USER’S MANUAL

Finalizer
STUDIO MASTERING PROCESSOR
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

WELCOME About this Manual 5

FRONT PANEL Keys, LED’s and other functions explained 6
REAR PANEL 8
SIGNAL FLOW 9
FINALIZER SETUP 10
RECALL Recalling a Preset, Factory/User Presets, Memory Card 12
STORE Store a New Preset, The Letterbox 13
MAIN PAGES Input, EQ, Inserts, Normalizer, Expander, Compressor, Limiter, Output, Crossover Freq. 14
TOOLS Phase Meter, Calibration Tone, Flow, Peak-Hold Meter, Digital I/O 28
WIZARD 32
COMPARE 33
UTILITY 34
RESET PAGE Reset Page, User Data Page 36
TECHNICAL REFERENCE 37
TROUBLESHOOTING Maybe you will find help here 38
MIDI IMPLEMENTATION CHART 39
SELF-TEST PROGRAM 40
GLOSSARY 41
APPENDIX Tutorial 42

3
 PRECAUTIONS

WARNING - THIS APPARATUS MUST BE EARTH-

ED

Use only a three wire grounding type line cord,

like the one supplied with the Finalizer.

Be advised that different operating voltages require the use of a

different type line cord and attachment plug.
In doubt contact your TC distributor.

Check the voltage in your area and use the correct type.

Voltage Line plug according to standard

110-125V UL817 and CSA C 22.2 no. 42

220-230V CEE 7 page VII,

SR section 107-2-D1/IEC 83 page C4

240V BS 1363 of 1984. Specification for 13A.

fused plugs and switched and
un-switched socket outlets

See table below:

CAUTION - Do not open the Finalizer.

Risk of electric shock inside. There are no user-serviceable

parts inside. Refer servicing to qualified service personnel only.

Mount the Finalizer with a little space above and below in a

well ventilated rack. Don't block the top or bottom.

To prevent electrical shock or fire hazard, do no expose the

Finalizer to rain or moisture.

Do not rely solely on the front screws when mounted in touring

rack. Support the back of the Finalizer as well.

Please report any shipment damage or equipment malfunctions

to your dealer, TC distributor or the TC head office in
Denmark.

4
 WELCOME
Congratulations on the purchase of your new Finalizer.
We hope that you will have as much pleasure using it
as we had making it.

The general control is accomplished by moving the cursor using

the PARAMETER keys.
Jumping between bands using the BAND keys.
Changing block by using the BLOCK keys.
Change page using the MENU keys and decrease/increase values
by turning the ADJUST wheel.

The rest is simple. You select the area that you wish to control by
pressing the function keys on the front of the Finalizer; i.e., if
you want to recall, you press the RECALL key.

About this Manual

Many people in the music business have an aversion to reading
manuals. We understand that. So, if you feel like starting without
reading the whole manual, simply Plug & Play. You can always
use the manual for checking out areas that you have questions
about, or if you want to dig deeper into the unit, refer to the
Table of Contents for further information.
On the other hand, you might want to know a little more about
the Finalizer before you start pressing keys. The manual will take
you step by step through all of the Finalizer’s functions. If you
want to read about a specific function, please refer to the Table of
Contents.

5
 FRONT PANEL

Electronic power switch

»Easy touch«
Keep pressed for more than Output PPM SoftClip LED
1 second to turn device off. High resolution meters Indicates that output is clipped

PC Card slot INDICATORS Input PPM Expander Gain Limit

Presets may be copied Active Reduction LED’s
to/from a standard memory Overload Indicators Meters
card. Lights up if internal overload
occurs.

Sample Rate Indicator

48000 Hz
44100 Hz
32000 Hz

MIDI In
MIDI receive indicator.

Card
Indicates presence of a valid
memory card.

Working
Indicates that some calcula-
tion is going on.

Edited
Preset has been edited.

6
 Adjust wheel
Sets parameter values and
preset numbers.

FUNCTIONS SECTION PROGRAM SECTION CONTROL SECTION

Main Page Recall OK

This button gives you Recall presets. Confirm operations
access to edit the entire and switch individual blocks on/off.
signal flow, from input to Store
output. Store and name presets. Help
Get help on selected display func-
Tools tion
This key gives you access Compare
to a lot of useful tools for Compare the sound you Block < >
optimizing your material. have right now with either Select which block to edit on the
a leveled bypass or the main page.
Wizard original preset.
The Wizard will do some of
the hard work for you. Bypass Menu up/down
Bypass the signal pro- Vertically oriented menu selector.
Utility cessing.
MIDI, Security, Memory Parameter < >
management and much Moves horizontally for selection of
more is located here. parameter to be modified.

Band < >

Select between the three bands on
the com/lim/exp pages.
On the EQ page, it selects which of the six
bands/level are displayed and ready for modi-
fication.

7
 REAR PANEL

Main Power Balanced Balanced Serial No. AES/EBU S/PDIF MIDI Pedal/Fader
Power Input XLR XLR Digital Digital In,Thru,Out Input
Switch Inputs Outputs in/out in/out

NOTES:

To accommodate international regulations, we have also added a rear panel power switch.
You don’t need to use the power switch on the rear panel. Use the front panel power switch instead.

Pin 2 is »hot« on all XLR’s (IEC and AES standards).

If you are connecting the Finalizer to unbalanced equipment, you must tie pins 1 and 3 together in the cable
ends away from the Finalizer.

We have reserved the two unused pins on the MIDI connectors for an optional RS485 interface.
Therefore, if you are connecting the Finalizer to other equipment that use these pins, please make sure the
cable is a 3-wire standard MIDI type (not a five wire MIDIPLUS type).

If you want to use the pedal input, make sure it is a momentary »make« type.

8
SIGNAL FLOW

Notes regarding the signal flow:

The AES/EBU and the S/PDIF inputs are connected internally. Therefore, do not connect cables to both
AES/EBU and S/PDIF inputs at the same time.

As you can see from the block diagram, signals are present on all outputs, all of the time. To make the
dithering circuit work appropriately, you must tell the system whether your main output is analog or digital
(the I/O menu).

