7
Controls
4. FRONT PANEL CONTROLS
The SM TB101/202 front panel has a very simple design including; Input stage, Compressor
stage, EQ stage, and output level control stage.
4.1 Input stage
Rotary input control
The rotary input control sets the input gain level of the incoming signal.
-20dB PAD switch
The PAD switch enables or disable the PAD which reduces the input signal by 20dB. Useful if
your incoming signal is too powerful and cannot be reduced prior to insertion into the TB101/202.
LED clip indicator
The clip indicator LED illuminates when there is too much incoming signal strength.
4.2 Compressor stage
Compression on/off switch & LED Indicator
Turns the compressor stage on or off. The indicator shows the on/off status of the compressor.
Rotary compression control
The rotary compression control sets the compression ratio of the compressor. The compression
ratio expresses the difference between the input level change and the output level change. A
compression ratio of 6:1, for example, indicates that for every 6dB of level change on the input
signal there is only 1dB of level change on the compressed signal. The higher the compression
ratio, the smaller the dynamic range.
Fast/slow attack switch & LED Indicator
This switch toggles the attack setting of the compressor between fast and slow attack times. The
indicator shows the status ‘fast’ of the the attack setting. The attack setting on a compressor
determines how fast it will react to the input sound. Short attack times quickly bring down the
level of the loud, fast transients in the audio signal; long attack times let more sound through
before the compressor engages, resulting in a punchier sound.
Fast/slow release switch & LED Indicator
This switch toggles the release setting of the compressor between fast and slow release times.
The indicator shows the status ‘fast’ of the the release setting. The release setting on a compres-
sor determines how quickly the signal level returns to its original level after the compressor has
engaged. Short release times create a more exaggerated effect ("breathing"), whereas long
release times have a more gradual, natural sound.
