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1. Response Plots Flow Diagram Meters The G Dynamics configuration displays the transfer function of both the Expander Gate and Compressor Limiter and the frequency response of the Filter section The user can also select to view the flow diagram display mode to show all signal routing paths The Channel G plug in has a Metering Center Section to display input and output levels along with Expander Gate gain reduction Compressor Limiter gain reduction and Compressor Limiter output levels In Out The G Dynamics configuration like all Channel G configurations has dedicated Input and Output controls Expander Gate The Channel G Expander Gate provides a full featured dynamic range expander with selectable key input separate from the Compressor Limiter section Dynamics Filters Comp Limiter The G Dynamics Filter section is two independent fully sweepable filters Each filter has a selectable slope up to 24dB Oct and filter type control The Channel G Compressor Limiter meets all the needs and requirements of modern post production while retaining the needed musicality for music applications mcdsp com Page 7 Channel G Dynamics Controls Input Output The G Dynamics configuration like all Channel G configurations has dedicated Input and Output controls e Input the amount of
2. McDOWELL SIGNAL PROCESSING LLC McDSP Channel G Plug In Manual McDSP McDowell Signal Processing LLC 1300 Crittenden Lane 401 Mountain View CA 94043 Support Email info mcdsp com Technical Support help mcdsp com World Wide Web www mcdsp com McDSP Channel G Special Thanks to e Gil G Gowing Jake Schaefer Steve MacMillan e Stephen Hart and the staff at Fantasy Studios e Our beta sites and e Rob Barrett Jr our 1 customer from the entire McDSP development team Copyright Notice Copyright 1998 2009 McDowell Signal Processing Limited Liability Company All Rights Reserved The McDowell Signal Processing Limited Liability Company s Channel G Plug In and corresponding User s Manual is copyrighted and all rights are reserved Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of McDowell Signal Processing Limited Liability Company This document may not in whole or part be copied photocopied reproduced translated or reduced to any electronic medium or machine readable form for the purpose of resale without prior consent in writing from McDowell Signal Processing Limited Liability Company Trademarks McDowell Signal Processing Limited Liability Company is a trademark of McDowell Signal Processing Limited Liability Company Other brands and their products are trademarks of their respective holders and should be noted as such
3. is a trademark of the Automated Processes Inc API These companies are not affiliated in any way with McDSP nor do they endorse the Channel G plug in The trademarks of these companies are used solely for the purpose of describing the sounds produced by the McDSP Channel G plug in While Channel G emulates the sounds of these consoles McDSP makes no representation or warranty that Channel G is identical to or duplicates these consoles Equalizer Plot Response The G Equalizer and G Console configurations display the frequency response of the Filter section The transfer functions are displayed over a 60 dB range The frequency response display shows a center line at 0 dB and extends to 18 dB in the visible display mcdsp com Page 15 Using Channel G A Closer Look at the Expander Gate The Expander Gate section of the G Dynamics and G Console configuration can be used for a variety of applications Basic Expander Gate functionality is described below along with some specific uses in music and post production Basics The Expander Gate section is used to reduce the level of an input signal once it drops below the selected threshold This is useful in removing unwanted background noise when the signal of interest the vocal dialog etc is not present Other more subtle tricks include modifying the dynamic performance of the input and creating certain special gating effects First and foremost the user should understan
4. and EQ can be individually bypassed There are peak indicators for the EQ bands to show when signal levels are at maximum A bypass control for the entire EQ section is also provided in the lower right hand corner mcdsp com Page 11 Channel G Equalizer Overview Meters Response Plots Flow Diagram The Channel G plug in has a Metering Center Section to display input and output levels along with Expander Gate gain reduction Compressor Limiter gain reduction and Compressor Limiter output levels The G Dynamics configuration displays the transfer function of both the Expander Gate and Compressor Limiter and the frequency response of the Filter section The user can also select to view the flow diagram display mode to show all signal routing paths In Out The G Equalizer configuration like all Channel G configurations has dedicated Input and Output controls Filters Equalizer The G Equalizer has two independent fully sweepable filters Each filter has a selectable slope up to 24 dB Oct and filter type control The G Equalizer has five EQ bands LF LMF MF HMF HF The LF and HF bands have an EQ type control McDSP Channel G Channel G Equalizer Controls Input and Output The G Equalizer configuration has dedicated Input and Output controls e Input the amount of gain applied to the signal before it reaches the HP
5. Digidesign and Pro Tools are registered trademarks of Digidesign Inc mcdsp com Page iii Table of Contents McDSP Channel G Plug In Manual McDSP License Agreement vil Getting Started with Channel G Ix System Requirements iX Installing the Channel G Plug In xi Installation on Mac OS X xi Installation on Windows XP and Vista xiii Installation on VENUE D SHOW systems XV Authorizing your McDSP Plug Ins xvii Authorizing with a pre programmed iLok Smart Key xvii Authorizing with an iLok License Card xvii Authorizing with iLok com xxi Registering your McDSP Plug In XXIV Using your McDSP Plug Ins XXIV Channel G 1 W Quick Start Tour Channel G Channel G Overview Flow Diagram Knobs Graph Display Option Bypass Control Button Radio Buttons Page Button The Meters Automation Presets Using the Presets and Making Your Own A Word on Preset Compatibility QC ununun SB SB SB SB Ww G Dynamics Configuration N Channel G Dynamics Overview Meters N McDSP Channel G In Out 7 Expander Gate 7 Dynamics Filters 7 Response Plots Flow Diagram 7 Comp Limiter 7 Channel G Dynamics Controls 8 Input Output 8 Expander Gate 8 Compressor Limiter 9 Dynamics Filters 10 Response Plots 10 Console Meters 10 G Equalizer Configuration 11 Channel G Equalizer Overview 12 Meters 12 In Out 12 Filters 12 Response Plots Flow Diagram 12 Equalizer 12 Channel G Equalizer Controls 13 Input and Output 13 Filters 13 Equalizer 14 EQ Mod
6. G Channel G Plug In Reference Guide Channel G Specifications Parameter Settings Function 24 to 24 dB Amount of gain applied to the signal before it reaches the Expander Gate and Filter sections KEY Original Input Selects the signal used to cause the Expander Side Chain key Signal Gate to close or begin reducing signal level Output of the Filter section once it goes below the selected threshold RANGE 80 to 0 dB The maximum amount of signal reduction ATTACK 0 01 to 100 msec Rate at which the Expander Gate opens or stops reducing signal level once the signal exceeds the selected threshold 5 to 1000 msec Amount of time rate the Expander Gate remains open or does not affect signal level once the signal exceeds the selected threshold 1 1 to 1 100 Gate Slope or output to input ratio of the Expander Gate When this control is near its maximum 100 1 the process acts as a Gate INPUT EXPANDER GATE RELEASE 100 to 5000 msec Rate at which the Expander Gate closes or begins reducing signal level once the signal is below the selected threshold THRESH 80 to 0 dB Signal level that must be exceeded in order for the Expander Gate to open and no longer effect the input signal level EXPANDER GATE IN ON OFF Switch that engages or bypasses the Expander Gate algorithm COMPRESSOR LIMITER KEY Output of the Compressor Selects the signal used to cause the Compressor Limiter itse
7. Software Licensee agrees to abide by the intellectual property laws and all other applicable laws of the U S and the terms of this License Ownership of the software shall remain solely in McDowell Signal Processing Limited Liability Company Getting Started Getting Started with Channel G Each McDSP plug in is delivered inside an installer application and uses the Interlok copy protection software to authorize each plug in This section describes how to install and authorize a McDSP plug in General system requirements are also described System Requirements McDSP HD Native and LE plug ins are compatible with Pro Tools HD HD Accel TDM systems as well as Pro Tools LE and Pro Tools M Powered host based systems McDSP plug ins support Mac OS 10 4 x Tiger 10 5 x Leopard Windows XP and Vista and require Pro Tools 7 x 8 x or greater McDSP plug ins require an iLok USB Smart Key Configurations McDSP plug ins are available in TDM RTAS and AudioSuite configurations See individual products for specific available configuration sets Applications Pro Tools 7 x 8 x or higher is required for TDM LE and M Powered systems Additionally a third party software application that supports the Digidesign TDM RTAS or AudioSuite plug in standard may be supported See http Awww digidesign com developers plugin_info for more information McDSP plug ins are compatible with the entire Pro Tools 7 and 8 product lin
8. dB above the threshold Many mixers use compression on every track while others attempt to not use compression at all or at least as little as possible The timing of the Compressor Limiter is controlled by the Attack and Release controls The attack time determines how quickly the Compressor Limiter begins to reduce signal level once it is above the threshold The release time determines how quickly the Compressor Limiter stops reducing the signal level Page 18 McDSP Channel G once it is below the threshold The transition between no compression and the selected compression amount is controlled by the Knee mode McDSP has created several positions for practical use in music and post production ranging from hard knee to soft knee shapes Several modeled knee shapes are also available The Gain control provides up to 24 dB of make up gain post compression This control is also extremely useful when the Compressor Limiter key signal is its own output Knee Modes The Channel G Compressor Limiter Knee modes are derived from the years of modeling experience at McDSP Console compressors are amongst the most coveted dynamics processors in the music production business and along with the corresponding console equalizers are the heart of the sound of any analog mixing desk The Knee control in Channel G has 11 pre programmed positions ranging from hard knee to gentle knee curves The affect of this control can be viewed in the transf
