Virtual Mastering Console
Contents
1. AN DIGITAL FG X Virtual Mastering Console Dynamics Rack User Guide Slate Digital FG X Virtual Mastering Console POWER SETTINGS 4 86 4 8 e e b as FG 10 10 COMP ATTACK RELEASE s NWGGNSTANT GAIN ITP EC TRANSIENTS gt a MONITORING NA i DITHER amp n AN a 4 86 4 6 pm DITHER ON CEILING POWER SETTINGS io SETTINGS co co e E o g o a FG 10 10 7 I FVFI LOPUNCH DETAIL DYNAMIC SMOOTH PERCEPTION L DIINO CO A 186 1 i 30 28 26 24 22 20 18 16 14 12 10 8B 6 4 e AMM 6 4 A ONO ONO POWER SETTINGS o e 6 Advanced Algorithms By FABRICE GABRIEL Slate Digital FG X Virtual Mastering Console 2 Slate Digital FG X Virtual Mastering Console Dynamics Rack Version 1 0 Advanced Algorithms by Fabrice Gabriel Fabrice Gabriel Algorithm Design amp Tuning Plugin Design GUI amp Feature Design Steven Slate Plugin Design Algorithm Design amp Testing Vincent Travaglini DSP Coding Plugin amp GUI Development Yannick Bonnefoy GUI Design 3D Modeling amp Rendering Denis Rolland Metering and Panels Development Thanks Jesse Dean Deborah amp Audrey Lintz Alex Siegel to all beta testers and special thanks to Jay Baumgardner User Guide by Steven Slate amp Fabrice Gabriel Slate Digital LLC All rights reserved Slate Digital FG X Virtual Mastering Console 3 Ms LIAO CNL ON loca i2. The global metering options let you adjust e The Reference RMS Level the RMS level which will be used as the OdB display reference of the metering section VU meters e The Constant Gain Monitoring behavior regarding the level display Keep it off will just keep the metering the same display level as if Constant Gain monitoring button was turned off e Bargraph Peak Meter Bargraph RMS Meter adjust the release and maximum value hold time You can adjust for each of the Settings e The bargraph display range e The display scale o Linear dB gives a better precision across a limited range o Log dB gives a wider range with more precision in the upper range Slate Digital FG X Virtual Mastering Console 15 VI e Display mode o Absolute use this mode to read the absolute level on the meter scale o Relative use this mode to read the level in a relative way The OdB of the scale is set according the Reference RMS level setting e Range select the range according to the RMS dynamics of the song e Needle Velocity adjust it to slow if you need a more average display and to fast if you need e Reference RMS Level You can choose for each setting to use the Global Reference RMS Level or to set a particular Reference RMS Level A NOTE FOR MIXING ENGINEERS The FG X is essentially a mastering tool But it can also be used effectively in the mixing stage either as a buss compressor using the FG Comp module or as a powerful t
3. and threshold in order to reduce the difference between the relative RMS levels throughout the song IV 7 3 FG COMP SETTINGS Hit the settings button to access to the FG Comp settings You can adjust the Ratio and Threshold ranges of the compressor Please note that these settings will be saved with the preset but that the resulting values from the DAW automation will vary according to these selected ranges The In Out metering options display the same settings than the Metering Section options There are two additional options to e Match Metering Section settings the FG Comp metering will then have the same display parameters than the Metering Section e Match Output Level the FG Comp metering level will be displayed according to the RMS Reference Level and the FG Level Gain This allows having a RMS level display which matches the final output level of your master and thus visualizing the FG Comp and Metering Section levels around the same OdB reference RMS value Adjust the Gain Reduction Metering Settings to the maximum gain reduction You can choose between Lin and Log gain reduction display scales Slate Digital FG X Virtual Mastering Console 9 IV 2 FG LEVEL NOGNSTANT GAIN S MONITORING DITHER amp DITHER ON CEILING SETTINGS The FG Level can be used to make a mix louder while retaining the dynamic feel and punch of the original mix It accomplishes this task by means of a new process called ITP or Intellig
