LEFT
LEFT
RIGHT
RIGHT
NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS.
REFER SERVICE TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
POWER
12V AC
USE ONLY CORRECT
JOEMEEK POWER SUPPLY
OUTPUT
S/C INSERT
INPUT
mc2 STEREO COMPRESSOR
www.joemeek.com
DESIGNED IN THE UK FOR PMI AUDIO.
MADE IN CHINA.
EN55103
-10dBV
+4dBu
MONITOR AMP
EQUALIZER / FILTER
(MONO)
MIXER
RECORDER
14
15
GETTING CONNECTED
The figure shows the mc2 being used in a typical recording setup:
!
The insert point is being used to divert the compressor control signal
through an external graphic equalizer, for "frequency conscious"
compression.
!
If you have a mixer with L-R Master sends and returns, this is a good
place to connect the mc2, for both mastering and live work.
POWER SUPPLY
Connect the mc2 Power Supply to the AC connector on the rear panel and
switch on the mains supply.
NB: Use only the 12V ac mains adaptor
supplied. Use of any other power supply may damage the mc2 and
will invalidate the warranty.
Turn the 'INPUT GAIN' control to minimum and connect the input source.
Turn up the 'INPUT GAIN' until the sound registers on the VU Meter,
adjusting it so that the meter reads between "0" and “+4” on sound peaks.
When the red LED (labeled "Peak") lights, the mc2 is within 6dB of clipping.
Occasional flashes are OK but if it is on all the time, turn the Input Gain
down!
Using the Preamp
combinations to discover what best suits the material you wish to
compress. Watch the GR meter and don't overdo things -
Use the 'COMP' switch to make comparisons between compressed and
uncompressed signals.
it's possible to
apply 20dB of gain reduction before you realize it!
Using the Compressor
Start with the Compressor off and adjust the INPUT GAIN so that the VU
Meter reads around 0dB.
Set 'COMPRESSION' and 'ATTACK' fully anti-clockwise, with 'SLOPE'
and 'RELEASE' at mid-position.
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Press the 'COMP' switch and turn up the
'COMPRESSION' control until the compressor GR meter starts to read
4dB or 6dB on audio peaks. You should now be able to hear the
compressor working as the volume diminishes. Use the 'MAKE UP GAIN'
control to restore the signal to its previous (uncompressed) level. Alter the
SLOPE and listen to how the severity of the gain reduction changes. Try
changing the Attack and listen for percussive sounds getting louder.
Reducing the Attack and Release times should emphasize this even more
and the compressor should start to "pump" audibly.
The overall result of compression depends on the combined settings of the
Compress, Slope, Attack and Release controls. Experiment with different
Using the GR Hold
Note that this works only in conjunction with the Compressor – it has no
effect on its own. It is for use with a noisy original signal, such as from
cassette tape, guitar amplifiers or live recordings where a lot of unwanted
background noise is present.
With a signal present, set the compressor to give a moderate amount of
gain reduction and wait for gaps between the music or program material.
You should then hear the noise increase as the compressor's gain returns
to the level set by the 'MAKE UP GAIN' control. Next switch on the GR Hold
and repeat that section of the program. Adjust the 'GR HOLD' control until
the LED just changes from green to red when the music stops.
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Red means
that the input signal has fallen below the selected threshold and the
amount of gain reduction is being held constant. Green means that the
noise is still above the selected threshold and the compressor is still
working, so raise the threshold by turning the control clockwise.
If the results are not obvious, try increasing the compressor s Release
time. If the gain reduction releases too quickly, the GR Hold may not
capture it before the gain starts to rise again. Keep repeating the process
until the desired effect is obtained and there is no increase in noise during
gaps in the program.
Another thing to note is that this feature uses an analogue "sample and
hold" circuit to freeze the control voltage to the compressor. As with all such
circuits, the stored voltage will eventually decay away, then the
compressor s gain will increase and the noise will again become apparent.
However this process will take several minutes – long enough the cover
the noisy gaps in the program material, or between tracks of an album. At
the end of the recording, remember to fade out the signal before the noise
comes back!
Using the Stereo Width
Using the Insert Point
With the STEREO WIDTH control centered, normal stereo is maintained.
So with a stereo signal you should hear no difference.
Turning the control fully anticlockwise results in mono, ie: identical signals
come out of both left and right outputs. Turning the control fully clockwise
widens the sound stage to extra-wide stereo.
Use the adjacent ON switch to make comparisons between processed
and unprocessed sound. When widening the stereo image you may find
that “less is more” and it s better to keep the effect subtle.
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This unbalanced "Send and Return" jack allows you to patch other pieces
of equipment, such as a graphic equalizer into the compressor's control
circuitry, "
"
Imagine you are trying to even out the vocals in a mix, but the mix is bass-
heavy with the result that each bass note squashes the vocals. A modest
amount of bass-cut on the external equalizer will make the compressor
for frequency conscious compression.
If you boost certain frequencies with an external equalizer, those
frequencies are going to cause the compressor to respond more, ie:
squash the program material more. If you cut certain frequencies, the
compressor will respond less to those frequencies. Uses for this can be
either creative or corrective.
Using the mc2
