Waves – Linear-Phase MultiBand
Software Audio Processor
Users Guide
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MultiBand devices are especially handy when dealing with the dynamics of a
full range mix. In a symphonic orchestra as well as in a Rock n Roll band
different instruments dominate different frequency ranges. Many times the low
range dominates the whole dynamic response while the higher frequencies
are riding on top. While it is the mixer’s or composer’s job to reach a desired
balance, mastering engineers often find they need to do something about the
dynamics of the mixed source. It may be to complement it further or indeed
improve its quality, or possibly just make it as loud as possible for competitive
level, with as little degradation as possible.
LINEAR PHASE XOVERS
When the LinMB is active but is idle, it presents only a fixed amount of delay.
The output is 24bit clean and true to the source.
When we use Xovers to split a signal we like to think that they are splitting the
input signal to bands leaving everything else untouched. The truth is that any
normal analog or digital Xover introduces different amount of phase shift or
delay to different frequencies. Further dynamic gain changes will cause
further modulation of the Phase shift introduced by the Xovers. This
phenomenon was treated in C4’s phase compensated Xovers but the initial
phase shift caused by the Xovers is still apparent in C4 and in its output all
frequencies are equal to the source in Amplitude but not in Phase.
When its important to achieve as much source integrity as possible the LinMB
goes a long way and splits the signal to 5 bands maintaining a 24bit clean
starting point for applying different dynamics processing to each of the bands.
Transients are the main sonic events that benefit from Linear Phase.
Transients contain a wide range of frequencies, and are highly “Localized” in
time. A non-linear phase filter that shifts the phase differently for different
frequencies will “smear” the transient over a longer period of time. The Linear
Phase EQ will pass transients maintaining their full sharpness.
ADAPTIVE THRESHOLDS AND DE-MASKING
When a soft sound and a loud sound happen at the same time, the loud
sound has some masking effect over the softer sound. The research of
Masking, articulated the Upward spread Masking, where loud low frequency
sounds mask higher frequency sounds. The Linear MultiBand provides a way
for each band to be sensitive to the energy in its “Masker” band. When the
energy in the Masker band is high the band’s threshold will rise to introduce
less attenuation and compensate for the masking, letting the sound in each
band come out as loud and as clear as possible. The Linear MultiBand is the
first processor to introduce this de-masking behavior, of which you can read
more in Chapter 3 of this guide.
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Chapter 2 – Basic Operation.
THE WAVES LINEAR PHASE MULTIBAND’S CONTROL GROUPS –
THE CROSSOVER FREQUENCIES -
The 4 Xover frequencies are set directly under the graph by grabbing their
graph marker or using the text button. These define the cutoff frequencies in
which the WideBand signal will be split into the 5 discrete bands.
INDIVIDUAL BAND CONTROLS -
Each band of Waves LINMB has 5 adjustable dynamics settings.
Threshold, Gain, Range, Attack, Release, Solo and Bypass. These
function similarly in most dynamics processors but in this processor they
affect the dynamics of one of the 5 bands. The Range may seem unfamiliar
and basically it is in place of the well-known Ratio, but it defines both the
intensity of gain adjustment and the limit of gain adjustment. Read more In the
next chapter.
GLOBAL SETTINGS CONTROLS -
In the Global section you can find master controls, which are ganged controls
for moving all the per band controls at once.
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Other deal with the overall processor output – Gain, Trim and Dither.
The Makeup control allows selection between manual mode and Auto
Makeup.
Finally there are 4 general compression behavior controls – Adaptive
(Explained further in the next chapter), Release – Select between Waves
ARC – Auto Release Control to a manually set release. Behavior – Opto or
Electro modes affect the nature of the release. Knee - soft or hard knee or
any value in between.
QUICKSTART
To start off, Waves provide a selection of factory presets. These can mostly
serve as good starting points for applying MultiBand Dynamics. As this is not
an effects processor the actual settings have to be program dependant and
most mastering engineers would prefer to manually set the processor and not
rely on ready made settings. The processor defaults and presets offer nice
scaling of the Time Constants Attack, Release in relation to their Band’s
Wavelength providing slower settings to lower bands and faster values to
higher. Other controls are set in the presets to provide some showcase of
possible modes and different combinations.
• Start off using the Processor defaults.
• Play Music through.
• For general MultiBand Compression first set the Range in all bands to –
6dB by dragging the Master Range control downwards. This will assure
that the gain adjustment will be Attenuation or Compression and the
maximal attenuation will not exceed a 6dB reduction.
• Now set your nominal per band thresholds. Use the peak energy in each
band to set the nominal threshold to the peak value.
• Now you can drag down the master Threshold to set the general
compression. You can choose to engage Auto Makeup after setting the
nominal thresholds and this way further threshold manipulation will
preserve relative loudness and you will hear the compression rather the
change in loudness.
• Adjust the per band gains to satisfy or qualify with your idea of “flat”
Equalization.
• Play the whole program, or at least the loudest passages and hit the Trim
button to makeup the global output gain buy the its Margin to the full scale.
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Note that this Quick Start routine is not the Golden recipe to mastering with
the Linear MultiBand, it does however provide a general type practice that
should let users new to MultiBand follow a recommended workflow. This
example only scratches the surface of possibilities with the Linear MultiBand
and there are more optional advanced features that may have implications on
the workflow method. Read on in this guide to learn about some of the special
advanced features.
Generally it’s important to remember that while the process is applied to split
discrete frequency bands, it affects the Whole WideBand sound. Soloing each
band and applying its compression in solo and then listening to the whole may
prove unrewarding as a workflow.
Frequency Analyzers can be used to get visual feedback to validate or
articulate what you hear but its most important to use the ears and work in a
good listening environment for critical reference.