4. ll find the process is extremely transparent with no other tweaking needed In some cases you ll need to adjust the TRANSIENT knobs in order to match or even amplify the original mix s punch You can also dial in the DYNAMIC PERCEPTION knob to add better perceived dynamic feel to the master Once you have gotten the master to your desired level turn your monitor volume down disengage the Constant Gain Monitoring and turn on the DITHER Now you are ready to export your master Slate Digital FG X Virtual Mastering Console 13 V METERING SECTION The FG X meters allow you to view the mix peak and RMS levels in real time The bargraph displays the Peak and RMS output levels and the VU meters display the RMS output level The 1 2 and 3 buttons give you direct access to 3 display settings of the metering section RMS Bargraph Peak Meters Maximums meters Adjust the range in the setting Hold indefinitely the maximums panel Click to reset the value SS a B l p 6 1 30 28 26 24 22 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 4 2 O 2 eI 64 A Metering Quick access to 3 RMS VU meters Section settings Metering Settings Use a relative RMS reference level for a better visualization You can control many of the details of the metering section by hitting the SETTINGS button on the meter interface From there you can customize the meters in a variety of ways to best suit your workflow Slate Digital FG X Virtual Mastering Console 14
5. X Dynamics Rack and give you some tips on how to use the processors in the mastering stage LOUDNESS VS NECESSITY As you are about to witness the FG X Dynamics Rack will give you the capability of making mixes very loud without the degrading artifacts that a mastering engineer commonly deals with when using peak limiting Therefore you hold in your grasp a great power and we ask that you use it wisely Regardless of the processor used a record at 7dB RMS more on RMS VI 1 RMS Level p 15 will never sound as good as one at 10dB RMS Luckily the general music buying population has now even become wise to the loudness wars and is demanding that it stops We hope that you can use the FG X processor sensibly and not as a tool to show clients how loud you can now go without turning the mix into squash If we all aim for an RMS goal of 10dB to 9dB music will sound better and maybe instead of loudness wars we can have loudness parties Slate Digital FG X Virtual Mastering Console 5 Hi QUICK START Preset Toolbar FG Comp Choose a preset e Choose a Ratio between 1 and 5 to smoothly compress the which suits best your whole song dynamics adjust the Threshold to get a gentle mastering goals compression gain Use the A B section e By pressing the FG Comp settings button you can adjust the to compare your settings Ratio and Threshold ranges VII Preset Toolbar p 17 IV 1 FG Comp p 6 Slate Digital FG X Virtual Mast
6. conos 4 i LOudness VS NCCOSSIOY ranana a A T a 4 IM QUICK sraa NA 5 W FEG X Dynamics RICK na o te ents 6 Wl Ce el glo aron O E E EEEE ETEA 6 Vadid TITUS Esana a a a a eas etetia lee 7 V2 MAES COMPAS cd Levels tia ais 8 Mis FOCO SCTE Sima dali 8 A ES rE O A 9 eZ lo Transient Seco asi 9 WAZ O 10 V2 3 Dynamic Perception a E A 10 IV 2 4 ITP Intelligent Transient Preservation vid 10 IV 2 5 Constant Gain Monitoring AAA AAA AAA 11 236 Ditherand Ceiling Setenta 11 A o A E etelgcse as deani sansa lacae dace EA EAE 12 Vo Metern e Seco Riad dad 13 Vig A N te for Mixing ENCINA da 15 V o TE EN 15 Vi2 DI tOr OM esna T O A 16 MIL Preset Toolbar id 17 VII 1 El 0 9 fea 1 41 24 ne eee eee TE AE 18 VIII System Requirements amp Installation ovina ria AAA 19 VIII 1 NSPAla to OSUNA ia 19 VII 1 1 iLok License DOWN ida ada 19 VII 1 2 WAS Ca ST eF A E il 19 DE C O a acne Gada cece 20 Slate Digital FG X Virtual Mastering Console 4 INTRODUCTION Thank you for purchasing the Slate Digital FG X Virtual Mastering Console Dynamics Rack This FG X line of mastering processors was created to provide you with the most precise tools for the mastering stage These processors use Slate Digitals Advanced Algorithms This term describes a unique and complex communication system between the DSP algorithms that make it possible to achieve new heights in signal processing This manual will help you understand the FG
7. d via the GAIN knob This allows you to easily compare the original mix vs the processed mix by enabling and disabling the power button on the FG Level This simple feature can help you evaluate what FG X is doing without the added gain inherent in the process This way you are comparing the affected and unaffected audio IV 2 6 DITHER AND CEILING SETTINGS DITHER amp DITHER ON CEILING SETTINGS By hitting this button you are given a tab to customize your ceiling setting and dither bit value It is recommended to keep the ceiling from 0 3 to 0 1 For CD masters make sure to put the dither settings at 16bits DITHER SETTINGS Ceiling Output Bit Resolution 24 bits Slate Digital FG X Virtual Mastering Console 12 IV 2 7 IN USE It is suggested that when first using the FG Level you push the Constant Gain Monitoring button This will allow you to start processing the mix while maintaining transparency Please note that the Metering Section still displays the master output levels with the Constant Gain Monitoring engaged You can change this behavior in the Metering Section options Start by adding level to the mix via the GAIN knob The inner meters in the meter panel will show you the RMS level Start by pushing the GAIN so that during the loudest passages of the mix the average RMS levels are about 10 dB FS Disable the power button to hear what effect is being added to the mix Many times you
