Bass bins roasting on an open fire, headphones nipping at your ears…oh yes, it’s the most wonderful time of the year again – it’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Well, when you have finished buying all your presents on-line from the comfort of your sofa, here are a couple of free gifts from us. Whether your nearest and dearest would be impressed with unwrapping these on the 25th is your call 😉
New DC1048 Firmware
We’ve have had a few instances recently where calls have come in about 1048 units that are not producing any sound. Meters working, all seems well but no audio. What might cause this? Mutes on perhaps? Bongo! As these units have no visible indication that mutes are enabled and the meters are pre-mute point, if you’ve pressed the System Mute button in iCore and then disconnected the computer there was no way of knowing it was enabled on the unit.
As the system mute is retained on power-down and cannot be switched off by recalling a memory/preset, you could have reasonably been confused.
Well, no longer – turning the System Mute on will now display a message on the default screen in place of the clock/date and if you power up a unit with the system mute on, you get the opportunity to turn it off locally on the unit by pressing OK – no need to plug a computer back in.
We have also added a new GPI mode – ALARM mode. This changes the functionality of the GPI port slightly as follows. In ALARM mode, the port is read at power up, to ensure any remotely enabled memory setting is recalled, and if no connections are applied to the port, memory 1 will recall.
This is to allow for situations where the unit not only has to select between possible mute/unmute scenarios for voice EVAC systems, but also perform another (different) recall if the GPI plug is disconnected.
This firmware is available for both DC1048 and Ti1048 online in the zip file, along with the loader program – remember it’s a single version for both Ti and DC versions. Get it here.
DP548 Live Presets
Meanwhile, XTATV Studios have been busy preparing the first of the Live Presets, showing you some of the more interesting uses for the Dynamic EQ bands that are available in the DP548.
Mention “Dynamic EQ” and what springs to mind initially is quite traditional “corrective” uses such as De-Essing or De-Popping, which can, of course, be accomplished very easily.
However, as the DEQ available in the unit have a few more tricks up their sleeve, other dynamic control that you might not have thought of can be achieved.
For example – used on inserts – a couple of bands can be pressed into full range service, one in boost below more and one in cut above mode to create a window of gain control and so a “levelling” function.
As the bands can also work as shelving filters, you can set two as high and low shelving EQ , and make them boost below a threshold – instant (but dynamically adapting) loudness compensation.
There are more to come, but have a look and listen to these two – and don’t say we never give you anything!
Happy Christmas!
