Safe Sound Audio P501 User Manual - page 8
P501 Audio Processor
User Manual
Page 8
The release time is how quickly the compression effect is removed
when the audio falls back below the threshold. The P501’s release
time is programmed to follow the dynamics of the falling audio level.
This is an important aspect of the P501’s compressor design and
offers a very natural sounding form of compression.
The amount of gain reduction (due to the compressor and limiter) is
shown in the 6 segment LED meter (13).
Bring the compressor into circuit by selecting switch (5) downwards.
Because compression is a gain reduction tool, it will tend to lower the
maximum audio level through the audio chain. Make-up gain is used
to replace this ‘lost’ level and in the case of the P501 this is done
automatically; the amount of make-up gain applied being related to
the threshold and ratio setting. Auto gain make-up is really useful as
it allows you to increase gain reduction ‘on the fly’ without having to
constantly readjust the output level.
Peakride
Compressor design theory
With so many analogue and digital compressors on the market
today, we decided to try a new approach to single audio band
compression which gives most of the advantages of multi-band
compressors (plus a few more!) without the operational complexity of
band splitting. The full story of peakride compression is told in our
design white paper but here are the highlights;
It’s desirable for a compressor to be able to offer a wide range of
attack and release times to suit a variety of source material. For
example, percussion typically requires medium fast attack and
release times whereas some vocals require quite fast attack times
and medium/slow release times. Fast attack, fast release
compressors often have poor audio performance especially distortion
caused by ripple of the side-chain by the audio. Have a look at the
diagram below;