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USER`S MANUAL

1. 40 Surround Meter 40 Peak Hold Meter 41 Phase Meter 41 Digital 42 Calibration 42 to os as bas sa Sas 44 Reset page 46 The 47 APPENDIX Trouble Shooting 48 49 Technical specifications 50 Tutorial 51 xau eee ae Fes 53 Soldering instructions 54 Preset list 56 58 Optional Master Fader 59 tcdk tcelectronic com English version Rev 2 04 SW V 2 90 Prod No 606054124 QUICK START We recommend you read the entire manual before using the DBMAX but if you re anxious to get started we suggest you take the following steps in the described sequence 1 Connect analog and or digital I O and power to the unit 6 Press the OK key Play some program material and leave The DBMAX will adapt to the power being used in your the Wizard working while you are playing a soft part and a area without you having to select a voltage loud part of the type of signal the DBMAX will be processing 10 seconds of each will do 2 on the POWER switch at the rear and press the POWER key on the front 7 Press the OK key again and the DBMAX has loaded a best fit
2. Limiter Flags Overwriting or Deleting When storing a preset you may give it two flags Protected Presets ON AIR Use the ON AIR flag for easy identification and Press STORE n the top line use the PARAMETER keys and the ADJUST wheel to remove the READ ONLY flag Make selections regarding Overwrite Delete Location new Flags and Title as described above Press OK to store or delete sorting of presets READ ONLY Important presets may be marked with the READ ONLY for protection A preset with this flag cannot be overwritten by another preset A pop up display will tell you that the preset 15 write protected Note The READ ONLY flags may be disregarded if you Using wish to replace the entire RAM bank from Utility page If you wish to use a memory card simply insert the card in the DBMAX The DBMAX will now autodetect your card and Deleting a Preset store and Recall facilities will be attached to the memory card If the format of the memory card is not correct the DBMAX will To delete a preset in the internal RAM bank or PCMCIA card E detect this immediately Press STORE Use the MENU keys to move to the top line and use the ADJUST wheel to select DELETE Use the MENU keys to move down one line and choose the preset you wish to delete by using the ADJUST wheel Press OK Card types Type 1 PCMCIA cards with a minimum of 64KB SRAM and a maximum of 2 MB
3. the Input signal The DBMAX automatically removes Emphasis present from the Input signal F Input Hi Cut Lo Cut filters active These filters are described on page 20 S Sample Rate converters on Gain Reduction Graphical indication of the actual gain reduction performed by the Compressor Page 2 Press MENU keys to enter page 2 Threshold Use the ADJUST wheel to change the Thresholds of the five bands The Thresholds refer to Ref Level in the Ref Level menu Ratio Use these parameters to adjust the Ratios of the gain reduction in the five Compressor bands Band Level The five band levels are used to adjust the spectral balance of the Compressor Below the five bands the level of the Mid band is displayed Out Level With this parameter you can adjust the overall Output of the Compressor This 15 the parameter you would use as make up gain 31 MAIN PAGE Compressor OUTPUT PAGE 3 Crest This parameter determines whether the Compressor should react to peaks RMS average or something in between Attack Hold Release Individual Attack From 10 200ms Individual Release times for times for each of each of the five bands the five bands PAGE 4 S Mn kU liem xpo 1 7 B Cross over point 00 n DUEF HOHE Slope type Cross over frequency 32 MAIN PAGE Compressor Page 3 Press MENU keys to enter page 3 Attack The Attack time is the time the Compressor
4. 16 STORE What is stored where Global Parameters Global parameters describe your general working environment Inputs used System delay Settings for Transmission or Production etc Global parameters are not affected by setup or preset recalls The parameters include Input and Output Blocks on the Main Page Delay Formats HP and LP Filters Rate Conversion Dither and Output Fader Parameters in the Utility Page Display Angle RS485 Security General Purpose Input Parameters in the Tools digital Out Page User Data Name and Phone and Keyboard lock Setup Parameters Setup parameters describe the interface and Reference Levels in your environment Setup parameters are not affected by preset recalls If you need to deliver the same program to different Output level conditions you may keep your preset and load a different setup Preset parameters may change with every preset and when the Wizard is invoked 17 MAIN PAGE Black box indicates Input page 1 selected block Pur ue CLOCK us ir Page select R IIT 49 Master Input Delay T in frames pr second IT 48 Input type mn HB l Delay on off selector switch Sample Rate Clock Master Input delay converter on off select in milliseconds Input page 2 UT n Td SEV EL I E CHL SWAP _ Process both channels normal L ONLY or onl
5. 5 Press the WIZARD key and select the type of limiting compression you want by using the PARAMETER keys and the ADJUST wheel INTRODUCTION Congratulations on the purchase of your new DBMAX We hope that you will have as much pleasure using it as we had making it The DBMAX V2 02 15 the result of hard work by TC Electronic s skilled developers based upon the experience of some of the best qualified transmission engineers in the business The DBMAX 2 02 15 TC Electronic s second generation of broadcast compressors Stuffed with all the necessary tools a strong collection of presets as well as a selection of predefined Level setups the DBMAX could be a difficult unit to operate But nicely wrapped in TC s award winning highly intuitive design you will soon be ready to operate it We invite you to have your Input Output and reference level specifications included in later software releases Other DBMAX owners will then very easily comply with your specifications when delivering program material to your station or production house For suggestions please contact TC Electronic at info tcelectronic com Please keep informed on the latest updates either via our internet site at www tcelectronic com or contact TC Electronic directly General features in the DBMAX version 2 02 Versatile multi band Compressor Limiter Expander with switchable architecture between 1 and 5 bands Minimum distortion algorithms utilizing 24 and 48 bit processing
6. Prg change 1 128 is send out on MIDI thru Connect this socket to a MIDI compatible device and confirm the Prg changes Press the HELP key to exit test Pedal test Select Pedal test by pressing OK Connect a momentary pedal to the pedal socket When pressing the pedal the result should be OK When released the result should be NOT OK Press the HELP key to exit test PCMCIA Card test Select PC Card test by pressing OK Insert PC Card Note that all data on the PC Card will be destroyed Press OK to test Result reads Low battery Time to change battery in your PC Card Not Ok Try the test using another PCMCIA card Press the HELP key to exit test Battery test Select Battery test by pressing OK Confirm that result is OK Press the HELP key to exit test System test Select System test by pressing OK Confirm that result is OK Result reads EEPROM Not OK The unit will most likely work ok the message 15 for service matters only DSP Not OK Contact your local dealer Press the HELP key to exit test Power Off On to start standard software Service note In case of the unlikely event that the unit needs to be sent in for service please use the original box AND an outer box 49 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Digital Inputs and Outputs Connectors Formats Output Dither Word Clock Input Sample Rates Processing Delay Frequency Response DIO Sample Rate Conversion Type
7. on off 1 5 ali OFF i EAL DELUDE CENTER OFF Mid Side balance control MS Encoding THEM aE mym shoo LE m TT Fine balance adjust OFF d ENCOUE EAL OFF CENTER MS Encode on off switch 26 MAIN PAGE Inserts 1 3 Normalizer Optimization of the level of your material begins in the Normalizer The objective here is to increase the gain to a level just below clipping However if the clips only occur occasionally and only few samples are clipped per test interval you do not necessarily have to reduce the gain of the Normalizer The Normalizer monitors the signal within second time periods Gain The Normalizer is capable of gaining 18 dB By increasing the Gain parameter the level of the signal gets closer to OdBFS and gaining the Input signal can therefore be perceived as a decreasement of the headroom On off On off switching for the Softclipper Act Active Will indicate diode style when the Softclipper 15 activated Consecutive Samples Clipped The Clip Counter indicates the maximum number of consecutive samples clipped within the last second MS Decoding Encoding MS Mid Side miking technique uses a forward facing directional mic and a side facing bi directional mic MS recording offers very good stereo imaging with the added benefit of excellent mono compatibility Through the electronic process of MS Encoding and Decoding the two mic signals can be combined to create a stere
8. 5 24 bit resolution you should select AES EBU to make sure that the receiving device after the DBMAX will accept all 24 bits S PDIF When S PDIF is selected the DBMAX will transmit its own consumer status bits out meaning that any incoming ID will be lost The S PDIF Output carries up to 24 bits Only the S PDIF signal contains copy protection information From Input When this setting is selected the DBMAX will transmit the same information as it received However you still have the possibility to change the copy status Calibration Tone For optimal level handling in your signal chain correct calibration of all meters is essential The DBMAX can be used to generate a calibration tone Level dBref refers to Ref Level in the Ref Level menu dBu refers to the In level in the Ref Level menu dBFS refers to Digital fullscale The test tone level can never exceed 0 dBFS Tone Select the desired testtone and press OK to start Press OK again to stop 43 UTILITY 44 DISPLAY Kkiisuind Angle TIMING CALCULATIONS Based Un fre CTRL Fr3 Change Hadadrezz SECURITY Security Lock Your PIH CODE MEMORY RAM to CARD RAM Protect to RAM RAM to MIDI MIDI to RAM PEDAL INPUT Function ANALOG In Term Core In Fine L In Fine E Out Fine L Out Fine E Basic operation Use the MENU keys to select parameter Use the ADJUST wheel to change values
9. Dynamic Range THD N Input Rate Range Analog Inputs Connectors Impedance Max Input Level Min Input Level for 0 dBFS A to D Conversion A to D Delay Dynamic Range THD Frequency Response Crosstalk Analog Outputs Connectors By pass Impedance Max Output Level Full Scale Output Range D to A Conversion D to Delay Dynamic Range THD Frequency Response Crosstalk XLR AES EBU RCA Phono S PDIF AES EBU 24 bit S PDIF 20 bit EIAJ CP 340 IEC 958 HPF TPDF dither 8 22 bit BNC 75 Ohm 0 6 to 10 Vpp 32 kHz 44 1 kHz 48 kHz 0 5 ms 48 kHz DC to 23 9 kHz 0 01 dB 48 kHz Asynchronous 120 dB 106 dB 44 1 to 48 kHz Q 1 kHz 2 dBFS 31 kHz to 49 kHz XLR balanced pin 2 hot 20 kOhm balanced 27 dBu balanced 4 dBu balanced 24 bit 1 bit 128 times oversampling 0 8 ms Q 48 kHz 2103 dB unweighted gt 106 dB A 95 dB 0 0018 96 1 kHz 6 dBFS FS 18 dBu 10 Hz to 20 kHz 0 0 2 dB 80 dB 10 Hz to 20 kHz typical 100 dB 1 kHz XLR balanced pin 2 hot Through relay 40 Ohm balanced 26 dBu balanced 4 dBu to 26 dBu balanced 24 bit 1 bit 128 times oversampling 0 57 ms Q 48 kHz 2100 dB unweighted gt 104 dB A 86 dB 0 005 96 1 kHz 6 dBFS FS 18 dBu 10 Hz to 20 kHz 0 0 5 dB 60 dB 10 Hz to 20 kHz typical 90 dB 1 kHz EMC Complies with Safety Certified to Environment Operati
