TC electronic SDN BHD X3 User's Manual
Contents
1. PARAMETERS METERS amp CONSECUTIVE CLIPPINGS Meters These PPM meters Peak Program Meters include a very accurate Peak Hold function Set your levels as close to o dB as possible without distorting the signal The numerical peak display gives you the exact reading you require for that Clicking on the meters will bring up a pop up display with a variety of meters options p Reset Clip Hold z Clip Hold 6sec wv Clip Hold Forever Clip Hold Disabled Meter Zoom By clicking on the magnifying glass the meter range will change from 60 dB o dB to 18 dB to o dB Consecutive Clippings The CONSECUTIVE CLIPPINGS display is a highly accurate tool which will display any and all clips in your material The numerical reading even counts single clips The meters give you an additional visual feedback after the 3rd consecutive clip Like in the METERS display clicking on the clipping meters will bring up a menu with a variety of options LEFT amp RIGHT INPUT Adjust the signal so you leave the smallest possible headroom and get the compressor working The separate faders for left and right channel assist you fixing level differences between the channels To ungroup the faders hold the SHIFT key on your computer keyboard while moving a channel fader LEFT INPUT O OdB n lt a he SOFT cLIP RIGHT INPUT D dB OUTPUT E Sets the Output level Make sure you set the OUTPUT LEVEL2. features multiband processing with expansion compression and limiting separately for each band High quality uncorrelated dithering is included as well The intuitive user interface features many new ideas to make the critical mastering process faster and easier The overall processing characteristics are controlled via Target Curves that simplify the handling by providing a global processing style for all bands in all modules The interaction between the bands can be fine tuned by applying Target Factors which determine the frequency focus of each processing module significantly reducing the number of required user parameters to set this complex process up Soft Clipping even provides analog sound whenever desired And now put on your musical pair of glasses and ENJOY TC Electronic GENERAL INFORMATION SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Windows Mac OS X PowerCore software 3 0 or higher PowerCore software 3 0 or higher Windows XP Mac OS X 10 4 or higher PIII 1 4 GHz or faster G4 G5 or Intel 1 GHz or faster 512 MB RAM 512 MB RAM VST compatible host application VST Audio Units or RTAS compatible System must meet requirements of the host application host application System must meet requirements of the host application RTAS Pro Tools is supported via the VST to RTAS adapter from FXpansion optional More info on www tcsupport tc GETTING STARTED Scroll Wheel Support If you are using a host applic
3. file simply move it to the Trash or Recycle bin e To create a new sub folder that appears in the plug in menu simply create a new folder in the plug in folder that resides in the PRESETS folder of the plug ins default preset location A folder will not appear in the Preset File Menu unless it has at least one preset inside NOTE 21
4. while you re moving a fader you will get into a Fine Trim Mode This mode allows you to edit values with extra high accuracy Reset If you want to reset a parameter to its default value hold the OPTION ALT key while clicking on the fader Group Ungroup To group ungroup faders for example the band levels or the input faders hold the Shift key while moving the fader s Inactive Controls Use of color Inactive controls are grayed out color signals active controls In bypass mode all controls are grayed out OVERVIEW Look ahead Delay te qp emm Band levels Crossover Frequencie E 120 0Hz Compressor reduction meters Output Dithering 2 SUkHz COMPRESSOR THRESHOLD 42 0dB THRESHOLD 12 0dB RATIO 42 0 RATIO M 25 1 L a RANGE 1 dB RANGE _ 2 0ms RELEASE D 3dB RELEASE _ Os ee TARGET FACTOR TARGET FACTOR OFF ecl D Max OFF fe J PARS PRESET Fite j Defaut 3 Band Expander Controls 3 Band Compressor Controls THRESHOLO 3 dB RATIO 10 CL UEEEEEEEES RANGE z Im l__ RELEASE _ Os G D TARGET FACTOR OFF fe 3 Band Limiter Controls i Consecutive Clipping Indicator SOFT CLIF LEFT INPUT dB RIGHT IHPLIT 0 006 OUTPUT 0 0dB Preset Manager OVERVIEW Meter zoom Input Output PPM Meters Limiter Soft Clip Indication Input Level Output Level TC MASTER X3
5. EXPANDER On Switch 3 Band Expander on off Threshold Sets the Expander s threshold Values below the threshold will be lowered in volume according to the ratio set and for the defined range Ratio The Ratio determines how much the output signal will be lowered in proportion to the original signal Range Range defines how far the Expander is able to lower the part of the signal which is below the set Threshold value Example When you set the Threshold to 40 dB the Ratio to 1 2 0 and the Range to 10 dB the Expander will only work when your input signal exceeds 50 dB and doesn t go over 40 dB Release Release determines the time the Expander takes to return to the original signal level This parameter only has an effect when the Threshold and Range parameters are set in a way that the Expander is actually active COMPRESSOR On Off 3 Band Compressor on off Threshold Sets the Compressor s threshold i e above what level it starts processing Values exceeding the threshold will be compressed EXPANDER THRESHOLD _ Ode J RATIO 1 2 0 RANGE _ 10d6 BH RELEASE 3dB Aa y COMPRESSOR THFiESH OLLD 12 0dB PRE EENAA E ina Y RATIO i 2 5 1 k FiRMIGE _ 2 Oms Miser a ne md J unu RELEASE _ O25 Jl TARGET FACTOR OFF ERE MAX TC MASTER X3 PARAMETERS Ratio Determines the amount of compression the higher the ratio the stronger th
