Klark Teknik DN530 User's Manual
Contents
1. 35 Balanced Unbalanced 37 Crib 389 Service Information 41 Routine maintenance 41 Cleaning PE NN 41 Replacing the mains fuse 41 Equipment disposal 42 BLERK IR xii Operator Chapter 1 Introduction Thank you for purchasing Klark Teknik DN530 Creative Quad Gate The DN530 is user friendly high performance four channel quad analogue gate designed for live sound reinforcement with applications in both front of house and monitoring situations Other possible areas for use include broadcasting the recording studio and installation The DN530 provides a variety of easy to use controls for the precise manipulation of gate parameters These enable you to use gating for creative and corrective applications for example by using channel insert on drums Your DN530 was conceived by Klark Teknik to offer audio professionals high performance audio equipment designed to provide no compromise sonic quality with a feature set that offers all essential facilities and functions It represents the very best of British design and engineering combined with contemporary efficient manufacturing methods and will give you many years of reliable service All this is backed up of course by the standard Klark Tekni2. ano I va 1 os emer INID0V vuv iO EPO sz sur sz 8 02 4 SUL snot 008 007 LA i 1 gt gt 8 v 0 0 00 swe SWL end 1 TINNVHO 11V9 LINO E DN530 Operator Manual 36 ERIK CE caga 5 7 ADN Appendix Balanced Unbalanced Audio Balancing refers to the type of input or output signal connections in an audio system These connections are specifically designed to reject external noise such as from mains wiring and internal interference from adjacent signal cables Unlike unbalanced lines which are more susceptible to noise balancing is especially useful when long cable runs are used between pieces of equipment and can also provide other benefits including an increase in line signal level and decreased possibility of ground loops Balanced connections are typically employed on long cable runs such as to amplifiers or for cables carrying sensitive or low level signals for example mics balanced line typically employs connectors of the XLR and 1 4 TRS jack plug types The basic principle of balanced interconnection is the cancelling out of any electrical noise by means of three cable connection to achieve the required signal Two of the cables called hot and cold are u
3. alvo NIVH23QIS T3NNVHO ao QE TINNVHO alvo i TVYNDIS uonednddy ___________ n mMM ol 31ed UONEI07 DR a ES TO 42 pan AQN3n63222 pan o ho REUS Y jj UN EN m ae x T n 6 um AN jw 1 C m 008 oor gy or Joio Ot r gt aor qu de r es ons gor oe su VLN oe SME wO xa pun E A j oov oo V NIVHO3GIS TINNVHO 3199 _ NIVH23GIS d JENNVHO awo NIVHO3QIS 4 THNNVHO ao JUL NIVHO3GIS L TINNVHO avo DN530 Operator Manual 40 ALAN Appendix Service Information This appendix contains routine service and maintenance instructions Routine maintenance To help keep your DN530 unit in good working order and to make sure it gives you optimum performance we recommend that you carry out the following at monthly intervals e Clean the unit see Cleaning below e Check the controls for freedom of operation e Check the functionality of all controls that is control knobs pushbuttons and LEDs You can carry out a visual check of all illuminated items LEDs etc by switching the unit off and then on again as they should all illuminate during power up
4. 21 DN530 Operator Manual 4 RLAR Contents Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E Appendix F vas era PTT 21 a 23 Interfacing with the console 24 Using gates with 5 5 25 Instrument synchronisation 26 Application Notes 27 Removal of background noise from electronic sources 27 Drums and percussive instruments 27 Transient 27 Bade EM ac Ge KURE a ACE 28 Conference P s k be SE the de cx 28 Envelope shaping 29 Gating vocals ds y stage de SG akt kje 29 Chatter Seas Re de acne 30 Clicking sursum REESE Gh eee 30 False triggering amp 4 hk Rake krakk kV 30 Noise enhancement 31 DUCKING 2 25 awa cae RRS ne nn de ROB RNA SU 31 eue Ved Tee a Rte a AG fe AG 31 Technical Specification 33 Functional Block Diagram
5. Signals in Signals in Signals in this range this range this range muted muted muted Time Figure 1 Gate function You would normally set the gate threshold below the lowest level of the performance so as not to lose any of the performance but eliminating any of the unwanted hum low level noise etc DN530 Operator Manual s Chapter 2 What Is Gate Typical creative uses The human ear is connected to an extremely sophisticated organ for processing incoming audio information the brain Even in situations where there are many sound sources we seem to be able to tune in to the sounds we want to hear and reject others This is sometimes known as the cocktail party effect where it is possible to pick out one person s voice even distance from may conflicting conversations The microphone mic is less selective in its pick up being sensitive to all sounds within its range and coverage angle For example mic set to pick up the snare drum of a drum kit will pick up every other drum and cymbal to some extent and probably the bass guitarist as well When several mics are positioned on the kit each one giving good sound on its own particular drum but they will all pick up unwanted instruments as well making the sound less clear One solution is to use noise gate on each mic see diagram below The gate will reduce the output from the mic to almost zero when the drum is silent yet will op
6. e Check the functionality of the equipment Cleaning Switch off the unit and electrically isolate it from the mains before cleaning Clean the DN530 using a dry lint free cloth Do not use harsh abrasives or solvents When cleaning the unit take great care not to damage control knobs pushbuttons etc Replacing the mains fuse The equipment must be independently isolated from the mains voltage supply before any attempt is made to change the protective fuse The fuse and its cover must always be replaced before the equipment is reconnected to the mains voltage supply Only use the correct replacement type when changing the fuse Fuse specification is printed on the rear cover To remove the fuse pull out the fuse drawer see Mains input on page 17 Then prise out the fuse from the furthest compartment the nearest compartment is for a spare fuse a small flat bladed screwdriver may be useful for this Insert a new fuse in the rear fuse compartment and close the drawer After replacing a fuse check that the unit is working properly Always ensure that there is a spare fuse available Operator Manual Service Information Equipment disposal When this equipment has come to the end of its useful life its disposal may come under the DIRECTIVE 2002 96 EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 27 January 2003 on waste electrical and electronic equipment WEEE Hazardous substances in WEEE
7. 10 Connecting the audio cables 10 Channel I O pin outs 10 Sidechain INputs 2344 ske sk RE 11 Connecting to unbalanced equipment 12 Powering the Unit eae zac ew 12 Front 13 Description cdc ixees beni rej adhe ka o dob ee eek 13 Gate SectIOn duc uero obs eae eee Ce eee Bee S 14 METERING Bod PI 15 uz maxi dus YR ae e OS 16 Rear 17 Mains In DUE s ts spss tet Gok dedit an seen Se ae Gad 17 Channels 44 ak ad meire A fe dice en e Bed 17 wee eee 18 Gate Control Functions 19 Attack ana rd i ELEM Ue ed 19 Hold wht ea 19 5 se sas aR desk D 19 RANGE qr 19 Threshold sir siia aaraa He Aan 19 Accent i224 a wow ow E a am fee lede ae a en d 19 Intelligent threshold shift i TS 20 Using The 21 Basic gate operation
8. remplacera la prise obsol te Prot gez le cordon secteur afin que l on marche pas dessus et qu il ne soit pas pinc surtout au niveau des prises ou l endroit o il sort de l appareil LE 11 12 13 14 15 17 Utilisez exclusivement des fixations et des accessoires recommand s par le fabricant D branchez l appareil en p riode d orage ou s il doit rester inutilis pendant longtemps Confiez toutes les r parations et interventions un personnel qualifi Une intervention est n cessaire si l appareil a t endommag d une fa on ou d une autre si son cordon ou sa prise secteur ont t endommag s si du liquide a t renvers ou si des objets sont tomb s l int rieur ou encore si l appareil a t expos la pluie ou l humidit s il ne fonctionne pas normalement ou s il est tomb D brancher l appareil du r seau lectrique par la prise de secteur Avertissement afin de r duire le risque d incendie ou de choc lectrique ne pas exposer cet appareil la pluie ou de l humidit Avertissement n exposez pas cet quipement aux claboussures et veillez ce qu aucun r cipient rempli de liquide verre ou vase ne soit pos dessus Avertissement la prise secteur doit toujours rester directement accessible LARK TENG Klark Teknik 4 EC Declaration of Conformity The undersigned representing the following manufacturer