Practice Makes Perfect!
This tool presents a lot of choice. Its not the Renaissance tools that help you
save time for great results. It’s a highly flexible, ultra professional, purist
quality tool.
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Chapter 3 – Specialties of the Chef
ADAPTIVE THRESHOLDS AND DE-MASKING.
The effect of louder sounds on softer sounds has been researched for
decades. There are many classifications to masking and the most effective
masking is considered forward in time and upward in frequency. Simply put
loud lower frequencies affect the way we perceive higher softer frequencies.
The loud low frequency masks the higher frequencies. In the LinMB we can
consider each band to be the masker for the band above it, so when the
sound in a certain band is very loud it will have some masking effect to the
sound in the band above it. To address this we can introduce a little lift to the
threshold of the masked band and as result it will get less attenuation and be
a little louder or de-masked.
The Linear Phase MultiBand processor lets each band be sensitive to the
energy in the band below it. The “Adaptive” control is a continuous scale of
sensitivity to the Masker scaled in dB’s. –inf. Adaptive = off, this means no
sensitivity and the threshold is absolute regardless of what’s happening in the
lower band. When increasing the value the band will become more and more
sensitive to the energy in the band below it, The energy ranges from –80dB tp
+12. We call 0.0dB Fully Adaptive and values above it are Hyper Adaptive.
When the energy in the Masker band is high the threshold will be lifted. When
the energy in the lower band falls, the detail is revealed, threshold goes back
down and the attenuation goes back to normal. Also there is a chain reaction
that makes for subtle general looseness of compression to the higher bands
whenever the low bands are with high energy.
Each band of the linear MultiBand has its own compression settings and the
engineer may want to compress more when a band is exposed and less when
its masked. In example a song starts with a solo vocal and then the Playback
comes in and the picture changes. The “presence” frequencies of the voice
become more significant then the lower “Warm” tones of the voice, so to
regain warmth we would want to attenuate it less when the playback kicks in.
This is a macro example that can easily be treated with a bit of automation but
in concept masking happens on the micro scale throughout the program. For
example a staccato bass line masks and exposes the higher band’s sound on
a scale where manual riding isn’t practical. The adaptive behavior is the
practical answer.
The Adaptive De-Masking behavior is new to almost all users, and some may
think it’s unnecessary. It is however interesting, effective and worth a try.
Others may find it useful but it may also call for some practice before you get
comfortable with it. Optionally, it may change they way you work.
As a first step, try to add adaptive behavior to ready made settings on material
that you know very well. Set the Adaptive control to –0dB at this setting you
will get very adaptive behavior. Do a bit of an A > B listening test. Try to pay
special attention to passages that have different spectral dynamic nature and
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hear how the adaptive behavior responds to them adding a more dynamic
approach to dynamics. This example is somewhat extreme and it is
recommended to try settings around –12 dB for subtle adaptive de-masking. It
may also be interesting to lower the overall threshold of the top 4 “Adaptive”
bands by Multi-selecting their thresholds and pulling them down to
compensate for the added looseness, In any case when they are exposed
they will be tighter and Looser when masked.
AUTO MAKEUP
When Applying compression adjusting the threshold reduces loudness.
Indeed in most compressors we can hear the overall gain reduction and we
can apply makeup gain to regain the lost loudness.
In WideBand compressors we find auto makeup to be fairly straightforward.
The auto makeup will boost by the reverse value of the Threshold, or
sometimes have a threshold dependant makeup “range” that accounts for the
knee and ratio too. In MultiBand there are other considerations. The bands
energy is going to be summed with that of the other bands so it’s hard to
predict the part of the discrete band’s energy on the summed WideBand
signal.
The Auto Makeup in LinMB is somewhat similar in that it accounts for the
Threshold, Range and Knee. In wide band we would use the headroom to
boost the loudness further then was possible before compressing. In the
MultiBand case It is designed to help maintain general level stability for better
a/b comparing. While in a wideband compressor the overall level will be
reduced in the LinMB only the gain of a certain band will be reduced in
relation to the others. It is much easier to hear the lost loudness then the
actual compression so working with Auto Makeup the bands level remains
similar and you can focus better on the sound of the dynamics process for
that band. You can choose to use Auto Makeup as a work mode to help get
the per band compression to sound right, Then apply per band gain on top of
it. When disengaging Auto Makeup its effect will be updated into the per band
gains. It is recommended to first set nominal thresholds per band to the peak
energy in each band. Then engage auto makeup and continue to adjust the
desired dynamics.
Auto Makeup does not interfere with the per-band Gain control. Also it cannot
be clipping proofed and the overall Output gain will serve to trim the margin
between the peak and the full scale.
WAVES ARC - AUTO RELEASE CONTROL
Waves ARC was designed and debuted in the Waves Renaissance
Compressor. This routine sets the optimal gain adjustment release time by
being program sensitive. The Auto Release Control still refers to its band’s
release time and optimizes it according to the actual attenuation assuring
maximal transparency. Before ARC there was always a need to trade
between grainy Distortion with short release times to Pumping when setting
longer release times. ARC helps lower the extent of these artifacts. For best
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results, you may set your release time for the best compromise between
Distorting and Pumping and then apply ARC to get even better results with
less artifacts. Alternatively you can just count on this technology, set your
release value to the desired ballpark or stick with the release scaling from a
preset and rely on ARC to get it right. ARC was so well accepted wherever we
introduced it and in the LinMB it is ON by default.
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Chapter 4 – LinMB Controls and Displays.
CONTROLS
Individual Band Controls
THRESHOLD.