8. en 5dB of reduction can give just the amount of tightness needed Be aware that many mixers use a mixbuss compressor and that there are cases where there will be NO NEED for any additional compression during the mastering stage Don t use the FG Comp just because it s there use it because your ears feel like the mix needs some extra leveling One reason that compression has been common in the mastering stage is because mastering engineers have to reduce peaks before using peak limiters to bring up the level of the mix Because peak limiting is so destructive reducing peaks first with a compressor allows them to use LESS peak limiting However as you will soon hear with the FG Level processor there is much less need to reduce peaks Slate Digital FG X Virtual Mastering Console 8 Having said that you may find that the FG Comp s sound can add an extra touch of magic even on compressed mixes Let your ears decide IV 7 2 THE FG COMP AS A LEVELER On very slow Attack and Release parameters the FG Comp acts like a leveler as if someone moves a gain slider according to the input level The leveler mode of the FG Comp algorithm has been designed to retain all the punch and original transients of the mix while reacting in an intelligent way to sudden global loudness changes in the audio This mode can be used in 2 ways e With a high ratio and threshold to prevent too high RMS levels in loud moments of the song e With a low ratio
9. ent Transient Preservation TM ITP uses a complex algorithm to analyze peaks individually It then creates an optimized set of algorithm parameters to absorb the peak in the most transparent fashion For instance ITP will optimize a particular curve that best accentuates midrange punch when processing the peak of a snare drum It will optimize a curve for low end energy when processing a kick drum peak The result is loudness processing that is transparent and keeps the original punch and dynamics IV 2 7 TRANSIENT SECTION The first section of FG Level is the TRANSIENT section This section has two controls LOPUNCH and DETAIL LOPUNCH can raise the level of the low end punch of the mix a k a the kick drum level Detail will raise the level of the high end punch such as snare drum These controls are intended to be used to customize the amount of final transient articulation in the final master It is recommended to leave them all the way down and to apply them AFTER the GAIN By hitting the Settings tab to the left of the TRANSIENT knobs you can link both parameters Slate Digital FG X Virtual Mastering Console 10 IV 2 2 GAIN The GAIN knob controls how much gain is added to the mix As peaks approach the ceiling they are processed via ITP as described earlier The GAIN automatically goes to a built in ceiling which can be adjusted from 1 to OdB IV 2 3 DYNAMIC PERCEPTION The Dynamic Perception algorithm i
10. ering Console SETTINGS lt 3 pe j a 5 3 MN 5 4s 104 LA E c FG COMP IELEAS MARESHOLO CONSTANT GAIN 2 MONITORING DITHER amp 2 s DITHER ON CEILING m ass 3 SETTINGS DYNAMIC PERCEPTION NN O O 01 AO AA I 30 28 26 24 22 18 16 14 12 10 6 6 4 2 O AAA A a DIT MANN NANNY C Advanced Algorithms By FABRICE GABRI FG Level Metering Section e Push the gain to get the desired RMS level adjust Adjust the Vu Meter settings the LoPunch and Detail parameters to enhance according to your needs and use the transients Reference RMS Level visualization to e Then adjust the Dynamic Perception and ITP adjust the FG Level Gain parameters to get the desired sound flavor 1 2 and 3 buttons gives you e You can adjust the gain range in the FG Level direct access to 3 different settings setting panel and adjust the output but resolution Opening the Settings panel lets with the dither options you fully customize the Metering Section IV 2 FG Level p 9 V Metering Section p 13 Slate Digital FG X Virtual Mastering Console 6 IV FG X DYNAMICS RACK SETTINGS TOONSTANT GAIN 2 MONITORING DITHER amp 3 we 4 DITHER ON CEILING SETTINGS y SETTINGS The FG X Dynamics Rack consists of two main processors the FG Comp and the FG Level The FG Comp is a world class mastering compressor that combines several compression topologies to create the ultimate in transparent dynamic control The FG Leve
