SpecOps 1.

0 Manual
by unfilteredaudio
Introduction
SpecOps is the ultimate spectral processor. It consists of 36 performance-focused spectral
effects, each optimized for Unfiltered Audio’s infinitely deep modulation system.

Features
• 36 unique spectral effects to choose from.
• A multi-mode Spectrograph shows you exactly how every effect changes your signal.
• A Spectral Compander applies independent dynamic processing to every frequency bin: Up to
32,768 simultaneous compressors!
• Patchable modulation system: Our highly acclaimed modulation system is here with full
control over every parameter.
SpecOps Signal Flow
A Note on CPU Usage, Latency, and Spectral Artifacts
SpecOps is a spectral plugin, meaning that it uses a Fourier Transform to analyze an incoming
signal. Audio is processed in large batches, so CPU use tends to “spike” unevenly based on the
window size.

As an example, when the FFT Window Size parameter is set to “32768”, SpecOps will wait for
32,768 samples of input before processing them as a spectral frame. This means that it will be
idle for 32 times longer than a Window Size of “1024”, but when it is active it will use 32 times
the processing power in a short period of time.

At a Sampling Rate of 44.1 kHz, SpecOps will run about 44 times a second with a Window Size
of “1024”, but only about once per second with a Window Size of “32768”. With a Window Size
of “1024”, SpecOps will use a more constant amount of resources, while “32768” will lead to
visible spikes on your DAW’s CPU meter. Put simply, SpecOps will use roughly the same
average amount of CPU, no matter the Window Size. However, the range of CPU usage will
change dramatically based on window size.

Latency

On the same topic, increasing the Window Size increases the latency introduced by SpecOps. A
Window Size of “32768” adds 32,768 samples of latency, or nearly a full second at a Sampling
Rate of 44.1 kHz. Changing the Window Size during playback can result in pops, brief silence,
or other audible artifacts depending on how the DAW deals with latency changes. As an
example, in Live and Cubase, you will hear silence. In Logic, latency reports aren’t
acknowledged until playback restarts. This means changing the Window Size during
playback in Logic can knock SpecOps out of time alignment with other tracks.

We’ve optimized SpecOps as much as possible. Many DSP sections will be skipped depending
on parameter settings. Here are some tips for making SpecOps more efficient:

• When Pitch Shift is set to “0.0 st,” CPU usage is reduced since the pitch shifting algorithm will
be skipped for that spectral frame.
• If “Slide” and “Stretch” are both at 0%, CPU usage is reduced since the Stretch & Slide
algorithm will be skipped for that spectral frame. This algorithm is separate from the Pitch Shift
algorithm.
• When any of the individual Effect Amount parameters are set to “0%,” CPU usage is reduced
since that effect slot will be skipped for that spectral frame.
• When the Compander’s Threshold parameter is at “0 dB,” CPU usage is reduced since the
companding algorithm will be skipped for that spectral frame.
• The “Smear” and “Decapitate” effects use more CPU as the Amount parameter increases.
• In general, decreasing the active Width of an effect reduces its CPU usage.
Spectral Artifacts
The process of converting a time domain signal to-and-from the frequency domain can lead to a
number of spectral artifacts.

FUZZINESS WITH NEUTRAL SETTINGS

This artifact is only obvious when using extremely simple inputs to SpecOps (i.e. sine waves).
This is a byproduct of our “overlap-add” technique.
To avoid: For a completely neutral default patch, change the “Clean” window to “Glitch”.
Why on earth would we call it “Clean” if it’s not… clean? And why is “Glitch” neutral?!:
We chose the “Clean” window based on its performance when actively using spectral effects.
The “Glitch” window is a rectangle window which performs well at neutral settings but quickly
falls apart with any active transformation.

BRIEF PHASING WHEN HITTING “PLAY”

You may hear a strange phasing artifact when restarting playback in some DAWs with specific
SpecOps settings. If you experience this, you are most likely using a Speed parameter below
50% or a Freeze effect with an Amount above 50%.
To Avoid: When starting playback, use automation to start SpecOps at Speed = 100% (or
Freeze = 0%), then automate to the desired parameter settings.
Why is this happening?: Most of our Speed/Freeze effects are based on spectral frame
feedback, meaning that the magnitude and phases of the previous frame are blended with the
current frame. When restarting playback in some hosts, hitting stop twice, or starting an offline
render, SpecOps will clear its spectral frames for predictable playback performance. With non-
default Speed/Freeze settings, the first spectral frame will be blended with a flat-phase
spectrum before spectral data is acquired.