9
 FINALIZER SETUP

Finalizer Setup
The Finalizer is carefully designed to optimize the overall level and enhance the energy in your mix.
The use of the three band compressor, limiter and expander makes the dynamics section of the Finalizer very flexible, while
maintaining the fidelity of the original material. The dynamics section, in a combination with a normalizer and a five band
equalizer, gives you a very powerful tool, to finish the last details of your mix.

Because the Finalizer can be used in different applications, we propose a couple of different setups.

10
Example 1

Setup with an analog mixing console and a digital

recording device.

1. Connect the analog output of your mixer to the analog input of

the Finalizer.
2. Connect the digital output of the Finalizer to your
digital recording device.
3. Connect the analog output of the Finalizer to your
monitor system.

Example 2

Setup with a digital mixing console and a digital

recording device

1. Connect the digital output of your mixer to the digital input of

the Finalizer.
2. Connect the digital output of the Finalizer to your
digital recording device.
3. Connect the analog output of the Finalizer to
your monitor system.

Example 3
Mastering from DAT to DAT

1. Connect the digital output of DAT #1 to the digital input

of the Finalizer.
2. Connect the digital output of the Finalizer to the digital
input of DAT #2.

11
 RECALL
ROM bank RAM bank

Select which blocks will be loaded

from new preset.
Preset name

Preset number

Short info about preset

Recall Factory/User Presets

When you wish to recall a preset, simply use the ADJUST wheel
Factory Your own
to scroll through the presets and press OK to recall.
Presets Presets
The OK key will be blinking while you are previewing, indicat-
ing that the shown preset is not recalled yet.
ROM 128 RAM
PRESETS PRESETS
It is also possible to recall separate sections of a pre-
set. Select the desired section, using the PARAMETER
keys, and press OK. Preset banks

The Recall Display The Finalizer contains two different preset banks.
In the Recall display, you will see an information section at the
bottom of the screen. In this section you are able to see which The RAM bank can hold up to 128 presets.
blocks are turned on in the current preset, and also a small EQ
preview with a miniature icon of the EQ setting. The RAM preset bank is located after the ROM bank. This
means that you scroll through the ROM presets to enter the RAM
In the upper right corner, you see an indication of which bank bank.
you are previewing.
For fast RAM/ROM access use the BLOCK keys
to switch between the two banks.

Note: When previewing in the RAM bank you will not see the
empty RAM space.

12
 STORE
Store a New RAM Preset
- Press the STORE button
- Select a location for your new preset [dial between preset 1 to 128]
- Move the cursor to the new name line and dial in the new preset name [find letter with ADJUST and confirm with OK ]
- Move the cursor to DONE and press OK to finalize store operation.

Store with the same name:

If you want to store the preset with the existing name, simply select the RAM location to store it in by using the ADJUST wheel and press
OK (the OK key will be blinking while you search for a suitable RAM space). The Finalizer will now tell you “STORED” in a pop-up win-
dow and return to the main page.

Store location
New preset name

Letterbox

CAPS LOCK Place cursor here and press OK

Indicator to finalize store operation
Cursor arrows

The Letterbox Using a Memory Card:

When you want to change the name of the preset to store, press When you wish to use a memory card, simply insert the card in
the MENU down key. You are now able to write a new name the Finalizer. The Finalizer will now autodetect your card and the
using the letterbox. Simply dial the ADJUST wheel and press OK Store and Recall facilities will be attached to the memory card.
to select new letters. The Finalizer will now use the memory card as a normal RAM
Select CAP, by pressing OK, to change case. bank. When you remove your memory card, the Finalizer will
When you have changed the name, select DONE in the Letterbox switch back to the internal RAM.
and press OK to Store.
If the format of the memory card is not correct, the Finalizer will
You can use the PARAMETER keys to move the detect this immediately.
cursor.
Card types
Delete a Preset Type 1 PC Cards with minimum 64 KBytes of SRAM.
When you want to delete a preset, simply select Delete using the
BLOCK keys, select the preset to be deleted, and press OK.

13
 MAIN PAGE Input

LowCut Filter

Sample Rate:
44.1kHz, 48kHz
or from Digital Input
Set input levels Select Select between con/pro
input analog input levels.

Select the IN section on the Main page by pressing the Ranges

BLOCK keys.
Analog Inputs
These global level controls should be set to optimize the perfor- Consumer (-10 dBu): -16 dB to +10 dB
mance of the 20 bit A to D converter in the Finalizer. Professional (+6 dBu): -6 dB to +16 dB

Basic operation Digital Inputs -16 dB to +6 dB

Press the PARAMETER keys to move the cursor, and turn the
ADJUST wheel to change values. Sample Rate (Srate): Select master clock
44.1 kHz/48 kHz/DI
Left & Right
The input bars can be operated individually or in common. When Digital Input is selected, the external clock frequency will
Highlight both bars for common operation by pressing the be displayed by the three LEDs on the left hand side of the dis-
PARAMETER keys. The range of the input bars depends on the play. If the Finalizer can not lock, none of the LEDs will be lit.
input type (Analog/Digital) and the input level
(Professional/Consumer). Note: When changing the input to digital, the sample rate para-
meter is automatically set to DI.
Note: The input bars are always common when digital input is
selected. LowCut
The lowcut filter is global, and is used to filter out any sub-bass
frequency or DC contents in the current signal.

14
 MAIN PAGE EQ

EQ on/off Black box indicates selected block

Effects blocks

Selected band

Band
Output Level bar

Parameter

Frequency Gain Bandwidth/Slope

EQ
Select EQ by pressing the BLOCK keys.

Basic operation
Press PARAMETER keys to select frequency/gain/bandwidth/slope.
Turn ADJUST wheel to change values.
Press BAND keys to jump between the five bands.

