Understanding Dynamics Processing

Emp_Fab · May 2018

I've acquired a Beringer MDX4600 for use in the band's PA, primarily as an ear protection device for the in ear monitors but also to compress and lift the singer's vocals.

I understand compression but that's it.. The Beringer manual has left me with more questions than answers and I wondered if anyone here could help decipher chunks of it please?

I'll start with an explanation of one of the features of the unit... " IDE (Interactive Dynamic) Enhancer Probably the best known negative side effect of a compressor is the “dull” and “compressed” sound that is likely to result from the processing of complex program material. Low-frequency instruments usually produce the highest signal energy and hence make the compressor reduce the overall level. Any instrument in the higher frequency ranges concurrently played also has its level reduced, which leads to a “compressed” overall sound. The dynamic enhancer provides the solution to this problem, enabling you to make up specifically for the compression-induced loss of treble energy. Since the enhancer can detect the amount of compression applied, it does not change the sound image as long as the signals remain uncompressed. No treble energy is lost, even when complex mix-down material is processed."

Does this make any sense to anyone? :-)

horse · May 2018

Well a multiband compressor will let you apply different compression settings to different frequency ranges - so you can keep the low end of a mix under control whilst applying less or no compression to the higher frequencies for example. Maybe it is doing something like that without giving you options to mess about with in order to keep things simple? Auto-detecting when the low end compression may be likely to alter the mids and highs adversely and applying some different comp settings to different frequency ranges to try and retain balance?

Stuckfast · May 2018

It sounds to me as though it is an enhancer that is triggered by the compressor. An enhancer is something that uses filtered distortion to artificially generate additional harmonic content and thus brighten up the top end of a dull signal.

I'm a bit sceptical, to put it mildly. I think that in a live sound context, if you're compressing hard enough to cause this loss of top end, you're probably compressing too hard.

horse · May 2018

Stuckfast said:

It sounds to me as though it is an enhancer that is triggered by the compressor. An enhancer is something that uses filtered distortion to artificially generate additional harmonic content and thus brighten up the top end of a dull signal.

I'm a bit sceptical, to put it mildly. I think that in a live sound context, if you're compressing hard enough to cause this loss of top end, you're probably compressing too hard.

Probably true - particularly as it does refer to 'making up' rather than retaining

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Understanding Dynamics Processing

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