unofficial Triple-C informations

unofficial Triple-C-informations

This page is intended to collect informations about the discontinued digital multiband compressor "Triple-C" by TCelectronics. Most of them are just taken from the TC-tech-library, others are found out by myself. Topics covered by the user's manual will not be repeated here.

additional technical data
Tricks
Bugs
Measurements
Picture
Links, Stuff, ...

additional technical data

Although not shown on the display the Input-Level is only adjusted in steps of 1dB an even more important the printed scale is incorrect (see bugs)
The filters used for the X-Overs are 1st order, 6dB/octave.
The Threshold-Value of the Softlimiter is fixed at -3dBFS.

In the I/O-Menu there is an expander to be switched on or off. Its parameters are as follows.
Damping = -(value of OutputLevel) - 6dB
i.e. OutputLevel = +12dB leads to Damping = -18dB

Expander	Lo	Mid	Hi
Treshold	-49dB	-53dB	-59dB
Ratio	1:2
Attack	1,4ms
Release	1s	0,7s	0,5s

The different styles that are to be choosen in the edit-menu differ as shown:
all values are relative to the settings made for the Mid-band

styles	High			Low
styles	Ratio	Attack	Release	Ratio	Attack	Release
Music			-1	+2	+1	+1
Speech	+2	-1	-2
Vocal	+1	-2	-3	+2	+2
Perc.				+1	+1	+2
Guitar	+1		-1	+2	+1	+1
Bass			-1	+1	+1	+1
Horns			-1	+2	+1	+1
HF-sense	+2	-2	-3	+2	+2

Tricks

There are two additional menus. Both of them are activated at power-on by holding down some keys. When activated they will enlighten all available items on the LCD and show a more detailed information about the device's version. Menuitems are reached by turning the value-wheel and activated using the "menu"-button. To leave switch power off.
Attention: Be really careful as you might do bad things here...!

Service-Menu: hold down "Softlim" and "Envelope mode", menuitems:
Front test: you are asked to press all buttons, turn all knobs, check all LEDs and LCD-items, then a miditest is performed
Main board test
Download dsp code: to update the software by midi from a PC
Change midi speed: ...just in case of trouble
Boot-Menu: hold down "Menu", menuitems:
Reset sys param: to reset internal parameters after updating a unit
Clear all presets: this will erase all user presets

The powerswitch is a "standby"-switch as it does not turn off mains. At each power-on the last preset is recalled but as well the current position of all the frontpanel-knobs is read and reactivated. If you use a default preset be sure to recall it every time after powering on!
If you keep the powerswitch in its on-position and turn on and off power externally the Triple-C will initially load the preset that was loaded last time the local power switch was used to turn it off (and then read the actual knob values).

Bugs

When dialing the Input-Level there is a slight crackle at the +6dB-Position.
As already mentioned the scale that is printed around this control is wrong. I measured the following behaviour:

Input Level	Scale	-6	0	3	6	9	12	18
Input Level	real	-4	-1	3	7	13	18	19

As shown below there are some issues concerning the processing delays.
The first is more a feature than a bug: If LookAhead is enabled and the unit is bypassed, the delay stays at above 4 ms. Thus comparing the processing result gets better as the delay does not jump at every press of "bypass".
As for the second does not make sense to me: In EnvelopeMode the total delay depends on the setting of LookAhead before entering EnvelopeMode. (see table below)

Measurements

total delays from analog in to analog out in ms

Delays	LookAhead	44,1kHz	48kHz
Bypass	Off	1,45	1,34
in use	Off	1,47	1,36
Bypass	On	4,44	4,33
in use	On	4,44	4,33
Envelope/Bypass	no matter	4,44	4,33
Envelope / in use	Off before	4,44	4,33
Envelope / in use	On before	7,41	7,30

according to the manual it should be: 44,1kHz = 1,39ms / 48kHz = 1,29ms / for LookAhead add 3ms
measurements have been made using pink noise

What does the DRG do?

To put it short: it adds distortion of the first harmonic and slightly increases the level.

DRG	1kHz	2kHz	3kHz
0	-12,2	-67,2	-73,2
3	-11,3	-52,4	-72,7
7	-10,1	-41,8	-72,0
10	-9,2	-36,8	-70,3

measurements have been made using 1kHz sine wave, all results are just examples as the behaviour seems to change depending on the absolute level!

Picture

How does it look inside? triple-c inside

Links, Stuff

www.tcelectronic.com/Triple-C official Triple-C information incl. links to support area, ...

All information on this page is to be used at own risk. I do not take any responsibility for any damage or malfunction. This is a prviate page without any commercial interest.
In conformity with the german law I hereby declare that I'm not to be held responsible for any webpages or their content that might be found by following any links on this page.
All registered trademarks - most likely something like TC, Triple-C - are to be treated as marked so even if they aren't explicitely.

Christian Güssmer 2005