Is there a compressor with gain addition?

N

nononsense!

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I do not mean parallel compression or de-compression!

What do I mean?

The volume is dropping under a certain treshold and then the compressor will make the volume louder. When the volume is above that treshold it will stop making the original volume louder.


Does this exist?
 
It works opposite from how you're describing it. And yes all compressors I have seen or used have a gain knob or button.
 
One of Samplitude Professional's "stock" compressors has this feature. It's basically just two individual compressors in the same plug that react to/with each other. You can add straight gain with a certain ratio below a certain level that will reduce as the level increases. At -60dBFS you could be adding 6dB of gain, at -30 it might only be 2 or 3dB of gain, -15, 0dB of gain, etc.
 
RAMI said:
Doesn't an expander do what the OP is asking for?
Click to expand...

No he's asking if there is a compressor that works "in reverse" of how typical compressors work. Typically a compressor will turn the volume down when it gets louder than the threshold. This type would turn the volume up once the it goes below the threshold.
 
TripleM said:
No he's asking if there is a compressor that works "in reverse" of how typical compressors work. Typically a compressor will turn the volume down when it gets louder than the threshold. This type would turn the volume up once the it goes below the threshold.
Click to expand...

Ah, I see. An upside down compressor. :eek:
 
nononsense! said:
The volume is dropping under a certain treshold and then the compressor will make the volume louder. When the volume is above that treshold it will stop making the original volume louder.
Click to expand...
Given the other responses, maybe I'm just misreading the question.

My reaction: that's what all (or almost all) compressors do.

The relevant parts of a compressor (either in actual hardware, or virtually, if it's software) are:
- the compression circuit
- the makeup gain.

The compression circuit: doesn't do anything to the signal if it's under the threshold, and reduces the signal level if it's over the threshold.

... then, after that ...

the makeup gain: amplifies the entire signal. It might do this automatically (increasing the signal by the same or approximately the same amount by which the compression circuit reduced it) or it might have a make-up gain control.

My understanding has always been that the whole point of a compressor is to raise the average signal level, without raising the peaks.
 
sjjohnston said:
Given the other responses, maybe I'm just misreading the question.

My reaction: that's what all (or almost all) compressors do.

The relevant parts of a compressor (either in actual hardware, or virtually, if it's software) are:
- the compression circuit
- the makeup gain.

The compression circuit: doesn't do anything to the signal if it's under the threshold, and reduces the signal level if it's over the threshold.

... then, after that ...

the makeup gain: amplifies the entire signal. It might do this automatically (increasing the signal by the same or approximately the same amount by which the compression circuit reduced it) or it might have a make-up gain control.

My understanding has always been that the whole point of a compressor is to raise the average signal level, without raising the peaks.
Click to expand...



Both methods will raise the volume level of the lower signals.

But it seems to me that with a normal compressor the peaks of the original are very vulnerable, there is always some little processing of those peaks. Peaks get damaged easily.
But with a compressor that makes soft volumes louder, the softer volumes are vulnerable and could get damaged. It just feels that those softer volumes are less vulnerable. Because those lower volumes are a less prominent part of the overall music.
 
My understanding has always been that the whole point of a compressor is to raise the average signal level, without raising the peaks.
Click to expand...
The whole point of a compressor is to lower the signal level above a certain threshold. What you do with that signal (such as - raising it - leaving it alone - limiting the output - etc., etc., etc.) is up to the mix (and the engineer).
 
This will do what you want: Flux:: sound and picture development. It's $169 list, but $149 from Sweetwater.

puredeexpander.png
 
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nononsense! said:
The volume is dropping under a certain treshold and then the compressor will make the volume louder. When the volume is above that treshold it will stop making the original volume louder.
Click to expand...
It's called upward compression. Google it for info.

Specific compressors... I have Ozone 3 and its compressor does upward compression (as either a multiband or broadband compressor).
 
So, to clear this up;

Compressors work by reducing the level of a signal above the set threshold, and anything below the threshold is left alone.
Then some 'make-up-gain' is put in to bring the now compressed signal up in level.
Compared to the original signal, everything below the threshold get louder, and everything above the threshold a bit louder depending on how far above the threshold it is.
So, every compressor has 'gain addition'.

nononsense! said:
The volume is dropping under a certain treshold and then the compressor will make the volume louder. When the volume is above that treshold it will stop making the original volume louder.
Click to expand...

I think the term "gain addition" in your original post is misleading nononsense! as I think the sentence quoted above asks a different question. So assuming that is precisely what you mean; Yes this does exist and it is indeed called upwards-compression as pointed out by XLR. It does sound similar to Parallel Compression, but there are subtle audible differences. I think there are Waves plugins that will do this, but they might be a bit pricey. :)
 
cobaltaudio said:
So, to clear this up;

Compressors work by reducing the level of a signal above the set threshold, and anything below the threshold is left alone.
Then some 'make-up-gain' is put in to bring the now compressed signal up in level.
Compared to the original signal, everything below the threshold get louder, and everything above the threshold a bit louder depending on how far above the threshold it is.
So, every compressor has 'gain addition'.



I think the term "gain addition" in your original post is misleading nononsense! as I think the sentence quoted above asks a different question. So assuming that is precisely what you mean; Yes this does exist and it is indeed called upwards-compression as pointed out by XLR. It does sound similar to Parallel Compression, but there are subtle audible differences. I think there are Waves plugins that will do this, but they might be a bit pricey. :)
Click to expand...


I mean a way to make softer volumes below a certain treshold louder, while NOT making the louder volumes softer above that treshold. No gain reduction but gain addition.
When doing parallel compression (= normal signal + heavy compressed signal) then at least the compressed signal would be compressed in the ordinary way so some hard parts were being smashed.




I googled 'upward compression' and found this picture:
compressiemethoden.jpg
 
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EDITED, to delete post which was written before looking at the immediately preceding one.

The diagrams in the link in the immediately preceding post are about the only thing in this thread that are remotely clear. And I'm not entirely sure about them.

What anybody reading this should do is skip to the Rane note in the link in the last post. Well, it's the last post now.
 
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Yes, I know that. the picture you've googled does indeed include upwards compression, which is exactly what you described before and what I mentioned in the previous post.

So yes, you want upwards compression.... so get a compressor plugin that does upwards compression. Other than that, I don't really think there's a question to answer here.
 
nononsense! said:
I do not mean parallel compression or de-compression!

What do I mean?

The volume is dropping under a certain treshold and then the compressor will make the volume louder. When the volume is above that treshold it will stop making the original volume louder.


Does this exist?
Click to expand...

The upward compression others have mentioned would do it. Most graphic based compressors should be able to be set for upward compression. Parallel compression could be used to get a very similar effect, so don't rule it out.
 
nononsense, the Mcompressor by Melda does upward compression using the "enable custom compressor shape" function, and it's freeware. It's kind of unscientific in its interface but it's a good way to hear what the processing sounds like.

BTW, the graphs you posted of compression and expansion are great but they're not really going to mean much unless you already have a feel for what upward and downward compression and expansion actually SOUND like.

Practically speaking, parallel compression can give a result very similar to upward compression as others have said.
 
I'm ready to be shot-down in flames but...... Does it make any difference? Surely a compressor compresses the sound i.e. reduces it's dynamic range. Whether it effectively makes the loud bits quieter or the quiet bits louder depends on where the gain is set. It's just relative isn't it?
 
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