6. Master X3 for PowerCore Manual English Manual Master X3 for PowerCore PowerCore tc electronic SUPPORT AND CONTACT DETAILS TC SUPPORT INTERACTIVE The TC Support Interactive website www tcsupport tc is designed as an online support and information center At the site you can find answers to specific questions regarding TC software and hardware All known issues are stored in a database searchable by product category keywords or phrases Under the section My Stuff you can login to check the status of your questions download materials such as product manuals software updates and new presets This site has been specifically designed to meet the needs of our users We constantly update the database and you will find the site to be a huge resource of information Browse through Q amp A s and discover new aspects of your TC product If you can t find an answer online you have the option of submitting a question to our technical support staff who will then reply to you by e mail The TC Support Team is on constant alert to help you in any way they can c pP fad F E n Fa UY mh rr AART R A G gr TI hl Support tome Pisa E Mails bly Stuff Login Help Product Line 3 Category b Search Text fopilona Search Tipe ian Product Lines v an caers LL search Las rrosacts Lan sue ceteaones sx Search B Access Level Frense Powered px ST Ary Contact Details Alternatively you may contact the TC Elect
7. ation that supports this feature all parameters support scrolling on both Windows XP and Mac OS X Simply place the mouse over a parameter value field and use the Scroll Wheel to increment decrement the associated parameter value Key Commands In most host applications Plug Ins support keyboard commands for certain functions The following key commands are available for all Plug In parameters Key Commands in Mac OS Reset To Default Alt Key Commands In Windows Reset To Default Shift amp Control DSP USAGE For each open instance of the Master X3 on PowerCore devices X8 FireWire Compact Express mkll Unplugged the following DSP usage applies 44 1 kHz 48 kHz 88 2 kHz 96 kHz mono 21 mono 23 mono 44 mono 48 stereo 21 Stereo 23 stereo 44 Stereo 48 USING PRESETS GENERIC CONTROLS FACTORY PRESETS TC Master X3 comes with factory presets These presets were designed by audio professionals who created them in real life sessions The presets are extremely useful to get started quickly and some users might even feel no need to edit them PLUG IN AUTOMATION The TC Master X3 parameters can be automated in case your host application supports automation Please refer to your host application s manual to check if and how Plug In automation works GENERIC CONTROLS Before we get into details here are some basic methods for operating TC Master X Fine Trim Mode If you press the CONTROL key
8. ds more limiting 5 Expand By compressing the signal we made it sound louder However an unwanted side effect is that the ground floor level is also brought up which may cause you to remark Where did all that noise come from The noise will be most evident in the pauses The Expander is one possible cure for this Obviously the Expander can t replace broadband noise reduction but it will reduce audible noise when applied to vocal tracks for example MASTER YOUR MIX WITH MASTER X3 Use the Expander carefully The modulated noise of the ground floor level is much more audible than a higher ground floor level without such modulation The Expander s threshold must be lower than the compressor s threshold If you raise it too much you might cut into low parts of the signal such as reverb tails The Expander s range parameter determines the width of the level range Also the target Factor enables you to determine whether to apply different settings to all three bands and if so just how different the settings should be 6 Adjust the Output Level We are almost finished just one parameter left the Digital Ceiling Set this parameter to a value lower than o dB to prevent unwanted clipping The most common value is 0 01 dB With this setting the maximum output level is 0 01 dB No portion of your signal will be able to pass this absolute setting Now you can be absolutely sure that there is no clipping and the dif