9. 1996 Conducted RF field ac amp signal ports EN 61000 4 11 1994 Mains voltage dips and interruptions Place date Kidderminster UK 9th February 2011 SVP Midas Klark Teknik AVP Product Development Printed name John Oakley Printed name Alex Cooper DOC04 DN530ECDOC Rev C Precautions Before installing setting up or operating this equipment please ensure that you have read and fully understand all of this section and the IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS at the front of this manual This equipment is supplied by mains voltage that can cause electric shock injury The following special limitations must be observed in order to maintain safety and electromagnetic compatibility performance Safety warnings This equipment is fitted with mains power socket For safety reasons the earth leads must not be disconnected Signal OV is connected internally to the chassis To completely disconnect this equipment from the AC mains while observing full safety precautions see Power on page vii switch off the mains at the mains outlet It is now safe to isolate the unit by unplugging the mains lead from its rear panel To avoid electrical shock do not remove covers Refer servicing to qualified personnel only The power supplies even the DC ones have a high current General precautions The following information gives basic safety precautions that should be observed to reduce the risk of
10. Four rack mounting holes for securing the unit rack Do not overtighten DN530 Operator Manual 13 RLAR MERN IH Chapter 4 Front Panel Gate section The gate section houses six gate parameter control knobs bypass and duck switches and set of six metering LEDs For more information on the gate controls and their uses see Chapter 6 Gate Control Functions on page 19 10 1i 1 3 2ms 25 RELEASE 0 3 2 6 5 4 Item Type Label Function 1 Control knob ATTACK Adjusts the time taken for the gate to open after an over threshold signal 2 Control knob HOLD Defines a waiting period before the gate starts to close once the signal has been detected as having fallen below threshold 3 Control knob RELEASE Adjusts the time its takes for the gate to close after the program material falls back below threshold and the hold time has elapsed 4 Control knob ACCENT Adds an overshoot characteristic when the gate is opening which accentuates the transient 5 Pushbutton DUCK Reverses the operation of the gate so that it closes when signals go over threshold and opens when they go below threshold When the DUCK switch is on the ACCENT control and the ACC LED are disabled 6 LED Not applicable On off status indicator for the DUCK pushbutton orange 7 Control knob RANGE Adjusts the amount of gain reduction that is applied to signals that are below threshold LED Various For details see Metering on page 15 Contr
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12. Special accessories To comply with part 15 of the FCC Rules any special accessories that is items that cannot be readily obtained from multiple retail outlets supplied with this equipment must be used with this equipment do not use any alternatives as they may not fulfil the RF requirement DN530 Operator Manual ix 2153 FN TEN DN530 RL R Operator Manual Contents Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 1 sl Overview of the DN530 1 Applications 1o be ele 2 Features sas ea ute kose date de 3 About this manual 3 What IS 2 5 Principles of gate operation 5 Typical creative USGS iso La a Ro mime kes AE Keke 6 Other uses of gating 7 Unwanted side effects 7 Getting 5 9 Unpacking 324 486 os PAR ACRE Oa he 9 Checking the mains fuse 9 Installation s osas ae adsa a uomo ok esr n sed bake 9 Connecting the power cable
13. are reduced but the lowest noise levels remain the same This effectively decreases the signal to noise ratio By gating the signal before it enters the compressor as shown in the following diagram the noise can be eliminated before it has chance to be exaggerated by the compressor action Compressor for example a DN540 Creative Quad Comp Female XLR connector EXTERNAL SIDECHAIN 1 DN530 rear panel Male XLR connector Mic Channel insert point Mic inputs Console Some engineers prefer to connect the gate after the compressor This reduces any slight noise produced by the compressor itself but since the dynamic range of the signal is less when it leaves the compressor setting the correct threshold level may take a little longer Alternatively the uncompressed signal may be paralleled to the external sidechain input this external sidechain can then be used to trigger the gate Operator ILLE Chapter 7 Using The Gate Instrument synchronisation Sometimes it is necessary to synchronise the attack of two instruments Often bass guitar must be made to synchronise precisely to the regular beat of the bass drum This can be done by passing the bass guitar through the gate and using the bass drum as the external sidechain EXTERNAL SIDECHAIN 1 DN530 rear panel External Output sidechain input male XLR 1 4 TRS jack connector Input female XLR c
14. both cases gate opening closing occurs over a period of time which is dependent on the envelope attack and release control settings Accent Normally during an opening transition the gain changes from n dB is set up by the range control to 0dB When the accent control is turned up the transition goes from n dB to a positive n dB gain the amount of positive gain is set by the accent control up to a maximum of 12dB This accented level only lasts for a short period of time 50ms after which the gain returns to OdB The effect this produces is similar to the thickening action compressors impart on drums when their attack time is set very slow Ope ale Manual 19 RLAR MERNI H Chapter 6 Gate Control Functions The advantage of generating the effect in this way is that it is much more straightforward to set up and has the added benefit that the attack control operates to change the sonic character of the accent as well as the gate This allows more precise tailoring of the sound produced changing from tight and to more of low end thud as you increase the attack time Another important feature of the transient accent is that it is independent of the range control so that it is possible to accent things without gating them at all This means that there is no need to lose any of the original sound while gaining extra definition and punch Intelligent threshold shift i TS Intelligent threshold shift
15. contaminate water soil and air and ultimately put at risk our environment and health The directive aims to minimize the impacts of WEEE on the environment during their life times and when they become waste The WEEE directive addresses the disposal of products when they have reached the end of their life and contributes to the reduction of wasteful consumption of natural resources This will help to reduce pollution and protect the environment and ourselves If this equipment carries crossed out wheelie bin shown left please do not dispose of WEEE as unsorted municipal waste but collect and dispose of in accordance with local WEEE legislation The horizontal bar underneath indicates that the product was placed on the EU market after 13th August 2005 For WEEE disposal see our website at www klarkteknik com for information BLAR 42 Operator Manual Thank you for reading through this Operator Manual We hope you found it useful Please feel free to send us your comments Our contact details and website address can be found at the front of this manual T SIGNAL PROCESSING BY DEFINITION Klark Teknik Klark Industrial Park Walter Nash Road Kidderminster Worcestershire DY11 7HJ England Tel 44 1562 741515 Fax 44 1562 745371 Email infoQmidasklarkteknik com Website www klarkteknik com O 2011 Red Chip Company Ltd
