Frequently Asked Questions
What mutes are included?
Sordina includes over 260 mute models covering brass, strings, and saxophone. These include standard orchestral mutes, practice mutes, harmon mutes, bucket mutes, cup mutes, straight mutes, plunger mutes, and a variety of string techniques. A complete list can be found in the Bank and Program Reference.
Can Sordina be used with instruments other than brass and strings?
Yes. Sordina can process any incoming audio signal.
Although it is commonly used with brass and string instruments, mute models can also be applied to synthesizers, vocals, percussion, sound effects, guitars, and other audio sources. Unconventional combinations can often produce interesting results.
Does Sordina work with virtual instruments?
Yes. Sordina works with any audio source, including virtual instruments, sample libraries, live recordings, and imported audio files.
Can Sordina be used on ensemble recordings?
For the most realistic results, dry solo recordings are generally preferred. However, it will also work well on ensembles and section recordings.
Does Sordina only work with dry audio?
No. While dry recordings typically produce the most natural and controllable results, Sordina can also work well with more reverberant recordings and virtual instruments recorded in larger spaces.
Can Sordina recreate every mute perfectly?
Not necessarily. The effectiveness of a mute model depends heavily on the source material being processed.
In addition, some string techniques such as col legno, flautando, sul ponticello, and sul tasto involve physical playing actions that introduce sounds not present in the original recording. Sordina can emulate the tonal characteristics of these techniques, but it cannot generate sounds that do not already exist within the source material.
Why are there multiple versions of the same mute type?
The sound of a mute can vary significantly depending on the instrument, the mute itself, the performer, and the acoustic environment.
For this reason, many mute types are represented by multiple models. If one variation does not produce the sound you are looking for, try auditioning other versions of the same mute type.
Can I automate mute changes?
Yes. Mute selection can be controlled using either host automation or MIDI CC messages.
The Bank and Program parameters can be automated directly within your DAW, or controlled via CC#0 and CC#32 respectively. See the Automation chapter for more information.
Does MIDI control work in every DAW?
Not always.
Sordina is an audio effect plugin rather than a virtual instrument. While MIDI control is supported by the plugin, some DAWs do not allow MIDI data to be routed to audio effect. In these cases, MIDI Learn and MIDI-based mute selection may not be available.
Does Sordina work in Pro Tools?
Yes. Sordina is available as an AAX plugin for Pro Tools on Windows and macOS.
If the plugin appears to load correctly but does not process audio, make sure the Active button in the bottom-left corner of the interface is enabled.
Can I save my own presets?
Sordina does not currently include an internal user preset system.
Plugin settings are saved automatically with your DAW project. If you would like to reuse settings across multiple projects, use your DAW’s built-in plugin preset system.
Does Sordina consume a lot of CPU?
No. Sordina is designed to be lightweight and can typically be used on multiple tracks simultaneously without significant CPU usage.
If additional performance is required, disabling the spectrum analyser can reduce processing overhead.