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R/E/P => R/E/P Archives => Fletcher => Topic started by: 2000F on October 14, 2010, 03:20:37 AM

Title: [AMEK 9098 compressor/limiter] sidechain send/return
Post by: 2000F on October 14, 2010, 03:20:37 AM
Hi,
I have been looking at our AMEK 9098, wondering what and how the sidechain system works: What AMEK terms sidechain return is similar to 'in' on other compressors, yet it also sports a sidchain send (on XRL too on the back of the unit). What does the send do?

Unfortunately, the left channel sidechain in doesn't seem to work, even though the right channel does. By selecting the 'sidechain in' meter mode I can detect the level of the sidechain in, and it shows up loud and clear on the right channel. Nothing on the left. The same happens when I switch the two sidechain in cables. So it seems to be a problem related to the inside of the AMEK.
Any ideas; not much help to be found on the AMEK website unfortunately.


Cheers! Smile
Frederik
Title: Re: [AMEK 9098 compressor/limiter] sidechain send/return
Post by: ssltech on October 14, 2010, 06:58:07 AM
2000F wrote on Thu, 14 October 2010 03:20

Hi,
I have been looking at our AMEK 9098...


9098 what?

Console? Inline or split? -or outboard piece?

What sidechain switch? -Where is it located?

Keith
Title: Re: [AMEK 9098 compressor/limiter] sidechain send/return
Post by: tom eaton on October 14, 2010, 07:28:29 AM
A sidechain send allows you to process the signal that will be driving the gain reduction without processing the signal that you will be hearing.  So, in your case, you could feed your signal into the regular input of the compressor, take it out of the sidechain jack to an eq and emphasize the things you want the compressor to respond to, take the output of the eq back to the sidechain return and the compressor will respond to the signal that you've tweaked instead of the un-eqed signal.  Very useful for keeping a compressor from responding to low end.  

All duckers work that way, too.  Split your "more important" signal, feed one part to the console and the other to the sidechain return, feed your "less important" signal to the compressor input.  When the "more important" signal happens it will cause gain reduction to the "less important" signal, getting it out of the way.

t
Title: Re: [AMEK 9098 compressor/limiter] sidechain send/return
Post by: 2000F on October 14, 2010, 06:11:54 PM
It's the dual compressor/limiter unit.
Title: Re: [AMEK 9098 compressor/limiter] sidechain send/return
Post by: 2000F on October 14, 2010, 06:13:35 PM
tom eaton wrote on Thu, 14 October 2010 13:28

A sidechain send allows you to process the signal that will be driving the gain reduction without processing the signal that you will be hearing.  So, in your case, you could feed your signal into the regular input of the compressor, take it out of the sidechain jack to an eq and emphasize the things you want the compressor to respond to, take the output of the eq back to the sidechain return and the compressor will respond to the signal that you've tweaked instead of the un-eqed signal.  Very useful for keeping a compressor from responding to low end.  

All duckers work that way, too.  Split your "more important" signal, feed one part to the console and the other to the sidechain return, feed your "less important" signal to the compressor input.  When the "more important" signal happens it will cause gain reduction to the "less important" signal, getting it out of the way.

t


Cheers, Tom. Much appreciated. Makes quite good sense, though I have to try it to figure out how and when I can use it. But sounds pretty smart.

Bless
Frederik

PS. Reckon I should get a tech to look at the left channel; no sidechain input unfortunately. Right channel works perfectly.
Title: Re: [AMEK 9098 compressor/limiter] sidechain send/return
Post by: tom eaton on October 14, 2010, 11:30:52 PM
Any old cheap eq in a sidechain path can make a huge difference in how useful a compressor can be.  And you really can use any old equalizer you might have lying around... no one will ever hear the sidechain path.

t
Title: Re: [AMEK 9098 compressor/limiter] sidechain send/return
Post by: Fletcher on October 15, 2010, 03:31:18 AM
That's the reason they make Behringer stuff - isn't it?  Side chain duty...