4. FRONT PANEL CONTROLS & INDICATORS
The SM OC8 front panel has a very simple design including; Input stage, Compressor stage, EQ
stage, and output level control stage.
4.1 Power switch
The power switch is located on the far right of the front panel. It illuminates when power to the
unit is enabled.
4.2 Compressor controls
Compression on/off switch & LED Indicator
Turns the compressor stage on or off. The indicator shows the on/off status of the compressor.
Rotary compression control
The rotary compression control sets the compression ratio of the compressor. The compression
ratio expresses the difference between the input level change and the output level change. A
compression ratio of 6:1, for example, indicates that for every 6dB of level change on the input
signal there is only 1dB of level change on the compressed signal. The higher the compression
ratio, the smaller the dynamic range.
Rotary output control
The rotary output control sets the output level the current channels signal. often after reducing
the signals dynamic range with processing such as compression, you require a process to ‘make
up’ the lost gain. The rotary output control allows you to adjust or ‘make up’ gain at the compres-
sor output stage.
Fast/slow attack switch & LED Indicator
This switch toggles the attack setting of the compressor between fast and slow attack times. The
indicator shows the status ‘fast’ of the the attack setting. The attack setting on a compressor
determines how fast it will react to the input sound. Short attack times quickly bring down the
level of the loud, fast transients in the audio signal; long attack times let more sound through
before the compressor engages, resulting in a punchier sound.
Fast/slow release switch & LED Indicator
This switch toggles the release setting of the compressor between fast and slow release times.
The indicator shows the status ‘fast’ of the the release setting. The release setting on a compres-
sor determines how quickly the signal level returns to its original level after the compressor has
engaged. Short release times create a more exaggerated effect ("breathing"), whereas long
release times have a more gradual, natural sound.
LED level meter
This meter allows you to visually analyze the incoming signal strength in dB values. It is advis-
able to view this meter to ensure that each channel has the desired mount of signal being sent
into the input. Adjust your input signal from the source (ie pre-amp, etc).
7
Controls
