USER MANUAL_BUS PEAK

Special Thanks
DIRECTION
Frédéric Brun

PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Samuel Limier

PRODUCT MANAGEMENT
Cédric Coudyser (lead)

Clément Bastiat

DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSING
Loris De Marco (lead)

DSP LIBRARIESSamuel Limier (lead)

Hugo Caracalla

Loris De Marco

Cyril Lépinette

Marc Antigny

Andrea Coppola

Geoffrey GormondFanny Roche

Kevin Arcas

Mauro De Bari

Rasmus Kürstein

Pierre-Hugo Vial

Yann Bourdin

Alessandro De Cecco

Marius Lasfargue

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
Valentin Bonhomme (lead)

Raynald Dantigny (lead)

SOFTWARE LIBRARIES
Pierre-Lin Laneyrie (lead)

Gonçalo Bernardo

Raynald Dantigny

Mathieu NocentiAlexandre Adam

Valentin BonhommeDavide Gioiosa

Marie Pauli

Stéphane Albanese

Violaine Burlet

Nathan Graule

Patrick Perea

Pauline Alexandre

Yann Burrer

Samuel Lemaire

Baptiste Aubry

Corentin Comte

Fabien Meyrat

Paul Erdmann (lead UX)

Cédric Coudyser

Morgan Perrier

Maxence Berthiot (lead UI)

Clément Bastiat

DESIGN

SOUND DESIGN
Florian Marin (lead)

Storm Mastering

Martin Rabiller

QUALITY ASSURANCE
Aurélien Mortha (lead)

Matthieu Bosshardt

Arthur Peytard

Nicolas Stermann

Nicolas Naudin

Bastien Hervieux

Félix Roux

Enrique Vela

Germain Marzin

Anthony Le Cornec

Roger Schumann

USER MANUAL
Stephen Fortner (author)

Jimmy Michon

IN-APP TUTORIAL
Gustavo Bravetti

BETA TESTING
Andrew Macaulay

George WareRaphael Cuevas

Mateo Relief vs. Mister X5Davide Puxeddu

Paul Steinway

Yann SNKGary Morgan

Tony Flying Squirrel

Terry Marsden

Bastiaan Barth (Solidtrax)

Mat Herbert

Chuck Zwicky

Paolo Negri© ARTURIA SA – 2024 – All rights reserved.
26 avenue Jean Kuntzmann
38330 Montbonnot-Saint-Martin
FRANCEwww.arturia.com
Information contained in this manual is subject to change without notice and does not
represent a commitment on Arturia's part. The software described in this manual is provided
under the terms of a license agreement or non-disclosure agreement. The software license
agreement specifies the terms and conditions for its lawful use. No part of this manual
may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any purpose other than purchaser’s
personal use without the written permission of ARTURIA S.A.
All other products, logos or company names quoted in this manual are trademarks orregistered trademarks of their respective owners.
Product version: 1.0.0

Revision date: 10 June 2024

Thank you for purchasing Bus PEAK!
This manual covers the features and operation of Arturia’s Bus PEAK, a new audio plugin intended for limiting, controlling clipping, and final loudness management of your mix.
While easy enough to use for a musician who is not very familiar with limiters, its
processing quality rivals that of professional broadcast and mastering tools that can costmany times more.
Be sure to register your software as soon as possible! When you purchased Bus PEAK, youwere sent a serial number and an unlock code by e-mail. These are required during theonline registration process.

Special Messages
Specifications Subject to Change:
The information contained in this manual is believed to be correct at the time of printing.
However, Arturia reserves the right to change or modify any of the specifications without
notice or obligation to update the hardware or software that has been purchased.

IMPORTANT:The software, when used in combination with an amplifier, headphones or speakers,
may be able to produce sound levels that could cause ear damage or even permanent
hearing loss. DO NOT operate for long periods of time at a high level or at a level that is
uncomfortable.
If you encounter any hearing loss or ringing in the ears, you should consult an audiologist.

EPILEPSY WARNING – please read before using Bus PEAK
Some people are susceptible to epileptic seizures or loss of consciousness when exposedto certain flashing lights or light patterns in everyday life. This may happen even if theperson has no medical history of epilepsy or has never had any epileptic seizures. If youor anyone in your family has ever had symptoms related to epilepsy (seizures or lossof consciousness) when exposed to flashing lights, consult your doctor prior to using thissoftware.
Discontinue use and consult your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following
symptoms while using this software: dizziness, blurred vision, eye or muscle twitches, lossof consciousness, disorientation, or any involuntary movement or convulsion.

Precautions to take during use•

Do not stand too close to the screen•

Sit a good distance away from the screen•

Avoid using if you are tired or have not had much sleep•

Make sure that the room is well lit•

Rest for at least 10 to 15 minutes per hour of use

Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of Arturia Bus PEAK
As with all of our products, we believe in offering the best of all possible worlds in asingle package and letting you choose how you want to use it. In Bus PEAK, those twoworlds can be thought of in many ways. It can be used across your final mix output as
the ultimate loudness management tool, conforming your audio to industry standards for
streaming and broadcast. It can simply add punch to your final mix, or ensure volume
consistency between multiple songs on an album. It can be used experimentally to mangle
sound on purpose. Then, we have the two worlds of beginner and expert: Bus PEAK isan expert-level processing tool with an interface even someone who has never touched alimiter or compressor before can easily comprehend and get results from in minutes. This isbecause Bus PEAK essentially is the expert, marshaling highly complex and great-sounding
dynamics processing underneath a handful of intuitive parameters.
We hope Bus PEAK will help your music stand out and command attention!
Peace, love, and music,
The Arturia teamBe sure to visit the www.arturia.com website for information about all of our other great
hardware and software instruments. They have become indispensable, inspiring tools formusicians around the world.

Table Of Contents
1. WELCOME TO BUS PEAK ........................................................................................................................................ 3

1.1. What does a limiter do? .................................................................................................................................................... 3
1.2. How it works............................................................................................................................................................................. 4
1.3. Use cases.................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
1.4. Understanding loudness................................................................................................................................................... 5
1.5. Bus PEAK feature summary .......................................................................................................................................... 6

2. ACTIVATION AND FIRST START........................................................................................................................... 7

2.1. Compatibility ............................................................................................................................................................................ 7
2.2. Download and install ......................................................................................................................................................... 7
2.2.1. Arturia Software Center (ASC)............................................................................................................................................................................. 7

2.3. Working with Bus PEAK as a plug-in ...................................................................................................................... 8
2.3.1. Audio and MIDI settings.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 8

3. BUS PEAK MAIN PANEL........................................................................................................................................... 93.1. Common behaviors ............................................................................................................................................................. 9
3.1.1. Value indicators .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 9
3.1.2. Parameter descriptions......................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
3.1.3. Fine tuning ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
3.1.4. Double-click for default ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 10

3.2. Input Section .......................................................................................................................................................................... 11
3.2.1. Usage examples ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 12
3.2.2. Tone Controls ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13

3.3. Clipper and Limiter............................................................................................................................................................. 17
3.3.1. Clipper ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 17
3.3.2. Limiter............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 19
3.3.3. True Peak...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 20
3.3.4. Delta monitor ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 20
3.3.5. The Clipper and Limiter in action ................................................................................................................................................................... 21

3.4. Master Output ...................................................................................................................................................................... 22
3.4.1. Master readout options ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 22
3.4.2. Master Delta................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 23
3.4.3. Loudness Target menu......................................................................................................................................................................................... 23

3.5. Engine Settings ................................................................................................................................................................... 24
3.5.1. DC Filter ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 25
3.5.2. Stereo Link.................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 25
3.5.3. Dither................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 25