PHASE SMEARING WHEN RESETTING PITCH SHIFT

This is a similar artifact to the last. Sometimes, when changing Pitch Shift to “0.0 st,” you may
hear some spectral phasing. The duration of this can be dependent on the Window Size and the
type of input.
To Avoid: Use a smaller Window Size. Use an input with more transients. Use a higher Input
Gain setting. Alternatively, use the Stretch parameter.
Why is this happening?: The Pitch Shifting algorithm in SpecOps uses a flux detection
algorithm for identifying transients. When a transient occurs, we do some phase manipulation to
preserve the transient. If the incoming signal is drone-like (i.e. lacking transients), there may be
some spectral smearing when changing the Pitch Shift amounts.
Getting Started

Installing SpecOps
Simply run the provided installer. On Windows, you may need to select your VST directory if the
installer doesn’t pick your preferred directory by default.

Browsing Presets
SpecOps comes with a wide array of presets to get you started. The preset manager at the top
of SpecOps’s interface is used to load, save, or browse presets. If you want to get a good feel
for the power of SpecOps, spend some time with these presets before browsing the manual.

Standard Unfiltered Audio Features

CONTROLS
-All knobs and vertical sliders are controlled in a smooth up-and-down motion.
-Use the Command key (on OS X) or Control key (on Windows or OS X) to fine-tune controls.
-Double-click or Alt-click on a control to return it to a default setting.

PRESETS
-All presets are saved with a .uap file extension. These presets are compatible across all
platforms and plug-in formats. They use a simple, non-encrypted XML format for easy editing.
-Use the “Lock” menu to prevent specific parameters from changing while browsing presets.

INTERFACE
-Click the Gear icon on the preset manager to bring up interface options.
-Dark and Light skins provide a comfortable view for all studio situations.
-Resizable interface for easy viewing on all monitors.
Controls

Analysis

This section affects how the incoming signal is analyzed. Simple

adjustments to this section can completely change the timbre of the
current preset.

Gain: Sets the level of the input signal. At 1.0x, no gain is applied.

FFT Size: Changes the number of samples used for frequency analysis.
Large values increase latency, increase frequency accuracy, and
decrease rhythmic accuracy. If you are working with percussive material
and want to preserve transients, use a smaller value. At extremely low
values, the effects become very lo-fi. At extremely high values, your
audio is turned into a smeared frequency cloud.

Window: Changes the type of "window" used for frequency analysis.

The various windows can have dramatic impacts on the tonality of every
effect in this plugin.

Speed
This section occurs after the Analysis stage and before the Geometry stage.

Speed: Master "speed" control. This creates feedback between

frequency analysis frames, decreasing the rate at which new spectral
frames are acquired.

Freeze: Locks the current frame and prevents new samples from being
analyzed. It is identical to turning the Speed control to 0%. This will
essentially take the last group of samples and turn it into an oscillator.
Try freezing some audio and turning the Pitch Shift control to create a
spectral synthesizer.

Geometry
This section occurs after the Speed stage
and before the master Effects section. In
this section, spectral effects are created
by “moving” each frequency bin.

Pitch Shift: Applies a harmonic pitch shift

to the signal. At 12 o'clock, the signal is
unchanged. This control is quantized to
semitones.

Slide: Applies an inharmonic frequency shift to the signal. At 12 o'clock, the signal is
unchanged.

Stretch: Applies compression or expansion to the spectral bins. This algorithm is similar to the
pitch shift control, but is unquantized and not phase aware. At 12 o'clock, the signal is
unchanged.

Effects

This section occurs after the Geometry section and before the Spectral Compander. For every
effect, Start controls what frequency the effect is first applied to, and Width controls how many
frequency bins are affected. The affected frequencies will be referred to as the “Effect Region”.

FILTERS
Slope LP: This is a gentle low-pass filter. The stop-band frequency is set by Start. The Slope of
the filter is set by Width. The intensity of the gain reduction is set by Amount. Every frequency
higher than the last frequency in the region receives the maximum amount of gain reduction.
For instance, if the low-pass Amount is at 100% and the Effect Region is 22Hz to 5kHz, every
frequency above 5kHz will be fully attenuated.

