Orban Optimod-FM 8300 Operating Manual page 159

OPTIMOD-FM DIGITAL
pression sounds very natural, even on classical music.
2B REL ("2B Release") control determines how fast the two-band compressor re-
leases (and therefore how quickly loudness increases) when the level of the program
material decreases. This release time only applies when the silence gate does not
gate the Two-Band Compressor.
The control can be adjusted from 0.5 dB/second (slow) to 20 dB/second (fast). Set-
tings toward 20 dB/second result in a more consistently loud output, while settings
toward 0.5 dB/second allow a wider variation of dynamic range. Both the setting of
the 2B R control and the dynamics and level of the program material determine
EL
the actual release time of the compressor. In general, you should use faster release
times for mass-appeal pop or rock formats oriented toward younger audiences, and
slower release times for more conservative, adult-oriented formats (particularly if
women are an important part of your target audience).
We expect that the Two-Band structure will be rarely used for pop music
formats because the Five-Band structure gives better results in almost all
cases.
The action of the 2B R
But its setting is critical to sound quality — listen carefully as you adjust it. There is a
point beyond which increasing density (with faster settings of the 2B R
will no longer yield more loudness, and will simply degrade the punch and defini-
tion of the sound.
When the 2B R
EL
amount of gain reduction is surprisingly non-critical. Gating prevents noise from be-
ing brought up during short pauses and pumping does not occur at high levels of
gain reduction. Therefore, the primary danger of using large amounts of gain reduc-
tion is that the level of quiet passages in input material with wide dynamic range
may eventually be increased unnaturally. Accordingly, when you operate the 2B R
control between 8 and 2 dB/second, it may be wise to defeat the gain-riding AGC
and to permit the two-band compressor to perform all of the gain riding. This will
prevent excessive reduction of dynamic range, and will produce the most natural
sound achievable from the Two-Band structures.
With faster 2B R
EL
stantially with the amount of gain reduction in the two-band compressor. This
means that you should activate the gain-riding AGC to ensure that the two-band
compressor is always being driven at the level that produces the amount of gain re-
duction desired. Decide based on listening tests how much gain reduction gives you
the density that you want without creating a feeling of over-compression and fa-
tigue.
Release in the two-band compressor automatically becomes faster as more gain re-
duction is applied (up to about 10 dB). This makes the program progressively denser,
creating a sense of increasing loudness although peaks are not actually increasing. If
the gain-riding AGC is defeated (with the
characteristic to preserve some feeling of dynamic range. Once 10 dB of gain reduc-
tion is exceeded, full loudness is achieved — no further increase in short-term den-
sity occurs as more gain reduction is applied. This avoids the unnatural, fatiguing
control has been optimized for resolution and adjustability.
EL
control is set between 8 and 1 dB/second (the slowest settings), the
control settings (above 8 dB/second), the sound will change sub-
on / off control), you can use this
AGC
3-41
OPERATION
control)
EL
EL