Antares MDT user manual

MDT UserÕs Manual31 Lesson 2: Single Band Applications
The Gain slider is set at 18 dB to compensate for the gain reduction of the 
compressor. The loudest sounds will come out at approximately the 
same level as before compression.
Notice how the quiet string passage is now louder than before. The brass 
remains at its previous level. 
6. Use the Bypass button to compare the original with the compressed signal. Deac-
tivate Bypass when youÕre done.
7. Change the compression ratio to 4 to 1 by dragging...

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MDT should now be adjusted to a 4 to 1 compression ratio from the last sec-
tion. If it isnÕt, please do this now.
1. Select the ÒpluckÓ soundÞle for playback.
2. Reduce the Gain setting to 14. 
3. Start playback with looping.
4. Use the Bypass button to compare the original with the compressed signal. Deac-
tivate Bypass when youÕre done.
The region, ÒPluckÓ, is a loud violin section pizzicato with a reverb tail. 
Notice how the compression exaggerates the reverb and the...

MDT UserÕs Manual33 Lesson 2: Single Band Applications
8. Increase the Release setting to about 5,000 mS. 
Notice how the reverb tail sounds almost exactly like the uncompressed 
version. This is because the Release time is much longer than the reverb 
time. The shape of the reverb tail is not effected because the detected 
input level (as shown by the Peak Level Indicator) decays very slowly 
when the Release time is this long. 
This slow release time has an additional effect. Since the peak input level...

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Expander/Gate
MDT can be used as an expander/gate to eliminate noise and for creating
gated effects. This section demonstrates how to use the I/O Curve to con-
Þgure a downward expanding gate.
1. Choose 1:1, -36 dB gate from the Settings menu.
1. Start playback with looping.
As the reverb decays below the -36 dB threshold, the output gain 
changes to -60 dB, gating the sound off. 
2. Press  and then the downward Input Offset Arrow until the display 
reads -15.
The reverb...

MDT UserÕs Manual35 Lesson 2: Single Band Applications
3. Move the lower terminator to the left until the value displayed in the I/O Display 
equals 1:2.0.
The reverb now decays evenly because the output gain tapers gradually 
below the -36 dB threshold.
4. Stop playback.
Example 2: Compressor with Noise Gate
1. Select the ÒShort VoiceÓ soundÞle for playback.
2. Choose 3:1, -48 dB threshold from MDTÕs Settings menu.
3. Start playback with looping.
Notice that the region has a high noise ßoor. The noise...

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The noise is virtually eliminated because the input signal has been 
shifted down in relationship to the gating threshold. The noise now 
gates off immediately.
7. Stop playback.
ÒTubeÓ Compander
Many complex signals like full mixes and vocals require a high degree of
dynamic control, but suffer from the effects of heavy compression or limit-
ing. The use of a Òsoft kneeÓ compressor or Òtube-likeÓ compander can
make the effects of strong compression less obvious. A Òsoft...

MDT UserÕs Manual37 Lesson 2: Single Band Applications
Example 2: ÒtubeÓ comp/gate
1. Choose ÒtubeÓ comp/gate from the Settings menu.
2. Start playback with looping.
Contrast the sound of the voice with the previous two settings. The 
vocal sound is even more natural because, most of the time, it is sitting 
on an area of the I/O Curve which has relatively small compres-
sion/expansion ratios. Only the peaks or valleys of the signal are 
effected by the high ratio segments of the I/O Curve.
The reason...

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Example 3: Full mix
1. Select the ÒFetes 1Ó soundÞle for playback.
2. Select the Fetes 1 tube from the settings menu.
3. Start playback with looping.
The ratios of the downward expander part of the curve have been 
relaxed in this setting to accommodate the lower level and dynamic 
range of this excerpt. Compare the sound of this setting with the sound 
of the 3:1, -48 threshold setting that you used above.
4. Use the Bypass button to compare the original with the...

MDT UserÕs Manual39 Lesson 3: Multiband Applications
Lesson 3: Multiband Applications 
In this lesson, you will learn how to use MDT in multiband mode. This
capability of MDT makes it the most powerful and ßexible dynamics pro-
cessing tool available.
Multiband Peak Level Indicators
In multiband mode, MDT divides the energy of the signal into three or Þve
equally spaced bands. The peak level of each band is displayed by its own
Peak Level Indicator at the bottom of the In/Out Grid.
1. Select the ÒShort...

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The Filter Modes
MDT uses digital Þlters to separate the energy of the input signal into mul-
tiple bands. These Þlters have particular characteristics which need to be
understood to use MDT most effectively.
In the 3 Band mode and 5 Band mode, with the I/O curve along the diago-
nal line, MDT responds like an equalizer with gain levels set ßat. This
means there are +/- 1dB variations in amplitude as a function of frequency.
3 Band AP and 5 Band AP works differently, so...