TL Audio 5052 - Manual (Page 28)

6. When gain reduction is taking place, you should notice that the output level is
reduced. By switching the compressor ‘in’ and ‘out’, you can compare the
levels and the subjective sound quality of the original and compressed signals.
With the compressor active, use the Gain Make-Up control to set the level so
that when disabling the compressor, there is no level drop. This way you can
A/B the original and compressed signals without the levels changing.
7. At this stage if you are unfamiliar with compression you should experiment
with each control to see how it affects the sound. Until you are familiar with
using compressors it can be difficult to hear these changes as a good
compressor will retain the natural sound of the source signal. If in doubt aim
to use compression gently as it can be difficult to compensate for over-
compression. On the other hand there are no rules, so if extreme settings get
you the effect you are after, the choice is yours. Let your ears be the guide.
8. With the EQ set ‘flat’ (i.e. no cut or boost applied to any of the four EQ
bands, engage the channel 1 EQ section and experiment with applying some
EQ. You should find that the LF and HF bands are useful for adding some
low end ‘warmth’ and high end ‘air’, while the mid bands are more useful at
removing boxiness or nasal tones from mic sources. However, since there is a
large amount of overlap between the mids and the low/high bands, you can
use the LM band to accurately EQ frequencies down to 50Hz - so very tight
parametric control of the bass end is possible. In the same way frequencies
up to 12kHz can be processed by the HM band. Unlike other EQs, you
should find that you can apply quite drastic amounts of EQ boost and the
unit will still retain its musicality - and not introduce unwanted harshness.
9. Now engage the limiter on channel 1, by pulling out the threshold control. Also
switch the meter to the ‘Limiter G/R’ setting. Start with the limiter threshold
set to the maximum +20dB setting, and then gradually bring down the
threshold towards 0dB. You should notice that the ‘Limit’ LED starts to
illuminate, showing that some limiter action is taking place, and the
amount of limiter gain reduction will be indicated by the VU meter in a
similar way that compressor gain reduction is displayed. The limiter threshold
can either be set to prevent overload in the piece of equipment following the
5052 in the signal path (typically if it is a HD recorder or CD burner) or it can
be used for more severe deliberate effect - see section 4.29.