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7.1 Serial Mode

In serial (default) filter mode, the input signal is initially

amplified or attenuated using the input gain slider and then

passed to the input meter. It then enters the serial filter chain,

has processing applied, and is then passed to the output stage,

again with level control and metering.
The Band Control section and Interactive EQ graph are both

used to control the band parameters. As the signal leaves the

filter chain, it is also fed to the analyser which derives a

graphical display.

7.2 Parallel Mode

When the Parallel button is engaged, the six bell bands are

arranged in an alternative manner. As in serial mode, the signal

is fed to the input stage, into the high pass filter and then onto

the low shelf filter. The signal is then fed to all six bands

simultaneously, processed and then summed back together.

Finally, again as in the serial mode, the signal is passed to the

high shelf filter, high pass filter and into the output stage.

7. X-EQ Signal Flow

Summary of Contents for DUENDE X-EQ

Page 1: ...X X E EQ Q User Guide 82S6MC050A ...

Page 2: ......

Page 3: ... Parallel Passive EQ 8 5 Operational Overview 9 5 1 Graphical EQ Display 9 5 2 Control Options in Band Control and Input Output Sections 9 5 3 Save Load and A B Functionality 10 5 4 Meters 11 5 5 FFT Spectrum Analyser 12 5 6 Automation 12 5 7 Global Bypass 13 5 8 X EQ Band Parameters and Control Ranges 13 6 X EQ Filter Types 14 6 1 Bell Filters 14 6 2 Shelving Filters 17 6 3 Cut Filters 18 7 X EQ ...

Page 4: ......

Page 5: ...g filters offer variable Q Together these cover the vast majority of EQ styles currently popular amongst professional users including some legacy styles which are renowned for their artistic capability and some unique designs only possible in the digital domain Liberated from any analogue style control legacy the X EQ graphical user interface will especially appeal to people who like to see what t...

Page 6: ...eak with clip hold RMS and dynamic history metering at input and output Different bell filter types are all normalised to look identical at 6dB boost allowing for quick comparison between filter types Proprietary preset management functions providing compatibility between all major DAW platforms A B functionality for easy comparison of any two settings Individual band bypass Global soft latency fr...

Page 7: ...nt bell shape bands 6 Parallel mode button 7 LP filter and HF shelf bands 8 FFT analyser on off 9 Band control section 10 Stereo mono output meter 11 Output level control 12 Duende logo Command click Mac or Ctrl click PC here for ProductActivation 13 Graphical EQ display with analyser 14 Latency free plug in bypass 3 1 13 12 11 3 2 14 4 5 6 7 10 9 8 ...

Page 8: ...M 1Gb recommended Windows XP 80Mb of free hard disk space Approved VST or RTAS compatible host application 17 or larger colour monitor with screen resolution of 1024 x 768 or higher recommended Internet Connection for product registration and software updates 2 System Requirements Plug in formats VST and RTAS versions are provided for use under Windows XP on the PC platform VST AU and RTAS formats...

Page 9: ... To obtain an authorised version of X EQ please do the following 1 Navigate to http solid state logic locotalk com and log in to your SSL account If you do not already have an account please create one 2 Under the SSLProducts and Admin section proceed to the Online Shop 3 Add X EQ to your cart and confirm your identity in the next step 4 In step 3 you will be asked to enter your Authentication ID ...

Page 10: ... Parametric EQ Modelling In today s era of digital audio workstations hundreds of software parametric equalisers are available Many of them are intended to be THE best sounding equaliser ever The truth is that only few of them are recognised and adored by the experts You may ask why one equaliser sounds great while another does not This question is almost as old as the equaliser itself and still i...

Page 11: ... once the EQ d signal is added back into the mix For example the Duende channel EQ derived from the SSL analogue consoles plenty of phase shift and plenty of magic In contrast a linear phase EQ delays all frequencies by the same amount This can only be achieved in the digital domain by using special techniques While this process is very effective in certain situations eg surgically removing troubl...

Page 12: ...h are apparently boosted are simply not cut as much Therefore the unit must attenuate either the input the output or both to allow enough headroom Unfortunately in the analogue domain a 20dB reduction in signal level produces a 20dB increase in the noise floor Luckily in the digital domain with a 40 bit floating point DSP these issues do not remain In X EQ when the parallel button is engaged you a...

Page 13: ... drag Up Down Freq Mouse drag Left Right When moving the LP and HP filter nodes Order Mouse drag Up Down Freq Mouse drag Left Right 5 2 Control Options in Band Control and Input Output Sections Move the mouse cursor either up down or in a circular movement over a knob to adjust it s parameter value The exact nature of the movement you need to make to change a knob value is dictated by your DAW The...