16. fire electric shock and personal injury Never operate damaged equipment and never operate equipment with damaged cables Do not remove obscure or deface any warnings or cautions Power Please note that the system power supplies contain LETHAL VOLTAGES greatly in excess of the mains voltage and that its rails can produce extremely large currents that could burn out equipment and wiring if shorted All testing and servicing must ONLY be carried out by approved service engineers This apparatus should only be operated with the power supply connected to ground via the ground in the mains connector The internal power supplies are of the switch mode type that automatically sense the incoming mains voltage and will work where the nominal voltage is in the range 100VAC to 240VAC When removing the equipment s electric plugs from the outlets always hold the plug itself and not the cable Pulling out the plug by the cable can damage it Never insert or remove an electric plug with wet hands Handling the equipment Completely isolate the equipment electrically and disconnect all cables from the equipment before moving it When lifting or moving the equipment always take its size and weight into consideration Do not insert your fingers or hand in any gaps or openings on the equipment for example vents Avoid inserting or dropping foreign objects such as paper plastic metal etc into any gaps or open
17. i TS or hysteresis operates in conjunction with the HOLD control knob to reduce chattering within the gate Chattering is the undesirable condition that occurs when signals especially low frequency ones are very close to the gate threshold In this situation the gate can become indecisive and repeatedly open and shut on the programme i TS ensures that the gate remains open by automatically adjusting the threshold downwards as the signal goes over threshold When the signal actually falls below threshold that is the temporarily adjusted threshold the i TS resets ready for the next gate opening This improved decision making ensures that gating is rock solid and attacks start instantly and consistently even on signals that go slightly over threshold i TS is particularly useful for low frequency material and instruments with oscillating or unpredictable decay envelopes BLAR 20 Operator Manual Chapter 7 Using The Gate The DN530 is gate processor that utilises premium quality high precision components to achieve high degree of accuracy and control The DN530 has been designed primarily for creative use as front of house FOH or monitor However it is just as effective when used in the studio while broadcasting or recording The DN530 processors offer in a compact unit control over the dynamic range for creative and corrective purposes Basic gate operation The attack characteristic of the gate is expo
18. input The following diagram shows the sidechain input connection details m o wn Tip Ring Sleeve e 7 3 9 2 x F S Female XLR Console Sleeve r Female XLR 1 4 TRS connector wiring details are as follows Sleeve ground shield Tip hot Strain relief clamp Ring Cold Operator Manual Chapter 3 Getting Started Connecting to unbalanced equipment Ideally you will be making the best use of the DN530 s low noise high headroom balanced inputs by connecting to similarly balanced equipment However if you do have to connect to unbalanced devices the following wiring is recommended for best results see Figure 3 e Connect the ve pin 2 of the balanced connection to the ve terminal on the unbalanced connector e Connect the ve pin 3 of the balanced connection to the common ground terminal on the unbalanced connector e Connect the ground pin 1 of the balanced connection to the common ground terminal on the unbalanced connector The following diagram shows the wiring details for the insert send return 1 4 TRS connector XLRs Console 9 x Single channel DN530 rear panel 9 connections on rear of unit 5 EXTERNAL 3 5 S o 2 ic Fen Female XLR Male XLR 1 2 Tip C Female XLR Ring a Sleeve 2 1 C 929
19. the control functions of the DN530 gate Attack Attack is the time taken for the gate to open after an over threshold signal The shape of the attack is fixed and has been carefully tailored to produce transparent gating action Hold Minimises chattering in conjunction with the internal hysteresis Once the signal has been detected as having fallen below threshold this control defines a waiting period before the gate starts to close This is particularly useful for low frequency material and instruments with oscillating or unpredictable decay envelopes Release Release is the time taken for the gate to close after the programme material falls back below threshold As with attack the shape is crucial to the sound and has been tailored to produce the most transparent gating action possible Range Controls the amount of gain reduction that is applied to signals below threshold The gain reduction can be infinite but things often sound more natural when it is backed off to only 10dB or 15dB With this type of setting the background noise and spill remain reduced level but become less noticeable because they do not noticeably switch in and out with the gating action The maximum range is given when the control is fully anti clockwise that is set to infinity Threshold This is the gate operating point Signals that go over threshold will open the gate while signals that go below threshold will close the gate In
20. DN530 Creative Quad Gate Operator Manual Klark Teknik Klark Industrial Park Walter Nash Road Kidderminster Worcestershire DY11 7HJ England Tel 44 1562 741515 Fax 44 1562 745371 Email info midasklarkteknik com Website www klarkteknik com DN530 Creative Quad Gate Operator Manual DOC02 DN530 Issue B February 2010 O Red Chip Company Ltd In line with the company s policy of continual improvement specifications and function may be subject to change without notice This Operator Manual was correct at the time of writing E amp OE RLARR Uulu SIGNAL PROCESSING BY DEFINITION RUN HM 10 IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS Read these instructions Keep these instructions Heed all warnings Follow all instructions Do not use this apparatus near water Clean only with dry cloth Do not block any of the ventilation openings Installin accordance with the manufacturer s instructions Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators heat registers stoves or other apparatus including amplifiers that produce heat Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding type plug A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet consult an electrician for replacement o
21. H R DN530 RLER 32 Operator Manual Appendix Technical Specification This appendix contains the technical specifications specific to the DN530 Inputs Outputs External sidechain inputs Solo bus input Solo bus output Performance Four Type Impedance Maximum input level Common mode rejection Four Type Output impedance Maximum output level Signal drive capability Four Type Impedance Maximum input level Common mode rejection One Type Input impedance Maximum input level Common mode rejection One Type Output impedance Maximum output level Signal drive capability Maximum gate gain reduction Maximum accent gain Maximum signal level any input or output Noise at main output with unity gain Distortion at 1KHz with steady unity gain condition Signal delay Frequency response Dynamic range Analogue electronically balanced female XLRs Pin 2 hot 10k ohms 22dBu Typically 80dB at 1kHz Analogue electronically balanced male XLRs Pin 2 hot lt 60 ohms 22dBu lt 600 ohms Analogue electronically balanced Jack sockets 20k ohms 22dBu Typically 60dB at 1kHz Analogue electronically balanced female XLR pin 2 hot 20k ohms 22dBu Typically 60dB at 1kHz Analogue electronically balanced male XLR pin 2 hot lt 60 ohms 22dBu lt 600 ohms Greater than 90dB 12dB 22dBu 94dBu lt 0 05 0 s
22. Male XLR 7 Powering the unit To power up the unit switch on the power at the mains power outlet The blue power LED the front of the unit far right will illuminate to show that power is Your unit is now ready to operate To switch off the DN530 switch off the mains at the mains power outlet Then to electrically isolate the unit remove the mains cable from the mains IEC socket on the rear panel ERMIR 12 Operator Manual Chapter 4 Front Panel The front panel of the DN530 has four main channel sections each containing number of control knobs pushbuttons and LEDs Each main channel section is divided into gate section and sidechain section All of the switches on the front panel are of the latching pushbutton type and have two positions in and out Each of these switches have an associated LED above that illuminates to show when the switch is on Description The front panel comprises four channel sections and power on off indicator LED 1 2 GATE CHANNEL 1 20 OdB Ims 3ms 0 03 0 3 o 50 25 10 2 2 OMR THRESHOLD ZER OHD 40 10 Qsuut 5 30us BYPASS ATTACK RELEASE RANGE Channel 1 Channel 2 Channel 3 Channel 4 Item Description 1 Gate section see Gate section on page 14 Sidechain section see Sidechain section on page 16 Power on off indicator LED Illuminates blue when the power is on
