Waves Audio Dugan Speech User Guide

Contents

Introduction................................................................................................................... 3

Theory of Operation ..................................................................................................... 4

Quick Start.................................................................................................................... 5

Controls and Displays .................................................................................................. 7

Channel Strip Controls ..................................................................................................................................... 7

Master Pane: Global Controls: ....................................................................................................................... 11

Using the Weight Control to Get the Best Results ..................................................... 14

Dugan Speech for eMotion LV1 User Guide

Introduction

The Dugan Speech automixer is a way to control a group of microphones in a live setting, where speech is unscripted and

interaction between speakers is unpredictable. It’s commonly used in situations such as roundtable discussions, talk shows,

debates, and the like. Dugan Speech is based on the Dugan Automatic Microphone Mixer hardware devices, and was

developed in cooperation with Dan Dugan Sound Design.

Dugan Speech is a feature of the eMotion LV1 input channel strip. Dugan Speech's control panel appears as a mixer mode

within eMotion LV1. The Dugan automixing process is inserted into the signal flow after the channel fader and mute, and

before the pan/balance/rotate control. It is available on all input channels.

Dugan Speech for eMotion LV1 User Guide

Theory of Operation

Dugan Speech automatically manages any number of live microphones that are in unpredictable dialogue situations. When one

person speaks, that microphone’s gain level fades up instantly, while the gains of the other microphones are reduced. If the

speaker pauses, all microphone input levels adjust to medium gain in order to collectively match the level of one microphone at

full gain. When several people talk at once, the gain is shared across the relevant channels. This action balances the room

tone so that the ambient sound of the space remains stable. It sounds as if all talkers are sharing one microphone.

These four frames demonstrate how Dugan Speech automatically controls a three-microphone situation.

• In the first frame no one is talking. The sound levels at all microphone inputs are low. The system fades all

channels to medium gains, adding them all up to match the level of one microphone at full gain.

Dugan Speech for eMotion LV1 User Guide

• The second frame shows one person talking. The system automatically fades his or her gain to full level, while the

other two inputs are turned down.

• The third frame shows a different person talking. The system automatically fades his or her gain to full level, while

the other two inputs are turned down.

• The fourth frame shows two people talking simultaneously. The system shares the gain between them, while the

other mic is turned down.

Quick Start

Dugan Speech is controlled from the Layer Modes section in the middle of the Mixer window.

1. To access the Dugan Speech automixer, click the Modes arrow above the Layer selection buttons. The Dugan

button replaces the Input button. Click to open.

While Dugan Speech is used as part of eMotion LV1, it is purchased and licensed as a separate plugin. Your Dugan

Speech license can be activated in Waves Central, which is the Waves software and license management tool. If the

Dugan button is not available inside your eMotion LV1 mixer, make sure that the Dugan Speech plugin is installed

and that the license is activated.

3. Set the channel fader to 0 dB. Use the channel’s preamp analog gain or input trim to provide enough gain ahead of

the Dugan so that the input level light (above the gain bar graph) remains green when no one is talking. Low-

sensitivity mics, such as dynamic microphones, will require higher input gain settings.

4. To turn on the Dugan Speech engine, click the ON button in the Global Control panel (left side).

5. Use the Dugan Speech Plugin button at the top of each panel to enable the automixer on all channels for which

Dugan Speech automixing is desired. Disable all non-live-talking channels where automixing will not be used.

Disabled channels are grayed out.

Dugan Speech for eMotion LV1 User Guide

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