Finisher Micro | User Guide

Welcome to Finisher MICRO

Finisher vs. Conventional Effect Plug-in

How does Finisher work?

Adding Finisher MICRO to your track

Using Finisher

Check your Input level

Browse Modes

Make the best use of the Amount Knob

Adjust your Output Level

Mode Reference

I have questions! Where can I send them?

 

Welcome to Finisher MICRO

 

 

Finisher vs. Conventional Effect Plug-in

Finisher is not just an effect plug-in. It is the shortcut solution to not having to tediously set up a plethora of effect plug-ins to build an interesting finishing touch for your track.

Like, know that feeling when you got a great basic track laid down, but you just can’t get it to sound interesting? Sure you do, we do too, and that’s why we designed Finisher.

Until now, you’d open a bunch of plug-ins and often get lost in possibilities, while all you would want is a dash of inspiration – finding a great-sounding treatment for your instrument that inspires you, tweak it a little, maybe automate it, and move on happily. 

That is the relating feeling that we call “getting to the Finish”.

 

How does Finisher work?

You could think of Finisher as a channel insert strip with almost unlimited slots for effect processors, all of which can be switched on and off at the change of the Mode. 

Even Finisher MICRO features over 20 effect algorithms of all types – from simple Chorus to Multiband Distortion, from Convolution to Grain Pitch, from Multimode Filters to Multitap Delays. 

The Amount Knob can be wired to every parameter of every active effect, in varying degrees. It can dramatically speed up the phaser while introducing a little distortion and mixing in a dash of reverb. 

Every Mode and its Amount Knob assignments are a complex sound design piece to create one particular “change of scene” for your instrument. 

You are freed from the pressure to know what’s going on. Trust your ears and your openness to be inspired – switch Modes and turn the Amount knob – and make your tracks more beautiful, interesting, bigger, tougher, or change them entirely – while your focus remains on your music. 

That is the power and beauty of Finisher. 

 

Adding Finisher MICRO to your track

 

After installing Finisher MICRO, it will appear in the effect plug-in menu of your VST-, AU- or AAX-compatible digital audio workstation, where you can select it for any audio and instrument tracks.

Although the name suggests that Finisher is the only plug-in you need (and often that may be the case), oftentimes you may get extra inspiration out of chaining two or more Finishers after each other. For example, an “LP24” or “Comb Filter” Finisher followed by a “Distroytion” Finisher lets you really make the Distortion scream by automating or playing the Amount knob of the Filter Finisher.

 

Using Finisher

Check your Input level

The Input slider to the bottom left lets you attenuate or boost your signals’ input level into Finisher. Use this control if your signal comes in too low or too hot, as most effect modes need the signal to be at a certain level to work optimally (e.g. distortion, compression).

The Input level is optimal if the signal peaks stay just under the top end of the meter. If the Input sliders range isn’t enough, try adjusting the channel volume or find a Gain plug-in in your DAW and plug it in before Finisher MICRO.

 

Browse Modes

When going through Modes, we recommend you set the Amount control around center position so you can hear the effect while stepping through.

Modes are the operational setups of Finisher MICRO. Every Mode is a custom-built configuration of effect algorithms, each with its individual parameter settings, and a custom macro-assignment of parameters to the Amount Knob.

For Mode descriptions and tips please check the Mode Reference at the end of this document.

The blue section comprised of the Mode knob, the title and two arrows lets you switch Modes in four ways:

• Turning the Mode knob
• Clicking on a Mode name to open the menu
• Clicking on the arrows to step through the Modes
• MIDI-learning or automating the Mode knob to remote-control Mode switching.
  
  

Mode Automation is possible because Finisher can switch Modes glitch-free. Mode automation is a great way of expanding the creative palette of your Finisher MICRO, e.g. by creating a reverb tail every 8 bars, distorted offbeat, or tempo-synced comb filter modulation.

 

Make the best use of the Amount Knob

As described above, the Amount knob is a super powerful Macro Control, multi-wired into all effect algorithms under the hood, and carefully set up for each individual Mode. 

