Upgrade Manual

Appendix A: "Audio Plugins" 73
Use low Release settings to compress individual notes. Use high Release
settings to compress the overall level of a track.
Very fast Attack and Release settings can sometimes cause intermodulation
distortion on full-range mixes. For instance, on a track with both kick drum and
hihat, the kick drum might audibly pump the level of the hihat notes.
It is a good rule of thumb to use moderate Attack and moderate-to-long Release
on mixes, but use shorter Attack and Release on individual instruments.
Peak Limit:
This checkbox adds a Peak Limiter to the output of the
compressor, making compressor clipping impossible. The Peak Limiter has
instant Attack, and program-dependent release.
With Peak Limit disabled, a slow Attack setting could cause compressor
clipping on fast loud transients.
Some classic, old-style tube compressors had fairly long attack time, perhaps
100ms, and fairly short release time, perhaps 250ms. This gives a "pumping"
sound which is prized by many musicians. It is not a transparent compressed
sound, rather a pleasing special effect. Settings in this range can easily cause
transient distortion unless Peak Limit is enabled.
Gate/Expander
An Expander increases the difference between soft and loud sounds. The Band-
in-a-Box Expander is a downward expander, which means it does not affect loud
signals, but reduces the level of quiet signals.
Threshold:
Signals below threshold are attenuated, but signals above threshold
are not affected.
Ratio:
Adjust how drastic the attenuation is below threshold.
At 1:2 Ratio, a -6 dB reduction of input level, yields a -12 reduction in output
level.
At 1:10 Ratio, a -6 dB reduction in input level would have a -60 dB reduction in
output level, effectively chopping off or gating low-level signals.
Modest Ratio settings can subtly reduce low-level noises between musical notes
and phrases, without having obvious undesirable side-effects. High Ratio
settings can give more easily audible results. Sometimes these high Ratio effects
are useful as a special effect.
Attack:
The time it takes the Expander to respond to increases of input signal.