Next to the LISTEN icon you’ll find
FORWARD
and
BACKWARD
feed
modes. This selects the source for sidechain signal –
before
or
after
VCA – and
allows you to completely change the compression’s character. As Forward is known
for being punchy and dynamic, Backward compression can produce very interesting
type of sound which can be found in Indy Rock like genres.
Here you can also choose if you want the sidechain detector to react to the
peaks or to the RMS level of the signal. By selecting
PEAK
the compressor will act
faster, allowing every transient to trigger the gain reduction. In
RMS
mode, more
dynamic range can be kept, as the compressor will respond to overall change in signal
level rather than short peaks. It is very handy when you need gentle mastering
compression.
18