The Amount knob is not just another one-knob thing that you set up and leave to tweak the effect – although you perfectly could do just that. Actually, you are encouraged to play with the Amount Knob and automate it to create arcs, transitions and modulations over the length of your track. We strongly encourage you to assign it to a MIDI Controller like a Wheel or a Pedal if you can play and record along your song and create dynamic tracks that will sound alive and interesting.

For information about what exactly the Amount Knob does in any particular Mode, please check the Mode Reference below.

 

Adjust your Output Level

If your Input Level is set up optimally, you should not have to adjust this control because Finisher MICROs output level will always be similar to the input level. You can use it though if you deliberately want the Output Level to be different, e.g. to automate or adjust how Finisher MICRO drives a subsequent compression or distortion plug-in.

 

Mode Reference

Mode	Description	Amount	Usage Tips
Infinity	Turns anything into an aerial synth pad	Cloud Mix	Works extremely well when faded in or out for transitions
Space Grinder	Warbling effect - combination of Phaser, Frequency Shifter and Grain Pitch	Dry/Wet Mix	Great for guitars, electric pianos, or basses
Cab & Room	Sound of an amplifier cabinet in a guitar room	Dry/Wet Mix	Use to add character and ambience to too-dry signals
Jetplane	Hi-Feedback Flanger	Effect Center	Amazing on long sounds with lots of highs
Big Hair	Classic 80s chorus and ambience	Effect Depth	Perfect for “80fying” guitars, keyboards and synths
EARTH2ISS	Morphs into a “space transmission” effect	Morph	Cool on alternate vocal or lead tracks
Distroytion	Total destruction distortion	Destruction Level	Also try on send effects to add edge
Old Radio	Blends towards the character of an old radio	Effect blend	Good for transitions, but also for ageing sounds
Rotor Cab	Simulation of a rotor speaker cabinet	Rotor Speed Switch	Works best on electric pianos and guitars
Frequency Shift	Classic Frequency Shifter	Shift Frequency	Turns sounds into risers when used with Amount automation
AutoPan VariSpeed	Auto Pan with variable speed	Modulation Speed	Use to create slowing-down/speeding-up impressions
CombFilter	Comb Filter with movable center frequency	Filter Frequency	Works best on bright, brillant signals
Slam Compressor	Punchy, “slam”-style compression	Compression Depth	Adds strong punch to drums, basses, guitars and other percussive signals
Vibrato	Applies a pitch vibrato	Vibrato Depth	Use whenever your sound source can’t create vibrato itself (think pianos or organs)
VariBite	Variable mid frequency boost for extra bite	Peak frequency	Lets you make sounds stick out even if you lower their volume. Great also for separating guitar tracks.
Lead Delay	A long ping-pong delay perfect for lead sounds	Delay Mix and Feedback	Use sparingly, turn up Amount in exposed passages
Flanger	Classic Flanger	Speed/Depth
Chorus	Classic 2-voice Chorus	Speed/Depth
Phaser	Classic 4-pole Phaser	Speed/Depth
Cabinet	Guitar Amp Cabinet	Dry/Cabinet Blend	Put after Distroytion (chain two Finisher Micros) this makes for a more natural amp stack sound
LP24	Resonant 24-dB-Lowpass synth filter	Filter Sweep	Amazing for any kind of transition - intros, risers, stops ...
HP12	Resonant 12-dB-Highpass synth filter	Filter Sweep	Try to use instead of a Fade Out for a more dramatic effect!
Simple Ambience	Mid-size, bright and fresh ambience	Dry/Wet Mix	A nice go-to reverb for too-dry sounds, use sparingly!
Hangar Reverb	Long and dense reverb of a huge building	Dry/Wet Mix	Great for big synth pads or boom drums!
Gater Varispeed	Gater Effect with variable speed	Note resolution:: 4th, 8th, 16th and 16T	Great for re-slicing drumloops or other rhythmic tracks when automated in sync with track

 

I have questions! Where can I send them?

If you have any more questions or need further assistance, please submit a request to our support staff. Thanks!