11. he Key Of Life But on that day brought up something to Fabrice that really struck a chord in him told him that thought peak limiting was destroying the music industry His eyes lit up and he slammed his coffee down on the table and said to me in a French accent I know This has troubled me for so long There has to be a better way And those words were the conception of the FG X Because he was right there had to be a better way to make music louder in the mastering stage then what was currently offered And to be honest the only thing currently offered was this barbaric process of lookahead peak limiting which to my ears was a one way ticket to making any mix sound WORSE So many digital plugin companies had a peak limiter It seemed like standard procedure for every company to release their own We tested dozens of them in hopes that maybe we d find the one that would sound good and keep the audio intact even at high gain additions We failed in our search The only thing left to do was to build an entirely new mousetrap It would prove to be one of the most difficult tasks we would ever undertake Starting with sketches of concepts on pieces of paper leading to over one hundred beta prototypes with thousands of listening tests and nearly three years of constant work the FG X was finally born And both Fabrice and could not be more proud Finally a tool that can accomplish something that until now has never been accomplis
12. hed Congratulations on getting the FG X We have found a better way Steven Slate Slate Digital FG X Virtual Mastering Console 21 A note from Fabrice Gabriel Developing the FG X Dynamics Rack algorithms was a big challenge Every step of making this product become a reality has been a very long process mixing algorithm innovations intense listening sessions and a constant research for means of improvement We wanted to build a loudness processor which delivers the best sound quality with the most transparent algorithm processing while giving the user a comprehensive but simple set of parameters which do not require the tedious tasks of searching for the right settings for hours I still exactly remember the first time we processed a mix with the right algorithm adjustments at Steven s studio We looked at each other thinking the same thing WOW We got it I m also very proud of the FG Comp which has a unique character and behavior designed this compressor algorithm with a mastering and transparency goal in mind can t believe myself how transparent and coherent this compressor is even with high compression gain reductions and love the intelligent leveler mode which always missed in every compressor tried The built in metering section crystallizes what was always dreaming about with regards to metering at the mastering stage Last creating the look and feel and the interface to ease use of these features wa
13. l is a loudness processor that uses a revolutionary new algorithm to add level without adding degrading artifacts The FG Level also contains a dithering algorithm which retains the sound of your higher bit rate audio files in their final 16 bit output IV 1 FG Comp The FG Comp is an extremely transparent compressor aimed at mixbuss and mastering duties Its algorithm is based on two different compression topologies photo optical cell and VCA Its controls are the same as are commonly found in compressors The ATTACK parameter controls how fast the gain reduction reacts once the signal passes the threshold The RELEASE parameter controls how fast the reaction time should be for the original signal to return to its original level once the signal drops below the Slate Digital FG X Virtual Mastering Console 7 threshold RATIO controls the amount of gain reduction applied once the signal passes the threshold IV 7 7 IN USE The FG Comp can add a tight glue like effect to your mix Start with both attack and release at twelve o clock and adjust from there with the attack generally going slower and the release going faster For adding more punch slow attack and fast releases are suggested For more transparency you can slow down the release till the compression feels in time with the song The FG Comp requires VERY little gain reduction to be useful Generally in the mastering Stage 1 to 2 dB of reduction will work fine but ev
