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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Well, I know this list is not about such
things. But, since we were buzzing a bit about this Dynamic E Q plugging,
and I was flagrant enough with mad money to buy it, even though I don't really
need it, I thought I would jot down what I have learned about it in the little
time I have actually had to play with it, in case you were curious, just to give
closure.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>This is not multi-band compression, as we all
suspected. Instead, it is a toy for playing with the stereo spread of your
mix, to make it sound wider, or mor enarrow.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>It uses the concept of M signals, and S
signals. Such terms are actually common, I guess. But, if you are
not familiar with it, the M signal is the summation of left plus right. S
is left minus right. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>And, this tool is about making dynamic combinations
of m and s. When just running normally, with all gains constant and at
unity, you can dig up your basic algebra, and use a little simple mathematics to
return to left and right, since </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>m plus s,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>which is really (l+r) +
(l-r) </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>yields </FONT><FONT size=2 face=Arial>2*left,
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Likewise m minus S yields 2*right.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>To support this, the tool gives you two
filters. You can choose the style and frequency for each filter. The
m signal passes through one filter, and the s signal passes through the other,
and they are combined at the wet output. Yes, there is a wet/dry mixer as
well.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>In addition, each filter has a trigger signal,
which is a copy of the original input, with it's own trigger filter style and
frequency. So, now we really have 4 filters, two for each
section.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>The trigger for the M section is a mono
signal, l plus r, passed through the M trigger filter. The amplitude of
that trigger output can be used to either increase, or decrease the gain of the
main M filter band. It doesn't sharpen the filter, it just modulates
the gain of that filter output. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Likewise, the S section output is modulated by the
S trigger filter output. The S trigger input is the original l minus r
signal.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>The output of each trigger is fed into a circuit
that gives you control over threshold, attack and release. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>You can solo any of these signals, and will notice
that the S trigger contains no audio if you feed it a mono sorce panned to
center, because the two channels cancel one another out.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>But, when you pan left or right, you start turning
up in the S trigger, with a phase inversion depending on which side you are
panned to.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>The basic idea for widening or narrowing a mix, is
that if the gains of the two stages, m and s, are equal, the resultant output
will be a regulard stereo mix, with middle being middle, hard left being hard
left, and hard right being hard right, just like normal.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>But, if you change the relative gains between
the m and s sections, then only partial cancellation occurs, or too much
cancellation, in which case you start hearing out of phase stuff, which kind of
makes it sound like it is behind you.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>So, they use the outputs of these triggers to
modulate those gains, and make the mix fluctuate in sync, or sort of in sync,
with the dynamics of the program material.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>You can hollow out the middle, and force more stuff
to the sides. Or you can do the opposite. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>It's a cute little tool, and you can probably
create some interesting effect with it, if you are into that sort of
thing.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>But, you can also just use one section, such as the
m section, just as a regulared 2 track stereo, and just modulate the gain of
that filter by it self, or in combination with the dry signal, to get partial
effects, like an acoustic guitar that gets a bit brighter when a bass note
is hit, just to keep the upper notes from getting buried. Just set the m
trigger frequency down in the bass range, and use it to expand the m filter,
with its frequency set up high, and a wet dry mix to fill in down low where the
filter doesn't go.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Yes, this tool can be a nice little single
band compressor or expander if you want it to. But, you've already
got a few of those.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Anyway, for what it's worth, that is what I know
about it.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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