Cheat Sheet for things you might forget:

• To enable the compressors hold press channel’s mute button.



• To switch between Preset manager and Macro mode hold press the Sample button for 3 seconds, to switch between trigger vs cv control hold press the Sample button for 1 second.



• To switch the modes controlled by knobs short press the Mode button, the Mode LED has 3 colours depending on which mode is currently selected.



• BLUE (EQ) mode: adjust the band volume.



• RED (Compressor) mode: adjust the compressor preset per band from light to harsh.



• FUCHSIA (Mid / Side) mode: adjust the stereo widening per band.

Golden Master

Golden Master is a 6hp multi-band processor, available in both 1U and 3U format, that takes inspiration from studio mastering and radio loudness units from the 1990s. It gives control over the EQ, compression, and mid/side processing of incoming audio.

Thanks to the 16-bit/96kHz audio fidelity, you'll get incredible processing power. It features three bands - low, medium, and high - each handling a distinct portion of the audio spectrum. These controls feature a single knob that both boosts and cuts signals. Set the overall loudness limit of your sounds, and the brickwall limiter ensures all your sounds stay in check. This multi-band effect is the perfect end-of-chain module, ensuring that anything you throw at it sounds dynamic and full.

The 1U version also features Aux in and Mix out pin headers on the back that let you seamlessly set up your signal chain without the use of patch cables. The extra 6 pin connector can be used to wire the master output straight to the ¼ inch jacks on the intellijel performance case for even better integration and security for live performances.

Links

Golden Master product page

Overview

Golden Master is a module designed for both live musicians and studio heads that want to take extra care of their modular mix or just give extra punch to specific sounds. Built in end of signal chain limiter makes it a great sound design tool, especially when used for feedback patching.

The signal chain is designed in the following way:

First the signal enters the stereo inputs with an additional gain stage to boost the signal to the right level, which can be especially useful if you are sending it line level signals. Next we have 3 bands, each with their own level setting (EQ), mute / enhance button, compressor per band, stereo image enhancer and a final limiter with additional gates, that make sure there is silence when no signal is present at the input.

• Multi-band processor inspired by mastering tools from the 1990s: adds punch and dynamics to your sound
• Compression, EQ, and mid/side processing
• Three frequency bands with +7 db boost and -20 db cut
• Brickwall limiter sets upper limit of signals
• 16-bit/96kHz audio I/O with 32 bits internal processing
• Enhance/mute buttons

Front panel controls

Mode Button: shortly press to select one of the 3 modes to edit: BLUE/EQ, RED/compressor, FUCHSIA/mid/side. Long press enables/disables bypass (all settings to default).

Post VCA CV input: range: 0...+5V. 0V corresponds to silence and 5V corresponds to full volume.

Low / Mid / High band knobs: depending on the mode, they adjust::

• 1) EQ (Mode LED: blue)
• 2) Compressor settings (Mode LED: red)
• 3) Mid/Side settings (Mode LED: fuchsia)

Enhance buttons per band: single press on ‘enhance’ buttons works as immediate mute, long press (more than 1.5 seconds) enables the compressor.

Audio inputs: input 1 is normalled to input 2. Default: modular level signal Can be adjusted to the to line level input with the trimmers on the backside (ccw=modular, cw=line).

In Gain knob: digital input gain knob, to hit the limiter harder. Warning: May increase noise level but compressor will work more aggressively.

Volume knob: final audio volume: Maximum at full CW, silent at full CCW. Set it once and forget it.

Mode LED: Mode LED indicator, lights up:

• 1) BLUE (default) when adjusting a band's amplitude.
• 2) RED when adjusting the compressor settings.
• 3) FUCHSIA when adjusting mid/side.

4 warm white LEDs: VU output level meters. The inner pair of LEDs lights up according to the audio signal. The outer pair of LEDs lights up when signal clipping occurs.

Audio Outputs: final audio outputs. Separate left and mono outputs can be used for further modular patching using mono cables, but also as balanced outputs using stereo cables. Additional Airplane adapter is recommended for ease of use with stereo cables.

Aux in / Stereo out + 6pin Balanced Stereo Out:

On the back of the module you will find 3 connectors, Aux in, Stereo Out and Balanced Stereo out. These are used to connect multiple modules together using dupont cables or to integrate it with Intellijel audio jacks IO V2.

• Aux In:

  Used as a stereo input as is mixed in with the onboard stereo inputs, meaning that In Gain control will still affect this signal. One can utilise this input to wire an output of Cockpit2 for example or any other mix bus compatible module. You can also use it to connect the Intellijel TRS inputs straight to the module.




• Stereo Out:

  Unbalanced stereo output, is also affected by the Out Gain knob. Can be utilised to route the output of the module to other mix bus compatible modules.




• Balanced Stereo Output (6pin):

  This is the same as Stereo out but balanced and connected seamlessly to the Intellijel Audio Jacks IO V2 using a 6 pin cable.

Operation Modes:

Golden Master’s chain consists of 3 main parts that can be configured using 3 main Low / Mid / High knobs: multiband EQ, multiband Compressor and multiband Mid/Side processing. All modes are available simultaneously.

Once the mode is switched each knob changes its functionality.

EQ mode (BLUE):

Low/Mid/High knobs adjust each band's volume with 100% in the middle. Band crossover points are around 300 Hz and 3 kHz.

Compressor mode (RED):

Low/Mid/High knobs adjust each band's compressor settings: From mild (full CCW) to normal (middle) to harsh (full CW). In total there are 5 different compressor settings that you can morph between per band. 1.5 ms look ahead time, to make the compression more precise.

Mid / Side mode (FUCHSIA):

Low/Mid/High knobs adjust each band's stereo spread: Mid/Side setting Middle channel is being extracted and subtracted from left and right channels. The more you turn the knob CW from the centre, the more side information is left in the channels.

Firmware Update:

Download the latest firmware here: https://www.endorphin.es/modules/p/golden-master

The update procedure is done via audio, either computer or phone will work, we advise you to disable all the notifications (flight mode) so that the update is not interrupted.

• Power OFF you modular system.
• Hold STEP while powering again, you will see the illuminati LED blink blue.
• With a simple mono or stereo cable connect audio output from your computer headphone output into AUDIO IN 1 jack of the module.
• Press PLAY and wait until the audio file finishes its playback (approx. 1 min.). Illuminati LED will quickly blink in blue. The module will reboot automatically.
• Don't play any other sounds on your computer during the update process. When Illuminati LED flashes RED, the signal is too low or too high. Stop audio playback. Reset the process by pressing the MODE button once. Regulate the signal level and restart the audio playback from the beginning.