TDM plugins

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djclueveli

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what is the difference between TDM plugins vs other plugins? are they better than other plugins? also can they only be used in pro tools software? Has anyone every tried using the eventide reverb plugin before? if so how good is it and is it better than the waves Rverb and Trueverb?
 
TDM plugins are only for Pro Tools based systems. The basic difference between TDM and other plugs is that they use the Pro Tools hardware for processing instead of the host computer. Offloading the processing to the hardware allows the host processor to work on other tasks (like automation).

Another difference is that TDM plugs are 24 bit fixed in/out while host based plugs are usually based on a 32 bit float bus. There are mixed feelings about the benefits of one over the other, but I would say that you can get excellent results with either.

As far as reverb plugs I haven't tried either of the ones that you mentioned, but I would look into some of the convolution reverbs out there as well.
 
A few things....
TDM plugins can also be used with Logic Pro in a sort of hybrid TDM called "ESB TDM"
Logic Pro is the only other software I know of that uses TDM plugins besides Pro Tools TDM/HD. Of course there are other audio companies that sell hardware that accomplish the same idea of TDM processing (ie. UAD)...but you can't use actual TDM plugins with these.

And although the audio is 24 bit in/out...it's processed on the DSP chips at 48bit and isn't dithered to 24 until it's been through all the chips (in other words, it stays 48 bit while jumping from chip to chip).
 
bennychico11 said:
A few things....
TDM plugins can also be used with Logic Pro in a sort of hybrid TDM called "ESB TDM"
Logic Pro is the only other software I know of that uses TDM plugins besides Pro Tools TDM/HD. Of course there are other audio companies that sell hardware that accomplish the same idea of TDM processing (ie. UAD)...but you can't use actual TDM plugins with these.

And although the audio is 24 bit in/out...it's processed on the DSP chips at 48bit and isn't dithered to 24 until it's been through all the chips (in other words, it stays 48 bit while jumping from chip to chip).
Click to expand...

Thanks Benny, I forgot about Logic.

In regard to 48 bit I've had a few discussions with a few different folks regarding this. My impression was that with TDM II the individual plugs are internally processed at 48 bit but that they then go back to the TDM bus as 24 for input to the next plug.

Do you have any documentation on the above?
 
masteringhouse said:
In regard to 48 bit I've had a few discussions with a few different folks regarding this. My impression was that with TDM II the individual plugs are internally processed at 48 bit but that they then go back to the TDM bus as 24 for input to the next plug.

Do you have any documentation on the above?
Click to expand...

you are correct, sorry about that. I stated that wrong.
It's not the plugins that are bussed at 48 bit to the next plugin (but are processed at 48 bit double precision)...they are dithered to 24 bit after each one (that's just how the TDM bus physcially exists). It's the MIXER plugin that passes everything along at 48 bit utilizing two 24 bit time slots per connection. This way keeping the mixer at 288dB of internal dynamic range.
Here's more on it all.


---edit---
ironically enough, I just came across your discussion on Gearslutz about this. I'll read over it and see what Bob Katz and the like say.
 
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