Default Compressor:
RMS sensing type. With both mode switches inactive the compressor behaves
in the default Soft Knee and RMS mode. This gives the slowest (and most
subtle) feel to the compressor envelopes. The soft knee curvature combines
with the adaptive RMS attack and release times to produce gentle envelope
curvatures that are ideal for compressing sung vocals but which can still
be aggressive enough to limit transients when needed. The knee curvature
also reduces the adaptive nature of the RMS detection slightly, providing
a little more manual control of the envelope timings than is the case below.
When Hard Knee is activated the compressor operates in a more clinical way
with a more defined transition between under threshold and over threshold;
this is better suited to limiting style compression. A small amount of soft
knee is still retained keeping the sound reasonably natural but no modification
of the envelope occurs. This means that attacks are more aggressive, but
it also allows the adaptive nature of the RMS detection to operate to its
fullest extent. This mode is good for natural sounding limiting of speech.
Vintage Compressor:
Peak sensing type. When Hard Knee and Vintage are activated the compressor
operates with more precise envelope control and a defined transition between
under and over threshold. This mode uses faster peak sensing (not RMS)
like many older compressor designs with exponential attack and release.
This produces aggressive compression that gives good fast control, and/or
limiting, of extremely dynamic material. It can also be used to add colour
to low frequency signals making it ideal for controlling instruments like
bass guitar. When Vintage is active alone, the compressor employs a dual
time constant, linear attack profile. The soft knee blurring of threshold
occurs, (as in RMS mode), however, the effect is greatly accentuated and
this produces extremely subtle attack and release curves during the onset
of compression that are largely independent of the envelope control settings.
As the compressor is driven harder (i.e. signals further over threshold)
the soft knee effect reduces, gradually returning manual control of the
attack and release times to optimise capture of larger transients etc.
Thus, like the RMS modes, this compressor mode is very adaptive making
set up of the envelope controls relatively easy. The peak sensing, however,
increases harmonic overtones, which add a vintage brightness and sparkle
to the programme, producing extremely transparent, lively sounding compression
of acoustic instruments.
Broadband frequency-conscious compressor:
Setup as per compressor, in either RMS or VINTAGE modes. Activate FILTER
in wide mode, sweep to desired frequency & apply frequency-dependant
compression as required
Hi-Q frequency-conscious compressor (De-esser):
Setup as per compressor, in either RMS or VINTAGE modes. Activate FILTER
in NARROW mode, sweep to desired frequency & apply frequency-dependant
compression as required. Excellent for reducing sibilance or other undesirable
artefacts from vocals, or for removing specific resonances from instruments
or program material.
Limiter:
Set compressor to VINTAGE (peak) mode, hard knee, fastest ATTACK, with
the RATIO at infinity to one. Adjust RELEASE to suit program. Set THRESHOLD
for onset of process.
Expander:
Switch to GATE mode on the Klark Teknik SQ1D Square ONE Dynamics Processor,
set THRESHOLD, ATTACK, HOLD, and RELEASE times to suit programme, control
dynamic range expansion using RANGE control. Use sidechain FILTER for
frequency-dependant expansion, i.e dynamic noise reduction.
Gate:
Switch to GATE mode on the Klark Teknik SQ1D Square ONE Dynamics Processor,
set THRESHOLD, ATTACK, HOLD, and RELEASE times to suit programme, set
attenuation depth using RANGE control. Use SIDECHAIN FILTER to tune the
gate to open at selected frequency - wide or NARROW modes. The attack
characteristic of the gate is exponential. This ensures that, even at
extremely fast attack settings, the attack envelope seamlessly blends
into the audio waveform, ensuring that no undesirable audio artefacts
(clicks) are created.
i-TS (intelligent threshold shift):
This operates in conjunction with the gate hold function, to reduce chattering
within the gate. Chattering is the undesirable condition that occurs when
signals (especially low frequency ones) are very close to the gate threshold.
In this situation the gate can become indecisive and repeatedly open and
shut on the programme. i-TS ensures that the gate remains open by automatically
adjusting the threshold downwards the moment the signal goes over the
threshold setting. When the signal eventually falls below the (new) temporarily
adjusted threshold, the i-TS re-sets, ready for the next gate opening.
This hysteresis means more decisive operation of the gate, ensuring that
gating is rock solid. Attacks start instantly and consistently, even on
signals that are only slightly over threshold.
Stereo & multiple-channel operation:
Klark Teknik SQ1D Square ONE Dynamics Processor Channels can be linked
(in all modes) for stereo, or multi-channel operation. When any number
of channels are linked, the linked channels all adopt the mode of the
left-hand channel of the linked group. This channel's settings now control
all the members of that group, only the make-up gain and Side chain filter
are independent.
Solo Buss:
Monitor the sidechain filter during the performance, using the dedicated
SOLO OUTPUT. Connect the SOLO OUTPUT to a spare input channel, line return,
FX return, etc. on your mixing console. Any SOLO button press will route
that processors' SIDECHAIN MONITOR to the SOLO OUTPUT, allowing monitoring
of the sidechain filter without interrupting the audio output of the processor.
If the SOLO IN PLACE mode is active, the SOLO IN PLACE LED will illuminate.
In this mode the SIDECHAIN MONITOR signal will replace the audio output
when the SOLO button is pressed.
Metering:
When mixing live sound, it is essential to be able to see at-a-glance,
how the outboard processing is performing. Therefore, each channel of
the Klark Teknik SQ1D Square ONE Dynamics Processor convertible dynamics
rack features a 6 segment 3-colour input meter, and a 10-segment attenuation
depth meter. The attenuation depth meter operates in both compressor and
gate modes. The use of vertically oriented high-intensity LEDs makes for
easy peripheral-vision awareness of each channel's status.
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