User Manual

RackPack: DynaMaxx

Technology And Applications

This behavior is sometimes described as ‘surfing’, and can be over-

come by setting a lightly longer attack time, but now some peaks get

through because they are faster than the compressor’s attack time.

Including a separate Peak-Limiter to catch those fast transients has

disadvantages: if this is done using two VCA stages, the signal under-

goes more quality degradation than is desirable, but even with designs

that use the same VCA for both compression and limiting, you still end

up with more controls than necessary.

The DynaMaxx doesn’t need a separate peak limiter, because it

detects and controls very fast transients automatically. Processing is

so fast that all signals stay within the soft-knee curve for a more natu-

ral sound.

The attack time cam be reduced in the instant of a percussive hit or

bass guitar slap to a minimum of 50 microseconds. As soon as the

peak is passed, the attack returns to a longer time constant (up to

10ms of first Attack time circuitry), and in this way, both pumping and

distortion are avoided.

The ability of DynaMaxx to respond so quickly is clearly valuable when

complex stereo mixes are being treated. If, for example, a snare drum

peak occurs, DynaMaxx rapidly changes to a very short attack time

so that the snare hit keeps its original transient characteristics rather

than sounding ‘softened’. Following signals are compressed using lon-

ger attack times immediately.

The DynaMaxx uses 12dB/octave filtering instead of the 6dB/octave

filtering used in standard compressor side-chains so as to increase the

precision and speed of transient detection and processing. The signal-

dependent adjustment of the attack time parameter is too fast to be

audible. If the DynaMaxx is operated in its normal compression mode,

breathing and pumping effects are avoided.