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MASTERTOOLS
User Manual
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Apogee MASTERTOOLS User Manual

Operation manual Ð Table of Contents
Handbuch Ð Inhaltsverzeichnis
41 EinfŸhrung 44 MasterTools-Eigenschaften 47 Systemvoraussetzungen 47 MasterTools installieren und autorisieren 53 MasterTools einrichten 56 Funktionsweise 67 Der UV22-Prozess 73 Beeindruckende Kommentare kritischer UV22-Hšrer
ENGLISH DEUTSCH FRAN‚AIS
Mode dÕemploi Ð Table des mati•res
MasterTools
i
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Steinberg Soft­und Hardware GmbH. The software described by this document is subject to a License Agreement and may not be copied to other media. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or otherwise transmitted or recorded, for any purpose, without prior written permis­sion by Steinberg Soft- und Hardware GmbH. MasterTools¨ and UV22¨ are registered trademarks of Apogee Electronics Corp. All product- und company names are ª or ¨ trademarks of their respec­tive owners. © Steinberg Soft- und Hardware GmbH, 1998. All rights reserved.
Die in diesem Dokument enthaltene Information kann ohne Voran­kŸndigung geŠndert werden und stellt keine Verpßichtung seitens der Steinberg Soft- und Hardware GmbH dar. Die Software, die in diesem Dokument beschrieben ist, wird unter einer Lizenzvereinbarung zur VerfŸgung gestellt und darf nicht kopiert werden. Ohne ausdrŸckliche schriftliche Erlaubnis durch die Steinberg Soft- und Hardware GmbH darf kein Teil dieses Handbuches fŸr irgendwelche Zwecke oder in irgendeiner Form mit irgendwelchen Mitteln reproduziert oder Ÿber­tragen werden. MasterTools¨ und UV22¨ sind eingetragene Han­delsmarken der Apogee Electronics Corp. Alle Produkt- und Firmennamen sind ª- oder ¨-Warenzeichen oder Kennzeichnungen der entsprechenden Firmen. © Steinberg Soft- und Hardware GmbH, 1998. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.
MasterTools
Les caractŽristiques dŽcrites dans ce document sont susceptibles dÕ•tres modiÞŽes sans prŽavis et ne reprŽsentent pas un engagement de la part de Steinberg Soft- und Hardware GmbH. Le logiciel dŽcrit dans ce document est soumis ˆ un agrŽment de licence et ne peut •tre recopiŽ sur un autre support. Aucune partie de ce document ne peut
•tre copiŽe, reproduite, transmise ou enregistrŽe dÕaucune mani•re, sans lÕaccord Žcrit de Steinberg Soft- und Hardware GmbH. Master­Tools¨ et UV22¨ sont des marques dŽposŽes de Apogee Electronics Corp. Tous les noms de produits et de sociŽtŽs sont des marques dŽpo­sŽes ª ou ¨ de leurs propriŽtaires respectifs. © Steinberg Soft- und Hardware GmbH, 1998. Tous droits rŽservŽs.
Location code: 2264/2673
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APOGEE MASTERTOOLS
Hi-End bit rate conversion PlugIn
Operation Manual
ENGLISH
®
MasterTools
English Ð 1
MasterTools
English Ð 2

Introduction

Your Digidesign TDM system consists of many digital mixing buses capable of incredible audio detail. In the world of digital audio, the ability to maintain detail is measured in bits Ð more bits equals more resolution and a more accurate digital representation of the audio we capture.
It is hard to escape the grainy and noisy sound of the older Mac's 8-bit audio. The improvement when we step up to CD quality 16-bit audio is a revelation.
The Digidesign TDM bus is a full 8 bits more resolution than 16-bit systems. These extra 8 bits beyond the familiar 16-bit CD preserve the dynamics when we mix a few or a lot of sources together as we would when doing a vocal compilation or a mixdown to the Þnal master.
As we process even one source through digital compressors, EQs, gates and so on, the resultant digital audio contains additional resolu­tion. Even if the source was 16 bits, the output contains information well beyond 16-bit resolution, (unless it is truncated to a lower resolu­tion).
ENGLISH

The Problem:

How to capture the Þne resolution available on a TDM or ProTools 24 system with popular media such as CD and DAT which are 16 bit.

