

The graphic interface includes the red input gain knob on the left, then four vertical pairs of
black knobs and buttons to control frequencies and bands, and then two blue knobs for high
and low pass filters. Finally two more buttons on the right side to switch the EQ section on/off
and invert the signal phase.
INPUT GAIN - The red knob controls the input gain using double range: MIC and LINE. Both ranges
go from –12 dB to +12 dB, but the mic range also adds the modeling of the mic-preamp trans-
former and saturation.
HIGH SHELF BAND - Adjusts the high frequency with a variable control ranging from 10  kHz to
16 kHz (lower knob), and the level with a variable control ranging from –16 dB to +16 dB (upper
knob).
The ON button enables/disables the high fre- The original hardware only allowed fixed preset values for all
quency processing, while CUE does some- frequency controls. EQ84 has smooth variable controls instead,
thing almost the opposite, allowing you to to with “magnetic snaps” corresponding to the original switch steps.
sort of “solo”, the frequency setting, to hear When those “preset” frequencies are selected, the modeling is
which frequencies is controlling. faithful to the original. EQ84, however, lets you smoothly access
MID BAND 1 - Adjusts one of the two available all intermediate values as well, to accomodate a far wider range
mid band frequencies with a variable 0.35 kHz of settings.
to 7.2  kHz control and a variable -16  dB to
+16 dB control. Here too there are ON and CUE buttons to enable/disable the mid band and to
cue the mid band respectively. Hi Q switches the bandwidth of the mid frequency filter using a
narrower range when on.
MID BAND 2 - Another mid band, exactly the same as MID BAND 1.
LOW SHELF BAND - Adjusts the low frequency with a variable control ranging from 35 Hz to 220 Hz,
and the level with a variable control ranging from –16 dB to +16 dB. ON and CUE buttons are
present here, too.

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OVERLOUD GEMS EQ84
HIGH PASS - Sets the high pass frequency from 45 Hz to 360 Hz, cutting off lower frequencies with
a 18 dB per octave slope filter. The BY button bypasses the filter.
LOW PASS - Sets the low pass frequency from 6 kHz to 18 kHz, cutting off higher frequencies with
an 18 dB per octave slope filter. The BY button bypasses the filter.
PHASE - Inverts the phase of the output by 180°.
EQL - Includes/excludes the EQ section from the audio processing. When excluded, all EQ filters
will be bypassed, but the mic-pre transformer and saturation will still be present (if the Mic range
is selected with the input gain control), or if it is set to Line range, it still gives slight color to the
processed sound. To completely bypass the plugin you can turn it off with the bypass control on
the left corner of the top bar.
OUTPUT - Adjusts the output level ranging from 16 dB to +16 dB with central zero.

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OVERLOUD GEMS DOPAMINE

DOPAMINE
DOPAMINE is a particular kind of enhancer. It works by taking advantage of a technique originally
used in early forms of on magnetic tapes noise reduction, where the tape was encoded by dy-
namically brightening the signal. Then, while playing back, the tape was decoded by taking off
the extra brightness and, consequently, reducing the the tape hiss.
After a while, audio engineers realized that the tape encoding process of these noise reduction
units was a desirable effect on certain kind of audio content like vocals, drums and even com-
plete mixes. So they started to use this process in parallel with the original tracks to add liveli-
ness.
This process has been replicated into DOPAMINE. The name itself recalls the organic chemical that’s
used to revive your brain and body because this processor does the same thing to your audio
tracks.

MODEL - Two models are available: 361 and 180. Both of them correspond to very popular ma-
chines that were used in the “encode only” mode described above to achieve extra brightness.
DRY - Adjusts the amount of unprocessed sound which is transferred to the output.
WET - Adjusts the amount of processed sound which will be mixed with the DRY signal.
COMP - Controls the dynamics of DOPAMINE by adjusting the amount of variation, based on the in-
tensity of the input signal.
LEVEL - Adjusts the output level up to ±15 dB. It is especially useful in A/B comparisons to obtain
equal levels.
MODULE CARD (361 only) - The original equipment consisted of a main unit and several special-pur-
pose module cards. DOPAMINE modeling includes two of them: the A-TYPE and the NOISE STRES-
SOR.
A-TYPE is the generic one for standard noise reduction.
NOISE STRESSOR is specially tailored for vocals, as its action is more focused on the mid/low
range of frequencies.
EFFECT METER (180 only) - This meter shows in real time how much the processing is adding to the
audio, so you can have a visual indication of the amount of effect you are applying to the signal.

