Mastering tools Pt. 1-Input

tackium · July 30, 2008, 12:40:48 PM

In trying to understand how to better master a song I'm looking closely at what's available in the Micro BR.
The first thing that the sound goes through is something called [IN] or input.
The [IN] device has controlable parameters for:

Gain-Volume, from -24 to +12 db.
Delay Time-0-10 ms
Split Freq L-20-800 Hz
Split Freq H-1.6-16KHz

I notice that in all Mastering presets many have 0 Gain and some have + values up to +4. No "-".
Question- Why?

I also notice that all presets have delay time fixed at 10ms.
What is the logic at work here?

Then the really confusing part. Split Frequencies.

Apparently these are frequencies at which the signal get split into three for the three band compressor to use.

Questions:
What does the frequency dialed mean? the upper limit below which the split happens? or the average around which the split happens? or the lower limit above which the split happen?

Using the following as reference:

http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/music/musical-note-frequencies.htm

It seems that the Guitar goes from E at the 6th string (82.407Hz if at concert pitch) to 1.39691Khz at the 1st string, 25th fret (F) if you have them or can bend that far. Considering Drop D tuning and other practices (My friend likes to tune his semi hollow a whole minor third down) The lowest frequency is really probably around 70 Hz and the highest around 1.3 KHz.
Human singers seem to have an average range from 80 Hz to 1.1 KHz which is very similar.

Yet the Split Freq H is set from 1.6 Khz to 4.0 Khz in most of the presets, a fact which gives no clue to answer the questions above since these frequencies seem to lie well beyond a guitar or voice range. Is this in case other instruments such as piccolos or something are used?

The Split Freq L is set mostly between 20Hz (the lowest frequency the ear can hear) and 315 Hz which is around D# and the high open E string. These would be trebbly sounds to me, yet are handled by the Low split? Why?

What else could someone who knows tell us about these device (input) that would shed light on how to take the most advantage of it?

Thatks for any help.

tackium · August 18, 2008, 10:58:44 AM

I've found some info which may be useful to all here.
It's clear in the interactive frequency chart here:
http://www.independentrecording.net/irn/resources/index.php
That the harmonics (probably in the overtones) go all the way up to about 5khz.
Check out also the compression uncompressed article.
It seems the [In] device in the BR shoud not really be looked at independently from the compressor it serves.

tackium · August 18, 2008, 02:56:27 PM

To answer the other important question explicitly here (you all should read the article anyway) so that you may all benefit without going to read such a long read;

The so called "split frequencies" must really be "crossover" frequencies. Sort of an average where the bands will overlap. The three bands have only two such "points" where the crossover occurs, so that's what the [in] is asking for here, and the description in the manual is terribly misleading as there is no way three bands can split at only one point.