I knew you was mistaken... cause I have some real ones to look at. :-)

You have some real SSL 4000 bus comps?

 
Whoa whoa whoa 

I checked it out. Definitely something a little off. Basically, it seems the actual threshold is about 12dB below the indicated Threshold. And it's audible - not just a metering issue. 

And the Ratio settings do not behave consistently. At higher Threshold settings, a ratio of 2:1 clamps harder than 10:1. 


P.S. I checked my math using ye olde Sonitus compressor, and its output was totally predictable to a tenth of a dB for any given Threshold and Ratio setting with a hard knee. Things get a little trickier with a soft knee, but even with a 30dB wide knee, the Sonitus compressor does not start kicking in anywhere near as early or aggressively as the PC4K.

Steve,

I didn't know you were in "The 'Hill".  Which one is yous?  Or are you Sean?

;-)

Jonbouy

I knew you was mistaken... cause I have some real ones to look at. :-)

You have some real SSL 4000 bus comps?

I do not personally own it.... a buddy from down the street owns the SSL 4k module that he brought back from angel town.

I own the Purple 1176 clones.


best regards,
mike

brundlefly


I checked it out. Definitely something a little off. Basically, it seems the actual threshold is about 12dB below the indicated Threshold. And it's audible - not just a metering issue. 

And the Ratio settings do not behave consistently. At higher Threshold settings, a ratio of 2:1 clamps harder than 10:1. 


P.S. I checked my math using ye olde Sonitus compressor, and its output was totally predictable to a tenth of a dB for any given Threshold and Ratio setting with a hard knee. Things get a little trickier with a soft knee, but even with a 30dB wide knee, the Sonitus compressor does not start kicking in anywhere near as early or aggressively as the PC4K.

Thank you for making the test and providing some info.

all the best,
mike

mike_mccue


I knew you was mistaken... cause I have some real ones to look at.

:-)

In any event...

Once the threshold is set low enough to recognize a signal the attack parameter will certainly have a lot to do with whether, if and when a compressor kicks in,


If you set the threshold above the contents peaks the idea is that the compressor will not kick in at all... so attack settings shouldn't mean much.


I'm guessing the OPs observation has something to do with VU meter emulations, vague parameter indicators on the knobs, and a response to peaking in the actual compressor.


all the best,
mike

Your guess would be wrong. 

brundlefly


I checked it out. Definitely something a little off. Basically, it seems the actual threshold is about 12dB below the indicated Threshold. And it's audible - not just a metering issue. 

And the Ratio settings do not behave consistently. At higher Threshold settings, a ratio of 2:1 clamps harder than 10:1. 


P.S. I checked my math using ye olde Sonitus compressor, and its output was totally predictable to a tenth of a dB for any given Threshold and Ratio setting with a hard knee. Things get a little trickier with a soft knee, but even with a 30dB wide knee, the Sonitus compressor does not start kicking in anywhere near as early or aggressively as the PC4K.

Thanks so much for the confirmation and, going beyond that, measuring the actual difference.  At least this way, I have a way to calculate a somewhat accurate threshold setting.

There you go.

1 guess vaporized.

best,
mike

Maybe it's not a big deal, but this isn't sitting right with me. 

 Dissapointed that the manual AND Scott Garrigus have this incorrect. 

As someone that has a lot of learning to do with these tools, it really isn't helpful when experimenting say the PC for hours only to find out that the thing is totally inaccurate. Pretty much saps confidence out of the product. 


Even if the threshold is set to 5 or even 10db more than the actual peaks, it is still audibly compressing the peaks. And as Brundlefly states (thanks for keeping to the topic) the 2:1 ratio is ridiculously squashy. 


 I'm still in total shock that all the people in that PC thread or LOVE the PC have not noticed this. Only confirms to me the strength of the placebo effect in the DAW/mixing world, and that a lot of people who think they know what they are talking about, actually dont.