10. EBU Webcast NAB Webcast Typical Level Setup EBU Broadcast NAB Broadcast EBU Broadcast NAB Broadcast EBU Broadcast NAB Broadcast EBU Broadcast NAB Broadcast EBU Broadcast NAB Broadcast Applications OB PP OB PP OB PP OB PP OB PP OB PP WC Applications BC DL DT BC DL DT BC DL DT BC DL DT BC DL DT BC DL DT DL WC DL WC DL WC DL WC LIST for Digital and FM Radio Name DAB DAB lt AGC gt Classical DAB FM Subtle FM Wide FM Moderate FM Power ISPA FM Energy Studio Outlet Energy Outlet Main Function Optimize amp Limit Optimize amp Limit Optimize amp Limit Opti level width amp Limit Opti level width amp Limit Opti level width amp Limit Opti level width amp Limit Opti level width amp Limit Optimize amp Limit Optimize amp Limit Presets for OB and Live Broadcast Presets for off air Confidence Monitoring No Name Live Sports 1 Live Sports 2 Gameshow 1 Gameshow 2 Talk 5Band Name Mon NICAM Mon FM Stereo Mon FM Mono 50 5 Converge 75us Converge Main Function Mix Assist amp Limit Mix Assist amp Limit Mix Assist amp Limit Mix Assist amp Limit Voice Processor Main Function Monitor Monitor Monitor Emphasis pre adjust Emphasis pre adjust Presets for Special Effects Name Optical 35mm Optical 35mm 2 Optical 16mm Optical 16mm 2 Intercom Telephone Main Function Optical film sound emulate Op
11. Optimize amp Limit Optimize amp Limit Optimize amp Limit Limiter Voice Processor Voice Processor Noise Removal Presets for Webcast and Web Authoring No Presets for Digital Television and Linking Name EBU Webcast NAB Webcast EBU WebMax NAB WebMax EBU WebTx Mono NAB WebTx Mono EBU WebTx 128k NAB WebTx 128k EBU WebTx 56k NAB WebTx 56k Name EBU Tx Limit NAB Tx Limit EBU Tx AGC NAB Tx AGC EBU Com DTV NAB Com DTV EBU Link NAB Link EBU OptiLink NAB OptiLink Main Function Codec optimize Europe Codec optimize US Codec loud Europe Codec loud US Mono web TX Europe Mono web TX US Restr BW web TX Europe Restr BW web TX US Restr BW web TX EU Restr BW web TX US Main Function Brickwall Limiter Europe Brickwall Limiter US Optimize amp Limit Europe Optimize amp Limit US Opti level width amp Limit Opti level width amp Limit Wide range Opti amp Limit Wide range Opti amp Limit Wide range Opti amp Limit Wide range Opti amp Limit Typical Level Setup EBU Broadcast NAB Broadcast EBU Broadcast NAB Broadcast EBU Broadcast NAB Broadcast CD Mastering Film Mastering NAB Broadcast NAB DTV CD Mastering CD Mastering CD Mastering NAB Broadcast NAB Broadcast NAB Broadcast EBU Broadcast NAB Broadcast NAB Broadcast CD Mastering Typical Level Setup EBU Webcast NAB Webcast EBU Webcast NAB Webcast EBU Webcast NAB Webcast EBU Webcast NAB Webcast
12. The Integration time can be set to 0 ms ms and 10 ms Front Panel Output Meters Ref You can set the Output meters to refer to digital Full Scale dBFS which 15 the default or Clip which means that the meters are referring to Absolute Peak as 0 dB When set to Clip you will take full advantage from the Output meter Peak Hold Set the desired Peak Hold time with this parameter Choose between Off 1 2 5 or 10 seconds Clip LED def You are able to define when you want the CLIP LEDs to be activated Choose the number of consecutive samples to be at OdbFS before the CLIP LEDs are activated Bypass Definition Att When bypassing the DBMAX in this mode the signal will not exceed the Abs peak max level set in the Ref Levels I O Levels menu 1 1 Use this setting if you want to bypass the signal but apply Dither and delay Thru Use the Thru setting to bypass the entire signal bit by bit 19 REFERENCE LEVELS OPERATING LEVELS Ref Level s dBFS 18dB Abs Peak max 9dBu dBFS 9dB ANALOG LEVELS In level OdBFS 18 Trim Input 0dB Trim Output 0dB Out Fine L 0 0dB Out Fine R 0 0dB Analog In Analog Out EE B Digital In Digital Out DIGITAL LEVELS Input Gain Output Gain OdB OdB 14 Select which blocks to load from the new preset Select Preset Category Preset name Read only On air indication Press
13. limiting and equalizing the signal for NICAM or other systems using the wordclock as ext sync 2 FM Sound DBMAX optimizing limiting and equalizing the signal in proportion to the current pre emphasis generating mono 0 or 90 TRANSMISSION CONTROL Ext Wordclock analog or digital NICAM Enc Mod DBMAX AES EBU FM Modulator 11 REFERENCE LEVELS 12 120 Save OPERATING LEVELS Ref Lewe 57 Hbz Peak max 57 3B ANALOG 5 _______ InLewvel BdBFS5 riSdBu rim Input rim utrut DIGITAL LEVELS InrFut Gain ntrut Bain DEFINED OVERLOAD LED 51 alntedgration FRONT PANEL OUTPUT METERS Peak Hold 1 LlirFLed gef izamrFl EYPASS DEFINITION Buarazz uzing 1 1 The Reference level settings are heart of DBMAX If these parameters are not set properly the DBMAX may not perform correctly So please take the time to go through these level settings and make sure they are set correctly The DBMAX is prepared to match several different predefined Reference Level setups These setups could be considered as level presets In addition to these presets you can store four setups of your own Basic operation Use the MENU keys to select parameter Use the ADJUST wheel to change value Setup Load Setup Select Load Setup by pressing the grey OK ke
14. reduction in the two high freq bands Mid Indicating the max gain reduction in the mid freq bands Low Indicating the max gain reduction in the two lower bands FRONT PANEL ADJUST wheel Sets parameter values and preset numbers PROGRAM 8 wo FUNCTIONS MAIN PAGE REF LEVELS UTILITY CONTROL ADJUST ER ___ BLOCK ON OFF BLOCK Defined OVERLOAD EXP dB GAIN REDUCTION High 18 14 I0 8 6 4 3 2 I 0 m m BAND A MENU FUNCTIONS SECTION MAIN PAGE This key allows you to edit the entire signal flow from Input to Output REF LEVELS All I O levels are set here TOOLS This key gives you access to a lot of useful tools for opti mizing your material UTILITY Security Timing calculations Memory management and others PROGRAM SECTION RECALL Recall presets STORE Store and name presets WIZARD The Wizard guides you thru some of the hard work of finding the correct set tings of essential parameters BYPASS Bypass the signal processing CONTROL SECTION OK Confirm operations and switch individual blocks on off HELP amp LOCK Get help on selected display by pressing the HELP key Press and hold to activate deactivate Front Panel Lock function BLOCK Select which block to edit on the Main pag
15. OK to end this operation Your name and phone number will be displayed during power up Reset System Parameters This will reset all system parameters back to the factory default This reset will NOT delete the user presets of the DBMAX Clear all Presets This will clear all Ram presets Run Test Program Activates the built in Test Program Auto load of Default Settings User defaults all settings can be recalled on every power up of the machine by selecting the AUTO load function in the Reset menu The Reset menu is found by holding the BYPASS key during power up Auto load enables the machine to be in a completely known state on every power up To use the function first adjust all settings Preset Ref Levels Utility parameters Sync etc to what you want as Default Then Power down the machine Power up the machine holding the BYPASS key Select STORE USER DEF and press OK To Auto load settings on every power up select AUTO in the LOAD USER DEFAULT line WIZARD Wizard PRESS OF START SOURCE TYPE music MAA COMPRESSION MEG HARD OPTIMISED GAIN APPLICATION The Wizard To get an easy starting point for your own sound tailoring you may invoke the Wizard function Press the WIZARD key and answer a few questions Source type Select MUSIC if the source material primarily is music Select VOX if the source materia
16. Turn the ADJUST wheel to change values Press the BAND keys to select between the five bands Press the MENU keys to select User Xpert Xover Page Threshold Use the ADJUST wheel to change the Thresholds of the five bands The Thresholds refer to Ref Level in Ref Level menu On Off Use these parameters to enable disable the five Limiter bands Page 2 Press MENU keys to enter page2 Attack Use the ADJUST wheel to change the Attack time of the five bands Release Use the ADJUST wheel to change the Release time of the five bands Page 3 Cross over Menu Press MENU keys to enter the Cross over frequency page Xovr Cross over point 1 4 Cross over frequencies may be altered on the last page of the Expander Compressor and Limiter but they are identical in all three blocks Two different filter structures are available SYM with soft slopes MID with higher order middle band focused filter slopes The MID setting 15 designed specifically for low intermodulation between the bands but if you want to emulate the TC Finalizer you should use a 3 band structure and a SYM slope setting Number of Bands On the Cross over page outer bands may be turned off by turning the cross over points all the way up or down When a structure of less than 5 bands 1s used the bands are also removed from the graphic display Slope Types Two different filter structures are available SYM with soft slopes and MID
17. display Slope Types Two different filter structures are available SYM with soft slopes and MID with higher order middle band focused filter slopes Cross over frequency Sets the Cross over frequency for the selected Cross over point Cross over point With Cross over points 1 4 you set the Cross over points between the five bands in the dynamics section Note The Cross over points are common for the Compressor Limiter and Expander Compressor Bypass Press the gray BLOCK on off key to bypass the Compressor section 33 MAIN PAGE Limiter LIMITER _ OUTPUT The Edit guide mn mn Of Arrow direction indicates whether parameter value has been increased or decreased since last Recall Limiter Threshold Limit on off A dot indicates no changes Separate Threshold Bypass Limiter on adjustment on each of individual bands the five bands INHI FIH HEP ATTACH Gain Reduction PAGE 2 ui s 2 Shows the actual gain reduction on each of the 5 bands l ra5 15 10 5 0 Attack Times Release Individual Attack times for Individual Release times each of the five bands for each of the five bands PAGE 3 E m gaa emma ri ul FOO 100 inn n DUEF t ROH 34 MAIN PAGE Limiter The Limiter Select LIM by pressing the BLOCK keys Basic operation Press the PARAMETER keys to select parameter
18. exists when using the Less More handle Normally you should use the overall gain labeled OUT on Page 2 for Make Up and by having full control over the individual band levels there is now a very efficient way of adding post dynamics Equalization to your signal Dynamic Equalization can also be achieved simultaneously by using different Threshold and Ratio values in the different bands If you want to off set the spectral balance EQ of low level signals use the Band Levels in page no 2 of the Compressor block If you want to off set the spectral balance of high level signals use the Threshold and Ratio in page no 2 of the Compressor block Page Less More Compression An overall compressor intensity parameter By using this function you can increase or decrease the intensity of compression while keeping the relationship between the Threshold and Band level parameters in accordance to the specified Ratio settings Threshold Ratio and Band level parameters are found in page 2 Flag indication Different letters flags will occur on the In and Out line in the Compressor D Delay time 1 400ms A D indicates that a Delay time has been added in the In block page 1 for the digital Inputs Outputs The first 10ms works as a look ahead delay to increase the precision of processing Note Please refer to page 19 for additional info on delay thru the unit E on the In line indicates that Emphasis is present
