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  TKK VOCAL  Ver. 1.00
  Tonal Kinetic Kernel / kuon audio

  One knob. A finished vocal.
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  macOS   : AU / VST3   (macOS 11 or later, Apple Silicon & Intel)
  Windows : VST3        (Windows 10 or later, 64-bit)
  Latency : 47.2 ms     (reported to the host and compensated automatically)

  Free. If it doesn't suit your voice, just delete it.


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 1. What it is
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The groundwork for finishing one vocal track, frozen into a single knob.

The only thing you decide is

      "how hard to push"

— one dimension. The time you would spend building a chain goes back
into the song.

Insert it on each vocal track, not on a bus.


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 2. How to use it (3 steps)
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 [1] Insert it on the vocal track.

 [2] Turn the knob while watching the INPUT meter.

     In the loudest part of the song, bring the level into the blue-white
     band on the scale. That band is the level this chain was tuned at.

 [3] Then decide by ear.

     Too dense: turn left.  Not enough: turn right.
     The band is a starting point, not a rule.


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 3. The interface
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 * The big knob in the centre

     The only knob. It sets how hard the chain is pushed.
     Alt (Option) + click resets it. Double-click to type a value.

 * RESONANCE (left)

     ON / OFF     Tames harsh, ringing frequencies. Leave it ON as a rule.
     DELTA        Listen ONLY to what is being removed. For checking;
                  keep it OFF in normal use.
     Fader        Amount. 100 % is the default. Lower it if the source is
                  already well behaved.

 * EXCITING (top right)

     ON  = brighter, more forward
     OFF = plain, calmer

     Neither is "correct". Pick what fits the song.

 * LOW CPU (top right)

     Lowers the load with almost no change in sound. Use it on heavy
     sessions. Latency does not change (difference under 0.1 ms).

 * Readouts (right)

     INPUT     Incoming level. The blue-white band is the reference.
     OUTPUT    Outgoing level.
     GR        How much gain is being reduced.
     CREST     Crest factor, in -> out. Shows how much the dynamics
               were evened out.
     TILT      Spectral tilt. Lower numbers = calmer tone.
     DE-ESS    How much sibilance is being reduced.
     LATENCY   Delay. The host compensates for it.

 * ANALYZER (bottom)

     Expands the window and overlays the input and output spectra.
     Thin line = input, solid line = output.


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 4. Microphones it was tuned for
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Tuned around condenser mics commonly used for home vocal recording:

     AT2020 / C214 / OC18 / TLM102  and similar

With very bright mics (C800G, 540-series and the like) the top end can
become too much. Add an EQ after the plugin and pull a high shelf down.


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 5. System requirements
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     macOS 11 or later (Apple Silicon / Intel)   AU / VST3
     Windows 10 or later (64-bit)                VST3

The Windows build does not need the Visual C++ redistributable.


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 6. About the latency
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The plugin adds 47.2 ms of delay. The host compensates for it, so playback
and bounces stay in time.

Do NOT monitor through it while recording: you will hear your own voice
late. Bypass it while tracking, or use your interface's direct monitoring.


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 7. Installation
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IMPORTANT: The installers are not code-signed, so your OS will warn you
           on first launch. The warning means "the developer has not
           registered an identity", not that the file is harmful.
           If that makes you uncomfortable, don't install it.

== macOS ==

  1. Right-click (Control-click) TKK_VOCAL_Installer.pkg and choose "Open".

  2. If you see "cannot verify the developer", click "Open" again.

  3. If it still won't open:
       System Settings -> Privacy & Security -> scroll down
       -> "TKK_VOCAL_Installer.pkg was blocked..." -> "Open Anyway".

  4. Install locations (automatic):
       AU   : /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/TKK VOCAL.component
       VST3 : /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/TKK VOCAL.vst3

  5. Start your DAW and rescan plugins.

  * If the plugin does not appear, run these in Terminal (they remove the
    quarantine flag added on download), then rescan:

       xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/TKK VOCAL.vst3"
       xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/TKK VOCAL.component"

== Windows ==

  1. Run TKK_VOCAL_Setup.exe.

  2. If "Windows protected your PC" appears, click "More info" -> "Run anyway".

  3. Allow the administrator prompt.

  4. Install location (automatic):
       C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\TKK VOCAL.vst3

  5. Start your DAW and rescan plugins.


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 8. Uninstall
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== macOS ==   Delete these two (administrator password required):

       /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/TKK VOCAL.component
       /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/TKK VOCAL.vst3

== Windows ==  Settings -> Apps -> "TKK VOCAL" -> Uninstall


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 9. Troubleshooting
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 * Not showing up in the DAW
     Rescan. On macOS, if the AU does not appear, quit the DAW, run
       killall -9 AudioComponentRegistrar
     in Terminal, and start the DAW again.

 * The sound is late
     Are you monitoring through it while recording? See section 6.

 * The voice sounds squashed or pushed back
     The knob is too far right. Bring INPUT back into the blue-white band.


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 kuon audio
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