User manual PRESONUS BLUEMAX

[. . . ] SMART COMPRESSOR USERS MANUAL Version 2. 0 © 1997, PreSonus Audio Electronics, Incorporated. Updated by J-Luck 2004 WARRANTY PreSonus Limited Warranty PreSonus Audio Electronics Inc. warrants this product to be free of defects in material and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of original retail purchase. This warranty is enforceable only by the original retail purchaser. [. . . ] Sidechain insert allows the Blue Max to be used for special processing applications such as de-essing and ducking. Internal operating levels are switchable from +4dBu to -10db V for system matching requirements. CONTROLS & CONNECTIONS 2. 1 FRONT PANEL BASIC LAYOUT The front panel on the Blue Max is divided into three sections. Presets: Fifteen detented preset positions and Manual select. The Presets for the Blue Max are controlled by this sixteen position rotary encoder. As the encoder is rotated, parameters are digitally switched, simultaneously controlling attack, release, ratio and threshold. Controls: & Meters Input The Input control adjusts the gain on the input amplifiers for both channels. Amplification gain varies widely from -20dB to +40dB. The large range is necessary to amplify instruments such as guitar. Thus the input stage to the Blue Max is actually a pre-amp. Note: The input control is always active, even in manual mode. Ratio Ratio sets the compression slope. This is defined as the output level versus the input level. For example, if you have the ratio set to 2:1, any signal levels above the threshold (note: threshold is a preset parameter in the Blue Max) will be compressed at a compression ration 4 of 2:1. This simply means that for every 1dB of level increase into the compressor, the output will only increase 1/2dB, thus producing a compression gain reduction of 0. 5dB. As you increase the ratio, the compressor gradually becomes a limiter. A limiter is defined as a processor that limits the level of a signal to the compression threshold. For example, if you have the ratio set to 20: 1, input set at 0dB, the output of the Blue Max will be limited to the internal threshold of the compressor, which is set to 10dB in manual mode. Note: The ratio control is only active in manual mode. Attack and Release Attack sets the speed at which the compressor `acts' on the input signal. A slow attack time (fully clockwise) allows the beginning envelope of a signal (commonly referred to as the initial transient) to pass through the compressor uncompressed, whereas a fast attack time (fully counter-clockwise) immediately subjects the signal to the ratio and threshold settings of the compressor. Release sets the length of time the compressor takes to return the gain reduction back to zero (no gain reduction). Very short release times can produce a very choppy or `jittery' sound, especially in low frequency instruments such as a bass guitar. Very long release times can result in an over compressed sound, sometimes referred to as `squashing' the sound. [. . . ] You should now have a very natural sounding compressed signal. Of course you should experiment with the settings to suit your taste. 3. 2 BASIC CONNECTIONS Inserting into your mixers insert point. Note: If you don't get any signal flow at first, try swapping the input and output connections. 10 Connecting your instrument, mixer or tape machine. Connecting for de-essing or spectral processing. 11 Connecting for stereo operation. 3. 3 BASIC OPERATING PROCEDURES Setting Compression Amount Your Blue Max was designed with a fixed threshold mode of operation. This differs from other compressors in the fact that there is no threshold control. This offers the unique ability to immediately hear the sometimes subtle differences between presets which each have unique threshold settings. [. . . ]