Compressor
Control dynamics with four compressor types: Digital, RK-2A, RK-76 and Bus.
The Compressor holds back peaks and evens out the sound. In the top bar you choose the type: Digital, RK-2A, RK-76 or Bus. Each type changes the face and the sound and keeps its own values. The Compressor enters the slot with Dry/Wet at 100: it changes nothing until it compresses.
Digital
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Thresh | The level where compression starts (fader, from −70 to +6 dB) |
| Ratio | How much it compresses, from 1:1 to ∞:1; in Expand mode, from 1:1 to 1:2 |
| Attack | How fast it starts compressing, from 0.01 to 1000 ms |
| Release | How fast it lets go, from 1 to 3000 ms |
| Auto | Automatic release that follows the music |
| Knee | How softly compression starts, from 0 to 18 dB |
| Out | The output level (fader, ±36 dB) |
| Makeup | Lower the Thresh and the level comes back by itself |
| Peak, RMS, Expand | What it listens to: the peaks, the average, or it becomes an expander |
| Lin, Log | Log: deep compression lets go faster |
| 0 ms, 1 ms, 10 ms | Lookahead: anticipates peaks, adding that much delay |
| Transfer, Activity | The graph: the curve (tap it to put the Thresh there) or the signal over time, with GR or Output |
| Dry/Wet, On | The slot's mix; on and off |
RK-2A
A soft-knee leveller: you choose how much it compresses and the level that comes out.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| PEAK REDUCTION | How much it compresses, from 0 to 100 |
| GAIN | The output level, from 0 to 100 |
| LIMIT / COMPRESS | Limit compresses harder; Compress, lighter |
| EMPHASIS | From FLAT to HF: takes lows out of what it listens to, so it compresses more by the highs |
| MIX | The slot's Dry/Wet |
| BYPASS / ON | On and off |
RK-76
A peak limiter: the threshold is fixed, and INPUT pushes the sound against it.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| INPUT | How much signal goes in: more input, more compression (0 to 48) |
| OUTPUT | The output level (0 to 48) |
| ATTACK | From 1 to 7, or OFF past 1 |
| RELEASE | From 1 to 7 |
| RATIO | 20, 12, 8, 4 or ALL (all buttons in together) |
| METER | The VU shows the reduction (GR) or the output (+8, +4); OFF switches the effect off |
| MIX | The slot's Dry/Wet |
Bus
The bus compressor, with stepped controls.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| THRESHOLD | The level where compression starts, from −40 to 0 dB |
| MAKE-UP | Gives level back, from 0 to +20 dB |
| ATTACK | In steps: 0.1, 0.3, 1, 3, 10 or 30 ms |
| RATIO | 2:1, 4:1 or 10:1 |
| RELEASE | 0.1, 0.3, 0.6 or 1.2 s, or Auto |
| MIX | The slot's Dry/Wet |
| IN | On and off |
The dB COMPRESSION meter shows the reduction, from 0 to 20 dB.