TC electronic M3000 Owner's Manual

M3000

M3000 Addendum

For Film and Post Production

FILM AND POST PRODUCTION REVERB

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VSSFP & VSSSR

In the original M3000 VSS3 processor intensive Early Reflection patterns were used specifically to enable simulation of beautiful
rooms for conventional music applications. Due to the control over the Early Reflections we ended up with a reverb that sounded ­well - it is an unparalleled success.

With the VSSFP and VSSSR algorithms for film- and post-production our main focus has been realistically sounding rooms, no
matter how harsh, hard or grindy they sometimes are.
With standard Reverb units it has often been a tiresome and unsatisfying task in post production to match the sound of the room to the
picture.
Once again, this is because the general main objective for Reverb units was to be able to create excellent sounding reverbs for musical
production. Their focus has been the diffuse field of the Reverb rather than the important Early Reflections that define the sound of the
room.

For the new M3000 VSSFP and VSSSR presets tests, analysis and measurements have been made in three dimensional models of
different rooms, to obtain knowledge of the reflections in various rooms differently furnished. The results have been used to recreate
all these reflections with the Early Reflection patterns.
To get a grip of the complexity of how the sound behaves at its initial stage, and why this cannot be ignored, please take a look at the
illustrations below.

The drawing of the Bathroom is an example of a very
small room with hard surfaces. The lines represent the
reflections made by the sound source.

A car is an example of the ultimate small room with
both hard and soft surfaces, and extremely short
distance between source and listener. The sound of
this type of room has until today been very difficult to
reproduce realistically.
By using the VSS™FP in the M3000 high quality small
room simulations are now extremely easy.

Bathroom

Car

REV 1.3

Prod. Nr: 606

TC Electronic, Sindalsvej 34, DK-8240 Risskov - [e-mail] English Version

EARLY

REFL.

PRE

DELAY

EQ

REVERB

REV

DELAY

EQ

AIR FLOW
SIMULATE

Early Reflections + Direction Generator

Reverb + Air Flow Simulator

VSSFP - FILM AND POST

Stereo VSS-FP

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Diagram overview of a VSS-FP stereo reverb with Early Reflection generator and
stereo reverb generator in parallel.

For further details please see the illustration in the manual on page 28 in the manual.

VSSFP

The VSS-FP (Film- & Post-Production) reverb algorithm is a
special version of VSS-3, incorporating dedicated Early
Reflection types for motion picture use, e.g. Car, Bathroom and
Conference Rooms.

VSSFP Reverb

Decay

(0.01 - 20s) The Decay time of the Reverb. Usually
associated with the time it takes the Reverb tail to decay 60dB.
This is the overall Master Decay for the four band Decay
parameters (found in the REVERB section below) which are
multiples of this base Reverb time.

Hi Color (available in easy mode only)

Adjusts the spectral balance in the high end frequencies.
This is actually a simple way of adjusting a complex selection of
frequencies.

Lo Color (available in easy mode only)

Adjusting the spectral balance in the low end frequencies.
A simple way of adjusting a complex selection of frequencies.

Position (available in easy mode only)

Changes the distance from the listener to the source.
The characteristics of the room are preserved, only the perceived
distance changes.

Note: To obtain the intended effect, please do not use a 100% wet
mix, but include some dry signal.

Early Lev

(-100dB - 0dB) The Output level of the Early Reflections. When
Early Lev is set all the way off, the Reverb effect will consist
entirely of Reverb tail.

Rev Lev

(-100dB - 0dB) The Output level of the Reverb tail. When Rev
Lev is set all the way off, the effect will consist entirely of Early
Reflections.

Rev Delay

(0 - 200ms) A delay to the tail of the reverb. Adds
additional time between the Early Reflections and the onset of
the "tail" of the reverb.

Pre Delay

(0 - 100ms) A delay placed at the Input of the algorithm. This
sets how long after the dry sound the Early Reflections will
begin.

Mix

(0% - 100%) Wet/Dry mix. Can be frozen at 100% on the I/O
menu.

Out Level

(-100dB - 0dB) The overall Output level of the Reverb.
This is mostly used when the two Engines are used in serial
mode, or used in the Combined Mode.

Expert mode

Press OK to gain access to the following additional parameters.
Note: Hi Color, Lo Color and Position are not available in this
mode.

Early Reflections

Early Type

(Several types)
Pick the type that best compliments your material or best
represents the effect you are going for.

Early Size

(Small, Medium, Large)
Changes the size of the Early Type parameter.

Note: Some of the Early Types are only one size.

Early Pos

Here you can select between a Close and a Distant setting.
This enables you to change the distance between the listening
position and the source in the same Early Reflection pattern.
Note that some of the Early Types only have one position
available.

