Harman International dbx 1066 Mode D'emploi page 12

®
quencies, where there is less headroom. However, gentle tapping of a drumstick or brushing of the cym-
bal will not be affected. Assuming the tom-tom is a lower frequency instrument and can be better tolerat-
ed by the tape, it has less need for compression. Equalization in the Sidechain circuit means that the
compressor is not triggered as readily by a loud tom-tom beat as by an equally loud cymbal crash.
For drum kit submixes (e.g., mixing multiple drum tracks to two tracks while using both channels of a
1066 for compression), consider backing off the RATIO on each channel (down to 2:1) to avoid an
excess of cymbal "splattering." In larger multitracking systems, compress the kick and snare separately.
A further possibility is to heavily compress a stereo submix of toms and leave the remaining percussives
unaffected.
Raising a Signal Out of a Mix
Since reducing dynamic range increases the average signal level by a small amount, a single track can
be raised out of a mix by boosting its level slightly and applying compression. Start with a 2:1 RATIO
and a relatively low THRESHOLD setting (-20 dB). Adjust both controls as necessary.
Compressors have also been used to bring vocals to the forefront of a mix in volume-restricted studios
(e.g. home studios). Start by adding a foam windscreen to the mic (if it doesn't have one). Set the
RATIO to 10:1 and the THRESHOLD to -10 dB. With your mouth approximately 2 inches from the mic,
sing the vocal part, but with less volume than normal. Use phrasing to give the part some intensity. An
equalizer (e.g., a dbx 242 Parametric Equalizer, dbx 30 Series Graphic Equalizers) or a vocal effects
device (e.g., reverb, delay, distortion) can be added to further define the performance.
It is also possible to separate certain vocals or instruments from a mono program already mixed: refer to
frequency-weighted compression on page 12.
Note: When compressing a stereo program with a 1066, the factors affecting a compression
curve and the actual RATIO and THRESHOLD settings, are the same as those previously cov-
ered with reference to single channels of program material. However, it will generally be found
that large amounts of compression are more audible in a mixed stereo program than they might
be on the separate tracks that were mixed to create the program.
Smoothing out microphone levels
When distance is created between the vocalist and the microphone there will be a variation in the signal
level. Start with low compression (around 2:1) to smooth out any variations. Limiting also benefits intelli-
gibility by allowing low-level input signals to be reproduced through the system at higher volume.
Smoothing out musical instrument levels
Compression smooths out the variations of loudness among instruments. Using the 1066 can also
increase the instruments sustain. Compress the instrument's output with a ratio of about 4:1.
Preventing analog tape saturation
With programs of widely varying levels, compression can prevent recording levels from saturating tape
tracks (see Frequency-weighted compression, page 12).
Speaker protection
Compressors are frequently used to prevent excessive program levels from distorting power amps
and/or damaging drivers in a sound-reinforcement system (whether you're doing auditorium, church, or
club sound engineering, or are a mobile DJ, or like to push the limits of your home's audio entertainment
center). Set the 1066 for limiting (Hard Knee mode On, with a RATIO of 10:1 or greater) and adjust the
THRESHOLD to provide 15 dB or more of compression (just a few dB below the input clip). For low-
10
Applications