0- -80dB. Default – 0.0dB
Defines the point of reference for that band’s energy. Whenever the energy in
a certain band exceeds the threshold gain adjustment will be applied. For your
convenience, each band has an energy meter for visual adjustment of the
Threshold
GAIN.
+/- 18dB. Default 0.0dB
Sets the overall output gain of the band or the bands makeup value. This Gain
control can be use to adjust the gain of the band even without any dynamics
like an EQ. It is also used to adjust gain of the band that’s being compressed
or expanded to make up for the headroom created buy the compressors
attenuation, or make down to prevent clipping.
RANGE.
–24.0dB – 18dB. Default –6dB
Sets the possible range of the dynamic gain adjustment and also its intensity,
replacing the classic “Ratio” control and adding a firm boundary to it. Negative
Range means that when the energy exceeds the threshold a gain reduction
will be applied, while positive Range means boosting it further. Read more
about range in the next chapter.
ATTACK.
0.50 – 500ms. Defaults scaled for each band.
Defines the time it will take to apply the gain reduction from the moment the
detected energy exceeds the threshold.
RELEASE.
5 – 5000ms. Defaults scaled for each band.
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Defines the time it will take to release the applied gain adjustment from the
moment the detected energy falls below the threshold.
SOLO.
Solo’s the band to the main processors output for monitoring the band-pass
by itself or along with other soloed bands.
BYPASS.
Bypasses all processing on the band and sends it to the main output the
same way it was input. This allows to monitor the processed output vs. the
source for each band by itself.
Crossovers – Xover
There are 4 Crossovers in the liner multiband. Each sets the cutoff frequency
for the High Pass and Low Pass filters that cross each other.
For the calculation intensive nature of the Finite Impulse Response filters the
Xover controls will sound a click when they are reset to a new position. When
using the mouse to adjust the frequency or when grabbing the markers at the
bottom of the Graph, the new filter will be set only when the mouse is
released to avoid zipper noise. Using the arrow keys or control surface you
can advance step by step to fine tune your Xover position. Smooth sweeps
are impossible but the focus should be to set the Xover positions to the
desired cutoff frequency.
Each of the four Crossovers has a unique range of frequencies as follows:
LOW: 40Hz – 350Hz. Default – 92Hz.
LOW MID: 150Hz – 3kHz. Default – 545Hz.
HI MID: 1kHz – 8kHz. Default – 4000Hz.
HI: 4kHz – 16kHz. Default – 11071Hz.
Output Section
GAIN –
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Sets the overall output gain. The double precision process assures no input or
internal clipping so this gain is used at the output to prevent clipping.
TRIM –
The Auto Trim button updates the peak value and when clicked it adjusts the
output gain control to trim the margin so that the peak will equal the full digital
scale. For precise clip prevention let the program or at least its high gain parts
pass through. When clipping occurs the clip light will light up and the Trim
control box will update the peak value. Now click the Trim button to lower the
gain by the peak value.
DITHER –
The double precision 48bit process can handle overflows. The result however
comes out at 24bit back to the host application’s audio buss. Some native
Hosts may output 32 Floating point output to the mixer or to the next plug-in,
this is the only case where we would recommend not to use the dither. The
Dither control adds dithering back to the 24th bit rather then just rounding
which will be the case when the Dither is off. The dither’s noise and suspected
quantization noise when with no dither, will be very low. The dither however
can let your 24bit result virtually have a perceived 27bit resolution. Any
introduced noise will be further boosted by Limiting the output (With L2 off
course) so we did not want to commit the users to the dither noise and allow it
to be turned off.
In any case, the noise may prove to be well beneath the program’s floor and
audible only at extreme monitoring levels, tucked within the noise floor of the
reinforcement system. Normalizing dithered silence may boost the dither to
terrible noise that is completely out of context. When analyzing non dithered
silence it should remain quite silent, but this does not mean this mode is
superior. The Dither is on by default and its use is recommended unless you
know your host passes 32bit audio back to the host.
Global Behavior Settings
These settings will apply global dynamics process behavior which will
influence the per band compression properties.
ADAPTIVE:
-inf.=Off – +12dB. Default – off.
The Adaptive control sets the sensitivity of a band to the energy in its Masker-
the band below. The control uses a dB scale. The behavior will be that when
there is high energy in a certain band the threshold will be lifted for the band
above it to de-mask it. Read more about Adaptive Thresholds and de masking
in chapter 3.
RELEASE:
ARC or Manual. Default – ARC.
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The Auto release control sets an optimal release time in relation to the manual
release time. When Manual release is selected then the release of the
attenuation will be absolute as indicated, Adding ARC will make the release
sensitive to the amount of attenuation and set the best release time to get
more transparent results.
BEHAVIOR:
Opto or Electro. Default – Electro.
• Opto is a classic modeling of opto-coupled compressors which used light
sensitive resistors to control the amount of compression (in the detector
circuit). They have a characteristic release behavior of “putting on the brakes”
as the gain reduction approaches zero. In other words, the closer the meter
comes back to zero, the slower it moves. (This is once the gain reduction is
3dB or less). Above 3dB of gain reduction, the Opto mode actually has faster
release times. In summary, Opto mode has fast release times at high gain
reduction, slow release times as it approaches zero GR. This can be very
beneficial for deeper compression applications.
• Electro is a compressor behavior invention by Waves, in that it is very much
the inverse of the Opto mode. As
the meter comes back to zero, the faster it moves. (This is once the gain
reduction is 3dB or less). Above 3dB
of gain reduction, the Electro mode actually has slower release times, much
like a mini-leveler, which minimizes distortion and optimizes level. In
summary, Electro mode has slow release times at high gain reduction, and
progressively faster release as it approaches zero GR. This has very good
benefits for moderate compression applications where maximum RMS
(average) level and density is desired.