Page 14: ...nge format they are fully platform and software independent meaning any stored setting or collection of presets can be easily transferred between workstations This includes Intel and PowerPC Macintoshes Windows XP and Vista 32 bit PCs and any compatible audio software including Cubase Nuendo Logic Pro Tools Live and Sonar amongst others Stereo and mono presets are also fully compatible Clicking th...

Page 15: ...rent one does not work out You may wish to copy one memory location to another so it becomes the starting point for a different setting you may wish to explore Example To copy from location A to location B 1 Save the preset to a temporary location on your hard disk whilst in location A 2 Toggle to location B 3 Load the stored preset 5 4 Meters The X EQ input and output meter displays are in fact t...

Page 16: ...f the bracket are quickly moving around it can be assumed that the dynamic range is quickly changing which could be interpreted as an energetic signal RMS Meter The thinner bar to the right of this shows the RMS average level This is useful in graphically judging the loudness of the signal and when used in conjunction with the peak meter can give a good idea of the peak to RMS ratio crest factor o...

Page 17: ...utput gains are bypassed This gives a smooth glitch free bypass function and we recommend that you use this method every time 5 8 X EQ Band Parameters and Control Range Band Gain Frequency Q HP Filter n a 20Hz 1020Hz 0 48dB oct in 6dB steps Low Shelf 20dB 20Hz 1020Hz 0 3 10 3 Midband 1 20dB 20Hz 20kHz 0 3 10 3 Midband 2 20dB 20Hz 20kHz 0 3 10 3 Midband 3 20dB 20Hz 20kHz 0 3 10 3 Midband 4 20dB 20H...

Page 18: ...B boost cut P 2 New musical definition based on the bandwidth measurement in the middle of a bell filter between peak and 0dB line Normalisation All 12 equalisers are normalised to have exactly the same bell shape for 6dB boost Classic Symmetrical The most popular parametric EQ shape used in various mixing consoles and outboard gear Almost constant Q characteristic P 3dB Classic Asymmetrical Often...

Page 19: ...stant Q The bells are wider below 6dB and narrower above 6dB or 6dB for cut Proportional 2 Like Proportional 1 but with larger changes below and above 6dB peak or 6dB for cut P 3dB Proportional 3 Like Proportional 1 but with extra widened bells between 0 and 3dB or 3dB for cut P 3dB 15 ...

Page 20: ... defined according to 0 3dB formula Extra widened between 3dB and 0dB P 3dB boost 0 3dB cut Constant Q Asymmetrical Reverse Exactly like above but with mirrored boost and cut characteristics Constant Q Invert Both boost and cut characteristics are both defined according to 0 3dB formula 0 3dB ...

Page 21: ...eates the passive LC parallel equaliser with all its advantages sound and disadvantages band interaction asymmetry As found in graphic equalisers 3dB boost 0 3dB x2 cut 6 2 Shelving Filters Low and High shelves Q value is used to control overshoot characteristic On the left is the Low shelf filter with a low Q value on the right the High shelf filter exhibits overshoot with a large Q value 17 ...

Page 22: ...e RC for high cut and CR for low cut stages fixing a behaviour similar to a series of RC elements in vintage analogue equipment Bessel Linear Phase behaviour leads to no overshoot or ringing resulting from a sudden transition between signal levels The drawback is a sluggish roll off rate ...

Page 23: ...uency domain Butterworth Characterised by having a maximally flat magnitude response i e no amplitude ripple in the passband Chebychev Characterised by having an equiripple magnitude response meaning the magnitude increases and decreases regularly from DC to the cutoff frequency 19 ...

Page 24: ... band parameters As the signal leaves the filter chain it is also fed to the analyser which derives a graphical display 7 2 Parallel Mode When the Parallel button is engaged the six bell bands are arranged in an alternative manner As in serial mode the signal is fed to the input stage into the high pass filter and then onto the low shelf filter The signal is then fed to all six bands simultaneousl...

Page 25: ...ings in the signal than replacing what was never there If the sound is not good without EQ then you will never end up with a perfect sound using it For sound enhancement use moderate Q values High Q is always associated with a strong phase shift that can negatively influence the sound especially if more instruments are recorded on the same track Remember that when you use an equaliser to boost or ...

Page 26: ...aff to make sure all information is accurate All information is available to you 24 7 URL http solid state logic en custhelp com If you can t find your answer or a solution to your issue you can submit a question on the site to our support staff for resolution X EQ was developed by Solid State Logic in collaboration with DSP software house Algorithmix 9 X EQ Support ...

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Page 28: ...pective owners and are hereby acknowledged No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means whether mechanical or electronic without the written permission of Solid State Logic Oxford OX5 1RU England As research and development is a continual process Solid State Logic reserves the right to change the features and specifications described herein without notice or obligation...

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