9. e is influenced by Master X3 reduce the output level so the bypassed and processed signals are equally loud but don t forget to bring the output level back up in the end The band levels in the upper display supply you with an additional tool for easily adjusting the sound of your mix Use them like a low mid treble EQ 4 Activate the Limiter We ve pumped up the volume and reduced the dynamics to optimize the sound and to make it more compact and punchy But there s something really nasty that can happen when you work with digital audio digital clipping If you have more than one tiny sample clip your whole master will be worthless for serious use such as putting the music on CD That s why there is a Limiter block in Master X3 It ensures that you get only the levels you want and eliminates the ones that would not only spoil your day but also your whole mix You should use the Limiter carefully as a limiter is always a somewhat drastic tool to apply to your audio Just a couple dB should be enough to limit strong peaks Softclip will help the limiter work even more smoothly For our example we have chosen a threshold of 4 dB The Attack time is short 50 ms so the Limiter is capable of preventing clips The release time is set to a value that avoids unwanted pumping 0 3 s Set the target factor in the same way you set the compressor Trust your ears and the Consecutive Clips meters to judge whether a band nee
10. e processing and the lower the remaining dynamics range Range Attack The Compressors attack time determines how fast the compressor will react on signals exceeding the threshold Shorter attack times will compress harder but might introduce a pumping sound Release The Release time determines how fast compressed signal returns to unprocessed whenever the level falls below the set Threshold LIMITER LIMITER THRESHOLD _ 3 0dB On Switch RATIO 105 3 Band Limiter On Off im FiRMGE _ ims unn CEN Threshold RELEASE D 2s MP Whenever the signal surpasses the set Threshold the Limiter m processes it with a ratio of infinite to one 1 to limit the Carr Ci emm Mam possible maximal level Ratio Softclip Softclip affects the way the Limiter works In Off position the signal will be limited hard whenever the Threshold is surpassed With Softclip active limiting starts slightly before the set Threshold and then glides into limiting using a much softer curve making the limiting process less audible The Softclip LED beneath the Meters will indicate that Softclip is working Range Attack The Limiter s attack time determines how fast the limiter will react on signals exceeding the threshold Release The Release time determines how fast the limited signal returns to unprocessed whenever the level falls below the set Threshold 13 TC MASTER X3 PARAMETERS LOOK AHEAD DELAY Master X3 can l
11. es you would use a low threshold in combination with a small ratio and vice versa Let s choose a low threshold of 20 dB and a small compression ratio of 2 5 1 to be satisfied Satisfied Why be satisfied We have now set the compressor but with identical settings for all three bands With identical settings we are not taking full advantage of the multiband capabilities This is where the famed Target Curves and the Target Factor come in The Target Curves create different settings for each of the three bands The displayed values in each fader section are always the mid band settings If the Target Curve is set to Linear or if the Target Factor is set to Off the values will be identical for all three bands If you select the Hyped curve for example the high band will be compressed more than the others The Target Factor defines how much the target curve characteristics will influence the hi or low band To set the Target Curve and Factor properly we recommend that you compare the processed signal with the uncompressed because you can use it to change the overall sound impression Does your mix lack treble Use the Hyped curve and adjust the target factor to your liking Too bright Select Pink and adjust the target factor Not enough treble and bass Go for Smiley and you ll be smiling too 17 MASTER YOUR MIX WITH MASTER X3 To get a better impression of how the sound as opposed to the output volum
12. ference from o dB will be imperceptible ZA If you want to further edit your settings please make sure that you first switch the Digital ZN Ceiling back to o dB Otherwise you won t be able to tell if there are internal clips 19 PRESET HANDLING Introduction We recommend using the dedicated PowerCore file handling system that apart from recall store and compare facilities allows for easy exchange of entire preset folders with other users between Windows Mac platforms and also between different host applications Default E Cey GP File Click File to open the File menu DeEss Loudness Saft Loudness Strang Beery Master CD Master Load Preset Select to load presets from the default preset location Save Preset Select to save the preset in My Presets folder My Presets Via My Presets you are able to load you own presets ZA If you chose to store presets in other locations than the My Preset folder these Meld presets will not appear in the My Preset drop down menu However you can still navigate to and load these presets via the Load Preset function Preset name This is the name of the preset Up down The UP DOWN arrow keys can be used to browse through all presets AB With the A B compare function you can easily compare different parameter settings when working with the plug in When you start working with your preset the A B button is grayed out Th