9. of these DSP usages The DSP Allocator utility provided by Digidesign or the DSP Usage display in Pro Tools for PT version 5 0 and later may be used to display dsp resource allocation when Pro Tools is running Note there is no MIX hardware support for Channel G Maximum Instantiation Counts at 48kHz Configuration Instantiations per DSP on Instantiations per DSP on Mono HD systems HD Accel systems Configuration Instantiations per DSP on Instantiations per DSP on Stereo HD systems HD Accel systems McDSP Channel G Many of the Channel G plug in configurations can operate on the same dsp depending on the configuration s dsp requirements Percentages of each HD or HD Accel DSP used by a single instantiation of a Channel G plug in configuration are shown below Percentage Used at 48kHz Configuration Use percentage per DSP HD systems Use percentage per DSP HD Accel Mono systems Configuration Use percentage per DSP HD systems Use percentage per DSP HD Accel Stereo systems For HD systems Channel G supports all higher sample rates up to 192 kHz However due to the DSP usage of some of the larger Channel configurations not all configurations are available at the higher sample rates For 96 kHz operation the dsp usage is doubled x 2 For 192 kHz operation the dsp usage is quadrupled x4 ProTools MIX DSP hardware McDSP has decided to remove Mix support from its entire product line as Digidesign i
10. 0000 Hz Freq ranges LF 30 to 450 Hz LMF 200 to 2500 Hz MF 400 to 5000 Hz HMF 600 to 7000 Hz HF 1500 to 16000 Hz Freq ranges LF 30 to 300 Hz LMF 100 to 1000 Hz MF 500 to 5000 Hz HMF 1500 to 15000 Hz HF 2000 to 20000 Hz Page 23 Think API 550 with 5 bands more gain and adjustable Freq ranges filters and you have the A mode in Channel G EQ configuration The proportional Q is modeled dead BE 0 te 400 Hz on while the gain is extended to 18 dB The Q LMF 75 to 1000 Hz values track exactly to the originals up to 12 dB and are then extrapolated to the new 18 dB level API has MF 400 to 6000 Hz always done a great job of providing useful tools EQ HME 800 to 12500 Hz and Compression while restricting the control ranges to keep the user from making a bad sound HF 2500 to 20000 Hz All Trademarks are property of their respective owners SSL is trademark of the Solid State Logic Ltd Neve is a trademark of AMS Neve and API 550 is a trademark of the Automated Processes Inc API These companies are not affiliated in any way with McDSP nor do they endorse the Channel G plug in The trademarks of these companies are used solely for the purpose of describing the sounds produced by the McDSP Channel G plug in While Channel G emulates the sounds of these consoles McDSP makes no representation or warranty that Channel G is identical to or duplicates these consoles McDSP Channel
11. F filter band e Output the amount of gain applied to the signal after the LPF last of the seven filter and EQ bands filter band The signal polarity phase may also be adjusted at this stage in the processing Filters The G Equalizer has two independent fully sweepable filters Each filter has a selectable slope up to 24 dB Oct and filter type control The controls are e Filter Type toggles between high pass filter HPF and notch filter types in the HPF band and between low pass filter LPF and notch filter types in the LPF band e Freq the center frequency or cutoff frequency of the filter e Q Slope the width of the notch filter or slope of the HPF or LPF filter mcdsp com Page 13 Equalizer P HME The G Equalizer has five EQ bands LF LMF MF HMF HF The LF and HF bands have an EQ type control The controls are e EQ Type LF and HF only toggles between parametic and shelving EQ e Gain the amount of boost or cut in dB for each EQ band e Freq the center frequency or cutoff frequency of the parametric or shelving EQ e Q Slope the width of the parametric EQ bell or slope or dip of the shelving EQ in certain modes EQ Mode The G Equalizer has the ability to model not only the responses of EQ previously only found on world class analog mixing consoles but will also match the calibrations of those Equalizers In all the EQ modes the HPF LPF and Notch frequency and slope ra
12. HPF or LPF 6 12 18 or 24 dB Oct or the width of the notch filter The filter design and topologies used in the Filter section are derived from McDSP s award winning Filterbank plug in The equalizer section is 5 bands of parametric EQ LF LMF MF HMF HF The LF and HF bands have a mode control to switch them from parametric to shelving EQ The gain range in each band is 18 dB The frequency range varies in each EQ mode as described below There are several equalizer modes that allow the user to switch from the pre programmed modes designed by McDSP engineering to other modes that model some of the most popular analog mixing console EQ strips Music and Post Modes mcdsp com The shelf shape in the Music EQ console mode are designs unique to McDSP based on one of the most popular Peak Slope Dip settings from our award winning FilterBank plug in The Music and Post EQ modes are the only modes that retain shelf shape control via the Q control in the LF and HF bands The relatively steep curve and moderate peaking at high Q settings is great to carve out needed adjustments to a mix Low Q settings morph the shelf into a gradual more vintage styled slope with a slight undershoot in the non shelved band The parametric bands have a good Q range 1 0 to 12 0 and the band overlap is geared towards the creative equalization needs of music production Another design unique to McDSP this shelf mode has the steepest
13. Limited Liability Company HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU IN NO CASE SHALL McDowell Signal Processing Limited Liability Company s LIABILITY EXCEED THE PURCHASE PRICE FOR THE SOFTWARE The disclaimers and limitations set forth above will apply regardless of whether you accept the Software U S Government Restricted Rights RESTRICTED RIGHTS LEGEND Use duplication or disclosure by the Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph c 1 ii of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause at DFARS 252 227 7013 or subparagraphs c 1 and 2 of the Commercial Software Restricted Rights clause at 48 CFR 52 227 19 as applicable McDowell Signal Processing Limited Liability Company Mountain View CA 94043 info mcdsp com General This Agreement will be governed by the laws of the State of California This Agreement may only be modified by a license addendum which accompanies this license or by a written document which has been signed both by you and McDowell Signal Processing Limited Liability Company Should you have any questions concerning this Agreement or if you desire to contact McDowell Signal Processing Limited Liability Company for any reason please email legal mcdsp com By downloading using or copying this Binary
14. SB Smart Key at the www ilok com website The iLok com website was created to allow users to manage the software authorizations on their iLok USB Smart Key THIS STEP IS NOT REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THE a Gm Cone AUTHORIZATION OF MCDSP SOFTWARE The registration of the iLok USB Smart Key to an iLok com account can be bypassed by clearing the checkbox The user may also choose to not be asked to register again While iLok com is a great resource for the iLok USB Smart Key your iLok USB Smart Key may only be linked to one iLok com account That is an individual iLok USB Smart Key can only be registered to one account at a time but a single account can have multiple iLok USB Smart Keys If the iLok com account information is lost the iLok USB Smart Key cannot be registered to another account However an iLok USB Smart Key may be transferred between accounts if all the authorizations have been transferred off the iLok USB Smart Key Register the iLok USB Smart Key to an iLok com account only when you are ready to retain all the needed iLok com account information User ID and Password authorizations on your iLok With iLok com you can see what is on your iLok register your authorizations and receive new authorizations from participating software publishers We recommend at this time that you register your iLok with iLok com To register connect to the Internet check the Register my iLok check box below and then press the Next butt
15. a free account if you have not already done so 1 Download and install the required client software from iLok com 2 Download the desired McDSP Plug in Installer from http Awww mcdsp com support updating html 3 To receive an upgrade or replacement authorization send email your iLok com account information to support mcdsp com To receive a demo authorization email your iLok com account information to authorize mcdsp com Insert your iLok Smart Key into an iLokicom Log Out Help available USB port and ensure that mon ee eb the indicator light is lit Once your Pe Waima Gabi demo u pg rade or repl acement ae At ath Ae new improved iLok com New features with authorization is available for transfer Enhance your Support for moving licenses between iLoks a Optional Zero Downtime coverage for your critical iLoks your iLok com account will display Zero Downtime ee oucanc ee Safari browser the notice saying You have licenses What s new Improved automated help and support on the upper left Begin by selecting Buy an lak yaur accoun oratia and nayian vour ILAK cam NARA M addon Cs 7 Buy a Dongle section will provide you with important messages regarding your that link Buddy E iicorocd trons Gotewnra verssore or oha lleunwes between holes chek here mcdsp com Page xxi The next page will display Pending licenses available for download th e pe n d i n g i ce
