Technical information

APPENDIX 12
Each compression band has controls for Gain, Threshold, Compression ratio,
Knee, BITE, Attack, and Release. Three buttons are provided to allow selection of
di erent detection and tracking algorithms – Rel-1 for pure peak detection, Rel-2
for adaptive release, and Auto for automatic attack and release settings, in which
case the Attack and Release controls have no e ect. A button located to the left of
each Gain control can be used to switch the compression on or o for that band.
The Bi-directional Intelligent Transient Enhancement control gives the
compressor more ‘bite’. As this control is increased, fast signal changes
(transients) are allowed to pass through the compressor while the overall
compression amount stays the same. The transients of a compressed signal
will become more obvious as more ‘bite’ is applied. This control is useful in
emulating the response of analog compressors.
The Knee control has three ranges of values – undershoot range is −10 to 0,
overshoot range is 0 to +10, and overshoot with compression ‘tail’ is +10 to
+15. The undershoot range creates a smoothed transition from unity gain
(1:1 compression ratio) to the selected compression ratio. This e ect emulates
the trademarked ‘over easy’ compression curves of the dbx compressors.
‘master’band. So, if you alter any of the Master controls, the corresponding
controls in all the other bands are altered by the same amount and if you
enable the Auto, Rel 1, or Rel 2 buttons, these will be enabled in the ‘slave’
bands.
Figure A12.20
MC2000 MC404
4-band compressor.