DK+ Commands Guide

Downloads

When you purchase DK+, you will receive an email with a link to the download page and a Ticket Number.

Access the download page and enter your Ticket number. You will see the list of 5 downloads available to you (the application, an install guide and 3 Kit files). You will also need WinRAR to install DK+ .

Download the files:

DKplus_kits.part1.exe
DKplus_kits.part2.rar
DKplus_kits.part3.rar
NUSofting_DKplus_1.5.zip

Installing the Sounds Library

Be sure that you have all files in the same folder on your disk drive.

Double click on DKplus_kits.part1.exe and choose the folder location where you would like to place the DK+ Library, it will take about 200 MB of your drive space. You don't need to open the 2 *.rar files, they are automatically linked to the *.exe file.

If you are upgrading from version 1.2 and you have customized or extended your DK+ 1.2. library, you can now merge your DK+ 1.2. library into the new one, simply drop the old kit folders into the new ..\DKplus_kits\library folder

Installing the DK+ Application

Now unzip NUSofting_DKplus_1.5.zip into your VSTPlugins folder,

That should create a "NUSofting DK+" folder containing 7 files and the skin subfolder.

Using DK+ for the first-time

Launch your VST host, scan for new VSTs if needed and open the DK+ instrument.

to select the DK+ Library path - click [Menu] >> Preferences >> then the [...] button, navigate to the folder where you installed the Library, [OK]

to load a Drum kit - select it from the Kit drop-down list

to load a Style - select it from the Style drop-down list

- - choose one of the Styles without an asterisk

Now you're ready to play!

DK+ Guides

to open the DK+ User Manual - [Menu] >> Help >> click the link for the User Manual
to open the DK+ Library Description - [Menu] >> Help >> click the link for the Library
- - the Library is also described below, so you can click here to read it

to check the current version of DK+ - [Menu] >> About DK+
to access the DK+ home page - [Menu] >> About DK+ >> DK+ Web page

Preferences

to open the Preferences window - click [Menu] >> Preferences

to apply the selected preference settings - click [Apply]

Sounds

to select the DK+ Library path - click the [...] button, navigate to the folder where you installed the Library, [OK]
to set the polyphony (number of voices) - select the number from the Polyphony drop-down list
to prevent normalisation of samples when loaded - tick "Do not normalise . . ."
- - this preference does not apply to the DK+ factory samples
to improve the resampling quality - tick "Use quality resampling . . ."
- - if the samples are stored at a higher or lower sample rate than the sample rate used in the host application, DK+ will resample them automatically.

Reverb

to set the Reverb room size - select it from the Reverb drop-down list
to turn the reverb off - select "Off" in the Reverb drop-down list, or
to turn this reverb On/Off - click the Reverb button On/Off , in the Drums or Step Sequencer window
- - the DK+ internal reverb is intended as a simple preview effect, and it can be useful when testing the drum kits or quickly creating a song using the internal styles
- - once you start using multiple outs it's suggested that you use external effects
- - the internal Reverb is always sent to the Stereo [1+2] output

to activate a Send FX rather than the Reverb FX - tick "Disable internal Reverb and . . ."
- - this switches the FX Send output from the internal Reverb to the [Aux3] output

Other Preferences

to prevent MIDI being sent to the host when a pad is clicked - tick "Do not send MIDI events . . ."
- - note that this will disable the MIDI note generation, but this function is very useful to preview or edit drum kits.
to set the rotary controls to respond to circular movements - tick "Knobs respond to circular mouse movements"
to switch patterns only at the end the current pattern - tick "Sequencer Live mode . . "
- - this is valuable if you are using DK+ in a live performance and would like to trigger the patterns via your MIDI keyboard

DK+ outputs

DK+ has three stereo outputs [1+2], [3+4] and [5+6], and three Auxiliary mono outputs [Aux 1], [Aux 2] and [Aux 3].

- - when you load DK+ in your host, only the first stereo output may be automatically connected, you may need to connect/route the other outputs too

Reset Instrument

to reset the entire drum machine - [Menu] >> Reset >> Full Reset
- - -note, this does not reset the Step Sequencer patterns
to reset the MIDI controllers - [Menu] >> Reset >> MIDI controllers

DK+ Skins

- - DK+ skins are stored in WinRAR Self-Extracting Archives files
- - when you run the WinRAR file the GUI elements are extracted into the folder "dk+ skin" alongside the .exe file
- - during installation, WinRAR files for other skins are placed in the "NUSofting DK+" folder
- - if you download or create any other DK+ skins, their WinRAR .exe files should be placed in the same folder

to change the DK+ skin -

in Explorer, navigate to your "NUSofting DK+" VST plugin folder
double-click on one of the skin files, for example "Cool Wood skin.exe"

- - when you next open DK+ the new skin will be used
- - the screenshots in this Guide use a slightly modified versions of branis' Anaemic skin

DK+ Installation and Configuration