3 . Controls
To understand the function of the controls in this equipment,
we will follow the signal path from
input
to
output
and
examine each control’s effect on the signal as we progress.
Bypass:
After the signal enters the compressor, the first control
in the path is the
Bypass
switch. Operating to the ‘down’
position removes the
output
from the compressor and connects
the output socket directly to the input socket. The
input
is still
receiving signal, enabling rough setup adjustments to be made.
Be warned that it is possible the
output level
will be higher than
the
input level
, depending on the other control settings. This will
become apparent when re-inserting the compressor but the
Output
control can be used to adjust for this.
Input Atten:
When operated in the down position this gives
a 10dB reduction of the input signal before the
Input
control
and input transformer. This is useful in allowing the
Input
control
to be operated at sensible mid settings when using
high level sources and avoiding possible high level transient
signals saturating the input transformer.
Input Control:
Quite obviously this controls the signal level
into the compressor and as previously mentioned is before the
input transformer. As rotary potentiometers are notorious for
having tracking errors at the extremes of rotation it is
advisable to operate the control away from these extremes if
possible, especially when using the compressor in the stereo
mode. The input controls are factory matched to minimise
these effects.
Threshold:
This controls the sensitivity of the compression
circuitry and sets the level at which compression begins
relative to the input signal. Advancing the control clockwise
causes the onset of compression to occur at lower signal
levels and the output level will fall.
~ 7 ~