Antares JVP user manual

							 
JVP UserÕs Manual
 
11
 
Technical Support
 
Technical Support  
If you have some problem using JVP that canÕt be solved by reading the
manual, call technical support at (888) 332-2636, or (408) 399-0008 Monday
through Friday between 9 AM to 5 PM PaciÞc Standard Time.
Also, you might Þnd what you want at our web page:
www.antaresTech.com
You can also e-mail:
[email protected] 
						

							 
Getting Started
 
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JVP UserÕs Manual 
						

							 
JVP UserÕs Manual
 
13
 
CHAPTER 2 
Introducing JVP
 
This chapter introduces you to JVP. Topics covered are basic concepts in com-
pression, expansion, gating, de-essing, parametric equalization, and delay
effects. Also covered are JVPÕs basic architecture and user interface.
JVP is designed to be used in any editing, sweetening, or mastering application.
Since it incorporates four of the most useful digital signal processes into one tool,
you will probably use it more than any other DSP plug-in inside the TDM envi-
ronment. 
JVP is particularly suited to working with solo tracks. Voices, winds, guitar, bass,
and keyboards can be dramatically altered and enhanced using JVPÕs tools. Since
JVP uses the most advanced DSP technologies currently available, the quality of
the results it produces is unsurpassed.
JVP can also be used to great advantage in mastering stereo Þles. Its compres-
sor/gate and EQ operate simultaneously in stereo and offer the best possible
quality and ßexibility.
 
Understanding Compression 
Next to reverb, compression is probably the most important signal process used
in todayÕs studios. Simply put, compression reduces the 
 
dynamic range
 
 of a sig-
nal. That is, it reduces the difference in loudness between the loudest and quiet-
est parts of a piece of music. Another way to think about this is that the
compressor is acting as an automatic fader which fades down when the music
gets loud and fades back up when the music gets soft.
Why reduce the dynamic range? Consider mixing a vocal into a pop music bed.
Typically, pop music has a relatively consistent level of loudness. If an uncom- 
						

							 
Introducing JVP
 
14
 
JVP UserÕs Manual
 
pressed vocal track is added to a typical pop mix, certain loudly sung
words or syllables would be very obtrusive, while quieter phrases would be
buried underneath the instrumental texture. This is because the difference
between the loudest and softest sounds in the vocal, its dynamic range, is
very large. This same problem occurs for any instrument which had a
dynamic range larger than the music bed into which it is being mixed. 
By using a compressor to decrease the dynamic range of the vocal, the
softer sounds are increased in loudness and the loudest sounds are reduced
in loudness, tending to even out the overall level of the track. This makes
the vocal track sound generally louder and more distinct, and therefore,
easier to hear in the mix.
 
Ratio And Threshold
 
How is compression measured? What is a little compression and what is a
lot of compression? The concept called 
 
compression ratio 
 
is
 
 
 
the measure of
how much the dynamic range is compressed.
The graph shown below represents the relationship between the input level
of the signal and the output level of the signal after compression. Notice
that the curve has a breakpoint called a 
 
threshold. All standard compressors
use a threshold. Signals that are louder than the threshold are processed
INPUT LEVEL OUTPUT LEVEL1 to 1 ratio
2 to 1 ratio
4 to 1 ratio
8 to 1 ratio
¥ to 1 ratio THRESHOLD
Louder
Louder
I/O Curve 
						

							JVP UserÕs Manual15 Understanding Compression
(reduced in level) while those softer than the threshold are unchanged.
As the input signal exceeds the threshold, gain reduction (reduction in loudness) is
applied. The amount of gain reduction that is applied depends on the compression
ratio. The higher the compression ratio, the more gain reduction is applied to the sig-
nal.
The graph shows the relationship between compression ratio and gain reduction.
Examine the 2 to 1 ratio curve. For signals above the threshold, this curve transforms a
range of loudness 2 units large into a range of loudness one unit large. Examine the ¥
to 1 curve. This curve transforms all sounds above the threshold to the same loudness.
Dynamics processors which have this sort of curve are called limiters.
Dynamic Expansion and Gating
Sometimes, it is desirable to increase the difference between the quietest signal and the
noise in a recording by using a downward expander. A typical application would be
eliminating room noises and breath sounds that can be heard in between the phrases of
a recorded vocal part.
The graph below shows the curve for a downward expander. Notice that above the
threshold, the curve follows a 1 to 1 ratio. For each unit of input change below the
threshold the output changes by two units. This is called a 1 to 2 expansion ratio.
INPUT LEVEL OUTPUT LEVEL1 to 1 ratio
THRESHOLD
1 to 2 expansion ratio 
						

