Simulating an optical compressor??

  • Thread starter Thread starter volltreffer
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volltreffer

Imply depressed
High everybody!

After reading a little in this article:

http://www.sospubs.co.uk/sos/dec00/articles/adcompression.htm

I had an idea and would be really curious if someone ever tried this:

I imagine that it would be possible to simulate an optical compressor by doing two things:

1) Use a rather slow attack setting and a fast release (do this quite often anyway)

A N D

2) use something like a slightly distorted or limited track as the sidechain input of the compressor.

Why would I do that? Very simple: if the sidechain limiter 'fires' (or the distortion steps in), the sidechain signal will no longer get any louder. This should lead to the volume of the compressed track rising again -- which in fact is the second thing that we would expect from an optical compressor...

Someone ever tried this? Am I too smart or too dumb??

:D aXel :D
 
No you're not dumb. In theory you're quite right.
In practise however it doesn't quite apply, as the character of an optical compressor is very hard to emulate with a solid state alternative.
In many ways you could compare it to the difference between a good tube and a solid state preamp - they are very different.
The closest way to 'get there' are some of the plugin versions of optical compressors. However, even those don't get anywhere near the real deal as far as I'm concerned.

If you're really interested in an optical compressor and are a little technically inclined, there are many drawings available which allow you to put your own together for under $200
 
Thanks! It already sounds to me worth a try...

I don't think I'll ever again build my own stuff -- used to try to build music electronics a while ago, but everything I built was REALLY noisy :D

aXel
 
aw, fooey......

A Joe Meek will do the trick a lot cheaper........listen to me, I have ALOT more posts than that sjoko guy......:rolleyes: :D :eek:
 
Gidge said:
aw, fooey......

A Joe Meek will do the trick a lot cheaper........listen to me, I have ALOT more posts than that sjoko guy......:rolleyes: :D :eek:
Click to expand...

That's only because you keep sitting on my lap so I can't reach the keys!
 
yeah, go and blab are personal business......


some things are sacred and are best left between you and me.....and the sheep, and the 3 circus midgets, and Brad's mom......
 
cheater....:mad:
 

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thief!!! you stole my K pic when I wasn't looking!!

and the sheep asked me to tell you that he was insulted now:mad:
 
Thanks alot for the link!

Haven't yet messed with tube stuff (except biasing my marshall) so this sound REALLY interesting...

aXel
 
The release times are dependent on the amount of gain reduction in an optical compressor. At high gain reduction the release time is faster than when gain reduction approaches zero. I'm not sure how you can simulate this with the techiniques discussed.
 
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