The Solution:

Apogee MasterTools¨ with UV22¨. How, you may ask, does a sun­block lotion give me better sound? UV22 is not a rating for protection from the sunÕs UV rays, it is Apogee ElectronicsÕ revolutionary Super CD encoding process for improved sonic accuracy. UV22 has been overwhelmingly adopted by the elite and critical CD mastering com­munity. ItÕs very unusual for this community as a whole to embrace a new technology. Their choice of equipment is usually as individual as their personalities. Despite this fact, virtually all Major Mastering Fa­cilities have one or more Apogee UV22 Super CD Processing Systems such as our UV1000 or AD-8000.
MasterTools
English Ð 3

The Reason:

Apogee UV22 captures information, detail and resolution beyond 16 bits onto 16-bit media. The resulting sound is natural and Þnely de­tailed while maintaining an ÒanalogÓ quality without any of the ÒharshÓ digital shortcomings.

The Tool:

MasterTools
English Ð 4
We created Apogee MasterTools to enable you to take a page from the mastering engineersÕ secret cookbook and add the Þnal touch of UV22 encoding to your Digidesign creations. It works even if the source is only 16 bits because UV22 enhances the quality of any digital-to-analog
playback Ð from boom boxes to esoteric audio systems. A UV22 license and royalty waiver are included in the purchase price of your Master­Tools software.

The Vision:

To deliver an end product, you use your Digidesign system to massage and manipulate the audio to improve what you hear. Apogee has added an extra dimension to what we hear with a unique new way of looking at sound. The display element of MasterTools conveys a vast array of information in one quick glance. This multi-function stereo metering system displays peak and average levels simultaneously along with peak and average hold. Digital ÒOversÓ are displayed in attention grab­bing red. Phase correlation between left and right signals is indicated between the left and right channel level displays. As if this wasnÕt enough, a Þve second history (ÒHistogramÓ) of Level, ÒOversÓ and Phase Correlation is displayed in color, creating a window you wonÕt want to put away. The ÒOverÓ history shows not only that you went over but how hard you hit the stops. The Over list displays how many ÒOversÓ occurred during the session and logs them against time code to easily go back and Þx the mix.
ENGLISH

The Finishing Touch:

Apogee MasterTools palette provides you with the essentials to apply the Þnishing touch to your audio creations. Thank you for choosing Apogee MasterTools.

About This Manual

This manual explains the operation of MasterTools in detail. We rec­ommend you take the time to read it completely to get the most out of this unusual Plug-In. The chapter "Installing and authorizing Master­Tools" on page 9 lists the steps to install MasterTools. If you have al­ready installed MasterTools, you can go directly to the chapter "Setting up MasterTools" on page 15 for setup and basic operation guidance, followed by a detailed explanation of each control and func­tion. The chapter "The UV22 Process" on page 29 explains the re­markable UV22 process.
MasterTools
English Ð 5

MasterTools Features

UV22 Process

By utilizing UV22 encoding you preserve 20-bit (and above) resolu­tion and detail onto 16-bit mediums without the need for special de­coding equipment for playback. Apogee UV22 Encoding adds an inaudible, high frequency ÒbiasÓ to the digital bitstream, placing an al­gorithmically-generated ÒclumpÓ of energy around 22 kHz. Much as the bias on an analog tape recorder smoothes out magnetic tape re­cording non-linearities, UV22 silently captures resolution up to and even beyond 20 bits on a standard, 16-bit CD. In addition, this inaudible carrier smoothes the rough edges of even the most inexpensive boom boxes. Apogee UV22 makes your record­ings sound better on all listening systems, delivering sonic improve­ments that any user can realize on equipment they already own.
UV22 is a very special information carrier: it is not a new ßavour of dither noise. The truly unique statistical properties of UV22 guarantee a constant white noise ßoor, very similar in character to analog tape noise, no matter what the input source.
In listening test after listening test, mastering engineers unanimously choose UV22 over all other systems. With thousands of CD Titles al­ready mastered using UV22, the Þnishing touch to your CD, CD-R or DAT is just a mouse click away with Apogee MasterTools. The chapter "The UV22 Process" on page 29 explains the UV22 Process in detail.
MasterTools
English Ð 6