23. Manufacturer Address Midas Klark Teknik Ltd Klark Industrial Park Walter Nash Road Kidderminster Worcestershire DY11 7HJ hereby declares that the following product Product Type Number Product Description Nominal Voltage s Current Freq DN530 Creative Quad Gate 115V AC 200mA 50 60Hz 230V AC 100mA is in conformity with the regulations of the following marked EC directives and bears the C mark accordingly reference number title 2004 108 EC EMC Directive EMC 2006 95 EC Low Voltage Directive LVD The conformity of the product with EC directives for use in environments E1 E2 E3 and 4 is provided by the compliance with the following standards Standards date reference number title EN 60065 2002 Audio video and similar electronic apparatus Safety requirements Applied EMC emission test standards Applied EMC immunity test standards ref no title ref no title EN 55103 1 1996 EN 55103 1 Annex A Radiated EN 55103 1996 EN 61000 4 2 1995 Electrostatic Class B magnetic disturbance 50Hz 50kHz Class B discharge CISPR 22 Radiated disturbance EN 61000 4 3 1996 Radiated RF 30 1000MHz disturbance 80 1000MHz EN 55103 1 Annex E Conducted EN 55103 2 Annex A Magnetic LF disturbance ac amp signal ports disturbance 50Hz 10kHz EN 61000 3 2 2006 Mains EN 61000 4 4 1995 Fast transient harmonics bursts ac amp signal ports EN 61000 3 3 1995 Mains voltage EN 61000 4 5 1995 Surge ac port flicker EN 61000 4 6
24. RNAL SIDECHAN 3 SIDECHAN 2 ous SIDECHAN 4 ARE REPLACE WITH TYPE all se Ip susi Q se roo ours DEI 2 N2 EX E no HAN 3 ME v RE REPLACE WITH SAME Solo input Figure 3 Daisy chaining the DN530s solo bus 2 ak Manual 23 KLOR R UENIG H Chapter 7 Using The Gate Interfacing with the console The DN530 is optimised for use at line level therefore to gate mic the input to the DN530 has to be taken from the console preferably from the channel insert point send The output from the DN530 comes back to the channel insert return By connecting the DN530 at this position in the signal chain its operation is unaffected by the use of any of the console controls except input gain EXTERNAL DN530 rear panel SIDECHAIN 1 Female XLR connector Male XLR connector Mic Channel insert point Send Return Mic inputs Console An alternative is to connect to the group insert point of the console This is useful when many inputs are mixed down to smaller number of outputs A given number of gates can achieve greater coverage BLAR 24 Operator Manual Using gates with compressors Using gates with compressors One of the most important applications of noise gate is the reduction of noise emphasised by the action of compressors When any signal is compressed the highest levels
25. ation of the transient is still possible Reduction of resonant howl round With high amplification levels it is possible for a drum to resonate in sympathy with the amplified version of itself similar to microphonic howl round It is possible for this sound to be so loud that once open a gate will not shut again If the sound levels are reduced and the drum transients are accentuated the possibility of howl round is substantially reduced The transient accentuation only lasts for 50ms so any risk of resonant build up is restricted to this time period only The transient accentuation feature of the DN530 adds another tool for the sound engineer that can be used to enhance and compliment the application of gating to many types of sound source Music PA The more mics there are in a public address PA system the more background noise and stage clutter will be picked up and amplified unless noise gating is used The most significant improvement in clarity will be obtained by gating those mics that are used least often For example the mic used only occasionally by a backing vocalist Mics used at a fairly high gain setting such as on a string section will pick up a lot of background noise To improve PA clarity these should also be gated Noise gates on the drum mics will also improve the sound of the kit Conference PA In a conference or business presentation PA system there may be several mics in use simultaneously Since each mic i
26. autions on page vii carry out the following to get your DN530 unit fully operational Unpacking Carefully unpack your DN530 equipment package Then inspect the DN530 unit carefully for any signs of damage that may have occurred during transit and notify the courier immediately if you discover any Check the contents of your DN530 equipment package If there are any parts missing incorrect or faulty please contact your local distributor or Klark Teknik at the address at the front of this manual The following is a list of the main items contained in the DN530 package Quantity Description Part number 1 DN530 unit Not applicable 1 DN530 Operator Manual this document DOC02 DN530 1 Warranty card DOCO4 WARRANTY 1 Mains lead PWR21 MAINSLEAD Please retain the original packing in case you should need to return the equipment to the manufacturer or supplier or transport or ship the unit later Checking the mains fuse Before installing the equipment make sure that the mains fuse fitted is of the correct type and rating for your unit For details see Replacing the mains fuse on page 41 Installation This unit is designed for mounting in any 19 EIA standard rack Four rack mount holes in the front panel are provided for rack mounting and are designed to fully support the weight of the unit in the rack Note Avoid over tightening the rack mount screws as this could damage the front panel The position of the unit wil
27. d often using gate to eliminate background noises altogether defeats this mechanism This tends to draw our attention to the noise when the gate opens Typically adjusting the gate range down to 10dB or 15dB produces results that sound much more natural Ducking Ducking is used to automatically reduce the signal levels when the level of Source signal from the external sidechain goes over threshold This 15 typically used in situations requiring voice over For example when an announcer or DJ wants to speak the background music is automatically made to duck is attenuated so that their voice can be heard clearly and at normal level De essing Compressors have traditionally been used for de essing but the degree of de essing achieved is very level dependent that is the loud passages will have sibilance s sounds attenuated more than the quiet ones De essing using the duck mode of the 5 is an alternative way of removing sibilance rather than using compression Use the solo to tune the sidechain filter into the sibilance around 10kHz Set the attack relatively fast 1ms and similarly with the release 30ms plus a little hold and then trim the threshold so that the gate meter respond to all the sibilant sounds but not to normal speech Attenuation ranges that are between 6dB to 10dB will produce the best results consistently reducing sibilance to the same degree DN530 Operator Manual 31 RLER VEN Il
28. d they pick up from the intended source This causes the gate to open at times when it should be shut Traditionally hi pass and low pass filters have been employed on gate sidechains in an attempt to limit the frequency spectrum that will trigger the gate to open This type of filter seldom works well in this application because they are not easily manufactured with steep enough transitions from pass band to stop band Also set up is difficult because you typically need to adjust them together to form band pass filter much better solution is to use band pass filter in the first place which is set up with high enough Q to make it very selective Most instruments especially drums have resonant frequency and false gate triggering can be massively improved by tuning single band pass filter as described to find this resonance False triggering is eliminated because the frequency spectrum and resonance from the spill does not produce enough energy at the tuned frequency to open the gate only the intended source will The DN530 sidechain filters are high band pass types as described above Set up is made by simple single control per channel and this is made even easier because you can listen to the filter output without interrupting the source material on separate solo bus BLAR ERMIR Operator Manuel Noise enhancement Noise enhancement We all have the ability to block out constant background noises an
