Composer pro-XL MDX2600 settings please.

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Mongo82
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Composer pro-XL MDX2600 settings please.

Post by Mongo82 » Sun Oct 06, 2019 3:26 pm

Afternoon Necks, just purchased the above second hand but no instructions, youtube is pretty poor as a go too, unless you just want to rig up a mic and make a video blog. (Heads thumping now) Could someone with knowledge of this unit be kind enough to let me have some decent quick settings suitable for the obvious. Just using a standard good quality Dj mixer for turntables and mic from same source going to the unit.

Cheers in advance
Mongo

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thewisepranker
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Re: Composer pro-XL MDX2600 settings please.

Post by thewisepranker » Sun Oct 06, 2019 3:58 pm

This is next to impossible without being there to just do it but I'll give it a go. I will say that if you're trying to use this as a replacement for FM processing then it's a very different setup and I'd recommend having two compressors in series and some other method of controlling over-deviation. If you just want to stop DJs treating the VU meters on the mixer as a Christmas tree making you sound crap, then this will probably be alright for you.

To start, set all knobs to minimum setting except the "output" knob - set that one to zero. Set de-esser to zero and peak limiter to off.

From left to right:
Expander/gate: Set this to off, you don't want this.

Threshold: This sets the point at which things start happening in that bank of knobs. It's got a silver border around it. This has to be set by you in your system. Set your mixer to have one red light flickering on the VU meters. Now adjust the threshold knob until one red light starts flickering on the "gain reduction" bargraph display. If you increase the level coming out of the mixer, more red lights should show on the compressor. If you want compression to start happening sooner, turn it anticlockwise a bit.
Ratio: A good place to start is somewhere between 4:1 and 6:1. If you need more compression, increase the ratio. If you seem to need more than roughly 10:1, reduce the threshold by about 3 dB.
Attack: As fast as possible, 0.3 msec. Don't use the "interactive knee" or "auto" modes.
Release: 0.25 sec.
Output: This is just a volume control. Turn it up and down to suit.

De-esser: 0 dB. A good microphone can do this way better.

Peak limiter: I absolutely hate the sound of these limiters, it sounds awful, so I'd recommend setting it to OFF but if you need it, you can use it. It should only act very occasionally, i.e. way less than once per minute. The further you turn it anticlockwise, the sooner it acts. It chops the top off of any peaks and introduces lots of HF harmonics. Use at your own risk.

Pressing the COUPLE button makes the left hand knobs also control the right channel, so that the knobs on the right channel don't actually work. I wouldn't recommend it though - set each channel separately, as these cheap compressors aren't matched inside and have detented knobs i.e. they have notches as you turn them. On some that I've got, they are one click apart between the left and right channel. Doesn't really matter because I can just adjust the knobs, but they won't be the same if they were coupled using that COUPLE button.

Mongo82
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Re: Composer pro-XL MDX2600 settings please.

Post by Mongo82 » Sun Oct 06, 2019 9:17 pm

Hi Prank, took a bit longer to set up but its sounding nice. I selected the Tube emulation as it does sound better to these ears than without, whats you're thoughts on that? I did apply a tiny amount of peak for it to kick in if two records mixed are going way over to equal the sound. The mixer I am using is an old realistic 32 1200c which i have refurbished with the old vu old needles one of the first mixers i ever owned. It was a bit harder to gauge but it seems on point and fun to have a mix on again. Its amazing how good that mixer actually sounds with the old components, compared to one of the new ones i have, Ok no seperate eqs so thats not so grand, but thought i'd see how it held up and it did. The enhancer what does that do? I could not hear any real difference when selected??

Thanks for you're help.

Cheers, Mongo

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Re: Composer pro-XL MDX2600 settings please.

Post by thewisepranker » Mon Oct 07, 2019 12:16 pm

The "enhancer" supposedly boosts the HF a bit. It's a marketing gimmick.

The "tube emulator" adds certain amounts of distortion products (harmonics) to the signal to emulate soft clipping of a valve/tube compressor. Again, a marketing gimmick because people have this idea that the inconvenience of valve amps (and playing vinyl on ridiculously over-priced belt drive turntables etc.) makes everything sound better. If that button was labelled "distortion" then it probably wouldn't sound so good.

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Re: Composer pro-XL MDX2600 settings please.

Post by Mongo82 » Mon Oct 07, 2019 1:02 pm

Interesting, the audio certainly sounds smoother, but then I am running all analogue equipment, and a couple of old 1200s. It probably looks different on an oscillascope, and my ears were getting tired last night. At present I'm not gauging how it might sound going out on air at present, but will disable that if the time comes. I personally have a keen interest in high end turntables, just refurbed an old transcriptor hydraulic reference. Although not an audiophile nut job, the difference with that turntable even with all its design flaws, a good shure v15 mkIII, compare that to a technics with an entry level audiophile cart, the sound is like comparing night with day. So no gimmicks there. But my knowledge of studio equipment is limited, so bow to your knowledge on this.

Cheers again.
mongo

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