19. how much the signal drops below Threshold This enables you to use the Expander to simply reduce the signal below a certain Threshold instead of a complete shut off Gain Reduction Monitor Graphical indication of the performed gain reduction in each of the five bands Attack Attack is the time the Expander uses to bring the reduced signal to 1 1 when the signal exceeds the Threshold Release The Release time 15 the time the Expander uses to reach the gain reduction specified by the Ratio parameter Ratio The Ratio of the gain reduction Use these parameters to adjust the Ratios of the five Expander bands If the Ratio is set to 4 1 you will get 4dB decrease on the Output signal for every 198 the Input signal is decreased below Threshold Example If the Input signal drops 4dB below Threshold with the Ratio set to 1 4 and the Release time set to 20 ms the DBMAX will use 20ms to reach a total gain reduction of 16dB Page 3 Cross over Menu Press MENU keys to enter Page 3 This page is common for the Compressor Expander and Limiter Please see the description on page 33 The Edit Guide The symbol in the lower left corner of the display is an Edit guide This indicator will help you get back to the parameter values of the latest Recalled preset Example If you have been working on various parameters within a preset and would like to get lets say the original Ratios back without changing the Attack Release times si
20. in different applications we propose a few different setups Radio Production amp Transmission applications DAB production or FM Production suite The two applications for the DBMAX in this configuration are 1 The DBMAX can be inserted pre master to optimize the production 2 The DBMAX can be inserted post master to emulate the signal processing in transmission MIXER analog or digital Transmission The two applications for the DBMAX in a transmission situation 1 Digital Broadcast DBMAX optimizing limiting and equalizing the signal for digital Audio Broadcast 2 FM broadcast DBMAX optimizing limiting and equalizing the signal in proportion to the current pre emphasis TRANSMISSION CONTROL analog or digital DAB Enc Mod DBMAX In L AES EBU In R DOut FM Modulator 10 DBMAX SETUP TV Production amp Transmission applications Surround Production Suite The two applications for the DBMAX in this configuration are 1 The DBMAX can be inserted pre master to optimize the production Note Adjusting the L R balance can cause serious changes to the surround encoded signal 2 The DBMAX can be inserted post master to emulate the signal processing in transmission MASTER RECORDER MIXER analog or digital SURROUND Encoder 10 K S Speaker TV continuity Transmission The two applications for the DBMAX in a transmission situation are 1 Digital Sound DBMAX optimizing
21. minimize distortion for signals close to the noise floor Even if the signal only has passed through a digital mixer or a DBMAX for adjustment of level Dither should be applied 1f the succeeding device 15 of a lower resolution Dither in the DBMAX 15 only applied to the Main digital Outputs and will not affect the analog Output signal Be sure to monitor the Output of the receiving device e g post DAT to hear the final result 38 COMPRESSOR LIMITER OUTPUT FADE SECTION CURVE sets the fade out curve TIME _ sets the fade out time FADE up down stop LEVEL set fader level manually Note If an external fader is connected all of the above parameters are disabled Dither Resolution The Output resolution of the DBMAX 15 24 bit When the receiver of the DBMA X s signal has a lower resolution Output Dither must be applied in the DBMAX to equal the resolution of the receiver Example If the DBMAX 15 hooked up to a DAT via AES EBU or S PDIF interfacing the Output Dither of the DBMAX should be set to 16 bit If the receiver is a HD editor capable of recording 24 bits DBMAX Dither should be turned off If the receiver is a HD editor capable of recording 16 bits but processing 24 bits all the way from the Input Dither should normally be turned off at the DBMAX leaving the dithering to be done within the HD editing system If in doubt try recording a low level sine wave through the DBMAX with the Dither switch
22. parameter setting for your application and source 3 OnLCD IN page 1 select analog S PDIF or AES EBU material Input 8 Ifrequired go to the COM block in the MAIN PAGE and 4 Press the REF LEVELS key and set your I O adjust the More Less setting to suit your taste Turning the level conditions control to Less makes the unit behave as a Limiter Turning the control to More makes the unit behave like a 4 If you use analog Inputs or Outputs adjust the analog level maximizer required for digital full scale by selecting a proper value for the In Level parameter When a correct In Level 15 selected 9 No more overs Enjoy the red LEDs on the INPUT meter should never light up and indication should be in the 18 to 6dB range 42 Your normal operating level typically the level at which you would want a calibration tone may be set as Reference Level In a broadcast environment the Reference Level would normally be set 18 20dB below your In Level If you only want to relate to digital full scale turn the Reference Level all the way up 4 3 The Abs Peak Output setting determines the maximum instant peak Output level from the DBMAX If you work against digital peak meters or in transmission the setting should be spot on If you work in an environment depending on analog PPM meters this setting should be 3 4 dB above the maximum level allowed with the meter If you work against VU meters the setting should be 12 20dB above the OVU level
23. the Max Min changes in gain you allow the AGC to perform on your signal and these parameters are to be considered as the master parameters of the AGC E g when Max gain 15 set to 6dB only 6dB gain can be performed regardless of a higher Target value If Min level is set to 6dB this is the Max attenuation the AGC can perform If both Min and Max are set to 0 no gain correction will be applied by the Low level If the signal is below the Low Level value the AGC will add no gain This is a function to prevent the AGC from boosting background noise Target This is the Target value in dB related to the Ref Levels setting Example The Ref level 15 set to e g 12dBFS The Target level is set to 2 The Max gain is set to 2dB or higher The AGC will gain the signal to 10dBFS Ratio Sets the Ratio for the AGC function Hold Sets the Hold time for AGC Within the set Hold time the AGC can keep the signal at constant level even if the level of the Input signal briefly drops radically Release Release Rate in dB sec Up to 9 9dB s is allowed Parametric EQ Basic operation Press PARAMETER to select Frequency Gain Bandwidth Slope Turn ADJUST wheel to change values Press BAND keys to jump between the five bands EQ Ranges Filter Types Low Shelving filter Bell shaped filter 1 Bell shaped filter 2 Bell shaped filter 3 High Shelving filter Frequency Bandwidth Slope 19
24. to Calibration using the MENU keys and press the OK key Move the Master Fader to maximum position To compensate for mechanical tolerances draw back the Master Fader slightly Press OK Move the Master Fader to minimum position To compensate for mechanical tolerances draw back the Master Fader slightly Press OK The Master Fader is now Calibrated Turn power On Off TT ec w a ee d Activating the Master Fader To activate the Master Fader enter the Utility menu and scroll down to Input Function using the MENU keys Dial the ADJUST wheel to choose Ext Fader The Master Fader is now controlling the digital Fader of the DBMAX The Fader located in the DBMAX Output section will now follow and display the movement and the exact level of the Master Fader Cables and Lengths The Master Fader uses standard mono jack cables The cable can be extended using the jack to jack adapter and can run at cable lengths up to 100 meters Remember to recalibrate after extending the cable 59
25. with higher order middle band focused filter slopes Cross over frequency Sets the Cross over frequency for the selected Cross over point Cross over point With Cross over points 1 4 you set the Cross over points between the five bands in the dynamics section Note The Cross over points are common for the Compressor Limiter and Expander Limiter Bypass Press the gray BLOCK on off key to bypass the Expander section 35 MAIN PAGE Post Dynamic Inserts EXPANDER COMPRESSOR LIMITER OUTPUT Transmission Limiter Insert especially for Transmission or Transmission emulation INSERT 4 BGG TES LIMIT s m Softclipper im Emphasis HILARA o First letter Analog Second letter Digital Lit OFF 0 0 3 0 0 28 3dE Lin Linear when type is set to off Emphasis type Dynamic Limiter Release time pr 50u 75u or J 17 HF Limiter Related to the Abs second Max peak setting Production Limiter This Insert is normally used in Production and Continuity 1 14 5 Softclipper Gain Reduction 15105 0 3 0 PPM 0 28 Shows the actual reduction performed dd Limit PPM Release time pr l Characteristics second 36 MAIN PAGE Post Dynamic Inserts HF compensation HF compensation is given by the Dynamic HF Limiter ensuring optimum and distortion free transmis
26. 15 set on Ref Level page Activity of the Soft Clipper 1s shown by the on screen LED Production Limiter Production Limiter for use with analog DIN PPM meters or digital peak meters Gain Reduction Shows the actual gain reductions performed by the Limiter Limit The Threshold setting of the Limiter This Limiter is distortion cancelled and the Attack time may be calibrated to suit different environments ATK setting PPM Limiter characteristics to comply with analog PPM meters DIN45406 IEC268 10 10ms ATK setting FAST Limiter characteristics to comply with analog PPM meters with a fast response 118 ATK setting TX Limiter characteristics to comply with digital meters OmS Activity of the Dynamic Limiter 15 shown by the on screen Gain Reduction meter Soft Clip Soft Clip 15 related to Abs Max Peak which 15 set on the Ref Level page Activity of the Soft Clipper is shown by the on screen LED 37 MAIN PAGE niim TO CURVE TIME 20 D DdE Select no of bits dithered to 8 bit 16 bit default for S PDIF 18 bit 20 bit 22 bit 24 bit default for AES Select the OUT section in the Main page by pressing the BLOCK keys Dither The use of Dither is very important when interfacing digitally between audio equipment Every time resolution 15 changed from higher to lower Dither randomization 15 necessary to
27. 2 Immunity This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES 003 With reference to regulations in following directives Cet appareil num rique de la classe B est conforme la 73 23 EEC 89 336 EEC norme NMB 003 du Canada Issued in Risskov February 1th 1998 Anders Fauerskov Managing Director TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Table of Contents 3 Quick Start Guide 4 Introduction 5 Front 6 Rear Panel 8 Signal flow diagram 9 DBMAX setup 10 BASIC OPERATION Reference Levels 12 Reference Levels Illustration 14 ais Be o wa Be WU Ria 15 Store Delete and Preset Names 16 MAIN PAGE 18 Inserts neo 22 Parametric 22 90 deg 22 Dynamic Equalizer 24 Stereo Enhance 24 26 MS Decoding 26 MS Encoding 26 Expander 28 5 30 34 Inserts Post Dynamic Transmission Limiter 36 Production Limiter 36 Output mu E RE 38 Fade 38 TC Electronic Sindalsvej 34 DK 8240 Risskov Tools
28. 95Hz to 5 01kHz 3 6 9 12dB Oct 19 95Hz to 20kHz 0 1 to 4 0Oct 19 95Hz 20kHz 0 1Oct to 4 0Oct 19 95Hz 20kHz 0 1 to 4 0Oct 501 2Hz to 20kHz 3 6 9 12 dB Oct Gain range for all filters is 12dB Gain range for the Gain is 12dB 90 Mono This function makes it possible for surround signals to be compatible with mono signals The slight phase change enables you to reproduce signals that otherwise would have disappeared in a mono situation May be used for monitoring or for actual live processing The Output of the 90 mono circuit is mono L R Note The 90 mono block has no adjustable parameters 23 MAIN PAGE Inserts 1 3 EXPANDER COMPRESSOR _ LIMITER OUTPUT Dynamic Equalizer Gain reduction Indicates the actual gain reduction performed by the Dynamic EQ Stereo Enhancer Added width The actual added width 24 CURVE Sets the frequency characteristics of the dynamic damping filter 15105 0 1 149 19 0 31 w Sets working frequency of Threshold Ratio the Dyn EQ Attack Release INSERT 1 Eid LT FREU WIDTH n Low frequency adjust added width Cross over frequency Adjusts the added width to the stereo perspective 2 1 3 Image Width In 100 1 006 Hz Cross over frequency MAIN PAGE Inserts 1 3 Dyn EQ Threshold When the Input level exceeds t
