DiscoDSP EQ30 v1.0 Graphical Equalizer User Guide
- June 17, 2024
- discoDSP
Table of Contents
DiscoDSP EQ30 v1.0
Users Guide
EQ-30 Specifications
General
EQ30 is based on Alesis M-EQ 230 dual 1/3 octave precision
equalizer specs.
Platform | VST (Windows) |
---|---|
Inputs | 2 |
Outputs | 2 |
Precision | 32-bit floating point |
Allowed sample rates | Any supported (host dependency) |
Equalizer
Number of bands| 2 complete 30 band 1/3 octave equalizers
Band Boost/Cut| ±12dB
Controls| 25 / 31 / 40 / 50 / 62 / 80 / 100 / 125 / 160 / 200 / 250 / 320 /
400 / 500 / 640 / 800 / 1k / 1.3k / 1.6k/ 2k / 2.5k / 3.15k / 4k / 5k / 6.2k /
8k / 10k / 13k / 16k / 20kHz level controls
Monitor| Input, Gain, Output and Text display
GUI
Display| Rack look, with some 3D ray-traced parts.
Controls| 60 faders, input and output.
Indicators| Indicator VU Meters showing Input level and Output level.
Key frequencies for instruments
Instrument | Key Frequencies |
---|---|
Bass Guitar | Attack or pluck is increased at 700 or 1KHz; Bottom added at 60 |
or 80Hz string noise at 2.5KHz
Bass Drum Snare| Slap at 2.5KHz; Bottom at 60 or 80Hz
Snare| Fatness at 240Hz; Crispness at 1 to 2.5KHz; Bottom at 60 or 80Hz
Hi-Hat and Cymbals| Shimmer at 7.5 to 10KHz;
Klang or gong sound at about 200Hz
Toms| Attack at 5KHz; Fullness at 240Hz
Floor toms| Attack at 5KHz; Fullness at 80 or 120Hz
Electric Guitar| Body at 240Hz; Clarity at 2.5KHz
Acoustic Guitar| Body at 240Hz; Clarity at 2.5KHz; Bottom at 80 or 120Hz
Piano| Bass at 80 or 120Hz; Presence at 2.5 to 5KHz; Crispness at 10KHz;
Honky-tonk sound at 2.5KHz as bandwidth is narrowed; Resonance at 40 to 60Hz
Horns| Fullness at 120 or 240Hz; Shrill at 7.5 or 5KHz
Voice| Fullness at 120Hz; Boominess at 200 to 240Hz; Presence at 5KHz;
Sibilance at 7.5KHz; Air at 12 to 15KHz
Harmonica| Fat at 240Hz, bite at 3-5kHz
Conga| Resonant ring at 200 to 240Hz; Presence and slap at 5KHz
Whether used to alter the timbre of an instrument, control feedback, or improve speech intelligibility, it’s important to know what effect each portion of the frequency spectrum has on the sound.
Audio octave ranges
Frequency range| When used produces this effect| When used too much Produces
this effect
---|---|---
16Hz to 60Hz| sense of power, felt more than heard| makes music muddy
60Hz to 250Hz| Fundamentals of rhythm section, EQing can change musical
balance making it fat or thin| makes music boomy
250Hz to 2000Hz| Low order harmonics of most musical instruments| telephone
quality to music 500 to 1KHz horn-like, 1K to 2KHz tinny, listening fatigue
2KHz to 4KHz| Speech Recognition| 3KHz listening fatigue, lisping quality,
“m”, “v”, “b” indistinguishable
4KHz to 6KHz| Clarity and definition of voices and instruments, makes music
seem closer to listener, adding 6dB at 5KHz makes entire mix seem 3dB louder|
sibilance on vocals
6KHz to 16KHz| Brilliance and clarity of sounds| sibilance, harshness on
vocals
DiscoDSP NightShine v1.1
Users Guide
NightShine Specifications
General
NightShine is based on Alesis 3630 peak
compressor specs.
Dynamics processor
Number of bands | 1 |
---|---|
Threshold | -40.0 dB to 0.0dB |
Ratio | 1.0:1 to 20.0:1 |
Attack | 0.1 ms to 200 ms |
Release | 50 ms to 3 seconds |
Output | -20 dB to 20 dB (make up) |
Threshold range | -inf dB. to 0.0dB, exponential curve. |
Gain depth | 0% to 100% |
Switches | Auto make-up, soft-clip and limiter |
Monitor | Input, Gain, Output and Text display |
+ Additional depth control for gain scale. |
GUI
Display | Vintage look, with some 3D ray-traced parts. |
---|---|
Controls | Attack, Release, Make-up, Ratio, Threshold, Depth and Auto Make-up, |
Limit and Soft-Clip.
Indicators| Indicator VU Meters showing Input level, Gain level and Output
level.
How NightShine works
Threshold (-40dB to 0.0dB)
Sets the level above which signals will be compressed or limited.
Ratio (1.0:1 – 20.0:1 / [limiter mode: infinite:1] )
Sets the compression slope, which determines how the output signal will change
in relation to the input signal once the input signal exceeds the threshold.
The first digit indicates how many dB of input change will cause a 1 dB output
change. The higher the ratio, the greater the compression, and the more
“squeezed” the sound.
