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OPERATION ORBAN Model 8400
gain reduction (with the gain riding AGC set to Off) maintains a sense of dynamic range
while still controlling levels effectively. Because OPTIMOD-FM’s density gently in-
creases between 0 and 10 dB of compression, 10 dB of compression sounds very natural,
even on classical music.
2B Release
control determines how fast the two-band compressor releases (and therefore
how quickly loudness increases) when the level of the program material decreases. This
release time only applies when the Two-Band Compressor is not gated by the silence gate
or the window gate.
It can be adjusted from 0.5 dB/second (slow) to 20 dB/second (fast). Settings toward 20
dB/second result in a more consistently loud output, while settings toward 0.5 dB/second
allow a wider variation of dynamic range. Both the setting of the
2B Release control and
the dynamics and level of the program material determine the actual release time of the
compressor. In general, you should use faster release times for mass-appeal pop or rock
formats oriented toward younger audiences, and slower release times for more conserva-
tive, adult-oriented formats (particularly if women are an important part of your target
audience).
The action of the
2B Release control has been optimized for resolution and adjustability.
But its setting is critical to sound quality—listen carefully as you adjust it. There is a
point beyond which increasing density (with faster settings of the
2B Release control)
will no longer yield more loudness, and will simply degrade the punch and definition of
the sound.
When the
2B Release control is set between 8 and 1 dB/second (the slowest settings), the
amount of gain reduction is surprisingly non-critical. Gating prevents noise from being
brought up during short pauses and pumping does not occur at high levels of gain reduc-
tion. Therefore, the primary danger of using large amounts of gain reduction is that the
level of quiet passages in input material with wide dynamic range may eventually be in-
creased unnaturally. Accordingly, when you operate the
2B Release control between 8
and 2 dB/second, it may be wise to defeat the gain-riding AGC and to permit the two-
band compressor to perform all of the gain riding. This will prevent excessive reduction
of dynamic range, and will produce the most natural sound achievable from the Two-
Band structures.
With faster
2B Release control settings (above 8 dB/second), the sound will change sub-
stantially with the amount of gain reduction in the two-band compressor. This means that
you should activate the gain-riding AGC to ensure that the two-band compressor is al-
ways being driven at the level that produces the amount of gain reduction desired. Decide
based on listening tests how much gain reduction gives you the density that you want
without creating a feeling of over-compression and fatigue.
Release in the two-band compressor automatically becomes faster as more
gain reduction is applied (up to about 10 dB). This makes the program pro-
gressively denser, creating a sense of increasing loudness although peaks are
not actually increasing. If the gain-riding AGC is defeated (with the
AGC
on/off control), you can use this characteristic to preserve some feeling of
dynamic range. Once 10 dB of gain reduction is exceeded, full loudness is
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