So before tonight I thought I had a pretty good grasp on how to use a compressor. I've done dozens of mixes "in the box" and have had a good amount of experience with compressor plug-ins.
I've recently purchased my first hardware compressor. Its an API 527.
First I'm going to list what I know about compressors so you can all can see that I have a firm grasp on how they work (or not)
1) A compressor is used to tame a piece of audio by bringing down its loudest parts and bringing up its quietest parts.
2) The threshold determines the level at which the compressor begins to compress the audio. Anything above the threshold will be compressed and anything under the threshold setting will be left unaffected.
3) The Output/Gain is used to bring the level of the audio back up once its peaks have been reduced. This effectively makes the lower passages louder and brings up the average loudness of the audio.
4) Attack and Release determine the amount of time it takes the compressor to begin to compress the audio and the amount of time its takes to return back to its original state, respectively.
5) The ratio determines how much audio over the threshold will be let out. For instance a 4:1 ratio means that for every 4db over the threshold only 1db will be let out.
I think that pretty much does it and should prove that I'm not a complete retard when it comes to using one (or visa versa haha)
Now for my issue (or should I say issues) with this thing.
Experiment #1
My output is set to zero, my threshold is on the lowest possible setting,
-20dbu, and my attack is the fastest possible. I'm feeding the mic a constant sine wave.
So with the the ratio at 1:1, I feed a pretty healthy signal and I can the see the track meter on my pro tools stay in the green, This signal is loud and its not even touching the yellow. Now with the ratio set to ∞:1, as soon as I feed it the sine wave I see the track meter clip. Am I bugging out or does this seem backwards? Isn't an ∞:1 setting essentially acting as a limiter? So shouldn't that setting be bringing everything down to -20db?
Now when I just look at the compressor, the Gain Reduction meter is working as it should. On a 1:1 ration I see no activity on the meter and on an ∞:1 I see lots of action. So in other words my compressor looks as if its working right but that isn't whats happening in my recording.
Experiment #2
My output is set to zero, my ratio is at noon (which I'm assuming at this point is a fair amount), and my attack is the fastest possible. I'm feeding the mic a constant sine wave.
Watching my meter I'm riding the threshold. As I get to -20dbu the signal is becoming hotter and when I turn the knob to 10dbu (the opposite setting) the signal becomes quieter. Now isn't this opposite also? Shouldn't bringing down the threshold set a level in which the audio gets compressed? So the lower the threshold the more its is being breached by the signal and the more compression being applied, right?
I don't know if its lack of sleep but I feel crazy. Please someone point an obvious flaw in my perspective and end this confusion. Thanks for any help and I apologize for the long post. Peace.
I've recently purchased my first hardware compressor. Its an API 527.
First I'm going to list what I know about compressors so you can all can see that I have a firm grasp on how they work (or not)
1) A compressor is used to tame a piece of audio by bringing down its loudest parts and bringing up its quietest parts.
2) The threshold determines the level at which the compressor begins to compress the audio. Anything above the threshold will be compressed and anything under the threshold setting will be left unaffected.
3) The Output/Gain is used to bring the level of the audio back up once its peaks have been reduced. This effectively makes the lower passages louder and brings up the average loudness of the audio.
4) Attack and Release determine the amount of time it takes the compressor to begin to compress the audio and the amount of time its takes to return back to its original state, respectively.
5) The ratio determines how much audio over the threshold will be let out. For instance a 4:1 ratio means that for every 4db over the threshold only 1db will be let out.
I think that pretty much does it and should prove that I'm not a complete retard when it comes to using one (or visa versa haha)
Now for my issue (or should I say issues) with this thing.
Experiment #1
My output is set to zero, my threshold is on the lowest possible setting,
-20dbu, and my attack is the fastest possible. I'm feeding the mic a constant sine wave.
So with the the ratio at 1:1, I feed a pretty healthy signal and I can the see the track meter on my pro tools stay in the green, This signal is loud and its not even touching the yellow. Now with the ratio set to ∞:1, as soon as I feed it the sine wave I see the track meter clip. Am I bugging out or does this seem backwards? Isn't an ∞:1 setting essentially acting as a limiter? So shouldn't that setting be bringing everything down to -20db?
Now when I just look at the compressor, the Gain Reduction meter is working as it should. On a 1:1 ration I see no activity on the meter and on an ∞:1 I see lots of action. So in other words my compressor looks as if its working right but that isn't whats happening in my recording.
Experiment #2
My output is set to zero, my ratio is at noon (which I'm assuming at this point is a fair amount), and my attack is the fastest possible. I'm feeding the mic a constant sine wave.
Watching my meter I'm riding the threshold. As I get to -20dbu the signal is becoming hotter and when I turn the knob to 10dbu (the opposite setting) the signal becomes quieter. Now isn't this opposite also? Shouldn't bringing down the threshold set a level in which the audio gets compressed? So the lower the threshold the more its is being breached by the signal and the more compression being applied, right?
I don't know if its lack of sleep but I feel crazy. Please someone point an obvious flaw in my perspective and end this confusion. Thanks for any help and I apologize for the long post. Peace.