EQ Ranges
Frequency Gain Bandwidth/Slope
Low Shelve 19.95 Hz to 5.01 kHz +/- 12 dB 3, 6, 9, 12 dB/Oct
Bell-shaped filter 1 19.95 Hz to 20 kHz +/- 12 dB 0.1 Oct to 4.0 Oct
Bell-shaped filter 2 19.95 Hz to 20 kHz +/- 12 dB 0.1 Oct to 4.0 Oct
Bell-shaped filter 3 19.95 Hz to 20 kHz +/- 12 dB 0.1 Oct to 4.0 Oct
High Shelve 501.2 Hz to 20 kHz +/- 12 dB 3, 6, 9, 12 dB/Oct
Output Gain - +/- 12 dB -

EQ Bypass
Press the blue BLOCK on/off key to bypass the EQ section.

Reset all filters by pressing both page keys simultaneously.

15
 MAIN PAGE Inserts

Insert selected
DIGITAL RADIANCE GENERATOR

Insert type selector

Select between:
- None
- Digital Radiance
- Stereo Adjust
- De-essing

STEREO ADJUST This parameter deter- If your material is asymmetric

mines the drive of the (percussion/speech etc.) this
Radiance Generator. parameter will change the
sound.

Move cursor up to increase the stereo width.

Move cursor down to make the signal more mono.
Center position is normal.

Move the cursor right/left to adjust center (balance)

DE-ESSER

FREQUENCY sets the cutoff freq.

of the de-esser.

CURVE sets the frequency char-

acteristics of the dynamic damp-
ing filter.

THRESHOLD
RATIO
ATTACK
RELEASE

16
 MAIN PAGE Inserts
Inserts Digital Radiance Generator
Select Insert by pressing the BLOCK keys The DRG (Digital Radiance Generator) adds second harmonic
distortion to the signal. This kind of distortion is very analog-
The Finalizer has various insert possibilities. Choose between like, and will add a certain warmth to your material.
DRG, Stereo Adjust or De-essing by pressing the MENU
up/down keys. Drive
The DRG drive is adjustable from 0 to 10.
Note: You can use only one insert function at a time. Curve
If your material is asymmetric (percussion/speech, etc.), the
Basic operation plus/minus parameter will change the sound of the DRG.
- Use MENU keys to select insert effect.
- Press the PARAMETER keys to select parameter.
- Turn the ADJUST wheel to change values.

Stereo Adjust
With Stereo Adjust, you can change the stereo information of the
signal. Turn the MS parameter clockwise to increase stereo width
and counter clockwise to make the signal more mono-like.

You can change the left/right balance with the LR parameter.

De-esser
This algorithm removes unwanted »esses« from vocal material
by dynamically reducing the level of high frequencies.

Threshold
Use the ADJUST wheel to change the threshold of the de-esser.
Attack
Use the ADJUST wheel to change the attack time of the de-esser.
Release
Use the ADJUST wheel to change the release time of the de-
esser.
Ratio
Use this parameter to adjust the damping ratio of the de-esser.
Frequency
The frequency sets the cut-off frequency of the de-esser.
Curve
With the curve parameter, you select whether the de-esser should
work with a bell-shaped or shelving filter.

17
18
 MAIN PAGE Normalizer

Black box indicates selected block

Effects blocks

No. of consecutive
samples clipped.

Normalizing gain Clipping method

Normalizer
Optimizing the level of your material starts in the Normalizer.
Here you have a graphical presentation of the incoming signal, shown as 1 second pictures.
By increasing the gain, you decrease the headroom, shown as two dotted lines.
You should set the gain such that the signal peaks are just hitting the dotted headroom lines.

The Normalizer is capable of gaining +18 dB.

The Clipper
The Normalizer has a build-in limiter, which can be either soft or hard. When the Normalizer limiter is active, it is indicated on the
Normalizer LIM LED above the Input Meters.

The Clip Counter indicates the maximum number of consecutive samples clipped within the last second.

If the clips only occur occasionally, and only few samples are clipped per test interval, you do not necessarily have to reduce the gain of the
Normalizer.

19
 MAIN PAGE Expander

USER PAGE

PAGES Y-axis is output

- User page level.
- Expert page
- Cross-over frequency page

Arrow direction indicates X-axis is input

whether the parameter value level.
has been increased or
decreased since last recall. Expander Ratio
threshold low/mid/high Use band select cursors to access
low/mid/high individual bands.

EXPERT PAGE

Attack time Release Side chain / delay

low/mid/high time This parameter inserts the indicated delay in
low/mid/high the main signal path.
CROSS-OVER FREQUENCY PAGE The side chain will therefore be able to look
ahead on the input signal, enabling it to
respond faster to sudden signal changes.

This parameter is common for expander/com-

pressor/limiter.

20
Expander Cross-over Menu
Select EXP by pressing the BLOCK keys Press MENU keys to enter the cross-over frequency
page (Xovr)
Basic Operation
- Press the PARAMETER keys to select parameter. L-Xovr/H-Xovr
- Turn the ADJUST wheel to change values. With the L-Xovr and H-Xovr you set the cross-over points of the
- Press the BAND keys to select between the three bands. three bands in the dynamics section.
- Press the MENU keys to select User/Xpert/Xover.
Note: The cross-over points are common for the compressor, lim-
User Menu iter and expander.
Threshold
The Edit Guide
Use the ADJUST wheel to change the thresholds of the three
The symbol in the lower left corner of the display is an edit
bands.
guide. This indicator will help you get back to parameter values
Ratio of the latest recalled preset.
Use these parameters to adjust the ratios of the three expander
bands.
Arrow direction indicates whether the parameter value
Expander Monitor
has been increased or decreased since last recall.
The Expander Monitor gives you a graphical picture of the ratio
and threshold settings.
Example:
If you have been working on various parameters within a preset
Expert Menu and would like to get the original ratios back without changing
Press MENU keys to enter expert mode (XPRT) the attack/release times, simply select the ratio parameters one
by one and follow the edit guide.
Attack
Use the ADJUST wheel to change the attack time of the three Expander Bypass
bands. Press the blue BLOCK on/off key to bypass the expander section.
Release
Use the ADJUST wheel to change the release time of the three
bands.
Side Chain / Delay
This parameter adjusts the “look-ahead” delay. This means that
your audio signal is delayed, i.e., 10 ms.
By slightly delaying the audio signal, you give the processor a
chance to look ahead at the present signal, and will therefore
react more accurately than a standard
compressor/limiter/expander.
The actual look-ahead delay time is scaled with the attack time
individually on all three bands.

