TC Electronic MD3 TDM User Manual

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MD3-TDM

Limiter Time constants

The Limiter employs adaptive time constants to combat distortion at low frequencies
while maintaining quick adoption to occasional peaks.
A manual Release time can be set if the Auto Release key is turned off. We recom-
mend using the Auto setting with Release set at Default. If quick recovery and loud-
ness is an issue, move the Release setting in the Fast direction.
Processing of very sensitive material might sound better with Release settings in the
Slow direction.

Absolute Bit Transparency

Whenever the BrickWall limiter is not attenuating the signal, it is passed completely
unaffected, transparent to the 24th bit. Consequently, the BrickWall limiter may be
used to remove 0dBFS+ peaks on already mastered and finally dithered material.
When the Limiter is bit transparent, a green indicator next to the Threshold control
lights up.
Input and Output gain controls have 0.1dB increments, but snap to bit shifts at 0, 6,
12, 18 and 24dB settings. When a bit shift value is selected, a green indicator is lit
on the screen. Bit transparency from Input to Output is obtained when Input Gain and
Output Fader hit these values and sum to 0dB, e.g. Input/Output 0/0dB, -6/+6 dB, -
12/+12dB etc.

Bit Pattern Transparency

When only bit shift gain settings are used on Input and Output, bit patterns remain
unchanged through the algorithm, but can be shifted up (in the MSB direction) or
down (in the LSB direction) as desired. E.g. Input/Output +6/0 (one up), 0/-12 (two
down).

Linking

The two channels BrickWall limiters can be operated independently or linked. If pro-
nounced limiting is performed on stereo material, linking should be considered to
avoid L/R image shifts. If only mild and occasional limiting is
being done, un-linked operation even on stereo material
may sound the best.