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Introduction

Processing stages are accessed from the SETUP screen, PROCESS option in the side menu.
  • Different stages are grouped in tabs.
  • The left-to-right order corresponds to the actual signal flow, except for WIZARD, which is not a processing stage itself.
Available stages:
  1. WIZARDS
  2. ENHANCERS
  3. ENHANCER EQ
  4. AGC
  5. MULTIBAND AGC
  6. MULTIBAND LIMITER
  7. MIX & CLIPPER – FINAL LIMITER

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WIZARD

The WIZARD controls work on user presets.
They allow you to quickly change the sound character and create new presets without modifying each individual stage.
  • No advanced knowledge required.
  • Related: see Preset Management.
Main functions:
  1. Modify a preset’s character in four essential aspects:
    • BASS
    • BRIGHT
    • COMPRESSION
    • LOUDNESS
  2. Toggle and basic adjustment of ENHANCERS:
    • Voice Symmetrizer
    • EQ
    • Bass Enhancer
    • Stereo Enhancer
Each WIZARD control modifies multiple parameters across different stages in a synchronized way. 542 Processing Wizards Pn

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Control Interaction

  • The four controls are interrelated: a single parameter can be affected by more than one control.
  • When one control is moved, the positions of others are recalculated.
  • When loading a preset, controls are positioned according to its settings.
This allows you to visualize at a glance the sonic characteristics of each preset and compare them.

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Usage Tips

  • Use WIZARD for moderate changes.
  • Always start from a preset close to the desired result.
    • Example: if seeking maximum loudness, don’t start from a soft preset and maximize LOUDNESS.
    • It’s recommended to start from a MaxLoudness type preset, already optimized for that goal.
Advanced users can adjust each stage individually for greater sound precision.

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Enhancers

542 Processing Enhancer Pn

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Voice Symmetrizer

Human voice is asymmetric due to vocal cord nature (asymmetric triangular pulses). This asymmetry remains after vocal cavity filtering. As a result, when passing through a compressor:
  • One polarity reaches 100%, while the opposite rarely exceeds 50%.
  • Voice is perceived less intense than music, which is more symmetric.
To correct this phenomenon without altering sound quality, peak symmetrizers are used.
Technique based on Dr. Kahn’s discoveries and developed by Eng. Oscar Bonello.
Reference: Journal of the AES, Vol.24, No.5.

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Expander

  • Its purpose is to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of the on-air sound.
  • Multiband compression increases loudness but reduces S/N.
  • Without an expander, noise floor might be audible during long voice pauses.
Available control:
  • THS (Threshold): adjusts in dBFS the level at which the expander starts reducing gain.

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Bass Enhancer

  • Reinforces mid-bass (50 – 300 Hz), improving presence on small speakers.
  • Unlike an EQ, it synthesizes and adds harmonics from lower frequencies.
Controls:
  • FREQUENCY: low-pass filter cutoff frequency (defines harmonic range).
  • INTENSITY: amount and intensity of generated harmonics.
  • SUB-GAIN: level of synthesized bass added to the signal.
When using preset switching for voices, music and voice settings should have BASS ENHANCER in the same condition (active or inactive).

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Stereo Enhancer

  • Provides a more immersive sound, making the station stand out against conventional broadcasts.
  • This effect helps increase perceived loudness.
  • The effect is more noticeable on headphones.
  • Uses a stereo expansion algorithm to simulate surround sound in two-channel systems.
Controls:
  • Cut Freq (Hz): low-pass filter cutoff frequency defining the phase-shifted signal range. Hearing is more sensitive to phase differences below 2000 Hz → increasing phase difference widens stereo image.
  • Intensity: level of expanded signal added to original audio.
In voice-switched presets, music and voice should maintain Stereo Enhancer in the same condition (enabled/disabled).

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Enhancer EQ

542 Processing E Qparametric Jp 4-band parametric equalizer. Corrections should be applied over ranges smaller than the global processing band (LOW, MID1, MID2, PRES, HI). Special care needed in frequencies < 800 Hz (LOW and M1). Reference Q factor:
  • Q=3 → width ≈ ½ octave.
  • Q=4 → width ≈ ⅓ octave.
Example: -3 dB attenuation centered at 250 Hz with Q=2 → width of 125 Hz. This frequency falls within M1 (125 – 800 Hz).
  • The correction affects ≈ 50% of that band (125-375 Hz).
  • Higher Q means more specific correction.
  • With Q=0.5 → width of 500 Hz, affecting LOW and M1.
In some cases, applying correction from either the parametric EQ or the multiband density EQ may be preferred, depending on the desired effect.
Both produce subtly different results.

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Recommendations

  • Use parametric EQ for very specific cuts or boosts.
  • The global equalization profile should be defined with multiband AGC and density EQ.