Note: This delay time parameter is common for the compressor,

limiter and expander.

21
 MAIN PAGE Compressor

USER PAGE

Page select:
1. User page
2. Expert page
3. Cross-over page

Arrow direction indicates

whether the parameter value
has been increased or
decreased since last recall. Threshold Ratio Band levels Output level
low/mid/high low/mid/high low/mid/high

EXPERT PAGE

Attack Release Side chain / Delay Crest

Times Times (same as under This parameter determines
CROSS-OVER FREQUENCY PAGE low/mid/high low/mid/high expander) wether the compressor
should react to peaks,
RMS (average), or some-
thing in between.

22
The Compressor Side Chain / Delay
This parameter adjusts the look-ahead delay. This means that
Select COM by pressing the BLOCK keys your audio signal is delayed, i.e., 10 ms.
By slightly delaying the audio signal, you enable the processor to
Basic operation look ahead at the present signal, and it will, therefore, react more
- Press the PARAMETER keys to select parameter.
accurately than a standard compressor/limiter/expander.
- Turn the ADJUST wheel to change values.
- Press the BAND keys to select between the three bands.
The actual look-ahead delay time is scaled automatically with the
- Press the MENU keys to select User/Xpert/Xover.
attack time, individually on all three bands.
About the Compressor Note: This delay time parameter is common for the compressor,
The compressor section of the Finalizer is divided into three
limiter and expander.
bands. This means that you are able to compress the
low/mid/high frequencies separately.
Crest
To optimize the output gain and energy in your material, the
This parameter determines whether the compressor should react
Finalizer uses auto-makeup gain, meaning that the three bands
to peaks, RMS (average), or something in between. For example
are gained individually and automatically, depending on how
if the crest parameter is set at 6 dB, the compressor is reacting to
hard the current band is compressed.
RMS values and to peaks 6 dB higher than the current RMS
value.
User Menu
Threshold Cross-over Menu
Use the ADJUST wheel to change the thresholds of the three
Press MENU keys to enter the cross-over
bands.
frequency page (Xovr)
Ratio
Use these parameters to adjust the ratios of the three compressor
L-Xovr/H-Xovr
bands.
With the L-Xovr and H-Xovr you set the cross-over points of the
Band Level three bands in the dynamics section.
The three band levels are used to adjust the spectral balance in
the compressor. You are able to change the level of the low, mid
Note: The cross-over points are common for the compressor, lim-
and high bands individually, simply by selecting the current band
iter and expander.
and turning the ADJUST wheel.
Out Level
With this parameter you can adjust the overall output of the com- Compressor Bypass
pressor. Press the blue BLOCK on/off key to bypass the com-
pressor section.
Expert Menu
Press MENU keys to enter the expert page.

Attack
Use the ADJUST wheel to change the attack time of the three
bands.
Release
Use the ADJUST wheel to change the release time of the three
bands.

23
 MAIN PAGE Limiter

USER PAGE

Expert mode on/off

Arrow direction indicates

whether the parameter value
has been increased or
decreased since last recall. Limiter Bypass individual Clipping method
threshold limiter bands. The clip function smoothly kills
low/mid/high any overshoot that might occur
after heavy compression or limit-
ing. The higher the percentage,
the softer the clip.

EXPERT PAGE

CROSSOVER FREQUENCY PAGE

Attack Release Side chain / Delay Digital ceiling

Times Times (same as under This parameter
low/mid/high low/mid/high compressor / reduces the full
expander) scale (0dB) signal
level on the output.

24
The Limiter Digital Ceiling
With the digital ceiling you can adjust the digital maximum out-
Select LIM by pressing the BLOCK keys
put, i.e., if you receive an overload indication on the device con-
nected to the DI/out of the Finalizer, you are able to reduce the
Basic operation
output level down by 0.01 dB increments.
- Press the PARAMETER keys to select parameter.
- Turn the ADJUST wheel to change values.
- Press the BAND keys to select between the three bands. Cross-over Menu
- Press the MENU keys to select User/Xpert/Xover. Press MENU keys to enter the cross-over frequency
page (Xovr)
User Menu
L-Xovr/H-Xovr
Threshold
With the L-Xovr and H-Xovr you set the cross-over points of the
Use the ADJUST wheel to change the thresholds of the three
three bands in the dynamics section.
bands.
On/Off Note: The cross-over points are common for the compressor, lim-
Use these parameters to enable/disable the three limiter bands.
iter and expander.
Clip
The clip function smoothly kills any overshoot that might occur
after heavy compression or limiting. The higher the percentage,
the softer the clip.

Expert Menu
Press MENU keys to enter the expert page.

Attack
Use the ADJUST wheel to change the attack time of the three
bands.
Release
Use the ADJUST wheel to change the release time of the three
bands.
Side Chain / Delay
This parameter adjusts the look-ahead delay. This means that
your audio signal is delayed, i.e., 10 ms.

By slightly delaying the audio signal, you enable the processor to

look ahead at the present signal, and it will, therefore, react more
accurately than a standard compressor/limiter/expander.

The actual look-ahead delay time is scaled automatically with the

attack time, individually on all three bands.

Note: This delay time parameter is common for the compressor,

limiter and expander.

25
 MAIN PAGE Output

FADE SECTION
CURVE sets the fade-out curve
TIME sets the fade-out time
FADE up/down/stop
LEVEL set fader level manually.

Note:
If an external fader is connected, all of the above
parameters are disabled.
Select Select no. of bits dithered to: Analog
primary 8 bit output level
output 16 bit (default for SPDIF) (left and right)
18 bit
20 bit (default for analog out)
24 bit (default for AES)

Select the OUT section in the main page by pressing Note: The dither parameter is always reset when changing the
the BLOCK keys primary output.

Primary Output Analog

When selecting your primary output, the Finalizer automatically Use the output bar for adjusting the analog output gain.
selects a suitable dither. Range: -16 dB to +6 dB

If you select ANALOG, the Finalizer dithers to 20 bit Auto Fade

(the D to A converters are 20 bit). The Finalizer is capable of auto-fades up to 60 seconds.