4. THE TOOLBARS........................................................................................................................................................... 26
4.1. Upper Toolbar........................................................................................................................................................................ 27

4.1.1. Main Menu........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 27
4.1.2. Preset Browser access and Name Pane .................................................................................................................................................. 30
4.1.3. Dual settings and copy........................................................................................................................................................................................... 31
4.1.4. Tone Control button................................................................................................................................................................................................... 31

4.2. Lower Toolbar ...................................................................................................................................................................... 32
4.2.1. Parameter Descriptions ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 32
4.2.2. Quality ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 33
4.2.3. Equal Loudness ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 33
4.2.4. Bypass............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 34
4.2.5. Undo, Redo, and History...................................................................................................................................................................................... 34
4.2.6. CPU Meter ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 35
4.2.7. Resize handle .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 35

5. SELECTING PRESETS .............................................................................................................................................. 36

5.1. Preset Name Pane ............................................................................................................................................................. 36
5.1.1. The Arrows...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 36
5.1.2. Preset quick access .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 37

5.2. The Preset Browser.......................................................................................................................................................... 38
5.3. Searching Presets ............................................................................................................................................................. 39
5.3.1. Using Tags as a filter .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 39
5.3.2. Banks................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 41

5.4. The Results Pane ................................................................................................................................................................ 41
5.4.1. Sorting Presets............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 41
5.4.2. Liking Presets ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 42

5.4.3. Shuffle button ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 42
5.4.4. Featured factory Presets..................................................................................................................................................................................... 43

5.5. Preset Info Section ........................................................................................................................................................... 43
5.5.1. Preset Info quick menu......................................................................................................................................................................................... 44
5.5.2. Edit Style ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 45
5.5.3. Editing info for multiple Presets ..................................................................................................................................................................... 45

6. SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT.................................................................................................................. 46

1. WELCOME TO BUS PEAK

Bus PEAK is an audio limiter with a myriad of uses and extremely high audio processing
quality. We meant it to be powerful and versatile but also easy to use — an expert engine
underneath an interface a beginner can get the hang of in minutes. As its name implies, it isintended for use on audio buses. Usually that would be the master stereo bus in your DAW,
but you could place it on a send for a group of tracks as well.
Where many of our plug-ins emulate classic hardware effects or synthesizers, Bus PEAK
is all original from the ground up. We believe its processing quality and “audio intelligence”
rivals that of processors used in the mastering and broadcast industries that can costthousands of dollars.
Introductory chapters in our manuals often talk about why we made a certain plug-in andhow cool it is, but we encourage you to read this one fully, especially if you’re relatively new
to limiters. In what follows, we’ll outline some concepts that will help you get the most outof Bus PEAK — hopefully without getting too technical or lengthy.

1.1. What does a limiter do?
Limiters and compressors are related, and most musicians are more familiar withcompressors. Both reduce the volume of a signal that goes above a certain level, called thethreshold. The biggest difference is what happens after that.
Where a compressor turns down some of the volume based on the ratio setting, a limiter
will not let any level through past the threshold. In other words, it’s like a compressor with avery aggressive ratio. Its attack phase — the time it takes to start acting once the thresholdis passed — is also quick and often not user-adjustable. Many limiters (Bus PEAK included)
also have a “look-ahead” ability and can actually start acting before the threshold is passed.
As a rule, compressors are used on just about anything (inserts on individual tracks, sends,
and buses), where limiters are traditionally only seen on the master mix bus. A software tool
like Bus PEAK certainly encourages experimenting — but it’s always good to know the rules
before you break them.

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At first, limiters revolved around making sure a signal was not too loud for a delivery
medium. Imagine watching a 1950s newscast with distorted audio and thinking your TV
was broken!

1.2. How it works
Bus PEAK revolves around two main “circuits”: a Clipper and Limiter in series. The main roleof the Clipper is to tame loud transient peaks, atonal spikes in the signal, and otherwise
eliminate or reduce material you don’t want in order to prepare the sound for the Limiter.
Then, the Limiter makes the content you do want sound better using three simple
parameters: the threshold, character, and release time. Underneath is a complex algorithmof up to three stages (depending on how you set the controls) doing some very heavy
lifting to analyze and limit the sound. This includes look-ahead processing to see what theincoming signal is about to do in terms of amplitude.
That said, you can also turn either the Clipper or Limiter off and use the other processor
separately.
We will explain what each of the Clipper and Limiter controls do in much more detail in theirsection [p.17] in Chapter 3.

1.3. Use cases
We have described the “normal” way Bus PEAK may be used. But this is Arturia, so we haveanticipated going outside the box, and the variety of factory Presets reflects this. Here is apartial list of applications.
•

Mastering•

Ensuring songs on an album or playlist have a consistent loudness profile•

Optimizing tracks for online streaming platforms•

Adding “glue” to a final mix in the fashion of bus compressors found in classic
analog mixing consoles•

Maximizing the perceived loudness of a track•

Maximizing bass in genres like hip-hop and EDM•

Adding “air” to treble•

Increasing punch on drums•

Dynamic EQ that responds to the signal in real time•

Creating an intentionally squashed sound if desired•

Trashing the sound using extreme settings

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1.4. Understanding loudness

A vintage Philips loudness meter. Image: Raimond
Spekking via Wikimedia Commons.
One of the coolest things about Bus PEAK for mixing and mastering is that it allows you tomonitor and work in LUFS as well as dB (RMS). Musicians and recordists are pretty familiar
with dB as a unit of measurement, but let’s look at the difference between RMS and LUFS.
RMS is the traditional way of thinking about decibels and stands for Root-Mean-Square. It
measures the average energy of an audio signal over time (i.e. not just peaks). It’s whatmost DAWs and plug-ins use for metering, and the standard for the handheld sound meters
officials use to enforce noise regulations.
LUFS stands for Loudness Units, Full Scale. Mastering engineers tend to think in terms of
LUFS. So do the people who make the rules for platforms like Netflix, Spotify, YouTube, AppleMusic, and many others, not to mention movie theaters and broadcast events such as theSuper Bowl. This is because LUFS is currently the best and most accurate standard forexpressing the real loudness of a signal.

What does “real” mean in this context? You may have heard the old riddle, “If a tree falls
in the forest and no one is there, does it really make a sound?” Let’s assume it does — or atleast it causes vibrations that propagate through the air. Now replace the tree with a pair of
speakers playing in the forest. There is an objective, measurable amount of energy coming
out of those speakers.

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But that’s only half the story. The other half is how the human ear and brain interpret thatenergy, which is neither linear nor accurate. Best possible hearing is approximately 20Hz
to 20,000Hz, and within that range we perceive pitches 2,000 - 5,000Hz as loudest, with
our ears’ gain rolling off on either side. Think about how vintage recordings sound boxy,
or how a guitar player with a 50W tube amp can overwhelm a keyboard player using a
powered stage monitor boasting 1,000 watts. Historically, effort and technology have been
put into compensating for this so we can have pleasant listening experiences — and this is
one among hundreds of quirks about human hearing.
The point is, LUFS takes all this into account whereas dB RMS only measures the “nobody
in the forest” sonic energy. Like RMS, LUFS considers the average sound of an audio clip
over time, not just momentary peaks. That makes it the best standard for deciding whether
a song, movie soundtrack, or other audio program is too loud, too soft, or just right for adelivery method (streaming, CD, TV broadcast, etc.).
A final point: For media applications, LUFS targets are expressed as a negative value (belowzero). The Output section of Bus PEAK offers metering in dB RMS, peak level in dB, and LUFS
side by side. There are further options for how this metering works, which we will explore in
Chapter 3 [p.23].