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OVERLOUD GEMS DOPAMINE

WHEN TO USE DOPAMINE

When tracks in your project seem to lack presence and aren’t cutting through the mix, or even if
they just sound weak, then it’s worth trying DOPAMINE. You will appreciate how vocals will get ex-
tra definition and brilliance, without being overdone.
Basically, DOPAMINE is a dynamic equalizer, and the opposite to exciters, as there are no added
harmonics. That is the great advantage of this processor: it only uses harmonics that naturally
exist in the original tracks. In the opposite manner, exciters generate non-existent harmonics by
synthesizing them and often they end up adding unnatural and inharmonic frequencies due to
intermodulation.

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OVERLOUD GEMS

SCULPTUBE
The SCULPTUBE is a processor which adds valve-produced harmonics.
It creates an authentic tube coloration which ranges from slightly warmed-up tones to heavy
distortions thanks to its hyper-realistic tube warming and distortion simulation.
You can use the SCULPTUBE in many different ways. Three good examples are: Warm-Up, Distort
and Excite, which you can obtain as follows:
WARM-UP: With mild Drive settings you can recreate an authentic analog coloration on individual
tracks or mixes.
DISTORT: The SCULPTUBE can be used to overdrive the input and reproduce different kinds of tube
distortions, including Triode and Pentode responses.
EXCITE: Thanks to its built-in EQ and parallel processor you can revive the tracks by adding natural
harmonics to the high-end.

OVERDRIVE - Adds 20dB of extra gain to the distortion valve. When switched off the processor pro-
duces a gentle saturation: if switched on, highly distorted tones can be obtained.
DRIVE - Controls the amount of gain added to the input signal.
LINK - When LINK is switched on, the DRIVE and BIAS knobs are linked together. In fact, raising the
BIAS current the SCULPTUBE valve reduces its own gain, so it makes sense to compensate this lack
of gain by raising the DRIVE knob at the same time.
BIAS - Controls the amount of current through the tubes. At lower currents the tubes are under-
biased and the sound is inclined to be thinner and breaks up easily. At medium current settings
the SCULPTUBE distorts least, and this is the typical setting for just warming up a sound. At higher
currents the tubes are over-fed and the tone becomes quite fat and harmonically rich.
DISTORTION TYPE P0 (Triode) - Reproduces the typical musical effect obtained with triode valves, with
very rich 2nd harmonic distortion. Good for warming up a sound.
DISTORTION TYPE P1 (Pentode) - Pentode type distortion, with prevailing odd harmonics, which make
the sound more aggressive while retaining the valve character.
DISTORTION TYPE P2 (Special) - Is obtained with a pretty unusual way of configuring pentode valve,
which gives an extra octave at higher bias kind of response.
HIGH PASS - Controls a high pass (low cut) filter after the distortion valve. If set to OFF, the high pass
filter is bypassed. If set to 1KHz or 4KHz, it cuts the frequencies under the specified frequency
with a 6dB/oct rolloff. This filter can be used to keep just the harmonic content generated by the
valve and configure the processor as an exciter by mixing these harmonics with the Direct tone.
LOW PASS - Controls a low pass (high cut) filter after the distortion valve. If set to OFF, the low pass
filter is bypassed. If set to 9KHz or 6KHz, it cuts the frequencies over the specified frequency with
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OVERLOUD GEMS
a 12dB/oct rolloff. It can be used to remove some of the extra harmonics of the distortion valve
and make the tone warmer.
PARALLEL - Sets the balance between DRY and WET (processed) sounds, and allows to make paral-
lel distortion.
VOLUME - Controls the volume of the output signal.