Slope HP: This is a gentle high-pass filter. The Slope of the filter is set by Width. The intensity of
the gain reduction is set by Amount. The frequency bin set by Start and all frequencies before
that receive the maximum amount of gain reduction. For instance, if the high-pass Amount is at
100% and the Effect Region is 80 Hz to 2kHz, every frequency below 80Hz will be fully
attenuated.

Region LP/HP: These filters behave identically to their Slope counterparts except they only
affect frequencies within their Effect Region.

Brickwall LP/HP: These are the only two effects in SpecOps without Start and Width controls.
These filters have an infinite slope, meaning that the stopband frequencies are completely
attenuated.
Noise Filter: This is a simple filter that removes all frequency bins that are below a certain
amplitude. This amplitude is determined by the Amount control.

Noise Focus: This is the inverse of the Noise Filter effect. All frequency bins above a certain
amplitude are removed. This amplitude is determined by the Amount control.

MIXING
Region Cut: All frequency bins within the Effect Region are reduced in amplitude. The amount
of attenuation is determined by the Amount control.

Region Solo: All frequency bins outside of the Effect Region are reduced in amplitude. The
amount of attenuation is determined by the Amount control.

Region Amplify: All frequency bins within the Effect Region are boosted in amplitude. The
amount of amplification is determined by the Amount control.

Thinner: This is a strange filter that cuts the amplitude of frequency bins that are less prominent
than their neighboring frequencies. It is a very subtle effect, but it can help thin out a signal and
emphasize its prominent frequencies. The amount of attenuation is determined by the Amount
control.

Contrast: This is a filter that reduces the amplitude of quiet frequencies more rapidly than
louder frequencies. The Amount control determines the intensity of the effect.

GEOMETRY
Expand/Compress: These effects are almost identical to unipolar versions of the Stretch
control in the Geometry section. However, they can be applied to a specific region instead of the
entire signal.

Slide Up/Down: These effects are almost identical to unipolar versions of the Slide control in
the Geometry section. However, they can be applied to a specific region instead of the entire
signal.

FREEZERS
Freeze: This effect behaves in a similar manner to the Speed control (below the Analysis
section). However, the control curve is tweaked to produce a different feel and the effect can be
applied regionally. The Amount control determines the intensity of the freeze effect.

Glitchy Freeze: This is a variation of the Freeze effect. The Amount control determines the
probability that each individual frequency bin will be frozen from frame to frame. This probability
is different for each channel, so this can produce very wide stereo freeze effects.
Random Freeze: The Amount control determines the probability that the entire Effect Region
will be frozen this spectral frame. This probability is different for each channel, so this can
produce an interesting stereo stutter effect.

Threshold Freeze: The Amount control sets an amplitude threshold. If the Effect Region
contains a frequency bin that is louder than the threshold, than the entire Effect Region will be
frozen for the current spectral frame.

Resonant Freeze: The Amount control sets the intensity of the freeze effect for the loudest
frequency this frame. The intensity of the freeze effect for every other frequency bin is
determined by their relative intensity compared to the loudest frequency. As a result, this will
produce a strange ringing effect that is very different from the other freeze effects.

Fuzzy Freeze: This is a compound effect that combines the Freeze effect with the Noisify effect
(described in the next section). This adds noise to the spectral frame to help animate frozen
drones.

EFFECTS
Topmost Solo: This effect reduces the amplitude of every frequency bin except for the loudest
frequency. The amount of attenuation is determined by the Amount control.

Smear: In this effect, louder frequency bins “leak” into their neighboring bins. Previously clear
frequencies become washes of noise. The Amount control determines how much spectral
leakage occurs. This is the most computationally expensive effect in SpecOps, so a high
Amount setting will use noticeably more CPU.

MP3ify: This effect reduces the amount of possible information that each frequency bin can
contain. Turning up the Amount control will lead to sounds that may bring back fond memories
of the Napster era.

Decapitate: This effect removes the loudest frequency bin and amplifies the second-loudest bin.
Turning up the Amount will repeat this effect multiple times.

