10
THE JOEMEEK PHOTO OPTICAL COMPRESSOR; WHAT IT DOES.
Anyone who has tried to record a human voice in the simplest possible way
has found that the dynamics of real world speech and music are impossible
to handle with a 'linear' recorder: Even if the signals do not overload, the
final result is a recording that seems to be thin, quiet and too wide in
dynamic range. Early analogue tape recorders had a built-in answer to the
problem, Slightly overloading the record channel produced (predominantly)
2nd order harmonic distortion and some volume compression. This made
recordings sound 'warm' and reduced the problems of dynamics.
Unfortunately (?), modern recording mediums don't react that way; they
produce an accurate reflection of the input with all its built in problems.
Most thinking engineers know of these problems and correct with the use of
equalisers (to change the psychoacoustic distance from the microphone),
limiters (to reduce dynamic range at the louder end) and enhancers (to
sparkle it up). And then find that it is extremely difficult and time consuming
to get a warm and cosy sound**.
Joe Meek, in common with all engineers, experimented with the limited
facilities of the time (1960 - 1965) and came up with a way of enhancing the
'tape bend' effect with compression. The compressor he used was primitive
in the extreme, but coupled with the compression distortion provided by the
valve tape machines he had, the result was voice and music sounds that
were unique and sold records by the million.
I had to make some significant improvements in the way the early
compressors worked to make the JOEMEEK acceptable to today's
engineers, but now that they are in general use in top studios all over the
world, the consensus is that the sound is right, and really does recreate the
warmth and power of the old equipment without the side effects.
There are probably hundreds of types of compressor/limiters on sale in the
world, all struggling for a place in the market with extra knobs and facilities
and all missing the fundamental point;- that a compressor is there to
produce a psychoacoustic effect of power and dynamics. not to perform
any protective function electronically; it's a creative tool. The JOEMEEK
recreates the dynamics of the old analogue tape and compressor
combination. The photo electric effect make precisely the right sound; and,
because the attack, release and compression curve shapes are so complex
and interrelated, it is not possible to create a software algorithm for it: So
there will never be an accurate JOEMEEK plug-in! (The 'dark' switch setting
JOEMEEK
SC2.2
Stereo Compressor - User's guide