16. accessed from the ProTools plug in Librarian and plug in Settings pop up menus To make and save your own presets see the plug in Librarian Functions section of Digidesign s DigiRack plug ins Guide A Word on Preset Compatibility Presets for Channel G Channel G Compact and Channel G Surround are configurations ARE interchangeable Settings created from one configuration will affect the like named controls in another ProTools is a registered trademark of Digidesign Inc mcdsp com Page 5 G Dynamics Configuration The G Dynamics configuration includes an Expander Gate followed by a Compressor Limiter separate input and output controls and two fully sweep able filters The filters can be both set to notch modes with varying notch width or as high pass and low pass filters Both the Expander Gate and Compressor Limiter can key from the original input un filtered the side chain input or the output of the two filters The filters can take their input from the original input or the side chain The two filters can also be placed inline so their effect on the signal is heard at the output As with all Channel G configurations most controls are mirrored in the actual Digidesign ICON D Control EQ and Dynamics center sections allowing users unprecedented integration between this hardware controller and audio processing software 6 i ind 16 McDSP Channel G Channel G Dynamics Overview
17. and move the iLok Smart Key to your ProTools System if you are using another computer for Internet access Also you Authorizing Your McDSP Plug Ins r 5 2 0 iLok com Log Out Help View the contents of your iLoks From here you can see what s on your iLok register your iLoks synchronize your iLok license contents with your account and identify which iLoks are installed on your machine You have 1 registered iLoks 0 are covered by Zero Downtime 1 are not covered Sign up for Zero Downtime here If your iLok does not appear in the list below insert it now and press the Synchronize button To identify which iLoks you currently have inserted press the Identify button Inserted iLoks will have a green button by them in the Inserted column Name Licenses Last sync Inserted Covered bitoki 5 09 14 2004 e No Note that the synchronize and identify processes may take some time Please press the button only once don t remove or insert your iLoks and don t touch your browser until the process completes A progress page should be displayed within a few seconds of pressing the button may need to install a different version of the Plug In if you are upgrading or replacing Transferring Authorizations with iLok com You may freely transfer any authorization within your iLok com account between any of your registered iLok Smart Keys If you wish to transfer an authorization out of your iLok com account to a d
18. ander Gate and Compressor Limiter also known as the compression or expander curves as well as the frequency response of the Filter section The transfer functions are displayed over a 60 dB range Console Meters The Channel G plug in groups all metering functionality in the center of the user interface Displayed meters are Input post Input Gain Expander Gate gain reduction Compressor Limiter gain reduction Compressor Limiter output post Makeup Gain and final Output post Output Gain Gain reduction meters are completely orange The remaining signal level meters are green for all metered values at and below 6 dB Metered values above 6 dB are displayed in yellow There are peak LED indicators above each signal level meter Input Compressor Limiter or DYN Output Output that will light when the signal level is approximately 0 05 dB These peak LEDs can be cleared by simply clicking on the lit portion with the mouse The option to clear all clip meters is available by clicking the clip LED in the plugin tool bar Channel G also supports the new ICON plugin metering facilities Page 10 McDSP Channel G G Equalizer Configuration The G Equalizer configuration is a full featured 5 band parametric EQ complimented by a filter section identical to the one found in the G Dynamics configuration The LF and HF bands of the EQ also have type controls that are used to switch the EQ type between parametric and shelf Each band of filter
19. bsolute maximum amount of gain reduction The user can Page 16 McDSP Channel G subsequently have an aggressive ratio to quickly remove unwanted signal but simultaneously restrict the amount to a level set by the Range control Gated Drums Often in music production the use of heavy compression to enhance the sound of the recorded drum kit Such effects can be easily achieved with the Compressor Limiter section of the G Dynamics and G Console configurations This technique however can introduce a lot of unwanted background noise into the track Inserting an Expander Gate before the compressor achieves success in not only removing unwanted signal from the track but can be further used to gate the drums themselves As each snare and bass drum hit occurs modify the threshold until those sounds trigger the Expander Gate Use a near gate ratio 20 or higher and a maximum range value 80dB The attack and release times will affect the character of the gated drums and the hold time can prevent false triggering from occurring Now as the big drum sound is heard the background is completely removed This can be useful not only as a prominent effect in the drum mix but as a subtle tool in removing the drum sounds as they decay down into the overall mix The gated drum technique often works on entire drum sub mixes but usually has more success when applied to only the kick and or snare drum tracks Performance Control Where the gat
20. cluded one in this pdf manual and a second as a separate text file The Channel G manual requires that Adobe Acrobat reader or similar pdf reader is installed Both online and boxed version will come with a Channel G installer that will automatically install the Channel G plug in and its presets on your system The authorization of the Channel G plug in is still required after running the installer and those steps are detailed in the following sections Installing the Channel G plug in and presets with the Installer The Channel G plug in package purchased at your local dealer will be on CDROM and contain a Windows self extracting executable exe similar to the online Channel G plug in package prepared for Internet delivery Both the boxed and online versions the Channel G plug in executable file will automatically install the plug in and its presets on your system Double click the file to launch the installer which will install the Channel G plug in presets and documentation At any time after installation you may access the documentation from the Windows Start Menu under the McDSP group Authorization of the Channel G plug in is still required after running the installer and those steps are detailed in the following sections Note that after installing new versions of the PACE iLok drivers with the Channel G plug in installer you will be prompted by the Channel G plug in installer to reboot your system If you are not p
21. ct to the use of this Software are as follows You May e authorize 1 one copy of the Software on 1 one PACE Anti Piracy iLok USB Smart Key for use with no more than 1 one computer at any given time e make copies of the Software for archival purposes or copy the software onto the hard disk of your computer and retrain the original for archival purposes e after written notice to McDowell Signal Processing Limited Liability Company transfer the Software on a permanent basis to another person or entity provided that you retain no copies of the Software and the transferee agrees to the terms of this agreement You may not e copy duplicate or reproduce the documentation which accompanies the Software for the purpose of resale e sublicense rent or lease any portion of the Software to a third party without expressed written permission from McDowell Signal Processing LLC e reverse engineer de compile disassemble modify translate make any attempt to discover the source code of the Software or create derivative works from the Software e make any attempt to circumvent any copy protection software e use a previous version or copy of the Software after you have received a replacement set or an upgraded version as a replacement of the prior version unless you donate a previous version of an upgraded version to a charity of your choice and such charity agrees in writing that it will be the sole end user of the product a
22. d what the threshold and ratio controls affect The Threshold determines when the Expander Gate will start to reduce the level of the input signal as it continues to drop below the threshold The ratio control determines how gradual or steep this level reduction will be A ratio of 1 2 means that for every 1 dB the signal is below the threshold the output will be reduced such that the resulting signal level is 2 dB below the threshold A ratio of 1 10 means that for every 1 dB the signal is below the threshold the output level will be 10 dB below the threshold Most well recorded signals will have good content at and above 40 dB so setting a threshold starting point somewhere in this range is good The timing of the Expander Gate is controlled by the Attack Release and Hold controls The attack time determines how quickly the Expander Gate begins to reduce signal level once it has gone below the threshold The release time determines how quickly the expander starts reducing the signal level back to a closed or inaudible state The Hold time determines how long the Expander Gate will remain open and not affect the signal regardless of whether it is below or above the threshold The Hold control is very useful in preventing the Expander Gate from buzzing or falsely closing and opening so rapidly as to introduce artifacts in resulting signal Range is a control found on more high end Expander Gate units The control sets the a