If you select S/PDIF, the Finalizer dithers to 16 bit. Select the fade curve and the fade time.
To start the fade, select the fade up/down parameter and turn the
If you select AES/EBU, the dither is off, meaning that 24 bit raw ADJUST wheel.
data is sent out of the Finalizer digital outputs.
You also have the possibility of a manual fade, simply by select-
Note: There is always signal present on both analog and digital ing the LEV parameter and turning the ADJUST wheel.
outputs. The manual fade function can also be controlled by the TC
Master Fader.
Dither
With the dither parameter you can select the desired dither type Note: The pedal function in the Utility menu must be set to Fader
yourself. Select between: 8, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 (off). for external control.

26
27
 TOOLS Phase Meter (correlation)

Phase Meter
The phase meter show you the phase relationship
between the two stereo channels.

Plus means that the two channels are in phase.

Minus means that the two channels are in anti-
phase.

Time/division
Sets the curve drawing speed.

Time/division
Curve speed

TOOLS Calibration Tone

Calibration tone
In the calibration display you have a 1000 Hz test-
tone, which will be sent out on the Finalizers out-
puts at the selected level.

Set the level by using the ADJUST wheel and press

OK to activate.

28
TOOLS Flow

Flow
In the Flow Meter, you have six small peak meters,
representing the level in the different sections of
the Finalizer.

This can be very helpful in a number of situations.

I.e. you have an overload indication on the front,
but you do not know in which section the overload
is located: now you simply press TOOLS and select
the Flow meter, and you have instant view of all
levels and possible overloads in the Finalizer.

Internal levels (ppm)

TOOLS Peak-Hold Meter

Peak
The Peak-Hold Meter is an output meter with infi-
nite hold. It is possible to see the level of the maxi-
mum peak in 0.10 dB precision.

Press OK to reset the meter.

Numeric readout of peak values

29
 TOOLS Digital I/O (DIO)

RECEIVED STATUS BITS

Pre-emphasis indicator: on/off

Source device: DAT, CD, mixer etc.
Numbers of audio bits received.
Copyright: None, One copy only , Infinite copies

DIGITAL OUT STATUS BITS

Status bits on digital output:

AES/EBU: Professional usage of status bits.
S/PDIF: Consumer usage of status bits.
FROM INPUT: Status bits received on input are
fed through to the digital output.

Copyright
Here you can set the copyrights
on the outgoing digital audio.

30
 TOOLS Digital I/O (DIO)

IN OUT
On this display you have various indicators that tell On this display you set up how the Finalizer should
you what kind of digital signal you are receiving. send out your material.

Pre-emphasis COPY ENABLE

This parameter tells whether the incoming signal is pre-empha- Set the copyrights of your material:
sized or not.
Source device (Category code). - No copies
The device status of the received signal is shown in this indicator. - 1 copy only
Audio data - Infinite number of copies.
The number of received audio bits is indicated here.
Copyright (Copy inhibit). Note: The copy protection is only valid with S/PDIF signals.

Status of the copybits. STATUS BITS OUT

AES/EBU
When AES/EBU is selected the Finalizer will send out its own
professional set of status bits, meaning that any incoming ID will
be lost. However, in order to take full advantage of the
Finalizer’s 24 bit resolution you should select AES/EBU to make
sure that the receiving device after the Finalizer will accept all 24
bits.
S/PDIF
When S/PDIF is selected, the Finalizer will send its own con-
sumer status bits out, meaning that any incoming ID will be lost.
The Finalizer’s S/PDIF output carries up to 20 bits. Only the
S/PDIF signal contains copy protection information.
From Input
When this setting is selected the Finalizer will send the same
information out as it received. However, you still have the possi-
bility to change the copy status.

31
 WIZARD

Press OK to start procedure

Select source type: soft/medium/hard

Select degree of compression:
soft/medium/hard

Optimize gain
If this option is selected the Finalizer will adjust
the Normalizer level.

EQ
The Finalizer will adjust the Equalizer to the selected
spectral expression.

Wizard - Making the whole thing very simple

Press the WIZARD key.

With the Wizard you set a couple of terms, and the Wizard will select the optimal settings for you: the Normalizer, Compressor, Limiter and
EQ.

Select whether your source type is soft, medium or hard, using the ADJUST wheel.
Select which kind of compression you like: Soft, medium or hard.

Do you want your material to be gain optimized? Yes or no.

Note: If you use auto-gain, the Wizard will be measuring until you stop it.
This means that you can run all of your material through the Wizard to get the optimum level.

Select which EQ setting you would like: Flat (no EQ), Loudness, Bass-lift or Air.

Press the OK key to carry out the settings of the Wizard.

Press any key to stop the Autogain function.

32
 COMPARE

Listen to original preset Listen to your edited sound Bypassed signal

If you place cursor here, you will hear If you place the cursor here, you will Same function as the BYPASS key.
the original preset. hear the edited sound.

Use the ADJUST wheel to adjust this

level for better comparison with the
bypassed signal.

Compare
The reason for adding this compare function is that it can be difficult to estimate what the EQ/dynamics is doing to the sound of your mate-
rial. Because of the extra gain of the Normalizer and the compressor in-circuit and out-of-circuit comparisons are often difficult to make
using the BYPASS key.
That is why we made it possible to reduce the level of your processed setting when comparing it with the bypassed sound. You can even
compare with the last recalled preset.

Press the COMPARE key and use the ADJUST wheel to lower the level of your setting.
Then use the PARAMETER keys to compare these different sounds: one, the original; two, your edited preset; or three, the bypassed sig-
nal.

33
 UTILITY
How to move around
In the UTILITY menu you always move by pressing the
MENU keys and change values by dialing the ADJUST
wheel.

Display
Viewing Angle
Adjust for best contrast on the LCD display.

MIDI In
Channel
Sets the receive channel of the Finalizer.
When set to Omni the Finalizer will respond to all channels.
When set to Off no MIDI will be received.
Prg. Change
Sets whether the Finalizer should respond to MIDI program
changes or not.
Controllers
Sets whether the Finalizer should respond to MIDI controllers or
not.
Prg. Offset
This number is added to the incoming program number.

