Symetrix 565E - Keyed Bass; Sibilance Control

565E
18
Keyed Bass
As a special effect, try using the signal from a kick drum to key a downward-expanded bass. This
technique will tighten the “signal start” relationship between the two instruments. Short RELEASE
settings will result in a perfectly tight kick/bass combination, since the bass will not be heard until
the kick drum is played. To accomplish this, feed the line-level kick drum signal into the KEY INPUT
of the 565E while sending the line-level bass guitar signal through the 565E.
q The expander threshold control varies the amount of
action; higher settings are crisp, lower settings merely increase
the volume when the kick drum keys the expander.
q Use the RELEASE control to make the expander follow the music.
Sibilance Control
Patching an equalizer into the sidechain can cause the 565E to respond more or less to selected
frequencies, giving it the ability to make sibilance problems less apparent. Fine tuning between the
compressor threshold, ratio, and the EQ boost applied in the sidechain will have to be made to
arrive at optimum results.
q To find basic settings,
start with a fairly high ratio
(5:1 or so), and a compres-
sor threshold setting
between -20 and -5. Cut the
low frequencies on the
equalizer and give a 15 dB
broadband boost to the EQ
at around 5 or 6kHz. Now,
carefully “tweak” the
threshold setting as you count
“four, five, six.” What you’re looking
for is no compression on “four, five,” and
somewhere around 9 dB of gain reduction on the word “six.”
q You can refine the setting by listening to the equalizer output and adjusting the EQ to emphasize
the sibilance in the source. Remember that you’re equalizing the signal to emphasize the sibilance, not
to sound groovy. Let the 565E do that. (Do you have a recording where the cymbals drive you nuts?...Try
the same technique on the overall mix.)
q Set the peak limiter threshold for 6 dB of gain reduction when Sam Screamer is on the system.
All normal signals will be slightly compressed, and really loud signals will activate the peak limiter. With
these settings a shy person will be audible, and the guy who thinks he has to shout won’t be too loud,
or cause distortion.
CH1 OUTPUT
-10 0dBu CLIP
CH1 LIMITER
-12 -6 -9 -3
-20 -4 -6 -2 -15 -10 -12 -8 -25
CH1 COMPRESSOR
CH1 EXPANDER
-18 -2 -12 -6
IN
+5 0
+10-10-3 +13
BYPASS
4-10
62.5+5
+20
-20-12
BYPASS
THRESHOLD (dBu) GAIN (dB)
10
1
RATIO (X:1)
FAST-40
+20 SLOW
RELEASE
-12
-25 0
565
DUAL
EXPANDER
COMPRESSOR/
LIMITER/
E
SLOW
BYPASS
FAST
RELEASE
+10
THRESHOLD (dBu) THRESHOLD (dBu)
-25
S
T
MICROPHONE
KICK DRUM
PRE-AMP
TO LINE INPUT
(BASS CHANNEL)
OUTPUT
FROM AUDIO
TO MIC INPUT
(KICK DRUM)
MIC
SPLITTER
PRE-AMP
KEY INPUT
TO SIDECHAIN
GUITAR
FROM BASS
INPUT
AUDIO
CHANN
E
SIDECHAIN
INPUT
KEY
CHANNEL 1 OUTPUT
BALANCED/
UNBALANCED
BALANCED
OUTPUTS
BALANCED
TYPICAL CONNECTIONS
3
1
SIDECHAIN
3
1
GROUND=PIN 1
HIGH(+)=PIN 2
LOW(-)=PIN 3
22
INPUTS
BALANCED
CHANNEL 2 INPUT
1/4"BALANCED
SIDECHAIN OUT
KEY INPUT
GROUND
BALANCED
SLEEVE=GROUND
RING=LOW(-)
TIP=HIGH(+)
A
LANCED
L
ANCED/
UNBALANCED
BALANCED/
EQ
GROUND
RETURN
SEND
RETURN
(to EQ input)
SEND
(from EQ output)