Early Bal

(-100dB R, Center, -100dB L) the left/right balance of the
Early Reflections. Allows you to offset the Early Reflections
from the normal center position.

Hi Color

Adjusts the spectral balance in the high end frequencies.
This is actually a simple way of adjusting a complex selection of
frequencies.

VSSFP - FILM & POST

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VSSFP - FILM & POST

Low Cut

(20Hz - 400Hz) This adjustable filter removes low frequencies
for the Early Reflections.

Reverb Tail

Rev Type

(Smooth, Natural, Alive) Adjust this parameter with the
Early Lev turned all the way off and the Rev Lev all the way up.
Change the type to get a feel of what each one sounds like.

Rev Width

With this parameter you can change the width of the reverb tail.
The Mono setting is where the left and right reverb tails are
completely identical, the Center setting opens a bit up in the
middle, Stereo is the normal stereo image width and Wide are on
the outside of the stereo image.
Note: The RevTypes: Fast Wd and Alive Wd only have one
width (extremely wide).

Diffuse

(±50) This parameter gives you more or less diffusion than the
algorithm designer intended for the given Decay time. For
optimum performance the diffusion is automatically adjusted
behind the scenes whenever you change decay times. This
parameter gives you the added control to vary the diffusion
around this automatic setting.

Rev Bal

(-100dB R, center, -100dB L) The left/right balance of the
Reverb tail. Allows you to offset the tail from the normal center
position.

Hi Cut

(20-20kHz) Rolls off the top end as it enters the Reverb tail.
Used in conjunction with Hi Soften and Hi Decay to "darken" a
room.

Hi Soften

(+/-50) Hi Soften is a special filter used to "soften" the high
frequencies of Reverb tail. This is not a simple Hi Cut filter but a
complex set of filters working together to remove those
frequencies that make a reverb sound "brittle" or harsh sounding.
Hi Soften is scaled/linked to the Hi Cut and
Hi Decay parameters.

Hi Decay

(0.01 - 2.5) Multiplier for the frequencies above the Hi Xover
frequency. Example: If the main Decay parameter is set to 2.0sec
and the Hi Decay parameter is set to 1.5, frequencies above the
Hi-Xover will decay for 3.0 sec. Conversely if this parameter is
set to 0.5 the Decay time above the Hi Xover point will be 1 sec.

Hi Xover

(1kHz - 20kHz) sets the frequency at which the transition from
the mid frequencies to the high frequencies takes place.

Mid Decay

(0.01 - 2.5) The Ratio control multiplier for the mid frequencies.
This parameter is normally set to 1.0 as it is the main parameter
adjusted by the main Decay parameter. This mid-range decay
control would normally be omitted, however, TC Engineers felt
you could use this parameter as a fine adjustment tool to tweak
a preset to sound just right without having to adjust the master
Decay parameter.

Mid Xover

(200Hz - 2kHz) Sets the frequency at which the transition from
the low-mid to the mid frequencies takes place.

Lo mid Decay

(0.01 - 2.5) The Ratio control multiplier for the low-mid
frequencies

Lo Xover

(20Hz - 500Hz) Sets the frequency at which the transition from
the low to the low-mid frequencies takes place.

Lo Decay

(0.01 - 2.5) The Ratio control multiplier for the low frequencies.

Lo Damp Freq

(20Hz - 200Hz) Sets the Lo Cut frequency for the next parameter,
Lo Damp. Use these two parameters to take away any
objectionable low frequencies entering the Reverb tail processor.

Lo Damp

(-18dB - 0dB) Sets the amount of cut in dBs. Used with the
previous parameter, Lo Damp Freq.

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VSSFP - FILM & POST

Modulation

The Reverb Mod and the Space Mod work on the tail of the
reverb and gives you the ability to tweak the tail in different
ways.
To isolate and listen only to the tail you should turn the Early
level off; set the mix to 100% and then turn the Depth
parameter all the way up.
Try changing the Type of Modulation and listen to its effect on
the tail. Be aware that by using extensive modulation of the tail
you might get a detuning effect of the source material. In that
case reduce the Width and Depth.

Reverb Mod

Type

(Off, Smooth 1, Smooth 2, Perc, Wow, Vintage, Wild)
Adjusts the type of modulation.

Rate

(-100, default, +100) Allows you to offset the speed of the LFO
from the factory default assigned to each Type.

Width

(0% - 200%) Sets the Width of the modulation.

Space Mod

This group of parameters sets the way the sound moves about the
room.

Type

(Off, Normal, Fast, Slow, MidFreq, Sync).

Rate

(-100, default, +100) Allows you to offset the speed of the LFO
from the factory default assigned to each type.

Width

(0% - 100%) Sets the width of the modulation.

Depth

(-50, default, +50) Allows you to offset the amount of space
modulation from the factory default.

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