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558 EFFECTS MENU
With more difficult sources, like for example, a very dynamic vocal track (for example, a
ballad) you can use a longer attack so that the arrangement runs more smoothly and
quietly; the release time can be audibly trimmed to the pauses or the song speed.
Short release time may be used for modern, aggressive 'close up' vocals, for example,
where breathing sounds can be an important stylistic device and the voice should sound
very full and compact.
• Knee: With this parameter you can specify the shape of the characteristic around the
threshold. A 'hard knee' means that the transition of 1:1 amplification for level reduction
occurs abruptly, a 'soft knee' on the other hand starts much lower than the threshold
and moves the characteristic softly into the reduction. A "hard" setting is suitable for
effect-filled, acoustic compression, like with individual drum tracks. You should consider
using a softer setting for complex and sensitive sources like guitars, pianos, or vocals.
The more complex the signal, the easier it will be to notice a difference. For less sensitive
sources, less importance can be attributed to this parameter. Note that for 'soft knee'
settings the 'threshold' value has to be re-adjusted as the compression starts at a much
lower level.
Vintage mode
In this mode, you can intuitively (by ear) use the dynamic editing features with just three
knobs. Do whatever you want, but keep in mind: Less is often more...
• Drive: You can use the "drive" potentiometer to control the amplification factor in the
feedback loop, that is, the signal strength which the detection circuit calculates.
Furthermore, the internal 'ratio' changes within a limit, the more 'drive' there is, the
higher the compression ratio.
• attack and release: The same basic conditions as in "VCA" mode apply here. However,
not only do you change the actual control response time after detection, but also the
'temporal window' in the detector. Additionally, the feedback arrangement method does
bring about a certain amount of unpredictability. You should expect less control over the
device in this mode, but more leniency on its part.
Compression expert settings
Of course, you can efficiently compress a lot of data with am-track without having to press
the "Expert" button or trying out additional options. However, we have added a few
"handy" parameters behind the front panel. This applies equally to both compression
modes.
• Look ahead: am-track is always ahead of the signal. You can specify how many
milliseconds you want to allow for the "look ahead". The audio signal path is delayed
according to the signal route so that the detection circuit is fed first with the input signal
(so-called "look-ahead delay"). You can now increase the attack time and still avoid fast
peaks. The latency compensation in the host program ensures that other tracks in the