29. Display Viewing Angle Adjust for best contrast on the LCD display Timing Calculations Based on fps The delay in the In page 1 of the In block 15 displayed in both frames pr second and milliseconds The relationship between these parameters is setup in Timing Calculations For example 25 frames per second means that 1 Frame equals 40 milliseconds RS 485 CTRL Remote change of presets 15 implemented in the DBMAX by using a RS485 controller A PC or Macintosh computer may therefore easily control the system The command structure for a Program Change 15 AA lt cmd gt lt value gt lt CR gt AA is Unit Address number as set on the Utility page cmd is command PRE for preset no BYP for by pass Pinout of the 5 way DIN connector All three connectors carry the same RS485 I O capability Data Pin no3 Data Pinnol Common Pin no 2 Only on Thru and Output connectors The serial protocol is 9600 N 8 1 ZA This means 9 6 kbaud no parity 8 bit 1 stop Security To security lock the DBMAX press OK while this parameter 15 selected Lock When locked you will have to dial the PIN code shown below to access the DBMA X UTILITY Your PIN code Set your PIN code for the security lock by dialing the ADJUST wheel See page 36 If you should forget your PIN code please enter the Reset page This will release the DBMAX from the locked state You do not have to run any of the reset functions A ke
30. EF LEVELS page and load a suitable setup e g EBU Broadcast Film Mastering or CD Mastering Also check that the Hi Cut filters on Input page no 2 are not activated and the Remember to setup appropriate Dither on the Out page if you use digital Outputs The receiving device will have a preference for a given resolution from the DBMAX For final limiting at the Output the Production Limiter would typically be used with a PPM response for Film Mastering and a TX response for CD Mastering By balancing the Limiter Threshold and the Soft Clipper different results may be obtained To create a good Mono master from a stereo source try using the EBU90 Mono preset To adjust the Stereo Width you may use the MS Encoder MS Decoder in that sequence and offset the M S balance Gain should be made up with e g the Normalizer If you want to offset the spectral balance Eq of low level sig nals use the Band Levels on page no 2 of the Compressor block If you want to offset the spectral balance of high level signals use the Threshold and Ratio on page no 2 of the Compressor block Broadcast Continuity For Continuity applications you should first go to the Ref Levels page and load a suitable setup e g EBU Broadcast The Delay on Input page no 1 should be set between 2 and 3 mS and turned ON You may wish to add further delay for link compensation etc Use the same Delay control on this page but generally avoid reducing it to less th
31. EQ match Frequency Band Level Curve Type 90 2 3 INSERT 1 140 mond 90 mono 22 MAIN PAGE Inserts 1 3 Inserts Select Insert 1 2 or 3 by pressing the BLOCK keys Basic operation Use the MENU keys to highlight the field just below the Insert line Use the ADJUST wheel to select the insert type Press the PARAMETER keys to select parameter Turn the ADJUST wheel to change values The DBMAX has various Insert possibilities AGC Parametric Equalizer 90 deg Mono Dynamic Equalizer Stereo Enhance Normalizer MS Encoding MS Decoding Note You can not use the same Insert type in two different Insert blocks at the same time AGC Automatic Gain Control The AGC is really a very slow compressor used to guarantee that the signal is kept within a certain dynamic range and it is an excellent tool to compensate for the different output levels on your program material Unlike a regular compressor the AGC will smoothly adjust the Output level over relatively long period of time approx sec giving you a constant average level An Attack time this long could introduce problems with transients This problem 15 dealt with in a built in selfprotective function which enables transients to invoke a fast response time only 8 samples The Attack time can therefore be perceived as adaptive and flexible Max and Min Gain This is
32. English USER S MANUAL FUNCTIONS OUTFUT te ee ee eee eee H 412 J TAIN REGLACTION Bomar High INPUT ld 0 8 5 4 LI RE 1 B a 4 TDPTTTTT t c electronic peux v ULTIMATE SOUND MACHINES DIGITAL BROADCAST MAXIMIZER IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS The lightning flash with an arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated dan gerous voltage within the product s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons Read these instructions Keep these instructions Heed all warnings Follow all instructions Do not use this apparatus near water Clean only with dry cloth Do not block any ventilation openings Install in accordance with the manufacturer s instructions 8 Do notinstall near any heat sources such as radiators heat registers stoves or other apparatus including amplifiers that produce heat 9 Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding type plug A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete out
33. NEL ELECTRONIC POWER SWITCH Easy touch Keep pressed for more than 2 seconds to turn device off E rower OVERFLOW The Broadcast Series H DBMAX t c electronic DIGITAL BROADCAST MAXIMIZER PC CARD SLOT Presets may be copied to from a standard PCMCIA PC CARD memory card B ACTIVITY EDITED INDICATORS OVERLOAD LED Lights up if internal overload occurs INPUT SAMPLE RATE INDICATOR 48000 Hz 44100 Hz 32000 Hz MIDI IN LED MIDI or RS485 receive indicator CARD LED Indicates presence of a valid memory card ACTIVITY LED Indicates when a calculation is performed EDITED LED Indicates that the preset has been edited DEFINED OVERLOAD User defined overload LED OUTPUT PPM CLIP LED High resolution meters Indicates that Output is clipped N Defined OVERLOAD Hl OUTPUT L NE EG KG EG EG HH dB 60 44 38 34 30 26 24 22 20 I8 16 14 I2 I0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 I 0 R END EG EG ES GAIN REDUCTION LIM II High NH EN NL END s END INPUT 1 E EH EN EN EN END Hm dB 40 30 24 18 12 6 3 0 R EN EN EN END END EG EG INPUT PPM EXPANDER GAIN REDUCTION LIMIT ACTIVE METERS LEDS INDICATORS High Indicating the max gain
34. New Less More for control of multi band compression Processing at any Sample Rate between 32 and 48kHz Relay bypass of analog I O on power down Unlock detection of digital Input Audio bandwidth to 24kHz or variable lo pass filtered for FM transmission 24 bit resolution AD and DA converters and built in optional Sample Rate converter ADJUST a CONTROL ON ua BLOCK ON OFF m lt gt BLOCK amm Omm BAND A v amm Omm f PARAMETER MENU Useful features for Production Level settings for a number of Radio and TV stations 5 band parametric EQ insert Stereo Enhancer insert 90 mono insert MS Decoding insert MS Encoding insert Dynamic EQ and De esser insert Production Final Limiter providing PPM attack response Production Final Limiter providing adjustable Soft Clip Dedicated presets for Film and Post Pro Mastering Dedicated presets for Production Recording Dedicated presets for CD Mastering Useful features for Continuity and Transmission Final TX Limiter providing Emphasis compensated HF limiting Final TX Limiter providing adjustable Soft Clip RS485 remote control 90 mono insert AGC insert Stereo Enhancer insert 5 band parametric EQ insert Dynamic EQ and De esser insert Dedicated presets for Continuity Limiting Dedicated presets for Continuity AGC 1 5 bands Dedicated presets for gentle Transmission processing Dedicated presets for aggressive Transmission processing FRONT PA
35. Y FROM INPUT Ge FROMM INPUT Status bit info Copy status TOOLS Calibration Tone zuRR PHASE CALIE Calibration tone I ERLIE In Calibration you can choose between various test CALIERATION PRESS Oh START tones at definable level LEWEL 1 1978 BJE 1000 HZ Set desired level of test tone anlinnunnkhiliiununiEEssEL isunun Tone 42 TOOLS DIO amp Calibration Tone In This display has various indicators describing the received digital signal Pre emphasis This parameter indicates whether the incoming signal is pre emphasized or not Source device Category code The device status of the received signal 1s shown in this indicator Audio data The number of received audio bits 15 indicated here Copyright Copy inhibit Status of the copybits Note The above information can only be displayed if the information is present in the digital signal Out In this display you set up how the DBMAX should output your material COPY ENABLE Set the copyrights of your material No copies copy only Infinite number of coptes Note The copy protection is only valid with S PDIF signals Status Bit Out AES EBU When AES EBU is selected the DBMAX will transmit its own professional set of status bits meaning that any incoming ID will be lost However in order to take full advantage of the
36. an 1ms The Delay 15 also shown in Frames on the Input page The calculation is based on the fps setting in the Utility page Remember to setup appropriate Dither on the Out page if you use digital Outputs The receiving device will have a preference for a given resolution from the DBMAX As a starting point for a unity gain limiter in an EBU environment first load the EBU Broadcast setup then the EBU Limiter preset The 5 band Limiter will provide full Output protection for Input signals up to OdBFS 18dBu As an example distortion figures for digital I O applications are 51 APPENDIX Tutorial given for the EBU Limiter Preset running the EBU Broadcast setup THD N 40Hz 124dB for 18dBFS in 96dB for 9dBFS in 90dB for OdBFS in THD N 1kHz 124dB for 18dBFS in 99dB for 9dBFS in 96dB for OdBFS in THD N 20kHz 124dB for 18dBFS in 124dB for 9dBFS in 122dB for OdBFS in Mono generation is accomplished by the EBU 90 degree Mono preset You may build additional inserts like AGC EQ De esser etc into the presets All presets exist in two versions The On Air versions have brick wall Output peak handling set at Abs Peak Max The Production versions have DIN45406 peak handling set at Abs Peak Max 3dB If you want to off set the spectral balance Eq of low level sig nals use the Band Levels on page no 2 of the Compressor block If you want to off set the spectral balance of high level signals u
37. ase refer to page 55 If you are connecting the DBMAX to unbalanced equipment you must tie pins 1 and 3 together in the cable ends away from the DBMAX NOTE Pins 1 and 3 on the DIN connectors serve as RS485 connection Therefore if you are connecting the unit to other equipment that use these pins please make sure to use 3 wire standard MIDI type cable not a five wire MIDI PLUS type If you want to use the Pedal Input make sure it is a momentary type SIGNAL FLOW INPUT PPM OUTPUT PPM In Level Left Trim Input Left ANALOG INPUTS balanced Right AE 5 Ext Sync Input Trim Output Selector P Out Fine L R ANALOG PL OUTPUTS 5 L balanced AN Digital Out Gain Bypass Internal 44 1kHz A Digital Output Ext DI Digital Output Digital In Gain Digital Input AES EBU c AES Digital Input SEDE S PDIF SETUP The 1s carefully designed to optimize or limit overall level and enhance energy in your material The use of the five band Compressor Limiter and Expander makes the dynamics section of the DBMAX very flexible while maintaining the fidelity of the original material The dynamics section in combination with a Normalizer AGC EQ De esser etc makes the DBMAX a very powerful tool for optimizing the current signal Because the DBMAX can be used
