System 6000 Mastering Tools Come to PowerCore
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MD3 Multiband Dynamics
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Brickwall Limiter
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August 25, 2004
TC Electronic has announced the MD3 Stereo Mastering package for PowerCore. This package brings production and mastering tools previously only available in System 6000 to the realm of DAWs, and integrates smoothly with VST- or AU compatible applications for music and post production. The MD3 Stereo Mastering package includes two algorithms, MD3 Multiband Dynamics and BrickWall Limiter, and it will be shipping at EUR 995,-/USD 995,- on September 1st 2004.
MD3 features a multiband 48 bit internal resolution structure, and offers a 3-band compressor and expander, a 4-band parametric equalizer, and a limiter in one package. MD3 can be configured for stereo or dual mono processing, and used on single sources as well as composite stereo mixes. Alternatively, stereo material may be processed in the MS domain, or MD3 may take in MS signals and convert them to stereo with processing taking place in either the LR or MS domain. The multiband section has the advantage of adjustable look-ahead delay for gentle processing of transients, while the limiter uses its own overshoot proof micro-delay to prevent output samples above the threshold set.
BrickWall Limiter is a stereo/dual mono limiter with new features and technology. For quite some time, clipping and "maximizing" in production and mastering have been exploited to an extent where most rock and pop releases generate early listening fatigue. When audio gets squashed against a full scale - 0 dBFS - peak level in DA converters and data reduction coders (MP3, AAC etc.), it seems probable that it is higher than the level that the consumer equipment was designed to handle, and sustained distortion may be generated. TC calls this level "0dBFS+", and no current rules in mastering prevent such peaks from happening. The BrickWall limiter is designed to adapt to the signal, investigate if your signal is contaminated with 0dBFS+ peaks - and to remove them if so decided.
For more information, visit their web site at www.tcelectronic.com. |