KNEE:
Soft =0 – Hard=1. Default – 0.5
This Master control affects all 4 bands’ knee characteristics, ranging from
softer (low values) to harder (higher values). At the maximum value, the
Master Knee control tends to give the sound a harder edge, with a punchier
overshoot-style character. Adjust to taste. The KNEE and RANGE together interact
to give the equivalent of a ratio control. To achieve limiter-type behavior, use
high KNEE settings.
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DISPLAYS
THE MULTIBAND GRAPH:
The MultiBand graph is like an EQ graph showing Amplitude in the Y-axis and
Frequency in X-axis. In the Middle of the graph resides the DynamicLine
that shows the per band gain adjustment as it happens within the Range,
represented by the Bluish highlight. Beneath the graph there are the 4
Crossover frequency markers and on the graph there are 5 markers that allow
you to set the gain of the band by dragging up and or down and the band’s
width by dragging sideways.
THE OUTPUT METERS:
The Output meters show the master output of the processor. Under each
meter there is a peak hold indicator. The Trim control under the meters shows
the current margin between the peak and the full scale. The holds and the
Trim value are reset when clicking in the meters area.
BAND THRESHOLD METERS:
Each Band has its own meter showing the input energy in that band. Under
the meter is a peak hold numeric indicator. When you want to set your
nominal thresholds you can use the peak as reference and then continue to
set them with the master threshold control.
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Chapter 5 – Range and Threshold Concept
The concept of ‘Threshold’ and ‘Range’ instead of the traditional ‘Ratio’
control creates some very flexible and powerful uses for the LINMB. They
include low-level compression and expansion, giving you multiband “upward
compressors” and noise reducers.
OLD SCHOOL / ANOTHER SCHOOL
In the classic compressor approach, if you set a very low Threshold with any
given Ratio, extreme amounts of gain reduction of high level signals may
occur. For example, with a Ratio of 3:1 and Threshold of –60dB will result in a
–40dB gain reduction for 0dBFS signals. Such a case is rarely desirable, and
in general you would only set such a low Threshold in a typical compressor
when the input level is also very low. In common practice, more than -18dB of
gain reduction or +12dB gain increase is rarely needed, especially in a
multiband compressor.
In the LINMB, the concept of ‘Range’ and ‘Threshold’ comes in very handy. It
lets you first define the maximum amount of dynamic gain change using the
‘Range’ control, and then determine the level around which you want this gain
change to take place using the ‘Threshold’. The actual values of these
controls depend on the type of processing that you want.
If Range is negative; you’ll have downward gain change.
If Range is positive; you’ll have upward gain change.
The real flexible fun happens when you offset this dynamic Range with a fixed
Gain value.
HIGH-LEVEL COMPRESSION
High-level compression in C1. Ratio is 1.5:1, Threshold is -35. Equivalent
LINMB setting would have Range set to about -9dB, with Gain set to 0.
If you are interested in conventional compression (termed here ‘high-level
compression’ because the dynamics of the compression happens at high
levels), simply set the Threshold to high values, between –24dB and 0dB, and
the Range to a moderate negative value, between –3 and –9. In this way the
gain changes will take place at the upper part of input dynamics — just like a
normal compressor will do.
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HIGH-LEVEL EXPANSION (UPWARD EXPANDER)
An upward expander from the C1, with a ratio of 0.75:1, Threshold at -35.
Equivalent LINMB setting would be a Range of +10 or so, quite a bit more
than you’d probably ever need. Shown only for clear example.
To make an upward expander (an “uncompressor”) to restore overly quashed
dynamics, simply reverse the Range setting. Make the Range be a positive
value, say between +2 and +5. Now whenever the signal is around or above
the Threshold, the output will be expanded upwards, with a maximum gain
increase of the value of Range. In other words, if Range is +3, then the
maximum expansion will be 3dB increase.
LOW-LEVEL COMPRESSION
The low-level processors are where we start to have even more fun. By using
the fixed Gain control to offset the Range, you can affect only the lower-level
signals.
If you are interested in increasing the level of soft passages, but leaving the
louder passages untouched, (termed here ‘low-level compression’), set the
threshold to a low level (say –40 to –60dB). Set Range to a small negative
value, such as -5dB, and set Gain to the opposite value (+5dB). The audio
around and below the Threshold value will be “compressed upward” a
maximum of 5dB, and the higher audio levels will be untouched, including
their transients.
This will cause high levels signals (i.e. that are significantly above Threshold)
to have no gain Change – since at high levels the Range and Gain controls
are opposite values and together they equal unity gain. While around and
below the Threshold, the Range is increasingly “inactive” and therefore
approaches a zero-gain value. Gain is a fixed value, so the result is that the
low level signal is increased by the Gain control, achieving the so-called
“upward compression” concept.
This is very clear when you see this behavior on the LINMB display. Simply
look at the yellow DynamicLine while the input signal is low or high, and see
the resulting EQ curve. In a multiband compressor application, this low-level
compression is very handy to create a dynamic ‘Loudness Control’ that could
boost the LOW and HIGH bands only when their levels are low, as just one
example.
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Upper line shows Low-level compression (upward), achieved when Range is
negative and Gain is equal but positive. Lower line shows Low-level
expansion (downward), achieved when Range is positive and Gain is equal
but negative. Graph is taken from C1 to help visualize the gain structures in
the LinMB.
LOW-LEVEL EXPANSION (NOISE GATE)
If you are interested in a noise gate for a particular band or bands, set Range
to a positive Value, Gain to the inverse of the Range, and Threshold to a low
value (say -60dB). Similar to the above example, at high levels the full
dynamic gain increase set by the Range is retained, and is fully compensated
for by the Gain. While around and below the Threshold, the dynamically
changing gain comes closer to 0dB, and the result is that the fixed negative
Gain is applied to the low level signal — which is also known as gating (or
downward expansion).
