Re:Compressor/Limiter on input of an EDP

["Paul J. Dresher" <PaulDresher@compuserve.com>]

Dennis:

Regarding your compressor/limitor question, I use a DBX-166, I'm not
exactly sure of the settings however, I just gradually adjust the unit by
ear so that I get as natural a sound from the EDP when compared to the
"live" sound (which for me is usually electric guitar but also includes
woodwinds, keyboards and voice, but I've never tried a tambourine).  The
key issue is to adjust the ratio of compression and the threshold of the
peak limiter so that your signal can't go into distortion.  However,
tambourine may present particular problems due to its fast transience and
spectrum.   

I'm not sure where this info is detailed, perhaps the FAQ area of the Web
site but Kim makes clear somewhere that at least on the original units
there was some sort of compression scheme which didn't work as well as
expected, particularly in relationship to high frequency sounds, i.e the
unit was much more prone to distort on these types of signals.  I'm told
this has been rectified in the machines now in production, or at least
somehthing in the gain stage as been improved.  I certainly have a problem
like yours on my original old unit (hence the limiter).  However, I just
got a new unit which is being operated from the house mix position by my
engineer and when I told him never to let the input get red, he said that
he had often been in the red and heard no distortion.  (Input was guitar
and violin).  So maybe they've addressedt this question.  

Paul Dresher