WT-800 Hybrid Bass Guitar Amplifier

Rev. Mar 17, 2017

Softube User Manual
© 2007-2017. Amp Room, Softube are a registered trademarks of Softube AB, Sweden. Rock n’ Roll Scientists is a trademark of
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Acknowledgements and Licenses

zlib.h interface of the ‘zlib’ general purpose compression library version 1.2.8, April 28th, 2013. Copyright © 1995-2013 Jean-
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Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this manual is accurate. However, there are a chance that we have made
mistakes, and we hope that you understand that we are only humans. Please let us know about the mistake, and we’ll fix it in the mix
(or in the next version of this manual).

Support
On the Softube website (www.softube.com) you will find answers to common questions (FAQ) and other
topics that might interest you.
Support questions can be posted at http://www.softube.com, where we will help you as fast as we can!
Web: www.softube.com
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Phone: +46 13 21 1623 (9 am – 5 pm CET)
 SOFTUBE USER’S GUIDE  | iii

Contents

1 Eden WT-800 Bass Amplifier 5

User Interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Cabinets and Microphones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Meters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Mono and Stereo Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Credits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

2 General Settings 19
Menu Row. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Key Commands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
  | 5

1 Eden WT-800 Bass

Amplifier
Modern music production is all about the bass. Whether
it’s a Moog synth line, a throbbing EDM rhythm or a poetic fretless
bass, you need a solid and clean low end. The Eden WT-800 Bass
Amplifier is the ultimate bass recording tool for producers and bass
players alike.
Eden’s flagship bass amplifier WT-800 is heralded as one of the all-
time bass amps. Every detail has been fine-tuned for bass. The WT-
800 plug-in does not only deliver the powerful and present sound of
Eden’s high-end bass amp. It also includes models of Eden’s top of the
line 4x10" and 1x15" cabinets, mic'd with four high-end studio micro-
6 |  EDEN WT-800 BASS AMPLIFIER

phones each. The mics were selected and positioned

by producer and bass player Troy Antunes, known
Amplifier Parameters
for his work with Justin Timberlake, NSYNC and
Al Green. Troy Antunes has also provided some Gain Adjust input gain to the am-
expertly designed presets. Unlike vintage style bass plifier. Set it so that the green
amps, Eden WT-800 delivers a modern, dynamic, light is blinking when you're
and rock solid bass sound, flexible enough to be playing.
used for R’n’B, hip-hop, metal or jazz.
Eden WT-800 extends beyond a bass amp model— Enhance The magic of Eden. This is a
it’s a fully featured tool for any bass instrument modern bass sound with the
recording. Don’t limit yourself to only using it with twist of a single knob. It's usu-
bass guitars—it adds weight and focus to synth ally the first thing you adjust.
basses as well.
The WT-800 plug-in is Unison ready for ultimate Bass, Treble If you find a three band para-
authenticity when recording through a UA Apollo metric EQ a bit much for a
interface. bass amp, start with the Bass
and Treble. They work just as
High fidelity for low frequency.
you would expect.
Simple as that.
The Bass is a type of shelving
filter at around 100 Hz. Treble
User Interface is a high shelving with center
frequency at 4 kHz.
If you are familiar with Softube's Marshall plug-
ins, you'll recognize the hidden channel strip panel
at the right. Click and drag the amp to the left, or Low Gain/Frequency
click on the panel edge to reveal the channel strip. Mid Gain/Frequency
High Gain/Frequency A three band parametric
equalizer; enhance the mid,

Amplifier Amplifier Channel

Click side bar, or click Strip
and drag the amp, to
reveal the channel
strip
 SOFTUBE USER’S GUIDE  | 7

Gain Gain Bass Compressor Master Crossover, On/Off Open

Low Gain/Frequency Bi-Amp Mode Channel
Mid Gain/Frequency Treble Strip
High Gain/Frequency

tailor the highs or tame the

low end. Master Main volume. Use this as
the primary, overall, output
Compressor One knob compressor with a volume knob.
punchy attack and fat release.
This compressor will add more Crossover,
punch and attack to your Bi-Amp Mode In Bi-Amp Mode, the output
tone, rather than destroy the from the amp is split up
transients. If you play with a into a low frequency and a
soft touch you'll get a looong high frequency part with the
sustain with a bit of compres- crossover frequency set by
sor dialed in. The Input Gain the Crossover knob. The low
will also affect the amount of frequency signal is fed to the
compression, so a higher input 1x15" cabinet, and the high
gain will lead to more com- frequency signal to the 4x10".
pression. With Bi-Amp Mode engaged,
you can get a very clear and
G.R. LED The gain reduction LED lights solid mid-range.
up when the compressor is
limiting the output volume.
8 |  EDEN WT-800 BASS AMPLIFIER

