Antex Electronics DMX-88 USB Recording Mixer - Manual (Page 8)

DMX-88 USB Mixer User Manual
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computer and the DMX-88 enumerates, it will switch to operational mode, and the power LED will stop flashing and be on
continuously. The DMX-88 should go into standby (or suspend) if the USB cable is unplugged or the host PC is shutdown or put into a
sleep state. Note that some operating systems (usually 64 bit), may put the DMX-88 into suspend if there is no software program
using the device.
Other Features:
Compressor/Limiter and Noise Gate: Each input channel has its own compressor/limiter and noise gate. When the audio level is
loud enough, the compressor/limiter will become active. This acts in a way to automatically turn the volume down temporarily. When
this threshold is reached, a 20dB increase in audio level into the compressor/limiter will result in only a 2dB increase in the audio level
out of the compressor/limiter. This will help prevent clipping if someone raises their voice into the microphone, effectively giving
about 20dB more headroom. There is an attack and decay time associated with this function. If the audio level rises suddenly, the
signal coming out of the compressor/limiter will be loud for a fraction of a second during the attack time, and will then be reduced.
When the compressor/limiter is active, the LED for that channel on the front of the unit will be red. The LED in the Antex Mixer
Program will turn yellow.
The noise gate function reduces the audio level when no one is speaking into the microphone, reducing the “open mic” noise. The
threshold points between when the noise gate is active and when the compressor/limiter is active are about 30dB apart. However,
these thresholds have “soft knees” and turn on gradually. The object is for these functions to improve the quality of the recording
without realizing they are there.
100Hz High Pass Filter: Since the DMX-88 is designed for recording voice rather than music, there is a 100Hz high pass filter on
each input channel to reduce noise that is lower in frequency than the voice range.
Settings Storage: When settings are changed using the Antex Mixer Program, such as input level sliders, these settings are stored in
a non-volatile memory (EEPROM) inside the DMX-88. However, this memory is not updated when the setting is changed, but rather
when the Antex Mixer Program is closed. For this reason, be sure to close the Antex Mixer Program before powering off the DMX-88 or
unplugging the USB cable.
This scheme is different than other Antex products such as the DMX-8 and DMX-4. On these products, the settings are saved in the
registry on the hard drive of the host computer. If you move a DMX-4 or DMX-8 from one computer to another, the settings are not
preserved. The DMX-4 or DMX-8 will be set with the settings saved in the new host computer. With the DMX-88, if you move the unit
from one computer to another, the settings will stay the same.