38. d in Certificate Of Conformity TC Electronic A S Sindalsvej 34 8240 Risskov Denmark hereby declares on own responsibility that following products accordance with the instructions may cause harmful DBMAX Digital Broadcast Maximizer interference to radio communications However there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular that is covered by this certificate and installation If this equipment does cause harmful marked with CE label conforms with interference to radio or television reception which can be following standards determined by turning the equipment off and on The user EN 60065 Safety requirements for mains is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or IEC 60065 operated electronic and more of the following measures related apparatus for household and similar general use Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna EN 55103 1 Product family standard for Increase the separation between the equipment and audio video audio visual and receiver entertainment lighting control apparatus for professional use Part 1 Emission EN 55103 2 Product family standard for audio video audio visual and Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected Consult the dealer an experienced radio TV technician for help entertainment lighting control apparatus for professional For the customers in Canada use Part
39. e MENU up down Vertically oriented menu selector PARAMETER lt gt Moves horizontally for selection of parameter to be modified BAND lt gt Select between the five bands Com Lim Exp pages On the EQ page the BAND keys select which of the five EQ filters are displayed and ready for modification ees DIGITAL AUDIO RS485 if TO D 2 BALANCED INPUTS OUTPUTS IN TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE SHOCK DO NOT EXPOSE THIS EQUIPMENT IN 3 AVIS RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE NE PAS THIS CLASS B DIGITAL DEVICE MEETS ALL REQUIREMENTS OF THE DI e e e COMPLIES WITH PART 15 OF THE FCC RULES OPERATION SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS STATED IN THE MANUAL SERIAL NO DO t c electronic EQUIPMENT 00 240V AC 50 60Hz 20W LEFT PIN2 PIN3 RIGHT LEFT PIN2 PIN3 RIGHT AES EBU S PDIF Power Balanced Balanced Serial No Word AES EBU S PDIF RS485 EXTERNAL Power Input XLR XLR Clock digital digital In CONTROL Switch Inputs Outputs Input In Out In Out Thru Pedal Fader Out Input NOTES To comply with international regulations we have also added a rear panel POWER switch You don t need to use the POWER switch on the rear panel Use the front panel POWER switch instead Pin 2 is hot on all XLR s and AES standards For soldering instructions ple
40. e The Delay setting is NOT recalled with a preset but the Ref Level Attack compensation is setting 1 19 Input page 2 Low Cut The Lo Cut filter is global and is used to filter out any sub bass frequency or DC contents in the signal Process For FM processing Lo Cut should be set between 20 and 40Hz Normal Left only Hi Cut Right only The Hi Cut filter is global and 15 used to remove high end frequencies This function 15 relevant if the processed signal should be used in e g FM AM WWW Audio Since these formats do not transmit frequencies above approx 16kHz high frequency peaks would unnecessarily invoke the Compressor Limiter unless the Hi Cut function is not used Hi Cut filters are high order and provides additional Pilot tone notching at 19kHz Jf very hot digital Inputs are used for FM transmission we recommend trimming d digital Input level down by 1dB on the Ref Levels page in order to prevent overloading the Input filters Please see page 12 for explanations on Ref Levels 20 setting independent of preset changes Use this setting to store a Ref Level setting with the preset By letting a group of presets refer to a single Reference Level setup you are able to adjust control the Reference Levels setup attached to an entire category of different presets Both channels will be processed Only the left channel will be processed Only the right channel will be proces
41. ed off For a 16 bit system use a tone at e g 60dBFS Play it back adding a fair amount of digital gain e g 40dB and listen for distortion If distortion 15 heard dither 15 not applied internally in the HD editor and you have to do it with the MAIN PAGE Output Note The Dither Resolution parameter is always reset when changing the primary Output Dither Type In the DBMAX TC Electronic has chosen to use TPDF This is the most user friendly type of Dither and it does not restrict you from further downstream processing You can Dither to 8 16 18 20 22 or 24 bits Auto Fade The DBMAX 15 capable of auto fades up to 60 seconds Select the Fade Curve type and the Fade time To start the fade select the fade up down parameter and turn the ADJUST wheel You also have the possibility of a manual fade simply by selecting the Lev parameter and turning the ADJUST wheel The manual fade function can also be controlled by the optional TC Master Fader Please see description at page 59 Note The Pedal Function in the Utility menu must be set to Fader for external control 39 TOOLS Flow Flow In the Flow meter you have five small peak meters representing the level in the different sections of the DBMAX The Flow meter refers to absolute peak in the Ref Levels menu INTERNAL LEVELS REL MAn PEAR OUT When a block is overloading use the parameter keys to select the current block and
42. ent Individual adjustment Individual adjustment A dot indicates no changes of Attack time on the Release time on of Ratio on the five five bands the five bands bands PAGE 3 s SHIT CROSS OVER FE 100 w Lm H BDH MAIN PAGE Expander Page 2 Press Menu keys to select page 2 Expander Expander Bypass Press the gray BLOCK on off key to bypass the Expander block Select EXP by pressing the BLOCK keys Expander Gates are often used to remove unwanted background noise Both the Gate and the Expander perform what 15 called Downward Expansion In general this means that below certain Threshold the Input signal gain is reduced on the Output according to a specific Ratio If for instance the Expander has a Ratio of 1 2 the Output is decreased with 2dB for every single dB the Input is decreased below Threshold Threshold Out Basic Operation Press the PARAMETER keys to select parameter Turn the ADJUST wheel to change values Press the BAND keys to select between the five bands Press the MENU keys to select Pagel 3 Page Threshold The Thresholds refer to Ref Level in the Ref Level menu Individual bands can be selected by pressing the BAND keys Range The Expander Range determines the maximum amount of gain reduction in each of the five bands in the Expander E g when set to 6dB the Expander will only reduce the Output by 6dB no matter
43. eset will NOT delete the user presets of the DBMAX Auto Load User Default User defaults all settings can be recalled on every power up of the machine automatically by selecting the AUTO load function To activate the Auto Load Function Place cursor a Load User Default Turn ADJUST wheel to select Auto With Auto Load enabled the machine can be powered up in a completely known state on every power up Store User Def When you have a perfect setup of your DBMAX you are able to store this as your own default setup This function is very useful for example when you have finished a special production and want to go back to normal To Store settings using this the function 46 DONE Confirms enters the printed data n normal operation mode not the Reset page setup all your preferred settings Preset Ref Levels Utility parameters Sync etc To access the Store facility you must enter the Reset page Power down the machine all settings are kept Power up the machine holding the BYPASS key Select Store User Def and press OK The User Default includes all system parameters Set User Name and Phone number Store your name and phone number in the DBMAX Press OK to access the user data menu Use the MENU keys to move cursor between the name and phone number lines Use the ADJUST wheel to select letters and confirm each letter with the OK key Select DONE and press
44. ferent operating voltages require the use of different types of line cord and attachment plugs Check the voltage in your area and use the correct type See table below Voltage Line plug according to standard 110 125V 1817 and CSA C22 2 42 220 230V CEE 7 page VII SR section 107 2 D1 IEC 83 page BS 1363 of 1984 Specification for 13A fused plugs and switched and unswitched socket outlets This equipment should be installed near the socket outlet and disconnection of the device should be easily accessible To completely disconnect from AC mains disconnect the power supply cord from the AC receptable The mains plug of the power supply shall remain readily operable Do not install in a confined space Do not open the unit risk of electric shock inside Caution You are cautioned that any change or modifications not expressly approved in this manual could void your authority to operate this equipment Service There are no user serviceable parts inside All service must be performed by qualified personnel IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B Digital device pursuant to part 15 of the FCC rules These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in residential installations This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and use
45. g occurs above this level digitally Absolute Peak Max is adjustable in dBu and dBFS Analog Levels In Level OdBFS Sets the dBu level you want to equal to OdBFS Full Scale i e setting this parameter to 18dBu means that when you are sending 18 dBu out of your desk the DBMAX will be showing OdBFS It is very important that you set this parameter correctly as all other dBu levels are relative to it Trim Input This parameter trims the level of the analog Input for digital full scale FS Correct trimming optimizes the 24 bit AD converters performance in conjunction with the trimming of the Output parameters Trim Output Trims the analog Output level This parameter may be trimmed in 1dB steps Digital Levels Input Gain Sets the digital Input level Use this if you need to trim a source to a new level A typical situation could be trimming down the digital Output of a CD player All trims may be stored using the Save setup command Output Gain Sets the digital Output level Define Overload LED Overload This parameter allows you to custom define the DEFINE LED The Overload level can be set anywhere between 30 dBFS and 0 dBFS The Overload parameter is adjustable in dBu and dBFS Integration To simulate different types of meters the defined overload can work in proportion to an integration time Digital meters have an integration time of Oms where analog meters typically have an integration time of 10ms
46. he Threshold the Dynamic Equalizer will be activated Ratio The Ratio of the gain reduction When the Ratio 15 set to 4 1 it means that for every 4dB the defined frequency range rises above Threshold the Output level of the specified frequency is increased by only 1dB Attack The Attack time is the response time that the Dynamic EQ uses to reach the gain reduction specified by the Ratio parameter Example If the Input signal increases to 4dB above Threshold with the Ratio set to 4 1 and the Attack set to 20ms the Dynamic EQ will use 20ms to reach the gain reduction of 3dB Release Release sets the fall back time of the Dynamic EQ after the signal drops below the Threshold Curve Sets the bandwidth or low high shelf setting of the range the Dynamic EQ should work in Stereo Enhance With Stereo Enhance you can enhance the stereo information of the signal This function is especially useful when you are processing material with only a small amount of stereo perspective By enhancing the stereo feeling of a signal with an excessive amount of mono information listening fatigue can be prevented Please note that a Stereo Enhancer can not create stereo information but only enhance exsisting stereo information Max added Width With this parameter you set a limit for the Width you will allow to be added to the signal Added Width Graphical illustration of the actual added width The actual possible added width depends on t