Duststorm: This is a mutation of the MP3ify algorithm that corrupts the bin information through
a mismatched encoder and decoder. The Amount control determines the intensity of the effect.

Noisify: This control multiplies the amplitude of every frequency bin by a random amount, the
range of which is determined by the Amount control.

Clipper: This effect reduces the maximum amplitude of each bin while simultaneously
amplifying each bin. This produces a heavily artifacted spectral distortion. The Amount control
sets the maximum amplitude and amplification amount.

Reverse: This effect swaps the amplitude of the first bin in the Effect Region with the last.
Increasing the Amount control will swap more bins at each end. At 100%, the Effect Region will
be completely reversed.
GLITCHERS
Glitchy Reverse: This is a broken version of the Reverse effect. Instead of completely
swapping each frequency bin, the process only swaps phase information between each bin.

Glitchy HP: This is a very crispy HP filter with a lot of artifacts. It doesn’t cut the low frequencies
but boosts the high frequencies in an unpredictable manner.

Glitchy Shift: This is a totally broken pitch shifting algorithm. It will behave unpredictably when
Start and Width change.

Glitch Bubbler: This effect will randomly select filter bins and duplicate them multiple times
across their neighbors. The Amount control will determine how large these clumps are.

Glitch Fire: This effect will randomly swap frequency bins in the spectrum. The Amount control
determines how many swaps occur each frame.

Spectral Compander

After all of the Effects are applied, the signal runs through the Spectral Compander. Unlike a
typical compander (compressor + expander), every single frequency bin has its own
compander. This means that if you have an FFT size of 1024, there are 1,024 separate
companders running inside of SpecOps simultaneously!

Threshold: Sets the decibel level at which each frequency bin's compander becomes active.

Ratio: Sets how much each bin is compressed or expanded when the bin's amplitude exceeds
the Threshold. At 12 o'clock, the bins are unaffected.

AGC: When active, make-up gain based on the Threshold and Ratio settings will be applied to
every frequency bin.

Knee: Changes how severely the compander's gain curve transitions from linear to non-linear
response.
Attack: Determines how quickly the compander reaches its target gain level when the amplitude
goes above the threshold. Higher percentages lead to longer attack times.

Decay: Determines how quickly the compander returns to a neutral gain level when the
amplitude drops below the threshold. Higher percentages lead to longer decay times.

Mask: Determines the amount of spectral bleed. At 0%, the spectral compander effect can have
a lot of spectral artifacts. At 100%, a lot of spectral bleed is applied to the bins, leading to a less
severe, digital sound.

Output

Gain: Sets the level of the output signal. At 1.0x, no gain is applied. As
gain is increased, loud signals will be softly saturated instead of hard
clipped.

Filter: Applies an analog-style (non-FFT) two pole LP filter to the wet

output. This can help to reduce harsh spectral content in the upper
frequencies. This filter will not appear on the spectral display as it is not
part of that process.

Mix: Controls the balance between the incoming dry signal and the
outgoing wet (processed) signal.
Modulation System

Introduction
SpecOps utilizes Unfiltered Audio’s flagship modulation system, with which you can quickly
patch anything from simple parameter changes to complex and even self-evolving systems.
Starting off is very easy due to the direct cable-routing user interface.

The first step is to reveal the modulation manager by clicking the “Modulation” button in the
bottom corner of the interface. You’ll see the plugin interface get taller, revealing modulation
sources, outputs, and inputs on each modulatable plugin parameter.

Patching

Input and Output Ports

Outputs and inputs are both denoted by a simple circle. To avoid confusion, just remember that
outputs are always located on the top left of each modulator. Everything else is an input.

Output ports have a small circular scaling knob below them which can be used to alter its
calculated output value. This knob is set to 1.0 by default (fully clockwise), but can be turned
down to 0.0 (center) to zero out its values entirely, or -1.0 (fully counter clockwise) to invert
them.

Creating Connections
To create your first modulation “patch” simply click and drag on one of the outputs. You’ll see a
cable appear next to your mouse, the end of which you can drag to any input on the interface.
When you get close enough you’ll see the cable “lock” into place, showing you that the path is
valid. Once you release the mouse, the connection completes and you’ll see the modulation
start to animate in real-time.

You can create a second connection from the same output source by clicking on it again.
Likewise, try clicking and dragging from an input to an output, which works in the same fashion.

