Behringer Shark FBQ100 User Manual

SHARK FBQ100 User Manual

Gallery

Speaker

Gallery

Stage

Speaker

Stage

Fig. 2.6: Sound reinforcement application with different speaker positions

The main task of a Noise Gate is to separate unwanted background noise from 

wanted signals and remove noise “inaudibly”. A so-called downward Expander 

automatically reduces the overall level of all signals below an adjustable 

threshold and thus expands the dynamic range of the program material.
In live or stage applications and multi-microphone systems, in particular, the 

SHARK has a variety of possible uses: as a moderately and accurately set Gate it 

efficiently suppresses background noise, compressor-induced noise build-up and 

crosstalk between microphones, without producing any unpleasant side effects.
A typical Gate application is the processing of vocal tracks. Especially when using 

a Compressor, the distance between microphone and singer is critical: as the 

distance increases, more and more disturbing background noise is picked up. 

Use the Gate function to fade out unwanted interference “inaudibly” during 

music pauses. In live applications, e.g. crosstalk of drum and piano tracks can be 

suppressed or acoustically “contaminated” recordings can be cleaned.
When a singer sings into a stage microphone, the background noise is masked 

and hence not perceived. During music pauses, however, the microphone picks 

up the noise produced by the P.A. system and monitor speakers, which can lead 

to unpleasant feedback.
When you insert the SHARK in a vocal channel and adjust it so that it mutes the 

channel, as long as the microphone is not in use, susceptibility to feedback can 

be reduced enormously. Basically, all stage microphones should be treated in 

this way.
The GATE LEARN function helps you adjust the Gate threshold. Use this function 

before the concert and after the sound check. If the adjusted value yields 

unsatisfactory results, the UP/DOWN buttons can be used to fine-tune the Gate, 

until it closes only during signal pauses and suppresses interference efficiently.

In miking it is quite common to fade out low-frequency signal portions such as 

stage rumble, pop sounds or other types of interference. Frequencies of that kind 

often have high amplitudes and not only affect the sound image but can also 

damage power amps and/or loudspeakers. The SHARK is equipped with a tunable 

high pass filter that features a very high slope. Press the LOW  CUT button to tune 

the cutoff frequency from 20 Hz through 150 Hz with the UP/DOWN buttons, 

so that interference noise is faded out as perfectly as possible, while the wanted 

signals remains unaffected.

In broadcast and recording applications, signal levels often exceed the 

headroom of signal-processing devices, which means that the dynamic range 

must be reduced to avoid distortion. This is usually accomplished by the use of 

Compressors or Limiters, which use an automatic gain control circuit to reduce 

the signal level during loud passages. In this way, it is possible to compress the 

dynamics of a microphone channel from 90 dB to 50 dB or less, which ensures 

the troublefree further processing of signals, e.g. in broadcast, stage or 

recording applications.
The Compressor monitors the program material using an adjustable threshold 

and continuous level control process, i.e. above threshold the signal gain is 

reduced, depending on threshold overshoot. Usually, the threshold is set to 

somewhere below the operating level to allow for a musical compression of the 

upper level range.
The FBQ100 allows you to set two Compressor parameters. The first one, DENSITY, 

compresses the program material in a range from 0 (bypass) through 100 

(max. compression). The second parameter, SPEED, allows you to adjust the 

Compressor function in the time domain. Here, you can set the control speed 

of the Compressor from 10 through 1000 msec. Use small values to make the 

Compressor respond to smallest level differences, and high values to process 

dynamics “inaudibly”.

As standard, the BEHRINGER FBQ100 is installed with electronically servo-

balanced inputs and outputs. The new circuit design features automatic hum and 

noise reduction for balanced signals and thus allows for trouble-free operation, 

even at high operating levels. Externally induced mains hum etc. will be 

effectively suppressed.

1

2

3

2

1

3

Pin 1

Pin 2 = (+) Signal

Positive

Pin 3 = (-) Signal

Shield

(+) Signal + Hum

(-) Signal + Hum

Negative

(+)Hum + Signal

(-)Hum + Signal

2 x Signal

Ground

RFI and Hum

= Signal + 6 dB

Fig. 3.1: Compensation of interference with balanced connections