DC Removal for Silent Edits

Some analog to digital converters have a small residual DC on the dig­ital output. When DC is present on a digital signal, it means the digital audio is not evenly centered around zero, or digital Òblack.Ó When playing a track with DC, many digital meters will display a reading that would appear to be an audio level, but it is inaudible. More impor­tantly if you edit signals with different levels of DC on them, you can get clicks and pops at your edit points. If you change the gain with DC Offset present, the output is not faithful to the input. MasterTools can automatically remove any DC Offset in real time. In MasterTools, dig­ital offsets are displayed as a percentage of full scale (0 dBfs) on the left and right channels independently.

Smart Meter Ballistics

Some users prefer average reading meters while others like peak read­ing meters. MasterTools gives you not only a choice, but both simulta­neously. Presented in a clear fashion, both the average and peak levels are displayed in real time. Most screen-based meters suffer from poor resolution and signiÞcant delays from when the event occurred to when it shows on the screen. For those of you waiting for an accurate meter for ProTools, both in timing and level, MasterTools has it. In ad­dition to the metering choices, the ballistics of the meters take into ac­count the dynamics of the input signal. A signal with a fast decay will cause the meter to decay faster.
This added level of information helps you distinguish between buzzes, hums and other signals that would normally be obscured by conven­tional metering systems.
Memory Lane Ð The Histogram
Perhaps the most visually striking feature of MasterTools is the unique level monitoring system. This allows users to observe level, phase and balance information presented, both in real time and through history so you know when youÕve got it ÒJust Right.Ó
ENGLISH

Phase Meter

This feature indicates the phase correlation of stereo programs. If the signals of both stereo channels are in phase, i.e. with identical signals on both channels (mono), the indication of the scale will be to the right indicating a positive correlation. If one channel is reversed in polarity (180 degrees out phase) the scale will be toward the left (Ð). Without any, or with only one signal at the inputs, the indication would be in the center. Typical stereo information with correct phase correlation will move between the center and the right (+).
NOVAª
This function eliminates the possibility of outputting an ÒOverÓ when operating. It does this by reducing the level of samples that are at dig­ital full scale by one LSB (Q-unit) at the 16-bit level.
MasterTools
English Ð 7

Over List

The Over list keeps track of any digital ÒOversÓ and logs them against timecode. You can scroll through the list and edit the waveforms or use ApogeeÕs Nova to automatically remove any digital ÒOversÓ. The Over list can be printed, saved and is cumulative until cleared. The time and number of consecutive ÒOverÓ samples are shown for the worst ÒOverÓ during that period. Depending on the system you use and its workload, the minimum time it takes for the system to update the Over list is ap­prox. one sixtieth of a second. The deÞnition of an ÒOverÓ (as 3 to 6 consecutive full-scale samples) can be changed in the Setup menu.
ÒOversÓ Explained
An ÒOverÓ is the digital equivalent of clipping in the analog world. When you clip an analog power amp, youÕve used up all the dynamic range. The output goes up to the clipping point and squares off at the maximum level. Rather than calling it ÒNo more digital headroom,Ó or Òdigital clippingÓ we call it an ÒOverÓ, if we clip several samples in a row. In other words, itÕs not an ÒOverÓ if we clip for one or two sam­ples, but it is if we clip for 3, 4 or more. It is not universally agreed what constitutes an ÒOverÓÐwe have set the default to the de facto standard of 4, but you make a different setting.