“UPSIDE DOWN” THINKING
These low-level examples may seem a little inverted to what you would
expect. For instance, that a noise gate would have a positive Range.
If you just remember that when the signal goes around the Threshold, then
the Range becomes “active”, and that the Threshold is the halfway point of
the Range. So whether Range is +12dB or –12dB, then audio 6dB above and
6dB below the Threshold is where the “knees” of the dynamic change will
occur.
Positive Range
Then, if Range is positive and Gain is set to be the negative of Range
(opposite but equal), then around and above the Threshold all audio will be a
0dB gain (unity). Below the Threshold, the Range is not active, so the Gain
(which is negative) “takes over” and reduces that band’s gain. This is what
gives the downward expansion.
Negative Range
Another seeming example of the “upside down” concept is that low-level
compression takes a negative Range. Again, remember that in the LINMB,
whenever the audio is around the Threshold, the Range is active. So, if we set
Range to negative, anything around or above the Threshold can be reduced
in gain. However! Here’s the tricky part: if we set Gain to perfectly offset the
Range value, then everything well above the Threshold has no effective gain
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change at all, which means everything well below it gets “lifted up”. (If you
take this just a bit further, you’ll figure that all audio exactly at the Threshold
will have half of the Range’s value in positive gain).
ONE MORE WAY TO THINK ABOUT IT
Here is another bit of help so that you can really learn and use the power of
the LinMB to its fullest capability. We’ll take another example from the Waves
C1 Parametric Compander, our one-band processor (it also does wideband
and sidechain). It has a typical ratio and makeup gain control and has been
widely used for upward compression (both wideband and split-band
parametric usage).
The Linear MultiBand Parametric Processor has a very similar compressor
law as the Waves C1 and the Waves Renaissance Compressor. This model
allows the “compression line” to return to a 1:1 ratio line as the level continues
to increase. In other words, there is no compression of the low signal,
compression around the Threshold, and once the signal goes quite a bit past
the Threshold, the compression tapers off back to a 1:1 line (no compression).
In the graphic shown, you can see this exact type of line. The ratio is 2:1 and
the Threshold is –40dB. The line is just curving a bit (-3dB down point) at the
–40 input (the scale at the bottom). Output level is the scale on the right
vertical edge, and you can see that at about –20dB, the line starts curving
back to a 1:1 line.
So, very high-level audio peaks between 0 and –10dBFS are not touched at
all, audio between –10 and –40 is compressed, and audio below –40 is not
compressed, but is clearly louder at the output than at the input. This is low-
level compression, or “upward compression”. Such a trick is very useful and
has been implemented by classical recording engineers, mastering houses,
and classical broadcasting. Low-level compression can “lift” soft sounds up
gently and leave all the high-level peaks and transients completely untouched,
reducing the dynamic range from the bottom upwards.
We did say that the LinMB was “very similar” to the C1, but different in a
significant way: the Threshold defines the midpoint of the Range. Therefore,
to achieve the same curve in the LinMB as shown here, the Threshold on the
LinMB would actually be about –25 with a Range setting of +15.5dB. Now this
is a very large amount! The example shown here was merely to make it
obvious; we picked the 2:1 line only because it is easier to see on the page. In
reality, low-level compression that lifts the softer audio up 5dB is equivalent to
an approximate ratio of 1.24:1. Lifting the low-level up about 5dB is a good
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example for several reasons. It is (1) a very realistic setting that could be
equal to what is being done by the previously mentioned engineers; (2) only
raising the noise floor by an acceptable amount for many applications; (3)
easy to hear on nearly any type of audio, not only classical. In the Load menu
of the LinMB are a few factory presets with names beginning “Upward
Comp…” that are good points to learn more about this concept. More presets
are in the LinMB Setup Library.
In the next chapter there are more specific examples of using low-level
processing (compression, expansion) that are very good starting points as
well as models for learning.
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Chapter 6 – Examples of use
PRACTICE OF MULTIBAND AND MASTERING
Upon a time the mediums just couldn’t handle the same dynamic range that
an orchestra can produce or a Microphone transduce, so for the lower
passages not to be too low and the peaks not too high, compression and peak
limiting was used. In broadcasting AM signals, the hotter the signal was the
further it would reach. Since heavy wide-band compression causes
modulation distortions these industries used EQ Xover filters to split the signal
and feed it into separate compressors and then mix back. Today’s mediums
for both transmission and local music playback have a dynamic range that is
quite fit to carry extreme dynamics, yet compressors are still heavily used in
most cases and in some to an extreme extent.
We find that nowadays the Mastering stage is where broadband signals are
processed with compression for best translation from the low noise
professionally equipped mixing environment to the hi fi home systems,
personal headphone players or car reproduction systems. At this stage it is an
art of subtlety to complement a ready-made mix while effectively taking
advantage of the target media properties and the typical target reproduction
properties to reach a certain optimum.
The master will be the carrier of the so-called “Flat” response of the program
material. This “Flat” response may well be further processed at the listener’s
side for boosting or cutting frequency ranges according to taste driven
preferences. While we can reach relative flatness with EQ devices, it may
sometimes be complementary and perhaps necessary to add some frequency
range dependant push or pull to fit even better. It’s like putting the mix on
vitamins, making it as potent as possible in all frequency ranges to cut
through best at any given playback scenario.
It is recommended to apply MultiBand dynamics as a first generation of
mastering compression before applying another stage of wide band limiting.
