Tekay
Well-known member
Don't units like Smart only use one of the sidechains when it's switched from dual mono to stereo? Think I heard that only one side of the controlles is used in stereo?
Dual mono SSL-clone: sidechain resistor Q
- Thread starter Tekay
- Start date
Help Support GroupDIY Audio Forum:
Yes, you should use half the value for sidechain input resistors to get the same average GR in mono as in stereo. 47K to stereo, 22k to mono or something like that.
Jakob E.
Jakob E.
SSLtech
Well-known member
Wellll.... that will give you a 6dB gain in the sidechain which will equal the stereo compressor working on a completely mono signal which would of course have 6dB summing. The fact is that completely uncorrelated material will actually sum +3dB instead of +6dB... A typical pop stereo mix is a misture of correlated (signals 'down the middle' of the mix) and uncorrelated (stereo and hard-panned signals) so the real average summing level will likely be something more like 4-point-something dB...
All this is moot if you happen to be one of the people who finds the threshold of the SSL t be a little sensitive anyhow... Some folks have mentioned that they use high signal levels and the threshold can't really be turned fully 'off'. If you happen to feel this way then this is a perfect opportunity to make a few dB it less sensitive in mono mode, simply by doing nothing at all!
Also, the SSL (and probably the Alan Smart box) would not be affected at all, because it doesn't additively sum the sidechain signals, instead it takes the highest rectification signal and applies it to all channels... the SSL is non-mono switchable, so the lack of a difference in threshold senstitivity is a theoritical one, but assuming the Alan Smart variant follows the same path, it too will not have his idiosyncracy.
-If you find that you never use the "super-sensitive" end of the threshold control,then I'd say don't bother... why make life more complicated!
Diffrent mixes are going to sum differently. As per the above explanation, a more mono mix will sum closer to +6dB, a more stereo mix will sum closer to +3dB. This is a fact of life and will affect the Gyraf variant threshold sensitivity by a range of 3dB or so. If nobody has noticed that effect in any of the existing built stereo units, (and I doubt that anyopne has!) then again, don't worry yourself! -The only comments I've ever seen about the threshold sensitivity have been about it being a little over-sensitive anyhow. If making the unit mono drops the sensitivity slightly, then I say that's a good thing for most folks!
:thumb:
Keith
All this is moot if you happen to be one of the people who finds the threshold of the SSL t be a little sensitive anyhow... Some folks have mentioned that they use high signal levels and the threshold can't really be turned fully 'off'. If you happen to feel this way then this is a perfect opportunity to make a few dB it less sensitive in mono mode, simply by doing nothing at all!
Also, the SSL (and probably the Alan Smart box) would not be affected at all, because it doesn't additively sum the sidechain signals, instead it takes the highest rectification signal and applies it to all channels... the SSL is non-mono switchable, so the lack of a difference in threshold senstitivity is a theoritical one, but assuming the Alan Smart variant follows the same path, it too will not have his idiosyncracy.
-If you find that you never use the "super-sensitive" end of the threshold control,then I'd say don't bother... why make life more complicated!
Diffrent mixes are going to sum differently. As per the above explanation, a more mono mix will sum closer to +6dB, a more stereo mix will sum closer to +3dB. This is a fact of life and will affect the Gyraf variant threshold sensitivity by a range of 3dB or so. If nobody has noticed that effect in any of the existing built stereo units, (and I doubt that anyopne has!) then again, don't worry yourself! -The only comments I've ever seen about the threshold sensitivity have been about it being a little over-sensitive anyhow. If making the unit mono drops the sensitivity slightly, then I say that's a good thing for most folks!
:thumb:
Keith
