Safe Sound Audio Dynamics Toolbox Stereo Compressor / Limiter Details

Compressor Section
Two great stereo linkable compressors in one package PLUS a choice of 'peakride' or 'dynamic tracking' compression, so a fantastic range of compression for tracking, submix effects and mastering.

Switchable Compressor Formats, Two Styles to Choose From In One Box

Peakride Mode compression uses three linked sidechains each with different ratio, attack, and release characteristics, which in tandem allow for very musical dynamic control of source material, especially on vocals and acoustic instruments which can often suffer badly from over compression in an effort to bring fast transients under control. Peakride compression is very easy to dial in when tracking and evens out levels in a very musical way without robbing the sound of life, so bringing the performance a new energy whilst remaining transparent and not sounding overly effected.

Dynamic Tracking Mode compression was developed primarily for use during stereo submix and final mix duties. It allows the attack and release times set by the user to be dynamically modified by analogue processing which tracks the dynamic content of the audio material being processed. It's capable of working in two very distinct ways; with moderate settings of ratio and attack time, and set to auto release, it helps quickly glue elements of the mix together, but push into fast attack and short release time territory and you have access to a real in your face compressor which can pump and fizz drum tracks and anything else which needs some added character.

'New York' Parallel Compression On A Single Knob - very rare in a stereo linkable compressor. Allows an infinite blend of compressed and uncompressed material.

'New York Compression' became a trademark sound of many New York based mixing engineers and uses a form of parallel compression which mixes in a small amount of very heavily compressed stereo submix, usually drums or rhythm guitars, back into the main uncompressed submix. The beauty of this technique is that since you have full control of the blend between compressed and uncompressed submix strands, you retain the timbre and dynamics of the original submix whilst adding gritty texture via the heavily compressed element.

We thought it would be nice to offer this feature 'right out of the box' rather than having to set up separate aux busses in your mixing console or DAW. The Dynamics Toolbox provides a fully variable blend between dry (uncompressed) and wet (compressed) audio, can be used with the compressor or limiter, and offers New York compression in both mono and stereo modes of operation. Parallel compression also has other 'more gentle' uses particularly a subtle form of 'bottom-up' compression widely used in classical music.

Limiter
Adjustable threshold limiter for ultimate protection and great as a dynamic effect when used with the 'New York' blender. The limiter design combines programme related elements of 'look ahead' dynamic threshold control with dynamic adjustment of attack time. Another great tool with a dual personality; very fast clipping protection when tracking but also very useful as a creative tool in its own right when pushed into heavy levels of limiting...

The Power Supply System
The Dynamics Toolbox houses a 100% analogue power supply unit with a super high quality toroidal power transformer feeding two 100% linear power voltage regulators.

Fully Stereo Linkable or Dual Mono Operation
The two channels are fully linkable with channel 1 controlling all dynamics functions in 'link' mode, so there's no need to match left and right settings manually. To the mix we've added VU level and gain reduction metering which can operate at nominal levels of +6dBu during tracking, or +18dbu during mixdown and mastering, so optimising noise floor and headroom for the job at hand.

Output Stage
With many recording systems now offering +24dBu audio handling capability we decided to go one better and designed the Dynamics Toolbox's electronically balanced output stage to handle +27dBu signals, so typically 3dB of additional headroom above most pro-studio set ups.

Physical

Connectors

• IEC Power Socket
• All audio connectors are balanced 1/4" jacks which may be use balanced or unbalanced.

Main processor audio path

• Frequency response : -0.5dB points at 15Hz and 70kHz (additional zoidal network across secondary of optional output transformers)
• Distortion : < 0.01% at 1kHz (typically 0.007%) main signal path working at 0dBu.

Maximum input level

• Line input : +24dBu

Input impedance

• Line input : > 10k ohms

Output Noise

• -90dBu RMS unweighted, measured 22Hz to 22kHz
• -92dBu RMS A-weighted, measured 22Hz to 22kHz

Maximum Output Level (post limiter)

• > +27dBu

Output Gain (post limiter)

• ±15dB, with centre detent line-up position

Output impedance

• 50 ohms

Compressor

• Threshold range : 18dBu to -30dBu
• Attack Time ('peakride'): 60ms to 1ms
• Attack Time ('dynamic tracking'): 60ms to 1ms but with faster transient responses
• Release Time ('peakride'): auto release, programme related from 90ms to 500ms
• Release Time ('dynamic tracking'): variable from 75ms to 4s plus switchable auto release which is programme related from 100ms to 1.5s
• Ratio 1:1 to INF:1
• Make-up gain (pre limiter): variable from 0 to +20dB (when compressor in circuit)
• Gain reduction meter: calibrated in dB.

Variable Threshold Limiter

• Threshold range: +6dBu to +24dBu
• Attack time: 100us

• Release Time: programme related from 100ms to 500ms

Sidechain EQ

• Hi pass filter : 20Hz to 2.5kz, 12dB per octave
• Lo pass filer : 1.3kHz to 15kHz, 12dB per octave

Blend Function ('New York' compression)

• Blends output signal between unprocessed (dry) and processed (wet) audio

Metering

• Switchable between audio input, audio output and gain reduction.
• 0VU switchable between +6dBu and +18dBu

Bypass function

• Relay switching of audio input jacks to audio output jacks bypassing all unit electronics. Auto-bypass when power is off.