Example:
If the incoming program number is 10, and the offset is set to -1,
the Finalizer will change to program 9.

Program Bank
If this parameter is set to RAM, all received MIDI program
changes will recall user (RAM) presets.

If set to ROM, received MIDI program changes will recall facto-

ry (ROM) presets.

System Exclusive ID (SysEx ID)

System exclusive ID number of the Finalizer.

34
MIDI Out Memory Protect
Channel Protect
MIDI transmit channel. This parameter sets the memory protection on or off. When pro-
Prg. Change tect is on, the RAM presets between the high and low limits are
Sets whether the Finalizer should transmit MIDI program write protected.
changes or not.
Controllers
Sets whether the Finalizer should transmit MIDI control changes
or not.
Memory Backup
Mem > Card
Offset
Insert a PC Card in the card slot and press OK. All RAM presets
This number is added to the outgoing program number.
of the Finalizer will now be backed up to the memory card.
Card > Mem
Insert the PC Card containing your presets and press OK. All
Security presets will now be stored back into the Finalizer RAM.
To security-lock the Finalizer, press OK while this parameter is
selected. Warning:
This action will destroy all existing RAM presets of the Finalizer.
When locked, you will have to dial the PIN-code shown below
to access the Finalizer. Mem > MIDI
Connect your Finalizer’s MIDI output to another Finalizer, a
PIN-code sequencer or any other MIDI recording device. Press OK and the
Sets your PIN-code for the security lock by dialing the ADJUST Finalizer will perform a MIDI bulk dump of all RAM presets.
wheel (See page 36). MIDI > Mem
Connect the storing device to the Finalizer’s MIDI input and
If you should forget your PIN-code, please enter the Reset page. press OK. The Finalizer is now ready to receive a MIDI bulk
This will release the Finalizer from the locked state. dump containing RAM presets.
(You do not have to run any of the reset functions).
Warning:
This action will destroy all existing RAM presets of the Finalizer.

Pedal Input
Select between: External Fader/Fade up-down/Bypass.

35
 RESET PAGE

Store and load your own

default settings

Enter User data page

Reset system parameters
Clear all user presets
Test Programs

Type your name here

and your phone number

Place cursor here

and press OK to
finalize session.

How to enter the Reset page: Set User Name

Hold the BYPASS key pressed while powering up. This function makes it possible to write your name and phone
number into the Finalizer. Press OK to access the user data menu.
Move the marker using the MENU keys and press OK Use the ADJUST wheel and the MENU keys to write your name
to select reset type. and phone number into the Finalizer. Press OK to accept. Your
name and phone number will be displayed during power-up.
Load User Default Reset System Parameters
This will reset all system parameters back to a default setup made This will reset all system parameters back to the factory default.
by you (see Store User Def.). This reset will NOT delete the user This reset will NOT delete the user presets of the Finalizer.
presets of the Finalizer. Reset all Presets
Store User Def. This will clear all RAM presets.
When you have a perfect setup of your Finalizer, you are able to
store this as your own default setup. This function is very useful,
for example when you have finished a special production and
want to go back to normal. When you have the perfect setup of
your Finalizer, simply select this parameter and press OK to store
your default settings.
The User Default includes all system parameters.

36
 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Analog Input
Connectors: XLR balanced (pin 2 hot)
Impedance: 15 kOhm
Max. Input Level: +22 dBu
Sensitivity: @ 12 dB headroom: -22 dBu to 10 dBu
A to D Conversion: 20 bit (4 bit, 64 times oversampling)
Dynamic Range: > 105 dB
THD: < 0.003% @ 1 kHz, +10 dB
Frequency Response: 10 Hz - 20 kHz: +0/-0.2 dB
Crosstalk: -60 dB max, 10 Hz to 20 kHz

Analog Output
Connectors: XLR balanced (pin 2 hot)
Impedance: 100 Ohm (active transformer)
Max Output Level: +22 dBu
Output Gain Range: 0 to -32 dB
D to A Conversion: 20 bit (1 bit 128 times oversampling)
Dynamic Range: > 96 dB
THD: < 0.008% @ 1 kHz, +10 dB
Frequency Response: 10 Hz - 20 kHz: +0/-0.3 dB
Crosstalk: -60 dB max, 10 Hz to 20 kHz

Digital Inputs and Outputs

AES/EBU In/Out: XLR
S/PDIF In/Out: Coaxial, RCA Type
Formats: EIAJ CP-340, IEC 958, S/PDIF (20 bit)
AES/EBU (24 bit)
Sample Rates: 32 kHz, 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz

PC-CARD Interface
Connector: Type 1 PC Cards
Standards: PC-CARD 2.0, JEIDA 4.0
Card Format: Supports up to 2 MB SRAM

Control Interface
MIDI: In/Out/Thru: 5 Pin DIN
Pedal: 1/4 inch phone jack

General
Finish: Black anodized aluminum face plate
Painted and plated steel chassis
Dimensions: 19” x 1.75” x 8.2” (485 x 45 x 195 mm)
Weight: 5.2 lbs (2.35 kg)
AC Power: 90 - 240 VAC without switch settings
3 Pin IEC power connector
Battery Life: >10 years

Radio Frequency Immunity/Interference

RFI/ESD: Conforms to FCC Class B,
EN55103-1 (CE), EN55103-2 (CE)

Environment
Operating Temperature: 32OF to 122OF (0OC to 50OC)
Storage Temperature: -22OF 167OF (-30OC to 70OC)
Humidity: Max. 95% non-condensing

All specifications are subject to change without notice.

37
 TROUBLESHOOTING
You press the POWER switch but there is no light.
- The power switch on the rear panel is switched off.

The input PPM meters don’t peak out.

- You are using analog inputs, but the input selector in the I/O menu is set to digital in.
- The analog input level is set too low.

No sound through the Finalizer

- You are using analog inputs, but the input selector in the I/O menu is set to digital in.

You cannot turn the power off.

- Hold the power switch pressed for at least 3 seconds.

