Germaniums built in compressor

[fastlane]

What is the story with the Germanium? Don't get me wrong, it is a toy for life, but sometimes it gets me thinking that there is a subtle low ratio compressor built in to the unit. It is that germanium transistors have this compressed sound quality or is there something else going on in this box??

[3rd world order]

i think it has elves in it...

[fastlane]

Originally Posted by 3rd world order

i think it has elves in it...

You got it wrong, it's St Ives and Gardner transistors it uses.


Anyway, am I the only one who thinks the germ has a compressed feel to it????
It's just too smooth!!!!!!

[84K]

If you are talking about the Chandler Germanium, it has a lot of dirt in its nails. That is why I like it. Balls. With hair.

[3rd world order]

Originally Posted by fastlane

Anyway, am I the only one who thinks the germ has a compressed feel to it????
It's just too smooth!!!!!!

yeah... when i do my DI trick of re-amping boring trax thru the germ i generally dont need to touch compression, surprisingly...

gorgeous box... my favorite sounding thing ever, actually... it gives you depth when there is none... it's the holy grail, something for nothing.

elves was a compliment

[Bassmec]

Originally Posted by fastlane

What is the story with the Germanium? Don't get me wrong, it is a toy for life, but sometimes it gets me thinking that there is a subtle low ratio compressor built in to the unit. It is that germanium transistors have this compressed sound quality or is there something else going on in this box??

I don't know the exact unit you speak of but I do have an Old Neve Cambridge 1055 germanium transistor console and my testing shows the compression you speak of happens due to saturation in the output transformers. Cool isn't it. I tend to seek out pre's that do that well.

[fastlane]

Originally Posted by Bassmec

I don't know the exact unit you speak of but I do have an Old Neve Cambridge 1055 germanium transistor console and my testing shows the compression you speak of happens due to saturation in the output transformers. Cool isn't it. I tend to seek out pre's that do that well.

So I'm not going mad!! Phew!!

It really is like nothing else I've used, it's got to the point now where I have to stop myself from over using it. There has to be a few colourless tracks in the mix for contrast.... Doesn't there?????

[Mike Caffrey]

It's really more peak limiting than compression.

Distortion is clipping of peaks when a component in the signal path can't handle the level it's being sent.

Peak limiting is a form of clipping. It's an extremely fast lowering of the volume of a peak. Literally, they're not the same thing, but soncially (and especially visually as a wave form) they can be nearly identical.

When you turn the feedback knob fully counter clockwise, you're going to get quite a bit more harmonic distortion which you could call harmonic peak limiting.

The tone may be smoothed out, but to call it compressed really isn't accurate since there's no volume leveling of the fundamental.

[fastlane]

Originally Posted by Mike Caffrey

It's really more peak limiting than compression.

Distortion is clipping of peaks when a component in the signal path can't handle the level it's being sent.

Peak limiting is a form of clipping. It's an extremely fast lowering of the volume of a peak. Literally, they're not the same thing, but soncially (and especially visually as a wave form) they can be nearly identical.

When you turn the feedback knob fully counter clockwise, you're going to get quite a bit more harmonic distortion which you could call harmonic peak limiting.

The tone may be smoothed out, but to call it compressed really isn't accurate since there's no volume leveling of the fundamental.

Thanks for setting it straight Mike. That make a lot of sence.

[cody brown]

Originally Posted by Mike Caffrey

It's really more peak limiting than compression.

Distortion is clipping of peaks when a component in the signal path can't handle the level it's being sent.

Peak limiting is a form of clipping. It's an extremely fast lowering of the volume of a peak. Literally, they're not the same thing, but soncially (and especially visually as a wave form) they can be nearly identical.

When you turn the feedback knob fully counter clockwise, you're going to get quite a bit more harmonic distortion which you could call harmonic peak limiting.

The tone may be smoothed out, but to call it compressed really isn't accurate since there's no volume leveling of the fundamental.

i've been searching for the right description to describe this

[3rd world order]

Originally Posted by cody brown

i've been searching for the right description to describe this

what's wrong with saying it has elves in it?

[thenoiseflower]

this is great...

I recently discovered using my germ at mix, on bass. and on synths. the thick buttone REALLY brings another dimention to the low end, and controls the dynamic a bit.

(patch cable from the bay, into the front of the germ - feedback almost fully to the right, gain like three clicks up, thick button in, and feeding a 560b)

it sounds huge