MCDSP CHANNEL G - The ultimate channel strip solution!

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McDSP Channel G

The ultimate channel strip solution. Modes for music and post production are available alongside models of the worlds most popular analog mixing desks.

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Product Code: MCDSP CHANNEL G

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Description

Technical Specs

This product may be downloaded electronically if you currently own an iLok. Please call us with your iLok User ID if you prefer electronic delivery of this product.

Introducing Channel G, a sophisticated console strip featuring an Expander/Gate, Compressor/Limiter, Equalizer, and Filters. Modes for music and post production are available alongside models of the worlds most popular analog mixing desks. Additionally, Channel G includes a powerful surround Compressor/Limiter configuration consisting of LR, C, LsRs, and LFE compressor sets. Each Compressor/Limiter can key from any of the ‘comp sets’ and may be linked in a variety of ways to suit any surround application.

The G Dynamics section uses ultra-high resolution level-detection to give accurate handling of the most complex material. The Expander/Gate has adjustable range and threshold controls as well as a continuous ratio for the most detailed edits. The Compressor/Limiter also has a continuous ratio control and is complemented by a knee control offering choices to smooth the transition into the compression region as well as between the modeled console dynamics processors. Attack times can be as fast as 0.01 msec for instant compression action (i.e. one sample at sample rates under 100 kHz). The G Dynamics section also offers high and low pass filters with selectable slopes of 6, 12, 28, and 24 dB/Oct. In addition to being fully sweep-able across the entire audible spectrum, these filters have a notch mode with four notch variants.

The G Equalizer section offers five bands of parametric EQ with switchable-shelving and gain ranges of +/- 18dB. The five bands of parametric/shelving EQ are complimented by two flexible filters identical to those found in the G Dynamics section. Like all Channel G configurations, the G Equalizer section control layout matches exactly to the center section of the Digidesign ICON control surface and supports sample rates as high as 200 kHz in Pull Up.

A channel-strip style configuration called G Console combines the functionality of G Dynamics and G Equalizer into a single Plug-In. In this configuration, Channel G can faithfully reproduce both the response and control calibrations of the most sought after analog mixing desks. These models are easily accessed directly from the console selector in the G Equalizer section and the knee control in the G Dynamics section.

The G Surround Compressor rounds out the configuration list of Channel G. The unique design of four independent, yet linkable, adjustable-knee Compressor/Limiter sets (LR, C, LsRs, and LFE) allow the G Surround Compressor to act as a standard 5.1 (or 5.0) Compressor/Limiter, or to be linked in complex ways to deal with the many challenges of surround mixing. A LFE filter with controllable frequency and slope of 24 dB/Oct is also available.

Surround Compressor's control matrix

The Surround Compressor's control matrix allows the user to page select and set the key signal for each compressor individually, as well as set master and link options from a single source.

The green circle lights along the bottom show which compressors are engaged. The little green "L" lights show that compressor as linked. The little yellow "M" light show that center channel compressor is the master. The illuminated Ls Rs button shows what page you are on, or in this case that the compressor controls are now operating the Left Surround Right Surround Compressor. The blue LR and C lights next to the key label let you know that the Left Surround Right Surround Compressor is now keying off the LR & Center channels. Each channel can key of any other channel in the matrix.

Channel G Signal Path

To help illustrate the seemingly endless signal path combination Channel G included and interactive signal path flow chart that updates in real time to setting and routing changes. This window helps underscore the extremely flexibility of Channel G's architecture.

The equalization section boasts 2 fully sweepable notch filters (or high and low pass filters with selectable slopes of 6, 12, 18, and 24 dB/octave) and 5 bands of parametric EQ with switchable shelving EQs with a gain range ±15 dB.

Channel G offers a complete suite of four compelling dynamic tools; an adjustable knee compressor, brick wall limiter, expander, and gate. In addition, the dynamics section provides a separate set of switchable filters (identical to those found in the EQ) which can be placed inline with the EQ filters for slopes up to 48 dB/oct.

Channel G also introduces a fully featured 5.1 surround compressor grouped into four compression sets; LR, C, LsRs, and LFE. These ‘comp sets’ can be individually linked or grouped for the entire 5.1 mix.

A Closer Look at the Expander/Gate

The Expander/Gate section is used to reduce the level of an input signal once it drops below the selected threshold. This is useful in removing unwanted background noise when the signal of interest (the vocal, dialog, etc.) is not present. Other more subtle tricks include modifying the dynamic performance of the input, and creating certain special gating effects.

First and foremost, the user should understand what the threshold and ratio controls affect.

The Threshold

Determines when the Expander/Gate will start to reduce the level of the input signal as it continues to drop below the threshold. The ratio control determines how gradual or steep this level reduction will be. A ratio of 1:2 means that for every 1 dB the signal is below the threshold, the output will be reduced such that the resulting signal level is 2 dB below the threshold. A ratio of 1:10 means that for every 1 dB the signal is below the threshold, the output level will be 10 dB below the threshold.

Most well recorded signals will have ‘good content’ at and above –40 dB, so setting a threshold starting point somewhere in this range is good.

The timing

Timing of the Expander/Gate is controlled by the Attack, Release, and Hold controls. The attack time determines how quickly the Expander/Gate begins to reduce signal level once it has gone below the threshold. The release time determines how quickly the expander stops reducing the signal level as it exceeds the threshold. The Hold time determines how long the Expander/Gate will remain open and not affect the signal, regardless of whether it is below or above the threshold. The Hold control is very useful in preventing the Expander/Gate from ‘buzzing’, or falsely closing and opening so rapidly as to introduce artifacts in resulting signal.

Range

A control found on more high-end Expander/Gate units. The control sets the absolute maximum amount of gain reduction. The user can subsequently have an aggressive ratio to quickly remove unwanted signal, but simultaneously restrict the amount to a level set by the Range control.

Performance Control

Where the gated drum affect described above is interesting, it is not always practical. Many tracks have content that would only suffer from such drastic gating. However such tracks can be improved using a more gentle ratio, such as 2:1 or 4:1, and a reduced range of roughly – 20 dB (as opposed to – 80 dB as would be common in the previous example). A vocal track, for example, would contain the singing, pauses, and inhales/exhales of the vocalist. As the vocal performance was compressed, some of these other sounds would also be affected, and quite possibly increased in signal level. To remove such sounds, without drastically affecting the vocal itself, an expander is placed in the signal chain prior to compression. The threshold is set to a level just below the lowest singing level, with a moderate attack and release, and gentle ratio (2:1, 4:1). The range control is used to reduce the affect to an acceptable level. Careful adjustment of the attack and release controls will also improve the subtle affect of the signal reduction, while not appearing to impede the vocal performance at all.

Noise Reduction

The source of many tracks in a music or post production can contain unwanted background noise, equipment num, and just plain old hissing. Placing an expander / gate on every track, while not necessary, can be a quick and effective way of removing low level noise in the entire mix. A less desirable alternative would be to remove regions of audio that did not contain the actual performance, as it could take hours of tedious work, even in a modern DAW such as ProTools. Conveniently, Channel G’s default Expander/Gate control settings are well suited for this practice.

Other features

All configurations can read each others settings, using only pertinent control data
5.1 Comp can link any of the 4 compressors (LR, C, LsRs, LFE) to one master
Supports up to 192 kHz sample rates

PlugIn configurations

G Dynamics
G Surround Compressor
G Equalizer
G Console

G Dynamics

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