Ov ervie w, Pr eamp, Compr essor – Joemeek MC2 Stereo Compressor User Manual

Page 4: Insert point, Vu meter

Advertising
background image

7

6

Ov

ervie

w

T

he

J

O

E

M

E

E

K

m

c2

i

s

a

pr

of

es

si

on

al

s

tu

di

o-

qu

al

ity

s

te

re

o

co

m

pr

es

so

r

in

a

co

m

pa

ct

h

al

f-

ra

ck

f

or

m

at

.

S

im

pl

e

to

u

se

y

et

e

xt

re

m

el

y

po

w

er

fu

l,

th

e

m

c2

w

ill

br

in

g

ou

t

th

e

be

st

in

a

ny

li

ne

-le

ve

l s

te

ro

m

at

er

ia

l a

nd

g

iv

e

th

e

gl

os

s

of

a

p

ro

-

fe

ss

io

na

l

st

ud

io

p

ro

du

ct

io

n

to

a

ll

yo

ur

p

er

fo

rm

an

ce

s.

I

t

ca

n

be

u

se

d

bo

th

f

or

re

co

rd

in

g,

m

as

te

rin

g

an

d

liv

e

w

or

k.

T

h

in

k

o

f

th

e

st

er

eo

m

c2

a

s

th

re

e

se

p

ar

at

e

it

em

s

o

f

eq

u

ip

m

en

t:

A

li

n

e-

le

ve

l s

te

re

o

P

re

am

p

lif

ie

r.

A

s

te

re

o

J

O

E

M

E

E

K

O

p

ti

ca

l C

o

m

p

re

ss

o

r.

A

s

te

re

o

W

id

th

P

ro

ce

ss

o

r

Pr

eamp

The

front

end

to

the

mc2

accepts

any

type

of

line

level

(ie:

preamplified)

audio

signal.

The

inputs

are

electronically

balanced.

Note:

although

the

Line

inputs

are

not

normally

used

directly

with

microphones,

they

may

be

suitable

for

some

high

output

unbalanced

microphones,

such

as

battery

powered

Electret

types.

The

Line

input

jacks

are

balanced

and

wired

as

follows:

T

ip:

+

(hot)

Ring:

-

(cold)

Sleeve:

ground

The

“Input

Gain”

control

covers

a

range

of

amplification

from

-6dB

to

+15dB.

This

enables

the

mc2

to

be

matched

to

sound

sources

at

both

-10dBv

to

+4dBu

operating

levels.

The

PEAK

LED

lights

6dB

below

clipping,

so

occa

-

sional

brief

flashes

are

OK

but

if

it’

s

on

all

the

time

you

need

to

back

the

Input

Gain

of

f!

Compr

essor

T

he

h

ar

de

st

d

ev

ic

e

to

u

nd

er

st

an

d,

y

et

o

ne

o

f t

he

m

os

t u

se

fu

l,

th

e

P

ho

to

O

pt

ic

al

C

om

pr

es

so

r i

s

w

ha

t g

iv

es

J

oe

m

ee

k

pr

od

uc

ts

th

ei

r u

ni

qu

e

ch

ar

ac

te

r.

Its

jo

b

is

to

m

ak

e

qu

ie

t s

ou

nd

s

lo

ud

er

a

nd

lo

ud

s

ou

nd

s

qu

ie

te

r,

or

in

o

th

er

w

or

ds

to

r

ed

uc

e

th

e

dy

na

m

ic

r

an

ge

o

f t

he

p

ro

gr

am

m

e

m

at

er

ia

l.

It’

s

a

bi

t l

ik

e

m

an

ua

lly

r

id

in

g

th

e

vo

lu

m

e

co

nt

ro

l,

ex

ce

pt

t

he

c

om

pr

es

so

r

do

es

i

t

au

to

m

at

ic

al

ly

,

re

sp

on

di

ng

f

ar

qu

ic

ke

r

an

d

m

or

e

ac

cu

ra

te

ly

th

an

y

ou

e

ve

r

co

ul

d

by

h

an

d.

