An Iridium Iris Software VST Instrument

Updated February 2014 Version 1.1.1

Designed, Edited and Programmed by Iridium Iris
Graphics & Manual Editing by Mike the Magical Dragon
Performed & Recorded by Iridium Iris
A BIG warm thank you goes to all of our truly great people who have been testing this plugin
to its limit and helping us developing it to become a full-blown guitar plugin.
Especially Jaana, Alice, Mike (The Magical Dragon), Piotr D. Smolken, JDT, Ace Stokes,
Matthew (Nine of Kings) and Aaron.

VST is a trademark of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH

INTRODUCTION
Welcome to Lethality; Electric Guitar VST Instrument. This virtual instrument was designed to
be a true electric guitar. The goal was to create an easy to use rock & alternative electric
guitar sound, pushing the fake guitar to its outer space by the use of algorithms in the first
place to save RAM for other applications and plugins in your effect chain.

Another primary goal for us as always in all of our products was and is to bring down the
price letting more users in to the world of music, still with quality and incredible depth. And
while this plugin excels at rock & alternative music, it’s also well-suited for many other
genres. With that said we hope that it will bring you inspiration and joy to your productivity.
OVERVIEW
The Lethality VST contains all important articulations and effects to cover the span of
alternative and rock genres, and some of them are triggered by standard MIDI note input and
mod-wheel. These articulations and effects include:

* Open / muted power chords with or without Major and minor third.
* Open / muted octave chords.
* Open / muted refused chords.
* Open / muted single notes.
* Down / up or alternating strumming of chords.
* Bending of single notes and chords with automation.
* Pinch harmonic squeals (reachable in algorithm mode from note E5).
* Gain / distortion / fuzz control.
* Palm mute algorithm with automation.
* Hammer on / pull off.
* Portamento / neck slide control with automation.
* Strumming control with automation.
* Unlimited velocity curve.
* Full chokes (all strings mute with G0 and Ab0).
* Patterns.

Lethality contains options for customizing the tone and will be discussed in a later section
(Interface & Options).
Single note, open and muted articulations are mapped from E4 to G7 and E4 to Eb5 in
algorithm mode and you can play power chords open, muted or octaves simultaneously
which are mapped from C1 to G2. Hammer-on, pull-off and portamento articulations are
triggered by overlapping (legato) notes. Pitch bends can be performed with the standard
pitch wheel.

There are also pre-mapped key switches, which are as follows.

Independent part 1 (independent of part 2)

C0: Open power chords.
C#0: Muted power chords (adjustable palm pressure - mod wheel).
D0 Open octaves.
Eb0 Muted octaves (adjustable palm pressure - mod wheel).
E0 Refused chords.
F0 Muted Refused chords (adjustable palm pressure - mod wheel).
F#0 Change string (6th E or 5th A string).

Independent part 2 (independent from part 1)

C4: Open single notes
C#4: Muted single notes.
Eb4: Solo in algorithm mode (E4 to Eb5)
B3: Solo in window mode (E4 to G7)

Additional key switches are as follows.

While playing open, muted power chords and octaves:

A0: Set stroke (picking) direction to down.
Bb0: Set stroke (picking) direction to up.
B0: Set stroke (picking) direction to alternating down/up.
 While playing open and muted single notes in algorithm mode (fret is set on the 6th string):
C3: (Default) Changing the solo algorithm fret position to fret 0.
C#3: Changing the fret position to fret 1.
…
Bb3: Changing the fret position to fret 11.

While playing open and muted single notes in window mode (fret is set on the 6th string):
C3: (Default) Changing the solo algorithm fret position to fret 1.
C#3: Changing the fret position to fret 2.
…
Bb3: Changing the fret position to fret 12.

While playing within the solo range algorithm mode span E4-Eb5 or window mode E4-G7:
D4: Holding down this key will force to stay on the same string as the previous taken note,
or the 6th e-string if no one was taken (algorithm mode).

MAJOR AND MINOR CHORDS

Triggering Major and minor chords; take a power chord by pressing the root key as usual
and add the third key on the keyboard and the power chord will be taken as a Major or
minor chord. This function can be turned off in the graphical interface, it is off by default.
CHANGE STRING WHILE PLAYING CHORDS
Triggering a string change; a F#0 key switch within the velocity range 1-63 will change the
oncoming chords to be played at the 5th A string, and velocity range 64-127 will be taken
at the 6th E string.
HAMMER-ON AND PULL-OFF
Triggering them is a simple matter of overlapping two notes. The hammer on are
performed within the velocity range of 64-127. This function can also be turned off in the
graphical user interface, default is off. You can extend the fret range on the same string as
long as it is possible by forcing the algorithm to stay on the same string as the previous
taken note by holding down the D4 key.