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As the input signal drops below the threshold, its output level drops at twice the
rate it would using a 1 to 1 ratio. In effect, sounds below the expander threshold
are Òfaded outÓ more quickly than they would be normally. This effect can be
exaggerated into what is normally called a gate. 
When expanders have ratios higher than 1 to 10, sounds below the threshold are
faded out very rapidly. This effect is called gating and can sound very abrupt.
Adjusting the gate ratio can smooth out the abrupt change. The graph below
shows the input/output curve for a typical gate.
Sounds that are louder than the threshold get Òthrough the gateÓ. Sounds that are
below the threshold are not heard. Gates can be used to great effect in processing
drum tracks where sounds from the other instruments in the drum set leak
through the mike of the instrument being recorded. Gates are also used fre-
quently to Ògate offÓ a reverb tail or the ringing from an insufÞciently damped
drum head.
Compression And Expansion Combined
JVP allows you to use both compression and expansion simultaneously. This
ability is useful in taming the typical problems that arise when processing vocal
tracks. The graph below illustrates the use of compression with a downward
expanding gate.
INPUT LEVEL OUTPUT LEVEL4 to 1 ratio
Gate Threshold
1 to 99 expansion ratio
Compressor Threshold 
						

							JVP UserÕs Manual17 Understanding Compression
Using this setting, sounds above the compressor threshold will be com-
pressed at a 4 to 1 ratio. Sounds below the compressor threshold but above
the gate threshold will not be changed. Sounds below the gate threshold
will be gated out completely. 
Used on a vocal track, this setting will compress only hot peaks in the voice,
while gating out the room sounds, mike stand sounds, and breath noises in
the track. Precisely what gets compressed and gated is a function of the
compressor and gate threshold settings.
The graph below shows a dynamic expander. In this application, the gate
threshold and ratio are set to gently expand the program material at a 1.5 to
1 ratio. The compressor ratio is set to 1 to 1. The setting is useful for repair-
ing over-compressed material or for adding some punch to drums or other
percussive sounds. 
Hard Knee/Soft Knee
The graphs shown above have what are described as Òhard kneesÓ in their
gain curves. This means that as the signal passes through the threshold, the
gain reduction it receives will change abruptly. In settings where the com-
INPUT LEVEL OUTPUT LEVELGate Threshold
1 to 1.5 expansion ratio
Compressor Threshold 
						

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18JVP UserÕs Manual
pression or expansion ratios have high values, the abrupt change can be
heard and often sounds artiÞcial.
To make it possible to create settings where the dynamic effects are more
natural sounding, JVP incorporates a Knee control which allows you to
soften the transition between sections of the gain curve. The graph below
shows a curve which has Òsoft kneesÓ, making the dynamic transitions
more subtle.
The details of operating the compressor Õs Knee Control are discussed in
ÒThe Compressor/GateÓ on page 36.
Attack And Release Times
The attack time of a compressor is simply how long it takes for the compres-
sor to react once the input level has met or exceeded the threshold level.
With a fast attack time, the signal is brought under control almost immedi-
ately, whereas a slower attack time will allow the start of a transient or a
percussive sound to pass through uncompressed before the processor has
time to react. Creating a deliberate overshoot by setting an attack time of
several milliseconds is an effective way to emphasize the percussive nature
INPUT LEVEL OUTPUT LEVEL
Gate Threshold Compressor Threshold
Soft Knees
Knee = 1.00 
						

							JVP UserÕs Manual19 Understanding Compression
of instruments. The illustration below shows the effect of changing the
attack time.
The release time of a compressor is the time it takes for the gain to return to
normal after the input level drops below the threshold. Setting too quick a
release time can cause undesirable artifacts in the output. If the release time
is too long, the compressor will not accurately track level changes in the
input. The illustration below shows the effect of changing the release time.
In JVP, the same attack and release times are used for both the compressor
and the expander/gate.
Uncompressed Input CompressedCompressed
1 mSec attack 10 mSec attack
Uncompressed InputCompressed
1 mSec releaseCompressed
50 mSec release 
						

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20JVP UserÕs Manual
What Is A De-Esser?
When recording spoken or sung material, the sibilants (Ss, Ts, CHs, and
SHs) in the track often sound louder than the rest of the signal. The effect is
unnatural and often irritating. The problem of an abnormally accentuated
frequency range can also be encountered in a complete mix as well. The
solution to this problem is to compress only the sibilants, thereby lowering
their level relative to the rest of the track. Processing a signal this way is
called de-essing. 
The illustration below shows an FFT display of the words ÒSound Designer
IIÓ spoken by a male voice. Notice the three broadband noises that coincide
with the two Ss in ÒSound DesignerÓ and the T in ÒtwoÓ.
Before De-essing After De-essing
Sound
De-
sign-
Tw o-er