10
Applications
%QUALIZATIONINTHE3IDECHAINCIRCUITMEANSTHATTHECOMPRESSORISNOTTRIGGEREDASREADILYBYALOUDTOMTOM
beat as by an equally loud cymbal crash.
&ORDRUMKITSUBMIXESEGMIXINGMULTIPLEDRUMTRACKSTOTWOTRACKSWHILEUSINGBOTHCHANNELSOFA
FORCOMPRESSION CONSIDERBACKINGOFFTHE2!4)/ONEACHCHANNELDOWNTO TOAVOIDANEXCESSOFCYMBAL
hSPLATTERINGv)NLARGERMULTITRACKINGSYSTEMSCOMPRESSTHEKICKANDSNARESEPARATELY!FURTHERPOSSIBILITYISTO
heavily compress a stereo submix of toms and leave the remaining percussives unaffected.
2AISINGA3IGNAL/UTOFA-IX
3INCEREDUCINGDYNAMICRANGEINCREASESTHEAVERAGESIGNALLEVELBYASMALLAMOUNTASINGLETRACKCANBERAISED
OUTOFAMIXBYBOOSTINGITSLEVELSLIGHTLYANDAPPLYINGCOMPRESSION3TARTWITHA2!4)/ANDARELATIVELYLOW
4(2%3(/,$SETTINGD" !DJUSTBOTHCONTROLSASNECESSARY
#OMPRESSORSHAVEALSOBEENUSEDTOBRINGVOCALSTOTHEFOREFRONTOFAMIXINVOLUMERESTRICTEDSTUDIOSEG
HOMESTUDIOS 3TARTBYADDINGAFOAMWINDSCREENTOTHEMICIFITDOESNTHAVEONE 3ETTHE2!4)/TOAND
THE4(2%3(/,$TOD"7ITHYOURMOUTHAPPROXIMATELYINCHESFROMTHEMICSINGTHEVOCALPARTBUTWITH
LESSVOLUMETHANNORMAL5SEPHRASINGTOGIVETHEPARTSOMEINTENSITY!NEQUALIZEREGADBX0ARAMETRIC
%QUALIZERDBX3ERIES'RAPHIC%QUALIZERS ORAVOCALEFFECTSDEVICEEGREVERBDELAYDISTORTION CANBE
added to further define the performance.
It is also possible to separate certain vocals or instruments from a mono program already mixed: refer to fre-
quency-weighted compression on page 12.
.OTE
When compressing a stereo program with a 1066, the factors affecting a compression curve and
THEACTUAL2!4)/AND4(2%3(/,$SETTINGSARETHESAMEASTHOSEPREVIOUSLYCOVEREDWITHREFERENCETO
single channels of program material. However, it will generally be found that large amounts of compres-
sion are more audible in a mixed stereo program than they might be on the separate tracks that were
mixed to create the program.
3MOOTHINGOUTMICROPHONELEVELS
When distance is created between the vocalist and the microphone there will be a variation in the signal level.
3TARTWITHLOWCOMPRESSIONAROUND TOSMOOTHOUTANYVARIATIONS,IMITINGALSOBENEFITSINTELLIGIBILITYBY
allowing low-level input signals to be reproduced through the system at higher volume.
3MOOTHINGOUTMUSICALINSTRUMENTLEVELS
#OMPRESSIONSMOOTHSOUTTHEVARIATIONSOFLOUDNESSAMONGINSTRUMENTS5SINGTHECANALSOINCREASETHE
INSTRUMENTSSUSTAIN#OMPRESSTHEINSTRUMENTSOUTPUTWITHARATIOOFABOUT
0REVENTINGANALOGTAPESATURATION
With programs of widely varying levels, compression can prevent recording levels from saturating tape tracks
SEE&REQUENCYWEIGHTEDCOMPRESSIONPAGE
3PEAKERPROTECTION
Compressors are frequently used to prevent excessive program levels from distorting power amps and/or damag-
INGDRIVERSINASOUNDREINFORCEMENTSYSTEMWHETHERYOUREDOINGAUDITORIUMCHURCHORCLUBSOUNDENGINEER
-
INGORAREAMOBILE$*ORLIKETOPUSHTHELIMITSOFYOURHOMESAUDIOENTERTAINMENTCENTER 3ETTHEFOR
LIMITING(ARD+NEEMODE/NWITHA2!4)/OFORGREATER ANDADJUSTTHE4(2%3(/,$TOPROVIDED"OR
MOREOFCOMPRESSIONJUSTAFEWD"BELOWTHEINPUTCLIP &ORLOWLEVELSIGNALSTHEWONTCHANGEGAIN
but if large signals come along, the gain will be reduced to prevent clipping and save sensitive system compo-
nents from excessive heat buildup or other type of damage.
.OTE
0EAK3TOP0LUS©,IMITINGCANALSOBEUSEDTOPREVENTSPEAKERDAMAGE
