Rane ECS v2 RaneWare (RaneWare 2.1) - Manual (Page 9)

RW Manual-9
Gate Mode
Unique among automatic mic mixers, in ECS each Mic
can be independently set to Last On or Gated. A Mic
assigned as Gated simply opens the Mic when the Input
signal is above the Threshold Level, and returns to its Gate
Depth when the signal drops below the Threshold Level and
the
Release Timer has expired. A Mic assigned as Last On
remains on once it becomes the Master.
This is useful in boardrooms where the head table would
require Last On Mics and the audience area requires Gated
Mics. This way, the board members (and their background
noise) are always heard, while the less-often used audience
Mics (i.e., questions) gate off when not in use. Rane has
patented this concept – the marketing buzz word being Smart
Last On™. Having an open Mic also maintains the full duplex
awareness of the conference.
Important: When using an Acoustic Echo Canceller in
each mixer, at least one Mic must be open on each Mixer to
allow the Echo Canceller(s) to maintain adaptation. ECS
maintains an open Mic for each Mixer when
Mixer Gate is
checked. Setting the Gate Depth of a Gated Mic to 0 dB is
another way to maintain AEC adaptation. The ECB 62 Port 1
MONO Output must be connected to all of the E/C REF
Inputs of the Mixers.
Last On: When selected, the given Mic is included in the
Last On group of Mics and may become the Master Mic.
Once a Mic becomes the Master Mic, it remains on until a
new Last On Mic becomes the Master. See Master Mic Delay
in the System tab. Note that Last On Mics do Gate On and
Off.
Gated: When selected, the given Mic Gates On when
audio is detected above its Threshold Level. When the audio
goes below the Threshold Level, the Mic Gates Off to its
Gate Depth after the Gate Release time.
Typical default value: Usually Last On. (read the above.)
Mic Automatic Threshold
When selected, each Mic independently calculates its
background room noise level. This calculated level is then
used to add to the
Threshold Level for this Mic Input.
This is useful when there is a lot of background room
noise that Gates On the Mics. For example, using Automatic
Threshold in noisy rooms may help the Mic Threshold
Levels cope with the air handler turning on and off.
Typical default value: off (unchecked).
Mic Threshold Level
Each Mic has an independently adjustable Threshold
Level. When audio is detected above this Threshold Level,
the Mic Gates On. When the audio drops below the
Threshold
Level, the Mic Gates Off to its Gate Depth after the Gate
Release timer has expired.
To verify if Mics are inadvertently gating on when no one
talks, watch the Mic Signal Status indicator in RaneWare or
look at the MCS (MiC Signal) Status LED on the ECB 62
front panel. Neither of these indicators should be on when no
one talks at a mic.
During setup, to avoid Mics Gating On when no one talks
at a mic, and if you find Mic Threshold Levels must be set
above -20 dB (i.e., -19 or -15…), investigate one of two
things:
1. The first thing to verify is that the Mic LEVELs (the front
panel screw driver pots on the ECM 82) are set properly.
Too much Mic gain makes it more difficult for the Echo
Canceller(s) to adapt since too much loudspeaker and/or
background noise is entering the Mics.
2. The background room noise should never gate Mics on. If
you find Mics Gating On unnecessarily, then either the
Mics need to be moved away from the noise sources, or the
sources of noise must be reduced acoustically. Not fun, and
usually not inexpensive.
As in any audio system, significant background noise
greatly compromises the signal-to-noise of the system making
speech less intelligible, music less pleasing — and perhaps
most importantly in conferencing applications — makes the
job of the Acoustic Echo Canceller more difficult.
The best an Echo Canceller can do is cancel echos down
to the noise floor. If your system has a poor noise floor, you
are likely to also have poor echo cancelling and therefore,
more echo. In other words, physics works or perhaps, depend-
ing on your room, physics sucks.
Typical default value: -25 dB for tabletop or goose neck
Mics. About -22 dB for ceiling Mics.
Mic Gate Depth
Each Mic has an independently adjustable Gate Depth.
When the audio drops below the Threshold Level and the Mic
is not the Master Mic, the Mic Gates Off to the Gate Depth
after the Gate Release time.
For example, having independently adjustable Gate
Depth is helpful in distance learning applications where one
might want the teacher or lectern Mic(s) to have a small (or
no)
Gate Depth, thus they can always be heard. Whereas
other Mics may require a larger Gate Depth thus signifi-
cantly improving the signal-to-noise of the system. Also, in
systems requiring many Mics, having a deep and indepen-
dently adjustable
Gate Depth helps maintain the feedback
stability margin. Other mic mixers have fixed or limited gate
depths making certain system implementations difficult.
Typical default value: 20 dB
Mic Gate Release
Each Mic has an independently adjustable Gate Release
time. When the audio drops below the Threshold Level, the
Gate Release timer is activated. If audio is not detected
before this timer elapses, and the Mic is not the Master Mic,
the Mic will Gate Off.
Typical default value: 0.3 seconds.