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WZ5Q's Studio "X" The Pro Audio "Racks" "My Chilrens"

TC Electronic Triple-C

This is a small write up on how we have the Triple-C (v2.02) set up in the Multi-Band Compressor Mode. This is a fairly complicated piece of equipment that performs wonderfully. The Owners Manual is a lot to be desired. It doesn't even list or describe half of the Parameters in the Set-up Menu, especially for the Multi-Band Compressor. It took quite a few hours with the "cans" on to find out the best settings.

These settings are for our applications here at Studio "X" and may not be the best for yours. They should be close though, and may just require a little "tweaking". But that's what we do....isn't it!!

Well, first of all lets get the basics done.

The Triple-C should be the Second to last piece of equipment in the audio chain. The last piece of course will be the "reverb" unit or something similar. The reason being is that you don't want to compress the Effects Tail that this unit applies. The Triple-C needs to be behind all the other units (less the "Reverb" unit) to give that nice Compressed FM type sound on the Low Frequencies, Separate the Mid and High Frequencies, and of course it will also "de-ess" the Highs and prevent "Tearing".

These are the parameters that need to be setup that deviate from the default settings. We'll just go thru them all and you can double check.

1) Press the "Menu" pushbutton - "Select" is displayed
2) Turn the "Value Set/Enter" knob to select the "I/O' Menu" option
3) Push the "Value Set/Enter" knob to enter the Menu - You are in the I/O Menu

1) Turn the outer "Parameter" knob to change Parameters in menu
2) Turn the inner "Value Set/Enter" knob to change the settings of the parameters
3) Push the inner "Value Set/Enter" knob to select the changed setting

The Threshold, Ratio, Attack, and Release Controls on the front of the unit only control the MID Band values. The Triple-C slaves the LO and HI Bands to the MID Band front controls. This is the reason a lot of people don't like this unit. What they failed to realize was that there are more settings in the "Edit Menu" to individually control the Threshold values of the LO, MID, and HI Band Compressors. This in conjunction with the Front Panel Controls (especially the LO-BAND and HI-BAND RELEASE Controls) gives enough of a combination to make unbelievable results. It just takes a lot of "Tweakin"....Ha Ha!

1) Press the "Menu" pushbutton - "Select" is displayed
2) Turn the inner "Value Set/Enter" knob to select the "Recall" option
3) Push the inner "Value Set/Enter" knob to enter the Menu - You are in the Preset Menu
4) Turn the inner "Value Set/Enter" knob to select "F1 Triple-C Comp" option
5) Push the inner "Value Set/Enter" knob to select this option
6) You are now in the Triple-C Comp Program.

We will change the Parameters and save this as your own program in the User Presets Memory.
Change the Parameters as follows:

From the left of the unit to the right.
These will of course be adjusted later for correct levels.

(Upon adjusting the knobs, there is an "OVERIDE" indicator on the display that will blink. You must move the control and wait for the blinking to stop before it will allow you to change the parameter.)

Now we'll save this Program to the User Preset Memory.

1) Press the "Menu" pushbutton - "Select" is displayed
2) Turn the inner "Value Set/Enter" knob to select the "Store" option
3) Push the inner "Value Set/Enter" knob to enter the Menu - You are in the STORE Menu
4) The Next Empty User Preset will be displayed and Flash on and off
5) Turn the inner "Value Set/Enter" knob to select which User Memory you would like to Store
6) Push the inner "Value Set/Enter" knob to select this location
7) The "U#" will now Flash and the caption "Triple-C Comp" will be displayed with a flashing underscore underneath the "T" of "Triple-C"
8) Turn the inner "Value Set/Enter" knob to change the letter over the flashing underscore.
9) Turn the outer "Parameter" knob to change which letter the flashing underscore is under
10) Continue to change the caption to your liking.
11) Push the inner "Value Set/Enter" knob TWICE to save the program

Now we'll change the parameters in the "Edit Menu".

