Masderring Lab Software is available on a PC card for The DSP4000. It is designed to work with the unit's digital I/O hardware and so should only be purchased for use with a standard DSP4000 or with the GTR4000 or DSP4000-B when fitted with the optional digital I/O. The DSP4000 requires operating system version 2.10 or greater. If your DSP4000 has OS version 1.x, you must contact Eventide to arrange an upgrade. If you have version 2.0x, you will have to change (and return) one EPROM before you can use this product, and you should notify Eventide or your dealer of this situation when ordering it.
Masderring Lab is one of several plug-in cards that enhance the capability of the DSP4000, and is available from Eventide dealers worldwide.
Stereo EQ and Knee Compression Software for the Eventide DSP4000 Ultra-Harmonizer ®
CONTENTS
Page Item
Masderring Lab 1
Sequenceable presets - push the upper right button to load next program for next song.
Daisy chain other Eventide DSP4000's for the most advanced signal processing (i.e., de-essers, debanders, split band processing etc.).
Future proof - upgradeable hardware and software
Using Masderring Lab for the first time
Masderring Lab is intended for use in the Digital Domain. You may use either the AES XLR's inputs or outputs or the SP/DIF RCA ins/outs. Several typical setups are listed below.
1) DAT to DSP4000 to DAT
2) Hard Disk editor to DSP4000 to DAT
3) DAT to DSP4000 to Hard Disk editor
4) Dat to DSP4000 to CD recorder
5) Hard Disk Editor to DSP4000 to PCM1630
Where to start
Depending on your setup, follow the checklist on page 3 to ensure the following:
1) Correct digital inputs and outputs, 2) 100% mix, 3) Global inputs and outputs at 0dB (normal).
Since it is typical and common, let us assume you are going from hard disk editor to DAT recorder. Digital output from the HD editor will go to digital inputs on the DSP4000, and the output of the DSP4000 will go to digital inputs of your DAT machine. Remember that if you want to end up on CD, 44.1KHz sampling rate is mandatory. Now let's get to work.
First (after Masderring Lab is loaded), let's set input levels. If the material in the HD editor (our source) is loud and close to full scale, you may keep the L (left) and R (right) input levels around 0. Your destination DAT machine should be in record pause and you should be monitoring through it, watching the bargraphs to ensure that the input to the DAT machine is not pinned (too loud) or too soft. Many DAT machines like the popular SV3700 and DA30's do not show digital clipping on inputs, which really sucks (as Beavis would say). Therefore, the user must decide audibly when clipping occurs. Pros at Bell Labs decided years ago that clipping which lasts under 1mS is not audible by anyone, and even several milliseconds may not audibly degrade signal. In the past 5 years, it has become popular to load as much level on CD's as possible, making them as loud as possible. This means there has been a trend towards more momentary clipping, with snare drums often hitting zero's (full scale) for many milliseconds. The mastering engineer must audibly determine what is acceptable. Headphones, such as Sony MDR7506's or AKG240's, are very useful for determining this. Don't go crazy tweaking levels yet since compression and EQ are going to change this.
Let's say you want to brighten up a song and make it clearer. Let's use the output EQ (outpt EQ). Press the outpt EQ softkey once and scroll to the fader farthest to the right. This is a hi shelving type control, compliment of the low shelf all the way to the left. Boost it 3 dB to start. You should hear a noticeable clarity but you think, maybe I don't need so much midrange. You can either cut some mids or try moving up the starting frequency of the hi shelf. Do the latter by hitting the outpt EQ softkey again to get at the frequency. Push the left arrow key to wrap around to the last frequency listed and adjust to say 9000 Hz. The overall tone is now acceptable to you.
Now you want to pump up the mix with some compression. Hit the comp/lim key once to get to the compression page. Lower thresh until you see the meter start to move. To keep transients, keep attack time greater than 10 mS. To lessen transients bring attack lower. If the mix has lots of low frequencies, you may notice an unpleasant pumping. We suggest going to the expert page and cutting more detector low frequencies, say maybe -15 at 150Hz shelve. Too much cut here will make the compressor respond too much to things like vocals and midrange instruments. Developing an ear for this versatile side-chain frequency control may take some time.