23. dio and the unwanted noise By pre filtering the signal so that it is band limited by the HPF and LPF the Expander Gate only closes when the actual signal is no longer present Without the filters the Expander Gate could not discern between the loud background noise and desired audio Placing the filters inline will also allow this noise reduced signal to be output on the track mcdsp com Page 21 A Closer Look at the Equalizer Modes The G Equalizer and G Console equalizer section is one of the most configurable equalizers in the history of professional audio Not only are the frequency response curves modeled but the control calibrations and ranges are also selectable from a single users interface This feature coupled with Channel G s integration with control surfaces like the ICON work surface by Digidesign transform the digital audio workstation into an actual mixing console Basics The G Equalizer has 5 bands of configurable EQ plus two filter sections These filters are identical to those found in the Filter section of the G Dynamics plug in In the G Console plug in the filter sections of both the Dynamics section and the EQ section can be combined for a total filter slope maximum of 48 dB Oct when the Dynamics filter section is placed inline The G Equalizer filters can toggle between a notch filter mode and their respective high pass filter HPF and low pass filter LPF modes The Q Slope control selects the slope of the
24. dio that did not contain the actual performance as it can be tedious and may still not yield the desired result Conveniently Channel G s default Expander Gate control settings are well suited for this practice A Closer Look at the Compressor Limiter The Compressor Limiter section of the G Dynamics G Surround Compresor Limiter and G Console configuration can be used for a variety of applications Basic Compressor Limiter functionality is described below along with some specific uses in music and post production Basics The Compressor Limiter section is used to reduce the level of an input signal once it rises above the selected threshold Such an effect is useful to control the dynamic range of a track impart a different character on a track to make it more punchy or smoother or create certain special effects Like the Expander Gate knowledge of what the threshold and ratio controls is paramount in mastering the Compressor Limiter The threshold determines when the Compressor Limiter will start to reduce the level of the input signal as it continues to rise above the threshold The ratio control determines how gradual or drastic this level reduction will be A ratio of 2 1 means that for every 2 dB the signal is above the threshold the output will be reduced such that the resulting signal level is only1 dB above the threshold A ratio of 10 1 means that for every 10 dB the signal is above the threshold the output level will be 1
25. e Hardware McDSP plug ins support any Digidesign or approved third party hardware supported in Pro Tools 7 x and 8 x This includes HD HD Accel 003 and Mbox host based systems All McDSP HD plug ins except Synthesizer One also support the Digidesign VENUE D SHOW systems See http Awww digidesign com compato for more specific information The McDSP Mac versions are compatible with both Intel and PowerPC based computers The McDSP Windows versions require an Intel Pentium 4 or greater processor mcdsp com Page ix McDSP Windowstest machines are chosen to follow the Digidesign recommended systems guide which currently is the Dell Precision Workstation 670 with 2 79 GHz Xeon processor All products are guaranteed to run on that system Older Intel processors i e Pentium III and predecessors and AMD processors are not officially supported although some users have had limited success with newer AMD processors i e Dual Opteron 1 79 GHZ Athlon 64 2 20 GHz and Athlon 64 XP 3700 None of McDSP Windows product line will work with Pro Tools 5 x Also note that McDSP Windows product line does not support MIX although RTAS versions will work if they exist and the rest of your system i e Pro Tools version and processor is compatible Please visit mcdsp com for the latest information about compatibility Getting Started Installing the Channel G Plug In Installation on Mac OS X The Channel G plug in Package i
26. e USB port on your computer The iLok s indicator light will illuminate when the iLok has a proper connection The Plug Ins included in the bundle require no further authorization steps As with any iLok on your system it is recommended that your iLok be registered and synchronized with iLok com Authorizing with an iLok License Card All McDSP Plug Ins require that a valid authorization is present on your iLok ae USB Smart Key McDSP Plug ins that n Ni are purchased individually provide this aww authorization on a plastic License Card about the size of a credit card witha D CompressorBank small punch out iLok License Chip After being separated from the License Card this iLok License Chip is to be inserted into the key slot of the iLok USB Smart Key in order to transfer the authorization from the License Card to the iLok USB Smart Key Note that each License Card holds ONE Plug In authorization The following instructions detail this process Important Note The Authorization Wizard will prompt the user to register their iLok USB Smart Key at iLok com iLok com is a service offered by PACE Anti Piracy Inc and this step is recommended but NOT REQUIRED by McDSP to complete the authorization of the Plug In If you choose to register your iLok USB Smart Key at iLok com care must be taken to record your ilok com account information i e write down your User ID and Password in a safe place If your iLok com account infor
27. e 14 Equalizer Plot Response 15 Using Channel G 16 A Closer Look at the Expander Gate 16 Basics 16 Gated Drums 17 Performance Control 17 Noise Reduction 18 A Closer Look at the Compressor Limiter 18 Basics 18 Knee Modes 19 Feed forward vs Feed back Compression 19 A Closer Look at the Dynamics Filter section 20 Basics 20 Noise Reduction 20 Key Signal Pre Filtering 21 mcdsp com Page v A Closer Look at the Equalizer Modes Basics Music and Post Modes Channel G Plug In Reference Guide Channel G Specifications DSP Delay DSP Usage HD and HD Accel DSP hardware Maximum Instantiation Counts at 48kHz Percentage Used at 48kHz ProTools MIX DSP hardware 22 22 23 25 25 28 28 28 29 McDSP McDSP License Agreement The software described in this manual is furnished under a license agreement and may be used only in accordance with the terms of the agreement McDowell Signal Processing Limited Liability Company License and Warranty The software which accompanies this license the Software is the property of McDowell Signal Processing Limited Liability Company or its licensers and is protected by copyright law While McDowell Signal Processing Limited Liability Company continues to own the Software you will have certain rights to use the Software after your acceptance of this license Except as may be modified by a license addendum which accompanies this license your rights and obligations with respe
28. ed drum effect described above is interesting it is not always practical Many tracks have content that would only suffer from such drastic gating However such tracks can be improved using a more gentle ratio such as 2 1 or 4 1 and a reduced range of roughly 20 dB as opposed to 80 dB as would be common in the previous example A vocal track for example would contain the singing pauses and inhales exhales of the vocalist As the vocal performance was compressed some of these other sounds would also be affected and quite possibly increased in signal level To remove such sounds without drastically affecting the vocal itself an expander is placed in the signal chain prior to compression The threshold is set to a level just below the lowest singing level with a moderate attack and release and gentle ratio 2 1 4 1 The range control is used to reduce the effect to an acceptable level Careful adjustment of the attack and release controls will also improve the subtle effect of the signal reduction while not appearing to impede the vocal performance at all mcdsp com Page 17 Noise Reduction The source of many tracks in a music or post production can contain unwanted background noise equipment hum and just plain old hissing Placing an Expander Gate on every track while not necessary can be a quick and effective way of removing low level noise in the entire mix A less desirable alternative would be to remove regions of au
29. er Gate to open and no longer effect the input signal level e Expander Gate In the switch that engages or bypasses the Expander Gate algorithm McDSP Channel G Compressor Limiter The Channel G Compressor Limiter meets all the needs and requirements of modern post production while retaining the needed musicality for music applications The Compressor Limiter controls are e Key selects the signal used to cause the Compressor Limiter to begin reducing signal dynamics range once it exceeds the selected threshold The choices are the original input the output of the Ce Se Eer itself the side chain key signal or the output of y the Filter section e Knee the shape of the compression curve The greater the Knee control value the smoother the transition into the compression zone above the selected threshold There are several additional Knee control modes that model specific compressors found in analog mixing consoles e Ratio the slope or input to output ratio of the Compressor Limiter When this control is near its maximum 100 1 the process acts as a Limiter Some of the more standard compression ratios are 2 1 to 10 1 e Attack the rate at which the Compressor Limiter begins to reduce the dynamic range of the input signal as it exceeds the selected threshold e Release the rate at which the Compressor Limiter stops reducing the dynamic range of the input signal as it goes below the selected thresho
30. er function plot display Additional Knee control positions model specific analog console compressors Modeled Compressor modes in Channel G are named Chan SSL Channel Compressor Buss SSL Buss Compressor Brit Neve 33609C A Soft and A Hard API 225 hard and soft modes Note the Knee modes in the Compressor section also reset the ranges of the attack and release controls to match those ranges found in the modeled unit Also the filter section s Q and freq ranges are adjusted to match the ranges found in the consoles these modeled compressors are taken from if applicable All Trademarks are property of their respective owners SSL is trademark of the Solid State Logic Ltd Neve is a trademark of AMS Neve and API 550 is a trademark of the Automated Processes Inc API These companies are not affiliated in any way with McDSP nor do they endorse the Channel G plug in The trademarks of these companies are used solely for the purpose of describing the sounds produced by the McDSP Channel G plug in While Channel G emulates the sounds of these consoles McDSP makes no representation or warranty that Channel G is identical to or duplicates these consoles Feed forward vs Feed back Compression The Compressor Limiter in Channel G is one of the few in the world that allows the user to choose between the input or output of the Compressor Limiter Using the compressed output often referred to feedback compres