1) Press the "Menu" pushbutton - "Select" is displayed
2) Turn the inner "Value Set/Enter" knob to select the "EDIT MENU" option
3) Push the inner "Value Set/Enter" knob to enter the Menu - You are in the EDIT Menu

4) "COMP STYLE" will be displayed.
5) Turn the inner "Value Set/Enter" knob to select the "FLAT" option
6) Turn the outer "Parameter" knob to change to the next menu Caption

7) "LO-THR" will be displayed
8) Turn the inner "Value Set/Enter" knob to select "-9db"
9) Turn the outer "Parameter" knob to change to the next menu Caption

10) "MID-THR" will be displayed
11) Turn the inner "Value Set/Enter" knob to select "-6db"
12) Turn the outer "Parameter" knob to change to the next menu Caption

13) "HI-THR" will be displayed
14) Turn the inner "Value Set/Enter" knob to select "-16db"
15) Turn the outer "Parameter" knob to change to the next menu Caption

16) "DRG" will be displayed
17) Turn the inner "Value Set/Enter" knob to select "0"
18) Turn the outer "Parameter" knob to change to the next menu Caption

19) "HI X-OVER" will be displayed
20) Turn the inner "Value Set/Enter" knob to select "2.00 kHz"
21) Turn the outer "Parameter" knob to change to the next menu Caption

22) "LO X-OVER" will be displayed
23) Turn the inner "Value Set/Enter" knob to select "125 Hz"
24) Turn the outer "Parameter" knob to change to the next menu Caption

25) "EXT SIDE" will be displayed
26) Turn the inner "Value Set/Enter" knob to select "off"

Now we'll save these changes to the User Preset Memory. It must be performed in this order or you will loose the Edit Menu Setting changes.

1) Press the "Menu" pushbutton - your Preset name is shown on the display
2) Press the "Menu" pushbutton again - "Select" is displayed
3) Turn the inner "Value Set/Enter" knob to select the "Store" option
4) Push the inner "Value Set/Enter" knob to enter the Menu - You are in the STORE Menu
5) Your User Preset Name and Number will be displayed and Flash on and off
6) Push the inner "Value Set/Enter" knob TWICE to save the program
7) The display will indicate "Preset Stored"

Go back into the "EDIT MENU" to verify that your changes were saved.
Exit by pressing the "Menu" pushbutton.

Another Hint:
If you ever change ANY settings on the Triple-C, you will have to save/store them in the memory to make them permanent. We've readjusted the front controls several times and forgot to store them. The next time we went to the User Preset and Reloaded it, of course all of the new settings were gone because of the failure to Save/Store them.

Now after all that, you can understand why a lot of people will just give up and say "That Triple-C is a piece of Junk!!". Ha Ha Ha!! Their Loss.
Well, you're all set to do the final adjustments now.

With all the other units in the rack set up the way you prefer, including all the Gain Levels, The first thing to set is the "Input Level". Set this control for an indication of -3 to -6db with occasional peaks of 0db.

Depending on your voice characteristics, how many harmonics you are introducing into the mix, and other rack equipment settings will determine how you set the THRESHOLD, LO-BAND, and HI-BAND controls. Also the LO, MID, and HI THRESHOLD settings in the "EDIT MENU".
You will have to use yours ears, but you should notice a remarkable improvement immediately.

The last thing to set is the "Makeup Output Level". Set this control for an indication of -3 to -6db with occasional peaks of 0db.

Don't forget to Save/Store the changes in the Memory. Usually, another User Preset is made to store the In-Process changes and leave the first one as a baseline.

Well.....thats it. Hope ya have fun with it. It really is worth all the trouble of learning how to mess with it. It really performs unbelievably!!

Sooooooooooooo....
From Deep Down in the Dark Dismal Swamps of the Calcaseau...
Asta La Tacos!
WZ5Q