1.5. Bus PEAK feature summary•

Flexible Clipper with threshold, knee, and character adjustments•

Limiter with highly sophisticated processing algorithm•

Simple controls make this processing accessible, doing the hard work for you•

Limiter has adjustable release time•

Four processing engine settings (Tracking, Mixing, Mastering, and Render) tobalance resolution with CPU resources•

Input Tone Controls for bass and treble, each with adjustable frequency•

Tone Controls act as band-specific “pre-Limiter limiters”•

Ability to link main input gain to Clipper threshold and/or Tone Controls•

Master output metering in dB RMS and LUFS side by side•

LUFS loudness target presets for four industry standards, plus custom•

Equal Loudness mode relates input gain to output•

Factory Presets cover use cases from conventional to experimental•

Full edit history with undo, redo, and direct access to each editing step

Bus PEAK is truly limiting without limits. Let’s explore ...

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2. ACTIVATION AND FIRST START
2.1. Compatibility
Bus PEAK works with Windows 10 or later, or macOS 10.13 or later. It is compatible with thelatest Apple Silicon M-series processors. You can use it as an Audio Unit, AAX, VST2, or VST3
plug-in within your favorite recording software.

2.2. Download and install
You can download Bus PEAK directly from the Arturia Products Page by clicking either the
Buy Now or Get Free Demo options. The free demo is limited to 20 minutes of operation.
If you have not already done so, now is a good time to create an Arturia account by
following the instructions on the My Arturia webpage.
Once you install Bus PEAK, the next step is to register the software. This is a simple processthat involves a different software program, the Arturia Software Center.

2.2.1. Arturia Software Center (ASC)If you haven't installed ASC yet, please go to this web page: Arturia Downloads & Manuals.
Look for Arturia Software Center near the top of the page, and then download the installer
version for the system you’re using (Windows or macOS). ASC is a remote client for your
Arturia account, letting you conveniently manage all your licenses, downloads, and updates
from one place.

The Arturia Software Center (ASC)7

Arturia - User Manual Bus PEAK - ACTIVATION AND FIRST STARTAfter you complete the installation, do the following:•

Launch the Arturia Software Center (ASC).

•Log into your Arturia account from ASC’s interface.

•

Scroll down to the ‘My Products’ section of ASC.

•

Click on the ‘Activate’ button next to the software you want to start using (in thiscase, Bus PEAK).

It’s as simple as that!

2.3. Working with Bus PEAK as a plug-in
Bus PEAK can be used as a plug-in within all major Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)
programs including Cubase, Digital Performer, Live, Logic, Pro Tools, Reaper, Studio One,and more.
Plug-ins have numerous advantages over hardware, including:•

You can use as many instances on different tracks as your computer can handle(though as the name implies, Bus PEAK is intended for use on master buses andsends).

•

You can automate the plug-in’s settings via your DAW’s automation feature.

•

All settings and changes are saved with your DAW project, letting you pick upright where you left off.

2.3.1. Audio and MIDI settings
Since Bus PEAK is a plug-in, settings for audio and MIDI routing are handled in yourrecording software or DAW. They are generally located in some type of Preferences menu,
either at the global or project level, and each product does things a bit differently. So,
consult your recording software’s documentation for information on how to select youraudio interface, activate outputs, set the sample rate, assign MIDI ports, set project tempo,
adjust buffer size, and the like.

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3. BUS PEAK MAIN PANELThis chapter details the main things you’ll see and features to take advantage of while using
Bus PEAK in a project.

NumberArea

Description

1.

Input Section [p.11]

Controls and monitoring for audio input to the plug-in, plus tone control

2.

ClipperandLimiter[p.17]

Level management and monitor controls for main Clipper and Limiter

3.

Master Output [p.22]

Sets and monitors final output, in dB and LUFS

4.

Engine Settings [p.24]

Important options for how Bus PEAK processes audio “under the hood”

3.1. Common behaviors
All Arturia FX Collection plug-ins share some common control behaviors to make operatingthem easier.

3.1.1. Value indicators

The dB value indicator for the Limiter slider

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Virtually every control in Bus PEAK that can be moved has a numerical readout of the value
adjacent to it. In addition to moving the control, you can drag on this value to change it.
When using a mouse scroll wheel, the values move in predictable steps: 2% for percentages
and 0.5dB for levels.
Our other FX and instrument plug-ins normally use pop-up tool tips that appear when you
hover over a knob, slider, or button. Given the purpose of Bus PEAK, and its clean graphic
design, we decided to make the numbers always present. (Pop-ups are still present for
the few controls that lack a full-time numerical display, such as the Clipper and Limiter
character.)

3.1.2. Parameter descriptions

Operating or hovering on any control also displays its name and a brief description of its
function in the left corner of the lower toolbar [p.32].

3.1.3. Fine tuning
Hold the right mouse button or Control key while dragging on any knob to adjust it more
slowly. This helps when you want to dial in precise values. If your mouse is equipped witha wheel, you can hold the Control key (Windows) or Command key (macOS) and use thewheel to fine-tune as well.

3.1.4. Double-click for default
Double-click on any knob to return it to its factory default setting.

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3.2. Input Section

The strip on the left side of the screen controls the gain of the signal going into Bus PEAK. It
also features separate Tone Controls that affect the incoming signal. You can see these byclicking the tab on the right to expand the panel, and we will explain them below [p.13].
The main control is the Input Gain Slider. This functions as a boost that can help you reachthe set threshold where the Clipper [p.17] and/or Limiter [p.19] start to work. Or, you may findthat the incoming signal is plenty loud with the slider set at 0dB.
Other important controls in this section are:•Input Gain Lock: The padlock icon keeps the Input Gain slider at the same setting
even if you change Presets.

•

Link Tone: Locks the Tone Control sliders to the Input Gain slider, preserving therelationship between them.

•

Link Clipper: Locks the Clipper slider to the Input Gain slider, preserving therelationship between them.

These settings interact with each other. If you lock the input gain, but neither Link Tone nor
Link Clipper are activated, then the main slider will stay put when you change Presets, but
the Tone Control and Clipper may change depending on the Preset.

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3.2.1. Usage examples
Some simple examples will help make sense of these controls.

Example 1
Example 1: You want to push the gain to hear the Clipper in action, while keeping the
proportions of bass and treble limiting constant. Link the Tone but not the Clipper. To retain
the same drive while experimenting across Presets, use the padlock icon.

Example 2
Example 2: You are happy with the sound of the Clipper, but the Tone Controls need more
work. Link the Clipper but not the Tone.

Example 3
Example 3: You are happy with the Clipper and Tone, but want to maximize the action of theLimiter. Link both Tone and Clipper, then increase the input gain.
What are these “tone controls” we keep mentioning? Glad you asked!

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3.2.2. Tone Controls

Click the vertical tab at the center right of the input strip to expand this section and show theTone Controls. Click the tab again to collapse this area.

These are independent limiters for the bass and treble range, downstream of the input gain
but upstream of the main Clipper and Limiter module. It’s important to remember that theseare more than simple EQ bands — they’re limiters that actively follow and reduce gain aboveand below frequencies you can set.
The Bass slider can bring density to stabilize, thicken, and control the low end. The Treble
slider can smooth out hard-hitting transients (think of hi-hats or top loops) and add “air”
without harshness. The two modules work identically, so we will cover their common
controls just once.
13

Arturia - User Manual Bus PEAK - BUS PEAK MAIN PANELWhen the Tone Controls area is collapsed, the vertical lines in the tab light up to show which bandis active: the bottom one for bass and the top for treble.