38
 MIDI IMPLEMENTATION CHART
STUDIO MASTERING PROCESSOR: Finalizer - JUNE 24, 1996 Version 1.0

Function Transmitted Recognized Remarks

Basic Channel Default 1 1
Changed 1-16 1-16
Mode Default
Messages X X
Altered
Note Number X X
True Voice X X
Velocity Note ON X X
Note OFF X X
After Touch Key’s X X
Ch’s X X
Pitch Bend X X
Control Change O O

Prog Change O O
True# 0-127 0-127
System Exclusive O O
Common :Song Pos X X
:Song Sel X X
:Tune X X
System real time :Clock O O
:Commands X X
Aux Messages :Local ON/OFF X X
:All Notes OFF X X
:Active Sense X X
:Reset X X
Notes

O:YES Mode1: OMNI ON, POLY Mode 2: OMNI ON, MONO

X:NO Mode 3: OMNI OFF, POLY Mode 4: OMNI OFF, MONO

39
 SELF TEST
PRESS ONE OF THE 3 BYPASS KEYS, WHILE POWER- MIDI I/O test
ING UP, TO ACCESS THE SELF-TEST AND SELECT Select MIDI I/O test by pressing OK
»RUN TEST PROGRAM« Connect MIDI out to MIDI In.
Prg. change 1-128 is send out on MIDI thru. Connect this socket
Turn the ADJUST Wheel to scroll through self tests to a MIDI compatible device and confirm the Prg. changes.
Press OK key again to exit test.
Key test
Select Key test by pressing OK. Pedal test
The keys must be pressed in the order they are requested by the Select Pedal test by pressing OK.
Finalizer to pass the test. Connect a momentary pedal to the pedal socket.
Press OK key again to exit test. When pressing the pedal, the result should be OK.
When released, the result should be NOT OK.
Adjust Wheel test Press OK key again to exit test.
Select Adjust Wheel test by pressing OK
Turn the Adjust Wheel to 30 and back to 0 to pass test. PC Card test
Press OK key again to exit test. Select PC Card test by pressing OK
Insert PC Card. Note that all data on the PC Card will be
LED test destroyed.
Select Led test by pressing OK Press OK to test.
Turn Adjust Wheel to test the LEDs. The test is “ok” when all Result reads:
LEDs are lit. Low battery - Time to change battery in your PC Card.
Press OK key again to exit test. Not Ok - Try the test using another PCMCIA card.
Press OK key again to exit test.
Display test
Select Display test by pressing OK Battery test
Press OK to check that all pixels are lit. Press any key to leave Select Battery test by pressing OK
the pixel test. Confirm that result is OK.
Press OK key again to exit test. Press OK key again to exit test.

Analog I/O test System test

Select Analog I/O test by pressing OK Select System test by pressing OK
Connect an analog output to the analog input, which has to be Confirm that result is OK.
tested and press OK. Result reads:
Use a balanced cable. EEPROM Not OK - The unit will most likely work ok, the mes-
PPM must show -12 dB to pass test. sage is for service matters only.
Press OK key again to exit test. DSP Not OK - Contact your local dealer.
Press OK key again to exit test.
Digital I/O test
Select Digital I/O test by pressing OK Power Off - On to start standard software.
Connect a digital output to the digital input, which has to be test-
ed and press OK.
The AES/EBU output can also be connected to the S/PDIF input
and vice versa.
PPM must show 0 dB to pass test.
Press OK key again to exit test.

40
 GLOSSARY
AES/EBU
Professional digital in/out standard, using balanced XLR cables.

S/PDIF
Consumer digital in/out standard, normally using coaxial phono-
type cables.

DITHERING
Dithering is a method to optimize the quality of a digital audio
signal at low levels. A small amount of filtered noise is added to
the signal, giving you a less distorted low level signal.
To make the dithering circuit work optimally, you need to tell the
system which output you use. If you are using the analog outputs,
dithering should always be set to 20 bits. If you are using digital
outputs, the equipment you feed determines the number of bits. A
DAT or CDR recorder should always be dithered to 16 bit.

PRO/CON LEVELS
Depending on which equipment you are using along with the
Finalizer, you must set the PRO/CON parameters correctly in the
I/O setup menu.

Finalizer Analog Inputs:

Consumer range: -16 dB to +10 dB, nominal level = -10 dB
Professional range: -6 dB to +16 dB, nominal level = +4 dB

Finalizer Analog Outputs:

Consumer range: -10 dB to +16 dB
Professional range: -16 dB to +6 dB

The levels are either listed in the technical specifications or

printed on the rear panel of the connected devices.

DE-ESSING
An algorithm that removes unwanted »esses« from a vocal mate-
rial.

SYSTEM EXCLUSIVE MIDI COMMANDS

Device-dependent MIDI commands, normally used for remote
controlling machines.

41
 APPENDIX Tutorial
Finalizer Tutorial Play the music from the top a couple of times, and confirm that
The basic idea with the Finalizer is to touch up the last details of the start is silenced.
your mix and enhance the energy and level, in order to make it If you only want to remove tape noise, it might be enough to use
sound punchier and louder. the high band expander only.

As there are different approaches to the Finalizer, we created this The Compressor
tutorial to familiarize you with the Finalizer. The Compressor is the heart of the Finalizer. This section adds
that extra “punch” to your material.
The mainpage of the Finalizer shows you the signal flow, and the When you are doing multiband compression, you have to do a
actual order of the processor you are working. survey of the program material, i.e. Is there to much or too little
top-end or low-ende? Is the midrange well defined? A standard
The Input situation could be that you have a mix which sounds good, but
Select your type of input: Analog or digital. If you are working lacks tightness and could use more of that “in your face” sound.
with an analog input you should use Pro/Con and the level bars to
optimize the performance of the A to D converter. Now put the Finalizer in bypass, and recall the “CD-Master” pre-
Remember to choose the right sample rate, i.e. if you targeting on set. Start your mix and de-activate the Bypass. You will hear an
CD you should always choose 44.1 kHz. immediate change in the sound of your mix, because the “CD-
Master” preset was designed to tighten up on almost all types of
Now recall the CD-Master preset, by pressing the RECALL key, rhythmic music that you hear today. In most cases, you will only
select CD-Master and press OK to recall. have to adjust the input level by using the Normalizer.