PORTAMENTO SLIDES

A continuous slide (aka glissando, portamento) is triggered the same way as

hammers/pulls, by overlapping two notes (only solo note mode); the two legato techniques
are in separate velocity ranges. The portamento slides are performed within the velocity
range 1-63, but only if the starting and ending note both are on the same string which
depends on the solo algorithm and fret position. This can also be extended by pressing
down and holding the D4 key switch when the first portamento note is taken and holding it
while pressing the end note of the neck slide portamento.

For an example holding E4 then playing and holding F#4 will produce a neck slide from
E4 to F#4 on the 6th string. The end note F#4 will then be sustained as long as you hold
the note or the string sounds out. However, you can also release the destination note
short after it was pressed and the result will produce only the sound of the slide, and
nothing else. The portamento is off by default. In window solo mode the span of the
portamento is much wider.
INTERFACE & OPTIONS

This display will tell you

how much memory that
is being used by all
instances added to your
DAW. It will also display
if it’s in auto standby
after 30 sec of inactivity.

Displays what solo fret

position you have
chosen in the range C3
to Bb3 of the keyboard.

Displays what solo key

switch type you’re
Displays on what string you play Displays what chord key switch using, open or
chords (6th E or the 5th A string). you’re using, in the key range C0-F0 attenuated C4 or C#4

With the strum knob you can change the timing between the strummed strings in a chord;
this change is global and will affect all chords. This knob can be controlled with the MIDI
controller.

The release knob will put less or more after touch to the note; making the ending of a note
more or less round.

The gain knob is a pre distortion or fuzz gain control to change how much you want to add
to the clear signal; suitable for adding more distortion to the chain going in to your favorite
amplifier plugin; suitable for metal sounds.

The Low, Mid and High knobs are there to simply change the tone of the clear sound.
When these controls are set to max, the original recorded sound of all samples are being
played.

While the attack knob will change the attack decay (pressure of the palm) when playing
muted chords, single notes or octaves. This can be automated with the mod wheel, just
like if you were pushing your palm more or less against the string.

The Low and high EQ will change the decay of the low and high frequencies of the palm
muted sound; so that it will decay faster or slower in each part. Zero Lo FQ and max Hi
FQ will still include the Lo part during the decay of the Hi FQ part, and the Lo FQ value will
extend the decay of the Lo part after Hi FQ has finished.

You can change the speed up and down of the portamento / continuous slide, this is a
global setting and will affect all portamento notes in your song unless you’re using
automation with MIDI control “portamento”.

The third major/minor function of a power chord (only working on power chords),
portamento and hammer on/pull off can all be turned off independently in the graphical
user interface.
THE ALGORITHM MODE

When using Lethality, you need not to think about which string or fret to use because of
the artificial intelligent algorithm determines where to place each incoming note based on
what you’re playing and already have been playing.

The algorithm will play the next note on the closest available fret, as long as it's not too far
from the fret you’ve started the phrase on. It will also prefer moving to a higher fret instead
of a lower one, choosing the higher fret when there are two equally distant choices. It is
here you can force the algorithm to stay on the same string as the previous taken note’s
string by holding down the D4 key switch while you continue to play, and the algorithm will
let you play on the same string as far as it is possible.

THE WINDOW SOLO MODE

If you want to take control over the solo parts in your song you should use the key switch
B3 (window mode).

Don’t forget to spread your creations; if you’ve made a song with this plugin, we would
really like to hear it in action. Please give us an e-mail and tell us about it at
[email protected] !
COPYRIGHT & LICENSE AGREEMENT
All sound recordings, performances, and code contained in this product are the property of
Iridium Iris Software, and remain the property of Iridium Iris Software after the product is
purchased.

This license extends only to the individuals who purchases this product unless that individual
is purchasing on behalf of another individual, in which case it is the actual user of the product
who is granted this license.

The licensee is entitled to the use and unlimited editing of the product within the range of
music production and composition. The product may be installed on many computer systems
used by the licensee, but in no case does a single license allow multiple individuals to use
the product.

The licensee may use the product in the creation of music for production libraries.
Redistributing, reselling, electronically transmitting, uploading, sharing, or renting the product
in any way, shape, or form is prohibited by law. The licensee may create a physical backup
copy of any digitally purchased and downloaded product.

This backup copy is subject to the same limitations as the original copy of the product, and
may not be transferred to any other individual for any reason.

The licensee may not use the product in any creation of other sample, sound effect, or loop
libraries. The licensee may not use sound recordings contained in the product as individual
sound effects for sound design work, unless the sounds are significantly processed, layered,
and otherwise altered beyond all recognition.

Copyright © 2014 Iridium Iris Software. All Rights Reserved.