Mic Selection Mic Selection Tweeter Level

1x15" 4x10" 4x10"
Clip LED

Phase Invert
On/Off

Level and channel

meters

Channel Strip Parameters mic to use with these two col-

umns with four radio buttons.
The channel strip consists of three channels: the mic For more information regard-
on the bassy 1x15" cabinet, the mic in front of the ing the microphones, see the
brighter and more well-balanced 4x10" cabinet as section below.
well as audio direct from the amplifier. This is not
the signal from one of the original WT-800's built-
Phase Invert
in direct outputs, but an output taken from the end
(all channels) Phase inverts the audio on
of the amplifier; after the Master Volume.
that channel. Keep in mind,
there is no "correct" phase
Mic Selection when it comes to bass. Flip the
(only 1x15" and phase and see what happens.
4x10" channels) Both the 1x15" and 4x10" If you like the sound, keep it,
cabinet has a selection of four otherwise flip it again.
different mics. Select which
 SOFTUBE USER’S GUIDE  | 9

In Meters,
(all channels) Turn on the audio on that Clip LED The channel meters show the
channel. peak levels of each channel.
The Clip LED at the top right
lights up when the output
Level signal exceeds 0 dB.
(all channels) Set the level of the respective
channel.
Cabinets and Microphones
Tweeter Level How do I get a clear and uncolored tone with lots
(only 4x10" channel) Turn up for more high of headroom? That was the question that started
frequencies from the 4x10" Eden's quest for the perfect bass cab. They started
cabinet. The 4x10" has a built- building bass cabinets in the late 70s and their
in tweeter, with a level control designs quickly became an industry standard for
on the back. This knob adjusts touring musicians. Since you didn't have to trade
that level. low end with clarity anymore, it's no wonder that it
became a success.

Troy Antunes during the Kore

Studios sessions.
10 |  EDEN WT-800 BASS AMPLIFIER

The cabinets we chose to include in the Eden WT-

800 plug-in are the cabinets most associated with
that amp: the D410XLT and D115XLT.

The 4x10"
The D410XLT has a 4x10" speaker layout and dual
ported design, and offers focused tone with excep-
tional low end. It is the perfect option when you
need to project your sound through the mix and
drive for ultimate lows.

The 1x15" Melodium Type R

The D115XLT is a tuned and ported professional

cabinet with a fast responding 15" speaker. It offers
a classic rounded tone with great detail and re-
sponse, coupled with a high temperature voice coil
and our Eden cast bell tweeter. It's the option for
players looking for a little more growl.

Microphones
Put three bass players in a room and there will be
heated and long discussion about mics. But thanks
to moderating non-bass players we managed to put
the differences aside and come up with a roster of
Setting up mics for the session.
five diverse and very different sounding mics.
The AKG D112 has a classic scooped-out sound
that just sounds right. Might feel a bit boring, but
it does the job. Electro Voice's RE20 is another
classic, with not as much of the lowest and highest
as the D-112, but a focused and warm midrange.
Neumann U 47 just has to be included. Full range,
sparkling highs, nice and balanced. Can't go wrong
there.
The final two mics are not studio classics for bass,
but completes the palette in a very nice way. Royer's
ribbon R-121 has a super smooth top, and tames
the 4x10" like nothing else. It's sounds both ag-
gressive and smooth at the same time (a passive/ The Royer R-121 and U 47
aggressive mic?). And last, but definitely not least:
the huge Melodium Type R ribbon mic is as big as
The real deal.

