Master X3 for PowerCore Manual
English
Manual
Master X3 for PowerCore
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SUPPORT AND CONTACT DETAILS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TC SUPPORT INTERACTIVE
SUPPORT AND CONTACT DETAILS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
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&A’s and discover new aspects of your TC product.
TABLE OF CONTENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
GENERAL INFORMATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
GENERIC CONTROLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
MASTER X3 – OVERVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
MASTER X3 – PARAMETERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
MASTER YOUR MIX WITH TC MASTER X3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
PRESET HANDLING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
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.
Contact Details:
Alternatively, you may contact the TC Electronic distributor in your area, or write to:
TC ELECTRONIC A/S
Customer Support
Sindalsvej 34
USA:
TC Electronic, Inc.
5706 Corsa Avenue, Suite 107
Westlake Village, CA 91362
Risskov DK-8240
Denmark
© 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 IS A
TRADEMARK OF APPLE COMPUTER, INC.
ALL SPECIFICATIONS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. TC Electronic is a TC Group company.
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WELCOME TO TC MASTER X3
GENERAL INFORMATION
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.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Windows
Mac OS X
Master X3 expedites the mastering process by integrating several phases of mastering
into a single, easy to use interface. It features multiband processing with expansion,
compression and limiting separately for each band. High quality uncorrelated dithering is
included as well.
PowerCore software 3.0 or higher
Windows XP
PIII 1,4 GHz or faster
PowerCore software 3.0 or higher
Mac OS X (10.4 or higher)
G4/G5 or Intel (1 GHz or faster)
512 MB RAM
512 MB RAM
VST compatible host application
System must meet requirements of the
host application
VST, Audio Units or RTAS*) compatible
host application.
System must meet requirements of the
host application
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.
*) RTAS (Pro Tools) is supported via the VST to RTAS adapter from FXpansion
(optional). More info on www.tcsupport.tc
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.
GETTING STARTED
Scroll Wheel Support
And now put on your musical pair of glasses – and ENJOY!
If you are using a host application 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.
TC Electronic
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] & [Control]
DSP USAGE
For each open instance of the Master X3 on PowerCore devices (X8, FireWire, Compact,
Express, mkII, Unplugged), the following DSP usage applies:
@44. 1 kHz:
@48 kHz:
@88. 2 kHz:
@96 kHz:
mono 21%
stereo 21%
mono 23%
stereo 23%
mono 44%
stereo 44%
mono 48%
stereo 48%
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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 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.
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OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW
Look-ahead Delay
Output Dithering
Consecutive Clipping Indicator
Meter zoom
Input/Output PPM Meters
Band levels
Crossover Frequencies
Target Curve
Compressor reduction meters
Limiter Soft Clip Indication
Input Level
Output Level
3-Band Expander Controls
3-Band Compressor Controls
3-Band Limiter Controls
Preset Manager
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TC MASTER X3 – PARAMETERS
TC MASTER X3 – PARAMETERS
FREQUENCY/LEVELS
METERS & CONSECUTIVE CLIPPINGS
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.
Meters
These PPM meters (Peak Program Meters) include a very accurate
Peak Hold function. Set your levels as close to 0 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.
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.
Meter Zoom
By clicking on the magnifying glass the meter range will change
from -60 dB / 0 dB to -18 dB to 0 dB
Holding the [Option] key while clicking on a band block, will reset its gain value to
0 dB.
Consecutive Clippings
Holding the [Option] key while clicking on the background, will reset all bands.
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.
DISPLAYS
BAND 1/2/3
These displays give you a visual
LEFT & 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.
feedback on the dynamics processing
applied to each band. Clicking on the
display will activate the SOLO function,
clicking again will deactivate it again.
To ungroup the faders, hold the <SHIFT> key on your
computer keyboard while moving a channel fader.
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.
OUTPUT
Sets the Output level. Make sure you set the OUTPUT LEVEL properly, i.e. make sure
there are no clips displayed in the OUTPUT METERS.
Output-Clips are only displayed, if DIGITAL CEILING is set to 0 dB.
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TC MASTER X3 – PARAMETERS
TC MASTER X3 – PARAMETERS
Ratio
EXPANDER
Determines the amount of compression, the higher the ratio the “stronger” the
processing and the lower the remaining dynamics range.
On-Switch
3-Band Expander on/off
Range/Attack
Threshold
The Compressor’s 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.
Sets the Expander’s threshold. Values below the threshold
will be lowered in volume according to the ratio set and
for the defined range.
Release
Ratio
The Release time determines how fast compressed signal returns to unprocessed,
whenever the level falls below the set Threshold.
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.