T

he

c

om

pr

es

so

r

is

ap

pl

ie

d

in

s

ev

er

al

w

ay

s:

1.

M

ak

e

S

o

u

n

d

s

S

ta

n

d

O

u

t

B

ec

au

se

c

om

pr

es

so

rs

m

ak

e

lo

ud

s

ou

nd

s

qu

ie

te

r,

yo

u

ca

n

bo

os

t

th

e

vo

lu

m

e

of

th

e

qu

ie

t b

its

w

ith

ou

t t

he

lo

ud

b

its

g

et

tin

g

ev

en

lo

ud

er

. T

ha

t m

ea

ns

y

ou

c

an

ra

is

e

th

e

av

er

ag

e

le

ve

l

of

a

n

in

st

ru

m

en

t

or

v

oc

al

i

n

th

e

m

ix

,

w

hi

ch

h

as

t

he

ef

fe

ct

o

f

lif

tin

g

it

an

d

br

in

gi

ng

it

f

or

w

ar

ds

.

T

hi

s

ca

n

ac

tu

al

ly

im

pr

ov

e

vo

ca

ls

f

or

ex

am

pl

e,

b

rin

gi

ng

th

em

o

ut

in

fr

on

t o

f a

m

ix

, m

ak

in

g

th

em

s

ou

nd

d

en

se

r,

m

or

e

ev

en

, a

nd

m

or

e

co

nf

id

en

t!

2.

C

ra

n

k

U

p

T

h

e

V

o

lu

m

e

R

ai

si

ng

th

e

av

er

ag

e

vo

lu

m

e

of

w

ho

le

m

ix

es

m

ea

ns

th

ey

c

an

b

e

he

ar

d

in

n

oi

sy

en

vi

ro

nm

en

ts

,

su

ch

a

s

ve

hi

cl

es

a

nd

f

ac

to

rie

s.

B

oo

st

in

g

th

e

av

er

ag

e

le

ve

l

is

w

ha

t

m

ak

es

r

ad

io

s

ta

tio

ns

s

ou

nd

L

O

U

D

a

nd

t

he

s

am

e

te

ch

ni

qu

e

is

u

se

d

on

T

V

c

om

m

er

ci

al

s

to

o,

w

hi

ch

is

w

hy

t

he

y

al

w

ay

s

se

em

a

nn

oy

in

gl

y

lo

ud

er

t

ha

n

th

e

m

ov

ie

y

ou

w

er

e

tr

yi

ng

to

w

at

ch

!

3.

P

ro

te

ct

io

n

F

as

t

re

sp

on

se

t

im

es

a

re

g

en

er

al

ly

u

se

d

to

c

on

tr

ol

b

rie

f

tr

an

si

en

ts

.

In

o

th

er

w

or

ds

i

f

an

o

cc

as

io

na

l

pe

ak

s

tic

ks

i

ts

h

ea

d

ab

ov

e

a

m

ax

im

um

p

er

m

itt

ed

le

ve

l,

th

e

co

m

pr

es

so

r

cl

ob

be

rs

it

;

th

is

is

k

no

w

n

as

li

m

iti

ng

a

nd

a

c

om

pr

es

so

r

de

si

gn

ed

s

ol

el

y

fo

r

th

is

p

ur

po

se

i

s

kn

ow

n

as

a

L

im

ite

r.

Li

m

ite

rs

a

re

p

rim

ar

ily

us

ed

t

o

pr

ot

ec

t

re

co

rd

er

s

an

d

m

on

ito

r

sy

st

em

s

fr

om

o

ve

rlo

ad

,

ra

di

o

tr

an

s-

m

itt

er

s

fr

om

o

ve

rm

od

ul

at

io

n,

e

tc

.