Moving or Removing Connections

In order to move a connection, click on one of the thicker ends of the cable, near the input or
output port. You’ll see the cable lock onto your mouse, allowing you to move it to a different
input/output source. If you release the mouse while the cable is not “locked” onto any port, it will
be removed entirely, which is how connections are deleted.

Inter-Modulation
As you might have noticed, all of the knobs on each modulator have input ports of their own,
capable of receiving modulation just like parameters on the main section of the interface. Any
output port can be connected to these inputs, meaning that a modulator can even modulate its
own parameters! Experimenting with complex inter-modulation chaining can lead to dynamically
evolving behavior, and even emergent systems.

Automation
Our modulation system provides 16 automation “slots” that can be assigned to one or more
modulation parameters. Every knob and button on a modulator can be assigned to one of these
automation slots by right clicking on it and following the “Add X to Automation Slot…” menu.
Once assigned to a slot, this element will mirror the automated value sent in through your DAW.
You’ll also see a small number appear next to the element, denoting the automation slot number
to which it is assigned.

Adding Modulators
You can add a new modulator by clicking the “+” button in the modulation header. At this time a
maximum of 6 modulators can be used at once, although that is a somewhat arbitrary maximum
that we plan to increase in the future.

Removing and Duplicating Modulators

Modulators can be removed or duplicated by right clicking on them and then selecting the
appropriate option.

Mute Modulation
The “Mute All” button in the modulation header allows you to quickly mute and un-mute all
modulation sources.

Saving and Loading

All modulation routing, values, automation, and general state is saved with the preset and/or
with the DAW’s session. Presets are a great way to quickly share interesting modulation
patches with other users.

Modulator Types

You can change a modulator’s type by clicking the dropdown menu next to its symbol. There are
currently six types to choose from, each with its own characteristics and use case. Common
parameters such as frequency will remain at their selected value, making the process of
auditioning different modulator types both quick and easy.

LFOs: Sine/Saw/Tri/Square
The LFO family of modulators all use common waveforms which are useful for classic
“envelope” style parameter modulation.

The Amplitude knob is common to all of them, corresponding to modulation depth. This can be
either Bipolar or Unipolar which is determined by the state of the +/- button in the modulator’s
bottom left corner. Bipolar modulation fluctuates between negative and positive, whereas
unipolar modulation is always positive when the amplitude is above 0% and always negative
when it is below 0%.
The Frequency knob corresponds to modulation speed. It is set in Hz (cycles per second) when
in non-tempo-synced mode. Tempo Sync can be activated by clicking the “Hz” button on the left
side of the modulator, which will turn into a musical note symbol indicating that it has been
initiated. In tempo sync mode, modulation speed is synchronized to divisions of the DAWs
global tempo setting- for instance setting the frequency to ¼ will correspond to quarter-note
modulation cycles.

The Phase knob determines the value of the LFO at its starting point. The starting point occurs
when the DAW’s transport (playback) resets. The LFO can be manually reset with the trigger
button on its left side, or via the reset modulation input below that. An input signal transitioning
above zero here will trigger the reset.

The Saw/Tri modulator has an additional Shape knob which determines the slope of the
triangular wave. At the default value of 0.5, you get a normal triangle wave. At 0.0, you get a
downward sloping triangle wave and at 1.0 you get an upward sloping triangle.

The Square modulator has a Width knob that changes the pulse width of the square wave. At
the default value of 0.5, you get a normal half-up, half-down square wave. As you approach 0.0,
the wave will be almost entirely down, and conversely as you approach 1.0, the wave will be
almost entirely up.

Input Follower
The input follower modulator allows you to easily “sidechain” parameters to the incoming audio
stream. The Smooth knob determines the speed of the rms meter used to track the incoming
audio. Lower values correspond to a more instantaneous reading, while higher values smooth
everything out.

Macro Control
The macro modulator can act as a manual control knob capable of outputting values to multiple
parameters. This allows control over many parameters with a single gesture. Alternatively, you
can patch many modulation sources into the amplitude knob’s input port, turning the macro
control into a summing modulation bus.

Sample and Hold Noise

The sample and hold noise modulator chooses random values at the chosen frequency rate.
The Slew knob controls the amount of interpolation time whenever a new value is set. At a slew
of 0.0 values change instantly, whereas at 1.0 they interpolate over the entire cycle period.
Tempo Sync and Uni/Bipolar can be set on this modulator just like LFOs (see above).