System Requirements

MasterTools can operate on TDM equipped Macintosh systems that have the following hardware and software capabilities:
¥ ProTools 4.0, DAE 3.3 (or higher) ¥ System 7.5 or higher ¥ Power Macintosh computer ¥ In addition, at least one megabyte of free disk space and one available DSP
chip are required.
MasterTools
English Ð 8

Installing and authorizing MasterTools

MasterTools works within the TDM Plug-In architecture of Digide­sign systems. Installation is aided by an automatic installer included on the MasterTools disk.
Before installing MasterTools, please check your MasterTools disk for a possible additional Installation Instructions document. This might cover any changes to this manual or changes in hardware or software requirements.
¥ Please carefully follow the steps outlined below to ensure a suc-
cessful installation.
¥ If you have previously used an earlier version of MasterTools, then
you should locate the following files, move them to the trash and empty the trash:
Location File to trash
System folder: DAE:Plug-Ins: The old MasterTools version
System Disk: 'Outdated MasterTools Files' folder
ENGLISH
System folder: Preferences: MasterTools Prefs
System folder: Preferences: MasterTools Connections
¦ If you have previously used an earlier version of Apogee MasterTools, please
note that the program you are about to install is not just a simple upgrade. It is a completely new written program, and as a result, authorization keys pro­vided with previous versions of MasterTools cannot be used to authorize this version.
¦ Please also note, that with this version you do not need the Administrator and
MIDI Administrator anymore. You can therefore remove them from your hard disk.
¦ Check to be sure you only have the most current version of MasterTools in
the Plug-Ins folder!
MasterTools
English Ð 9
Proceed as follows to install and authorize the current MasterTools version:
1. Quit all other applications so that you return to the Finder and in­sert the MasterTools floppy disk into the corresponding drive of your computer.
A window will open. If it doesnÕt, double click on the icon of the installation disk.
2. Double click on the MasterTools Installer symbol to load the in­stallation software.
MasterTools must be installed on the hard disk that holds your TDM system files and your Digidesign Plug-Ins folder.
MasterTools
English Ð 10
3. Click the Install button to start installation and hard disk authorization.
A dialog will inform you of what is currently installed. The installation pro­gram will place all the necessary files in the appropriate folders. MasterTools will be placed in the Plug-Ins folder located in your System folder. If it did not exist previously, the Plug-Ins folder will be created.
4. During installation you will be asked to personalize your MasterTools copy. Please do so.
ENGLISH
The installation program will now install an invisible copy protection on your hard disk and thereby authorizes it to run MasterTools.
5. When installation and authorization have successfully been com­pleted, this dialog will appear. Click ÒQuitÒ to quit the installation program and restart your computer.
¦ If you see any error messages during installation, check your hard drive to
make sure you have enough available space to install MasterTools (Approxi­mately 1 MB minimum.) Repeat the installation procedure and make sure to double-check that you have met all the system requirements, see page 8.
MasterTools
English Ð 11

Information on the copy protection

The MasterTools Plug-In uses a copy protection system in which your authorization disk plays a vital role. It contains two authorization counts that you can use to twice authorize a hard disk to run Master­Tools.
The second authorization count is meant as a back-up, in case you ac­cidentally lose the Þrst.
During the installation process, an invisible authorization Þle has been installed on your hard disk. Please do not move or delete this Þle, since it might make you lose an authorization count!
If necessary, you can remove an authorization count from the hard disk and copy it back to the installation disk. See ÒDeauthorizing the hard diskÓ on page 13 for more information. This way, you can rein­stall MasterTools on another hard disk at any time.
Please observe the following points:
¥ If you should accidentally delete the MasterTools program files, donÕt worry.
Just install again. Even if you have deleted the files, the hard disk is still au­thorized to run MasterTools and you do not lose an authorization count.
¥ You can safely defragment (sometimes called ÒoptimizingÓ) your hard disk.
Copy protection is not affected by defragmentation.
¥ If you experience a hard disk crash, you may lose your installation. Please
use the second authorization count on the MasterTools installation disk if this happens, or contact your dealer.
¥ Never re-format or partition your hard disk without deauthorizing it first (see
below), otherwise you will lose an authorization count.
¦ The MasterTools disk is your verification that you have purchased the pro-
gram. Please keep it in a safe place.
MasterTools
English Ð 12

