If you use separate, unlinked compressors for the two channels, then if one compressor reacts to a peak that the other doesn't see, the stereo image will pull towards the uncompressed side, and your listeners will start to feel very sea-sick! When applying compression to a stereo source, it's very important that both channels experience the same amount of gain reduction regardless of which channel signal exceeds the threshold - hence the need for both identical control settings and stereo linking between channels. However, this is far from standard practice, and any differences between the settings of each channel can produce some very odd and undesirable effects. In many cases, when a stereo or dual-channel compressor is operating in stereo mode, or when two compressors and stereo-linked, one set of controls becomes redundant while the other controls both channels. It is also wise to ensure that all the control parameters on both channels are set the same - that means attack and release time, threshold, ratio and make-up gain settings.
Technical Editor Hugh Robjohns replies: You will have to use a stereo compressor, or two mono compressors that can be linked together for stereo operation. Where in the signal chain should I insert the compressor (pre- or post-fade), and will I have to buy a dedicated stereo compressor to do the job properly? I am recording using a spaced-pair miking setup and I want to apply light compression to the signal. When the TLA 5052 dual valve recording channel is in stereo mode, one set of knobs controls both channels.
0 kommentar(er)
