Weiss Upgrade from DS1 to DS1-MK3

The Weiss 102 Series split band De-Esser is one of the mastering industry's most highly praised digital products. Now Weiss engineers have taken their De-Esser design and combined it with the best features of the time proven 102 Series Dynamics Processors. The result is the Weiss Gambit DS1, a stand alone digital Dynamics Processor with unparalleled performance and sonic integrity.

In De-Esser mode the compression band is selectable as a lowpass, bandpass or highpass and extends the functionality beyond de-essing. The crossover filters are linear phase for the highest sonic quality. The full band dynamics processor with soft knee compressor and hard limiter is ideal for program loudness control.

• Presets keys: let you select a bank of factory presets which can't be changed by the user, but which can be copied into normal snapshots and edited from there. Two banks of factory presets are given, de-esser type and compressor/limiter type.
• Monitor key: Allows to listen to the filtered signal only, i.e. the one being processed by the dynamics section, facilitates the search for offending signals.
• Bandsplitting: When touching "bandwidth" or "frequency", the soft keys will select which type of band (low, mid, high). The LEDs above the frequency knob show the current status. Frequency knob selects the corner / center frequency.
• Attack, Release etc.: Attack, release delay and release fast/slow with averaging knobs make up a powerful yet easy to operate timing section for optimum sound treatment. The LEDs between the knobs light depending on the automatically selected release time.
• Soft knee knob gives a variable soft knee characteristic (from no soft knee to very gentle). The LED above the knob lights if the input level is in the soft knee region. The LED above the threshold knob lights of the input level is above the threshold.
• Gain makeup allows for zero gain makeup in DeEsser mode and for as much gain makeup as possible in the compressor/limiter mode. Touching the gain makeup knob assigns the softkeys to select the various modes.

Some noteable features:

• Soft knee feature
• Dual mode unit (DeEsser or Compressor/Limiter)
• Oversampling sidechain
• Oversampling audio path in Compressor / Limiter mode
• Linear-phase band splitter
• Overall delay controllable in multiples of video frames
• Preview delay for early anticipation of level peaks
• Graphical LCD with comprehensive metering and settings information
• Metering of input level, output level, gain reduction
• 128 snapshots with 2 times 128 snapshots backup
• Each parameter MIDI controllable, MIDI dump of snapshots
• AES/EBU input / output
• The DS1 is absolutely bit-transparent as long as no gain reduction occurs - even in De-Esser mode.

The Weiss DS1-MKII - another leap into the future for the Gambit Series.
The Gambit DS1-MK2 is a compressor / limiter / de-esser, supporting all the features needed in a DVD or CD mastering environment: 96kHz 40bit processing, simultaneous de-essing and limiting spiced with a host of signal processing capabilities.

Features added for the MK2 version are:

• full band crossover in frequency selective mode (ranging from 41 Hz to 7.7kHz)
• upward expansion to re-introduce dynamics in previously compressed signals
• a second completely independent dynamics section working as a final peak-limiter in both modes (frequency selective and full band compressor)
• parallel compression mode for artefact-free operation
• additional gain control in front of the peak-limiter for even higher loudness
• 88.2 / 96 kHz operation
• POW-R dither

Add to this the standard features of the DS1 (MIDI controller and snapshot remote control, touch sensitive knobs, backlit LCD, non-volatile backup memory for up to 3 x 128 snapshots, 24bit I/O), and you have the most comprehensive full band and band selective dynamics tool available for money - our customers agree with that.

Current DS1 owners can upgrade their units to the MK2 version by replacing the DSP board.