29. e range 100V AC to 240V AC The fuse drawer houses the mains fuse MOUNT IN RACK ONLY SUPPLY VOLTAGE 100 240V AC 50 60Hz 25W FUSE 5x20mm T 800mA L 250V TO REDUCE RISK OF FIRE REPLACE WITH SAME TYPE OF FUSE at the rear of a two compartment Fuse drawer drawer The front compartment provides room for a spare Always replace the mains fuse with one of the same type and rating as printed to the right of the fuse drawer Channels There are four similar channel sections on the rear of the DN530 Each section comprises EXTERNAL an input and an output XLR SIDECHAIN 1 chassis connector and a 1 4 TRS connector These are used for connecting to external line level signals such as a mixing console s insert connections External sidechain input 1 4 TRS jack 25 Output 25 male XLR og connector t 8 ao x DN530 Operator Manual 17 Chapter 5 Rear Panel Solo bus The solo bus section comprises an input and an output XLR chassis connector These are connected to an external monitor input such as mixing console or they can be daisy chained to other units being monitored see Figure 3 Daisy chaining the DN530s solo bus on page 23 EPLACE X TYPE OF FUS Input female XLR connector connector md Solo connections 2153 18 DN530 Operator Manual Chapter 6 Gate Control Functions This chapter gives details of
30. e sure that the mains voltage and fuse rating information of the equipment will be visible after installation Audio connections To ensure the correct and reliable operation of the equipment only high quality balanced screened twisted pair audio cable should be used XLR connector shells should be of metal construction so that they provide a screen when connected to the console and where appropriate they should have Pin 1 connected to the cable screen In the event of ground loop problems disconnect the signal screen at one end of the connecting cables Note that this can only be done when the equipment is used within a balanced system Radio frequency interference Class B device This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions may cause harmful interference to radio communications However there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one
31. econds 0 5dBu input to output 20Hz to 20kHz gt 116dB 22Hz to 22kHz unweighted DN530 Operator Manual 33 Gate Filter Terminations Power requirements Dimensions Weight Operation Storage Technical Specification Threshold Range Attack Release Hold Accent Sidechain filter Audio Power Voltage Frequency Consumption Height Width Depth Net Shipping Temperature Temperature Scale 50dB to 25dB Scale minus infinity to OdB Scale 30 to 10ms Scale 2ms to 25 Scale 2ms to 25 Scale OdB to 12dB Scale 40Hz to 16kHz 3 pin XLRs male and female and 1 4 TRS balanced jack sockets 3 pin IEC 100VAC to 240VAC 10 50Hz to 60Hz lt 25W 44 5 mm 1 75 1U high 483 mm 19 305 mm 12 4 6 kg 5 6 kg 5 to 45 20 60 Due policy of continual improvement Klark Teknik reserves the right to alter the function or specification at any time without notice KLARE Ex 34 DN530 Operator Manual Appendix Functional Block Diagram The following page contains the signal flow diagram for the DN530 35 RLER MERNI H Functional Block Diagram Z WOJ 72018 pe DEE 11vV9 KEN HUB i x9 RO 0105 110 sna 0105 F NI sng 0105 20 L NIVHO3dIS edojoAu3 E kl n
32. en practically instantaneously when the drum is played As the sound from the drum decays the gate will close again and reject noise from the rest of the kit depth Range attenuation Threshold level Signal level Background noise Signal with gating Output signal Time Gate closed Open Gate closed Open Gate closed The threshold level represents the sound level at which the gate will open Any sound exceeding the threshold triggers the gate Sounds at lower levels leave the gate closed and the mic will be almost completely silent KLARE Ex Operator Manual Other uses of gating Other uses of gating Gates were originally devised to reduce noise in the silent passages of music programme especially during the process of multi track recording on analogue tape Although they are still used for reducing noise many other uses and creative applications have been found for them over the years including Noise reduction e Removing compressor breathing noise e Reducing spill from adjacent sound sources e Gating ambience reverb for effects Gating one instrument to synchronise it with another e Ducking one source to make room for another in a mix e Reduction of ringing on drums e Increasing the definition and punch of drums Unwanted side effects Very often the process of gating produces unwanted side effects especially if the gate i
33. f the obsolete outlet Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs convenience receptacles and the point where they exit from the apparatus 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage within the product s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute risk of electric shock to persons The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance servicing instructions in the literature accompanying the product Only use attachments accessories specified by the manufacturer Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time Refer all servicing to qualified personnel Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way such as power supply cord or plug is damaged liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture does not operate normally or has been dropped Use the mains plug to disconnect the apparatus from the mains Warning To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock do not expose this apparatus to rain or moisture Warning Do not expose this equipment to dripping or splashing and ensure that no objects filled with
34. ing features The gate action has rock solid triggering Advanced band pass sidechain filter which is easy to set up Separate daisy chainable solo bus that allows tuning of the sidechain filter even during the performance Attack is exponential so that it can be set extremely fast to reduce signal loss at the start of sounds while remaining sonically transparent that is with no unwanted clicks Release is reverse exponential so that it can be set relatively fast to blend in seamlessly with the natural decay of the material Ducking Extremely low noise and distortion levels Rotary controls for all envelope characteristics and range Progressively controllable accent level that emphasises the start of signals to increase the dynamic power within percussive signals Comprehensive metering makes set up simple and intuitive Status of bypass solo and other major switches are boldly presented to avoid mistakes External sidechain inputs About this manual This is the operator manual for the DN530 Itis intended to help get your DN530 installed and in operation as quickly as possible by giving you unpacking installation connection and setting up instructions To help familiarise you with the DN530 there is a description of the front and rear panels along with easy to follow user instructions DN530 Operator Manual FN TEN DN530 RL R 4 Operator Manual Chapter 2 What Is Ga
35. ings on the equipment for example vents If this happens immediately disconnect the equipment from the mains see Safety warnings on page vii Then have the equipment inspected by the manufacturer s qualified service personnel DN530 Operator Manual Precautions Installation Before installing the equipment Power plugs must be inserted in socket outlets provided with protective earth contacts The electrical supply at the socket outlets must provide appropriate over current protection Both the mains supply and the quality of earthing must be adequate for the equipment e Before connecting up the equipment check that the mains power supply voltage rating corresponds with the local mains power supply The rating of the mains power supply voltage is printed on the equipment Location e Ideally a cool area is preferred away from power distribution equipment or other potential sources of interference Do not install the equipment in places of poor ventilation Do not install this equipment in a location subjected to excessive heat dust or mechanical vibration Allow for adequate ventilation around the equipment making sure that its vents are not obstructed To prevent excessive heating of the equipment avoid mounting it directly above power amplifiers or other devices that radiate significant amounts of heat such as radiators and heaters Keep the equipment out of direct sunlight e Mak