47. he stereo content of the signal If the source material is 100 mono no stereo information can be added enhanced Adding stereo perspective to the low frequency area will generally result in a less punchy and direct bass We have therefore included the Low Freq parameter with the following settings Lo Freq 0 No change Lo Freq Collapse image at low frequencies Lo Freq Add width at low frequencies Spectral Stereo Image This function allows you to control the stereo width of your signal in three independent bands by adding or subtracting stereo information Selecting values above 0 Normal will enhance the stereo information in the selected band while values below 0 will reduce stereo information Use the PARAMETER keys to select the desired parameter and dial the ADJUST wheel to change values Cross Over Frequencies The minimum bandwidth for the Mid band frequency area can be octave Try enhancing the Stereo Image in the Mid and High band while leaving the Low band This will widen the vocal and cymbal area while maintaining the punch from the bassdrum 25 MAIN PAGE Inserts 1 3 COMPRESSOR LIMITER OUTPUT INSERT 1 CORSET NORMALE SAMPLES Spe Counts the number of clipped samples within a 1 sec time period Normalizer Gain On off switch Active Will blink when active MS Decoding L OUT ERLRTIILE mm m Dn
48. ion has been carried out If hardware has not been modified is shown on screen at line In Term Comp If hardware has been modified and on 1s selected dBm replaces dBu for on screen level measure For information on how to achieve this modification please contact your local TC distributor or authorized TC Electronic Service center Note New DBMaxes dispatched from TC are not hardware modified unless requested Pedal Input Function Select between External Fader Fade up down Bypass Preset Analog Adjust In Fine L Fine adjust for the Left channel Input This parameter may be trimmed in 0 1dB steps In Fine R Fine adjust for the Right channel Input This parameter may be trimmed in 0 1dB steps Out Fine L Fine adjust for the Left channel Output This parameter may be trimmed in 0 1dB steps Out Fine R Fine adjust for the Right channel Output This parameter may be trimmed in 0 1dB steps 45 RESET PAGE Store and load your own default settings Enter User data page Reset system parameters Clear all user presets Test Programs Type your name here and your phone number Basic operation Enter the Reset page by holding the BYPASS key while power up Press and hold the BYPASS key while powering up Move the cursor using the MENU keys and press OK to select reset type Load User Default This will reset all system parameters back to a default setup made by you see Store User Def This r
49. l primarily is vocals Select MIX when the vocals and the music in your mix 15 evenly weighted Compression Soft program types would be slowly changing signals as found in some Classical music New age Ambient etc Medium program types would be normal Film Radio and TV work Country and Folk music AOR types of music Hard program types would be Commercials Aggressive Pop and Rock music Optimized gain Select YES if you want the DBMAX to automatically adjust the Normalizer level Application Select the application type Choose between Production or The Wizard settings may later be modified e g by adding EQ etc and stored to a RAM location or PCMCIA card 47 APPENDIX Troubleshooting You press the POWER switch but there is no light The POWER switch on the rear panel 15 switched off The Input PPM meters don t peak out You are using analog Inputs but the Input selector in the I O menu is set to digital in The analog Input level 15 set too low No sound through the DBMAX You are using analog Inputs but the Input selector in the I O menu is set to digital in You cannot turn the power off Hold the POWER switch pressed for at least 3 seconds You hear a lot of noise on the DBMAX Output 8 bit dither is on go to the out section and select a suitable dither 48 APPENDIX Self test Press the BYPASS key while powering up to access the self test and se
50. ld Its value can be can be 0 or 1 or you could say on off 1 byte 8 bit Compressor Overshoot When slow Attack times are used overshoots might occur This causes an unwanted click distortion and To prevent compressor overshoots you can use a brickwall type limiter Cross over point Splitpoint indicating where the different bands begins stops working dBFS dB full scale OdBFS is the absolute max in the digital world Any signal above OdBFS will cause serious unwanted distortion dBu Measuring unit in the analog world OdBu 0 775V in 600ohm dBv Measuring unit in the analog world OdBv 15 in 600 ohm De essing An algorithm that removes unwanted esses or sibilance from vocal material Dither Going from one type of bit resolution to a lower e g from 24 bit to 16 bit you actually loose 8 bits of information The process of cutting off bits 15 called truncation and it introduces digital distortion of low level signals due to the lack of complete signal information To compensate for this dither must be applied Dither is a small amount of filtered noise that generates randomization at the noise floor ensuring a less distorted low level signal Dithering 15 relevant only on digital Outputs and it 15 always the receiving device that determines the number of bits you must dither to A DAT or CDR recorder should normally be Dithered to 16 bit House Clock A separate piece of equipment used only to generate a common
51. lect RUN TEST PROGRAM Use the ADJUST wheel to scroll through the different self tests Key test Select Key test by pressing OK The keys must be pressed in the order they are requested by the DBMAX to pass the test Press the HELP key to exit test ADJUST wheel test Select ADJUST wheel test by pressing OK Turn the ADJUST wheel to 30 and back to 0 to pass test Press the HELP key to exit test LED test Select LED test by pressing OK Turn ADJUST wheel to test the LEDs The test 1s when all LEDs are lit Press the HELP key to exit test Display test Select Display test by pressing OK Press OK to check that all pixels are lit Press any key to leave the pixel test Press OK key again to exit test Analog I O test Select analog I O test by pressing OK Connect both DBMAX analog Outputs to the DBMAX analog Inputs left to left right to right and press OK Use balanced cables PPM must show 12 dB to pass test Press the HELP key to exit test Digital I O test Select digital I O test by pressing OK Connect the DBMAX s AES EBU Output to the 5 AES EBU Input and press OK Connect the DBMAX s S PDIF Output to the DBMAX s S PDIF Input and press OK Connect the DBMAX s ADAT Output to the DBMAX s ADAT Input and press OK PPM must show OdB to pass test Press the HELP key again to exit test MIDI test Select MIDI I O test by pressing OK Connect MIDI Out to MIDI In
52. let 10 Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs convenience receptacles and the point where they exit from the apparatus 11 Only use attachments accessories specified by the manufacturer 12 Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time Use only with the cart stand tripod bracket NOOR table specified by the manufacturer or sold with gt the apparatus When a cart is used use caution when moving the cart apparatus combination to avoid injury from tip over 13 Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way such as power supply cord or plug is damaged liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture does not operate normally or has been dropped The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance servicing instructions in the literature accompanying the product Warning To reduce risk of fire or electrical shock not expose this equipment to dripping or splashing and ensure that no objects filled with liquids such as vases are placed on the equipment This apparatus must be earthed Use a three wire grounding type line cord like the one supplied with the product Be advised that dif
53. mply select the Ratio parameters one by one and follow the Edit guide 29 MAIN PAGE Compressor OUTPUT 30 of Gain Reduction Page select I 0 Shows actual gain gH TE reduction on each of LESS o MORE n the 5 individual bands COMPRESSION ag 15 10 5 n The Edit guide Arrow direction indicates whether the parameter value Less More has been increased or Adjusts the intensity decreased since last Recall of the compression A dot indicates no changes PAGE 2 apps Con LI f n RATIO EAMG LEVEL 1 0 1 Threshold Ratio Band Level Individual control Individual Ratio Individual band of Threshold of the control for the level control for the five bands five bands five bands MAIN PAGE Compressor The Compressor Select COM by pressing the BLOCK keys Basic operation Press the PARAMETER keys to select parameter Turn the ADJUST wheel to change values Press the BAND keys to select between the five bands Press the MENU keys to select between the 4 Compressor pages About the Compressor The Compressor section of the DBMAX is divided into five bands This means that you are able to compress five different frequency areas separately Based on a number of requests from initial users of the DBMAX the automatic Make Up gain has been removed even though it partly still
54. nd structure for the remote protocol A AA CMD VALUE lt CR gt AA is Unit Address number as set on the Utility page CMD is command PRE for preset change BYP for Bypass VALUE is RAM preset number required O for not bypassed 1 for bypassed lt gt is carriage return the same as Enter or hex OD Examples 05 10 lt gt Recall RAM preset no 10 on DBMaxaddress 5 03 lt gt Bypass DBMaxaddress All commands and numbers are shown as ASCII Presets should not include a O in front of low numbers Q What ASCII characters should be sent for Recall of RAM preset no 10 on DBMax address 5 A 05 PRE 10 lt CR gt means these values hex actually transmitted 23 30 35 2C 50 52 45 2C 31 30 OD 58 Why Make a Master Fader If a fade 15 performed before DBMA X the Compressor will try to increase the level as the fade decreases To avoid this problem fades must always be done after the DBMAX The Master Fader makes it possible to perform a manual fade on the very Output of the DBMAX enabling you to keep your fade in digital domain and ensuring perfect tracking of Left and Right Connecting and Calibrating the Master Fader In order to work the Master Fader accurately the DBMAX must be calibrated Connect the Master Fader to the External Controller jack of the DBMAX Press and hold the BYPASS key of the DBMAX while powering up Scroll down
55. ng Temperature Storage Temperature Humidity PCMCIA Interface Connector Standards Card Format Control Interface RS485 RS422 MIDI GPI Pedal Fader General Finish LCD Dimensions Weight Mains Voltage Power Consumption Backup Battery Life Warranty Parts and labor EN 55103 1 and EN 55103 2 FCC part 15 Class B CISPR 22 Class B IEC 65 EN 60065 UL 1419 and CSA E65 32 F to 122 F 0 C to 50 C 22 F to 167 F 30 C to 70 C Max 90 non condensing PC Card 68 pin type 1 cards PCMCIA 2 0 JEIDA 4 0 Supports up to 2 MB SRAM 5 Pin DIN In Out Through 5 Pin DIN 1 4 inch phone jack Anodized aluminum face and top plate Plated and painted steel chassis 56 x 128 dot graphic LCD display 19 x 1 75 x 8 2 483 x 44 x 208 mm 5 2 Ib 2 35 kg 100 to 240 VAC 50 to 60 Hz auto select lt 20 W gt 10 years 1 year Technical Specifications are subject to change without notice 50 APPENDIX Tutorial Delay on Input page no 1 15 set between 3 and 10 ms and turned ON The unit is shipped with a number of factory presets identified as ROM on the Recall page Presets are only meant as starting points We urge you to tailor the sound to the application or profile you want With a couple of changes On Air presets may be adopted for production or mas tering or vice versa Before having a tour through the presets first load a proper level setup in the Ref Level
