#9965 - Fatman2 Ops-Not Imposed 4/12/01 10:50 am Page 12
quiet ones. Thus with compression you are effectively turning down the loud bits
and turning up the quiet bits, to achieve a more even and controllable level.
But there are other benefits of compression as well - applied properly, it can add
punch and excitement to music, as well as fattening up sounds and creating a
more professional sounding recording. With the Fat Man 2, you have the added
benefit of tube stages in the signal path, which create a warmth and presence
just not obtainable with solid state or digital products.
4.2 � WHY TUBE COMPRESSION?
Tube compression yields a particularly special sound which has become very
sought after, particularly with the widespread use of digital products. The reason
tube equipment sounds special is due to two things: harmonic distortion and
natural compression. When the signal through a tube is increased, it tends to
generate a particular type of subtle and desirable distortion, called �second
harmonicO distortion. This has the effect of thickening and warming the sound,
and the more the level you feed to the tube stages, the more of this harmonic
distortion will be produced. You should be able to hear this effect as you increase
the Input Gain on the Fat Man 2.
Secondly, tubes will tend to naturally compress an audio signal, again particularly
as the signal level is increased. This itself also contributes to the warmth
produced by the Fat Man 2.
4.3 � OVERVIEW OF COMPRESSOR OPERATION
The Fat Man 2 offers two distinct ways of working: manual or preset modes. In
manual mode, all the compressor controls are active and adjustable, so that
compression settings can be created from scratch to suit the userOs taste. In the
fifteen preset modes, the Threshold, Ratio, Attack, Release and Knee controls
are disabled and each is fixed internally at a value that is selected to give the best
results with that particular instrument (the presets are titled Vocal, Bass, Guitar,
Snare, etc. to indicate the recommended application).
The Fat Man 2 functions by reducing the gain of the signal when it rises above a
certain level, known as the Threshold. Any signal below the threshold passes
through the unit unaffected. Above the threshold the gain of the signal is reduced,
and the degree of gain reduction is determined by the Ratio control. The Ratio
control is calibrated in dBs and is simply the change in output level that results
from a given change in input level.
The Attack and Release switches are used to control how fast the compressor
reacts to the audio signal. The Attack switch governs how quickly the Fat Man 2
acts to compress the signal once it has risen above the threshold, while the
Release switch controls how quickly the signal returns to normal once it has
dropped back below the threshold level.
The Knee switch controls the shape of the Fat Man 2 compression curve. In Soft
Knee mode, the response curve of the compressor around the threshold is
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