it sounds. Nothing sounds like that one. mono plug-in, but if you place a stereo instance of
the Eden WT-800 on a track, it will process both
George Apsion, owner of Kore Studios, and lucky
channels independently. You can thus use the stereo
owner of that particular mic says: "The Type R is a
version of Eden WT-800 as an effects processor on
secret weapon for bass. It's an old French ribbon mic
stereo sources, such as a stereo synth bass line or
dating from the early 1940s. We were lucky enough to
drum kit.
find one with the original ribbon intact and it has a
huge low bump in the frequency response. There can't
be many left out there, so it's a great feeling to hear it Presets
producing such immense sounds in a modern setting."
Many of the presets have a carefully tuned equal-
All cabinets and mics were recorded at Kore izer, sometimes to match a bass player, style, song or
Studios, London, UK, by Troy Antunes, Niklas tonestack of a vintage amp. When adjusting presets,
Odelholm, Kim Larsson and George Apsion. reach first for the Bass and Treble, Compressor,
Enhance, cabinets, and lastly the semi-parametric
Meters equalizer. Compressor settings depends a lot on
your input gain and bass, so it will always be neces-
The peak meters in the channel strip shows the sary to adjust the amount of compression to your
peak level of each individual loudspeaker or direct taste.
from the amp. Even if all three meters are below 0
dB, that won't guarantee that the combined level
is below 0 dB, since the sum of all can be higher. If
Credits
the Clip LED at the top right corner of the channel Kim Larsson – modeling, programming. Niklas
strip is lit, you'll definitely above 0 dB. Please note Odelholm – project management, sound design,
that the Eden WT-800 plug-in won't limit the au- graphic design, user manual. Arvid Rosén – ex-
dio level at 0 dB, but can output much louder audio tremely complicated Sharc related stuff. Björn
than that. So if you have a DAW that allows levels Rödseth – programming. Patrik Holmström –
above 0 dB, you don't have to bother too much programming. Paul Shyrinskykh – quality assur-
about the Clip LED. ance. Troy Antunes – sound design, presets. Jerker
Odelholm – presets. Ulf "Rockis" Ivarsson – pre-
Mono and Stereo Operation sets.Ulf Ekelöf – 3D modeling.

The Eden WT-800 is in its most basic form a

  | 13

2 General Settings

Softube plug-ins are “what you see is what you

get” products. You should be able to intuitively learn Enable Enable/Activate the plug-in.
the products within minutes, so that you can work Set to off for bypass.
fast and efficient with them. There are a couple of
things that remain the same for all of our plug-ins,
Setup Changes global options for all
such as the menu row. These will be explained in
instances of that plug-in.
this chapter. For detailed information of a particular
plug-in, please see its chapter.

Menu Row
In the bottom of the plug-in interface, you will
see a thin black row with some buttons. We’ll use
the Chandler Limiter Zener Limiter plug-in as an
example, but the same goes for all Softube plug-ins.
Enable
About Box Opens the “About” Box with When the Enable switch is set to on (I), the plug-
version info. in is active and will process audio. When set to off
(0), it will be bypassed and not process any audio.
Value Display Displays the knob value when
the mouse is hovering over a
control.

“About” Box Value Display Enable Setup

14 |  GENERAL SETTINGS

Setup Key Commands

In the Setup window you can change settings that All numbers and labels in the plug-in are clickable.
will affect all instances of that particular plug-in. If This allows you to easily select a setting by clicking
you, for example, de-select the “Show Value Dis- on the wanted value. Hovering above a label will
play” option in the plug-in, the value display will be turn the mouse pointer into a pointing hand.
off for all instances of that plug-in on your system
until you select that option again.
Mouse
The different options vary between Windows and
Mac, and also different formats and plug-ins. The
most common options are: Up/Down or
Mouse Wheel Change a parameter, such as a
Show Value Display: Enables the parameter and knob or a switch.
value display in the bottom row of the plug-in.
Reverse Mouse Wheel Direction: (Mac OS
Only) Changes if the a knob is turned up or down
Keyboard
when the mouse wheel is turned up or down. (Mac
OS Only) Fine Adjust ⌘ (Mac) or Ctrl (Win),
while changing the parameter
You need to restart your host software (DAW) before the value.
changes to fully take effect!
Reset to Default Alt, while clicking on the
If you messed something up and manually need to knob or fader.
set these options, you’ll find them in text format in
the following locations:
Link Parameters Shift, while clicking on a
Mac OS: ~/Library/Application Support/ button or a knob.
Softube
Some plug-ins have linked
Windows: username\Application Data\ parameters, such as the two
mics in Metal Amp Room, or
the Input and Output volume
in Zener Limiter. In order to
change both knobs at once,
adjust one of the knobs while
holding shift.
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