56. o signal either before recording or on playback MS Decoding MS Decoding will change a Mid Side signal into a left right signal Mid Side Balance Control The Balance control will allow you to change the relationship between the Mid Side signals MS Decode on off On off switch for the MS Decode Insert When MS Decode is set to off the Fine balance parameter can be used for fine tuning the left right level balance MS Encoding MS Encoding will change a regular left right signal into a Mid Side signal Fine Balance The Fine Balance control will allow you to adjust the relationship between the Mid Side signals MS Encode on off On off switch for the MS Encode Insert 1 Try lowering the Mid signal by a few dB This is np na Is perceived as an enhancement of the overall Stereo image 27 MAIN PAGE Expander 28 OUTPUT PAGE 1 Gain Reduction e Shows the actual gain T reduction on each of the 5 individual bands 10 0dE ag 15 10 5 0 Expander page select Selected band indication A dot indicates selected band or bands By default all bands are selected but you can adjust each band Threshold Range individually Adjusts the gain reduction of the 5 bands PAGE 2 The Edit guide Arrow direction indicates whether the selected parameter value has been increased or Attack tme po ass rss Ratio decreased since last Recall Individual adjustm
57. or a digital transmission like in a NICAM or DAB environment setup appropriate Dither on the Out page The receiving device will have a preference for a given resolution from the DBMAX For redundancy in Transmission an Input relay by passes the unit in event of power failure We are currently evaluating different digital stereo generators in order to match the characteristics of the reconstruction filter in selected devices If you have specific requirements or information about your setup feel free to contact TC Electronic at info tcelectronic com The DBMAX for mastering is a very potent tool Please be care ful not to overmaximize your source material just because you can Listening fatigue 15 typically the consequence of a very dense sound image APPENDIX Glossary Professional digital in out standard using balanced XLR cables The AES EBU format can output 24 bit 96kHz SIPDIF Consumer digital in out standard using coaxial phono type cables This format can generally output 20 bit 48kHz TC products can output all 24 bits on S PDIF Tos link Also called optical S PDIF Two channels of 24 bit 96kHz can be transferred with this format ADAT TDIFF Format capable of transferring 8 channels of 24 bit 48kHz using optical cables Brickwall type limiter A type of limiter that allows absolutely no signal above threshold Bits amp Bytes 1 bit is the smallest unit for information in the digital wor
58. or glitches you ve probably got it right Sample Rate Conversion sample Rate Conversion may be applied to the AES EBU or S PDIF Input The Input Sample Rate may be asynchronous The Output of the Sample Rate converter 15 locked to the system Clock source Internal references at 44 1 or 48kHz or an external Word Clock signal may be used to drive the Sample Rate Converter and thus the rest of the system Even though the Sample Rate Converter of the DBMAX has a wide dynamic range and low distortion 106dBFS synchronous data transfers are complete and should be used if possible It is not possible to loop through Channel Status or User Bits on the AES EBU interface when 15 inactive Clock Output Sample Rate Select Master Clock 44 1kHz 48kHz DI Sync 44 1 and 48kHz are internally generated The Output Sample Rate system rate of the DBMAX is always set in the Clock box of the In page no 1 Normally 48kHz is used for production in PAL and SECAM countries 32 or 48kHz are normally used for transmission 44 1kHz is used for regular audio CDs Sample Rate LED s When a digital Input is used and the signal is recognized one of the three yellow RATE LEDs light up If no signal is present and you ve selected a digital Input or Insert all three LED s will blink Note Blinking LEDs indicate a lock error condition The Outputs of the DBMAX will be muted and the digital audio Inputs and the BNC wordclock Input ma
59. press OK for direct access Internal levels ppm TOOLS Surround meter COUT TI FER EAE oy EAL Surround meter Four bars indicating the level of Left Right Left Right and Left Right i i i i i This will give you an impression of how much level dEF 5 30 24 18 id H h 4 0 you have present in a surround environment 40 TOOLS Peak Hold Meter Jel HOLD COMM a 24 18 10 H 3 1 5 0 PRESS 9 RESET The Peak Hold meter is an Output meter with infinite hold It is possible to see the level of the maximum peak with 0 1dB precision Press OK to reset the meter Numeric readout of peak values DIU 0 1 SEC Time division Curve speed Phase Meter The Phase meter displays the phase relationship between the two stereo channels Plus means that the two channels are in phase Minus means that the two channels are out of phase Time division Sets the curve drawing speed 41 TOOLS Digital I O DIO RECEIVED STATUS BITS Pre emphasis indicator On off Source device DAT CD mixer etc AUDIO COPYRIGHT OnE COPY ORLY Number of audio bits received Copyright None One copy only Infinite copies PAGER COPY STATUS EIT OUT Im nog cory COP
60. re if you are connecting the unit to other equipment that use these pins please make sure to use 3 wire standard MIDI type cable not a five wire MIDI PLUS type Pedal Cable PEDAL SWITCH or similar JACK PLUG Mono male 6 35mm 1 4 max 100m 2 wires Switch must be Shield ground momentary type Tip Fader Cable JACK PLUG Mono male 6 35mm 1 4 100 MASTER FADER similar 2 wires 54 APPENDIX Soldering instructions XLR XLR Pin 1 Pin 1 Ground Pin 2 Pin 2 Hot Pin 3 Pin 3 Cold Jack unbalanced XLR Sleeve Pin 1 Ground Tip Pin 2 Hot Sleeve Pin 3 Cold T P GND Jack balanced XLR Sleeve Pin 1 Ground TIP Tip Pin 2 Hot RING Ring Pin 3 Cold GND 55 PRESET LIST Presets for Mastering and Production No Name EBU Limiter NAB Limiter EBU Comp amp Lim NAB Comp amp Lim EBU Mix Pilot NAB Mix Pilot CD Master Film Limit Film to Video Finalizer Finalizer 2Band Finalizer 5Band Trailer Commercial Propaganda NICAM ProdLim De Esser De Wow CleanUp Cat43 Main Function Limiter Europe Brickwall Limiter US Optimize amp Limit Europe Optimize amp Limit US Mix Assist amp Limit Europe Mix Assist amp Limit US Optimize amp Limit Limiter Low level boost amp Limit Optimize amp Limit Optimize amp Limit Optimize amp Limit
61. ry Presets 128 CARD PRESETS 65 ROM 128 RAM PRESETS PRESETS The DBMAX contains two different preset banks and a card bank if you use a PCMCIA card The RAM bank can hold up to 128 presets The RAM preset bank is located after the ROM bank The card bank is located after the RAM bank Scroll through the ROM presets to enter the RAM bank Scroll through the RAM bank to access the CARD bank gt For fast RAM ROM access use the BLOCK keys to switch between the banks Note When previewing the RAM bank you will not see the empty RAM spaces 15 STORE DELETE amp PRESET NAMES Store Storing a preset with the same name Press the STORE key Place the cursor next to the Name line see illustration Select a location for your new preset using the ADJUST wheel You can store your preset in the RAM bank or the Card bank Press OK and the preset is stored with the same name at the selected location Storing a preset with a new name Press STORE and place the cursor at the Name Edit line using the MENU keys Type the new preset name Use the PARAMETER keys to select letter position and the ADJUST wheel to select letter Press OK and the preset is stored with the new name at the selected location Bank selection Mode selection UELETE only O4 Name line Flag information for SEMPTYA preset protection Dn RIR READ ONLY E Name Edit line
62. s page For permanent installations also trim analog Outputs in 0 1dB increments to achieve precise in situ interfacing Film and Post Production For Film and Post Production applications you should first go to the Ref Levels page and load a suitable setup e g EBU Broadcast or Film Mastering The Delay on Input page no 1 should be set between 3 and 10 ms and turned ON Remember to setup appropriate Dither on the Out page if you use digital Outputs The receiving device will have a preference for a given resolution from the DBMAX For mastering applications the DBMAX can give you a 100 overshoot free overload protection satisfying either analog or digital metering standards You may also simultaneously level maximize your sound Apart from the many Limiting and Compressor Limiter master ing presets some production presets are meant for recording In Film Production old noise reduction systems are sometimes used for dialog clean up In the DBMAX we ve emulated some of the machines on presets like CleanUp 100 and CleanUp Cat43 Also a couple of special effects are available If you want to offset the spectral balance Eq of low level sig nals use the Band Levels on page no 2 of the Compressor block If you want to off set the spectral balance of high level signals use the Threshold and Ratio on page no 2 of the Compressor block Film and CD Mastering For Film and Post Production applications you should first go to the R
63. se the Threshold and Ratio on page no 2 of the Compressor block Transmission For Transmission applications you should first go to the REF LEVELS page and load a suitable setup e g EBU Broadcast or digital TX Also check that the Hi Cut filter on Input page no 2 are positioned correctly and the Delay on Input page 1 is set between 2 and 3 ms and turned ON For DAB applications the Hi Cut filter should be turned off For NICAM applications normally only turn on the Lo Cut filter at the In page no 1 For FM transmission we recommend setting the Lo Cut filter between 20 and 40Hz If you use a digital composite generator normally the DBMAX should handle Emphasis generation HF Limiting and Soft Clipping to maximize the signal and avoid overshoots Emphasis should be generated as a combination of tuning band 3 5 Threshold Ratio settings in the Compressor and the TX Limiter in Insert 4 FM transmission is by nature a trade off between Level HF amount and Distortion If you insist on a high sound level please bear in mind that an overly clipped or multi band manipulated signal may easily create listening fatigue It may prove wiser to back off a couple of dB in order to get a cleaner and brighter sound 52 When you use the built in Dynamic Emphasis capability in DBMAX please observe that Emphasis is NOT indicated on the digital Outputs because the AES EBU specification has no definition of 50us 75us Emphasis F
64. sed MAIN PAGE Inserts 1 3 On following pages different Insert options are explained Please use this illustration for overview of level handling in accordance to various parameters in the DBMAX OUTPUT LEVEL OdBFS 3dB 6dB 12 18 8 24dB 30dB 36dB 42dB 48dB 54dB 60dB 60dB Comp Ratio 1 2 5 Comp Threshold 8dBFS 112 AGC Target Level 4dBFS A 2 Limit Threshold Ratio 1 1 8 p 6dBFS AGC Lo Level 34dBFS 1 2 AGC Lo Ratio 2 1 ran ae E Z 74 Ratio 4 1 I 4 x fa Expander Range 9dB 7 E A om V UO D c o c ci f LA lt N I e L L L L L L L L INPUT LEVEL 21 MAIN PAGE Inserts 3 AGC Automatic Gain Control INSERT 1 D 1 Maximum minimum limit you allow to LEUEL LO TARGET RATIO HOLD RELEASE perform on your signal R c m Low Level Target 13 1 0 45 1 0065 Low level limit for the AGC Target Ratio Hold Release Target level for AGC Release rate in dB sec the AGC Parametric Equalizer Ine 3 HOUT Frame indicates Manual Make up 10 1992 O 0dE selected band gain or