LIMITER
On-Switch
3-Band Limiter On/Off
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.
Threshold
Whenever the signal surpasses the set Threshold, the Limiter
processes it with a ratio of “infinite-to-one” (?:1) to limit the
possible maximal level.
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.
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.
COMPRESSOR
On/Off
3-Band Compressor on/off.
Range/Attack
Threshold
The Limiter’s attack time determines how fast the limiter will react on signals exceeding
the threshold.
Sets the Compressor’s threshold i.e. above what level it starts
processing. Values exceeding the threshold will be compressed.
Release
The Release time determines how fast the limited signal returns to unprocessed,
whenever the level falls below the set Threshold.
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TC MASTER X3 – PARAMETERS
TC MASTER X3 – PARAMETERS
Target Factor
LOOK-AHEAD DELAY
The Target Factor allows fast editing of the relation between the
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.
Master X3 can look 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!
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.
DIGITAL CEILING
Digital Ceiling will let you define a marginally lower level than 0 dB a
maximal value, so you can ensure that you definitely don’t have
any values reaching 0 dB.
Target Curves
The Target Curves determine how the 3 bands work together:
This can be important for mastering – as some devices already
show a clip or overload, when 0 dB is reached for one single
sample – others take up to 5 or more consecutive clips before
they display an overload.
Linear
All 3 bands are processed equally. The Target Factor has no effect.
(Imagine the frequency characteristics of white noise)
Do not activate Digital Ceiling before you have adjusted the setting to your liking – Master X3
won’t display clips with Digital Ceiling active!
Pink
The Hi band will be processed less.
(Imagine the frequency characteristics of pink noise)
TARGET CURVE & 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!
Hyped
The Hi band will be processed more.
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:
Smiley
Lo and Hi band are processed more.
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 the 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.
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MASTER YOUR MIX WITH MASTER X3
MASTER YOUR MIX WITH MASTER X3
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.
...or 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 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).
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 0.2 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.)
1. Setup
Before we start, let’s set up Master X3 as follows:
LOOK AHEAD DELAY:
DIGITAL CEILING:
3 BAND LEVELS:
OUTPUT:
3 ms
0 dB
0 dB
0 dB
OFF
Sometimes it’s easier to adjust the Attack and Release times and the Crossover frequencies
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.
EXPANDER:
COMPRESSOR:
LIMITER:
OFF
OFF
TARGET CURVE: LINEAR
Now we will adjust the compressor’s threshold and ratio. Set these parameters to the
desired values. In most cases, 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.
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 0 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!
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.
3. Turn on the Compressor block
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 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 – we want it louder!
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!
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MASTER YOUR MIX WITH MASTER X3
MASTER YOUR MIX WITH MASTER X3
To get a better impression of how the sound – as opposed to the output volume – 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!
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!
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”.
6. Adjust the Output Level
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.
We are almost finished – just one parameter left: the Digital Ceiling. Set this parameter
to a value lower than 0 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 difference from 0 dB will be
imperceptible.
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!
If you want to further edit your settings, please make sure that you first switch the Digital
Ceiling back to 0 dB. Otherwise, you won’t be able to tell if there are internal clips!
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 needs 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.)
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PRESET HANDLING
PRESET HANDLING
Introduction
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.
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.
The A/B memory locations are temporary settings only! Saving a preset, will save the currently
selected memory location only. The setting of the other (hidden) memory location will not be
saved!
File
Reset
Click “File” to open the File menu.
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:
Load Preset: Select to load presets from the default preset location.
Save Preset: Select to save the preset in My Presets folder.
<Macintosh HD>/Library/Application Support/TC Electronic/<plug-in name>/Presets/
User presets:
/Users/<user name>/Library/Application Support/TC Electronic/<plug-in name>/Presets/
My Presets: Via “My Presets” you are able to load you own presets.
Windows preset paths:
If you chose to store presets in other locations than the “My Preset” folder, these
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.
Factory presets:
C:\Program Files\TC Electronic\<plug-in name>\Presets
User presets:
Preset name
C:\Documents and Settings\<your user name>\My Documents\TC Electronic\<plug-in
name>\Presets
This is the name of the preset.
Up/down
• To delete a preset file, simply move it to the “Trash” or “Recycle bin”.
• 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.
The [UP]/[DOWN] arrow keys can be used to browse through all presets.
A/B
With the A/B compare function you can easily compare different parameter settings when
working with the plug-in.
A folder will not appear in the Preset File Menu unless it has at least one preset inside!
When you start working with your preset, the A/B button is grayed out. This state
indicates that the settings in both memory locations A and B are identical - so there is
actually nothing to compare.
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