36. k three year warranty Please take the time to complete and return the registration card or fill in the Warranty Registration Form online by visiting our website at www klarkteknik com and to obtain the best results with a minimum of effort also read this operator manual Finally enjoy your Klark Teknik DN530 Overview of the DN530 The DN530 consists of four channels of gate mounted 10 rack Full control of all essential audio gating parameters is available including all envelope characteristics Additionally there are external sidechain access points with internal frequency selective filters Rear panel The main gate controls consist of bypass and duck switches continuously adjustable threshold and range controls and four envelope controls attack accent hold and release External sidechain input and filter solo facilities are provided which feed solo bus output with input for linking The sidechain filters consist of single band pass section with a frequency control that can sweep the majority of the audio spectrum The filter switch activates the filter within the sidechain signal path Operator Manual 2153 Ex Chapter 1 Introduction Applications The DN530 provides quality cost effective and compact gating unit presented in traditional 1U quad channel format This makes it suited to applications where space is limited and is ideal for small touring public address PA rigs where the four cha
37. l depend upon how it is to be used However when positioning the unit avoid placing it where the control knobs may be damaged by being accidentally knocked or snapped off Also try to avoid placing the unit directly near or on any power distribution units or power amplifiers DN530 Operator Manual 9 RLAR MERNI H Chapter 3 Getting Started Connecting the power cable Making sure that the mains power at the power outlet is off connect the mains cable supplied with your DN530 to the mains power outlet and then to the mains socket at the rear of your unit Connecting the audio cables Making sure that all equipment is switched off connect the DN530 to the rest of your audio equipment as shown in the following subsections For information on balancing see Balanced unbalanced audio on page 37 Channel I O pin outs The following shows the channel I O pin outs for the male and female XLR connectors on both balanced and unbalanced circuits Male XLR Female XLR chassis chassis connector connector EXTERNAL SIDECHAIN 1 1 1 Pin out Balanced I O Unbalanced I O 1 Screen ground Screen ground not connected at unbalanced end 2 Hot signal Hot signal 3 Cold signal Ground at unbalanced end ERMIR 10 Operator Manual Connecting audio cables Sidechain inputs The electronically balanced sidechain inputs are on stereo 1 4 TRS connectors Inserting mono jack plug will automatically unbalance the
38. liquids such as vases are placed on the equipment Warning The mains plug of the power supply cord shall remain readily operable KLARE Ex 10 INSTRUCTIONS DE S CURIT IMPORTANTES Le symbole repr sentant un clair fl ch dans un triangle quilat ral pour but d alerter l utilisateur de la pr sence d une tension dangereuse non isol e l int rieur du bo tier pouvant tre d une force suffisante pour constituer un risque d lectrocution Le point d exclamation dans un triangle quilat ral a pour but d alerter l utilisateur de la pr sence d instructions importantes concernant le fonctionnement et la maintenance dans la documentation qui accompagne l appareil Veuillez lire ces instructions Conservez ces instructions Respectez toutes les consignes de s curit Suivez scrupuleusement toutes les instructions N utilisez pas cet appareil pr s d un point d eau Utilisez uniquement un chiffon sec pour le nettoyer N obstruez aucune des ou es de ventilation Installez le en respectant les instructions du fabricant Ne l installez pas pr s de sources de chaleur tels que radiateurs panneaux chauffants tuves ou autres appareils produisant de la chaleur dont les amplificateurs Ne pas utiliser d adaptateur pour supprimer la prise de terre des prises trois fiches Si la prise fournie ne peut pas tre branch e dans la prise lectrique adressez vous un lectricen qui
39. nential which ensures that even at extremely fast attack settings the attack envelope seamlessly blends into the audio waveform This prevents the creation of any undesirable audio artefacts clicks gt gt To use the DN530 1 Set the threshold attack hold and release times to suit the programme 2 Set the attenuation depth using the RANGE control knob 3 Use the sidechain filter to tune the gate to open at selected frequency Sidechain For most applications the DN530 is triggered by the level of the incoming signal Sometimes it can be useful to use a different signal to trigger the gate this signal is known as an external sidechain Additionally there 15 solo function that routes the filtered sidechain signal to the solo bus to help the operator find the most sensitive frequency to trigger the gate Particularly in the case of drums very reliable trigger can be obtained by taping contact mic to the shell of the drum using the clean signal it produces to trigger the gate An example of this set up which can also be used for ducking see Ducking on page 31 is shown in Figure 2 Typical set up for external sidechain operation on page 22 The frequency controls can be used to make the gate triggering frequency selective The filter frequency control which is adjustable from 40Hz to 16kHz provides a good degree of triggering selectivity and facilitates easy set up The power of this feature combined
40. nnels are enough to cover small drum kit The accent feature will largely eliminate the need for excessive EQ or compression on these channels which is ideal if the accompanying console has limited processing facilities Other applications include ducking channels to make room for other instruments ducking with the sidechain filter active to reduce sibilance noise gating effects processors or other noisy sources like guitar amps The accent feature is primarily intended for use with gated percussion but it can also be used on its own with the gate range set to minimum in order to add punch as an effect to varied sources The DN530 has been primarily designed for the following main application areas Touring live sound In applications where analogue consoles are still required due to their ease of use Here the DN530 gate would primarily be used for channel inserts on drums The quality of sound produced by the accent feature may also make the unit useful as an insert on digital desks too Theatre live sound Theatres could make use of the gate in the same way as touring and for example may also use it as noise gate on vocals Corporate live event Used similarly to the touring and theatre live sound applications Conference and other fixed install Particularly for noise gating with the small rack size being an important factor 2153 2 Operator Manual Features Features The DN530 has the follow
41. noise problems will have a predominantly high frequency content and percussive instruments Ideally to obtain the best results you would set the threshold as low as possible to utilise the gate s fastest possible attack However in practice the threshold setting is dictated by the noise floor level that is adjacent drums cymbals etc A solution is to use the sidechain filter so that the gate is more sensitive to the bandwidth you want to hear Do this by adjusting the filter setting to tune the gate to a specific frequency Then use the sidechain solo facility to help set the filter you can do this without interrupting the audio by monitoring from the solo bus output via a spare input on your mixing console Transient accentuation Many instruments have a percussive start to notes that are played These transients can be enhanced or reduced by careful adjustment of the attack time as described above Additionally the DN530 has the ability to accentuate this transition even more through application of its transient accentuation capabilities Every time the gate opens an accent is applied This is a controlled boost in the signal level that lasts approximately 50ms The amount of boost applied is determined in dB by the accent control and the speed at which it is applied is determined in ms by the attack control The boost is gradually removed during the 50ms accent period returning the signal level to normal DN530 Operato
