The blue works at higher levels, so it's obvious that the Black version sounds more "in your face" with incoming way too hot signals compared to the Blue one.Tricky-Loops wrote:The blue one sounds better than the black one...
Think of it as a module, where there are three channels with peak and shelving filter running in parallel, and are then compensated on the output side to add futher "mojo" (saturation), mix (wet/dry) and output gain.A.M. Gold wrote:I'm not totally sure what this is doing, but I think I like it.
If you imagine the channels from top to bottom (like 3 lines), it goes like this:
Code: Select all
|-- EQ 1 (low shelf) -> sat --| |-->Output VU
| | |
Input ->-+-- EQ 2 (peak EQ) -> sat --+-- MOJO -> Mix -> Output
| | | |
| |-- EQ 3 (high shelf)-> sat --| |
| |
|--------> Input VU -----------------------------|
Else, you pretty much edit just one EQ band per channel (boost only), which is more subtle than editing the whole spectrum and then mix it along like a compressor.
BTW:
The Clariphonic Parallel EQ works similar. But in comparision it has two shelving filters, fixed frequency settings and no additional saturation stage of course. (see here)
-18dFS means "average level" (RMS) in this case. It's a reference level of most of the available outboard gear.@midnight wrote:Is mixing at -18dbfs does that mean you aim for -18dbfs peak on the master fader or what?
Actually, think different. Rather than turning down the faders and use the plugin "post fader", level in the signal (input gain), then use the insert plugins (pre-fader) as you're used to and have a better fader resolution.@midnight wrote: On my mix template I have all my faders turned down -18db, is that what it means? I did that to save headroom, maybe I am just intuitive.
The whole concept is called Gain Staging, and I wrote several posts about this. One can be found in my KVRmarks (the Slate VCC one).
Basically you work like this:
Input signal -> Channel Strip -> Output (summing bus)
Channel Strip =>
Input Gain (adjust the incoming signal here) -> VU/RMS meter (300ms ballistics, -18dBFS reference level), the average signal should not exceed 0VU or -9dBFS digital peak pre-fader! -> Inserts (whatever plugin you desire) -> Pan/Volume -> post-fader inserts
That's all there is to it.