PRODUCTION PARTNER
09/2015
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favorable setting with sufficient headroom for signal peaks is clearly
facilitated by just using colored bar indicators.
Another very noteworthy and helpful innovation – not only for begin-
ners – is the 1-knob function for the parametric EQs. You can choose
between different settings, e.g. “Intensity” and “Vocals” for inputs, “In-
tensity” and “Loudness” for outputs. “Intensity” can be applied to all
filter functions and shrinks or expands a complete filter curve’s gain
settings. Let’s say you have a given filter setting and you switch into 1-
knob mode; the curves original shape will first be preserved with the
intensity faders set to 50. At lower values the whole curve will become
flatter and flatter, at higher values this process will boost the curve. At
the intensity setting of zero, the filter will be deactivated and at inten-
sity setting 100, gain settings will be doubled (i.e. a Bell filter, previously
at + 6 dB, will then be at + 12 dB. In figure 22, the red curve represents
the starting point. The green curves were measured at intensity set-
tings between 10 and 100.
There are pre-configured loudness filter settings, also adjustable be-
tween values of 0 to 100. The idea of a loudness filter is to compensate
one weakness of our ears: in case of relatively low levels they pick up
low and high frequency ranges less than midrange frequencies. So you
would increase loudness filtering when you have soft background
music, you would decrease filtering or switch “Loudness” off com-
pletely when the sound environment becomes louder and louder.
For inputs there is a preset “Vocal” filter with a 140 Hz high pass filter
and a slight cut of the low mids and a boost of the higher frequencies.
In addition to the use of filters, dynamic processing constitutes the most important
function of a mixing desk. Especially LIVE music often generates a large dynamic
range meaning you would wish a certain compression would take place. Also, there
are often problems with noise during quiet music passages due to open, unused
mics. By means of compressors loud signal peaks can be reduced and gates can
block unused mic channels. Both functions utilize thresholds that determine when
the signal processing will start. If the compressor threshold is exceeded the signal
will be attenuated in a controlled way. The ratio setting determines the intensity
of attenuation. When all values are radically cut off above the threshold, then a
limiter as a special type of compressor is in use. The gate will react in a reverse
way, i.e. reduce the level or shut off the signal path completely when the values
fall below the threshold.
Both functions imply time constants. The attack time determines how fast a
reaction to exceeding or falling below the threshold will take place. The hold time
defines how long processing will still happen when exceeding or falling below the threshold level has stopped and the
release time defines, how fast the level will return to the initial state after the end of the hold phase.
⎮
Dynamic Processing
Controlling compressors
YAMAHA TF
series (figure 19)
1-knob mode
adjustments for parametric EQ in the out-
puts set to “Loudness” (figure 21)
Compressor
reacting to a sine burst at 50 ms attack and
500 ms release for a threshold set to –20 dBfs (figure
20)