3.2.2.1. Threshold sliders

The large sliders set the level thresholds above which bass and treble signals will be
reduced.

3.2.2.2. Delta monitors

At the top of the Tone Control stack are headphone icons. Clicking either one lets you listen
to only the material that control is removing, i.e. the delta (change) in the signal. It is notpossible to listen to both the bass and treble bands at once.
Next to either headphone is a numerical value. When Bus PEAK has a signal passing throughit, these change in real time to show the maximum gain reduction happening in each band,in dB, over a time period of one second.

3.2.2.3. Toggles, Gain, and Solo

This section has three useful controls:•

On/Off: The toggle icons turn the bass and treble bands on and off
independently.

•

Gain: Drag up or down on the numerical value to adjust the EQ band gain
for each band separately. Since this is an EQ band, you are in fact adding or
removing bass or treble.

•

Solo: Click either S button to listen only to the bass or treble band.

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14

A couple of notes apply here. As with the delta monitors, you can solo either bass or treble
but not both (that’s the same as having both solo buttons turned off). If a band is soloed, its
headphone icon at the top will appear a slightly lighter grey if not activated.



Think of the Tone Controls as a dynamic EQ. You can add or remove energy from the low andhigh shelving bands using the Gain setting, then the main slider provides brickwall limiting, and hence
gain reduction, in each band. To work on a band, solo it to listen in focus. On/off lets you toggle
between processed signals and unprocessed signals (without disengaging an active solo). Toggling theheadphone icon on a soloed band lets you hear just that band or the delta applied by its limiting.

3.2.2.4. Frequency mode
Click the Freq tab at the bottom of the tone area, and the input gain controls will change tofrequency controls, like so:Drag up or down on either numerical value to set the shelf frequency where the control will
begin limiting bass or treble. Gain reduction will apply to material below this frequency forbass, or above it for treble. This will happen in full below/above the shelf frequency; half thegain reduction will apply at that frequency. Hovering over either value causes a horizontal
graphic to appear:

This simply gives a quick visual of which frequencies are being affected, in blue.

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3.2.2.5. The Tone Controls in action
When Bus PEAK is actively processing a signal, the Tone Controls area has an animatedvisualizer that reflects the audio activity in each band.

The above example uses some exaggerated settings to ensure that all graphics are visible.

1.

Bands moving down from the top show the amount of gain reduction, which isalso displayed by the numbers above them.

2.

Bands moving up from the bottom show the signal level in dB RMS.

3.

The upper, brighter area of these bands depicts signal peaks.

If the Threshold slider is all the way into the RMS area (not just the peak), you are likely applying too

much limiting for mixdown or mastering purposes. For creative experiments, of course, do whatever
you like!

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3.3. Clipper and Limiter

The central functions of Bus Peak are a Clipper and Limiter, which are meant to work
separately or together. As outlined in the introduction [p.4], when they work together, theClipper’s main role is to control the stuff you don’t want, like sharp or unmusical transients.
Then, the Limiter is there to make the stuff you do want sound better.

3.3.1. Clipper

The Clipper’s main control is the large Threshold slider. The lower the setting, the more the
Clipper will shave off signal peaks. When the Clipper is on, the horizontal purple line (red inlight theme [p.29])extends across the entire gain reduction display.
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3.3.1.1. Clipper On/Off
Click the On/Off icon to engage or bypass the Clipper without losing any of its settings.

3.3.1.2. Clipper Knee

The “knee” of a limiter or compressor is how the processor works when the threshold isreached. It is different from attack. Attack is the time it takes for the processor to startworking at all once the threshold is crossed. Once that happens, the knee determines
whether the compression/limiting gets to full ratio gradually (soft knee), near-instantly (hardknee), or somewhere in between.
Since this is a Clipper, the ratio is extreme by design. Knee widths range from 0dB to infinite
dB. Click the A icon for automatic knee mode, in which the knee is equal to twice the input
gain.



Auto knee is the same behavior as in the soft-saturation feature of a certain sought-after “gold”

analog-to-digital converter. Infinite knee duplicates the “inflating” curve of an equally famous audio
enhancement plug-in.

3.3.1.3. Clipper Character
The Character graphic sets the look-ahead and release times together. At the sharpest
setting, these are instant and produce pure clipping. At the softest, they make the Clipper
behave like a fast limiter, with times of 0.5ms (half a millisecond) each. That may not seem
like much of a range, but the Clipper is supposed to be brutally fast. For broader dynamics
processing, we have the Limiter.
A high (more pointed) Character value produces brighter clipping, while a lower setting
offers a warmer sound.

Combine high Knee and low Character values to create colorful limiting that sounds dark and dense.

Character at 0 and Knee at infinity is the most extreme example.

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3.3.2. Limiter

The main Limiter in Bus PEAK also revolves around a Threshold slider. When the Limiter ison, the slider’s teal blue horizontal line (green in light theme [p.29]) extends across the gain
reduction display.

3.3.2.1. Limiter On/Off
Click the On/Off icon to engage or bypass the Limiter without losing any of its settings.

3.3.2.2. Limiter Character

Like the Clipper, the Limiter has a Character control at the bottom. We mentioned in the
introduction chapter that the Limiter uses a complex three-stage algorithm, and that it looks
ahead to anticipate upcoming signal peaks. The setting of the Character control is relevant
here.
•

At 0% (smooth rounded shape), one stage is active with no automation and static
look-ahead and release times. This is the most predictable Limiter behavior.

•

At 50%, one stage is active and the look-ahead and release times become
dynamic, i.e. they can change depending on the program material.

•

Above 50%, two stages are active. The attack time of the first stage increases,
allowing fast transients to be caught by the much faster second stage.

What about the third stage? That’s activated by the True Peak [p.20], described below.
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3.3.2.3. Limiter Release
This setting determines the maximum time the limiting algorithm takes to cease once soundhas fallen back below the ceiling. (The value applied at any point may be less due to factors
such as automation.) Drag up or down on this field to adjust it from 0 to 2,000 milliseconds.
Lower values result in louder sound but can lead to distortion; higher values are cleaner but
can cause an audible pumping effect.

3.3.3. True Peak

The Clipper and Limiter share a True Peak function, which is engaged by clicking the small
tab at bottom between the two. If the Limiter is on, True Peak enables the third limiting
stage intended to catch the signal’s loudest peaks according to the True Peak standard. If
the Limiter is off but the Clipper is on, this function applies to the Clipper.

While RMS and LUFS measure loudness over time [p.5], peak monitoring captures a moment of thesignal in time — normally a loud one such as a drum hit or emphatic vocal note. “True peak” is a more
recent and accurate method; in Bus PEAK, it analyzes the gap between samples and interpolates thepeak level of the hypothetical analog waveform that would occur.

3.3.4. Delta monitor

Above the Clipper and Limiter are headphone icons. Like with the Tone Controls [p.13],
clicking either of these lets you hear only the part of the signal the Clipper and/or Limiter are
removing. You can listen to either or both, so long as the corresponding processor is turnedon.
Next to each is a dB readout that changes in real time to reflect the gain reduction being
applied by the Clipper and Limiter.

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3.3.5. The Clipper and Limiter in action

When Bus PEAK is actively processing sound, the Clipper/Limiter section has a detailed
Visualizer that scrolls across the screen to show what the processors are doing in real time.



1.

Portion of signal unaffected by Clipper or Limiter2.

Loud passages reduced by Limiter

3.

Higher loudness peaks removed by Clipper

4.

Gain reduction applied by Clipper (beyond what the Limiter) applies

5.

Gain reduction applied by Limiter

Play a track with Bus PEAK across your master output, and adjust the controls we’ve described inthis section. Watching the Visualizer is a great way to see which processor is doing which part of theoverall job.