31. gain applied to the signal before it reaches the Expander Gate and Filter sections e Output the amount of gain applied to the signal after the Compressor Limiter Makeup Gain The signal polarity phase may also be adjusted at this stage in the processing Expander Gate The Channel G Expander Gate provides a full featured dynamic range expander with selectable key input separate from the Compressor Limiter section The Expander Gate controls are e Key selects the signal used to cause the Expander Gate to close or begin reducing signal level once it goes below the selected threshold The choices are the original input side chain key signal or the output of the Filter section e Range the maximum amount of signal reduction e Ratio the slope or output to input ratio of the Expander Gate When this control is Between 1 and 20 it is an Expander From 40 to its maximum 100 1 the process acts as a Gate e Attack the rate at which the Expander Gate opens or stops reducing signal level once the signal exceeds the selected threshold e Release the rate at which the Expander Gate closes or begins reducing signal level once the signal is below the selected threshold e Hold the amount of time rate the Expander Gate remains open or does not affect signal level once the signal exceeds the selected threshold e Threshold the signal level that must be exceeded in order for the Expand
32. helving EQ GAIN 18 to 18 dB The amount of boost or cut in dB for each EQ band TYPE Parametric Shelf LF and HF only Toggles between parametric and shelving EQ BAND BYPASS IN OUT Round Green button is lit if that band of EQ is in the signal path EQ BYPASS IN OUT Round Green button in lower right corner of user interface is lit if entire EQ is in MODES Music Post E SSL series E Selects the way in which the EQ operates G SSL series G N Neve A There are Music and Post equalizers as well as API 550 modeled equalizers from world class mixing consoles OUTPUT OUT 24 to 24 dB The amount of gain applied to the signal after the LPF last of the seven filter and EQ bands filter band mcdsp com Page 27 DSP Delay The delay incurred by any of the Channel G plug in configurations is ZERO samples On HD systems the delay is 1 ONE sample There is a 2 sample delay from the TDM connection to the Channel G plug in This is the absolute minimum number of delay samples a TDM plug in can have The McDSP plug ins are designed in this manner to provide the user with the closest analog mixing console experience possible analog inserts such as EQ and compression do not cause a processing delay when inserted into a track DSP Usage HD and HD Accel DSP hardware The TDM versions of the Channel G plug in configurations use a varying amount of DSP resources for each Channel G configuration The table below is a listing
33. ifferent user it will require additional support from PACE Anti Piracy Inc and may be subject to a service fee or limited by manufacturer restrictions Check the www ilok com website for updates and developments regarding iLok USB Smart Keys and the Pace Interlok Copy Protection system mcdsp com Page xxiii Registering your McDSP Plug In To register your McDSP Plug In fill out and return the product registration card enclosed with the boxed Plug In package by mail or fax 707 220 0994 Registering your product entitles you to future upgrades and advance information from McDSP Each individual product must be registered even if you have multiple copies and the product must be registered to an individual not an entity If you represent a company it is your company s responsibility to notify McDSP in writing if the individual who registered the Plug In is no longer with the company The Company must also be able to supply matching registration information to successfully transfer ownership of the Plug In Using your McDSP Plug Ins Starting a McDSP Plug In Follow the installation authorization and registration instructions above Launch Pro Tools and the McDSP Plug In and its presets are ready for use Refer to the Digidesign Pro Tools Reference Guide for details on general Plug In operation such as automation Exiting a McDSP Plug In A McDSP Plug In is exited by clicking on the desktop or other window in the DAE app
34. ise control if a value outside the valid range is input the control will default to the nearest allowed value when enter is hit and hit lt Enter gt e Click on the text box to highlight the numeric value and then use the arrow keys to increase or decrease the numeric value PANDER GATE 9929 k 2 ATTACK HOLD 0 5 000 10 0 Page Button Console Only Changes pages between the Dynamics and Equalization sections e Use the lt Option gt key to bring all the controls to their default values Bypass Control Button Toggle control that takes the section in or out of the audio processing path e Use hardware controller surfaces supported by Channel G including Digidesign s ICON ProControl and Control 24 and the Mackie HUI e The green light indicates the section is in e When the light is off the section is bypassed McDSP Channel G The Meters The Channel G plug in has a Metering Center Section to display input levels Compressor Limiter gain reduction and Compressor Limiter output levels Automation All Channel G controls are completely automatable See the Digidesign ProTools Reference Guide Automating plug ins section Presets Using the Presets and Making Your Own The Channel G presets are designed as roughs for various analog mixing console applications The presets can be
35. ld e Gain the amount of makeup gain applied to the signal after the dynamic range reduction Note the relation to the master output of the plug in if the Compressor is used as the key signal this gain is applied BEFORE the signal is fed back e Threshold the signal level that must be exceeded in order for the Compressor Limiter to start reducing the input signal dynamic range e Compressor Limiter In the switch that engages or bypasses the Compressor Limiter algorithm e EQ Comp Routing selects the order of the compressor and equalizer sections Selecting pre places the compressor before the EQ selecting post places the compressor after the EQ mcdsp com Page 9 Dynamics Filters The G Dynamics Filter section is two independent fully sweepable filters Each filter has a selectable slope up to 24 dB Oct and filter type control The Filter section controls are e Filter Input selects the input to the Filter section the original input signal or the side chain input e Filter Type toggles between high pass filter HPF and notch filter types in the Low Filter and between low pass filter LPF and notch filter types in the Hi Filter section e Freq the center frequency or cutoff frequency of the filter e Q Slope the width of the notch filter or slope of the HPF or LPF filter Response Plots The G Dynamics and G Console configurations display the Input Output transfer functions of both the Exp
36. lf Original Limiter to begin reducing signal dynamics Input range once it exceeds the selected threshold Side Chain key Signal The choices are the original input the side Output of the Filter chain key signal the output of the Filter section section or the output of the Compressor Limiter itself feedback mcdsp com Page 25 Parameter ATTACK RELEASE THRESH COMP LIMITER IN FILTERS FILTER INPUT TYPE FREQ Q SLOPE FILTER PATH OUTPUT PHASE OUT Settings Function hard Shape of the compression curve The greater 10 soft modes the Knee control value the smoother the 5 modeled modes transition into the compression zone above the selected threshold There are several additional Knee control modes that model specific compressors found in analog mixing consoles 1 1 to 1 100 Limiter Slope or input to output ratio of the Compressor Limiter When this control is near its maximum 100 1 the process acts as a Limiter 0 01 to 100 msec Rate at which the Compressor Limiter begins to reduce the dynamic range of the input signal as it exceeds the selected threshold 100 to 5000 msec Rate at which the Compressor Limiter stops reducing the dynamic range of the input signal as it goes below the selected threshold 24 to 24 dB Amount of makeup gain applied to the signal after the dynamic range reduction Note that this gain occurs before feedback in Output Key Mode 45 to 0 dB Signal le
37. lication running the Plug In closing the Plug In window or de instantiating the Plug In Pro Tools sessions will save instantiated Plug In configurations and their settings Refer to the Digidesign Pro Tools Reference Guide for details on general Plug In operation Digidesign and Pro Tools are registered trademarks of Digidesign Inc McDSP Channel G Channel G Channel G the complete dynamics and equalization console for ProTools Channel G is 3 plug ins e Channel G Dynamics A fully featured console style dynamics section with an Expander Gate Compressor Limiter and two sets of versatile filters e Channel G Equalizer 5 bands of professional grade console style EQ with two more sets of filters e Channel G Console A combination of the functionality offered in the G Dynamics and G Equalizer configurations The Channel G Dynamics configuration uses ultra high resolution level detection in both its Expander Gate and Compressor Limiter sections to give accurate handling of the most complex material The expander gate has adjustable range and threshold as well a continuous ratio control for the most detailed edits The compressor limiter also has a continuous ratio control complemented by a knee control designed to smooth the transition into the compression action These controls allow the Channel G compressor to be used extensively without a heavily compressed sound Attack times as fast as 0 001 msec for instanta
