XTA C2 Operator's Manual

XTA C2 Operator's Manual Manual pdf 20 page image

Page 20 C2 Operators ManualWhy is the De-EQ mode so useful?Having selected the frequency band to work with, the dynamic eq will listen to thisband and act upon it by cutting(compressing) any frequencies present in it that goabove the predetermined threshold. Consider the example below where thethreshold is set to –20dB, and the selected frequency band is centred around 1kHz.Signals below the threshold will pass unaltered, but as increasing signal is applied,those frequencies centred around 1kHz will be cut or compressed. The ratio in theabove example is set at 2:1 so, as with any compressor, the amount of gain reductionapplied depends on how much the signal exceeds the threshold. The red linerepresents a signal at 0dB, which is 20dB above the threshold. At 1kHz, therefore,the signal has been compressed to –10dB or 2:1.Uses of “De-EQ” mode.Traditional use of ‘frequency conscious’ compression is to control or ‘tame’ a certainband of frequencies within the program material. Insertion of EQ into the sidechainwill make the compressor respond to the required band, but it will cause broadbandcompression of the signal, so any peaks will cause the entire signal to be compressed.This produces the familiar problem of dulling the material if it is bass-heavy, orcausing unnecessary dips and changes in ambience when attempting to removesibilance.The difference with dynamic EQ is that only the band selected is compressed. Thismeans that it becomes possible to compress the low frequency content of materialwithout affecting the high frequencies at all. The result is increased volume andperceived level with out sacrificing clarity. Any instance where the desired result is tocontrol a band of frequencies, such as de-essing, or de-popping, without affecting thesurrounding frequency ranges is an ideal use for this mode.Try de-essing with the filter centred at 8-9kHz, and a narrow bandwidth setting,attack 25mS, release 100mS.