Specifications
Setting Up The Processing
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balance between peak and average energy in the detector. With smaller numbers more energy is transferred
into the average circuit and a higher platform level is created so more time will be spent releasing at the slower
average rate. Higher numbers offer slower attack times for the averaging part of the detector and this has theef-
fect of lowering the average platform level and allowing the peak part of the circuit to dominate with its faster
release times.
The Average decay time can usually be viewed as the nominal release time of the detector, similar to a standard
single time constant limiters release time.
Peak time constants dominating control due to
a very high setting of average attack
Peak time constants dominating to a lesser
degree due to a high setting of the average
attack
Peak time constants dominating to a much
lesser degree due to a lower setting of the
average attack
Limiter control signals response to program material
Peak time constants dominating control due to
a very high setting of average attack
Peak time constants dominating to a lesser
degree due to a high setting of the average
attack
Peak time constants dominating to a much
lesser degree due to a lower setting of the
average attack
Limiter control signals response to tone bursts
To recap, the peak attack time and average decay time play the same sort of role as that of a standard conven-
tional single time constant based limiter.
The peak decay time sets the decay time for fast usually inaudible transients and the average attack time sets
the ratio of peak to average control and defines the position of the platform that the peak circuit releases to.
Hold
The multi-band limiters have an extra mechanism called HOLD which works in the same way as the GATE con-
trol in the AGC stages. Unlike the GATE control the HOLD control has no extra associated controls like return
to rest levels and speeds. The hold feature when triggered will HOLD the average platform level at its last value
before the hold was triggered. This feature can help reduce IM distortion, reduce pumping effects and avoid suck
up of noise. The HOLD feature can be adjusted over a level of -20dB to -40dB with an option for 'OFF'
Unless you have a specific reason to turn it off we recommend a setting of around -32dB but this may need to be
increased or decreased depending on drive levels into the limiter and how much effect you want the hold control
to have on the audio. If set too low you will rob yourself off some loudness, if set too high you will lose some of
the benifits of the mechanism by letting the limiter release too far before gating.