38. mation is lost the iLok cannot be registered to another account and unfortunately there is nothing McDSP can do to help you See iLok com for more details about the benefits of using PACE s iLok com service Note Images in this section are for illustration only the actual product and screens will be the name of the product you are authorizing mcdsp com Page xvii Authorizing a McDSP Plug In from a License Card with the Authorization Wizard The Authorization Wizard is used to install an authorization from a License Card to the iLok USB Smart Key To use the Authorization Wizard for the Plug In you purchase perform the following steps e Insert your iLok USB Smart Key into an available USB port e On a Mac Locate and launch the Authorizer application found in the Authorize folder in the Plug In package for the McDSP Plug In you purchased on the CD ROM e On Windows XP or Vista just launch Pro Tools to authorize the individual McDSP Plug In you purchased Note When authorizing the Plug In on Windows XP or Vista with a new iLok USB Smart Key you must insert the iLok USB Smart Key and complete the Windows Found New Hardware Wizard before attempting to authorize the Plug in e Select the Authorize button to be guided through the Authorization Wizard Note Selecting the Quit button at any time will not authorize the Plug In or allow it to be used for a trial period If Quit is selected
39. n ses Product Company Type Deposited Expiration available for download pons ae ee Th iS pa g e wi a SO d iS p ay Compressor Bank McDSP NFR 09 14 2004 09 14 2005 the name of the Pl ug l n FilterBank McDSP License 09 14 2004 03 14 2005 it f t t h t C2000 McDSP Demo 09 14 2004 03 14 2005 l S m a nN u a C u re r e ype Synthesizer One MebsP License 09 14 2004 09 28 2004 of authorization demo Not For Resale or License the date the authorization was deposited and the date when the authorization will no longer be available for download from the Before downloading licenses you must insert one or more iLoks as needed and press the se rver Synchronize button Once your iLoks are synchronized with your account you will be able to 7 select the licenses to download and the target iLok to receive the licenses Insert your iLoks and synchronize Note that the synchronization process may take some time Please press the button only once Befo re a ny tra nsfer of a uthorizations don t remove or insert your iLoks and don t touch your browser until the process completes A g progress page should be displayed within a few seconds of pressing the button can take place you must synchonize a a a Synchroni e your iLok Smart Key with iLok com This may take a moment to process depending on you r Step 1 Select the pending licenses to download i nte rn et con n ect i O n Product Company Type Deposited Expirati
40. ncludes this manual ReadMe and Release Notes a folder of presets for the Channel G plug in and the Channel G plug in Two copies of the Channel G Licensing Agreement are included one in this pdf manual and a second as a separate text file The Channel G plug in manual requires that Adobe Acrobat reader or similar pdf reader is installed Both online and boxed version will come with a Channel G installer that will automatically install the Channel G plug in and its presets on your system The authorization of the Channel G plug in is still required after running the installer and those steps are detailed in the following sections Installing the Channel G plug in and presets with the Installer The online version of the package has been prepared for Internet delivery and is transmitted as a compressed file in zip format zip In Mac OS X 10 4 x or 10 5 x simply double click the zip file to unpack the installer The boxed plug in package purchased at your local dealer will be on CDROM As with the online version these physical versions of the Channel G plug in package should be copied into a local folder on your system e Insert the McDSP HD Disk Native Disk or LE Disk CDROM onto an available CDROM drive e Navigate to the Channel G plug in folder on the CDROM the installer application is contained therein e Run the Channel G plug in Installer application to install copy the Channel G plug in pre
41. nd that it will abide by the terms of this agreement Unless you so donate a previous version of an upgraded version upon upgrading the Software all copies of the prior version must be destroyed mcdsp com Page vii Limited Warranty McDowell Signal Processing Limited Liability Company warrants that the media on which the Software is distributed will be free from defects Your sole remedy in the event of a breach of this warranty will be that McDowell Signal Processing Limited Liability Company will at its option replace any defective media McDowell Signal Processing Limited Liability Company does not warrant that the Software will meet your requirements or that the operation of the Software will be uninterrupted or that the Software will be error free THE ABOVE WARRANTY IS EXCLUSIVE AND IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES WHETHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NON INFRINGEMENT THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS YOU MAY HAVE OTHER RIGHTS WHICH VARY FROM STATE TO STATE Disclaimer of Damages REGARDLESS OF WHETHER ANY REMEDY SET FORTH HEREIN FAILS OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE IN NO EVENT WILL McDowell Signal Processing Limited Liability Company BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY SPECIAL CONSEQUENTIAL INDIRECT OR SIMILAR DAMAGES INCLUDING ANY LOST PROFITS OR LOST DATA ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE SOFTWARE EVEN IF McDowell Signal Processing
42. neous compression action up to sample rates as high as 100 kHz Channel G supports sample rates as high as 200 kHz The filter section has high and low pass filters with slopes of 6 12 18 and 24dB oct In addition to being fully sweep able across the entire audible spectrum both these filters have a notch mode with 4 notch variants The Channel G Equalizer is based on the original design found in McDSP s award winning FilterBank plug in Improvements include a greater boost cut range and switch able shelving parametric EQ sections The 5 bands of parametric shelving EQ are complimented by two versatile filters identical to those found in the dynamics section Like all Channel G configurations the EQ section control layout matches exactly to the center section of the Digidesign D Control and ICON work surface A channel strip style configuration called The Channel G Console brings all the above dynamics and equalizer functionality into a single plug in In addition to the extensive dynamics filtering and equalization capabilities of Channel G there are also models of world famous mixing desks Control mcdsp com Page 1 calibrations are adjusted for each desk mode allowing a user familiar with the original analog consoles to be immediately intimate with the equalizer and dynamics facilities of Channel G The total integration of Channel G with the Digidesign D Control work surface as well as other popular control surfaces like Pr
43. nges are not affected While many modeled consoles had more restricted values McDSP chose to leave the maximum amount of control for these bands for the greatest utility The shelf shape in the Music EQ console mode are designs unique to McDSP based on one of the most popular Peak Slope Dip settings from our award winning FilterBank plugin The parametric bands have a good Q range 1 0 to 12 0 and the band overlap is geared towards the creative equalization needs of music production Another design unique to McDSP this shelf mode has the steepest of all the various EQ shelf modes available in Channel G The parametric bands have the widest Q range of all the modes 0 4 to 16 0 The overlap is nearly complete with the bands low ranges only 40 Hz apart and each spanning 2 decades This EQ config is derived from measurements taken of various SSL series E equalizer sections The other popular SSL EQ the series G has substantially different shelf shapes than found on the E series MUSIC McDSP Channel G A hybird Neve console based on the AMEK Neve 9098i console coupled with the vast library of measurements taken by McDSP over the years Think API 550 with 5 bands more gain and adjustable filters and you have the A mode in Channel G EQ configuration All Trademarks are property of their respective owners SSL is trademark of the Solid State Logic Ltd Neve is a trademark of AM S Neve and API 550
44. oControl D 24 Command 8 and Digi 002 converts the Digidesign DAW experience into that of an analog mixing console Channel G provides the sound and functionality of world class analog mixing consoles combined with the flexibility and scalability of a software plug in Feature List e Multi mode filters high pass low pass notch with selectable slopes of 6 to 24 dB Oct e Full featured Expander Gate Compressor Limiter e Five band EQ with shelving and parametric sections e Compressor Limiter operation pre or post EQ section e Analog Saturation Modeling e Double precision processing e Ultra low latency e Mono and stereo versions Digidesign and ProTools are registered trademarks of Digidesign Inc All other trademarks are property of their respective owners McDSP Channel G Quick Start Tour Channel G Start Protools and Instantiate the Channel G Dynamics Configuration e Launch Protools and Open a Protools Session e Verify the Display gt Mix Window Shows gt Inserts View option is checked e In one of the inserts of a stereo master fader select the Channel G Dynamics stereo configuration On another insert select the Channel G Equalizer stereo configuration Note the Channel G plug in will operate on master or regular audio tracks in mono or stereo versions e If the insert selection does not show Channel G plug ins verify that the Channel G plug in has been installed correctly e For more informa
