MindPrint-EnVoice
ENGLISH
4.4 Versatile Connections for Recording and
Processing
With its many connection options and input selector buttons, you can connect the EnVoice
so that you can use it for both recording and post-processing without having to go through
the hassle of reconnecting cables or using a patchbay. In an analog environment, your
setup should look like this:
During recording, the microphone signal is routed through the EnVoice, then on to the
mixing console, and from there, via a subgroup, to the desired track of the recorder. During
playback, the signal is sent from the output of the recorder to the line input of the EnVoice
and from there, to the channel strip of the mixer. Use the Mic In/Line In button to
determine whether you want to use the EnVoice for recording or post-processing purposes.
With the help of the DI-MOD expansion, you can exploit the versatile signal routing options
of the EnVoice in a digital environment. Here your cable connections should resemble the
setup in the following diagram:
In this scenario, the microphone signal is also first sent to the EnVoice and then, in digital
form, on to the hard disk system. During mixdown, the signal is routed from the hard disk
system back to the EnVoice via the S/PDIF interface. Use the Digital In/Analog In button to
determine if you want to use the EnVoice for post-processing or recording purposes. You
can return the output signal of the EnVoice directly to the hard disk system via the digital
output and have the computer's soundcard play it back via your computer system. Keep in
mind that the signal is also sent to the analog line out of the EnVoice, so that you can
simultaneously use it for hybrid systems with an analog mixer or for monitoring purposes.
4.5 The EnVoice in Live Applications
Although the EnVoice was primarily developed for recording purposes, it actually wears
many hats—you'll find that it is an excellent tool for live applications. If you are the
proud owner of a guitar rack system, you can patch it in post-preamp and pre-power amp
to compress your instrument's signal. When you play gigs that you can't be bothered to
tote your entire rig to, simply plug your guitar into the instrument input and feed the
output signal directly to the mixing console; the EnVoice thus becomes a convenient tube
DI box. For processing vocals, you can patch the EnVoice into a mixer insert just as you
would an effects device, so that the amplified sound of your voice enjoys the benefits of
those desirable tube characteristics.
5 Tips and Tricks
5.1 Switching noise
All of the EnVoice On buttons are real hardware switches. This means that, rather than just
being deactivated, the processing stages are actually removed from the signal path. While
removing unnecessary stages from the circuit enhances audio quality, these switches
sometimes cause undesirable clicking or popping noises, which are produced by sudden
surges in amplitude. Your best bet is to forget about switching individual equalizer bands
or the entire effects chain on and off during recording or processing with the EnVoice.
5.2 Over-the-top distortion
The tube compressor acts upon all signals that lie above the threshold value. Moreover,
the saturation of the tube will fluctuate depending on how high the signal level is. To keep
the saturation fairly even, the compressor should be used to keep the signal level as
steady as possible. If you dial in a low threshold value and a high saturation level, the
tube will be driven hard enough to produce fairly heavy distortion at signal peaks. In this
case, you should increase the compression ratio to reduce these signal peaks. If you don't
want quite this much signal processing, you should dial in lower threshold and saturation
values.
MIC IN
LINE OUT
GROUP OUT
IN
OUT
LINE IN
5
0
3
2
4
1
7
8
TUBE
SAT
2.5
BASS EQ
20
62
300
80
35
250
0
Hz
dB
.1
1.5
11
2
kHz
7
3.5
.5
.15
3
.4
Q
2
.6
0
dB
.2
HI EQ
1.6
4
22
5
2.5
15
kHz
dB
0
8
6.5
MID EQ
TUBE SAT
COMPRESSION
INPUT GAIN
OUTPUT LEVEL
INSTR. INPUT
BASS CUT
OFF
50 Hz
100 Hz
DIGITAL IN
ANALOG IN
MIC IN
LINE IN
OUTPUT
INPUT
ON
ON
ON
22
16
12
10
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1 dB
FILTER
SLOW
ON
.65
ON
ON
EFFECTS
5
0
3
10
2
4
1
9
6
7
8
22
0
2
4
6
8 dB
16
12
10
6
4
2
THRESHOLD dB
12
2
28
8
25
16
1
15
15
15
15
15
15
5
0
3
2
4
1
6
7
8
:1
:1.2
:2.5
:3.5
:5
:25
:8
ON
MIC IN
LINE OUT
DIGI IN
DIGI OUT
MONITOR OUT
5
0
3
2
4
1
7
8
TUBE
SAT
2.5
BASS EQ
20
62
300
80
35
250
0
Hz
dB
.1
1.5
11
2
kHz
7
3.5
.5
.15
3
.4
Q
2
.6
0
dB
.2
HI EQ
1.6
4
22
5
2.5
15
kHz
dB
0
8
6.5
MID EQ
TUBE SAT
COMPRESSION
INPUT GAIN
OUTPUT LEVEL
INSTR. INPUT
BASS CUT
OFF
50 Hz
100 Hz
DIGITAL IN
ANALOG IN
MIC IN
LINE IN
OUTPUT
INPUT
ON
ON
ON
22
16
12
10
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1 dB
FILTER
SLOW
ON
.65
ON
ON
EFFECTS
5
0
3
10
2
4
1
9
6
7
8
22
0
2
4
6
8 dB
16
12
10
6
4
2
THRESHOLD dB
12
2
28
8
25
16
1
15
15
15
15
15
15
5
0
3
2
4
1
6
7
8
:1
:1.2
:2.5
:3.5
:5
:25
:8
ON
