Pawn Shop Comp 2.0 - User Manual
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ATTACK
- how quickly the compressor kicks in once a signal goes above threshold. This
allows you to control the peaks and transients of a signal. Set it fully counterclockwise to
nip o
ff
all but the fastest transients. As you turn it clockwise more of the peaks and
transients will get through and the sound will become punchier. The PSC is a beautifully
punchy compressor. Attack is adjustable from .2ms to 200ms.
RELEASE
- how quickly the compressor stops compressing after a signal drops below
threshold. Adjustable from 10ms to 1.2s, RELEASE can have a lot of e
ff
ect. Setting a short
release (counterclockwise) will tend to bring up the quiet parts of a signal—the breaths on
a vocal, the ring of a snare drum, room ambience, etc. Setting it long (clockwise) will keep
the compressor in longer and tend to smooth things out and make the compression less
noticeable.
PAGE TOGGLE
- click on the KORNEFF AUDIO name plate to access the "other side" of the
Pawn Shop Comp for even more controls.
PRESET BROWSER
- click on the piece of tape with the Sharpie Text (where it says PAWN
SHOP COMP) to access the preset browser and load and save presets.
IDEAS ON SETTING THE COMPRESSOR
When the Pawn Shop Comp
fi
rst loads you'll hear a slight increase in gain, which is a design
feature and caused by the PREAMP control being slightly up. We did this so you absolutely
know that the unit is in your signal chain. The ATTACK and RELEASE are in a good, average
position. The RATIO is at 2:1 and the THRESHOLD is all the way up.
These initial settings are a good start. We usually begin working on a track by lowering the
THRESHOLD (counterclockwise) until the meter jumps a bit. Click on the AUTO makeup
gain. Turn up the RATIO a bit. Decide if you need more punch and then
fi
ddle with the
ATTACK. Decide if you want more “pump” and more of the quiet details and
fi
ddle with the
RELEASE.
If you want to really hear the compressor working, turn up the RATIO, set the RELEASE
short and turn the ATTACK clockwise.
If you want a very smooth sound, with minimal audible compression, lower the RATIO to
less than 4:1, set the ATTACK somewhere in the middle and turn the RELEASE clockwise,
perhaps even fully clockwise. Then lower the THRESHOLD so that the meter indicates the
compressor is working for most of the duration of the signal.
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