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6
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• Line input level: PROCESS switch set to Bypass, METER switched to Output
• Line output level: PROCESS switch set to Active, METER switch set to Output
• Compressor gain reduction: PROCESS switch set to Active or Bypass, METER switch set to G.R.
• “0 VU” is calibrated to +4 dBu for the input and output VU modes and 0 dB of gain reduction in
G.R. mode.
VU meters are calibrated in Volume Units to give an average signal level reading. The key term here
is “average” because VU meters show the average difference between the peaks and valleys in the
level of the program material. While VU meters generally show an accurate level for a synthesizer
pad sound where the dynamic differences are slight, they will let brief peaks through that don’t reg-
ister on the needle such as those from an energetic Bass guitar track. See the Application Notes sec-
tion at the end of this manual for more information on VU metering.
TRIM
This trimpot allows adjustment of the 0 VU setting for gain reduction display only. This is precisely
set at the factory however it may need re-calibration from time to time. To adjust, set the Meter
mode to show gain reduction and use a jeweler’s flathead screwdriver to align the needle with the 0
VU mark.
GATE THRESHOLD
This control determines the level at which the noise gate closes. Turning the control clockwise raises
the threshold at which the gate will open. For example, if you have set the threshold to -20 dBu,
only signals louder than -20 dBu open the gate and thus, be audible. The gate is fully open or “off”
in the furthest left (counter-clockwise) position. The indicator LED shows that the gate is closed.
GATE ATTENUATION
When the gate closes, this control sets how much level reduction is desired. The reasoning behind
this is that you don’t always want the gate to close fully. A slight attenuation will reduce, but not
eliminate crowd noises for instance. Less gate attenuation will also make the opening time as fast as
possible because although the gate is extremely fast, it will always open more quickly when starting
from an intermediate level. If the attenuation is set to 0 attenuation the gate is inactive regardless of
the threshold setting.
DE-ESS ATTENUATION
This knob is used to adjust the amount of gain reduction applied to sibilant vocal frequencies that
result from “ess”, “tee”, “ch” and “dee” sounds. When the De-ess control is turned clockwise, a pro-
gram peak above the 4.5 kHz knee frequency will cause the de-esser to quickly “duck” the audio
down and back up again. Because the gain reduction is broadband (all frequencies) this is optimized
for vocal de-essing only and it is not suitable for full program material. The LED shows when sibi-
lants are being attenuated.
