Sonnox Oxford SuprEsser User Manual
Page 5
1 INTRODUCTION
Detailed visual feedback is provided by a highly intuitive graphical display, allowing quick
identification of the frequencies that need treatment, and where to set the threshold. The
threshold level and peak-hold level of the user-definable band are shown on the graph,
alongside the FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) display of the narrow band signal, which
includes retention of the peak level and the frequency containing the most energy.
At the heart of the Oxford SuprEsser is an enhanced version of the compressor section of
the Sonnox Oxford Dynamics plug-in, which is renowned amongst professional users for
its consistent delivery of the precise and transparent control of peak signals. Around this
is built a pair of crossover filters to make the compressor react only to the defined
frequency band. These linear-phase filters are modelled on the filters from the Sonnox
Oxford EQ, making the Oxford SuprEsser useful for precise mastering as well as mixing
work.
Three listen modes allow the user to listen to the
Mix, the output of the bandpass filter
(
Inside), or the output of the band-reject filter (Outside).
Careful thought has been put into making the Oxford SuprEsser extremely easy and quick
to use. The screenshot on the title page shows the plug-in as it appears when first
activated. Once the frequency band has been defined, simply lower the threshold fader
until the gain reduction meter starts to kick in. The plug-in then automatically tracks the
general signal level and the threshold follows accordingly, so that it gives the same
relative amount of gain reduction as the signal level rises or falls. This is perfect for vocals
where, for example, a vocalist is louder in the chorus than the verse, but you want to
apply the same relative amount of de-essing, but don’t want to over de-ess in the chorus.
This Auto-Level-Tracking mode lets the Oxford SuprEsser do all the hard work. It can also
be switched off for a fixed threshold.
In its default mode of operation, the Oxford SuprEsser feeds the defined
Band signal to
the compressor to affect only this narrow-band signal. The result is that the compressor
reacts only to specific frequency components when they reach a specific threshold, and
applies compression only to these specific frequency components, leaving the rest of the
spectrum untouched. Audio
Wide mode can also be selected to allow full-band
compression reacting to only specific frequencies, or any combination of
Band and Wide
defining when the compressor reacts, and what it compresses.
The Oxford SuprEsser comes complete with many presets to act as good starting points;
alternatively, the advanced section provides full access to all controls for precise
correction, or even creative use.