14. me Rename Preset delete Banks and Presets Delete Preset and to import and export Assign Preset To Slot gt Banks You can also Create New Bank ds 3 access these tools by Rename Bank gt right clicking on the Bank Delete Bank 7 or Preset fields Export Bank CONSTANT GAIN Import Bank MONITORING Slate Digital FG X Virtual Mastering Console 18 ViI 7 GLOBAL SETTINGS You can adjust several global settings e Value Display you can display the value when adjusting a parameter Mouse Wheel Sensitivity click on a knob and use your mouse wheel to adjust the value Adjust the mouse wheel sensitivity according to your needs Default Preset use this options to load the FG X with the preset of your choice SLATE DIGITAL Slate Digital FG X Virtual Mastering Console 19 VIII SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS INSTALLATION PC Requirements e Hardware any Intel or AMD processor with SSE2 support 1 GB RAM e Operating system Windows Vista 32 64 Bit Windows 7 32 64 Bit MAC Requirements e Hardware Mac PowerPC G5 or any Intel processor 1 GB of RAM e Operating system Mac OS X 10 4 or later VIII 1 INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS Vill 7 7 1Lok LICENSE DOWNLOADING e Before downloading the iLok license for FG X make sure you have installed the latest iLok drivers for your system You can download the latest installers here o iLok drivers for Mac OS http sw ilok com macextsx dmg o iLok drivers for Windows htt
15. n the past there is no way it will sound as dynamic punchy and big on the bottom end as a 10 dB FS RMS Slate Digital FG X Virtual Mastering Console 16 When we say 11 dB RMS this refers to the loudest passage of the song typically the chorus For instance a typical pop rock song can start out at 12 dB RMS for the verse get to 11 dB RMS for the prechorus as more instrumentation is brought in and then peak at an average of 10 dB RMS for the chorus as all the elements of the mix are in gear VI 2 DISTORTION In the rare case that you hear distortion via the FG Level follow these steps in order e Lower the ITP slider This will make the curves gentler and 99 of the time will remove the distortion without affecting anything else If you find you like the sound of the ITP slider when it is higher on a particular mix simply automate the slider down during the portion of the mix where you hear distortion e Check the mix Often times distortion is caused by an unbalanced frequency response within the mix Usually the unbalance is in the low end Ensure that your mix doesn t have sudden bursts of extreme sub lows or long low end resonances that are overbearing To be clear healthy sub low end is handled fine by the FG Level Excessive distortion of your mix at RMS levels of 10 to 8 5dB is most likely an INDICATION THAT YOUR MIX HAS POOR FREQUENCY BALANCE Make sure that before pushing a mix louder with the FG Level that yo
16. ool to give your clients a reference mix that is competitive with professionally mastered mixes To this end please be aware of your final plans once the mix leaves your hands If the song is intended for mastering you should remove FG X before sending it to mastering or if you are using the FG Comp as a buss compressor you should bypass the FG Level module Otherwise your mastering engineer will not have enough headroom to work with since your FG X processed mix will be reaching 10db rather than the 20 to 15dB FS preferred level of an unmastered mix V1 1 RMS LEVEL RMS or root mean square is considered the standard for measuring loudness in audio Typically a mix should have an average RMS value of 20 to 15 dB FS FS for Full Scale i e OdB or 16 24bits digital maximum This leaves plenty of headroom for you to process the mix further in the mastering stage By printing a mix higher then 15dB you are not leaving enough room for the mastering stage processing Mixes need to be MIXES not MASTERS If you are comparing your mix with a reference of an already mastered mix lower the mastered mix by roughly 8dB Do not try to match a mastered song s level during the mix stage Leave loudness processing to the mastering stage Mastered songs have an RMS of 11 to 8 dB FS Some masters are pushed louder to 7 or even 6 dB FS While the FG X can certainly make these types of loud masters sound better than typical limiters have i