This way more transparency will be maintained for a similar amount of
loudness gained. The MultiBand stage will serve to optimize the dynamics of
the broadband signal for that final stage. As indicated before it is a subtle
trade. The taste and experience of the mastering engineer will determine the
result and the Linear MultiBand may serve as a purist level tool offering total
transparency when splitting the signal to 5 discrete bands for the engineer to
do he’s thing.
That aside, we recommend trying the Multiband Opto Mastering
preset, or the Basic multi preset. Either one will give you reasonable
compression and increased density of your mix.
To enhance low-level signals (a great way to boost level without squashing
dynamics), try the Upward Comp +5, or +3 version of the preset. This is
great for adding level without losing punch.
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TO FIX A MIX
Most of the time, you want to use relatively equivalent Gain and Range
settings across the bands so to not change the spectral balance too much.
However, it’s not a perfect world, and many mixes are not perfect either. So
let’s say you have a mix that has too much kick, the right amount of bass
guitar, and needs a little “cymbal control” and de-essing.
Load the BassComp/De-Esser preset.
• Adjust the bass Threshold, band 1, until you have some compression.
• Adjusting the band 1 Attack control will let through more or less of the kick
itself.
• Adjusting the band 1 Gain control lets you set the overall level of the kick
and bass. If the compression pulls the bass guitar down too much, you might
increase the Gain until the bass is right, then adjust the Attack value to control
the kick drum punch until it has a better balance.
• Faster attack times will let less kick through; slower times will let more of it
be heard. In fact, with too long of a setting, you may actually increase the
dynamic range between the loud kick and bass guitar, which isn’t what the
example was all about.
LINMB AS A “DYNAMIC EQUALIZER”
Because of the RANGE and THRESHOLD concept explained in Chapter 5,
it’s easy to think of the Waves LinMB as a dynamic equalizer which allows
you to set 2 different EQ curves (low level EQ and high level EQ), then set the
transition point between them. The transition is the Threshold control, which
sits at the halfway point of the Range value. Of course, it is not a “morphing
EQ” but it most certainly is a dynamic process that moves between two
different EQ settings.
Here’s an example. Load the Low-level Enhancer factory preset from the
Load menu. You can see the purple range has 2 distinctly different “curves”,
the lower edge and the upper edge. The lower edge is flat, the upper edge
has an obvious “loudness boost” to it. Now remember that this is set as a
compressor, so when the signal is low, the upper edge of the purple band will
be the EQ; when the signal is high (and compressed) the lower edge of the
band will be the EQ. So for this example, with no compression (low-level
sounds) there will be a loudness boost (more highs and lows); with
compression, the sound will have a “flat EQ”.
- Play some audio thru the Low level Enhancer setup.
You’ll see that the audio is compressed downward toward the flat line, so that
as more compression occurs, the effective EQ curve (although dynamic) is
flat.
- Now reduce the input level to the LinMB, or play a quiet section of
music so that there is little or no compression.
You’ll see that the audio is not compressed very much at all, so the
DynamicLine “sticks” to the upper edge more. By setting the Gain control of
each band, you control the low level EQ of the processor; by setting the
Range control of each band, you control the high level EQ.
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How to create your own dynamic EQ setting (for low-level
enhancement):
1. Set the Range to the amount of gain reduction desired in each band; this
also sets the “EQ” of the compressed signal.
2. Set the Gain of each band so that the desired low-level EQ is seen. For
instance, you may want a song to have a little more bass when it is soft, so
set the bass band(s) so that their gain values are higher than the other bands.
3. Attack and release values should be appropriate for the frequency band.
(This is why it is generally easier to work from a preset, then tweak it for what
you need).
4. Set Threshold for the desired behavior. What you want is for the high levels
of the song to be compressed closer to the lower edge of the purple area (to
get the EQ for the high-level); therefore, the Range values should not be very
big. Otherwise you’ll be compressing a great deal, which is probably not what
you want for most applications.
LINMB AS A VOCAL PROCESSOR
Voiceover or singing both have similar needs in compression and de-essing,
and a multiband device can be quite good for this. In fact, the LinMB also lets
you work as an EQ as well, as previously mentioned.
• Load the Voiceover preset from the Load menu.
• Any of the bands can be bypassed! If you don’t need de-popping, just
bypass band 1, for example.
• Band 1 is for de-popping, without affecting the deep bass.
• Band 2 is set rather wide, to perform most of the work.
• Band 3 is a de-esser, with a 1dB boost (note that the Gain is 1dB higher
than bands 1 and 2).
• Band 4 is just the “air” of the voice, just a tad of compression and boost of
2dB above bands 1 and 2.
• Optionally, you can set Band 1 GAIN to –10, with RANGE set to zero, and
the Low Crossover set to 65Hz. This can low-cut any pops or thumps but may
remove some low stuff that is important; do it only if there are real problems.
Now, while playing voiceover or vocals through the LinMB, solo each band to
hear what it will affect. Band 2 certainly has all the “meat” of the voice, and by
using Band 1 set to a low crossover, any loud pops or rumble will be isolated.
Adjust the Thresholds of each band so that you have reasonable compression
on band 2, with relatively strong de-essing on band 5. Then adjust the Gain
controls to balance the tonality of the voice.
The Q and Knee controls are set very high in this preset (created primarily for
voiceover), and can certainly be softened for a singing voice. Try lower Q and
Knee values with smaller Range settings for more gentle compression,
while still giving you powerful de-essing and “air limiting”.
AS AN UN-COMPRESSOR
Sometimes you might get a track or recording that has been previously
processed, and possibly not in a very flattering way. In other words, someone
might have seriously over compressed the track.