T

he

J

oe

m

ee

k

co

m

pr

es

so

r

is

n

ot

p

rim

ar

ily

in

te

nd

ed

fo

r t

hi

s p

ur

po

se

a

s t

he

A

tta

ck

is

n

ot

r

ea

lly

fa

st

e

no

ug

h t

o s

at

is

fy

r

ad

io

st

at

io

n

re

qu

ire

m

en

ts

, a

lth

ou

gh

it

is

g

en

er

al

ly

g

oo

d

en

ou

gh

to

p

ro

te

ct

r

ec

or

de

rs

an

d

m

on

ito

rs

,

w

he

re

t

he

e

ffe

ct

o

f

tr

an

si

en

ts

is

le

ss

c

rit

ic

al

.

N

or

m

al

ly

y

ou

sh

ou

ld

n

ot

h

ea

r

a

lim

ite

r

op

er

at

in

g

bu

t i

f i

t i

s

dr

iv

en

h

ar

d

co

ns

ta

nt

ly

, i

t c

an

re

nd

er

a

m

ix

s

om

ew

ha

t f

la

t a

nd

li

fe

le

ss

.

4.

A

cc

o

m

m

o

d

at

io

n

T

he

d

yn

am

ic

r

an

ge

o

f t

he

h

um

an

e

ar

is

p

he

no

m

en

al

, e

xt

en

di

ng

fr

om

th

e

th

re

sh

ol

d

of

h

ea

rin

g

(e

g:

a

p

in

d

ro

pp

in

g

on

to

s

of

t

ca

rp

et

)

to

t

hr

es

ho

ld

o

f

pa

in

(

eg

: s

ta

nd

in

g

ne

xt

to

a

je

t a

irc

ra

ft)

-

s

om

e

12

0d

B

A

in

a

ll.

B

y

co

nt

ra

st

,

vi

ny

l,

ca

ss

et

te

t

ap

e

an

d

ra

di

o

br

oa

dc

as

ts

a

ll

ha

ve

a

d

yn

am

ic

r

an

ge

o

f

ab

ou

t

ha

lf

th

at

.

S

in

ce

t

he

a

dv

en

t

of

t

he

C

D

,

th

e

dy

na

m

ic

r

an

ge

o

f

th

e

m

ed

iu

m

is

fa

r

le

ss

o

f a

n

is

su

e

an

d

co

m

pr

es

so

rs

a

re

u

se

d

m

or

e

to

g

iv

e

a

ce

rt

ai

n

“f

ee

l”

to

a

p

ro

du

ct

io

n.

A

M

a

nd

F

M

r

ad

io

h

ow

ev

er

, i

s

st

ill

v

er

y

m

uc

h

co

m

pr

es

se

d

to

fi

t i

ts

r

es

tr

ic

te

d

dy

na

m

ic

r

an

ge

.

5.

M

o

d

if

ic

at

io

n

A

c

om

pr

es

so

r

ca

n

ch

an

ge

th

e

dy

na

m

ic

s,

o

r

“e

nv

el

op

e”

o

f t

he

tr

ac

k

an

d

it

is

h

er

e

th

at

th

e

Jo

em

ee

k

C

om

pr

es

so

r

ex

ce

ls

!

Ty

p

es

o

f

C

o

m

p

re

ss

o

r

M

os

t c

om

pr

es

so

rs

w

or

k

in

e

ss

en

tia

lly

th

e

sa

m

e

w

ay

: a

v

ol

um

e-

co

nt

ro

lli

ng

el

em

en

t

or

ga

in

c

el

l”

is

i

ns

er

te

d

in

to

t

he

a

ud

io

s

ig

na

l

pa

th

.

T

he

l

ev

el

o

f

th

e

si

gn

al

a

t a

ny

g

iv

en

m

om

en

t i

s

m

ea

su

re

d

an

d

th

at

in

fo

rm

at

io

n

is

u

se

d

to

c

on

tr

ol

t

he

g

ai

n

ce

ll.

S

o

if

th

e

si

gn

al

g

et

s

bi

gg

er

,

th

e

vo

lu

m

e

is

t

ur

ne

d

do

w

n.

