Slate Digital FG-X Virtual Mastering Processor - Manual (Page 7)

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Slate"Digital"FG-X"Virtual"Mastering"Console"
threshold.""RATIO"controls"the"amount"of"gain"reduction"applied"once"the"signal"passes"
the"threshold."""
IV.1.1. I
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The"FG"Comp"can"add"a"tight,"glue-like"effect"to"your"mix.""Start"with"both"attack"and"
release"at"twelve"o’clock"and"adjust"from"there,"with"the"attack"generally"going"slower"
and"the"release"going"faster.""For"adding"more"punch,"slow"attack"and"fast"releases"are"
suggested.""For"more"transparency,"you"can"slow"down"the"release"till"the"compression"
feels"in"time"with"the"song."""
"
The"FG"Comp"requires"VERY"little"gain"reduction"to"be"useful.""Generally"in"the"mastering"
stage,"1"to"2"dB"of"reduction"will"work"fine,"but"even".5dB"of"reduction"can"give"just"the"
amount"of"tightness"needed."
Be"aware"that"many"mixers"use"a"mixbuss"compressor"and"that"there"are"cases"where"
there"will"be"NO"NEED"for"any"additional"compression"during"the"mastering"stage.""Don’t"
use"the"FG"Comp"just"because"it's"there,"use"it"because"your"ears"feel"like"the"mix"needs"
some"extra"leveling."
One" reason" that" compression" has" been" common" in" the" mastering" stage" is" because"
mastering" engineers" have" to" reduce" peaks" before" using" peak" limiters" to" bring" up" the"
level" of" the" mix." " Because" peak" limiting" is" so" destructive," reducing" peaks" first" with" a"
compressor"allows"them"to"use"LESS"peak"limiting.""However,"as"you"will"soon"hear"with"
the"FG"Level"processor,"there"is"much"less"need"to"reduce"peaks.""