The EQ If you want to make changes to the over all relationship of the
In the EQ you have the possibility, of changing the spectral low, mid, high bands using the Compressor, you have two paths
shape of your material. that you may take to accomplish this task. The first way is to alter
the bandlevels, using them like a three band equalizer. The sec-
Inserts ond way is to individually compress the three bands. It is here, in
Select between Stereo adjust, De-essing or DRG. the multi-band Compressor, where you will here the big differ-
ence.
Normalizer
Optimizing the level of your material starts in the Normalizer. A good Compressor will always tighten up a mix, but it will also
Here you have a graphical presentation of the incoming signal. remove some of the dynamic expression. Key to the operation of
By increasing the GAIN, you decrease the headroom, shown as any Compressor is the attack and release times. These two para-
two dotted lines. meters greatly influence how ”tight” the mix is going to be or
You should set the GAIN such that the signal peaks are just how “open” the material will sound after compression.
below or above the dotted headroom lines.
As a rule-of-thumb the low-band works best with fast attack
The Expander times and rather slow release times because low frequencies have
The Expander is a great help in cleaning up the basic mix, either a long wavelength. In the mid-band you can use roughly the same
as a soft expander or as a sharp gate. attack time, but the release time should be a bit faster since the
Try to listen to the start of your mix, do you have any tape or human ear is very sensitive in this area. If you set the mid-band
recording noise ? release too long it will sound unnatural. The hi-band works best
If you have and you want to remove it, use the expander as fol- with an attack time that is a bit slower than the other two bands
lows: because it will let high frequency transients to pass the
Compressor. Letting these peaks through the Compressor pre-
Set the Ratio’s to 1:32, this is the steepness of the expander. vents that stressed and over-compressed sound. The release time
Now adjust the THRESHOLD so the expander only works when of the hi-band should be fast, like the mid-band, for the same rea-
the music is not there. sons, to increase the “openness” of the Compressor.

42
The Limiter
The limiter is placed after the Compressor. This means that if you
drive the Compressor too hard, you hit the limiter too hard. Give
the limiter some room to do its intended job, to hold down the
level once in a while. If you run the Compressor block output
levels too close to the Limiter “ceiling” your mix will sound
“squashed”. Conservative use of the Limiter, especially using the
softer ratios will keep the mix sounding natural. Using the soft
clipper with adequate “look-ahead” time will prevent any over-
shoot from the Finalizer.

The Crossover
A last thing to remember about the Finalizer’s dynamic section is
that the adjustable crossover frequencies are critical to the unit’s
proper operation. By changing the crossover setting to match the
program material you can change the sound dramatically, so you
should experiment with this feature and find the setting that
makes your mix sound best.

This tutorial is only as a brief description of a few possibilities in

the Finalizer. It does not replace the experience you can achieve
by working with the Finalizer.

Use and trust your ears

43
 NOTE
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits Certificate Of Conformity
for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC rules.
These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against
harmful interference in a residential installations. TC Electronic A/S, Grimhøjvej 3, 8220 Brabrand, Denmark,
This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency hereby declares on own responsibility that following product:
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruc-
tions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Wizard Finalizer, Studio Mastering Processor
However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a
particular installation. That is covered by this certificate and marked with CE-label con-
If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or televi- forms with following standards:
sion reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment
off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference EN 60065 Safety requirements for mains
by one or more of the following measures:
(IEC 65) operated Electronic and related
apparatus for household and similar
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
general use
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different
from that to which the receiver is connected.
EN 50081-1 Electromagnetic compatibility - Generic
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for emission standard - Part 1: Residential,
help. commercial and light industry.

The user may find the following booklet, prepared by the Federal EN 50082-1 Electromagnetic compatibility - Generic
Communications Commission, helpful: immunity standard - Part 1: Residential,
commercial and light industry.
"How to identify and Resolve Radio/TV interference Problems."

This booklet is available from the US. Government Printing Office, With reference to regulations in following directives:
Washington, DC 20402, Stock No. 004-000-0034-4. 73/23/EEC, 89/336/EEC

Caution:
Issued in Brabrand, February 27 1996
You are cautioned that any change or modifications not expressly
approved in this manual could void your authority to operate this Anders Fauerskov
equipment. Managing Director

For the customers in Canada:

This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the

Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.

Cet appareil numérique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences

du Réglement sur le matériel brouilleur du Canada.

44
 MASTER FADER
Congratulations
Congratulations on your new Master Fader. The Master Fader is carefully designed to remote control the Digital fader of the Finalizer.
We hope you will have as much pleasure using it as we had making it.

Why make a Master Fader?

If a fade is performed before the Finalizer, the Compressor will try to increase the level as the fader decreases. To avoid this problem,
fades must always be done after the Finalizer. The Master Fader makes it possible to perform a hand-fade on the very output of the
Finalizer enabling you to keep your fade in digital domain and ensuring perfect tracking of left and right.

Connecting and Calibrating the Master Fader

In order to work the Master Fader accurately, the Finalizer must be calibrated, here is what to do:
- Connect the Master Fader to the “Pedal In” jack of the Finalizer.
- Press and hold the Bypass key of the Finalizer while powering up.
- Scroll down to “Fader Calibration” using the Menu keys, and press the OK key.
- Move the Master Fader to maximum position. To compensate for mechanical tolerances draw back the Master
Fader slightly.
- Move the Master Fader to minimum position. To compensate for mechanical tolerances draw back the Master
Fader slightly.
The Master Fader is now Calibrated. Power On/Off.

Activating the Master Fader

To activate the Master Fader, enter the Utility menu and scroll down to “Pedal Input, Function” using the Menu keys. Dial the Adjust
wheel to choose “Ext. Fader”.
The Master Fader is now controlling the Digital fader of the Finalizer. The Fader located in the Finalizer output section will now follow
and display the movement and the exact level of the Master Fader.

Cables and lengths

The Master Fader uses standard mono jack cables. The cable can be extended using the jack to jack adapter and can run at cable lengths
up to 25 meters. Remember to recalibrate after extending the cable.

1
Master Fader