There are two places in the song where a really loud Tom booms out of the speakers. Let's see if the limiter can control it. Hit {Comp/lim} one more time to get to limiter parameters. Adjust limiter threshold ("threshold2") by going to the Tom-heavy spots and making it just turn on when the Toms come through. Generally, you want a very quick attack and release so it gets in and out of the way quickly. One to three dB of limiting on those points may do it.
Now you are happy with the tune and you are ready to put it down onto the "mastered" DAT. You could save the program first so you can bring it back later for a tweak. Adjust final levels now that you have all the processing engaged, and push play on the DAT to take it out of Rec/Pause and start song from the HD editor.
NOTE: The Bargraphs on the DSP4000 show input only. If you have the unit set as above, nothing you do in the Masderring Lab program will affect these meters. They only show the level of the digital input. Don't judge what the Masderring Lab is doing by these meters.
Page 2 is accessed by pushing the {lvl/inEQ} soft key (softkeys are below the display whose functions change with software loaded). This second page shows a fader that controls the boost/cut of a pre- compressor/limiter parametric EQ. Arrowing to the right lets you adjust EQ freq., EQ bw, and EQ type, respectively. Pressing the [SELECT] key when on EQ type will toggle this EQ through Band, High shelf, and Low shelf. The "G.R". meter shows the total Gain Reduction from both compression and limiting.
Page 2 is limiter parameter page with associated controls.
Page 2 lets you adjust the frequencies of all five EQ sections in sequential order.
Page 3 lets you adjust the bandwidths (Q's) of all bands except the low and high shelving which are fixed.
Page 2 is a help page about the home page.
Page 3 is a help page about the general layout of Masderring Lab.
2) Acoustic "unplugged" material without drums is generally 3 to 6 dB lower than full group stuff and relative (and subjective) balance should be maintained.
3) If you have access to two DSP4000's, you will have all the fundamental Mastering tools that even the biggest mastering houses have. Try loading the second unit with a de-esser to control highs that might be too much . Maybe a split band processor. Or load "Dist Master Box" to add grunge. Since you're working in a 24 bit digital domain, quality loss will not be a concern.
4) Masderring Lab does not dither the 24 bit output. Our audio & measurement tests show that without dither our S/N is greater than 96dB. 1KHz THD from a digital source, through the unit and out an SV3700 DAT is measured at less than .004% at full scale and only .5% some 40dB down. The DAT player is the limiting factor. As a result, Masderring Labs output can be accepted by any recorder with resolution up to 24 bits without any user adjustment nor degradation in sound.
Program load gives error - You must have Rev 2.1 or higher operating system installed on your DSP4000 for Masderring Lab to work.
Unit is on but not doing anything - The unit may be bypassed or muted. See if either the yellow or red LED is lit on the left side of the box next to the bypass/mute switch. Press to engage unit. If it will not come out of mute/bypass, digital input may be incorrect. Go to setup page by hitting setup and see if the input is good. Correct setup or check cables if problem exists.
Hollow or weird "phasy" sound occurs - The mix control is probably enabled. See page 3 to correct.
Distorted output - Probably clipping the output of the DSP4000 going to the next unit. The Masderring Lab program has 18dB internal headroom so it is very unlikely that there is internal clipping. Check the meters on the output unit for clipping and adjust output down on first page of Masderring Lab.
No output level - Make sure there is audio getting to unit, and that the input and output levels are turned up.
Unit unnaturally pumps with low frequencies - Try lower ratio and less compression. Sometimes fast bass heavy program material cannot be compressed as much as more "normal" material. Adjust expert L.F. Discriminator to keep the detector part of the program from seeing bass drums and other high energy, low frequency instruments.
Notes on Presets:
General:
The unit must be 100% wet or in Studio (no mix) mode for proper, comb free operation.
These presets are designed for use in the digital domain. Be aware that Analog inputs will write to digital outputs with emphasis on, whilst emphasized Digital inputs will be stripped of their 'emphasis on' bits, although emphasis is rare in professional 44.1 kHz masters. Future revisions will allow more flexibility.
Duplicate controls & meters are found on different pages for convenience. They will always match. 12dB of internal headroom is allowed for processing of full scale signals.
