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OPTIMOD-PC
setting, you can sometimes ameliorate or eliminate the pumping by slow-
ing down the compressor attack time in that band.
K) Adjust the T
amount of gain reduction.
This is the most effective way to set the spectral balance of the process-
ing when the compressor is exhibiting gain reduction.
L) Adjust equalization as necessary.
As discussed above, there a multiband equalizer available between the
AGC and multiband compressor. In five-band mode, there is also a five-
band mix control (functioning as a graphic equalizer) after the five-band
compressor and a threshold control for each band compressor. In five-
band mode, any fixed equalization will be partially "undone" by the dy-
namic re-equalization effect of the five-band compression, so two-band
mode is most useful when you are relying on OPTIMOD-PC's fixed EQ or
on external EQ earlier in the signal path.
Note also that you can use the individual band compression threshold
controls, the B
the amount of automatic re-equalization performed by the five-band
compression. As you set these controls closer to 100%, they permit pro-
gressively less dynamic LF and HF program-adaptive boost. If you feel
that the dynamic re-equalization is not producing enough brightness
when the program material lacks high frequencies, you should turn the
B
3>4 and B
AND
not sufficiently boosted, turn the
M) Set the amount of peak limiting with the F
In general, the less peak limiting you use, the better sounding the result
will be. However, if your client demands a "loud" CD, OPTIMOD-PC's
look-ahead peak limiter is a powerful tool for achieving this with mini-
mum distortion or other side effects. Nevertheless, be aware that this
function is not like some familiar "look-ahead" limiters. The release time
is in the order of a few milliseconds and is not user adjustable. The pur-
pose of the limiter is only to limit peaks that pass through the earlier
compressors because of their finite attack times. Functionally it is used
like a peak clipper, but it has vastly reduced modulation distortion by
comparison to a clipper, whether "soft knee" or "hard knee."
The main potential side effects of the look-ahead limiter are gain breath-
ing and a "warbling" sound in the midrange when heavy bass is simulta-
neously present. Listen carefully for this intermodulation effect (particu-
larly on vocals) when you are adjusting the F
N) Adjust the B
For most mastering applications, you can set it to Off. Which defeats it.
However, if you hear pumping or distortion in the look-ahead limiter
caused by heavy bass transients, you can reduce this effect by setting the
B
C
ASS
low the final limiter threshold.")
O) If you want to compare your processed sound to the unprocessed original, re-
call the B
YPASS
controls in the individual bands to achieve the desired
HRESHOLD
control, and HF C
C
ASS
OUPLING
4>5 C
AND
OUPLING
control to complement the amount of final limiting.
C
ASS
LIP
to a lower level. (The B
LIP
preset and toggle between it and your processing preset. If
control to affect
OUPLING
closer to 0%. Similarly, if weak bass is
B
2>1 C
closer to 0%.
AND
OUPLING
L
control.
INAL
IMIT
control.
L
INAL
IMIT
C
control is calibrated in "dB be-
ASS
LIP
3-55
OPERATION
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