Page 2 of 2
Re: Compressor release setting - please explain to a thickie
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 9:27 am
by macc
The control voltage signal, not the signal itself. It means the compressor tracks the rate of change rather than the instantaneous peak voltage. Like measuring acceleration instead of measuring speed.
Personally I find it much easier to think about this mathematically (ie, d2y / dx ) than in any other way, but I'm so fuckin rusty on all that I'd better leave it to someone else if they want to flesh it out...
I'm sure some googling will give you better info than I can

Re: Compressor release setting - please explain to a thickie
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 4:51 pm
by lowpass
This sounds pretty cool, will get on the google hunt now.

Re: Compressor release setting - please explain to a thickie
Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 5:30 pm
by macc
Someone just linked to this post on gearslutz by Paul Frindle (designer of lots of SSL stuff, the Sony Oxford plugins, Pro Audio DSP DSM etc - he knows 'a little bit'). It reminded me of this thread.
Well worth reading a few times if you don't get everything he says first time around;
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/5834057-post57.html

Re: Compressor release setting - please explain to a thickie
Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 6:41 pm
by -[2]DAY_-
I don't know if you're still working on this, but
mikeyboy75 wrote:It's not an adaptive compressor though is it? Boo
Did you try clicking "adapt release" on the m-class? and perhaps cranking release knob to the highest setting, activate soft knee.
tbh i don't know what "adaptive compressor" is. But the button does say "adapt", no?
Re: Compressor release setting - please explain to a thickie
Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 6:45 pm
by lowpass
macc wrote:Someone just linked to this post on gearslutz by Paul Frindle (designer of lots of SSL stuff, the Sony Oxford plugins, Pro Audio DSP DSM etc - he knows 'a little bit'). It reminded me of this thread.
Well worth reading a few times if you don't get everything he says first time around;
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/5834057-post57.html

I was going to say, that is one of those go back to quite a few times article to understand it all!
Feed-forward and feedback.... is that like look-ahead and just standard 'adjusting when stuff has happened in the past' ?
Re: Compressor release setting - please explain to a thickie
Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 6:56 pm
by macc
You're referring to 'lookahead' - which analogue compressors somewhat struggle to do
[EDIT - made this a bit simpler, got a bit carried away

]
Feedforward means the level detector in the compressor listens to the input signal. Feedback means it listens to the output signal.
Obviously this has a marked effect on the sound. Generally 'old fashioned' (or just old) compressors are feedback designs.
Re: Compressor release setting - please explain to a thickie
Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 7:14 pm
by lowpass
macc wrote:You're referring to 'lookahead' - which analogue compressors somewhat struggle to do
[EDIT - made this a bit simpler, got a bit carried away

]
Feedforward means the level detector in the compressor listens to the input signal. Feedback means it listens to the output signal.
Obviously this has a marked effect on the sound. Generally 'old fashioned' (or just old) compressors are feedback designs.
I dunno, the 'UA - Flux Capacitor Series' seems to pull it off easily enough
I see what you mean about feedback vs feedforward.
So feedforward is at the start of the chain and is only effected by what comes in.
Feedback is at the end of the chain and can effect itself by changing the very signal that it is listening to?
I can't get my head round the advantages to using one over the other except that it would seem feedback designs may be more natural?