V

ar

io

us

t

yp

es

o

f

ga

in

c

el

l

in

c

om

m

on

u

se

i

nc

lu

de

F

E

Ts

,

va

lv

es

(

tu

be

s)

,

lig

ht

-d

ep

en

de

nt

-r

es

is

to

rs

(

ph

ot

oe

le

ct

ric

),

d

ig

ita

l

po

te

nt

io

m

et

er

s

an

d

vo

lt-

ag

e-

co

nt

ro

lle

d-

am

pl

ifi

er

s,

b

et

te

r

kn

ow

n

as

V

C

A

s.

T

he

m

c2

C

om

pr

es

so

r

is

a

u

ni

qu

e

re

cr

ea

tio

n

of

t

he

s

or

t

of

p

ho

to

el

ec

tr

ic

co

m

pr

es

so

r

us

ed

b

y

re

co

rd

p

ro

du

ce

r

Jo

e

M

ee

k

in

th

e

19

60

’s

. U

si

ng

m

od

-

er

n

co

m

po

ne

nt

s

fo

r

co

ns

is

te

nc

y

an

d

re

lia

bi

lit

y,

it

n

on

et

he

le

ss

r

ep

ro

du

ce

s

fa

ith

fu

lly

t

he

s

am

e

pu

nc

hy

s

ou

nd

t

ha

t

w

as

s

o

ch

ar

ac

te

ris

tic

o

f

th

e

po

p

re

co

rd

s

of

th

at

ti

m

e.

Insert

Point

T

hi

s

is

s

im

pl

y

an

u

nb

al

an

ce

d

“S

en

d

an

d

R

et

ur

n”

ja

ck

o

n

th

e

re

ar

p

an

el

.

It

al

lo

w

s

yo

u

to

p

at

ch

o

th

er

p

ie

ce

s

of

e

qu

ip

m

en

t

in

to

t

he

c

om

pr

es

so

r’s

co

nt

ro

l s

id

e

ch

ai

n,

s

uc

h

as

a

n

eq

ua

liz

er

o

r

fil

te

r.

To

u

se

it

y

ou

w

ill

n

ee

d

a

“Y

le

ad

w

ire

d

as

f

ol

lo

w

s:

T

ip

:

se

nd

R

in

g:

r

et

ur

n

S

le

ev

e:

g

ro

un

d

W

he

n

no

ja

ck

is

in

se

rt

ed

,

th

e

so

ck

et

is

in

te

rn

al

ly

li

nk

ed

,

or

no

rm

al

le

d”

,

so

t

ha

t

th

e

co

nt

ro

l s

ig

na

l f

lo

w

s

un

in

te

rr

up

te

d.

VU

Meter

T

he

L

E

D

V

U

M

et

er

s

ho

w

s

si

gn

al

le

ve

l a

t t

he

o

ut

pu

ts

. I

t c

ov

er

s

th

e

ra

ng

e

-2

4d

B

t

o

+

12

dB

in

e

ig

ht

s

te

ps

.

N

ot

e

th

at

t

hi

s

is

r

el

at

iv

e

to

t

he

s

el

ec

te

d

op

er

at

in

g

le

ve

l

of

+

4d

B

U

or

-1

0d

B

v”

.

In

o

th

er

w

or

ds

i

f

yo

u

ha

ve

se

le

ct

ed

4d

B

u”

a

nd

t

he

m

et

er

r

ea

ds

0”

,

th

en

y

ou

h

av

e

+

4d

B

u

co

m

in

g

ou

t

of

t

he

o

ut

pu

t

so

ck

et

s.

I

f

yo

u

ha

ve

s

el

ec

te

d

“-

10

dB

v”

a

nd

t

he

m

et

er

e

re

ad

s

“0

”,

t

he

n

yo

u

ha

ve

-

10

dB

v

co

m

in

g

ou

t

of

t

he

o

ut

pu

t

so

ck

et

s.

mc2 manual.indd 8-9

3/20/06 12:51:41 PM

Advertising