Orban 424A - Page 7

The
ATTACK TIME control
is
calibrated with
an
arbitrary
scale because the
attack
time is automatically varied according to the
nature of the program
material.
This minimizes audible compression-induced
side-effects.
Because
the range of
the ATTACK TIME control
has purposely been made very
wide, certain sounds
can
cause
the 422A/424A
to produce distortion when
operated with fast attack times. Such sounds include
certain male voices,
Hammond organ, and some
types
of bass (particularly synthesizer-produced). Such
distortion can be
totally eliminated
by operating with slower attack times
—
usually
between
"5"
and
"SLOW"
on
the
dial.
4)
Adjust the
RELEASE TIME control
to
determine how
fast the 422A/424A gain
recovers
toward
maximum
during
those
times
when its output level is below the
threshold of compression.
Fast
release times produce
the greatest
"density" and most consistent
output
levels.
However,
they also create the greatest risk of audible side-effects. They
are
most
useful
in
recording studios
or
production situations where the program
material being processed is
a
single track and is to
be
mixed with other
material.
Slower release times generally produce a
more
natural sound
on
mixed program
material.
Accordingly, they
are
more useful in
such
applications
as
broadcast
production or cassette duplication.
The
RELEASE TIME control
is calibrated
with
an arbitrary scale because
the
release time
is automatically varied
according to
the
nature of the
program
material.
This
minimizes audible compression-induced side-effects.
(The RELease
SHAPE
switch determines if the release proceeds at
a
constant
number
of dB per
second
(LINear),
or
if it starts more
slowly
and then speeds
up
as
it
progresses (EXPonential). LINear usually sounds
most
natural,
but
EXPonential
can be useful if
you
want to create the "open" sound associated
with slow
release times,
yet
gain-ride quickly
during pauses or
low-level program
material. Like the other controls, it should be adjusted
"by
ear"
to
your taste.)
5)
It
is important
to
note that the OUTPUT TRIM
control should
not
be
treated
like a familiar "output attenuator" control: It is ordinarily left at
"0".
Its
purpose is
to
permit you to operate the Voltage-Controlled Amplifier (VCA) in
the optimum part
of
its range
for your
application. You
can use the
OUTPUT
TRIM
control to create controlled clipping
in
the VCA, to prevent VCA clipping,
or
to
optimize the signal-to-noise ratio. Refer to the OF*ERATING MANUAL for
further details.)
A standard
OUTPUT
ATTENuator
control
is
located on
the rear panel.
Compressor/Limiter Enhancements: The IDLE GAIN control determines the gain of
the Compressor/Limiter when the COMP/LIM OPERATE/DEFEAT switch
is in
DEFEAT.
If
the IDLE
GAIN control is set
close
to the average
amount
of
gain
reduction, the Compressor/Limiter can
be
defeated and reactivated
in the middle
of
program
material without
obvious
side-effects such
as
sudden gain changes.
(The
control also
has
a
second
function which
will be explained below.)
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