3.3.5.1. Gain Reduction Scale

The magnifying glass icon at the upper left of the Visualizer toggles the scale of the gain
reduction graph between 3dB or 6dB increments. The + option (3dB) allows you to view
more detail, especially when only light gain reduction is occurring.

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3.4. Master Output

The Master section is mainly for metering, but includes a handful of controls that fine-tune
how that metering responds.
It consists of a stereo dB (RMS with peak hold) meter on the left and an LUFS meter on theright.
In the dB meter, the more saturated color bands at the top of the bars indicate momentary
peaks. The meter displays a peak hold of one second, which you can clear by clicking in
the peak area. The red bars that come down from the top indicate the overall gain reduction
being applied by Bus PEAK in real time.
The LUFS meter on the right reads out the all-important Loudness Units, Full Scale [p.5] we
discussed in the introduction, and just might be Bus PEAK’s “killer app” for making yourmusic delivery-ready. There’s more about this in the loudness target menu [p.23] paragraphbelow.

3.4.1. Master readout options

At the bottom of the master meter bars are readout numbers showing the signal level. Below
these are two settings that determine what each meter shows you.

3.4.1.1. dB meter setting
Drag up or down next to “dB” to select from two options for how the dB meter displays theinter-sample sound level.
•

FS: The dB meter reads at full scale.

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•



TP: The dB meter applies the True Peak standard.

What is the “inter-sample” peak level? This simply refers to the fact that for any given instant in time,

this meter in Bus PEAK is interpolating the values between two samples in your digital audio signal,
rather than taking a snapshot of a single sample.

3.4.1.2. LUFS meter setting
Drag up or down next to the “LUFS” label to select from the following three meter behaviors:•

M (momentary): The LUFS meter takes momentary snapshots of the sound.
Visually, the bar will move the most rapidly in sync with your music.

•

ST (short-term): At any given time, the LUFS meter shows the average signal level
over three seconds.

•

INT (integrated): The meter takes an integrated average over time. This is likely
the most useful setting for loudness-targeting, and the meter bar moves the most
gradually.

3.4.2. Master Delta

Click the headphone icon at the top of the meter bars to listen to the sum total of all changes
to the signal applied by Bus PEAK. To the left is a real-time meter showing the combined
gain reduction from the Clipper and Limiter modules.
Since this is the overall change relative to the input level, adjustments to the Input Gain slider
will not be heard, but band gains from the bass and treble Tone Control gains will.

3.4.3. Loudness Target menu
The LUFS meter in Bus PEAK is the perfect tool to optimize your tracks for various delivery
methods.

Click the carat button to the right of the headphone icon to bring up the following menu.
It displays various loudness targets, which are maximum volumes (calculated over time
according to the LUFS standard) allowable for different media.

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This menu optimizes the output metering for different loudness standards
The horizontal centerline in the LUFS meter bar changes to indicate which standard you
select. The targets are:•

CD: -9dB LUFS, a good target for delivery on Compact Disc.

•

Streaming: -14dB LUFS, recommended
SoundCloud, YouTube, and others.

•

EBU R128: -23db LUFS, the standard for TV according to the European Broadcast
Union.

•

ATSC A/85, TR-B32: -24dB LUFS, both broadcast standards using the same spec.

•

Custom: Set your own target.

for

platforms

such

as

Spotify,

ATSC A/85 was created by the Advanced Television Systems Committee, then adopted by the

U.S. FCC to enforce the CALM (Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation) act. This law aims
at commercials that play obnoxiously louder than the show being watched. TR-B32 is a Japanese
broadcast standard and is functionally the same.

3.5. Engine Settings

At the bottom of the Master section is a gear-shaped icon on a tab. Click the gear to open
the Engine Settings panel:

The DC Filter and Stereo Link settings are saved at the Preset level. The Dither setting is global andremains the same across Presets. Of course, all are saved with your DAW project.

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3.5.1. DC Filter
Engaging this toggle places an input filter in the signal chain, whose purpose is to remove
DC offset.



DC offset is a shifting of the baseline of a waveform relative to where its zero crossing (themidpoint between positive and negative cycles) should be. If you visualize sound waveforms, they’relike alternating current (AC) because their cycles move up and down. In fact, the AC power in yourhome has a measurable waveform, just like audio. Direct current doesn’t have a waveform — it’s asteady-on flow of electrons. In recorded audio (which, of course, is electricity at one point), unwanted
DC manifests as this baseline shift, and it can create unexpected and unwanted sonic behavior.

3.5.2. Stereo Link
Your DAW’s channel plug-in menu likely offers Bus PEAK and other audio plug-ins in stereo
and dual mono versions. In Bus PEAK, the Stereo Link function governs how the plug-in
processes two-channel audio.
It is continuously variable, outlined by these waypoints:•-100% (Dual Mono): No modules are stereo-linked internally, instead processing
each channel independently.

•-50%: Only the Bass Tone Control limiter is linked.

•

0% (Automatic): The first Limiter stage is in automatic mode; Bass Tone Control
limiter is linked.

•+50%: First Limiter stage and Bass Tone Control are linked; second Limiter stage,
Treble Tone Control, and Clipper are not linked.

•+100%: (Stereo Linked): All modules except the Clipper are linked, which itself
links at a Character [p.18] setting of 0 and is totally unlinked at a Character settingof 100%.

Intermediate values will bias Bus PEAK’s decision-making towards dual mono processing at
negative percentages, or stereo processing at positive ones.

3.5.3. Dither
Dither is the practice of adding a small amount of noise to a digital signal to replacequantization errors. In musical terms, it makes the sound more natural. In earlier days ofdigital recording, it was essential to counter a quality listeners could perceive as harsh. Ourears don’t experience dither as noise because the level is far too miniscule.
Today’s home studio equipment is so good that many musicians have forgotten about
dither, but engineers still use it at the final mixdown and mastering stages. Now as then,dither should only be used when bouncing a final mix to a lower bit depth and/or sample
rate. Bus PEAK offers three settings here:



•

Off

•

24-bit TPDF: Use for bouncing to a 24-bit file•16-bit TPDF: Use for bouncing to a 16-bit file

TPDF stands for Triangular Probability Density Function, a form of dither that is especially good at

avoiding unwanted artifacts in the sound.

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4. THE TOOLBARSThe toolbars above and below the main control area of Bus PEAK contain a number ofimportant functions for Preset selection, housekeeping, and other utility settings.
The Upper Toolbar includes:•

The Main Menu [p.27]•

The Preset Name Pane and Preset Browser [p.38]•

Switching and copy options for A and B settings [p.31]•

A button to open the Tone Control [p.31] panel

The Lower Toolbar includes:•

The parameter description area [p.32]•

Drop-down menu for audio processing quality [p.33]•

The Equal Loudness [p.33] function•

A Bypass button [p.34]•

Undo, Redo, and History [p.34]•

The CPU Meter [p.35] and Panic [p.35] functions•

A corner grab handle [p.35] for resizing the Bus PEAK window

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4.1. Upper Toolbar
Let’s start with the Upper Toolbar, covering its functions from left to right.

4.1.1. Main Menu

Clicking the “hamburger” icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left corner of the upper
toolbar opens the Main Menu, a drop-down menu that lets you access a number of usefulfunctions related to Preset management and more.

4.1.1.1. New Preset
Creates a new Default Preset with initialized settings for all parameters.

4.1.1.2. Save Preset
Overwrites the current Preset with any changes you have made. This applies only to userpresets, so this option is greyed out for factory presets.