42. ol knob THRESHOLD Adjusts the operating point threshold of the gate 10 Pushbutton BYPASS Disconnects the gate from the main signal path 11 LED red Not applicable On off status indicator for the BYPASS pushbutton DN530 14 Operator Manual Gate section Metering The key to successful DN530 operation is to know when signals are above or below threshold This is especially true if the accent feature is used with low range settings Oacc with no gating action at all This style of metering provides an intuitive moving LED indication that ramps up and down as the signal level moves around the threshold point The metering comprises the following LEDs Label Colour Function CLIP Red Clip LED for showing when the signal is being clipped Clip LED threshold is 21dBu ACC Blue Accent LED for showing when the ACCENT control is applying positive signal gain THR Green Over threshold LED for showing when the signal has gone over threshold HLD Yellow Hold LED for showing when the HOLD control is delaying gate closure REL Orange Release LED for showing when the RELEASE control is delaying gate closure SHUT Red Shut LED for showing when the gate is closed to the level set by the RANGE control Operator Manual 15 Chapter 4 Front Panel Sidechain section The signals that feed the gate s sidechain are called the sidechain A band pass filter is provided that acts
43. on the sidechain signals The sidechain section for each channel can be broadly divided into two areas filter and solo The filter section comprises the FREQUENCY control knob and the FILTER and EXT pushbuttons and the solo section consists of the SOLO pushbutton SIDECHAIN 1 40Hz 16k FILTER FREQUENCY Item Type Label Function 1 LED yellow Not applicable On off status indicator for the EXT pushbutton 2 Pushbutton EXT Switches the source of the signals that feed the sidechain from incoming gate signal to external input connection and vice versa 3 Control knob FREQUENCY Adjusts filter frequency in the range 40Hz to 16kHz 4 Pushbutton FILTER Switches the band pass filter in out 5 LED green Not applicable On off status indicator for the FILTER pushbutton 6 Pushbutton SOLO Switches the solo function on off 7 LED yellow Not applicable On off status indicator for the SOLO pushbutton ERMIR 16 Operator Manual Chapter 5 Rear Panel The rear panel of the DN530 shown below has three main connector sections mains input solo bus and the four channels Mains input Solo bus Four channels Mains input The mains input section has mains Mains IEC socket IEC socket below which 15 fuse drawer Printed to the right are mains supply voltage and fuse details The mains input is an auto voltage sensing switch mode power supply that operates where normal mains voltage is in th
44. onnector Bass guitar Amplifier Drum insert Guitar insert Bass drum Guitar insert Mic inputs Send Console 26 Operator Manual Appendix Application Notes As most dynamics processing is matter of personal taste and preference these application notes are provided as guide only Experimenting in unconventional areas can often yield interesting and useful results Always remember be creative with your DN530 and have fun When using noise gates try experimenting with the attenuation depth for more subtle gating Bear in mind that 20dB of attenuation is equivalent to switching the pad in on your console s mic amp Removal of background noise from electronic sources Drums Gating can be used typically when an electric guitar with noisy effects pedals is set at high gain On the appropriate channel insert your DN530 s processor and with just the unwanted noise present turn the threshold up until the gate closes Set long hold and release times so that the gate does not close on decaying notes but gates the noise rather that closing abruptly Note Don t be tempted to set extremely fast attack times This is an electronic instrument so we want to avoid ultra fast transients that is the high energy peak at the beginning of waveforms Try setting the sidechain filter so that the gate is more sensitive to the frequency spectrum of the instrument Most
45. ontains crib sheet You can photocopy or print this page if you want more copies Operator Manual 39 2153 Crib Sheet a uone iddy ONISSAJOUA TVNDIS AQNIDOHI demo TM Reg am P xong 9 i c9 TON 9 TR 1 7 7 Ol a oS sO KL Marc ja 4 wa A J a ad E RO fcri Seto 6 gy de h O tr gy 008 oe as qo order erte ht Ot P esie ovs 259198 E ro gowua COPS va s Ts puc ssvana SOUS PP pon an x ECTS sug MN nog MO x ES 2 T 22 39v 220 ne x M Ol drm T CON go sug apo 02 0 700 sug ut 890 02 0 00 SUL PO 02 eo doo sug An 02 V V alvo _ TINNVHO alvo TINNVHO 3199 JUL NIVH23GIS
46. or more of the following measures Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna e Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected Consult the dealer or an experienced radio TV technician for help Electric fields Caution In accordance with Part 15 of the FCC Rules amp Regulations changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user s authority to operate the equipment Should this product be used in an electromagnetic field that is amplitude modulated by an audio frequency signal 20Hz to 20kHz the signal to noise ratio may be degraded Degradation of up to 60dB at a frequency corresponding to the modulation signal may be experienced under extreme conditions 3V m 9090 modulation Operation To avoid electrical shock never operate the equipment with the covers removed 2353 viii DN530 Operator Manual Safety equipment Never remove for example covers housings or any other safety guards Do not operate the equipment or any of its parts if safety guards are ineffective or their effectiveness has been reduced Precautions Optional equipment Unless advised otherwise optional equipment must only be installed by service personnel and in accordance with the appropriate assembly and usage regulations
47. r Manual 27 RLAR MERNI H Application Notes If the gate is being used creatively the effect of the gate opening transition can be accentuated This is particularly useful on drums improving definition and punch The accent effect is totally independent of the range control so it is possible to reduce the range very low or even off OdB and still achieve noticeable enhancement of transients Some benefits of transient accentuation are Increased tonal shaping effectiveness Gates can be used to modify the leading edge of percussive sounds to add definition and punch This effect can be massively increased by accenting if required e Reduction of gated breathing The noise enhancement issues associated with gating background noise can be reduced or totally eliminated while retaining the tonal shaping and punch that gate can add to percussive Sounds Reduction of delay When gates are used to reshape the transient start of a sound they remove small amount of sound at the start This effectively causes slight delay Digital gates can capture this sound by using look ahead techniques but they are not time machines the way they work is to delay the signal until the gate has opened This eliminates any losses from the transient but delays the signal even further Using transient accentuation with the gate range at minimum OdB ensures that absolutely no sound is lost and no delay is introduced However controlled accentu
48. ransitions that when applied to low frequency signals generate high order harmonics that sound like extra clicks in time with the music source The ideal shape is logarithmic like an audio fader so that the initial transition from shut to mostly open is fast and the final adjustment to fully open is progressively slower and slower The exact reverse applies to the gate closing which needs to start slowly and then speed up to close the gate fully With these shapes no harmonics are produced during an attack only fundamental frequency quarter cycle that can be controlled by the attack time The tonality of the gate opening transition can be adjusted using the attack control to be slightly higher in pitch than the LF content of the sound it is processing to accentuate the start of each note Or it can be set to be the same in which case the transition will not be heard at all If the attack is made slower still the start of each note will be softened which may be useful as an effect Release times are typically much slower so audio frequency clicks are rarely heard but the logarithmic shape is still the best because it makes the fade out much less noticeable The attack and release characteristics in the DN530 are logarithmic and fully adjustable to ensure effective gating that can be tonally transparent or used to add or reduce punch and definition False triggering Often mics pick up as much spill from other instruments as the soun
