User`s manual

AEQ FORUM - DIGITAL AUDIO MIXER FOR BROADCAST APPLICATIONS

• BAL enables you to modify the balance between the L and R channels in stereo signals.

The operation of this indicator will activate the BAL display available in the channel on

fader display. See section 2.1.1.5. Active Process Indicators.

The four contextual keys under the display are associated with the four options shown in the

bottom line of the screen:

• BACK: pressing this key allows you to return to the previous menu screen.

• DYN: as an access to the menus for configuring dynamics effects included in the AEQ

FORUM: Compressor / Limiter and Noise Gate.

• EQ, as an access to the menu for configuring equalizers and filters included in the AEQ

FORUM.

• NEXT: additional information on the audio signal present in this input channel.

NOTE: the menu shown in this screen is identical to the one that is accessible from the

SELECT key on the AEQ FORUM control surface (see section 2.1.1.2. SELECT in this manual),

since this key is nothing more than a quick access to this sub-menu.

3.4.3.1.1. Dynamics Menu: Compressor / Limiter and Noise Gate

Compressor-limiter

Pressing the DYN contextual key from the SELECT menu of an audio input channel will give

you access to the menu to configure the compressor / limiter.

Dynamics processors are used to modify the dynamic ranges of an audio signal to adapt it to

specific needs or to produce certain sound effects. A compressor enables you to reduce the

dynamic range of the signal. Your purpose may be to adapt a signal with a very broad dynamic

range to a circuit that will not support such wide variations in level, or to generate a certain

sonority in a signal.

The “Compressor / Limiter” function acts as a “constant gain” compressor; that is, below the

threshold, all input signals are amplified (or not amplified) equally, while above the threshold,

the input levels are reduced to a greater or lesser degree according to the compression ratio.

If the compression range selected is the maximum, the function will act as a limiter in such a

way that the signals that exceed the selected threshold at input will not exceed a certain level at

output. For example, with a threshold = 0 dB, a gain of 10 dB and a compression ratio of 1:50,

you will ensure that all the signals that exceed 10 dB at input will also be output at 10 dB, while

the signals that are below the threshold will have an overall gain of 10 dB.

COMP / LIM screen

From top to bottom and left to right, the information displayed on the Compressor / Limiter

configuration and control screen comprehends:

• THR (Threshold): This is the threshold above which the compressor will act. Signal

levels that exceed this threshold will be affected by the compressor settings. The

threshold range varies from -42 dB to +22 dB.

• RAT (Compression Ratio): is the compression ratio. A ratio of 1:1 does not involve any

variation in the signal, as the level of the input signal is maintained at the output. A ratio

of 2:1 indicates that the level of an input signal which exceeds the threshold will be