Deauthorizing the hard disk

Should you ever need to permanently move MasterTools to another computer, or wish to re-format or partition your current computer, you need to deauthorize the hard disk where you have installed the pro­gram.
During this process the authorization count will be copied back from your hard disk to your authorization disk. Proceed as follows:
1. Write-enable your authorization disk, insert it into the disk drive and double click on the Deauthorizer icon.
This dialog box will appear.
2. Click ÒSetup...Ó to bring up this dialog box.
ENGLISH
MasterTools
English Ð 13
3. First select ÒRemoveÓ from the Authorization pop-up menu and click on the desired drive. Then click on the Remove button.
This will activate the Deauthorization process.
4. The authorization count will be removed from your hard disk and restored on your authorization disk. The following box will appear and inform you of the number of installation counts that are now available on your authorization disk.
5. Install MasterTools on the new or changed hard disk as previously described.
MasterTools
English Ð 14

Setting up MasterTools

Launch ProTools, create a new session or open an existing one Ð MasterTools should now be available as an insert on a stereo master or stereo aux return fader. If you are doing a ProTools III session and you want MasterTools on your Þnal output, insert it on a stereo master. Set­ting up MasterTools as an insert in ProTools is also described in this section.
¦ If MasterTools doesn't appear, move your other Plug-Ins from the System
folder: DAE folder: Plug-Ins folder to the desktop, leaving only the Mixer Plug-In and the MasterTools Plug-In and launch ProTools again. Once Mas­terTools is operating properly, move your other Plug-Ins back to the Plug-Ins folder one at a time and launch ProTools again each time to observe any pos­sible conflicts with other Plug-Ins.
We recommend you read the entire manual before using MasterTools, but then again we never expect anyone to take us seriously. If you are anxious to get started, you will Þnd the operation is intuitive. We sug­gest, however, that you take the following steps Þrst:
ENGLISH
1. After opening your ProTools Software, establish your tracks. Select the mix window and make sure that the Inserts are visible in the mix window.
2. Under the File Menu, select ÒNew Master Faders...Ó If you donÕt want to process all of your tracks with MasterTools, select ÒNew Auxiliary Inputs...Ó instead. This will bring up a dialog box. In this box, you can define the number Master Faders/Auxiliary Inputs that should be created. Type 1 and click the radio button next to ÒStereo inputÓ. Then click OK.
¦ If you created an Auxiliary Input, please skip to step 4.
3. If you selected a Master Fader, it will default to output 1&2. If youÕre using another pair of outputs that go to your stereo storage device. i.e. DAT, CD-R, or other storage medium, click (and hold) the ÒOutputÓ button on the Master Fader and select the pair of outputs youÕre using. You can now skip to step number 8.
MasterTools
English Ð 15
4. If you selected an Auxiliary Input, youÕll need to assign the input and output parameters of the Auxiliary input as well as route the various audio channels into the Auxiliary input for processing. This is accom­plished by using the bus assigns and the Insert Points of the mix win­dow.
5. Choose a pair of TDM buses to route all signals that you want to process with MasterTools. LetÕs assume you have chosen buses 15 & 16 for this purpose. To route signals to these buses, click and hold down the output button in the I/O section of each channel you want to route to the selected bus pair by dragging to the bus pair. Continue this for each subsequent channel that you want to process.
6. Now that all of the channels that you want to process are routed to the stereo TDM buses, you then need to make the connection from the buses into the Stereo Auxiliary input that will do the MasterTools Processing. This is done by pressing the input button on the Stereo Auxiliary input you created and selecting (as an example) bus 15-16. This has now made the inputs of the stereo aux input bus 15-16.
7. The next step is to route the output of the stereo auxiliary send to the main outputs. At this time you might want to run up a rough mix just to confirm that all of the routing is correct. After all this, only one more step is required to activate MasterTools.
8. If you havenÕt done so already, select ÒShow Inserts ViewÓ from the Display menu. MasterTools is a Stereo Plug-In that can be ac­tive on any Stereo Master Fader or Auxiliary Return. While you can use any of the five inserts to assign MasterTools, to get maxi­mum benefit from UV22 it is best to have MasterTools as the last in the chain i.e. the bottom Insert ÒEÓ. To accomplish this, press the last of the five insert buttons on the Master Fader/ Auxiliary Input and select MasterTools from the list of Plug-Ins and release.
You will now be presented with the MasterTools window which should look similar to the one on the next page.
MasterTools
English Ð 16
9. If you start playback you should see audio levels reflected on the main metering located on the left and right of the display at the sides of the Òcorridor.Ó These levels march into the distance as time goes by until they disappear over the horizon.
ENGLISH
10.Now you can continue to read about the functionality of each of the controls and displays, or put the manual down and begin press­ing buttons. You probably* wonÕt hurt anything.
* ÒProbablyÓ has been put in so that a disclaimer can be made in case something
gets fouled up.
MasterTools
English Ð 17