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OVERLOUD GEMS

EQ550
EQ550 is modeled after a renowned American EQ created with custom op-amps. It has become
famous thanks to its unique Proportional-Q design, meaning that the bandwidth of the filters
becomes narrow when the gain of the filter increases. For low gain settings the EQ delivers a
smoother tone: its character becomes more and more aggressive when the bands gain band is
raised. This design makes the EQ550 unique.

INPUT GAIN - This knob controls the input gain. It ranges from –15 dB to +15 dB.
HARMONICS - Indicates the amount of harmonics introduced by non linear components of the
model like transformers and custom vintage op-amps.
L/F - Low frequency PEAK/SHELF switch. Shelf mode when the button is lit.
LOW BAND - Adjusts the low band frequency ranging from 50 Hz to 400  Hz, and its level with a
variable control ranging from –12 dB to +12 dB.
The ON button enables/disables the band processing, while CUE does something almost the
opposite, allowing you to sort of “solo” the frequency setting, and hear which frequencies the
band is controlling.
MID BAND 1 - Adjusts the first mid band frequency ranging from 400 Hz to 5 kHz, and its level with
a variable control ranging from –12 dB to +12 dB.
The ON button enables/disables the band processing, while CUE does something almost the
opposite, allowing you to sort of “solo” the frequency setting, and hear which frequencies the
band is controlling.
MID BAND 2 - An additional mid band, exactly the same as MID BAND 1.
HIGH BAND - Adjusts the high band frequency ranging from 5 kHz to 15 kHz, and its level ranging
from –12 dB to +12 dB.
The ON button enables/disables the band processing, while CUE does something almost the
opposite, allowing you to sort of “solo” the frequency setting, and hear which frequencies the
band is controlling.
H/F - High frequency PEAK/SHELF switch. Shelf mode set when the button is lit.
OUTPUT - Adjusts the output level ranging from 15 dB to +15 dB with central zero.
FILTER -50 Hz to 15 kHz band-pass filter.


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SCRIBBLES
In the real world, when you operate on multiple machines with several channel strips, panels and
control surfaces, you can have the need to note things around, adding labels, tape bends, de-
scribing what is where, so that you can easily recognise them while doing your work.
In a computer’s display something similar can easily happen when your project turns into some-
thing bigger than as usual, with more and more windows of instances of plugins overlapped all
around the screen.
Since the Gems are reproductions of real gears, we decided to add them the support for labels,
that we have called Scribbles.
Scribbles can be sticked to Gem interfaces very easily. Just select Add Scribble from the popup
menu that you’ll see by clicking the button on the right side of the menu bar. A new Scribble will
appear. Type in a text for it and confirm.

Scribbles can be customised to fit your needs. You can edit the scribble text and change its size
by right clicking it and selecting the appropriate commands from the popup menu.

The same menu can be used to duplicate the scribble in case you need more copies on your in-
terface. And of course you can delete the scribble if you don’t need it anymore.

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Here following is how a Gem interface with scribbles could look.

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PREFERENCES
Each Gem has its own set of preferences to be set to customise its specific behaviour.
The following three settings are allowable in all Gems:
Ask confirmation when losing unsaved changes
Ask confirmation when overwriting another preset
Show scribbles
These are related respectively to: asking for a confirmation when you are about to lose changes
that you haven’t saved yet (i.e. if you load a preset after you changed the current one), asking a
confirmation when you are about to replace a preset by saving another one over it. And to show/
hide the scribbles.

Gems which have meters have an additional Preferences setting to select

the meter calibration.
Gems meters are calibrated to show a level of 0 VU when fed by a 1 KHz
sine wave with a peak level of -14 dBFS, which is the factory calibration.
You can select one from a list of four: -8, -14, -18 and -21 dBFS.

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OVERLOUD GEMS

LEGAL NOTICE
All product names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners, and are in no way
associated or affiliated with Overloud.
Product names and visuals are used solely for the purpose of identifying the specific source
products that have been used as the basis for custom Overloud digital audio processing devel-
opment, and to describe the types of tones produced by the Overloud products.
Any reference to these names or visuals does not imply any collaboration, cooperation affiliation,
or endorsement. All rights reserved.

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