4.1.1.3. Save Preset As...
This option saves the current settings of Bus PEAK under a new Preset name in the Userbank. (Factory Presets cannot be overwritten or lost.) Clicking this option reveals a window
where you can name your Preset and enter more detailed information about it:27

Arturia - User Manual Bus PEAK - THE TOOLBARSInformation entered for the Bank, Author, and Type fields are all useful when searching for Presets

in the Preset Browser [p.38]. You can also type a name into the Bank field, which will create a new userbank that will then be available in subsequent Save As operations. You can’t write into the Factory bank,but you can create multiple user banks!

4.1.1.4. Save as Opening Preset

This option specifies the current Preset (Factory or User) as the one that will open when Bus
PEAK is first placed on a track or bus in your DAW project. If you choose a factory Preset, it
will open with factory settings.

4.1.1.5. Import...
This command lets you import a Preset file or entire Bank stored on your computer. It opens
a navigation window in your computer’s OS to find the proper files.

4.1.1.6. Export...
You can export Presets to your computer in two ways: as a single Preset, or as a Bank. In
either case, an OS-level navigation window lets you specify where to save the file(s). Bothindividual Presets and Banks have the filename extension .BSPKX. By default, filenames
include a time and date stamp.

•

Export Preset...: Exporting a single Preset is handy for sharing a preset withsomeone else. The saved preset can be reloaded using the Import menu option.

•

Export Bank: This option exports an entire Bank of Presets, which is useful forbacking up or sharing many Presets at once. Saved Banks can be reloaded using
the Import menu option.

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4.1.1.7. Resize Window

Bus PEAK can be resized from 50% to 200% of its default size (100%) without any visual
artifacts. On a smaller screen, such as a laptop, you may want to reduce the interface size
so it doesn’t dominate the display. On a larger screen or a second monitor, you can increase
the size to get a better view of the controls and graphics.
You can also perform this operation using keyboard shortcuts: every time you press CTRL(Windows) or CMD- (macOS), the window will shrink by one size increment, and every time
you press CTRL+ (Windows) or CMD+ (macOS), the window will grow by one size increment.
In addition, you can click-drag the resize handle [p.35] at the right of the lower toolbar to
make the Bus PEAK window any size.

4.1.1.8. ThemeBus PEAK’s visual theme is dark by default, but if you prefer a brighter look, there is also alight theme. The background color changes, as do the colors of the visualizer, metering bars,
and other controls.
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4.1.1.9. Tutorials

Bus PEAK comes with interactive tutorials that walk you through different features of theplug-in. Clicking this option opens a pane on the right side of the window where the tutorials
appear. Select one to access step-by-step descriptions that highlight the relevant controls
and walk you through the process. Click “Exit Tutorials” at the bottom of this pane to end thetutorial and collapse the plug-in window to its previous size.

4.1.1.10. Help
Get more help by visiting links to this user manual and Frequently Asked Questions pages
on Arturia’s website. You will need an internet connection to access these pages.

4.1.1.11. About
Here you can view the software version and developer credits. Click again anywhere on
the screen (outside the About window but inside the plug-in) to make this pop-up window
disappear.

4.1.2. Preset Browser access and Name Pane

The Preset Name Pane
Clicking the “books on a shelf“ button opens the Preset Browser [p.38], which offers a myriadof ways to browse, sort, and organize Presets in Bus PEAK.

Clicking on the Preset name also opens up quick drop-down menus for selecting Presets
outside of the Browser, as shown above. You can select to look at lists of Presets organizedby purpose, as shown above, or look at All Presets at once.

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The categories/purposes on the left of the drop-down correspond to Subtypes [p.39], a specific levelof Tag found in the Preset Browser.

Everything you need to know about managing Presets, is covered in detail in the next
chapter [p.38]. This includes working with Favorites, which are tagged by clicking the heart
icon you can see to the left of the Preset name.



Note: An asterisk just after the name in the Preset Name Pane (*) indicates that you’ve madechanges to that Preset, even if you haven’t saved them. If you want to keep them, be sure to do a Save

Preset As operation and name your Preset.

4.1.3. Dual settings and copy

Preset state A active with theoption to copy settings to B

Preset state B active with theoption to copy settings to A

Each Preset is actually two Presets in one! Using the A and B buttons, you can switch
between two completely different sets of control settings. These are saved within each
Preset.
When A is active, clicking A > B will copy the A settings to B. When B is active, clicking A < B
will copy the B settings to A.

! When you edit settings in a Preset and close your DAW project without saving the Preset, thechanges will be remembered when you reopen it – but they will be recalled in Slot A. That means that
editing settings in Slot B and closing your DAW without saving them will move those settings over toSlot A when you reopen the project — and Slot B will be blank. Save often!

4.1.4. Tone Control button

At the upper right corner of the upper toolbar is a button that opens the Tone Controls [p.13]
pane described in the previous chapter, performing the same function as the tab that opens
this area on the main panel.

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4.2. Lower Toolbar
The Lower Toolbar of the Bus PEAK interface can be thought of in terms of left and righthalves. On the left is the parameter description display, and on the right are buttons forseveral useful utility functions.

4.2.1. Parameter Descriptions

This Control Description pops up when
you hover over the Input Gain slider
Operate or hover on any knob, button, icon, or other control, and a brief description of what
it does appear in the lower left-hand corner.

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4.2.2. Quality

Bus PEAK offers four tiers of quality in terms of the amount of oversampling it performs aswell as other aspects of its internal audio resolution. In ascending order, these are:•

Tracking: Low-latency and CPU-efficient mode suitable for recording andcomposing while Bus PEAK is active in your DAW.

•

Mixing: High-quality mode suitable for making mix decisions.

•

Mastering: Higher-quality mode suitable for mastering sessions, at higher CPU
cost.

•

Render: Highest-quality mode but very CPU-intensive; suitable only for offline
audio rendering/bouncing.

Think of this as a “good-better-excellent-best” difference, and be aware that each higher tier uses

considerably more CPU resources. The Mastering level is ideal for working on a stereo print of your mix.
The Render level is truly no-compromise, and is best left for when you’re not touching anything further
in your project and only rendering final audio.

4.2.3. Equal Loudness

Equal Loudness auto-pads the processed signal to match the input loudness
Equal Loudness is an “auto-pad” that matches the processed output signal to the input
loudness. It does this only if the output signal is louder. This process retains all the character
added by Bus PEAK, but without increasing the overall signal, making it much easier tocompare the original and processed signals.



WARNING: The Equal Loudness function is intended as a check to be used in tandem with the Bypass

button. With Equal Loudness engaged, toggle Bypass to hear the entirety of what Bus PEAK is doing,
without volume changes that might bias your ears that either signal is “better.” However, do NOT leave
Equal Loudness on all the time or while rendering/bouncing, as it will track large loudness differencesin the input (e.g. a break or bass drop) and potentially disrupt overall dynamics.

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4.2.4. Bypass
The Bypass button bypasses the Bus PEAK plug-in entirely. Among its uses are doing a quickcomparison of dry versus processed signal without having to bypass the plug-in at the DAWlevel.

4.2.5. Undo, Redo, and History

When editing a plug-in, it’s all too easy to overshoot the sweet spot for one or more controls,
and then wonder how to get back to where you were. Like all Arturia plug-ins, Bus PEAK
offers comprehensive Undo, Redo, and History functions so that you always have a safe
way back.
Use the arrows to go back and forward one control movement at a time.

4.2.5.1. Undo
Click the left arrow to revert to the state before the most recent edit you made. You may
click repeatedly to undo several edits in reverse time order.

4.2.5.2. Redo
Click the right arrow to redo the most recent edit you undid. If you have undone several,
you may click repeatedly to redo them in forward time order.

