BSS Audio DPR-402 Owner's Manual - Manual (Page 23)

23
The range of the gain reduction meter is set to display the 27dB operating
window. In practice, over 30dB of range is available before noticeable
distortion occurs.
Another piece of information also displayed by these meters is the amount of
gain reduction still available from the VCAs window of operation. If you
consider that the input signal is of such a level that 15dB of gain reduction is
occurring (i.e: the 15dB LED on the gain reduction meter is on), then the
length of GAIN REDUCTION meter display remaining unlit is an accurate
visual indication of how much headroom still exists within the circuitry.
Observing this information will ensure that the output signal is unlikely to
incur distortion as a consequence of overloading the VCA.
A further operational feature of this meter is its ability to intensify brightness
when the VCA window is in danger of being exceeded and distortion is likely
to occur. Input signals causing an excess of 30dB of gain reduction will
initiate the 'bright-up' and the display will appear to flash to alert attention.
This feature is especially useful when a rack of equipment contains a number
of DPR-402 units; the ability to immediately pick out the particular channel
that is in danger of distortion will be much appreciated.
Fig 11.3 Compression
expressed as Gain
Reduction
This meter monitors the signal level at the output of the DPR-402, and gives
an absolute reading of its level (See figure 11.4). 11.2 Output Level
Meter and Meter
Input Switch
Fig 11.4 OUTPUT level
meter
This meter also incorporates the 'bright-up' feature, which will occur when the
output signal level reaches +20dBv.