FINALIZER D.C.
33
B
EWARE OF
E
XPLOSIVES
!
The Finalizer D.C. is an extremely powerful tool that allows you to tighten up most
material and add loudness to nearly any mix. This kind of processing can be very
addictive, but you should try not to just add more and more. Even though you don’t
notice it at first, heavy multi-band compression and soft clipping does generate listening
fatigue more easily than material with more of the natural dynamic range preserved.
So don’t just use the Finalizer as an auto-pilot. Use your ears and enjoy all the power of
the algorithm by applying the right amount of processing.
Finalizer D.C. tutorial
As a starting point, load preset number 50, The Finalizer.
If you use a CD as source material, it will already be mastered and have peaks at Full
Scale. In that case, attenuate the signal by 10dB on the 02R before it gets to the Finalizer,
in order to make the level within the expected range of the preset.
Insert the Finalizer D.C. on the Main L.R bus and play a mix at a typical level. You should
have 3-6dB of compression on the Band meters. If not, adjust the Compressor Threshold
until that happens.
When the Finalizer D.C. is running, the ON button above Fader 17/18 functions as a
By-
pass
. Try turning it on and off.
Try the different
Targets
to get a feel of what the control they’re doing. High Compressor
Ratios or low Thresholds make the different types more pronounced.
The Compressor
Release
time is also an important factor affecting the overall loudness,
faster settings being the loudest. But if heavy compression is used, pumping may result
when time gets too short. Tweak the parameter and note the consequences.
Try to off-set the spectral balance by adjusting individual band Faders (Lo, Mid and Hi).
Turn off the
Limiter
by turning the Limiter Threshold all the way up. Turn off the Soft Clip
function and watch the Output Meter for overloads. When overloads happen, the number of
consecutive Full Scale hits will be shown on the Clip meter. Notice, that turning on the Soft
Clip function often can make output clipping disappear.
Finally turn on the
Expander
by moving the Threshold away from OFF. When the Expander
Ratio is set at 1:1.4, its range is restricted to max 8dB of attenuation. This setting may
prove useful to get rid of some of the noise brought up by the compressor. Adjust the
Threshold so only the very low level parts of the signal are affected.