49. s not set up well or does not operate sympathetically with a particular type of source material These can include the following e Chatter The gate is indecisive and keeps opening and closing on sustained notes e Clicking The attack is set too fast or its envelope shape is unsuitable and generates high order harmonics each time it opens e False triggering The gate opens on mic spill as well as its intended source Noise enhancement Noise is removed totally so that the transition from when the gate shuts to when it opens and back modulates the background noise so much that it draws the listener s attention to the noise when it is present For details of how to overcome the unwanted side effects see Appendix A Application Notes on page 27 Providing controls for threshold attack release hold and ratio plus good metering helps operators set up the gate for differing signal sources and minimise most of the negative effects above However this may involve a degree of compromise between the desired gating effects and the unwanted side effects The DN530 will fare better than most because design choices made during its development were based on listening tests carefully tailored to match real world applications Operator Manual 7 FN TEN DN530 RL R 8 Operator Manual Chapter 3 Getting Started Observing the IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS at the front of the manual and the guidelines in Prec
50. s placed at some distance from the speaker s mouth the gain setting on the console will be quite high Background noise such as outside traffic or air conditioning will be picked up and amplified causing a considerable reduction in the signal to noise ratio of the system The solution is to gate each mic individually using the DN530 SERT 28 Operator Manual Envelope shaping Envelope shaping rhythmic pulse of 8th or 16th notes going all the way through song 15 common musical device This could be sequenced synthesiser but more interesting method is possible using the DN530 The synthesiser is set up to provide continuous sustained notes changing according to the harmony of the song perhaps being processed by chorus unit before passing through the gate drum machine or sequencer is programmed to produce regular chain of or 16th notes This is used as the key input to the DN530 an alternative source of 8th or 16th note pulses is a live bass drum with added echo timed to give the appropriate repeats By adjusting the release time the synthesiser will appear to play perfectly timed sequence of notes which will add interest and rhythm to the arrangement Sustained synthesiser note Signal level Time Pulse from drum machine gt 2 S 2 wo Time Synthesiser 16th notes gt 4 S un Time Figure 4 Envelope shaping In a similar way a bass drum ma
51. sed to carry signals and the third is grounded shield that surrounds the hot and cold cables An unbalanced connection only has two cables one of which the grounded shield is also used for signal return As the hot and cold cables are of equal voltage and the same source impedance but of opposite polarity when they are subtracted any noise voltages caused by interference and noise pick up appearing identically on both cables is cancelled out the difference between them being the resultant signal However in practice the electrical noise on both cables will never be identical and the degree to which it is reduced is measured by the common mode rejection ratio CMRR The electronically balanced input and output connections of the DN530 have the benefit of high common mode rejection CMR which eliminates externally induced interference such as mains hum etc is the ability of a balanced input to reject the part of the incoming signal that has the same amplitude and opposite phase on both input terminals referenced to ground As a specification CMR is usually stated as a dB ratio called CMRR at a given frequency Note On balanced circuits the hot signal is also known as ve and in phase while the cold signal is also known as ve and out of phase Ope ale Manual 37 RLAR MERNI H Manual u 38 Operator Manual Appendix Sheet The following page c
52. te The natural sounds of everyday life which can be caused by anything from say the falling of a leaf to the roar of a jet engine vary extremely widely in sound level This variance is known as the dynamic range and is the difference expressed in decibels dB between the loudest and quietest sounds in piece of audio such as music or speech or that can be reproduced by piece of audio equipment without distortion All of the sounds that we want to listen to whether natural or electronically processed are accompanied by certain amount of unwanted background noise such as the rustle of musicians turning the pages of the score in the studio Even if in the final programme the noise level is below the ambient noise of the listening area it may still be heard and is therefore undesirable The gate is valuable tool for controlling the dynamic range The gate of the DN530 not only allows you to minimise or eliminate unwanted low level noises but also gives you creative possibilities by providing the tools to artistically restructure the dynamics of signal Principles of gate operation The gate closes when the input signal falls below threshold position 1 in Figure 1 below This cuts off the output signal altogether until the gate opens again position 2 Figure 1 below when the input signal goes over threshold Input signal Output signal Music signal Signal level Signal level Time rd
53. with the solo bus cannot be overstated It can also produce excellent results as de esser see De essing on page 31 21 RLAR MERNI H Chapter 7 Using The Gate EXTERNAL DN530 rear panel SIDECHAIN 1 External Output sidechain input male XLR 1 4 TRS jack connector Input female XLR connector Channel insert point contact mic Snare Mic snare mic snare mic Send Contact mic Mic inputs Console Figure 2 Typical set up for external sidechain operation 2153 22 Operator Manual Soloing Soloing You can monitor the sidechain during the performance using the dedicated solo output To do this connect the solo output to spare input channel line return effects return etc on your mixing console Enabling any solo pushbutton will route that processor s sidechain monitor to the solo output allowing monitoring of the sidechain filter without interrupting the audio output of the processor The rear panel of the DN530 includes a solo bus with input and output XLRs This allows multiple units to be linked in series so that group of units can all apply solo signal to a common solo bus The final solo bus output will be taken from the last unit in the chain In the following example four units are daisy chained although you can have any number you want Final solo bus output BUS EUN EXTE EXTE
54. y be beefed up by using it to key a low frequency tone produced by a synthesiser or even the console oscillator and mixing this gated tone with the original drum sound A snare drum may be given added bite by keying high frequency noise Gating vocals In a recording studio vocals usually need to be gated to remove studio ambience headphone noise breaths etc This is best done after the vocal has been committed to the recording medium otherwise it may be possible to accidentally gate out something that should have been recorded If gating is carried out as the vocal is being recorded it is important not to gate the signal before it is fed to the vocalist s headphones Many vocalists find a gated headphone feed distracting and it makes it more difficult to find the right note to come in on 29 RLAR MERNI H Application Notes Chatter Chatter can normally be eliminated by increasing the hold time but this may allow the gate to stay open longer than is desirable Adding hysteresis to the threshold control helps enormously and allows hold times to be reduced without signal chatter The DN530 has 4dB of i TS hysteresis built in which is enough to eliminate chatter on all normal instrument types Clicking The key to silent gating is the shape of the gain transition curve that is used to fade up the signal level when the gate opens attack and fade it back down when the gate closes release Many gates use linear t
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