65. sion Post Dynamics Inserts Two different types of Limiters are available as post Dynamic Inserts in 14 block The dynamic Transmission Limiter and the static Production Limiter Transmission Limiter TX Transmission Limiter with integrated Dynamic Emphasis and Soft Clip This Insert is normally used for Transmission or Transmission Emulation This Limiter is distortion cancelled and overshoot free Activity of the Dynamic Limiter is shown by the on screen LEDs in the HF section Activity of the Soft Clipper is shown by the on screen LED in the Softclip section Activity of the Dynamic HF Limiter is shown by the on screen LEDs in the Lim section Emphasis The DBMAX generates Emphasis of the type given at the Lim parameter 5015 75uS or J17 You have different options for monitoring the Output signal regarding Emphasis Emphasis is handled according to this table Out Linear When type is set to OFF no Emphasis is applied EE Emphasis on analog and digital Out E D Emphasis on analog Out De Emphasis on digital Out D E De Emphasis on analog Out Emphasis on digital Out D D De Emphasis on both analog and digital Outputs Lim The Threshold setting of the Limiter Rel s Sets the Release time in the Transmission Limiter This is the fallback time for the Limiter after the signal drops below the Threshold Soft Clip Soft Clip 15 related to Abs Max Peak which
66. standard clock keeping all the attached digital equipment in sync Master Clock If you don t use a separate House Clock you can use most digital units for the same purpose In this case the unit you sync to is called the Master Clock Make up gain To optimize the output gain and energy in your material auto Make Up gain can be used to gain the compressed band automatically Sample Rate The quality of sound depends on how precise you can measure the analog signal Measuring 15 done by taking pictures of the wave at a given rate The Sample Rate Since you need two points to define a sinus curve the maximum frequency that can be successfully reproduced is the Sample Rate divided by two E g the max frequency that can be successfully reproduced with a Sample Rate of 48kHz is 24kHz De essing An algorithm that removes unwanted esses or sibilance from vocal material System Exclusive MIDI Commands Device dependent MIDI commands normally used for remote controlling machines Pre emphasis Pre emphasis is used during broadcast to boost the high frequency area The receiving device compensates by attenuating the same frequency area o3 APPENDIX Soldering instructions MIDI Cable DIN CONNECTOR DIN CONNECTOR 5POLE MALE 5POLE MALE 45 degrees max 10m 45 degrees SHIELDED CABLE 3 or 5 wires screen NOTE On TC units with RS485 interface pins 1 and 3 on the DIN connectors are reserved for RS485 connection Therefo
67. the RECALL key to enter the Recall page To recall activate a preset Use the ADJUST wheel to scroll through the presets Until you confirm your choice you are previewing the presets At this stage the OK LED will be blinking When you find the desired preset press OK to recall confirm Recall conditions It is possible to set up a couple of conditions for the preset that you are about to recall Use the MENU keys to step through the filters Recall This function enables you to make a partial recall where you recall segments from a new preset and implement them in the currently recalled preset Use the MENU keys to place the cursor at the Recall line Use the ADJUST wheel to select which parts from the new preset you wish to implement in the current recalled preset Your Recall options are To recall an entire new preset INS 1 3 To recall all insert settings in Insert 1 3 XP COM LIM To recall all settings in the Expander Compressor and Limiter To recall all insert settings in the post dynamics Insert 4 I4 Category This filter enables you to select presets by category Select or a specific category and you will now only be previewing presets from the current category Bank indication RECALL I MITTIS 1 3 RP EDTIT LTO IS PROGUCTION EBL Limiter 1 EAD ONLY Preset number Factory User Presets Your own Card Presets Your own Presets Facto
68. tical film sound emulate Optical film sound emulate Optical film sound emulate Voice Processor Voice Processor Typical Level Setup EBU Broadcast EBU Broadcast EBU Broadcast FM Generator FM Generator FM Generator FM Generator FM Generator Studio Outlet Studio Outlet Typical Level Setup NAB Broadcast NAB Broadcast NAB Broadcast NAB Broadcast NAB Broadcast Typical Level Setup EBU Broadcast EBU Broadcast EBU Broadcast EBU Broadcast EBU Broadcast Typical Level Setup Film Mastering Film Mastering Film Mastering Film Mastering NAB Broadcast NAB Broadcast Abbreviations BC Broadcast Continuity CD DX OB PP RO VE Mastering Applications BC DR BC DR BC DR FM RO WC FM RO WC FM RO WC FM RO WC FM RO WC RO RO Applications Applications PP PP PP BC OB BC OB Applications PP MA PP MA PP MA PP MA PP PP Digital Transmission amp Link Outside Broadcast amp Live Production Post Production Radio Studio Outlet Audio for Video Editing 57 Remote control FAQ This section covers som of the most frequently asked questions regarding remote control of the DBMAX Q What parameters can be set using serial remote control of the DBMax A Preset change and Bypass using an RS485 422 232 controller Q What serial protocol is used A The serial protocol is 9600 N 8 1 This means 9 6 kbaud no parity 8 bit 1 stop Q What is the comma
69. uses to reach the gain reduction speciefied by the Ratio parameter set in page 2 Use the ADJUST wheel to change the Attack time of the five bands Hold After the signal has dropped below Threshold the Hold parameter can be used to sustain the signal before it 1s released The range 15 10 200ms Release Release sets the fall back time of the Compressor after the signal drops below the Threshold Crest This parameter determines whether the compressor should react to peaks RMS average or something in between For example if the Crest parameter is set at 6dB the Compressor is reacting to RMS values and to peaks 6dB higher than the current RMS value Page 4 Cross over Menu Press MENU keys to enter the Cross over frequency page Xovr Cross over point 1 4 Cross over frequencies may be altered on the last page of the Expander Compressor and Limiter but they are identical in all three blocks Two different filter structures are available SYM with soft slopes MID with higher order middle band focused filter slopes The MID setting 15 designed specifically for low intermodulation between the bands but if you want to emulate the TC Finalizer you should use a 3 band structure and a SYM slope setting Number of Bands On the Cross over page outer bands may be turned off by turning the cross over points all the way up or down When a structure of less than 5 bands 1s used the bands are also removed from the graphic
70. y and scroll through the list using the MENU keys Select an environment application resembling your own and press OK Save Setup It is possible to store four different custom user setups Place the cursor next to Save Setup using the MENU keys Press OK and use the MENU keys to select the location where you want to store the setup Confirm with OK to store the preset with the same name or change the name before storing To change the name before storing Use the PARAMETER keys to select letter position and the ADJUST wheel to select letter When you have the desired name in the display press OK to store the setup with the new name parameters in Ref Levels will be saved Operating Levels General advice If you use analog Inputs or Outputs first adjust the analog levels In Level setting to define the analog level for digital full scale FS The Ref Levels setting should be adjusted for nominal signal level which is both expressed in dBFS digital and dBu analog The Abs Peak max setting should be adjusted for maximum instant peak permitted Output level REFERENCE LEVELS Ref Level With Reference level you can set the reference point of the Compressor to eg 4dBu All Thresholds except the Limiter Thresholds are relative to this parameter The Reference level parameter is adjustable in dBu and dBFS Abs Peak max Sets the hardclip point of the DBMAX Absolute peak means that notchin
71. y Left or Right aim OFF CHG NORMAL Lo Cut adjust Hi Cut adjust Reference level selection Choose whether the setup should follow preset changes or not 18 MAIN PAGE Basic operation Select the In section on the Main page by pressing the BLOCK keys Press the PARAMETER keys to move the cursor Use the ADJUST wheel to change values Use the MENU keys to switch between In page 1 and In page 2 The In block settings are Global parameters Global Parameters are not affected by preset or setup changes Analog I O levels are scaled in the analog domain and controlled from the Ref Levels page using the analog levels In Level parameter This 15 where you establish a basic relationship on both Outputs and Inputs between analog level and digital full scale Also Inputs and Outputs may be offset individually on this page The settings are part of the Setup parameters Input page Input Select Input type Options are Analog AES EBU or S PDIF When a digital Input is used the transmitting device and the DBMAX need to run at the same Clock Rate or Sample Rate Conversion SRC has to be used If the SRC is off you have to put either the DBMAX in External Clock mode or the transmitting device has to get a clock from the same source as the DBMAX To test the digital connection try listening for a minute or so to a sine tone at say 18dBFS generated by the transmitting device If you hear no distortion
72. y be used as a synchronization source for the analog Inputs AES 11 When using Ext wordclock from the BNC connector select Sync Note When changing the Input to digital the Sample Rate parameter automatically defaults to DI Delay Master Input Delay This Delay parameter enables you to delay the entire signal through the DBMAX The delay can be set in various Frame Rates or in milliseconds The Delay through the unit is made up by values given 48kHz sampling AD Converter Delay 0 8ms DA Converter Delay 0 57ms Processing Delay 0 54ms Look Ahead Delay typical 2 3ms User additional Delay 0 400ms On the Input Page the delay value is shown in total but excluding the delay from the AD and DA converters To obtain the best sound quality through the multi band compression stage a delay value between and 10ms is preferable A typical value for transmission would be 2 3ms A typical value for production would be 2 10ms If you add additional delay e g link compensation maximum Look ahead delay is automatically given 19 MAIN PAGE Look ahead delay is automatically compensated by the Reference Level Compressor Attack settings in order prevent holes in the sound It is possible to keep the Reference Levels settings as default being generated settings or let these settings follow the presets NO CHG Use this setting to keep the selected Ref Level Maximum delay 400ms 10 frames Not
73. yboard lock facility is also provided Press and hold the Help key for about 3 seconds and all keys will be locked including the ADJUST wheel The display will say ocked in the top line To unlock the keyboard press Help again for about 3 seconds Memory Backup RAM to Card Insert a PC Card in the card slot and press OK A backup of all RAM presets and User Ref Levels setups will now be stored to the memory card RAM protect If you accidently select Card to RAM when your intention was to select RAM to Card the entire RAM will be overwritten To avoid this unpleasant scenario you can use the RAM protect function If this function is enabled you will not be allowed to overwrite the RAM bank Card to RAM Insert the PC Card containing your presets and press OK RAM presets and User Ref Levels setups stored on the card will now be transmitted to the DBMAX Warning This action will destroy all existing RAM presets of the DBMAX RAM to MIDI Connect your DBMAX s MIDI Output to another DBMAX a sequencer or any other MIDI recording device Press OK and the DBMAX will perform a MIDI bulk dump of all RAM presets MIDI to RAM Connect the storing device to the s MIDI Input and press OK The DBMAX is now ready to receive a MIDI bulk dump containing RAM presets In Term Comp With additional hardware modification DBMax can be used in 600 ohm terminated environments Software auto detects 1f hardware modificat

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