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MD-4
Setup
Configuration
Range: Stereo, Dual Mono, Stereo MS, Sum Mono, Left
Mono or Right Mono.
When set to Stereo, the L and R channels use the same
Delay, Trim, EQ and Multiband settings. Additionally, the L
and R sidechains of the Multiband section are linked.
When set to Dual Mono, the channels can have different
Delay, Trim, EQ, Multiband and Limit settings. The L and
R sidechains of the Multiband section are unlinked. Note A
and B labels on meters and channel selectors.
When set to Stereo MS, a stereo input is converted and
processed as M and S. Note M and S labels on meters
and channel selectors. This allows individual Trim, EQ and
Multiband processing to be applied to M and S elements of
the signal, before it’s converted back to stereo L/R at the
output. In this mode the sidechains of the Multiband section
are unlinked so M and S elements can be processed
completely independently.
When set to Sum Mono, a 2 channel or stereo input is
summed with the levels set on the Main page Trims,
at a relative phase of 0 degrees (normal mono) and 48
bit resolution. The summed signal can have different
processing applied through the use of EQ, Multiband
processing and Limiting. Note A and B labels on meters
and channel selectors.
L Mono and R Mono provide modes where only one of the
input channels is passed to both outputs. The one signal
can have different processing applied through the use
of EQ, Multiband processing and Limiting. Note A and B
labels on meters and channel selectors.
The Configuration control affects the routing and
sidechain linking of the 5-band section. Linking of
the Limiter is unaffected by the Configuration, but is
independently set on the Limit page.
Reference Level
Range: -24 to 0dBFS
This control provides an absolute Reference Level for the
Threshold settings in the Multiband section. Therefore, it is
the level at which the Compressor starts operating when
its threshold is set to 0 dB, see level diagram. When the 5
Band mode is set to DXP, Reference Level is the level at
which the bands hit unity gain, regardless of their Steer
and Threshold settings. See level diagram.
For use in broadcast and film production, normal Reference
Level settings would be -18 dBFS in some countries,
and - 20 dBFS in others. For mastering towards a Full
Scale delivery, a setting between -14 (wide dynamic range
output) and -6 dBFS (low dynamic range) would be
more typical.
If you’re working with analog inputs or outputs,
remember to scale the converters to match the
surrounding equipment. Level in the Engines of
System 6000 are always expressed in absolute
digital level, dBFS. Go to the Frame-I/O-Slot pages to
check the analog settings. Examples: If Level In and Level
Out are set at 18 dBu, a Reference
Level at -20 dBFS will be reached at an analog level of -2
dBu. If Level In and Level Out are set at 24 dBu, the same
Reference Level setting will be reached at +4 dBu.
When mastering with DXP mode, start with a
Reference Level around -8 dBFS. This will ensure
that loud parts are not subjected to excessive gain
and therefore limiting. When all other parameters
have been adjusted to complement the material, try
altering the Reference Level up and down a couple
of dB to set the optimum average/peak ratio of that
particular piece of material.
5 band
Mode
Range: This is a powerful control that changes between
three different ways of using MD4. Please familiarize
yourself with the virtues of each individual mode.
Normal mode
The Normal mode is a standard, five-band, downward
compressor, where material over a certain Threshold will
be more and more affected by the compressor, finally to
be limited when a second threshold is exceeded. Preset
examples can be found in Engine Factory Bank 10, decade
4. MD4’s 48 bit architecture can deliver subtle compression
individually applied to different frequency bands and/or
different positions of a stereo image.
Used on single sources, Normal Mode can be used to
punch up a kick or a snare drum by using a fairly long
attack and fairly fast release time. The attack time and the
amount of compression can have a big effect on how well
the signal is handled by small speakers (ghettoblasters,
car-fi, bookshelf enclosures etc).
Normal mode may be used with good results on other pop/
rock sources for compression and spectral control, for
instance with vocal, sax, guitar, bass etc.
The Threshold of the 5-band downward compressor
in Normal Mode is set on the 5Band page, and
relative to Reference Level on the Setup page. If
Reference Level is set at -8.0 dBFS, and the
Threshold of a particular band is set at -6.0 dB, the
absolute Threshold of that band will be -14.0 dBFS.
Parallel mode
The Parallel Mode is a true, five-band upward compressor,
where material above a certain Threshold is less and less
affected by the Compressor. Preset examples can be found
in Engine Factory Bank 10, decade 4.
On analog consoles, parallel channels are often employed
to help control low level aspects of, for instance, vocal or
bass. MD-4 allows using the same technique in the digital
domain, where the “dry” part of the signal is always delay
compensated with the same amount as the look-ahead