Basic Operation

The MasterTools window consists of two main sections. The Þrst is the display area located in the upper part of the window. This includes the metering for level, phase and DC Offset. Below the metering dis­plays are control buttons for the various parameters affecting the dis­plays and other functions. The buttons seen at the top of the window belong to ProTools and are described in its documentation.

Location and Functions: The Displays

The front of the Òcorridor wallsÓ to the left and right reßects the sig­nals of the left and right inputs of the stereo auxiliary input or master output that MasterTools is inserted into.
MasterTools
English Ð 18

Over Indicators

Each channel has an Over indicator that lights red when an ÒOverÓ oc­curs. This state is held until the Reset Overs button is clicked. This will reset both indicators. To individually reset an over indicator, sim­ply double click on it.
Left Channel Over Indicator
If NOVA is active the Over indicator becomes blue to show that ÒOversÓ have been corrected by this process. The ÒOversÓ in the His­togram, however, are still displayed in red.
The length of the Over segments in the Histogram (displayed in the top lane on each of the HistogramÕs Òcorridor wallsÓ) indicates, how many ÒOversÓ have occurred within a certain time span: The higher each red bar, the more consecutive ÒOversÓ have occurred.

Level Indicators

The narrow bar indicates the peak level and the wide bar shows the average (RMS) level.
ENGLISH
If peak hold is on, then the highest value that both the Peak and Average reach will be held for two seconds (or whatever is selected in the Setup dialog) or until a higher level is achieved.
The Þve ÒLEDsÓ at the bottom of the scale divide the range between Ð41 dB and ¥ (or in fact Ð138,47 dB) in linear fashion, where ¥ represents the lowest Bit and therefore starts to light up as soon as a signal is detected.
This meter display example shows the average level at Ð12 dB and the Peak level at Ð5. The Peak Hold is at Ð2 and the Average Hold is Ð10. There have been ÒOversÓ. The scale has been set to Digital. In Analog mode, +20 dBfs is shown at the top of the scale.
MasterTools
English Ð 19

DC Offset Display

These displays indicate the DC level as a per­centage from Ð10% to +10%.
A reading of zero indicates that no DC level is detected.
If DC Correct is active, the reading in the DC Offset display is shown in blue, if it is inactive the reading is displayed in red.
This display shows that a DC Offset of 5% is being detected on the incoming signal.

