Levelers vs Compressors for Vocals
- Thread starter moeses
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What is a leveler?
The main difference between a leveler and a compressor is that the leveler has no individual control of threshold and slope (ratio); these functions work together and interact with each other completely as a function of the same control. The result is a very easy-to-use signal processor that controls the dynamics in a musical and intuitive manner.
The main difference between a leveler and a compressor is that the leveler has no individual control of threshold and slope (ratio); these functions work together and interact with each other completely as a function of the same control. The result is a very easy-to-use signal processor that controls the dynamics in a musical and intuitive manner.
the new summit tla-50
That proves it, leveler is just an other term for compressor...
The tla-50 has switchable attack and release times, so it`s not "automatic" either.
So leveler=compressor still stands.....
The tla-50 has switchable attack and release times, so it`s not "automatic" either.
So leveler=compressor still stands.....
no, that explination of a leveler was describing the TLA-50...check the site...
summitaudio.com
summitaudio.com
SonicAlbert
Super-Sonic "Herb" Albert
Leveling is *not* the same as compressing.
A leveler is basically an automatic gain controller. A VCA in other words, but one that automatically rides the gain to keep the average volume consistent. It's like a hand that rides the fader, and that of course is a bit different than compression.
The following could be said about compression: "compressors make the loud sounds quieter and the quiet sounds louder". While that could also be said of the leveler, there are some differences. The compressor has ratios (i.e. 3:1, 6:1, etc.) that affect the amount of compression, something not used in a leveler. Compressors also have threshold settings, which allow only a portion of the signal to be processed. For example, in a compressor only the loudest signals could be compressed, leaving untouched anything below the threshold.
So while both levelers and compressors do affect dynamics, they approach it differently and yield different sounding results.
The Aphex unit mentioned earlier in this thread is called the Compellor. I have one (modded by Audio Upgrades) and it is indeed a very handy unit to have around. It can be used as a straight leveler or straight compressor. However, the ratio of leveling to compressor can be adjusted so that you could have 50 percent leveling and 50 percent compression, for example. What's amazing about the Compellor is how invisible it is, properly set you really can't hear it working.
A leveler is basically an automatic gain controller. A VCA in other words, but one that automatically rides the gain to keep the average volume consistent. It's like a hand that rides the fader, and that of course is a bit different than compression.
The following could be said about compression: "compressors make the loud sounds quieter and the quiet sounds louder". While that could also be said of the leveler, there are some differences. The compressor has ratios (i.e. 3:1, 6:1, etc.) that affect the amount of compression, something not used in a leveler. Compressors also have threshold settings, which allow only a portion of the signal to be processed. For example, in a compressor only the loudest signals could be compressed, leaving untouched anything below the threshold.
So while both levelers and compressors do affect dynamics, they approach it differently and yield different sounding results.
The Aphex unit mentioned earlier in this thread is called the Compellor. I have one (modded by Audio Upgrades) and it is indeed a very handy unit to have around. It can be used as a straight leveler or straight compressor. However, the ratio of leveling to compressor can be adjusted so that you could have 50 percent leveling and 50 percent compression, for example. What's amazing about the Compellor is how invisible it is, properly set you really can't hear it working.