Rane C4 Operator's Manual page 9

Vocals
Clicky Bass
Mushy Bass
Raging Electric
Guitar
Acoustic Guitar
Brassy Horns
Drums (kick, snare)
Drums (cymbals)
Bass
It is common for the sound mixer to reduce the bass signal
because it overwhelms the total system. Use a compressor to
smooth a bass sound by lessening the variations between the
strings or strongly resonant notes, and increasing sustain.
Typical settings for a bass guitar are a ratio of 4:1, with a
fast attack of 25 ms and a slow release of around 500 ms. These
settings should produce a strong, smooth bass line to start with,
but feel free to adjust further as necessary. A hard knee setting
is often preferred since all that is desired is to tame the excessive
peaks and leave everything else alone.
Where does a compressor belong in a bass player's signal
chain? Well, that depends on how you want it to function. As a
compressor/limiter for the input signal, it goes after the bass (if
the bass has a line-level output) and before the preamp. If it were
to function as a limiter to protect the speakers in the bass rig, it
would go after the preamp and before the power amp. Another
method is to insert the unit in the effect loop of the preamp.
This allows the bass signal to be affected by the pre-amp first,
then the compressor/limiter, and then sent to the power amp.
This can be desirable with tube pre-amps.
Guitar
Here is a suggestion on how to achieve a lower volume with-
out sounding as if you are playing out of a transistor radio: set a
slow attack time with a medium to slow release and a relatively
low threshold. Experiment from these initial settings.
One of the favorite uses of compression by guitarists is to in-
crease the sustain, or duration of a note after it is played. Carlos
Santana and Gabor Szabo are two musicians who use sustain to
great acclaim, although they did it the old-fashioned way of cre-
ating feedback by aiming the guitar pick-ups at the loudspeaker
and then jamming over it. A compressor creates a similar effect.
Set a high ratio and low threshold for long sustain, along with
fast attack and slow release. Again, experimentation produces
the best results.
©Rane Corporation 10802 47th Ave. W., Mukilteo WA 98275-5098 USA TEL 425-355-6000 FAX 425-347-7757 WEB www.rane.com
ATTACK RELEASE
Medium to Fast Medium to Slow
Fast Fast
Medium to Slow Medium to Slow
Fast Slow
Medium to Slow Medium to Slow
Fast Fast
Fast Fast
Fast Slow
Table 1. Suggested Compressor Settings
All features & specifications subject to change without notice. DOC 107487
RATIO
2:1 to 4:1
4:1 or higher
4:1
4:1 or higher
(more sustain)
4:1
5:1 or higher
4:1
2:1 to 10:1
Drums
Reducing the leading edge of a drum hit and bringing
out more of the "body" of the drum is another popular use of
compressors. Try ratios between 2:1 and 5:1 accompanied by
fast attack and release times. Listen carefully while changing the
attack time to find the final setting.
Cymbals need a fast attack but a slow release to allow the
sustain through. A low ratio of about 2:1 works well to start
with.
Digital Recording
For digital recording use the C4 to compress a too-wide
dynamic range into a signal that does not cause digital overload.
The Limiter is the primary tool for keeping things under control,
but a little compression with its threshold set just under the
limiter threshold level helps keep the limiting more subtle. To
control a stereo mix, set the mode switches to Slave.
KNEE
Soft
Hard
Hard
Hard
Medium
Hard
Hard
Hard
Manual-9