Antares MDT user manual

 
MDT UserÕs Manual
 
11
 
Owner Registration
 
Owner Registration 
Your purchase of MDT entitles you to technical support, special introduc-
tory offers on new products from Antares Audio Technologies, and notiÞca-
tion of software updates. Software updates will be published as the
program evolves.
Please Þll out and return the Owner Registration Card. The information on
the card will allow us to communicate more effectively with you and will
enable us to serve you better in the future. 
 
Installing...

 
Getting Started
 
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MDT UserÕs Manual 

 
MDT UserÕs Manual
 
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CHAPTER 2
 
Introducing MDT
 
MDT is a breakthrough among with dynamics processors. It puts your
hands on the dials and levers of the DSP process itself, letting you shape the
results in ways never available before. Access to this new level of ßexibility
and control is achieved by shifting the way you think about how compres-
sion and expansion work. This chapter introduces MDTÕs operating para-
digm and gives the information needed to use it effectively.
 
Understanding...

 
Introducing MDT
 
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MDT UserÕs Manual
 
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. Look at the illustration below.
This graph represents the relationship between the input level of the signal
and the output level of the signal...

 
MDT UserÕs Manual
 
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Understanding Compression
 
this curve transforms a range of loudness 2 units large into a range of loud-
ness 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.
 
MDT As A Compressor
 
The graph described above appears in MDTÕs user interface. The following
illustration is a screen shot of MDTÕs In/Out Grid.
Like the Þrst graph, this is...

 
Introducing MDT
 
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MDT UserÕs Manual
 
-48 dB. The input is above the threshold so it is getting a gain reduction of
-21 dB. This puts the output at -39 dB.
 
The In/Out Grid
 
In conventional dynamics processors, there are knobs or sliders that control
the threshold and ratio parameters. MDT uses a graphic interface called the
In/Out Grid for these adjustments. The In/Out Grid provides visual feed-
back of the effect the tool is having on the sound. The complexity of the pro-
cessor Õs...

 
MDT UserÕs Manual17 Understanding Compression
explain some of the conÞgurations that are possible using MDTÕs unique
graphic interface.
ÒSoft KneeÓ Compressor
ÒSoft kneeÓ compressors sound less obvious than regular Òhard kneeÓ com-
pressors because the compression ratio near the threshold changes gradu-
ally. In the example above, as the signal gets louder than the threshold, it is
Þrst compressed at 2 to1. As it gets louder still, the ratio goes to 3 to1, until,
Þnally, it reaches its maximum ratio of...

Introducing MDT
18MDT UserÕs Manual
ÒTubeÓ Compander
The curve shown above has no clear threshold point where the signal starts
to get processed. Instead, the compression or expansion ratios change grad-
ually. It is called a compander because it both compresses and expands the
dynamic range, depending on the level of the input. The top half of the
curve compresses the dynamic range. The bottom half of the curve expands
the dynamic range.
The sonic effect of processing through this kind of setting is...

MDT UserÕs Manual19 Understanding Compression
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...

Introducing MDT
20MDT UserÕs Manual
MDT In The TDM Environment
The TDM software environment is supported by hardware from Digidesign
called the DSP Farm. Each DSP Farm card contains DSP chips on which
MDT and other DSP plug-ins run. The TDM system requires that one chip
on the DSP Farm be used for the Mixer plug-in which comes with ProTools.
Assigning a large number of ProTools voices will sometimes require the use
of two DSP chips on the DSP Farm. 
MDT processes two audio channels per DSP chip. The...