Specifications

Audio Plug-Ins Guide70
Compressor/Limiter III Release
Control
The Release control sets the length of time it
takes for the Compressor/Limiter to be fully de-
activated after the input signal drops below the
threshold.
Release times should be set long enough that if
signal levels repeatedly rise above the threshold,
the gain reduction “recovers” smoothly. If the
release time is too short, the gain can rapidly
fluctuate as the compressor repeatedly tries to
recover from the gain reduction. If the release
time is too long, a loud section of the audio ma-
terial could cause gain reduction that continues
through soft sections of program material with-
out recovering.
This control ranges from 5ms (fastest release
time) to 4 seconds (slowest release time).
Compressor/Limiter III Knee
Control
The Knee control sets the rate at which the com-
pressor reaches full compression once the
threshold has been exceeded.
As you increase this control, it goes from apply-
ing “hard-knee” compression to “soft-knee”
compression:
• With hard-knee compression, compression
begins when the input signal exceeds the
threshold. This can sound abrupt and is ideal
for limiting.
• With soft-knee compression, gentle compres-
sion begins and increases gradually as the in-
put signal approaches the threshold, and
reaches full compression after exceeding the
threshold. This creates smoother compres-
sion.
For example, a Knee setting of 10 dB would be
the gain range over which the ratio gradually in-
creased to the set ratio amount.
The Gain Reduction meter displays light orange
while gain reduction has not exceeded the knee
setting, and switches to dark orange when gain
reduction reaches the full ratio.
This control ranges from 0 db (hardest re-
sponse) to 30 db (softest response).
Compressor/Limiter III Gain
Control
The Gain control lets you boost overall output
gain to compensate for heavily compressed or
limited signals.
This control ranges from 0 dB (no gain boost) to
+40 dB (loudest gain boost), with the default
value at 0 dB.
Graph examples of hard knee (left) and soft knee
(right) compression
For more information on the LFE channel,
refer to the Pro Tools Reference Guide.