Examples: With a setting of 2:1, a 2 dB input change for signals above the
threshold results in a 1 dB output change. With a setting of 1:1, a 1 dB input
change results in a 1dB output change (i.e., there is no change to the signal
dynamics).
Turning on limit switcher means ratio of infinite:1, so the output level
remains virtually constant regardless of input level changes.
Attack (0.1 ms to 200 ms)
This control sets how fast the compressor gain envelope reacts to changes in
input level.
The longer the attack time, the more of a signal’s dynamics are “let through”
before the limiting action kicks in. With slower attack times, the limiter
responds more to average signal level. This produces a smoother sound that
tends to retain dynamic character, but the tradeoff is that the compressor
cannot react as rapidly to sudden level shifts.
Examples: Setting a longer attack time with guitar allows more of the pick
attack to come through. A longer attack time with kick drum lets through more
of the beater “thock.” For recording, you may want to trade off response time
for smoothness. When used to prevent loudspeaker or power amp clipping, a fast
attack time is desirable.
Release (50 ms to 3 seconds)
This control determines how long it takes for the limiter to return to unity
gain after going into limiting. With short release times, the limiter tracks
every little change in level, producing a potentially uneven or “rippling”
effect that decreases dynamics but increases the average output level. Longer
release times tend to “squash” the signal more, producing less overall output
but retaining more of the signal’s dynamics.
Excessive release times can be used as an effect. In the 60s using lots of
limiting with long release time on drums was a popular recording technique.
Output (-20 to +20 dB)
The process of reducing dynamics lowers the signal’s overall level. Use this
control to compensate by adding output gain.
Example: Limiting a signal by 6 dB will make the signal seem approximately 6
dB softer. Compensate by using this control to increase the level.
The ‘Auto’ (Make Up) switch when turning on applies the approximately
compensation needed.
Depth (0 – 100%)
It’s used to scale the compression calculated gain, with 0% works like common
compressor, with 100% every time the signal raises threshold, the compressor
will envelope will attempt to mute audio.
Soft saturation switch
Wave shaper that shapes audio output and results in a more smooth curve rather
than hard clipping.
Monitoring
At the left-bottom side of the User Interface we have 3 vu-meters showing the
input level (IN), compressor gain (GA) and output level (OU).
Input level (IN) shows the incoming signal level, it’s light blue when signal
is under threshold level, turns orange when is above threshold level and red
when it clips.
Gain level (GA) shows gain level. This is useful to see measure the compressor
‘activity’, take careful, the less movement in this bar means that your
compressor settings are currently working more as just simple gain than
dynamic processing.
Output level (OU) shows the processed audio level, turns into red when clip.
The plugin DSP is mainly divided in 3 parts, spectral enhancer, multi-band
compressor and the limiter, but you don’t have to worry about an endless
parameter list, since most all are controlled by the plugin itself.
DiscoDSP ThrillMe v2.2.0
Users Guide
ThrillMe Description
ThrillMe is a powerful VST plugin stereo mastering processor, you can use
it to enhance and give warmth to your instruments or your full entire mix.
ThrillMe Installation
Double click setup program icon and follow the instructions.
Note: Demo Version is time limited to 10 minutes of processing per
session.
ThrillMe Interface
The following picture describes the function for each knob:
How ThrillMe Works
The plugin DSP is mainly divided in 3 parts, spectral enhancer, multi-band
compressor and the limiter, but you don’t have to worry about an endless
parameter list, since most all are controlled by the plugin itself.
You have only to deal with 3 parameters, spectral enhancer amount, compressor
threshold and ratio.
The spectral enhancer is a series of shelving filters that works giving
presence of harmonic components of the incoming signal, the big knob on the
user interface determines amount of this effect, a middle/low value usually
does the job.
The second part is the dynamics processor, firstly it splits signal in 3 ways,
bass, middle and high bands.
Each band is processed independently (3 parallel compressors), and the plugin
provides controls for threshold and ratio of the compressors, but each band
have own configuration (attack, release, etc.) set automatically with the
plugin depending the band (l/m/h).
The signal is then mixed together again, the mix is limited and wave shaped,
and is feed to output.
ThrillMe Specifications
General
Platform | VST (Windows) |
---|---|
Inputs | 2 |
Outputs | 2 |
Precission | 32-bit floating point |
Working rate | Any supported (host dependency) |
Spectral enhancer
Number of bands | 4 |
---|---|
Band specification | Bipole shelving IIR filter. |
Types | (1 x Lowshelf + 2 x Peaking + 1 x Hishelf) x 2 (stereo) |
Routing | Serial |
Adjustment | Auto |
Dynamics processor
Number of bands | 3 |
---|---|
Splitting filter | Single-pole IIR/-6dB oct x 2 (stereo) x 3 (bands) |
Band range | 0-1kHz/1kHz-10kHz/10kHz-Inf (with -6dB/oct crossover rolloff) |
Algorithm | VADP – Virtual Analog Dynamics Processing. |
Envelope | Attack / Release (Self adjusted) |
Ratio | from 1:1 to 1:128 |
Threshold range | -inf dB. to 0.0dB, exponential curve. |
Limiter
Type | Mathematical waveshaping. |
---|
Limiter
Display | Vintage look, 3D raytraced gui. |
---|---|
Controls | Threshold, ratio and spectral enhancement amount. |
Indicators | Valve showing compressor activity. |
References
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Read User Manual Online (PDF format) >>