To some degree using upward expansion, which is the exact opposite of
compression, can restore the squashed dynamics. As the signal goes around
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or above the Threshold, the signal is increased in gain. Upward expansion
takes more time to adjust because you must try to find the subjectively equal
settings of what was done to the sound, and even if you know the “numbers”
on the original processor, the numbers really don’t relate from one processor
to the next very well.
• Load the Uncompressor preset.
• Notice that all Ranges are set to positive values so that the gains will
be increased when the signal goes around or above the Threshold.
• Adjust the Master Threshold for some reasonable expansion.
Now it is important to point out that the attack and release times are
absolutely critical to the way the expansion works. In most cases of over
compressed material, the peaks and punch have been mightily squashed
down, so a fast attack time will help restore these peaks. Longer release
times help bring the presence and sustain back into the material.
However, let’s go one step further and suppose that you have a mix that has
“hole-punching” or “pumping”. These are tricky, but can be restored to a
degree. In the case of hole-punching, this is when a compressor has
overshoot of the gain reduction, that is, it over-reacts to a peak signal and
applies too much gain reduction to the signal. Many times the peak itself was
never compressed, just the audio after the peak, so you would want to use a
slower attack time to avoid expanding the peak even higher, and carefully
adjust the release time to “fill in the hole”. It’s tricky enough to do this on a
wideband expander such as the C1, and even more so on a multiband.
Best thing to do in this case is to try to determine if you should use a
wideband expander (such as the C1 or Renaissance Compressor). Using a
multiband upward expander would be best for situations where specific
frequency ranges had been over compressed, such as a mix with too much
compression on the bass. Another example would be too much compression
on a drum submix and you need to restore the attack of the drums but not the
low frequencies, so you could use a mid- and high- frequency upward
expander and ignore the lower frequencies.
You can load the Uncompressor and simply Bypass any band you don’t need.
Here’s another tip: to bypass a band but still have it available as “EQ”, simply
set the Range control to zero and use the Gain control to set the EQ level in
that band.
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Chapter 7 – Factory Presets.
GENERAL TIPS!
Here is a recommended order for adjusting a preset, even if you have no
intention of “using presets”. They are merely good places to start. Create your
own library by using our User Preset command in the Save Menu.
• The first step should be to adjust the nominal threshold for each band
according to the energy in that band. Set the threshold arrow to the top of the
metered energy, then select Auto makeup and adjust the master threshold
control downward.
• Adjust the Master Range control for more or less dynamic processing
(changes ratio and amount of processing simultaneously).
• Next, adjust each of the band’s Thresholds to get the desired amount of
processing in each band.
• Next, fine-tune the Attack and Release controls. Longer attacks may
mean you have to adjust the Threshold downward to maintain the action you
want (and shorter ones may mean you need to raise it).
• Next, if needed, adjust the Gain of each band to rebalance the compressed
outputs.
THE FACTORY PRESETS
Factory presets are designed to provide nice starting points for different
applications. As the thresholds are really program related the default will have
all thresholds at 0dB and it is for the user to adjust the nominal thresholds.
The Factory presets when loaded will maintain the user defined thresholds
and load all other parameters according to the preset.
Full Reset
This is also the default setting that LinMB opens with when you first insert it
on the TDM bus. It is a easily adjustable setup with moderate Range. The
Gain is set to zero so that it is essentially unity gain for low-level sounds.
Band 1 is set for low bass, to eliminate modulation distortion.
Band 2 does the Low-mids.
Band 3 does the Hi-mids.
Band 4 is in a de-esser.
Band 5 is the air band limiter.
Although the Threshold is not yet set, a little bit of attenuation may already be
apparent if the energy in any of the bands is high enough the soft knee will
apply attenuation to signals –3dB and above.
Basic multi
Based on the default setting above, this setup uses deeper thresholds, plus it
has a positive Gain of +4, so it is closer to a unity gain when bypassing for
most mixed pop material with peaks between -6 and -2dBFS.
Hard basic
Master Range is bigger, so the ratio is higher and there is more compression.
However, the attack times are slower than in Basic Multi, so the transients are
still quite present and untouched. A punchy preset.
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Deeper
Not a “flat” preset, by any means, this has deeper Ranges on the high end,
which means the signal will be bassier as it gets louder, and more
compressed in the high end as it gets louder. Attack and release times are
faster, so the compressor grabs more.
Low-level Enhancer
A classic loudness enhancer as described in Chapter 4 in the Low-Level
Compression section. As the sound gets louder, it approaches “flat
compression”, but all low-level sounds will have the bass and treble boosted,
as seen by the upper edge of the purple Range band.
This is not a particularly subtle preset. To reduce the boost, simply lower the
Gain of Bands 1 and 4 (they are preset to 4.9, which is 3dB above the middle
two bands). Try only 1dB (set them both to 2.9) and then you have a very nice
subtle low-level enhancement setup.
Upward Comp +3dB
A gentle upward compressor with flat response. It lifts the low-level sounds by
3dB at the average Threshold of -35dB.
Lower the Master Threshold for more subtlety, raise it for more pronounced
effect. Note the crossover settings are different from the +5 setup. Band 1 is
set to 65Hz for the very low bass; Band 2 is the next octave and primarily
deals with the fundamental of the bass guitar and meat of the kick; Band 3 is
very broad, from 130Hz to 12kHz; doing most of the work; and Band 4 is the
air compressor. These points give greater control over the bass (dividing it
into 2 bands), but have no “ess-band” range. If upward compression provides
too much of a boost in the highs (a common result due to the lower overall
energy of HF), then simply lower the Threshold in the high band.
