Compressor? Maximizer?

[Goa Travellers]

Hi guys,

 

I'm a little puzzled... Doesn't raising the general volume on a mixer the same thing as using a maximizer? What's the difference? And what is also the difference with a compressor?

Do you know a good site that explains many things like that, please? I'd like to learn many of these concepts

Thanks!

[Daniël]

you're indeed puzzled.

 

A compressor manipulates the dynamic range. A compressor can be used to compress an audiosignal once it tends to go over a certain range.

So it's acutally some sort of automated volume control.

A compressor reduces the gain of an audio signal if its amplitude exceeds a certain threshold. The amount of gain reduction is determined by a ratio.

The time it takes for the compressor to respond to changes in input level is known as attack.

 

changing the volume is simular to compressing but it is static, a compressor is dynamic and automated by the parameter settings you prefer.

 

i hope this cleared things up.

[acidkills]

Maximiser does reverse process than compressor.. It gains a signal and cut the peak.. Power of gain is set by threshold

[Veracohr]

Maximiser does reverse process than compressor.. It gains a signal and cut the peak.. Power of gain is set by threshold

No, an expander does the reverse process of a compressor.

 

A maximizer is a limiter with automatic gain makeup. The lower you set the threshold, the more limited the audio is, and since the makeup gain is automatic, that means that the lower you set the threshold, the louder the audio gets (and, secondly, the worse it sounds.)