Orban OPTIMOD 6200, Operating Manual

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OPERATION ORBAN Model 6200
Systematically, the following is a good method for creating mastering presets. It assumes
that you have already set the
INPUT REF
level and
INPUT CLIP
level controls to com-
plement your operating levels. (See Chapter 2.)
A) Decide whether you are going to use two-band or five-band processing.
Two-band processing retains any fixed equalization originally applied to the
program (except for a mild amount of dynamic adjustment to bass below
150Hz); five-band processing performs an “automatic re-equalization” func-
tion. Both flavors of processing can be extremely smooth and unobtrusive.
B) If you are going to use two-band processing, recall the 2B CLASSICAL preset. If
you are going to use five-band processing, recall the
POP MEDIUM
preset.
C) Press the MODIFY button, and adjust LESS-MORE to 1.0 (the lowest setting).
To change a setting, you must hold down the soft key while turning the ro-
tary knob.
D) Press the FULL CONTROL button.
This allows you to access the individual processing settings. The
NEXT
and
PREV
buttons flash whenever you can push them to scroll the display hori-
zontally, accessing more settings.
E)
If you are using five-band processing, set the
AGC
to
OFF
(unless you need a very
large amount of compression). If you have chosen the CLASSICAL preset for two-
band processing, the
AGC will already be off.
F)
Unless you will be using a large amount of compression for special applications,
set the
GATE THR to OFF .
G) Adjust the 2B DRIVE control (two-band) or MB DRIVE control (five-band) to
achieve the desired amount of multiband gain reduction.
H)
Adjust the release time control (
2B RELEASE
or
MB RELEASE
) to achieve the de-
sired compression density.
The release characteristic is always “automatic” (i.e., multiple time con-
stant), and the
RELEASE
control simply scales this process. This, combined
with multiband operation, makes the compression remarkably resistant to the
usual compressor pumping and squashing.
I)
Adjust equalization as necessary. (Access it by pressing
MODIFY
, then the
EQ
softkey.)
As discussed above, there is fixed equalization available between the AGC
and multiband compressor. In five-band mode, there is also a five-band
graphic equalizer after the multiband compressor, which consists of mix
controls driven from the output of each band compressor. In five-band
mode, any fixed equalization will be partially “undone” by the dynamic re-
equalization effect of the multiband compression, so two-band mode is most
useful when you are relying on the 6200’s fixed EQ, or on external EQ ear-
lier in the signal path. Note also that you can use the
BASS COUPLING
and
HF COUPLING
controls to affect the amount of automatic re-equalization
performed by the multiband compression. As you set these controls closer to