What Is A Compressor - Joemeek British Channel VC6Q User Manual

VC6Q
- User's guide
British Channel
It can pull voices forward, control recording volume levels, help with internal
mix balance, and add 'presence' to your sound. It was the single most
important factor in the success of Joe Meek productions in the 60's.
To get the best use out of the compressor it is necessary to get technical;
so even if you're not technical, read the next bit carefully and get to be a
compressor Guru!
A LIMITER is a device which stops the output of a signal path going above
a predetermined level. It is mainly used to protect amplifiers and recorders
(and radio transmitters) against overload. The sound of a limiter is a bit like
compression but it tends to be flat and uninteresting.
A COMPRESSOR is a device which reduces the dynamic range of
programme material. Its use is necessary to squeeze both the loudest and
softest sounds onto records so that they can be listened to in all
environments; ie, in the car! A secondary use of compression (and most
important for us) is to introduce some artificial dynamics into sound to make
it sound more exciting. This is what the JOEMEEK compressor does best.

WHAT IS A COMPRESSOR?

A perfect compressor is an amplifier where the input/output ratio is
constant: So using a 2:1 compressor, increasing the input by 2dB gives a
corresponding 1dB increase in the output.
Early compressors which used variable mu thermionic tubes or
photoelectric devices only approximated true compression over a limited
range. They had a soft 'threshold' where compression started and held to a
predictable ratio up to a certain level, then they returned to a more linear
amplification allowing transients through. This is in stark contrast to modern
VCA compressor/limiters where is seemed 'sensible' to combine the
functions of compressor and limiter and to 'stonewall' any and all signals
above a certain level; excellent for technical level control but hopeless for
musical effect. Generally, (I know I'm over simplifying) modern VCA
compressors sound muddy and flat, while old compressors sound lively and
retain sparkle. The compressor in the British Channel is unique; it is an
accurate re-creation of Joe Meek's own compressor as used in his studio at
304 Holloway Road, London. It is capable of producing the same punchy
sounds that were so characteristic of the pop records of the time: I know; I
used to make them!
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