45. of all the various EQ shelf modes available in Channel G The Q control adjusts the amount of undershoot in the shelf allowing the shelf boost cut to be further accented by the scoop just after low shelf or just before high shelf the main boost cut The parametric bands have the widest Q range of all the modes 0 4 to 16 0 The overlap is nearly complete with the bands low ranges only 40 Hz apart and each spanning 2 decades the base frequency to the base frequency times 100 This EQ config is derived from measurements taken of various SSL series E equalizer sections Note the control ranges all match the original SSL console and even the HPF and LPF sections will adjust their ranges to that of the SSL consoles The other popular SSL EQ the series G has substantially different shelf shapes than found on the E series A hybird Neve console based on the AMEK Neve 9098 console coupled with the vast library of measurements taken by McDSP McDSP has evaluated many original Neve units as well as re makes The shelf shapes are very much like the 9098i while the parametrics employ much of the smarts McDSP has come to understand about this important lineage of equalizers McDSP Channel G Freq ranges LF 20 to 400 Hz LMF 200 to 2000 Hz MF 400 to 4000 Hz HMF 800 to 8000 Hz HF 2000 to 20000 Hz Freq ranges LF 40 to 4000 Hz LMF 80 to 8000 Hz MF 120 to 12000 Hz HMF 160 to 16000 Hz HF 200 to 2
46. on z Analog Channel McDsP Demo 09 14 2004 03 14 2005 Once you have synch ronized BE chrome Tone MeDsP License 09 14 2004 09 28 2004 your iLok you can select the fem a a uth or i zati on s you wi sh to 5 MC2000 McDSP Demo 09 14 2004 03 14 2008 i transfer to your iLok _ Synthesizer One McDSP License 09 14 2004 09 28 2004 If you have mu Iti ple iLoks Step 2 Select an iLok to receive the licenses Select which iLok should receive the licenses then press the Download Licenses button connected to your computer it Note that the download process may take nalts E E plea O talaga is important to select the correct Dade ANR Da DEENA SPENNA A P nates Ok DAMINA ere Won ii iLok you wish the authorizations SE a to be transferred to Then cl ick If the not in the list above insert the iLok now and click here Download Licenses to begin the process Again this may take a moment depending on your internet iLakcamn Los Out Help connection oe ae Download Licenses Complete The selected licenses have been downloaded to iLok1 When the transfer finishes you will be ce asked to confirm the completition of the transaction thereby letting you know that the transfer was successful If you wish to go back into your account and visually confirm the transaction for yourself select View iLoks Then select the iLok you had the authorizations transferred to That s it Dont forget to logout
47. on You will be guided through the registration process by the web site if you do not have an Internet connection on this machine you may still register your iLok on any Internet enabled system To do so remove your iLok bring it to an Internet enabled system and go to the following URL using your browser http wvaw ilok com To suppress this registration request in the future select the Don t ask me again check box v Register my iLok _ Don t ask me again e A Finished dialog is displayed showing what authorization method was used e Click Finish to exit the Authorization Wizard Authorizing Your McDSP Plug Ins Authorizing with iLok com Required for demo upgrade and replacement authorizations only iLok com can be accessed from any Macintosh or PC with an Internet connection You can do this at home a friend s or at the office as long as there is an internet connection to access iLok com note that you don t have to use your ProTools system computer You simply use this computer to connect to iLok com and transfer authorizations to your iLok Smart Key The iLok Smart Key can then be moved to your ProTools system to complete authorization of your Plug In You will need e A computer with an Internet connection Either a Macintosh running OS 9 2 to OS 10 3 or a PC running Windows 98 ME 2000 XP or Vista e An iLok USB Smart Key e A valid iLok com account Visit www iLok com and set up
48. py of Channel G with the included HD Disk CDROM you can still obtain a copy of the VENUE compatible installers from the www mcdsp com website Once you have located and downloaded the latest VENUE compatible installers from the McDSP website you will have to take several additional steps to create a VENUE compatible Installer CD R For your convenience all VENUE compatible products are located in the same downloadable zip file so you will only have to create one CD R to install all compatible McDSP products e Unzip the downloaded file and locate the folder named TDM Plug Ins inside the unpacked folder e Using any CD R burning application burn this folder and its contents to an ISO format CD R It is recommended that you use a brand new CD R for this and do not rewrite an older CD R e Once you have burned this folder to a CD R you should see it at the root level of the disk i e D TDM Plug Ins Important If the TDM Plug Ins folder is not located at the root level of the CD R or has been renamed the VENUE console may not properly recognize the installer disk e At this point you can follow the HD Disk installation instructions above to complete the installation Authorizing Your McDSP Plug Ins Authorizing your McDSP Plug Ins Authorizing with a pre programmed iLok Smart Key McDSP bundles such as the Emerald Pack come with a pre programmed iLok Smart Key Simply insert the iLok into any availabl
49. r sections The additional flexibility of Channel G to allow the Expander Gate and Compressor Limiter to choose between a variety of key signals is only matched by the analog mixing consoles it emulates Basics The Filter section is comprised of two filters a Low Filter and a High Filter Each can toggle between a notch filter mode and their respective high pass filter HPF and low pass filter LPF modes The Q Slope control selects the slope of the HPF or LPF 6 12 18 or 24 dB Oct or the width of the notch filter The filter design and topologies used in the Filter section are derived from McDSP s award winning FilterBank plug in Noise Reduction The use of filters to remove unwanted signal while desired signal is present is common to any audio production By offering high pass low pass and notch Page 20 McDSP Channel G filtering Channel G can effectively eliminate noise while affecting the desired audio as little as possible The high pass filter HPF passes signal above the selected frequency and removes signal below the selected frequency at a rate give by the Q Slope control At the maximum rate of 24 dB of level reduction per octave the Channel G HPF is great for removing low rumble plosive thuds from a dialog and just cleaning up the bass of a track The low pass filter LPF passes signal below the selected frequency and removes signal above the selected frequency at a rate give by the Q Slope con
50. re the same and will install both the plug in and its presets on your system Note that after installing new versions of the PACE iLok drivers with the Channel G plug in installer you will need to reboot your system You will not be prompted to reboot and if you don t you may see an error message saying TPkd driver required and a reboot Please reboot or reinstall the software If you see this message simply reboot the console and try again e Insert the McDSP HD Disk CDROM onto the CD drive Note that neither the McDSP Native Disk nor the LE Disk contains VENUE compatible installers e Ensure your system is in CONFIG mode you cannot install plug ins in SHOW mode e Navigate to the OPTIONS page and then select the PLUG INS tab e You should now see the Channel G plug in available on the left hand side e Select the Channel G plug in and select INSTALL e If a previous version of the Channel G plug in was already installed it will be updated by the installer mcdsp com Page xv Important note for FilterBank HD and CompressorBank HD on VENUE D SHOW consoles The first time you instantiate either of these plug ins a dialog box will appear asking you to choose a user interface preference Choose the Knobs interfaces as some of the Slider interfaces are too large for the VENUE display Creating a VENUE D SHOW Installer CD R from the online zip file If you do not have a boxed co
51. rompted by the installer there is no need to reboot e Insert the McDSP HD Disk Native Disk or LE Disk CDROM onto an available CDROM drive e Navigate to the Channel G plug in folder on the CDROM the installer application is contained therein e Run the Channel G plug in Installer application to install the Channel G plug in presets and documentation to a local folder on your system The plug in will be placed in the Plug Ins folder and the presets will be placed in the Plug Ins Settings folder e If a previous version of the Channel G plug in or other HD Native or LE version was already in the plug ins folder it will automatically be updated or replaced by the installer mcdsp com Page xiii Re installing the Channel G plug in presets manually In you wish to restore the factory default presets it may be useful to know how to manually re install only the presets e Go to the Plug In Settings folder e C Program Files Common Files Digidesign DAE Plug In Settings e If Pro Tools has not already done so for you create a folder called Channel G e Place a copy of the folder from the Channel G plug in package called Presets into the Channel G folder The presets are now viewable after restarting Pro Tools from the settings popup menu from the Channel G plug in Note it may be necessary to re start Pro Tools in order for the newly added Presets folder to be
52. s no longer actively investing development into the Mix hardware platform Digidesign and ProTools are registered trademarks of Digidesign Inc mcdsp com Page 29 www mcdsp com Copyright 2009 by McDowell Signal Processing LLC All trademarks are property of their respective owners McDSP is a trademark of McDowell Signal Processing LLC
53. sets and documentation to a local folder on your system The plug in will be placed in the Plug Ins folder and the presets will be placed in the Plug Ins Settings folder e If a previous version of the Channel G plug in or other HD Native or LE version was already in the plug ins folder it will automatically be updated or replaced by the installer mcdsp com Page xi Re installing the Channel G plug in presets manually In you wish to restore the factory default presets it may be useful to know how to manually re install only the presets e Go to the Plug in Settings folder e Root gt Library gt Application Support gt Digidesign gt Plug in Settings e If Pro Tools has not already done so for you create a folder called Channel G e Place a copy of the folder from the Channel G plug in package called Presets into the Channel G folder The presets are now viewable after restarting Pro Tools from the settings popup menu from the Channel G plug in Note it may be necessary to re start Pro Tools in order for the newly added Presets folder to be viewable from the Settings popup inside the Channel G plug in window toolbar Getting Started Installation on Windows XP and Vista The Channel G plug in Package includes this manual ReadMe and Release Notes a folder of presets for the Channel G plug in and the Channel G plug in Two copies of the Channel G Licensing Agreement are in