Phase Meter

Between the two level meters is a Phase Meter display. This feature in­dicates the phase correlation of stereo programs.
MasterTools
English Ð 20
The Phase Meter display and its Histogram
If the signals of the two stereo channels are 100% in phase, i.e. an identical signal on both channels, the indication of the scale will be to
the right indicating a positive correlation (+). If one channel is re­versed in polarity (180 degrees out phase) the scale will be toward the left (Ð). Without any signal, or with only one signal at the inputs, the display will be in the center. Typical stereo information with correct phase correlation will move between the center and the right.

Location and Functions: The Control buttons

The buttons that control MasterTools are of three types: On/Off but­tons, selector buttons and buttons that start an action each time you click on them.
The Þrst type is typical of a normal button. It switches the respective function On or Off and affects both stereo channels.
In MasterTools, the buttons UV22, Normal/Low, Peak Hold, Phase Meter, Auto Black, Mono, SwapChannel, Setup and Over list are of this type.
When the button is backlit, the function is active. When it is pale, the function is not active.
ENGLISH
Functions On Functions Off
The second type of button looks like a collection of three buttons and act in perfect unison. These buttons give you the ability to select either the left or right channel or both channels to be dealt with.
Pressing on the main bar will toggle the function On or Off for both channels. Pressing either the Left or Right button will only select that channel and will leave the other channel at its previous setting.
If either the right or left channel is On, the main button will also toggle to On. These buttons include Nova, DC Correct, Phase Invert and Mute.
The third type of button is the Reset Overs button that Ð when pressed Ð resets the Overs List.
MasterTools
English Ð 21
UV22 Ð (On/Off)
The Encode control is a toggle selector that enables or disables the UV22 function. When highlighted, this signiÞes that the UV22 proc­ess is active.
UV-22 is On.
When the UV22 process is disabled, the unprocessed signal is passed through without UV22 processing. When UV22 is active, UV22 En­coding will be embossed on the Gold Pyramid in the Main Display.
Normal Ð (Normal/Low)
The Level control toggles between two modes of UV22 operation, Normal and Low. It is therefore highlighted if UV22 is active. You can switch between the two modes Normal or Low by clicking on it. The selected mode is shown on the button.
Normal is On.
Normal mode is the typical setting. The Low mode captures almost as much resolution, but uses a lower level of the UV22 signal. A more detailed description of the process and recommended settings is in­cluded in the section "UV22 Process Caveats" on page 33. For now leave the selector on Normal.
MasterTools
English Ð 22
NOVA Ð (On/Off)
Mixes can get rejected if they contain digital ÒOversÓ. When NOVA is enabled, it automatically reduces the level of any Sample that is ÒOverÓ to one Least SigniÞcant Bit (LSB) below digital full scale.
With this setting NOVA reduces ÒOversÓ on the left channel.
Samples that are not ÒOverÓ will not be effected. Corrected ÒOversÓ are indicated in blue in the Over display.
¦ The ÒOversÓ in the Histogram will continue to be shown in red, see page 19.
DC Offset Removal Ð (Left On/Off, Right On/Off)
MasterTools provides a comprehensive DC Offset removal system. Once DC Offset is detected by observing the DC Offset meters, this feature can be engaged to efÞciently remove it.
ENGLISH
DC Correct is On and activated for the left channel.
Auto Black Ð (On/Off)
This control arms the Automatic Black function. Auto Black functions like a gate. When the audio drops below a certain threshold for a given time period, the signal is muted until activity at the input occurs again.
Auto Black is On.
The Auto Black function allows automatic insertion of digital silence. It triggers when no signal at the 20-bit level occurs for 128 consecu­tive Sample pairs, (Left and Right) and the signal doesnÕt exceed Ð42 dBfs. Auto Black automatically Òopens the gateÓ again as soon as a stronger signal occurs on either the left or the right channel.
MasterTools
English Ð 23
SwapChannel Ð (Normal/Reversal of Left and Right)
This selector maintains polarity and reverses the Left and Right chan­nels to check for correct stereo placement, i.e. left could be on the right side.
SwapChannel is Off.
When engaged, the left and right channels will be swapped, with the right channel coming out of the left output and vice-versa.
Phase Meter Ð (On-Off)
This selector activates the Phase Correlation Meter. When the Phase Meter is Off, the display centers around zero.
When the Phase Meter button is activated...
MasterTools
English Ð 24
...the Phase Meter display shows the phase correlation of the audio that is played back.
Phase Ð (Normal/Invert for Left, Right or Both)
At times it can be useful to check the absolute polarity of a signal. Lis­tening to music with the phase reversed can be quite audible.
If the audio is inverted, a kick drum ÒthumpÓ will become a Òsuck.Ó By selecting the Phase Invert button, the signalÕs polarity is reversed.
Phase Inversion is set to Off.
If reversing the polarity of only one channel is desired, (to conÞrm phase relationships, etc.) clicking on either the left or right button lo­cated directly below the Phase button will accomplish this.
Mono Ð (Stereo-Mono)
If this button is inactive (not backlit), then you will hear the Stereo signal.
When engaged, the left and right channels are summed to mono to check compatibility. The phase meter, if active, still displays the corre­lation between the left and right channels for reference.
ENGLISH
Because this sum-to-mono function occurs after the phase invert, when these two functions are used in conjunction with each other it is possible to monitor the left-minus-right signal.
This is a common mastering technique used to reveal any out-of-phase elements of a mix.
Do this:
1. Activate the Mono and Phase Invert buttons.
2. Then use the Left and Right Channel buttons below the Phase In­vert button for comparison.
MasterTools
English Ð 25

