12
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
There are many uses for the IPro Two
™
, limited only by your imagination. Here are some suggested uses to inspire your
creative talents. The main ingredient is the IPro Two’s ease of setup and use. With mic and line pre-amps, two
parametric equalizers, full dynamics, SmarTube
™
Enhance, and headphone outputs all connected and in one place,
there is nothing easier to use. These procedures assume that all settings default to a disabled (or non-influencing) state
and are adjusted per instructions. (The LOW CUT is set at 10 Hz, SmarTube Enhance is off, main level is centered,
blend is set fully CW, line and mic gain controls are minimum, and all on/off switches are off.)
RECORDING FROM A MIC (COMPLETE SETUP)
: One of the most common uses is as a pre-amp for recording, either
with an analog tape machine or a digital recorder (such as a computer or digital multi-track tape machine). This unit has
all the functions necessary. Here is the setup:
1.
Begin with all the functions off (see above).
2.
Connect the mic to one of the XLR inputs and turn on phantom power if required.
3.
Set the output meter select switch to pre-amp to check the front end levels and adjust the mic gain control to
give a 0 dBu average level. The 20 dB pad may need to be enabled if the signal is too hot. Pan the mic to its
desired stereo position.
4.
Engage the dynamics section and set the limiter so that it prevents the output from exceeding the maximum
output level desired. This can be checked by turning up the mic gain until the gain reduction LEDs begin to light.
With the meter switch set to check the output, watch the maximum levels and adjust the limit level to hold it to
the desired level. Then repeat step #3 to set the mic to the nominal 0 dBu level.
5.
If there is too much low frequency energy getting into the mic (stage rumble, wind noise, breath explosives, or
proximity effects) turn on the low-cut filter.
6.
Engage the parametric filters and adjust to taste. Always remember – a little is better than a lot, especially when
it comes to EQ! Usually slight notches with moderate bandwidths in the 200 Hz and 2 kHz areas are all that is
required. (Unless you are shooting for that AM radio sound!)
7.
Let the mic pick up background noise and set the expander ratio to 1:2. Gradually raise the expander threshold
until 9 or 12 dB (or even more if the noise level is high) of gain reduction is seen on the dynamics meter. Then
add the source material and listen for excessive dropouts or cut-off syllables. The expander threshold may need
to be lowered if artifacts are heard. All we want is background noise reduction, not necessarily gating.
8.
Normally, vocalists have such a great dynamic range that it is difficult to adequately record them. We can
overcome this problem by adding compression. A good starting point is to set the compressor ratio to 3 or 4 to 1,
and bring down the compressor threshold until 6 to 9 dB of gain reduction is seen on the meter. Add more or
less to achieve the sound you want. Adjust the dynamic’s gain control to restore the signal level to the nominal
0 dBu.
9.
Because compression is driven primarily by the low frequency content of the source, the highs tend to get
swallowed up in the gain reduction. A special circuit has been built into the IPro Two to compensate for this
apparent loss. It is the SmarTube Enhance section, which generates high frequency harmonics from the source
material and adds them back in to brighten and sharpen (add sheen) the source. Start with the frequency and
level controls centered and adjust as needed. Again, less is better! This circuit can get obnoxious quickly, if the
level is set too high! Tune the frequency control for the most pleasing harmonics, different sources may need
different settings to add what they don’t have.
10.
Set the output level with the main level control.