DAT to DAT mastering:
Hook output of source DAT (either AES or SP/DIF) to DSP4000's Digital inputs. Hit Setup to change audio mode to the desired AES/EBU or S/P DIF inputs and outputs. Connect digital output of DSP4000 to destination DAT with unit in record pause. DSP 4000 will indicate it is receiving digital input under setup/audio page.
For Hard Disk Editors:
After editing, it is usually more flexible to go from HD through the DSP4000 back to destination DAT at 44.1 or 48kHz.
| 0 |
Bigger and Brighter | NOTE: Cut low freq to prevent 'pumping'. The left two faders are separate left and right input levels. First meter is compression, the 2nd is limiting. An output level adjust is on the right. A stereo compressor is preceded by a selectable Eq, followed by a limiter and 5 section Eq. The compressor can become frequency concious using expert parms. |
| 1 |
Class A Distortion4 | This is a 2nd harmonic generator. A Low Pass circuit must be used to limit input bandwidth to distortion cell to prevent aliasing. The left two faders are separate left and right input levels. The fader on right is output level. Meter 1 indicates left distortion (THD), meter 2 the right. Use amt fader to control 2nd harmonic distortion level. |
| 2 |
Compress & De-ess | A stereo compressor is followed by acompressor that limits a band or a shelving response. Use as a de-esser or other versatile frequency conscious processor. The left two faders on the Main page are separate left & right input levels. First meter is compression, the 2nd is H.F. limiting. Output level adjust is on the right. Often you can just adjust the input levels to drive into compression. This preset is set up so the first compressor gently compresses the source while the D-S part does its job limiting the high frequency in a band centered on 9 kHz. |
| 3 |
Compress Highs Only | A stereo compressor is followed by a compressor that limits a band or a shelving response. Use as a de-esser or other versatile frequency conscious processor. The left two faders on the Main page are separate left & right input levels. First meter is compression, the 2nd is H.F. limiting. Output level adjust is on the right. Often you can just adjust the input levels to drive into compression. This preset is set up so the first compressor acts as a peak limiter, rarely if ever active. The D-S part is set up as a shelve so that above a frequency, everything is compressed. This is a popular method to allow greater amounts of compression before low frequencies (like kick drum) 'pump' source. |
| 4 |
Dirty Master Box 4 |
A stereo compressor is followed by a cmpressor that limits the
high frequency response. Can be used as a de-esser. The left two faders
are separate left and right input levels. First meter is compression, the
2nd is H.F. limiting. An output lvl adjust is on the right.
De-essing: Fader to right is high freq balance. Use 'amt' fader to control 2nd harmonic distortion. Distortion is turned off at -96dB. |
| 5 |
Fatten the Bass | A stereo compressor is followed by a compressor that limits a band or a shelving response. Use as a de-esser or other versatile frequency conscious processor. The left two faders on the Main page are separate left & right input levels. First meter is compression, the 2nd is H.F. limiting. Output level adjust is on the right. Often you can just adjust the input levels to drive into compression. This preset is set up so the first compressor doesn't really do anything but the second compresses the frequencies below 200. The lows are boosted but controlled with the fast attack and release, helping keep the kick drum from pumping the rest of the low end. The EQ is before compression. De-essing: fader to right is high freq balance. |
| 6 |
Manual Tape Flange2 | A high quality manually sweepable 'tape-like' flanger, with variable depth, glide time and delay. Worth listening to. |
| 7 |
Masderring Lab 22 | Cut low freq to prevent 'pumping'. The left two faders are separate left and right input levels. First meter is compression, the 2nd is limiting. An output level adjust is on the right. A stereo compressor is preceded by a selectable Eq, followed by a limiter and 5 section Eq. The compressor can become frequency conscious using expert parms. |
| 8 |
Radio Check | Cut low freq to prevent 'pumping'. The left two faders are separate left and right input levels. First meter is compression, the 2nd is limiting. An output level adjust is on the right. A stereo compressor is preceded by a selectable Eq, followed by a limiter and 5 section Eq. The compressor can become frequency conscious using expert parms. |
| 9 |
Dig Sig Gen 4 | A high quality signal generator capable of generating sine, square or triangular waves, with variable symmetry on the square waves. The frequency can be modulated or swept by another sine, square or triangular wave. |
This page last modified 27 March 1996