13. he little curve in the Target Curve display and with the Target Factor you can edit that focus move the target elsewhere in the frequency spectrum TC MASTER X3 PARAMETERS Target Factor The Target Factor allows fast editing of the relation between the 7 es max 3 bands separately for each module For example With just one move of the Target Factor in the Limiter block you can increase the focus of the Limiter block on the hi frequency spectrum In OFF position the Target Factor is deactivated for the module all 3 bands will be processed with the setting you see on screen In MAX position the selected Target Curve will be applied to the maximum and the 3 bands will be processed differently So in a way you could say The Target Factor determines the amount of differences between the bands Target Curves The Target Curves determine how the 3 bands work together Linear All 3 bands are processed equally The Target Factor has no effect Imagine the frequency characteristics of white noise Pink The Hi band will be processed less Imagine the frequency characteristics of pink noise Hyped The Hi band will be processed more Smiley Lo and Hi band are processed more 15 MASTER YOUR MIX WITH MASTER X3 Master your miX with Master X3 O0r six easy steps to ultimate happiness The following chapter introduces the various modules and features of Master X3 in a hands on tutorial Let s
14. imagine we re working with some rock music It s the final mix from that very expensive recording studio down the road but for some reason there is 5 0 dB of headroom left wasting precious volume reserves No compression was applied to the stereo mix Actually we are happy about this because it leaves all options open 1 Setup Before we start let s set up Master X3 as follows LOOK AHEAD DELAY 3 ms DIGITAL CEILING o dB 3 BAND LEVELS o dB OUTPUT o dB EXPANDER OFF COMPRESSOR OFF LIMITER OFF TARGET CURVE LINEAR 2 Input Level Adjustment Set the input level for both channels to 5 0 dB In our example this will bring the input level up to an optimal value of o dB Adjust this value until no clipping is indicated i e until there are no Consecutive Clips in the input For this example set it to 4 9 dB Remember as long as you don t alter any settings in the signal chain before Master X3 you won t get any changes in the input level so there is no risk of clipping once you ve set the level correctly 3 Turn on the Compressor block The FREQUENCY LEVELS display in the upper half of the Plug In window the three displays beneath them and the Compressor s parameter faders come to life The music has probably come up in volume already and the sound has changed a little too and perhaps some pumping is evident So let s set the Compressor properly to get rid of the pumping beef up the overall sound and yes
15. is state indicates that the settings in both memory locations A and B are identical so there is actually nothing to compare 20 PRESET HANDLING As soon as you touch one of the parameters the memory location A will be active All parameter changes will be applied to memory location A If you switch to memory location B you go back to the starting point and all further changes will now be applied to memory location B Every time you press the A B button you will toggle between these two memory locations R The A B memory locations are temporary settings only Saving a preset will save the currently N selected memory location only The setting of the other hidden memory location will not be saved Reset Click Reset to clear memories A B and return to the originally recalled preset DEFAULT PRESET LOCATIONS The following locations will describe where you can find the presets which are stored in a folder unique to each plug in Mac OS X preset paths Factory presets Macintosh HD Library Application Support TC Electronic plug in name Presets User presets Userskuser name Library Application Support TC Electronic plug in name Presets Windows preset paths Factory presets C Program Files NTC Electronic lt plug in name gt Presets User presets C Documents and Settings xyour user name gt My Documents TC Electronic xplug in name gt Presets e To delete a preset
