Logic Pro X Compressor Circuit Types Cheat Sheet v.1.

9
© 2023 Holger Lagerfeldt @
www.onlinemastering.dk Explanation Platinum Digital Studio VCA Studio FET Classic VCA Vintage VCA Vintage FET Vintage Opto

“Inspired by”, Original Emagic/ Urei 1176LN

Inspiration Focusrite Red 3 dbx 160/165 SSL G Bus Urei 1176 silverface Teletronix LA-2A
not emulation Apple design blackface

Compressor
Screenshot
GUI

Hardware Photo N/A

Peak control on
Parallel
Clean compression vocals or guitar · Drum group · Piano Same as Studio Levelling of vocals
Typical compression · Adding punch on
Often used for · Synths · External Smashing (snare) · Full mix bus FET, only a lot more · Guitar · Bass
application Drums · Full mix drums or bass
side-chain ducking drums · Bee ng up (gently) aggressive · Piano
bus
bass

Peak mode and Parallel smash:

Very fast attack to Auto attack/release Side-chain HPF @ Smoothing vocals
high ratios to shape Fastest attack, High ratio, fastest
control the peaks. clamp down quickly, ≤80 Hz to reduce or averaging levels
and control medium release, attack, fast-medium
Usage/ Your Mileage Slow attack to but slow enough to pumping. Use Sum of bass. Often
transients. RMS high ratio. Auto release can pull up
settings tip May Vary emphasize the accentuate punch. detection to reduce inserted after a FET
mode, soft knee, Gain@0, pull down the tail on drums or
transient/punch in Watch out for over- pumping from loud, comp that controls
low ratio to smooth threshold. Blend plucky sounds
bass or drums. compression. wide stereo sounds. the peaks rst.
overall levels. with Mix knob.

If detection is
RMS/Peak averaged or RMS or peak Peak Peak RMS Peak Peak Peak-ish
peak level

Feedback/ Placement of
Feed-forward Feedback Feedback Feed-forward Feed-forward Feedback Feedback
Feed-forward the side-chain

Harmonic Higher levels

saturation mean more Low level High level High level Medium level High level High level Low level
level coloration

Harmonics Odd or even Odd order with 3rd

3rd harmonic only Odd order Odd order Odd order Odd order Odd order
type order harmonic emphasis

Dynamic How saturation Proportional to Proportional to Proportional to

interaction of is affected by None compression compression compression Fixed Fixed None
saturation compression amount amount amount

If non-
Noise in
harmonic noise None None None None High level High level Low level
saturation
is introduced
fi
fi
© 2023 Holger Lagerfeldt @
www.onlinemastering.dk Explanation Platinum Digital Studio VCA Studio FET Classic VCA Vintage VCA Vintage FET Vintage Opto

Attack & If attack &

release release are Yes Yes Yes No, full auto Yes Yes Yes
control adjustable

User
If the knee is
adjustable Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes
user adjustable
knee

Knee Relation of
Compound S-
transfer nominal knee Inverse bell-curve Gentle bell-curve Gentle bell-curve Linear proportional Linear proportional Linear proportional
curves
curve value to ratio

Relation of
Ratio Linear with
nominal ratio Gentle inverse bell- Linear with forced
transfer Linear Linear Linear logarithmic knee Gentle logarithmic
value to actual curve soft transition knee
curve near range cap
ratio

Max. gain
Range -48 dB GR -36 dB GR -26 dB GR -44 dB GR -48 dB GR -19 dB GR -41 dB GR
reduction (cap)

Ratio
If range varies
dependent Low correlation High correlation Medium correlation Low correlation No No No
with ratio
range

Hidden If bass can

frequency result in more None Small Small Small Medium Medium Strong
dependency compression