Wideband dynamic compression bug, or misunderstanding TDR Nova
-
- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 8 posts since 28 Feb, 2020
Yes, I have seen the same thing with a plugin analyser, and you may have the explanation for it with the GR Range. If there is a maximum reduction for gain, the graph would be exatly as is. Thank you to find it out!
-
- KVRian
- 1169 posts since 24 Feb, 2012
Hey guys,
I somehow completely missed this thread, sorry for not responding sooner.
As you found out already (but to be fair, it's in the manual, too
), the Nova series compressors are deeply automated to achieve a useful balance between UI complexity and intuitive control, low distortion and musical flexibility.
To achieve this, Nova exploits several beneficial side-effects known from popular compression devices. One of it is the GR limiting that you observed. Vari-MU/FET/OPTO, all impose GR limiting, giving their operators pretty wide creative ranges of operation, without having the signal fall apart at the first wrong move. Many popular compressor implicitely do this, exploiting a limitation of VCA tech, elegantly turning it into a feature.
From a mathematical point of view, this "limitation" practically turns into a feature, as it allows to merge deep and aggressive compression with an excellent sounding, almost fool proof safety limit (also toward antialiasing concerns). This fits well into the limited UI space and limited UI complexity that's available.
It's rather exceptional that the operator ever needs more than ~12dB effective GR (limiter or special FX territory).
But it's common to have him wanting to solidify the "body" of a given signal, without trampling down all musical details that are most audible (or risking introducing weird somewhere in the mix). This is exactly what "S" shaped transfer curves achieve.
Sure, we could also give the compressors 180 parameters and knobs each, controlling all sorts of technical details. But our goal was to allow the operator cover a wide range of sounds, without ever having him come close to "difficult" or confusing situation. It's a balance, and GR limiting takes an important role in making this possible. It's a feature
I somehow completely missed this thread, sorry for not responding sooner.
As you found out already (but to be fair, it's in the manual, too
), the Nova series compressors are deeply automated to achieve a useful balance between UI complexity and intuitive control, low distortion and musical flexibility.To achieve this, Nova exploits several beneficial side-effects known from popular compression devices. One of it is the GR limiting that you observed. Vari-MU/FET/OPTO, all impose GR limiting, giving their operators pretty wide creative ranges of operation, without having the signal fall apart at the first wrong move. Many popular compressor implicitely do this, exploiting a limitation of VCA tech, elegantly turning it into a feature.
From a mathematical point of view, this "limitation" practically turns into a feature, as it allows to merge deep and aggressive compression with an excellent sounding, almost fool proof safety limit (also toward antialiasing concerns). This fits well into the limited UI space and limited UI complexity that's available.
It's rather exceptional that the operator ever needs more than ~12dB effective GR (limiter or special FX territory).
But it's common to have him wanting to solidify the "body" of a given signal, without trampling down all musical details that are most audible (or risking introducing weird somewhere in the mix). This is exactly what "S" shaped transfer curves achieve.
Sure, we could also give the compressors 180 parameters and knobs each, controlling all sorts of technical details. But our goal was to allow the operator cover a wide range of sounds, without ever having him come close to "difficult" or confusing situation. It's a balance, and GR limiting takes an important role in making this possible. It's a feature
Fabien from Tokyo Dawn Records
Check out my audio processors over at the Tokyo Dawn Labs!
Check out my audio processors over at the Tokyo Dawn Labs!