4.2.5.3. History

Click the center “hamburger” (three lines) button to open the History window, as shown
above. This provides a step-by-step account of every move you have made in Bus PEAK.
Clicking on an item in the list not only re-executes that move — it returns the plug-in to theoverall state it was in when you first made that move.



Note that the A and B controls settings within a Preset have separate Undo Histories.

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4.2.6. CPU Meter
At far right is the CPU Meter, which displays the overall load Bus PEAK is placing in yourcomputer CPU. Since it deals only with this plug-in, it is not a substitute for the resource
metering tools in your DAW.

4.2.6.1. Panic

Mousing over the CPU Meter accesses the
Panic button
Mouse over the CPU Meter, and it will display the word PANIC. Click to send an all-soundsoff command that silences any sound processed through Bus PEAK. This is a momentarycommand, so sound will resume if your DAW is still playing.
In the event of serious runaway audio (say, from an unrelated delay effect that has gone
into a feedback loop), stop your DAW playback and disable the plug-in causing the problem.

4.2.7. Resize handle

Grab and drag the diagonal lines to the right of the CPU meter to resize the plug-in window.
When you release the mouse button, the window will snap to the nearest increment
available in the Resize Window [p.29].

4.2.7.1. Max View button

Sometimes, you may see the above button with two diagonal arrows over the resize handle.
This happens when, for some reason, the window size is not displaying all of the controls of
Bus PEAK. Click it to restore a full view of the open controls.

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5. SELECTING PRESETSBus PEAK lets you browse, search, and select Presets from a browser-like interface inside
the plug-in. You can also create and save your own Presets in the User Bank. Of course, thestate of any instance of the plug-in — including the current Preset — is automatically saved
when you save your DAW project, so you can always pick up where you left off.
First, we will cover Preset functions from the Upper Toolbar in more depth.

5.1. Preset Name Pane

The name pane at top center is always displayed whether you’re in the main controls viewor the Preset Browser. It reads out the name of the current Preset, obviously, but also offers
further ways to browse and load Presets. A filled-in heart icon indicates a liked Preset.

5.1.1. The Arrows
The up and down arrows to the right of the Preset name step serially through Presets. This islimited by the results of any currently active search, i.e. the arrows will only step through thesearch results. So, make sure any searches are cleared if you simply want to step throughall available Presets until you find something you like.

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5.1.2. Preset quick access
As mentioned briefly in the previous chapter, you can click on the Preset name in the centerof the upper tool bar to bring up a drop-down Quick Browser for Presets. The first option inthis menu is called All Presets, and it brings up a submenu of literally every Preset in thecurrent Bank:

All presets
Below “All Presets” are category options for different applications: classic EQ, enhancer, etc.
These correspond to the Subtypes [p.39] in the plug-in’s library of Tags. Each of these brings
up a submenu of Presets that are appropriate for the specified purpose. One useful aspectis that in the Tags area [p.39], which Subtypes are visible depends upon the parent Typeselected. But in the above menu, all Subtypes are always displayed.
Unlike the up and down arrows, the “All Presets” submenu is independent of search criteria— it simply shows you every Preset available. Likewise for the choices below the line, which
always include all Presets within that Type.

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5.2. The Preset Browser
Click the “books on a shelf“ icon (four vertical and tilted lines) in the Upper Toolbar to accessthe Preset Browser. When the Preset Browser is open, the icon becomes a large X, and isused to close the Browser when you're done.
The three main areas of the Preset Browser are as follows:

NumberArea

Description

1.

Search [p.39]

Searches for Presets by text entry with filters for Type, Style, and Bank.

2.

Results Pane [p.41]

Displays search results, or all Presets if no search criteria are active.

3.

Preset Info [p.43]

Displays Preset Details; can edit details for Presets in User Bank.

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5.3. Searching Presets
Click on the Search field at the top left and enter any search term. The browser will filter
your search in two ways: First, simply by matching letters in the Preset name. Second, If
your search term is close to that of a Type or Style [p.39] it will include results fitting thosetags as well.
The Results Pane will show all Presets that fit your search. Click the Clear All text to clear
your search terms.

Filtering by the EQ type

5.3.1. Using Tags as a filter
You can narrow (and sometimes expand) your search using different tags. There are twokinds of tags: Types and Styles. You can filter by one, the other, or both.

5.3.1.1. Types and Subtypes

The main type, FX Chain, is in the upper
row of tags; its subtypes are in the secondrow
Types in Bus PEAK are applications: EQ, Dynamics, FX Chain, and Template are shown
above, and so on. With a clear search bar, click the Types drop-down to bring up the list oftypes. Types sometimes include Subtypes. In the above example, FX Chain is the main Type,and the second row of Subtypes is Bus Processing, Mastering, and Mixing. The selected Typedetermines which Subtypes are displayed.

You can specify the Type and Subtype when saving a Preset [p.27], using the contextual Type menu.

That Preset will then show up in searches where you’ve selected that Type. The categories of Presets inthe quick drop-down menu [p.37] correspond to Subtypes, i.e. specific purposes or musical goals for theplug-in’s processing.

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5.3.1.2. Styles
Styles are, well ... exactly that. Accessed by the Styles button, this area has three further
subdivisions:•

Genres: Identifiable musical genres such as Ambient, Bass Music, Industrial, etc.:•

Styles: General “vibe” such as Bizarre, Lush, Slammed, etc.:•

Characteristics: Even more detailed audio qualities and target sonic characterssuch as Digital, Long Release, Transformer, and more:

Click any tag in any of these categories, and the results will show only Presets that matchthat tag. Notice that when you select any tag, several other tags usually grey out andbecome unavailable. This is because the browser is narrowing your search by a process of
elimination.

Note that this is the opposite of how selecting multiple Types broadens your search.

Deselect any tag to remove it and widen the search without having to start all over again.
You can also clear the tag by clicking the X to the right of its text, which appears at the top.
Note that you can search by a string of text, Types/Subtypes and Styles, or both, with thesearch becoming narrower as you enter more criteria. Clicking Clear All in the search bar
will remove all Type and Style filters as well as any text entry.

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5.3.2. Banks

To the right of the Types and Styles drop-downs is the Banks drop-down, which lets you
do your search (using all the methods above) within the Factory or User Banks. When you
perform a Save Preset As operation, you can type in a custom name in the Bank field. This
will create a new User bank that will then be available in the menu the next time you Save
Preset As. So you’re not confined to a single, boringly named “user” bank.

5.4. The Results PaneThe results of searching using the Style tag _Industrial_
The central area of the browser shows search results, or simply a list of all Presets in the
Bank if no search criteria are active. Simply click on a Preset name to load it.

5.4.1. Sorting Presets
Click the NAME header in first column of the Results list to sort the results list of Presets inascending or descending alphabetical order.
Click the TYPE header in the second column to do the same thing by Type.

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5.4.2. Liking Presets
As you explore and create Presets you can mark them as Liked by clicking the heart icon
next to their names. This icon also appears in the Upper Toolbar’s Preset Name Pane [p.36].
Clicking on the heart icon makes all of your liked Presets show up at the top of the results
list, as shown here:

A filled-in heart icon indicates a Liked Preset. An outline indicates a Preset that has not yet
been Liked. Click the heart at the top of the list again to return the list to its previous state.

5.4.3. Shuffle button

This button randomly reorders the Preset list. Sometimes it can help you find the soundyou’re looking for more quickly than scrolling through the entire list.

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5.4.4. Featured factory Presets
Presets accompanied by the Arturia logo are factory creations we think really showcase thecapabilities of Bus PEAK.