17. p sw ilok com DriverSetup exe In order to download your iLok license to your iLok dongle please visit the link that was given to you in your email receipt and enter the required info including the issued passcode This will unlock your iLok redemption code Use this code via your iLok account s Redeem License Code Enter the iLok code and then download the license on your iLok dongle Vill 7 2 INSTALLING THE FG X Click on the INSTALL icon Choose your designated VST AU or RTAS folder usually the default location that the installer insists will be best Slate Digital FG X Virtual Mastering Console 20 IX CONCLUSION We hope the FG X Dynamics Rack helps you make your masters even better For any support related issues please visit www slatedigital com support A note from Steven Slate It all started when Fabrice Gabriel and sat down at a conference table in early 2008 drinking coffee The coffee in the US isn t quite like European coffee he said to me didn t realize how right he was until recently visiting the Frankfurt Music MESSE in Germany European coffee is just amazing But coffee was certainly not the main focus of our conversation that day No Fabrice and were talking about music Both he and had played music from an early age and we had shared a deep passion for it Months later we d be in my studio listening to classic tracks from Michael Jackson s Thriller and Stevie Wonder s Songs in t
18. s a major collaborative effort Working with Steven was a wonderful challenge was always trying to fool his ears by giving him some blind algorithm tests with some fancy option names to scramble the things even more Each time he was able to pick the best algorithm settings in both technical and audio quality standpoints That s why the FG X is far more than just a processing chain of algorithms it has been fine tuned by Steven s masterful ears Fabrice Gabriel Thanks and happy mastering The Slate Digital Team SLATE DIGITAL
19. s a new process that adds perceived dynamics to mixes even with very little dynamic range Using this processor can add even more life and movement in your masters Like the TRANSIENT knobs start with it all the way off and gradually increase it after you have applied your desired gain with the GAIN knob Setting the Dynamic Perception at around nine o clock can add extra movement within the mastered song IV 2 4 ITP INTELLIGENT TRANSIENT PRESERVATION The ITP slider can be considered the most important control in the FG Level By moving the ITP slider up or down you change the global characteristics of the saturation curves created by the ITP processor When you raise the slider the ITP processor uses more aggressive curves throughout the frequency spectrum adding a slightly hard sound to the transients The lower you push the ITP slider the gentler the saturation curves become making the final master sound smoother Generally placing the slider in the middle leads to the most transparent results For modern pop rock and metal moving the slider up is recommended for the most punch For big bassy R amp B or hip hop the middle or slightly lower settings can retain a lot of sub bass Slate Digital FG X Virtual Mastering Console 11 IV 2 5 CONSTANT GAIN MONITORING CONSTANT GAIN oS MONITORING The Constant Gain Monitoring button will decrease the output of the processor by the same amount as you ad
20. u have properly balanced it with an equalizer such as the upcoming FG Q mastering equalizer e You re pushing the mix too loud As powerful as the FG Level is if you push the processor to unruly levels such as 5dB RMS it can still cause bits of distortion Push the mix to healthy level of 10dB RMS to 9dB RMS Slate Digital FG X Virtual Mastering Console 17 VII PRESET TOOLBAR By hitting the toolbar at the top menu of the FG X you can set up your own user banks with saved FG X settings We recommend naming the bank after the album artist or project and then saving each song s settings in the bank as a preset This way if you ever have to revisit old masters you can confirm a certain song s settings You can also save your favorite presets for the compressor Using the A B setting switch on the upper right of the FG X can allow you to easily compare two different settings Bank select General Settings Slate DigMal RN FG X Virtual Mastering CQ Bank Preset Tools Preset select A B Comparison To save a new preset first hit SAVE AS After typing in your preset name hit the ENTER KEY This will now save your preset If you make changes to your preset and want to instantly save them hit the SAVE button Please note that you can t modify the factory presets which are installed with the plugin Slate Digital FG X Virtual Mastering Console sasas The preset tools allow Preset Information E you to create rena
Download Pdf Manuals
Related Search