user manual

Table Of Contents
198
USING ACOUSTIC MIRROR AND WAVE HAMMER CHP. 12
Output gain
The Output gain fader allows you to determine how much the audio signal is boosted following its
compression.
Attack time
The Attack time slider allows you to determine how soon after rising above the threshold the audio signal is
attenuated.
Release time
The Release time slider allows you to determine how soon after falling below the threshold the audio signal
attenuation is interrupted.
Smart release
The Smart Release slider allows you to configure the compressor to automatically increase the release time for
sustained notes and decrease the release time for sharp transients. Setting this value higher increases the
internal variability of the specified
Release value.
Generally, louder overall audio levels can be achieved with lower
Release values. However, low Release
values can also lead to an increase in pumping artifacts. Configuring a
Smart Release value increases the
release time during sustained sounds, thereby preventing release changes from occurring too rapidly.
Scan mode
The Scan mode radio buttons allow you to specify whether Peak or RMS mode is used to determine the
loudness of an audio file, which in turn determines the amount of compression that is applied. When
compressing in Peak mode, the compressor applies compression where it detects audio signal peaks that
surpass the threshold.
However, when compressing using RMS mode, the compressor processes the audio using the detected
average RMS value of the entire file. The Root Mean Square (RMS) of audio is a measure of its intensity
over a period of time. Therefore, the RMS power of audio corresponds to the loudness perceived by a listener
when measured over small intervals of time. As a result, rapid transient peaks may not be processed when
compressing in RMS mode.
Auto gain compensate
When you select the Auto gain compensate check box, Wave Hammer boosts the compressor output by a
constant amount derived from the
Threshold and Ratio settings. This option prevents a loss in overall level
when compressing audio.
Tip:
When using the Auto gain compensate option, the
Output gain fader should be used to fine tune the signal output
level.
Use longer look-ahead
When you select the Use longer look-ahead check box, the compressor scans farther ahead in the incoming
audio to determine how much compression is needed. This results in compression being applied before the
threshold-surpassing audio actually occurs, thereby allowing for a slower
Attack time value. However, the pre-
compression effect (fades that occur prior to attacks) of this option may be distracting.
Smooth saturation
Selecting the Smooth saturation check box lowers the amount of distortion caused when applying heavy
compression. When this option is turned on, the compressed audio sounds warmer and not overly bright.