Clicking the Arturia logo icon at the top of the Results pane sorts all featured Presets toappear at the top of the list.

Sorting by Liked presets takes priority over sorting by factory-featured ones. So, if the top heart icon

is engaged, the results will show all liked Presets first, but the first among these will be featured Presets.
Non-liked featured Presets may appear lower on the list.

5.5. Preset Info Section
The right side of the browser window shows specific information about each Preset.

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Arturia - User Manual Bus PEAK - SELECTING PRESETSFor Presets in a User bank (as the result of a Save Preset As operation), you can enter andedit the information in the Preset Info Section and it will update in real time. This includes
the Bank, designer, Type, all Style tags, and even a custom text description at the top.
To make the desired changes, you can type directly in the text fields or use one of the pulldown menus to change the Bank or Type. As shown here, you can also use a hierarchicalmenu to select the Type or even create a new Type or Subtype.



Types and Styles changes you make here are reflected in searches. If you remove a given Styletag from a Preset and then save that Preset, it will not show up in future searches for Presets bearingthat tag. Note that we provide a huge range of Types and Subtypes meant to work across the entire FX
Collection. Not all of these apply straightforwardly to Bus PEAK.

5.5.1. Preset Info quick menu
Clicking the icon with three vertical dots brings up a quick menu for Save, Save As, andDelete Preset operations:

For sounds in Factory banks, only Save As and Copy To Bank are available. If you’re working
with a user Preset and “Save” is greyed-out, it means you haven’t yet changed anything
about the Preset.

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5.5.2. Edit Style
You can also create your own Style tags to help refine searches according to criteria thatmatter most to you. Clicking on the + icon in the list in the Preset Info pane opens the Edit
Style pane, where you can create as many new tags as you'll ever need:

5.5.3. Editing info for multiple Presets
It’s easy to edit information such as Types, Styles, designer name, and text description forseveral presets at the same time. Simply hold CMD (macOS) or CTRL (Windows) and click
the names of the Presets you want to change in the Results list. Then enter the comments,change the Bank or Type, etc., and save.

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6. SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT
In consideration of payment of the Licensee fee, which is a portion of the price you paid,
Arturia, as Licensor, grants to you (hereinafter termed “Licensee”) a nonexclusive right touse this copy of the SOFTWARE.
All intellectual property rights in the software belong to Arturia SA (hereinafter: “Arturia”).
Arturia permits you only to copy, download, install and use the software in accordance withthe terms and conditions of this Agreement.
The product contains product activation for protection against unlawful copying. The OEM
software can be used only following registration.
Internet access is required for the activation process. The terms and conditions for use of thesoftware by you, the end-user, appear below. By installing the software on your computer
you agree to these terms and conditions. Please read the following text carefully in its
entirety. If you do not approve these terms and conditions, you must not install this software.
In this event give the product back to where you have purchased it (including all writtenmaterial, the complete undamaged packing as well as the enclosed hardware) immediately
but at the latest within 30 days in return for a refund of the purchase price.
1. Software Ownership Arturia shall retain full and complete title to the SOFTWARE recordedon the enclosed disks and all subsequent copies of the SOFTWARE, regardless of the media
or form on or in which the original disks or copies may exist. The License is not a sale of theoriginal SOFTWARE.
2. Grant of License Arturia grants you a non-exclusive license for the use of the software
according to the terms and conditions of this Agreement. You may not lease, loan or sublicense the software.
The use of the software within a network is illegal where there is the possibility of acontemporaneous multiple use of the program.
You are entitled to prepare a backup copy of the software which will not be used for
purposes other than storage purposes.
You shall have no further right or interest to use the software other than the limited rights as
specified in this Agreement. Arturia reserves all rights not expressly granted.
3. Activation of the Software Arturia may use a compulsory activation of the software anda compulsory registration of the OEM software for license control to protect the software
against unlawful copying. If you do not accept the terms and conditions of this Agreement,
the software will not work.
In such a case the product including the software may only be returned within 30 days
following acquisition of the product. Upon return a claim according to § 11 shall not apply.
4. Support, Upgrades and Updates after Product Registration You can only receive support,
upgrades and updates following the personal product registration. Support is provided only
for the current version and for the previous version during one year after publication of the
new version. Arturia can modify and partly or completely adjust the nature of the support(hotline, forum on the website etc.), upgrades and updates at any time.
The product registration is possible during the activation process or at any time later throughthe Internet. In such a process you are asked to agree to the storage and use of yourpersonal data (name, address, contact, email-address, and license data) for the purposes
specified above. Arturia may also forward these data to engaged third parties, in particular
distributors, for support purposes and for the verification of the upgrade or update right.

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46

5. No Unbundling The software usually contains a variety of different files which in its
configuration ensure the complete functionality of the software. The software may be used
as one product only. It is not required that you use or install all components of the software.
You must not arrange components of the software in a new way and develop a modified
version of the software or a new product as a result. The configuration of the software may
not be modified for the purpose of distribution, assignment or resale.
6. Assignment of Rights You may assign all your rights to use the software to anotherperson subject to the conditions that (a) you assign to this other person (i) this Agreementand (ii) the software or hardware provided with the software, packed or preinstalled
thereon, including all copies, upgrades, updates, backup copies and previous versions,which granted a right to an update or upgrade on this software, (b) you do not retain
upgrades, updates, backup copies and previous versions of this software and (c) therecipient accepts the terms and conditions of this Agreement as well as other regulations
pursuant to which you acquired a valid software license.
A return of the product due to a failure to accept the terms and conditions of this Agreement,
e.g. the product activation, shall not be possible following the assignment of rights.
7. Upgrades and Updates You must have a valid license for the previous or more inferiorversion of the software in order to be allowed to use an upgrade or update for the software.
Upon transferring this previous or more inferior version of the software to third parties theright to use the upgrade or update of the software shall expire.
The acquisition of an upgrade or update does not in itself confer any right to use thesoftware.
The right of support for the previous or inferior version of the software expires upon the
installation of an upgrade or update.
8. Limited Warranty Arturia warrants that the disks on which the software is furnished isfree from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use for a period of thirty (30)days from the date of purchase. Your receipt shall be evidence of the date of purchase. Any
implied warranties on the software are limited to thirty (30) days from the date of purchase.
Some states do not allow limitations on duration of an implied warranty, so the above
limitation may not apply to you. All programs and accompanying materials are provided “asis” without warranty of any kind. The complete risk as to the quality and performance of the
programs is with you. Should the program prove defective, you assume the entire cost of allnecessary servicing, repair or correction.
9. Remedies Arturia's entire liability and your exclusive remedy shall be at Arturia's option
either (a) return of the purchase price or (b) replacement of the disk that does not meet theLimited Warranty and which is returned to Arturia with a copy of your receipt. This limited
Warranty is void if failure of the software has resulted from accident, abuse, modification,or misapplication. Any replacement software will be warranted for the remainder of theoriginal warranty period or thirty (30) days, whichever is longer.
10. No other Warranties The above warranties are in lieu of all other warranties, expressedor implied, including but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness
for a particular purpose. No oral or written information or advice given by Arturia, its dealers,
distributors, agents or employees shall create a warranty or in any way increase the scopeof this limited warranty.
11. No Liability for Consequential Damages Neither Arturia nor anyone else involved in
the creation, production, or delivery of this product shall be liable for any direct, indirect,
consequential, or incidental damages arising out of the use of, or inability to use this product(including without limitation, damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, lossof business information and the like) even if Arturia was previously advised of the possibilityof such damages. Some states do not allow limitations on the length of an implied warranty
or the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation
or exclusions may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you
may also have other rights which vary from state to state.

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