Get the Perfect Settings for Your 528E Voice Processor
The 528E is one of the most complete and versatile Voice Processors on the market today. The ability to tune the timbre and quality of your voice is essential in creating the kind of quality production and/or on-air product that your listeners demand and deserve. Getting the perfect settings to work for your specific application will take a little practice and experimentation. So, to get you up and running as quickly as possible here’s a brief tutorial to get the most out of your 528E Voice Processor.

We strongly encourage you to read the 528E Voice Processor User’s Guide because it’s filled with a lot of useful information about getting the most out of your microphone and your voice. If you can’t find yours anywhere around the station, feel free to download a copy.

Initial Settings

With all hardware connections made, and the 528E powered on (LED displays activity), set the controls and switches on the front panel as shown.

528E starting settings

Red marked X indicates that button is pushed IN.

Mic Preamp Gain

Push out the DE-ESS, EXP/COMP, and the EQ buttons into bypass mode.

Set the MIC GAIN control so that the CLIP LED should almost never illuminate.

De-esser Settings

To reduce the level of sibilant sounds (S and T sounds)

Set the THRESHOLD control to show about 12 dB of gain reduction.

Adjust the FREQUENCY control for maximum sibilance reduction.

Decrease the THRESHOLD setting until you reduce the sibilance to a tolerable level.

Downward Expander Settings

To reduce room noise and/or mouth noises

Set the THRESHOLD control to allow low-level speech sounds to pass while still blocking the room sound.

Compressor Settings

To vary the amount of gain reduction

3 to 6 dB is sufficient unless you are using a low compression ratio (below 2:1), or you want a special effect. Choose a ratio suited to the task at hand:

Low level ratios and low thresholds for unobtrusive level control.

Medium ratios for overall level control and consistency.

High ratios (>8:1) for limiting or ‘in-your-face’ sorts of sounds.

Equalizer Settings

The initial settings work well with male voices.

For women

Increase low-EQ range to 200 or 300 Hz.

Increase mid-EQ range to 3 to 5 kHz.

If you are using a mic that exhibits proximity effect when close-micing

Decrease (cut) the bass (low) response somewhat. 3 to 6 dB should be fine (don’t do this if you want a big, ballsy sound).

Some mid-EQ helps make voices cut and seem loud.

High-EQ adds brightness and intimacy.

If you are using a mic that has no proximity effect when close-micing

Increase (boost) the bass response somewhat. 3 to 6 dB should do the job.

Some mid-EQ helps make voices cut and seem loud.

High-EQ adds brightness and intimacy.

Output Settings

For many applications, the output GAIN control at 0 dB works fine.

Push in the buttons for DE-ESSER, EXP/COMP, and EQ.

If you increased the EQ, then you may need to increase GAIN.

If you increased compression, you may need to increase GAIN.

Choose a setting that gives you enough signal downstream, yet keeps the CLIP LED from illuminating.

The output CLIP LED monitors both the EQ and the output stage. Large amounts of boost and /or high level signals can cause CLIP indications. If this occurs, lower the signal level by adjusting the GAIN control.

It is also possible for the output stage to clip if a processor, inserted using the output stage access jacks, is contributing gain to the overall signal path. In this case, either lower the gain of the insert processor or decrease the setting of the GAIN control.