Compression - Boss BR-1180 User Manual

Compression.

A musical performance that is extremely soft in some places and extremely loud in others
can present problems for a recording engineer. While you are recording you want to
make sure that you are able to record the softest parts at a good record level but when it
gets loud the channel might peak. If you set the record levels to accommodate the loudest
parts of the song then the soft sections are going to get lost in the mix. One solution to
even out the signal would be to manually "ride" the levels up and down using knobs or
faders. An easier and more consistent solution would be to insert a compressor in the
signal path.
The purpose of a compressor is to bring down the gain of a signal automatically if it
passes over a defined volume threshold. This can be a useful tool for getting control of
signals that have a wide dynamic range because it allows you run the overall signal
hotter. The softer parts will become louder while the louder parts are being automatically
brought down.
The four main components of a compressor are its threshold, ratio, attack and release.
• Threshold- indicated in decibels, determines the point at which any signal going
above this level will get compressed.
• Ratio- represents the input to output level of the compressor above the threshold.
For example a compression ration of 4:1 indicates that an input level above the
threshold that was 4 times higher than the level that is being output. Specifically
if the signal goes 8db above the threshold it is reduced to only 2db above that
threshold.
• Attack- This determines how fast the level will get reduced. Slowing the attack
time makes for a gradual reduction.
• Release- determines the amount of time it takes for the compressor to stop
affecting the signal after it drops back below the threshold.
There are two places that you will find compressors on the BR-1180. There is a
compressor that is part of the effects chain for the vocal and guitar multi effects and there
is also a multi band compressor as part of any of the mastering toolkits.
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