FXAlg #950: HardKneeCompress ¥ FXAlg #951: SoftKneeCompress
Algorithm Reference-139
FXAlg #950: HardKneeCompress ¥
FXAlg #951: SoftKneeCompress
Stereo hard- and soft-knee signal-compression algorithms
Allocation Units:
1
The stereo hard- and soft-knee compressors are very similar algorithms and provide identical parameters and user
interface. Both algorithms compress (reduce) the signal level when the signal exceeds a threshold. The amount of
compression is expressed as a ratio. The compression ratio is the inverse of the slope of the compressor
input/output characteristic. The amount of compression is based on the sum of the magnitudes of the left and right
channels. A compression ratio of 1:1 will have no effect on the signal. An infinite ratio will compress all signal levels
above the threshold level to the threshold level (zero slope). For ratios between infinity and 1:1, increasing the input
will increase the output, but by less than it would if there was no compression. The threshold is expressed as a
decibel level relative to digital full-scale (dBFS) where 0 dBFS is digital full-scale and all other available values are
negative.
Compressor
In the hard-knee compressor, there is a sudden transition from uncompressed to compressed at the compression
threshold. In the soft-knee compressor there is a more gradual transition from compressed to unity gain.
Hard-Knee (left) and Soft-Knee (right) Compression Characteristics
Delay
Delay
Compressor
Compressor
Sum
Magnitude
Magnitude
Sum
Feedback/Feedforward
Switches
Out Gain
L Output
R Output
L Input
R Input
Compressor
Computation
In Amp
Out
Amp
Threshold
Out
Amp
In Amp
Threshold