iD Control has built-in DSP EQ, Compression and Comfort Reverb on each input channel, within the mixer page. These effects can help you quickly build a headphone, or monitor, mix during a recording session. This article will guide you through how to utilise these effects with your iD2.
EQ
The EQ can help shape an incoming audio signal by removing unwanted frequencies, or by boosting certain frequencies to help it sit better against a backing track, for example.
To enable the EQ on an input channel, click the ‘power’ icon, and this will then turn green to show that it is enabled on that input channel. To adjust the EQ, click the ‘expand viewer’ button, and the EQ will appear in a new window.
Here, you can adjust the four-band EQ - combining low and high shelving filters with two parametric bands, giving you control over different parts of the frequency range. Each band provides Frequency, Gain and Q control, with up to ±6 dB of gain adjustment. Q can be adjusted from 0.01 to 1, with a default value of 0.707.
Compressor
A compressor controls dynamics by reducing the level of louder parts of a signal. The iD compressor provides Attack, Release, Threshold, four selectable Ratio settings, Makeup Gain and Bypass controls. Set Threshold to determine when compression begins, use Ratio to choose how strongly it responds, and adjust Attack and Release to shape its response to changes in level. Use Makeup Gain to adjust the level after compression.
To enable the Compressor on an input channel, click the ‘power’ icon, and this will then turn green to show that it is enabled on that input channel.
By default, the EQ will be first in the signal path, but you can reverse this so that the compressor comes first in the signal path. To do this, simply click the ‘reverse order’ button.
If you would like to record the adjustments you’ve made with the EQ or Compressor, simply click ‘Record FX’. A red icon indicates that the FX will be recorded in your DAW, a white icon indicates that the FX are present on your monitor path only.
Comfort Reverb
Comfort Reverb adds reverb to a performer's monitor mix without including it in the recording. Enable reverb on the required channel and adjust the Send Amount; the send is post-pan, so the reverb follows the channel’s pan position.
The stereo Reverb Return is minimised by default. Expand it to access the reverb settings, or open the full editor.