16. ook into the future whenever this parameter is active This won t help you fortune telling but it ll help Master X3 to be prepared for sudden peaks in your material thus ensuring a much better quality processing DIGITAL CEILING Digital Ceiling will let you define a marginally lower level than o dB maximal value so you can ensure that you definitely don t have any values reaching o dB This can be important for mastering as some devices already show a clip or overload when o dB is reached for one single sample others take up to 5 or more consecutive clips before they display an overload ZA Do not activate Digital Ceiling before you have adjusted the setting to your liking Master X3 ZN won t display clips with Digital Ceiling active TARGET CURVE amp TARGET FACTORS The Target Curves and Target Factors simplify the handling of Master X3 significantly by reducing the amount of parameters necessary to control the Plug In by approximately 2 3 Thanks to these innovative parameters it will be easy for you to keep an overview of all relevant settings at all times and get to a result fast anyway Although you are using a 3 Band solution you only have one set of parameters for each module This is possible due to the use of the Target Meta Parameters The displayed values are always referring to the center band with Target Curves you define the basic focus like all equal or less treble etc as displayed by t
17. properly i e make sure there are no clips displayed in the OUTPUT METERS ZA Output Clips are only displayed if DIGITAL CEILING is set to o dB OUTPUT 0 006 SDN ww NOTE TC MASTER X3 PARAMETERS FREQUENCY LEVELS Here you set the crossover frequencies and compressor gains for the 3 bands You could adjust the crossovers by clicking holding in the numerical fields and moving the mouse to left right A third possibility is to click into one of the three blocks and move the mouse to left right 120 0Hz The minimal bandwidth of a band is 2 octaves The gains are adjusted by clicking into one of the 3 blocks and simultaneously moving the mouse up or down The exact gain is displayed numerically right above the block Holding Shift while dragging will allow for simultaneous level editing when moving the mouse up or down Holding the Option key while clicking on a band block will reset its gain value to o dB Holding the Option key while clicking on the background will reset all bands DISPLAYS BAND 1 2 3 These displays give you a visual feedback on the dynamics processing applied to each band Clicking on the display will activate the SOLO function clicking again will deactivate it again The LEDs below the display show if the band s Expander or Limiter section are active The Gain Reduction Meter displays how much the compressor is working on the signal II TC MASTER X3 PARAMETERS
18. ronic distributor in your area or write to TC ELECTRONIC A S USA Customer Support TC Electronic Inc Sindalsvej 34 5706 Corsa Avenue Suite 107 Risskov DK 8240 Westlake Village CA 91362 Denmark www tcelectronic com BY TC ELECTRONIC A S 2007 ALL PRODUCT AND COMPANY NAMES ARE TRADEMARKS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS VST IS A TRADEMARK OF STEINBERG AG AUDIO UNITS ISA TRADEMARK OF APPLE COMPUTER INC ALL SPECIFICATIONS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TC Electronic is a TC Group company TABLE OF CONTENTS SUPPORT AND CONTACT DETAILS 4 3 55a ete h eb He we Howe EP PES 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 30 4 4 aei w Oe ops Re Ooo oS 9 eom hee Sake he eS 3 INTRODUCTION 2 5 2 9 deu DURER iE 0 Seow ee eae NE ee ede 4 GENERAL INFORMATION i293 REUS ex RAE RH A X ER bs oes bake ekds 5 GENERIC CONTROLS 04 3 349 3 0 ken fex deu ai feo Pha Puer An babies 6 MASIER A3 OVERVIEW 44 4545 he EE WR a4 re Gag Pao 8 MASTER X3 PARAMETERS 5 249 4 den ERE EROR E eee Y Be Yo dies 10 MASTER YOUR MIX WITH TC MASTER X3 lee BB 16 FRE GET DABNDLIDID 4224 2 rea brad uon S aS a emanare mda eR S dh 20 WELCOME TO TC MASTER X3 Knock out Punch for any mixes or masters Period Master X3 is the virtual incarnation of the TC Electronic Finalizer the standard mastering processor in the pro audio field Master X3 expedites the mastering process by integrating several phases of mastering into a single easy to use interface It
19. we want it louder MASTER YOUR MIX WITH MASTER X3 Let s set the Attack and Release Times to remove the pumping from the sound We start with small values for both parameters If the attack time is too short we may remove some kick from the material That s certainly not what we want so if it happens try a greater value Heavy peaks can be smoothed using the limiter section If the release time is too fast it will result in a terrible pumping because the compressor returns to the uncompressed signal immediately whenever the signal falls below the compressor s threshold setting Increase the value of the release time until you are satisfied with the result In our example we have chosen an Attack time of 1ms and a Release time of o 2 s If you don t get the desired result try some different crossover frequencies Keep in mind that you have three independent bands why should a bass drum signal affect the mid and high bands when its peak is in the low end We chose 125 Hz and 2 5 kHz as the settings for our example ZA Sometimes it s easier to adjust the Attack and Release times and the Crossover frequencies N by using extreme values for Threshold and Ratio during setup This will make the effect of your settings much easier to hear Additionally the band SOLO Function helps to focus on a single band NOTE Now we will adjust the compressor s threshold and ratio Set these parameters to the desired values In most cas
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