" Slate"Digital"FG-X"Virtual"Mastering"Console" " " " FG-X Virtual Mastering Console Dynamics Rack - User Guide " ©" 2010" Slate" Digital" LLC." " " All" rights" reserved.
" Slate"Digital"FG-X"Virtual"Mastering"Console" " " " Slate"Digital"FG-X"Virtual"Mastering"Console" Dynamics"Rack"Version"1.
Slate"Digital"FG-X"Virtual"Mastering"Console" 3" " " I." Introduction"............................................................................................................................"4" II." Loudness"vs."Necessity"..........................................................................................................."4" III." Quick"Start".............................................................................................................................."5" IV.
Slate"Digital"FG-X"Virtual"Mastering"Console" 4" " " I. I NTRODUCTION 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" Digital’s" “Advanced" Algorithms”.
" Slate"Digital"FG-X"Virtual"Mastering"Console" III. " Q UICK S TART " Preset(Toolbar( FG(Comp( • Choose" a" preset" " which" suits" best" your" mastering"goals." • Use" the" A/B" section" to"compare"your"settings." VII"Preset"Toolbar,"p."17" • Choose" a" Ratio" between" 1" and" 5" to" smoothly" compress" the" " whole" song" dynamics," adjust" the" Threshold" to" get" a" gentle" compression"gain."" • By" pressing" the" FG" Comp" settings" button," you" can" adjust" the" Ratio"and"Threshold"ranges.
Slate"Digital"FG-X"Virtual"Mastering"Console" IV. " 6" FG-X D YNAMICS R ACK " 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"Level" is" a" loudness" processor" that" uses" a" revolutionary" new" algorithm" to" add" level" without" adding" degrading" artifacts.
Slate"Digital"FG-X"Virtual"Mastering"Console" " 7" threshold.""RATIO"controls"the"amount"of"gain"reduction"applied"once"the"signal"passes" the"threshold.""" IV.1.1. I N U SE 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.
" Slate"Digital"FG-X"Virtual"Mastering"Console" " 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.1.2. T H E FG C O M P AS A L EVELER 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.
Slate"Digital"FG-X"Virtual"Mastering"Console" " 9" IV.2. FG L E V E L ( 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"“Intelligent"Transient"PreservationTM”.""" 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.
" Slate"Digital"FG-X"Virtual"Mastering"Console" " IV.2.2. G A IN " " 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"0dB." " IV.2.3. D YN A M IC P ER CEP TIO N The" Dynamic" Perception" algorithm" is" a" new" process" that" adds" perceived" dynamics" to" mixes," even" with" very" little" dynamic"range.
" Slate"Digital"FG-X"Virtual"Mastering"Console" " IV.2.5. C O N STA N T G A IN M O N ITO R IN G TM The" Constant" Gain" Monitoring" button" will" decrease" the" output"of"the"processor"by"the"same"amount"as"you"add"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.
Slate"Digital"FG-X"Virtual"Mastering"Console" 12" " IV.2.7. I N U SE 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.
" Slate"Digital"FG-X"Virtual"Mastering"Console" V. " M ETERING S ECTION 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( " meters(( Peak(Meters( Maximums( Adjust"the"range"in"the"setting" panel." Hold" indefinitely" the" maximums.
" Slate"Digital"FG-X"Virtual"Mastering"Console" " " The"global"metering"options"let"you"adjust:" • The(Reference(RMS(Level:"the"RMS"level"which"will"be"used"as"the"0dB"display" reference"of"the"metering"section"VU"meters."" • 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.
Slate"Digital"FG-X"Virtual"Mastering"Console" 15" " • • • • VI. 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"0dB"of"the" scale"is"set"according"the""Reference"RMS"level""setting." Range:"select"the"range"according"to"the"RMS"dynamics"of"the"song.
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.
" Slate"Digital"FG-X"Virtual"Mastering"Console" VII. " P RESET T OOLBAR 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.
Slate"Digital"FG-X"Virtual"Mastering"Console" " " 18" VII.1. G L O B A L S E T T IN G S You"can"adjust"several"global"settings:" • 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"FG-X"Virtual"Mastering"Console" VIII. " 19" S YSTEM R EQUIREMENTS & I NSTALLATION PC"Requirements" • Hardware:"any"Intel"or"AMD"processor"with"SSE2"support,"1"GB"RAM" • Operating" system:" Windows®" XP," Windows" Vista®" (32/64" Bit)," Windows" 7®" (32/64"Bit)" MAC"Requirements" • Hardware:"Mac"PowerPC"G5"or"any"Intel"processor,"1"GB"of"RAM" • Operating"system:"Mac"OS®"X"10.4"or"later" VIII.1. I N S T A L L A T IO N I N S T R U C T IO N S VIII.1.1.
Slate"Digital"FG-X"Virtual"Mastering"Console" IX. " 20" C ONCLUSION 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' I' 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.
" Slate"Digital"FG-X"Virtual"Mastering"Console" " A"note"from"Fabrice"Gabriel":" "Developing' the' FGZX' 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.