Reset Overs

Any digital ÒOversÓ will be held until either MasterTools is removed from the active screen or the Reset Overs button is pressed.
The Reset Overs button
This button is a momentary action type and clears the digital Over In­dicator located above the real time meter display.
¦ To delete the list of Overs in the Over List dialog, click the Over List button,
then click ÒClearÓ.

Peak Hold

Peak Hold is On.
The MasterTools level meters default to a Peak Hold type display.
In this mode, the highest signal attained by both the average and peak meters is held for approximately two seconds, or whatever is selected in the Setup Dialog Box.
MasterTools
English Ð 26
If a higher level overrides the peak hold level, the peak hold will now represent the higher level.

Over List

This button brings up the ÒOver ListÓ dialog. The OverList keeps track of any ÒOversÓ that have occurred during the session. It can be cleared or saved to a Þle for printing or reference.
Clicking on the Over List button É
ENGLISH
Éwill bring up the Over List dialog
As each ÒOverÓ is a number of clipping samples, the ÒTimeÓ value shown in the list represents the time at which the
last
of these clipping
samples occurred. The ÒCountÓ value shows the number of samples that were clipping.
¦ The frame format used here is the same that you have set in ProToolsÕ Dis-
play menu (ÒShow Session Setup WindowÓ). It is also displayed in the top left of the MasterTools window.
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English Ð 27
Mute Ð (Left On/Off, Right On/Off)
Press the Left, Right or Mute button to mute the associated channels.
Mute is Off.

Setup

This selector calls up a dialog box with several secondary parameter adjustments for the visual displays as seen below.
Click on the Setup buttonÉ
Éto bring up this dialog.
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English Ð 28
Setting this... ...has this effect
Peak Hold Time Determines how long the highest indication of peak and
average level will be held. ÒLatchedÓ will hold the indica­tion indefinitely.
Headroom Scale Determines what type of scale the meters show. This de-
faults to + 20. Changing the scale will alter the resolution of the meters, +12 yielding the greatest resolution at the top of the scale. Checking the Digital Scale box puts 0 dB at the top of the meter, more like a typical digital meter on a DAT machine.
Consecutive Determines how many consecutive full level samples will
trigger an ÒOverÓ indication.
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