Step Sequencer
The step sequencer is a modulator that cycles through up to 16 manually chosen values.
T: “Trigger” input. This includes both a manual button and a modulation input. If the button is
clicked or the modulation input transitions to a positive signal, the sequencer’s active stage will
increase by one.
R: Reset input. This includes both a manual button and a modulation input. If the button is
clicked or the modulation input transitions to a positive signal, the sequencer’s active stage will
reset immediately to the stage set by the START control.
AMP: Sets the maximum amplitude of the modulation outputs.
FREQ: Sets the rate at which the sequencer automatically increments. With tempo sync off, this
can be set to 0 Hz, making the sequencer only increment based on the state of the T input.
LENGTH: Sets the number of active steps in the sequence.
START: Sets the first stage in the sequence. This stage is selected when playback restarts or
the Reset input is triggered.
SLEW: Determines how quickly the output values change. At 0.0, the modulation output is
stepped. As SLEW increases, new values are smoothly selected, adding a “slide” effect
between values.

ROLI Lightpad
This modulator connects to the excellent ROLI Lightpad (https://roli.com/products/blocks) for
use as a performance controller. Please note that because this is part of the modulation system,
this modulator is not intended for writing automation. If you want to use the Lightpad for
automation, you can use the ROLI Blocks Dashboard for loading the interface of your choice
and sending MIDI CC.
To get started, connect the Lightpad to your computer using either its USB-C cable or Bluetooth.
For instructions on setting up a Bluetooth connection, see the Lightpad’s manual.
Once a Lightpad is connected to your computer, it should appear in the drop-down menu on this
modulator. Select it and click “Connect”. The interface should turn white. You are now in
Location + Pressure Mode. To change the active mode, click the large control button on the side
of the Lightpad.

LOCATION + PRESSURE MODE

In this mode, the modulator will track the position of one finger on the Lightpad along with its
pressure. There are separate outputs for X, Y, Z (Pressure), and On (Touch Gate: on when a
finger is touching the Lightpad, otherwise off).

SLIDERS
In this mode, the modulator will output the value of four vertical sliders. Due to the resolution of
the Lightpad’s screen, it may appear that there are only 15 possible values for the slider.
However, the information that is read is higher resolution.

TOGGLES
In this mode, the modulator will output the value of four toggle switches.

QUAD PRESSURE
In this mode, the modulator will output four separate pressure values (one for each quadrant of
the Lightpad).
Options
The following unique options are available in SpecOps:

Enable Display: This toggles the spectral display at the top of SpecOps’s interface. If you have
multiple open interfaces and want to reduce the workload on your graphics hardware, it can be
useful to turn this off.

Color-Coded Regions: When active, each effect slot will have a unique color associated with it.
When off, every effect control will be the standard green.
Recipes and Ideas

2+ Octave Pitch Shift

• Set both Pitch Shift and Stretch to their maximum values.
• For even deeper shifting, add more Expand or Compress effects to the effect slots.

Amplitude Sensitive Freeze

• Create an Input Follower modulator.
• Attach the Follower to the Speed control.
• To freeze only the loudest portions of the incoming signal, set Speed to 100% and use the
Follower to create negative modulation on the control.
• To freeze only the quiet portions of the incoming signal, set Speed to 0% and use the Follower
to create positive modulation.
Credits and Thanks
SpecOps is written by Joshua Dickinson and Michael Hetrick.

We’d like to thank:

Benn Cooper

Olivier Gillet of Mutable Instruments for his many contributions to DSP education.

Lance Putnam for his flexible DSP library, Gamma.

Plugin Alliance for helping us do this full-time.

To our awesome alpha testers and preset makers:

David Abravanel
Si Begg
Roberto Burgos
DERU
Richard Devine
Julius Dobos
Empty Vessel
Walker Farrell
Tim Hecker
ignatius
Jon Jackson
Dave Miles
Peter “Glaca” Mohamed
patten
Skinnerbox
Soarer
Surachai

Our families, for putting up with the constant stream of weird sounds coming out of our offices
(and random stress over esoteric bugs).

http://www.unfilteredaudio.com