Mixer View

 The Mixer view gives you full control over the microphone positions available in the collections.

Mixer Channels

The mic positions (incl. playing noises) appear in the mixer as individual channels. Each channel has the same basic feature set and layout, as shown here with the Tree microphones:

Name: The name of the channel is displayed at the top. Click on the name to load or unload that position.
Panning: This slider allows you to set the panning of the selected mic position. Ctrl/Opt-Click the slider to reset it to Center.
Solo/Mute: These work like the Solo/Mute buttons in your sequencer.
Volume: Adjust the fader to lower or raise the volume of the mic position. While playing, a level meter to the right of the slider will show the current audio level. Ctrl/Opt-Click the fader to reset it to its default value.
db Indicator: Below the volume fader, you can see the current db setting. 0.0 is the default.
Chain Button: Press this button to chain all channels with the indicator lit together. Every action performed to any track will also apply to all the other chained tracks.
Output Selector: Click to select the Kontakt output for this mic position. You may need to configure Kontakt's output matrix first.

Global Options

To the right of the Mixer View, you will find a number of options affecting all mic positions together. These largely save you from needing to press the corresponding button on each individual mic position.

Auto Gain: If enabled, the combined volume of all mic positions will stay the same when you change the level of any position. This preserves the dynamic relation of your mic mix while allowing you to put a single position in the foreground or background. Auto Gain only affects unpurged (loaded) channel strips and needs at least two active channels.
Chain All: This button chains all positions together, so changes to one position will affect all others equally. Of course Auto Gain will only work if at least one channel is not chained.
Solo/Mute: Soloes or mutes all channels.
Purge: Enables or disables and loads or unloads all mic positions.
Purge Releases: Enables or disables and loads or unloads all release samples.
Purge Legato Transitions: Enables or disables and loads or unloads all legato transitions.

Legato Volume

In all patches that use legato transitions, the Legato Volume knob lets you adjust the volume of the transitions. This is useful if you want a less pronounced legato effect or, if on the opposite, you want the transitions to be more apparent. You can assign a CC to this feature in the Controller Table.

Soloists Series

Teldex IR

For the production of our Soloist Collections, recorded at the Teldex Solo Booth, we teamed up with Samplicity to provide users with a way to seamlessly put the solo instruments into the large Teldex stage as a perfect complement to the collections recorded at Teldex. In the Mixer View of every Soloists patch, you will find the Teldex IR controls. The Teldex IR button switches the reverb on or off.

Use the Dry, Pre-Delay and Wet encoders to adjust the amount of reverb to your taste. We have chosen default values that should work fine for most applications, but feel free to experiment.

Microphone Positions

All patches in the collections have completely adjustable microphone positions. You will find faders with on/off buttons for all positions in the Mixer View of each patch: If you switch off a position, its samples will be purged from memory. Conversely, as soon as you switch a position on, the samples will be loaded. Not every instrument has all microphone positions. For example, for a lot of instruments an M/S position makes little sense.

Note that all microphone positions are identically set up in all collections and correspond to the respective mic setups that are used when recording a musical work at the scoring stage. This means that the Close position is much drier in Berlin Strings than it is in Berlin Percussion (because the percussion section is at the back of the orchestra). This is intentional to preserve the orchestral balance and spacing. To get a really dry sound, use the Spot mics or M/S.

Mix (Berlin Orchestra Inspire)
Berlin Orchestra Inspire Collections use a special Mix mic position that is derived from a careful balancing of several source microphones. This Mix position is a perfectly balanced starting foundation and is the only Mic position available.

M/S
The M/S position is recorded in a mid/side setup. If you have a sequencer able to process the mid/side channels separately you can use this position to freely adjust the stereo spread.

Close AB
The Close AB position is a Close position sound-wise, but recorded in stereo as an AB configuration.

Sub
Selected percussion patches have a dedicated Mic channel for the Subbass microphone. This position is intended to be used together with other positions, not on its own as it only contains subbass information.

Spot
The spot microphones have been positioned as close to the instrument as possible and give you the driest and most direct sound.

Close
Increase the amount of the Close position if you want to have a more direct sound with less response of the room. Raising the volume of the Close mics will also increase the playing noises made by the musicians, providing added realism for intimate settings. Glory Days - Big Band Horns, Metropolis Ark 3, Berlin Strings - First Chairs and Berlin Brass have two Close positions named Close I and Close II, which have subtly different characteristics.

Tree (Room in BWW)
The Tree microphones provide a balance between Close and Surround. Use them to add presence to the sound by allowing some room response in, while still keeping the sound relatively controlled. This is the recommended mic position and is activated by default.

Mix (BWW and BBR C only)
The Mix position is a mixture between Close and Room. This position has a rather direct sound, but also features a lot of room information for realism.

The Room/Close and Mix positions exclude one another to avoid phasing. If you activate the Mix positions, Room and Close will be deactivated and vice versa.

Surround
Increase the amount of the Surround position if you want to have as much room information as possible. The reverb will increase while the direct sound decreases.

A/B
The A/B position features a wide stereo image and is of great use as a supporting microphone.

ORTF
The ORTF Position provides a tight and controlled, yet slightly ambient sound with a lot of character and presence.

Concertmaster (BST Violins I only)
The Violins I have a special concertmaster microphone, which lets you add the concertmaster (1st violinist) prominently.

Note:
You do not need to think about adjusting the mic positions if you do not want to! When you load any instrument into Kontakt, the Tree will be active, which is perfect for most applications.

Noise (select instruments)
The playing noises made by instruments add a lot of realism to a sampled performance. This is why most instruments feature sampled playing noises which can be added to taste. These appear as an extra mic position in the mixer and are extensively controllable. You can even make them independent from regular velocity layer switching (see Settings View).

Metropolis - Ark 1

The Electric Guitar and Bass in Metropolis Ark 1 have a number of non-standard microphone positions, which are detailed in the Electric Guitar and Bass section.

Soloists Series

Berlin Woodwinds EXP B and C - Soloists, as well as the Nocturne Series, feature two different Close positions which can be reverberated with the included Teldex IR.