Reference Manual
CHAPTER 20. LIVE AUDIO EFFECT REFERENCE 253
capable of destroying its dynamic structure. This is something that cannot be undone in
later production steps. Keep this in mind especially when using a compressor, limiter or
sound loudness-maximizing tool in the master channel. Less is often more here.
Because compression reduces the volume of loud signals and opens up headroom, you can
use the Out slider so that the peaks once again hit the maximum available headroom. The
Out meter shows the output signal's level.
A second set of two essential parameters denes how fast a compressor reacts to input-level
changes: Attack time and Release time.
Attack denes how long it takes to reach maximum compression once a signal exceeds
the threshold, while Release sets how long it takes for the compressor to return to normal
operation after the signal falls below the threshold.
A slight amount of attack time (510 ms) allows peaks to come through unprocessed,
which helps preserve dynamics. If these peaks cause overloads, you can try shortening the
attack time, but extremely short times take the life out of the signal, and may lead to a
slight buzziness caused by distortion. Short release times can cause pumping as the
compressor tries to gure out whether to compress or not; while generally considered an
undesirable effect, some engineers use it on full drum kits to give unusual sucking effects.
20.6 Compressor II
The Compressor II
Effect.
Compressor II is a state of the art compression unit the tool of choice for a wide range of