54. sion is mcdsp com Page 19 found in many vintage compressors such as the API 225 compressor The more common technique found in modern dynamic range processors is feed forward compression the use of the input signal as the compression key In fact the API 225 is one of the only compressors along with Channel G s Compressor Limiter that allows the user to switch between feed forward and feedback compression Why should the use of a Feed back compressor be considered then in today s modern production facilities This type of compression while susceptible to pumping or breathing the overall signal level can be useful in addressing certain dynamic range problems For example a suppose you needed to process a lead vocal that has a good deal of dynamic range changes and is sung in an aggressive style Heavy compression is needed to limit the maximum signal level and even the softest of knee shapes does not alleviate the unwanted compressed vocal effect thus rendered Using the compressor output as the key signal the transition between the compressed and un compressed signal is minimally different Because the key signal is already compressed the compressor will trigger more subtley and possibly produce a more desirable effect A Closer Look at the Dynamics Filter section The Filter section of the G Dynamics and G Console configuration can be used to pre treat the signal used by the Expander Gate and Compressor Limite
55. tab from the License Card by pushing the cutout up and out with your thumb Do not force your finger downward com CompressorBank The Complete Compressor e The iLok License Chip may now be inserted into the key slot of the iLok USB Smart Key figure 2 6 If the iLok USB Smart Key does not appear to be present on the system ensure the iLok USB Smart Key is connected to a valid USB port and that the green LED is lit inside the iLok USB Smart Key To insert the License Chip into the iLok USB Smart Key orient the iLok USB Smart Key s USB end to the left and the loop end to the upper right Insert the metal chip end of the iLok License Chip the License Chip tab should have the metal chip side facing up towards you not down You should be able to visually verify that the License Chip makes contact with the iLok USB Smart Key metal card reader e The green LED in the iLok USB Smart Key will light when it is ready to receive and transmit data e Upon inserting the iLok License Chip a message will be displayed Authorization Successfully Installed indicating the authorization was successfull installed from your license card to installed successfully Click Ok in the message dialog successfully installed from your license card to your iLok mcdsp com Page xix e Once the authorization is installed omnes 0t an on the iLok USB Smart Key a dialog is displayed prompting the user to register their iLok U
56. the Plug In will not be available in the Pro Tools insert menu To authorize select the Authorize button to be guided through the process 4 This version of software does not have a demonstration period e McDSP Plug Ins require that the user Compressor Bank personalize their copy of the Plug In A dialog is displayed soliciting this information Name Company Colin McDowell McDSP Address P O Box 50611 Note that the product registration card enclosed with the Plug In MUST ALSO be filled out as well and returned to McDSP via mail or fax to 707 220 Cu GD Cancel 0994 This additional mail in registration will entitle the user to future upgrades and advance information from McDSP City State Zip Country Palo Alto cA F 94303 usa B Phone Fax Email 650 320 8452 707 220 0994 colin medsp com Q Notify me with new product information Authorizing Your McDSP Plug Ins e Once the Plug in is personalized click the Next button to continue e Check the Use License Card box and seer en press the Next button figure 2 3 eee Note Although the Authorization ae p nched the box Shoes Wizard may appear to allow e Biere ad authorization by challenge response that method is currently NOT SUPPORTED McDSP Plug Ins Enext gt A Cancel e Separate the small punch out iLok License Chip the removable metal and plastic
57. tion on starting ProTools and working with plug ins see Digidesign s ProTools Reference Guide Channel G Overview Flow Diagram Selectable in the G Dynamics and G Console configurations via the GPH and SIG buttons the Flow Diagram press SIG shows all signal paths routing le lelal i and inline status of all Channe sections Key signal flow is also displayed along with the active status of the selected key When the user selects a key input such as a buss if there is nothing routed to that buss the key signal path remains unlit Once signal is routed to the selected key track the signal path glows to indicate the presence of an actual key signal mcdsp com Page 3 Graph Display Option Knobs GPH Response Plots To adjust any of the controls with knobs you can e Click and drag the knobs note the knob will respond to left right or up down mouse movement and will lock to the left right or up down movement once the mouse is dragged beyond the knob graphic this significantly reduces control SIG Signal Path Flow Diagram Radio Buttons Give a choice of parameters to choose from and are grouped Choose one setting jittering commonly found in knob controls e Hold the lt Command gt key while dragging the knobs for fine control e Click on the text box to highlight and edit the numeric value to get prec
58. trol At the maximum rate of 24 dB of level reduction per octave the Channel G LPF is great for removing hiss strange reflections or any undesirable high frequency noise The Notch filter also called a band stop filter removes signal only at the selected frequency and has a notch width given by the Q Slope control The Notch filters found in Channel G are some of the narrowest in the professional audio industry Capable of much tigher Q s than any analog filter Channel G s notch filters can remove cyclic noise such as power hums while being nearly inaudible even when swept across the entire frequency spectrum The rejection level of the notch exceeds 80 dB again more than most analog filters Key Signal Pre Filtering Using the Dynamics Filter section to pre treat the key signal used by the Expander Gate and Compressor Limiter can turn these dynamic range processors into specialty effects devices For example the Compressor Limiter can be setup to act as a de esser by selecting the filtered output as its key signal and setting the HPF frequency control to somewhere between 2 kHz and 4 kHz This will cause the compressor to only key when high frequency data is present such as the sss or ththth of a vocal The net effect is the compression will only occur when the esses occur Background noise can often be very loud Using the Expander Gate is effective as long as there is a reasonable difference between the desired au
59. vel that must be exceeded in order for the Compressor Limiter to start reducing the input signal dynamic range ON OFF Switch that engages or bypasses the Expander Gate algorithm IN Key sidechain Selects the input to the Filter section the original input signal or the side chain input Notch Low Pass High Pass Toggles between high pass filter HPF and Filtering notch filter types in the Low Filter and between low pass filter LPF and notch filter types in the Hi Filter section 20 to 20 000 Hz Center frequency or cutoff frequency of the filter 6 12 18 and 24 dB Oct Width of the notch filter or slope of the HPF for Filters or 4 Notch widths or LPF filter INLINE When inline filters offset signal output signal INLINE disengaged directly If not inline the filter output is only used on key signals for the Expander Gate and Compressor Limiter ON OFF Polarity phase of the final output ON is 180 from original 24 to 24 dBvav The amount of gain applied to the signal after the Compressor Limiter Makeup Gain McDSP Channel G Parameter Settings Function EQUALIZER various ranges pending EQ The width of the parametric EQ bell or slope mode 0 4 to 16 of the shelving EQ in Music mode and scoop in Post mode Note that Q is not available in models with gain dependent Q Model A FREQ various ranges pending EQ The center frequency or cutoff frequency of the mode 20 to 20 000 Hz parametric or s
60. viewable from the Settings popup inside the Channel G plug in window toolbar Getting Started Installation on VENUE D SHOW systems The Channel G plug in Package for VENUE D SHOW systems includes presets for the Channel G plug in and the Channel G plug in The Channel G Licensing Agreement is displayed when installing the product on D SHOW The pdf manual can be obtained by running the Mac OS X or Windows XP Vista version of the Channel G Pro Tools plug in installer on any available computer Both online and boxed versions will come with a VENUE compatible installer that will automatically install the Channel G plug in and its presets on your system The authorization of the Channel G plug in is still required after running the installer and those steps are detailed in the following sections Note that all McDSP HD plug ins except Synthesizer One support the Digidesign VENUE D SHOW system Installing the Channel G plug in and presets on VENUE with the HD Disk The boxed Channel G plug in package purchased at your local dealer will contain a CDROM titled HD Disk that is specially formatted to work with your VENUE console The VENUE installers are also available online as a compressed zip file download however you will have to take additional steps to create your own VENUE installer CD R see additional instructions below before proceeding with these instructions Both the boxed and online versions of the Channel G installer a

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