The TC Electronic Finalizer 96K is a studio mastering processor designed to sit between the stereo output of a mixer or DAW and a DAT, CDR or other master recording medium. The TC Electronic Finalizer 96K was presented as the next progression in TC Electronic’s Finalizer mastering technology, extending the concept with true 24-bit/96kHz A/D and D/A conversion, sample rate conversion, ADAT interfacing, detailed metering and a wide set of internal processing tools for preparing a stereo mix for final release.
The TC Electronic Finalizer 96K was designed as an all-in-one mastering processor for studio use, giving the user conversion, format handling, equalisation, dynamics processing, stereo image adjustment, gain maximisation, limiting, dithering and analysis functions inside a single rackmount unit. Inserted between the stereo output of a mixer or workstation and the master recorder, the TC Electronic Finalizer 96K allowed a completed mix to be processed, level-optimised and converted before being recorded to the final destination.
A major part of the TC Electronic Finalizer 96K design was its true 24-bit/96kHz performance. The unit used 24-bit resolution A/D and D/A converters and supported common professional and consumer digital formats, including AES/EBU, S/PDIF, Tos-link and ADAT. The TC Electronic Finalizer 96K also included sample rate conversion, allowing material to enter and exit at different sample rates, including 32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz and 96kHz. This made the TC Electronic Finalizer 96K suitable for studios working across different digital systems and recording formats.
The TC Electronic Finalizer 96K included both analogue and digital insert capability. External devices could be inserted using the analogue inputs or digitally through AES/EBU, S/PDIF or Tos-link. Internal effects could also be inserted, allowing processing such as equalisation or stereo image adjustment to be placed in the signal path before the dynamics stages. The shared input and output flowchart gave the user a clear view of the complete signal route from input through inserts to output.
The processing structure of the TC Electronic Finalizer 96K was built around a set of mastering tools. The Shape section provided a five-band 24-bit stereo digital equaliser for adjusting the spectral content of the mix. The Enhance section offered Dynamic EQ, Stereo Adjust, Digital Radiance Generator and Spectral Stereo Image processing. The Normalize block used a real-time gain maximiser to optimise the signal’s gain and make full use of available headroom. The Expand, Squeeze and Trim sections provided variable-slope multiband expansion, multiband compression and variable-ceiling multiband limiting.
The compressor, limiter and expander shared three user-definable crossover bands. This allowed the lows, mids and highs to be treated independently, rather than applying full-range compression across the entire mix. The source material describes this as a way of controlling areas such as kicks, vocals and cymbals independently while avoiding the pumping and breathing associated with conventional full-range compressors.
The TC Electronic Finalizer 96K also included Spectral Stereo Image processing. This allowed the stereo content to be controlled across three bands independently of the dynamics crossover. The supplied material gives the example of widening the vocal area without removing the punch of the bass drum, showing how the TC Electronic Finalizer 96K could adjust stereo presentation in a targeted frequency range.
For setup and recall, the TC Electronic Finalizer 96K included 30 presets for different types of source material, including Classical, Rock, Commercials, Jazz, Techno and Live. The Wizard function allowed the user to answer four basic questions about the source material and the type of processing required, after which the TC Electronic Finalizer 96K calculated an optimised setting. More experienced users could also adjust the signal path extensively, with more than 90 parameters available.
The TC Electronic Finalizer 96K included several analysis and monitoring tools. These included a Phase Correlation Meter, Level Flow Meter, Peak Hold Meter, Digital I/O Status display and Calibration Tone Generator. The Level Flow Meter showed the level in each processing block, making it possible to check headroom through the signal path. The Digital Status Tool allowed status bits to be handled when converting between S/PDIF and AES/EBU.
Dithering was another important function of the TC Electronic Finalizer 96K. The unit provided TPDF dithering for reducing higher-resolution signals to lower-resolution destinations. The output resolution of the TC Electronic Finalizer 96K was 24-bit, and output dither could be applied when the receiving device used a lower resolution. The supplied material describes dithering from 8-bit to 22-bit, with Correlated, Uncorrelated and Inverse dither options depending on the low-level signal content.
The TC Electronic Finalizer 96K front panel used a graphic LCD and seven precision LED meters to monitor its processing functions. The front panel also included navigation controls, compare functions, programme controls and a large adjust control. The PCMCIA card slot supported up to 2MB SRAM, allowing data to be stored on a compact PC card.
The rear panel of the TC Electronic Finalizer 96K included balanced analogue input and output connections, AES/EBU, S/PDIF, Tos-link and ADAT digital connections, word clock input, MIDI In/Out/Thru and a control connection for a pedal, fader or momentary bypass or start/stop switch. The internal auto-sensing power supply accepted 100 to 240V AC at 50 to 60Hz.
Features
- 24-bit/96kHz resolution A/D and D/A conversion
- AES/EBU, S/PDIF, Tos-link and ADAT digital connectivity
- Sample rate conversion for 32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz and 96kHz operation
- ADAT interface for selecting two ADAT channels and routing them to other ADAT channels
- Five-band 24-bit stereo digital equaliser
- Dynamic EQ, Stereo Adjust, Digital Radiance Generator and Spectral Stereo Image processing
- Real-time Gain Maximizer
- Variable-slope multiband expander
- Multiband compressor
- Variable-ceiling multiband limiter to prevent overs
- Manual and auto fade tool
- Dithering for digital AES/EBU, S/PDIF, Tos-link and ADAT outputs
- L/R balance adjustment in 0.1dB steps
- Three user-definable crossover bands shared by the compressor, limiter and expander
- Phase Correlation Meter
- Level Flow Meter
- Peak Hold Meter
- Digital I/O Status tool
- Calibration Tone Generator
- Wizard function for creating optimised processing settings
- Recall page with 30 presets for different source types
- Analogue and digital insert options
- Graphic LCD display and seven precision LED meters
- PCMCIA card slot supporting up to 2MB SRAM
- MIDI In, Out and Thru
- Control input for pedal, fader or momentary bypass or start/stop switching