Upward Comp +5dB
Similar to the previous setup, but with different crossover points, for different
flexibilities. This one is more similar to the Basic Multi, with crossovers at 75,
5576, and 12249, so that you have bands for Low Bass, Low-Mid,High-Mid,
“Ess” or presence band, and the Air. These points give greater control over
the high end (2 bands). This is a more aggressive setting, the main difference
being the crossover points, which changes the Thresholds significantly from
the +3 setup. Easily made more or less aggressive by changing the Master
Gain setting. If upward compression provides too much of a boost in the highs
(a common result due to the lower overall energy of HF), then simply lower
the Threshold in the high bands.
Multi Opto Mastering
Now we are going into areas that haven’t actually existed yet, other then in
C4. A multiband opto-coupled device!
This is a rather transparent setting for mastering and pre-mastering. Even
though ours is virtual, the gentle release times that become ever slower as
they come back to zero gain reduction really have the sound and behavior of
opto’s, just as the Renaissance Compressor does. The longish attack and
release times of this setup let the processor gently increase lower levels while
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having the classic setup of a high-level compressor. Changing the Master
Release and making the release times significantly faster will still preserve
transients and markedly increase the average level.
Multi Electro Mastering
The other end of the spectrum, insofar as the mastering goes, with much
more aggressive settings throughout than the Opto setting described
previously. With fast attacks and releases, deep Range, steeper slopes, ARC
system, Electro release behavior, and hard knee, this one is starting to be a
little dangerous if you push it (although certainly not over the top). With this
setup and the Multi Opto Mastering preset as bookends, there are
many levels in between to provide varying levels and behaviors. Working with
both of these presets defines a very broad range of high-level compression
settings to create. (We’ll leave that to you!).
Adaptive Multi Electro Mastering
The same as above but with –12dB sensitivity in the Adaptive control. This will
let you see how the adaptive behavior loosens the attenuation for a band
when there is higher energy in the band below. Try toggling between the Multi
Electro and Adaptive Multi Electro to audition the de-masking that the
adaptive control makes. You can try to further raise or lower the adaptive
control and if you raise to 0dB or higher for hyper adaptive behavior you may
want to lower the thresholds for the top 4 bands and see how they become
more dynamic and hyper sensitive.
UNcompressor
Since there has been so much work done in the direction of multiband
compression and limiting, it seemed only fair that a preset that tried to go in
the other direction would be added. Admittedly, there is most likely a bigger
challenge in undoing an over-compressed signal than in the original mistake!
Wideband upward expansion is probably the first method you should try (with
the Waves C1 or Renaissance Compressor), unless you can positively
identify a mix that has already had some multiband or DeEssing (parametric)
type of compression misprocessing. Otherwise, trying to use a multiband
upward expander to fix a mix that had wideband over-compression is not
advisable, as the gain changes applied in the first place would have been
across the entire band. However, as flexible as the Linear Phase Multiband
Parametric is in the other areas discussed in this manual, it certainly is
equally capable of producing amazing UN-compression in the multiband
arena. Keep in mind that the attack times are what create the transients, and
if you’ve already got good transients in the mix but the audio after the
transients is what is over-compressed, make your Uncompressor Attack
time longer, to avoid making even bigger transients. Soloing each band and
adjusting its Attack and Release times so that the transients are natural, the
compression is relieved and the audio sounds more relaxed and open is the
trick.
The preset has not attempted to set attack and release times, as this is so
highly dependant on the source material, we simply set all 4 bands to attack
times which are moderate for the frequency band, and equivalent release
times across all 4 bands.
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BassComp/De-Esser
A common problem with small studio mixes is the low end, due to near-field
monitors, improper room low-frequency absorption, beer, and demanding
clients. Another common problem is the lack of enough de-essers to go
around, and furthermore, the insistence of drummers bringing their full-size,
heavy cymbals into the studio. The result is often a mix with a low end that is
too loud, and/or an improper balance between the bass guitar and the kick
drum, plus a high-end that might need de-essing and “de-cymbaling”. The
most challenging of these situations has very bright guitars and cymbals and
dull vocals. Of course, the best way to solve these issues is to de-ess in the
mix, use very light cymbals, and, well, better engineering on the low end! This
preset uses only 2 bands (the most common application of multiple C1’s), for
bass compression/control, and de-essing.
Band 1 is set to 180Hz which covers the main part of the kick drum and
almost all fundamental notes of the bass guitar or other bass line. Band 2 is a
bandpass de-esser centered at 8kHz. Attack and Release controls are the
critical controls. With a faster attack on Band 1, the kick can be controlled
separately from the bass line with reasonable precision. Soloing the band will
help in setting the Release time so that distortion is minimized (too fast a
Release will cause the compressor to follow the bass wave itself, a form of
modulation distortion that even multibands are susceptible to).It’s the same for
Band 4; the Attack time (at 12ms) allows enough transients of the snare and
consonants of the singer that there is not too much dulling of the sound, but
the sustained high-frequency material, such as esses and cymbals, may be
controlled quite well. Bands 2 and 4 can be used as EQ, as the Range is set
to zero.
BassComp/HiFreqLimit
A variation on the previous setup, except that instead of a bandpass de-esser,
the entire high frequency is a shelving compressor/limiter. Sometimes quite
useful if there has been too much “air EQ” applied in the source material.
Too Much Limiting
Now what exactly should we say about this preset?
You can call it instant radio if you wish, as it does represent the type of
processing that is applied by some radio stations in order to be as loud as
possible, and they do so to recordings that have already been processed to
be as loud as possible! Great for loops and remixes.
Setup with Auto-Makeup
If you haven’t tried auto makeup yet, go right ahead, grab a threshold for a
band and listen to the compression rather then hear the drop in level. Try
some more to see if this seems like a good way for you to work, rather then
chasing overall level all the time, the auto makeup will not totally preserve
overall level but it will focus you on the dynamics setting rather then the
separate levels.
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