FIGURE 1 – Channel 1 Controls
Output Level Control
The OUTPUT LEVEL control serves two functions.
The CH1 knob always controls the output level of CH1, but can also serve as a “MASTER” output level when
the
Link Mode
is active. The fully counter-clockwise position of the knob mutes the output.
The CH2 OUTPUT LEVEL control operates as a standard CH2 level control or as a “BALANCE” control when
the
Link Mode
is active. In
Link Mode
when the BALANCE control is turned fully counter-clockwise the CH1
output is fully on and CH2 output is fully muted. When centered, both channels have equal gain. When turned
fully clockwise the CH2 output is fully on and CH1 output is fully muted.
Attack Control
The ATTACK control sets the time it takes the Compressor/Limiter to respond to increases in signal level (by
reducing gain). You can use this control to shape the “front end” of the dynamics envelope.
One example is to listen to a snare hit and adjust the ATTACK control. A short attack makes the snare sound
“thin”. As the attack time goes longer (the knob is turned clockwise) you should hear more of the thump in the
compressed snare. The downside is that this creates an overshoot, (or “transient”), the length of which is the
time set by the ATTACK control.
Overshoots less than 1 msec. are very hard to hear even when they are clipped. If the ATTACK is set too
fast, the gain may be reduced too much and thereby create a “pumping” sound
1
.
1
“Pumping” in a Compressor/Limiter sounds like the signal is muted when it shouldn’t be.
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