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MIXING & EFFECTS
Fruity Compressor
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Fruity Compressor:
Compression is one of THE most important effects in modern music.
It is used to give kick drums THUMP and make bass FAT! Importantly,
it can make mixes sound much louder than they are. Compression is
the process of automatically scaling the output volume so that the
quiet parts are louder and the loud parts don’t clip. It’s like
automatically adjusting a volume knob to keep the volume level
within a set min/max range. The controls for this plugin relate to
the relationship between input and output volume. The Fruity
Compressor is a variable-knee compressor with built-in peak
limiting.
When to use: Use the Fruity Compressor on
individual sounds in mixer tracks. If you are mastering
(compressing in the Master Mixer Track) and need to apply
compression to a complete mix we recommend the Fruity Multiband
Compressor.
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Parameters
Threshold - Sets the dB level at which the
compressor kicks in (with a range from 0.0 to -60.0 dB). The
threshold should be adjusted according to the relative input level
and the type of audio material. Once the threshold level is
reached, compression will start, reducing the gain of the input
signal according to the current Ratio, Type, Attack and Release
settings.
Ratio - Controls the amount of compression
(gain reduction) that will be applied to the signal once the
threshold level is reached (with a range from 0.4:1 to 30:1). Ratio
denotes the difference in dB between input level and output level,
i.e. how much the signal above threshold level will be compressed
(or expanded, at ratios below 1:1). For example, a ratio of 4:1
means that when the input level increases by 4dB, the output level
of the signal above threshold will only increase by 1dB.
Gain - Controls the amount of make-up gain to
be added or subtracted from the compressed output signal (with a
range from 30.0 to -30.0 dB). The gain should be adjusted to
normalize the signal amplitude after compression, or to control the
amount of limiting.
Attack - Controls the time it takes to reach
full compression once the threshold level has been exceeded (with a
range from 0.0 to 400.0 ms). A fast attack setting means that
compression will be more or less instant. Using a slower attack
setting results in the compression being gradually increased,
allowing for more variations in the signal than the fast setting.
Attack should be adjusted according to the nature of the audio
material.
Release - The Release parameter sets the time
the compressor takes to stop acting after the level has fallen
below threshold (with a range from 1 to 4000 ms). Short release
times will make the compression more flexible and able to adapt to
the input signal, but can cause fast changes in gain that may sound
displeasing. Longer release times produce a signal with a more even
level and less distortion, but make it harder to maximize the
overall compression because small variations in signal level will
be ignored.
Type - This parameter controls the knee type
and TCR. The possible values are: Hard, Medium, Vintage, Soft,
Hard/R, Medium/R, Vintage/R, Soft/R. The knee determines the dB
range above and below the threshold where the compression goes from
1:1 to the selected compression ratio. A hard knee setting means
that compression will take place immediately after the threshold
level is reached, whereas a soft knee setting indicates that
compression is gradually applied over a range in the signal. See
Knee Type below for more information on the meaning of those
values.
Knee Type
While attack decides how fast a compressor acts, the compressors
knee characteristics control at what rate the full amount of
compression is applied. Soft means there is a
gradual increase from no to full compression as the input volume
increases, hard means the transition from no to
full compression is instant once a predefined input level is
exceeded.
The actual values for this property mean:
- Hard - 0 dB
- Medium - 6 dB
- Vintage - 7 dB
- Soft - 15 dB
The Vintage compression type emulates the compression curve
found on some analog compressors, such as the classic Teletronix
LA2A. The major difference is that the compression ratio is
gradually reduced at a distance above threshold, slowly allowing
the level to go back to a ratio of 1:1. This allows the loudest
parts of the signal, such as drum beats and other peaks, to pass
without being compressed as much as the rest of the signal. In this
way, the Vintage compression type emulates electro-optical analog
designs and can greatly enhance warmth and 'punch'.
The Vintage compression type also affects the TCR parameter,
utilizing a different release time adjustment method.
The /R types enable TCR (Transient Controlled Release), a
special algorithm that automatically adjusts the release time in
real-time to avoid fast compression changes. The release time is
adjusted in relation to the current Release parameter setting.
Enabling TCR can have positive effects on some types of audio
material, and help to reduce "pumping and breathing", while
increasing the overall loudness of the signal.
Plugin Credits: Ultrafunk
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