Important - Just Music

MindPrint ®
EN-VOICE ® MK II
Output
Output
Threshold
1:1
Compression
∞
Input
normal
Soft Knee Characteristic
Input
3. Dynamic
Processing
The tube compressor gives you the best of both
worlds—the precision of a high-quality semiconductor
circuit with the silken sound that only a
vacuum tube can deliver. The circuitry developed
by MindPrint lets you control compression and
tube saturation separately. To achieve the most
inconspicuous compression possible, the
EN-VOICE ® MK II works with a soft knee characteristic:
When a signal's level nears the threshold
value, the compression rate steadily increases.
When the signal level finally exceeds the threshold
value, it is compressed at the ratio that you have
dialed in. Even when compressed heavily, signals
are gently squeezed rather than crushed when
the signal rises above the threshold.
A WORD ABOUT THE TUBE
The overtones that tubes generate when driven hard
are what makes them so special. While semiconductors
tend to produce harsh, grating distortion, tubes
deliver warm, silken sound that is considered highly
desirable by recordists. Though all-tube circuits deliver
a warmer sound, they also have some drawbacks;
for example, they are noisier than solid state circuits.
In the EN-VOICE ® MK II, the tube is hard-wired to a
VCA (short for voltage-controlled amplifier, this is the
compressor’s controlling element). Courtesy of this
VCA, the compressor’s response helps shape the tone
generated by the tube. This puts into your hands a
compressor that combines the trademark precision
of a semiconductor circuit with the characteristic
response of all-tube devices. Model 12AX7A tubes are
triodes that are valued for their sonic qualities and
used in many other devices. The popularity of this
model has an agreeable side effect - when a tube
requires a replacement, 12AX7A’s are easy to find
and affordably priced.
BIAS POINT
The threshold value depends on the input level and
equalizer levels. For example, if you turn the input
level well down, you must adjust the Threshold level
accordingly.
Handling:
ON: Activates the compressor.
THRESHOLD: Sets the compressor’s threshold
within a range of +2 dB to -28 dB.
The compressor processes all signals whose level
exceeds the threshold value. Depending on the
defined threshold value, the signal may also be
boosted before it is routed to the tube. Signals
whose levels remain below the threshold value
are not processed.
RATIO: Determines the relationship between – or
ratio of – the input and output levels of all signals
exceeding the threshold value. Control range:
1:1 (no compression) to infinite (limiter settingthe
output level cannot be increased any further).
GAIN REDUCTION LED CHAIN: Gives you a
visual indication of the amount that the compressor
is trimming off the signal level.
LEVEL REDUCTION
A Ratio setting of 2:1 means that the output level
increases by just 1 dB when the input level rises by
2 dB; 5:1 means that it takes a 5 dB boost in input level
to increase the output level by 1 dB. Note that you
don’t have to reduce the gain manually because the
EN-VOICE MK II adjusts the overall level automatically.
TUBE SATURATION
A good analogy for tube saturation is the behavior of
a guitar string. Both generate a fundamental frequency
and a series of harmonics. In the case of the string,
harmonics are the frequencies produced by half the
string, a third, a quarter and so forth. In both cases,
the relative levels of harmonics are decisive in shaping
tone. It takes the right mix to create a signal
that pleases the human ear.
INFO
High-energy low-frequency signals can cause the
compressor to generate undesirable pumping effects.
For this reason, the compressor is equipped with a filter
designed to make it is less responsive to low frequencies,
yielding the kind of natural-sounding compression
our ears are accustomed to hearing. Because
this design simulates a natural function of the human
ear, this filter circuit enhances the tone of almost
every signal.
TUBE SATURATION %: Controls the amount of
tube saturation within the compressor for all
signals exceeding the threshold value. This lets
you determine precisely the amount of harmonic
overtones that tube saturation generates.
The control range extends from 0% to 100%.
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